Bird On A Wire - Jax Teller

two

Morgan Wade as Delaney "Laney" Speed

Jax looks up from his friend and his beer at the sound of a feminine voice shouting over the volume of the crowd.

There's a sharp gasp that follows a heavy thud.

He catches a glimpse of a pretty blonde clutching her bloody mouth. He starts to stand but his friend, Keenan, stops him.

"Hey!" The bartender shouts when the guy throws his fist at the blonde. "Get the fuck outta here!"

The girl knees the guy in the gut but the asshole shoves her back to the floor and starts wailing away.

Jax suddenly stands and shoves the guy back from her then pulls her to her feet. The girl squirms in his embrace, kicking her feet before she throws her elbow back, hitting him squarely in the mouth.

He stumbles slightly.

"Get offa me!" She shouts. "I don't need your goddamn help!" She shoves him.

"This don't concern you." The guy says in a low voice to the tall brunette. "That bitch got a mouth on her and I'm just teaching her a lesson."

"Get the fuck outta here." Jax states, keeping an arm out to protect the girl behind him. He grunts when his head jerks to the side, the asshole's fist connecting with his jaw.

The blonde squeezes past Jax then swings at the asshole, catching him off guard.

Jax suddenly wraps his arm around the girl and carries her outside, ignoring how she's squirming and writhing and cussing him out.

When they're out on the sidewalk, she backhands him then shoves him back.

"You okay?" He asks, looking at the girl with a bloody face.

She looks up at him, her body heating up at how handsome he is but she looks away. "I didn't need your fucking help." She spits, wiping her bloody mouth with the back of her hand.

"Looked like you did."

"Mind your own damn business." She forces back a blood laced cough. Jax gives her a concerned look. "I can hold my own."

"Judging by the ass whooping I saved you-"

"Oh, fuck off." She snaps, spitting out a mouthful of blood, narrowly missing his sneakers. "Just leave me alone."

Jax sighs. "You okay?" He asks again, watching her breathe hard.

"Fuck off." She huffs, pushing past him. He watches the feisty blonde walk down the street.

That was the hottest thing he's seen in a while.

"What's your name?" He shouts after her.

"Fuck you!" She shouts back.

The door opens behind him and Keenan steps beside him. "You good?"

"Who the fuck was that girl?" Jax asks, his eyes still on her as her figure shrinks.

"Laney Speed." He responds. "She's a regular, according to the bartender."

"She's one feisty chick." He licks his lips. "Speed? That sounds familiar."

"That's what I said. We'll get Juice on it." Keenan says, popping a cigarette between his lips to light. "C'mon man, let's get going."

+++

That night, Jax's brain is filled with that woman from the bar. He had told Juice about her and asked him to look into her.

The only other girl that's been stuck on his mind like this before was his ex-girlfriend, Tara. They only broke up because she got a better job offer in Oregon and couldn't pass it up.

Laney Speed.

Jax has heard that name before.

Speed isn't a common last name around Charming.

He's pulled from his thoughts by a hand roughly grabbing him by the shoulder. "Jax."

He looks up and nods at the elder. "Piney."

Piney sits next to him at the bar, pounding his fist against the counter top for a beer from the newest prospect.

"Heard about the nice piece of ass that beat the shit outta you down at that bar."

"She didn't beat the shit outta me."

"Oh yeah?" Piney is amused. "Looks like she did." He grabs him by the jaw and tilts his head to get a good look at the damage done by the girl.

"Delaney Speed." Juice announces, his laptop in his hands.

"Speed? Why the hell are you talking about a Speed?" Piney asks, his tone going serious and slightly pissed.

"How do you know that name?" Juice asks, looking up at the Elder.

"Terry Speed almost ruined this town." Piney says.

"What?" Jax asks. "What the- how come I never knew about this?"

"JT put Charming back together." Piney says. "Took care of Terry and things turned 'round."

"What- what happened?" Juice asks.

"Terry was Darby's right hand man."

"Holy shit."

"He was basically the Drug Lord of Charming after he started working with Darby making meth."

"What happened to Terry?"

"JT shot him."

Jax looks down at the rings on his fingers.

Maybe Laney isn't like Terry.

Maybe she's different but he doesn't know either Speed. He's going to change that.