A Vow of Silence

Chapter 31.

Jax

I'd been avoiding going home since last night, choosing to stay at the warehouse instead. I couldn't sleep last night after my conversation with Nero. Upon the realization that my mom's crime would be fatal. Nero and I broke down at the thought of me completing such a heinous crime against my own mother. His statement kept replaying in my memory about not being able to come back after all this is said and done.

I don't think people were supposed to come back after this sort of thing anyway. I don't think anyone would want that man around, especially Nicole. She called me a total of three times last night, and each call went straight to voicemail. I couldn't bare to face her, I didn't think I could take it. And if she knew what I was planning to do, she'd want nothing to do with me.

It's a shame though. I thought that I'd finally found my calm in the storm, but I guess I never deserved it.

It's funny how things finally seem to come together at the very end. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd get a handful of men to agree on territories and treaty lines. But I somehow managed to bond black and brown in a meeting that would have never happened a few years ago.

"Hey Nero," I said as all the guys left to go drink piss-warm beer outside. "Why don't you take the boys and Wendy to the farm tomorrow with you?"

Nero looked taken aback but nodded his head in agreement, "Okay, they're going to love the farm. My uncle has all kinds of animals. Horses, cows, and goats. Probably added a bunch of others I know nothing about."

I smiled, "Abel is going to love that."

"What about Nicole? You think she'd want to come?"

I smiled sadly, "I think she's going to need some time to think about things." Nero nodded his head in understanding. Knowing full well that no sane person wouldn't want to deal with this life after everything I'd done.

"I guess I'll just catch up with Wendy then and let her know."

"Okay, I appreciate you looking out for my boys Nero. Means a lot to me."

"You're my brother aren't you?"

"Yeah, brothers." I held up my fist and he met his with mine before we gave a brotherly embrace. Somehow I knew that Nero saw the underlying tone of our conversation. He didn't press me on anything, he just accepted it. And that was good enough for me.

The rest of my day was filled with trying to settle things with Connor between Alvarez's crew. Which didn't turn out so well since Connor had heard about my retaliation against Lin and August.

It only further complicated my ability to get guns to Alvarez's crew so that Lin's crew couldn't expand on their territory. I still had the deal with the Kings to fix this storm, but I had run out of backup plans. So, if this deal didn't go as planned, I would be screwed. And this morning's meeting would have been in vain.

However, I couldn't technically roam around freely with this annoying APB on my back. I had to find Unser to call off his charges, which were a complete load of crap. He baited me into that punch, but now he wants to pull an APB out on me.

I made Chibs call Chucky to orchestrate a pick-up so that Unser would show up. Unser did show up as intended, and I took the time to step out of the van that I was in since I couldn't be on my bike without being seen. I could hear him curse under his breath and his face looked panicked.

"Relax. I just need to talk to you," I said smirking. "You baited me into that punch y'know, trying to get me off the street."

"Well tell that to the judge," he sassed.

I sighed, becoming serious. "I know you feel betrayed by how everything went down between you and me."

Unser scoffed, "This isn't about betrayal, son. This is about Tara. I made a vow to protect her. And that means finding her killers. I owe that to her and her boys."

"I get it," I said, completely understanding his motive, far more than he could ever know.

"Then why are you and your club feeding me lies?! If you know who did it, then just tell me! Why do you want Gemma?! Why is she on the run?! I need answers here Jax, I'm lost!"

"I will tell you as long as you promise to drop the charges. I have to clean things up on the streets, and I can't do that with an APB on my back."

"I'm listening."

"It was Gemma who killed Tara. My mother killed my wife. I don't know why, I guess she was told that Tara made a deal with Patterson. All I know is that everything that happened because of her lie is going to blow this town up even further if I don't put a lid on this."

"What about Eli?" he questioned.

"Juice shot Eli to protect Gemma. They came up with the Chinese lie together."

Unser cursed under his breath and started to breathe heavily. "Where is Gemma now?" I shrugged my shoulders, I had no idea where she was, I was kind of hoping he did.

"I don't know but I've been looking for her. That's the truth. That's everything I know."

"I'm going to have to report this, son."

I shrugged, "You do what your code tells you to do, but what I did because of that lie has created a cesspool in Oakland and Stockton. I'm just about to clean that mess up and restore some kind of order and peace for everyone. If word gets out about Gemma, it'll set all that progress down the hole."

"What happens to Gemma?"

"If she shows up, I'll deal with her."

"Deal with her, how?" There was anger in his question, and I knew that he didn't like what my sentence implied.

"Look I told you the truth, what about that APB?" I asked, completely ignoring his question.

"I'll call Jarry."

I nodded my head and then proceeded to leave with Chibs. The Irish Kings were in town and I had to make some kind of deal to supply Alvarez with the guns. The only thing on my mind now was to deliver on my promises. However, when the other presidents made it to town, my plan was to patch out of SAMCRO.