All I Know So Far

Chapter 32. Rules and Regulations

Jax

I walked through the hospital corridors full of emotion. There was so much going on with the club, my family, and my relationships. Everyone had brought me up to speed with everything going on with Clay, Piney, and Tara's deception. I felt like I was in way over my head and all of my initial plans had turned to dust.

Just days ago, I was on my way to Oregon with my girl and my kids to start a new life. I was done with the club life and I was going to prove to everyone, and myself, wrong by making it without the club. I was going to be a changed man, a family man, and a good husband. But then everything around me came crashing down at once when Clay had ordered a hit on a Tara. If it hadn't been for me being there, I'd probably be identifying Tara's body in some ditch somewhere.

However, after finding out what she did, she had a high chance of ending up there anyway after what she did to Nelly. Nelly wanted to hurt Tara bad, she wanted her to pay for what she did to her in true Teller fashion. She didn't just want to hit her, she wanted to make her feel the pain she felt when she thought she lost Ava forever. Hell, she probably wanted to make her feel more than that. She would break her other hand if I let her come to the hospital with me, but I insisted on handling Tara myself.

When I reached her door, I had to do a double-take. Tara was my first real love, and the effect of what she had done left me in shambles. I would have never thought that she was capable nor willing to do something so evil. Especially something that involved my daughter. She of all people knew that it would be difficult for me to get Ava if Nelly was out of the picture. Accusing Nelly of child neglect would just lead to further investigation on my end, and I'm sure the judges of Charming would be all too happy to deny my right to custody. If her little plan had worked, I would have most likely lost Abel too. Considering I wasn't married to Tara, she wouldn't have been able to get custody of Abel. But of course, she didn't think about anyone but herself in her plans.

Filthy Phil noticed me in the hallway, "you still need me here Jax?" he asked completely unaware. I wiped my face of any indication that I was emotional, "no, go back to the clubhouse. I'll take it from here." Phil nodded and proceeded to walk away leaving me alone. After my talk with Tara, I was going to go back to the clubhouse with Opie. I was going to be sworn in as president with Opie as my right-hand man. We were going to discuss Otto's execution request, Clay's meet with Mr. Mayhem, and of course, Tara being excommunicated from any club resources. This talk was just the beginning of what was going to be a very long night.

I opened the door to see Tara holding Thomas; I was curious as to who brought him there, but then I noticed my mom's purse sitting in the corner. Ava's shoes were sticking out of her purse, and the light in the bathroom was on. It made me angry to know that Tara could still be around Ava so calmly considering what she had done to her mom.

I took a deep breath in as I walked towards her bed and reached out for Thomas. He came to me with ease as I gave his mother a stare that made her gulp. The door to the restroom opened and my mom stepped out with Ava on her hip. Ava was clearly asleep, but she was having sobbing spasms. I looked at my mom who looked at me sheepishly and said, "she was crying for her mom." My anger only rose after that as I looked back at Tara.

"Jax," she began.

"Save it. I don't want to hear anything you have to say," I shifted Thomas in my other arm and took Ava with my free one. Tears started to form in Tara's eyes and my mother looked confused.

"What's going on baby?" my mom asked with a concerned tone.

"Why don't you ask Thomas's mom?" I dead stared at Tara, "she was so concerned about Abel that she had her boss call CPS on my wife and attempted to charge her with child neglect."

"Jesus! Is that true," my mom asked Tara shocked.

"Jax, you have it all wrong!" Tara pleaded.

"Oh, so your boss is lying on you. You didn't cook up some plan to get Abel, while simultaneously screwing my daughter over? Please, correct me if I have it all wrong!"

Ava began to stir in my arms and I tried to make a mental note to keep my voice down. Tara placed her head in her hands and began to sob. My mother looked back between us and tried to play mediator. "Jax, she's been through a lot with her hand and with Wendy showing up. She wasn't thinking clearly," my mom tried to reason with me but I was way past listening.

I drew my attention back to Tara and looked her in the eyes, "you will stay away from my wife, away from Abel, and away from Ava. If you want to go to Oregon, be my guest, but Thomas will be staying with me and my family. If you want to see him, it will be on my time and on my schedule. If you don't like these rules, you are free to fight me and Nelly in court, but I will warn you about my wife. She will crawl to the depths of hell to make you feel what she felt in that cell. She will use everything she has against you and I will stand right next to her in that courtroom."

My mom's mouth dropped and she had to sit down on the nearest chair. Tara's face grew visibly angry and her tears had stopped. "He is my son. I raised him while you were away. I gave birth while you were in prison getting shanked by the Russian mafia. I am the one whose career is ruined because of your damn stepfather, and your mother was too stupid to shut her mouth about the letters!"

My brows furrowed at this because I had no idea about any letters. Tara noticed my demeanor and continued, "yeah, that's right, Clay killed your old man, while he was bedding your mom!" I could tell that by the look on her face she wanted this to hurt me. She wanted this to turn my direction and focus on something else, but my old man was dead, and Clay would be dead soon enough. This ancient dirt just drove me back to where I belonged all along, in Charming with my club, my kids, and my wife.

"Clay is going to meet Mr. Mayhem, and I will be the next president of the Sons. You can stay in the house because we won't be living in it." Her face turned a ghost pale when she realized that I wasn't going to allow her information to phase me, at least not right now, not in front of her. I looked at my mom and she looked like she was going to faint, "if you want to stick up for her, that's fine, I won't stop you. But if you betray my trust and disobey my rules, your only family will be in a brothel."

With that, I turned to leave with my kids. Therewas nothing else left to do but drop the kids over at Nelly's. I would be sureto move all of our belongings during Tara's time in the hospital. I didn't knowhow Nelly would take my impromptu living arrangements, but I was hoping that byseeing how much she was still needed that she would stay. I needed her by my sidefor this, no one else could fit the bill. I just needed to remind her of theman she fell in love with. And still loves, I just need her to remember that.