Victoria Rollins runs the diner in Charming for her uncle. When the Sons stop in one day, she notices a new face among the leather. Tig Trager is new to Charming and soon becomes best friends with the feisty redhead. Everyone around them can see tha...
"Man, you showed more restraint than I would have."
Tig looked up from taking his shot to frown at Happy. "What are you talking about?"
Happy shrugged as he looked over the table for a shot to take. "I'm just saying. If it was me and someone was threatening my old lady, he wouldn't have left breathing."
Chibs chuckled from where he sat on the couch with a beer in hand. "Aye, Hap, but she isn' his old lady."
Happy looked at Chibs in surprise. "Seriously?" When Chibs nodded, Happy grinned. "Well, maybe I need to hang out at the diner more often."
Tig leveled him with a look, making the enforcer chuckle. "Maybe you don't."
Happy shrugged. "Hey, if she's available... she's pretty hot."
Chibs groaned as Tig pointed a finger at a smirking Happy. "Yeah, she is hot but she isn't available."
"You claiming her then?"
By now, Bobby and Jax had walked over to watch the free entertainment, since it looked like Tig was ready to take Happy to the ring. "No, I'm not claiming her, but that doesn't mean she's available."
Jax shook his head and chuckled. "It doesn't work that way, brother. If she isn't yours and you have no plans to make her yours, then she's available." He shrugged as he lit a cigarette. "Besides, any one of the single guys in town could ask her out. I hear that Hale's been eating out a lot lately."
Tig shrugged as he lit a cigarette and sat down by Chibs. "She can date whoever she wants, man."
Jax shook his head and looked at the others sitting around, saying nothing more on the subject. Everyone could see that Tig was interested in Vic as more than his best friend. Everyone, that was, except for Tig and Vic.
When Vic got home, she found Tig sitting on her front porch, smoking a cigarette and looking pensive. She sighed as she got out of her car, knowing that she was probably in for an argument with her best friend.
"What's up, Alex?" He shook his head and as she got closer, she noticed that he has a black eye and a few scratches on his face. She frowned as she reached out and took his face in her hands. He looked up at her and the look in his eyes made her heart hurt. He looked exhausted and just done with life. "What happened?"
Tig shook his head again and shrugged. "Just a shit day, babe."
There seemed to be a storm brewing in his blue eyes as she turned to unlock the door. Juice had put new locks on the place a month back and she had to remind herself to lock up even now. "Come inside and I'll clean up your face."
After the first-aid was dispensed, she sat down on the couch and gave him a surprised look when he laid down with his head in her lap. "Can I stay? I can sleep out here... I just want to stay tonight."
Vic nodded as he ran a hand through his hair. "Sure, Alex. Whatever you need."
He nodded and they sat in silence for a while, his head on her lap, and her hand in his hair. Finally, he broke the silence with a whisper.
"I'm an asshole."
Vic grinned. "Yeah."
"I've done some really bad shit, and enjoyed it."
"I know."
"But you let me stay anyway."
Vic nodded. "I do."
Tig sighed before turning onto his back so that he could look up at her. She laid a hand on his chest and he covered it with his much bigger one. "Why?"
Vic smiled as she lifted her free hand to smooth the frown lines on his forehead. "Because I don't see the asshole who's done bad shit. I see Alex, who has a razor-sharp sense of humor, and worries about me and whether I'm eating and sleeping."
Tig nodded as he stared up into her eyes and Vic felt like she could cheerfully fall into his stare and stay there. His hand tightened on hers. "Please don't ever make me go. I need you, Vic. You keep me sane."
Vic nodded, swallowing back the tears that were threatening to fall. She didn't know what he had been into earlier that day, and it didn't matter. She watched until his eyes finally closed and he was in dreamland, then pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch and covered him with it. She sat with her head back against the couch, eyes closed and fingers still stroking his face. As she fell asleep herself, she thought that the joke was on both of them. She was in love with Alex Trager and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.
"Maybe we could go to a movie sometime. Get some dinner."
Vic smiled at David Hale and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Thanks for asking though."
David nodded. "So it's Tig then?"
Vic sighed and shook her head. "No, it isn't Tig."
David shook his head. "You know it is, Vic. I don't know why the two of you don't just get together. Everyone in town knows that you two are a couple, except for the two of you."
Vic chuckled and shook her head. "The town needs to find something else to talk about."
Gemma came walking into the diner and nodded to Vic, a frown on her face. "Office."
Vic nodded and followed the other woman back, shutting the door behind them. "What's wrong, Gem?"
Gemma sighed and took Vic's hand in hers. "Some of the boys were arrested last night. Tig was one of them." When Vic stared at her, she shook her head. "They're looking at prison time."
Vic shook her head. "Shit! How long?"
Gemma shook her head. "I don't know yet." She sighed. "Look, Tig said to tell you that he doesn't want you anywhere near the jail, courthouse, or prison if they go in. He'll find you when he gets out."
Vic shook her head. "No, he can't mean that, Gem! I can at least go see him."
Gemma shook her head as she pulled the other woman into her arms for a hug. "I'm sorry baby, but he was clear. You're to stay away."
