Other Side of the Tracks

Chapter 30

When she finally returned to Diosa word of what had happened had spread through SanWa. Now it was well known Julia was not to be toyed with. She wasn't the demure, Charlie controlled pawn that everyone assumed.

"This is everything?" Julia looked up at Colette as she dropped the bar deposit on her desk.

"Every penny," she pursed her lips.

"Thank you." Julia stood, cash bag in hand and grabbed her purse. "I'll be out the rest of the day."

"Should I call you or Nero if I need anything?"

"Me," she said as she ushered Colette out. Julia waited for Colette to leave before setting the alarm on her office door and double checking it was locked.

She left but before driving off she sent Jax a quick text but she knew she'd get a vague brush off. He'd been distant, citing the club and dealing with the fallout from Clay, but she sensed it was more.

When she arrived at the meeting, Opie and Happy we're there. She got out of her car and greeted them with a smile.

"No Jax?"

"He had a few things to handle," Opie grumbled.

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Thanks for coming. Hard to find people I can trust to have my back."

They nodded, not speaking a word, and waited for Lin to arrive. No one knew why Henry wanted to meet with Julia but they were about to find out.

"Ms. Barosky," he offered her his hand. "Nice to see you again."

"I'll decide that once I know why we're here." She smirked as they shook hands.

Henry chuckled and nodded, not wasting anytime. "I know what Charlie tried to do to you."

Tensing, Julia glared at Henry and prepared mentally to pull her gun. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he said flatly. "And I'm not going to lie about this. We had a deal, once you went AWOL, that is buy him out, his turf, everything."

"But I'm not dead so you miss out. Right?"

"I still want it but I don't want to do it dirty or draw anymore blood." Henry was calm and collected and Julia trusted he wasn't going to ambush her. "You're running the show now, not Charlie, so I want to make you an offer."

"An offer?" She scoffed. "You're kidding right?"

Henry shook his head and reached for the large duffle bag from one of his men. "This is 100k, just to get you excited, and if you agree you'll get another 1,900,000."

"Two million? All together?"

"Not enough?" He wasn't amused or surprised. "I can offer more."

"I don't know," she stepped back and didn't take the money. "I gotta think about this."

"You let me know," he winked. "I look forward to hearing from you."

Julia didn't move until Lin and his men were gone. She turned to Opie, the Son she knew best, and shrugged. "What am I supposed to do?"

"What do you want to do?" He mumbled as they headed back to her car and the bikes.

Thinking about it, chewing anxiously on her cheek, she shook her head. "I worked so fucking hard for this."

"Why don't you talk to Jax," he suggested.

"Yeah," she opened her door. "I will. Thanks."

--

Without calling first, Julia showed up at Jax's to find Wendy in the kitchen with Able and Jax. She stepped back and immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I used my key."

Jax popped up from the table and led her down the hall into the bedroom. "Hey," he kissed her cheek.

"Hi," she glanced over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt any kind of family time."

"You're good," he assured her. "What's up?"

"I have a business decision to make and I was hoping I could talk to you about it."

With a look into the hall, knowing Wendy and Able were feet away, he shook his head. "I can't right now."

"Are you fucking her?" Julia asked point blank. "You've been distant and perpetually busy for weeks now and when I come over Wendy's here."

"Darlin'," he flashed her his smile. "I'm not sleeping with Wendy."

Julia didn't believe him; not only did he call her darlin', his go to for every female, but his current behavior convinced her.

"Okay," she forced a smile. "I think I made up my mind. You did help, kind of. Thanks."

Kissing her deeply, he whispered a few sweet words before they left the bedroom. "Opie and Hap take care of you today?"

"They did," she smiled at Wendy and Abel as she passed by. "Thanks for the muscle."

"Of course," he opened the front door. "Anything for my girl."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Julia drove off, a sick feeling in her stomach, and called Henry Lin on her way home.

"That was quick," he chuckled. "Make up your mind?"

"I did," she hesitated, "And I'm not taking the deal. I worked too hard for this to give it up."