Roots Run Deep

Chapter 13

"You look like you've healed up," Gemma said from behind Katie.

Katie turned and smiled. "I have."

"Your head healed too?" She asked cryptically, sitting across from Katie.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Katie said, not as unsettled by Gemma's questions or presence as Gemma would have liked.

"You spending time around the club, with bad shit in your head after what happened, could be dangerous for you and those guys."

"Oh," Katie nodded. "You have nothing to worry about, my trauma is locked up tight," she winked and clicked her tongue. "We're women, Gemma, that's what we do, hold it all in, swallow it down and pretend like it never happened."

Gemma smirked. "I don't know if you think you're smart or you are."

"Little bit of both," Katie shrugged, "And a lot of bullshitting."

"You're wasting your talents," she said sagely. "This escort shit," Gemma shook her head.

"I have no interest in your son," Katie told her. "And that's the only reason I can think you'd bring up my work. You don't want Jax with an escort, that's fine cause he won't be."

"There's the bullshit," Gemma clicked her tongue. "I never thought I'd want him with Wendy but the competition isn't exactly the best material."

Katie drained her beer bottle and stood up. "You are tough, I don't envy whoever ends up with Jax." She winked at Gemma and turned away, heading toward the door when a large group of club members burst out. "Whoa," she stumbled back.

"They voted me in!" Jake said excitedly as he found Katie in the group. "I'm a full patch, Kay!"

She forced a smile. "You deserve it." There was no point in her voicing her concerns anymore, he was in, fully in, and she knew there was no getting him out now without something drastic forcing his hand.

"Come on," Tig said as he put Jake in a headlock and pulled him toward the boxing ring. "Let's celebrate."

"Oh, no," Katie said quickly. "He's still healing," she protested. Looking around for Jax or someone to back her up Katie began to grow more concerned.

"Hey," Clay grabbed her shoulders. "What's the problem?"

"My brother," she gestured toward the ring. "He shouldn't be fighting, not yet."

"He'll be fine," Clay chuckled raspily, guiding her away from the fight and into the clubhouse. "Your old man is a good friend."

"Okay," she said uneasily. "Let me head back, I wanna get Jake outta there." When his grip on her shoulder suddenly tightened, Katie knew her initial uneasy feeling was right. "Hands off me, now."

They locked eyes, Clay trying to challenge her with his gaze, but quickly he relaxed, letting her go, and chuckled. "Ah go get him, Tig is gonna rip him to shreds anyway."

Katie smiled, to show Clay she wouldn't be shaken by him despite being fearful of him, and hurried back out to find her brother. In her haste, she bumped into Opie, who was in a rather fraught discussion with Donna.

"Sorry," she huffed.

"Jax is looking for you," he grumbled, annoyed by most everyone in that moment.

"Thanks," she said, pushing by him and heading out into the dry night air again. "Jax," she called out when she saw him not far from where she and Gemma had been sitting. "What's up?"

"Your brother got a good shot," he chuckled, moving to reveal Tig with a bloody gash below his eye. "He still got his ass kicked though."

She huffed. "He okay?"

"He's fine, pride's hurt worse than anything else."

"Sounds like Jake," she said with relief. "Your mom and step dad are insane, by the way."

"Yeah, I know," he smirked. "Come on, let's get a beer."

"I need something harder," she said. Wanna grab me a jack and coke and meet me," she pointed over to the long railing the bikes were parked along.

"Alright," he winked. "Be right there."

A few minutes later he joined her by his bike, she was careful not to touch it knowing how precious they were after hearing her brother go on and on about it but Jax pointed to the seat and shrugged. "You can sit."

"I didn't want to assume," she said, leaning her weight on it. "I hate when people don't admit when they're wrong, so I just wanna say, I'm starting to think maybe you were right and there's something shady about Kris, or Isak, or whatever."

"I know shady people and he's shady as fuck." Jax handed her the drink.

"But shady doesn't always mean guilty," she reminded him.

"True," he nodded. "What are you saying?"

"That I can't be with him unless I know what's going on and I'm not the type of woman who is going to let a man save me, or protect me, or whatever."

"You wanna play Nancy Drew?"

"And you and Jake can be the Hardy Boys," she winked.

"That sounds gay," he chuckled. "But I'm in."

"Thank you," she smiled, placing a peck on his lips purposely when she noticed Gemma watching them closely. "So where do we start?"

"Personally, I'd just let Happy get at him but that's not the route you're gonna wanna take."

"I don't want anyone to hurt him," she said staunchly. "Can you guys just scare him?"

"Maybe," Jax sipped his beer. "Even if there's nothing else, you need to get rid of him."

Katie huffed and rolled her eyes. "I know what I want."

"What's that?"

There was a threatening but playful way about the way he said it that sent a shiver down her spine. "Stop," she laughed.

"He's jealous, he knows," Jax said in a sing-song tone.

"Knows what?"

Instead of speaking, he leaned forward and cupped her face with one hand as he kissed her. They felt the spark, their chemistry was never something they denied, but the intensity of it surprised them both. Katie leaned into the kiss, her free hand gripping his shirt and pulling him even closer.

"Oh," she uttered quietly as the kiss ended, both needing to break for air and to keep themselves under control. "That."

"Yeah," he sighed with a breathy laugh.

"I have an idea," she smirked. "But it's not what you're thinking."

"What is it?" He ran his tongue along his bottom lip. "I mean we could do both."

"Take a cold shower, Teller, and get your friend. Kay?"

"Alright," he shrugged. "Where we meeting you?"

"I'll text you the address," she winked. "Don't keep me waiting, darlin'."