A Vow of Silence

Chapter 10.

Jax

I knew when I took the gavel that my life would be different. I had heard long ago that the gavel corrupts the hand that holds it. But even now as sirens go off around me I can hear nothing. One minute you're being asked about some douchebag that beat on his daughter and the next a grenade is thrown into an ice cream parlor. Someone had sold us out to the Chinese, and they didn't do messages, they only did retaliation.

Prior to this, all I could think about was my wet shoes. I had jumped into a lake to save Loutreesha Haddem; a woman whose husband had gotten into a money laundering scheme with Pope. And even as I left the lake house, all I could think about was taking off my wet shoes when I got home. But now, as I sit on the hood of a cop car, I wished my biggest worry could have still been my wet shoes.

"This wasn't a message brother," Hap said, "that dude saw us in the shop. Straight up retaliation."

"Yeah," Bobby chimed, "somebody sold us out to Lin."

My eyes widened at the thought of our merchandise, "check on the guns," I ordered Happy. Happy dug into his pocket and retrieved his phone. We waited in anticipation as Happy tried to get a hold of West up at the dock. But then he slowly shook his head when he came up short.

"Reception out there ain't so great," Montez said, but he knew as well as I did that West picking up had very little to do with the reception.

"HOLY SH*T!" I turned my attention to Nero who had pulled up to the scene. "Everybody whole?" he asked looking us up and down.

"Yeah," I said solemnly.

"Chinese," Bobby informed.

"What? That doesn't make any sense. Why would the Chinese do this?!" Nero's questioning was interrupted by a phone call that caused all the color to drain from his face. "Diosa." He said the name like it was a ghost, and it sent all of us running to get on our bikes.

Diosa was in trouble, but by the time we got there, the trouble had passed. Bodies stacked on each other as Diosa was turned into a blood bath. Nero choked back a sob as he held on to the cross around his neck, trying to pray away this tragedy.

I looked around in disbelief at the sight and couldn't believe my eyes. The Chinese wanted to put us under, Lin wanted not only wanted to hurt us, but he also wanted to beat us into submission.

I walked around the bodies that lied on the floor and stumbled upon Colette. My mouth went dry as I saw her laying there lifeless on the ground. Her eyes were wide open and her hair was caked in blood. I'd seen a lot of bodies in my time, but nothing smoothes over the pain you feel when it's someone you know.

"What did Lin's associate say over the phone?" I asked Nero.

Nero looked at me with tears in his eyes, "he said that this was meant for you. This retaliation was for SAMCRO." I inhaled a sharp breath as I looked around Diosa. Blood splattered the walls and I leaned against the bar to hold my balance.

"What happened with the Chinese?" Nero asked me.

"I don't know, ask the Chinese."

"I'M ASKING YOU!" he barked, rightfully angry.

"I don't have an answer for you Nero, but this," I scanned the room, "nothing can justify this." Nero remained silent as he took in his surroundings once more.

"It'll be daylight soon, we're going to have to call this in," Bobby informed. I nodded my head lightly as it began to dawn on me, I hadn't ever gone home. Nicole had only been working for me for a few days, and she was already being dragged into something she shouldn't. There was no way I was letting her go back on the street with Lin hard-pressed for retaliation.

"Okay, tell everyone to meet up at Red Woody, full lockdown. Send someone to my house to grab my kids. Make sure Nicole goes with them."

Bobby nodded his head and then disappeared to go make the call. I sat and waited for the police, and before I knew it, Diosa was crawling with the feds. Detectives were everywhere taking pictures of every single person. And one by one they took us to go make statements.

My statement was clear; I knew absolutely nothing. There was nothing to get out of me that they didn't already expect. Bringing the feds into something like this would just make things worse, but keeping them out would also bring some unnecessary heat to Charming. Because if it was Charming police today, then it'd be the FBI tomorrow.

"You're the one who opens up every morning?" Jarry asked me. I refused to meet her eyes as I played with the fire in my lighter. Flicking my thumb back and forth to conjure up the flame.

"It's usually Lyla Winston. She's running our other business so I've been helping out here."

"Lucky for Lyla."

"Yeah," I said exhaling a breath.

"I know you're not going to give us any information. Outlaw code. But we've got a room filled with the slaughtered bodies of innocent people."

"I'm aware."

"I've been doing this awhile, with guys a lot more dangerous than your MC. I know how to navigate within outlaw code, how to function within it, and still do my job."

I let out a snort. I'd probably heard this same speech a million times. Where a fed thought they knew everything. They conquer one group of gangsters and suddenly they were experts on "outlaw code."

"Patterson and my boss are going to want answers. The only way this doesn't crush both of us is if you give me some information. I don't care how it comes, or how it's delivered. But if you don't cooperate this will just blow up in both of our faces."

I nodded my head absentmindedly at Jarry. She had no idea what she was asking for. There was no bending a little with a fed. If you gave them a crumb, they'll want the whole cookie.

"Nicole Booker, is she still working for you?" My eyebrows furrowed at Jarry's question. Nicole had only been working for me for a few days. And even then, it wasn't like she was screaming about it from the highest rooftop.

"What are you asking?" I deadpanned.

"Well, I think there is a way we can both get what we want." My face continued to twist as Jarry paused for effect. It was clear that I had no idea what she meant. "Teller, you have one of the best detectives in California working as your nanny."

"And your point?" I said reacting hostile to the mention of Nicole.

"The cases that she's worked on have taken down big businesses. She has tanked organizations, and she was on her way to tanking another. If it's outlaw code that's prohibiting you from saying anything to me. Then maybe telling someone else will help bridge the gap."

Jarry hopped off the counter in front of me and gave me one last look before she left the kitchen. Her words ran laps around my head as I thought about what she was suggesting. I hadn't told Nicole anything that didn't pertain to my boys. She never asked me about what I did for a living, and I never questioned her about what she did in the past. Her job was never meant to be in the loop, her job is to protect my kids.

However, with Jarry snooping around Nicole and her job, I couldn't help but think that it'd only be a matter of time before Nicole received an offer she couldn't refuse.