Six Months Later/Two Days After Emma’s First Birthday
Cleaning up after the last of the guests left Rory grabbed two beers and handed one to Happy. There wasn't many people there, just the club and any children of the members. They ordered pizza and had cake, it was a simple celebration just like most of the other birthday parties.
“I think she's turning out okay considering we’re her parents.” Rory remarked as she tossed the last bit of wrapping paper into the recycling bin.
“You want her to turn out like us?”
“No.” Rory said quickly. “I want her to go to college and be a normal, productive member of society. I don't want her to live with the constant threat.”
Happy didn't ether but there was some pride in the idea she might one day be an old lady. There were some members who participated in extracurricular activities but there were others who didn't, mostly the younger set. Happy wasn't sure he'd mind seeing her with one of them opposed to some civilian. His original hope, Emma being a hermit who never got involved with men, seemed far fetched.
“So she shouldn't follow in her mom’s footsteps?” His hand moved up her shirt and Happy ran his fingers over the tattoo of his name between her breasts. The tail of the Y crept down and lead to the standard old lady design she'd had done on her lower sternum.
“She's too good to be an old lady.” Rory slapped his hand away. “That hurt, you're lucky I even did it.”
“Boo fucking hoo.” He pulled her shirt up and grinned as he looked over the tattoo. “Marking my woman.”
“And I marked my man.” She added and tapped his collarbone where her named was inked into his skin. With a giggle, she stepped away from him and grabbed another beer. “Johnny mentioned taking me and Em out for lunch and to the zoo or something for her birthday.”
“Just you three?”
“Yes. He's scared of you and he knows not to ambush me with Brad again.”
“When?”
“Day after tomorrow.”
Happy pursed his lips and nodded slowly. “I got some shit to do anyway. You should go.”
“Really? It's cool?”
“Yeah. It's cool.”
--
The day had come and Happy begrudgingly watched Rory and Emma pull out from the lot and head toward Oregon. Turning back, Happy met the others at the bar.
“When's the meeting?”
Piney was complaining about something when Happy asked and Tig was pleased to have someone else to talk to.
“Eleven.” Brushing back his hair he gave Piney a hard look. “Alright, alright, shit we hear ya.”
Grumbling, Piney lumbered away sniffing a cigarette as he went. “What’s that about?”
“He doesn't like making friendly with the Russians.”
Happy nodded. “It was a club vote. It was the kid anyway; he’s gone so it'll be fine. I trust Clay.”
“Obviously Piney doesn't agree.”
“If we cut off business with every crew that fucked us over we wouldn't be making shit.” Bobby added before they all filed into chapel.
--
The girls’ day in Oregon started with lunch, which Emma ate very little of, then taking separate cars they met with Johnny at the zoo. It wasn’t exactly something Rory ever saw herself doing but it felt nice, normal, and she really liked it.
“Maybe I should see if Happy would do something like this.” She mused as they made their way out of the massive iron gates and toward the parking lot.
Johnny laughed and shook his head as he draped an arm over her shoulder. “I’m sorry but I cannot see him on one of these happy family excursions.”
“I know you’re not meaning to be an asshole but you are.” Raising her eyebrows, Rory peeked into the coach to see Emma sleeping soundly. “Thank God, I really thought she was going to be up and miserable the rest of the day.”
“You’re good, right?” He asked as they got to her car. “You’re happy with Happy in California?”
“I’m very good and we are both very happy with Happy.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.” Watching closely as Rory safely buckled in Emma, Johnny felt more confident than ever in his decision to leave her be. “Have you heard from Brad?”
“He called me.” The door slammed as she moved to the driver’s seat. “I told him off and it’s been months.”
“Yeah, he never called me and I kind of just stepped away. It was one thing when Happy wasn’t in the picture but he was causing too much shit.”
“Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. “This is what Emmett meant when he told you to look out for me.”
“Yeah, I get it now. Wait,” he looked at Emma sleeping soundly in the back seat. “Emma, Emmett, I’m such an idiot.”
“Yeah, you are, Johnny but we love you anyway.”
--
“What happened to your original connection?” Clay asked with one hand in his pocket as he and Putlova tried to pull as much information out of the other as they could.
With a casual shrug of the shoulders, Putlova answered vaguely. “We had a falling out.”
“Seems like you had a lot of that since your kid and you haven’t been able to build shit back up that high yet. If that’s the issue, tell me, we weren’t jumping at the chance to get in bed with you, but with our extra stock we are looking for buyers.”
“And I know we aren’t the only ones to have reached out.” Putlova was annoyed but Clay’s insinuation no matter how true it was. Junior had burned many bridges with his schemes that spread from Vivica all the way up the coast. A lot men lost faith in the Russians and Putlova when he couldn’t control his own son.
“You’re not.” Clay said matter-of-factly. He wasn’t hiding anything. “The Chinese are very aggressive and the Italians made it known what they want. I don’t want anything to do with Lin, I don’t trust him, he’s too sneaky. I want this to work with you but you gotta be straight with me.”
Every man turned when the sound of rustling gravel and high-powered engines hit their ears. Most but not all pulled their weapons as two blacked out Hummers came from the narrow entrance road with their windows down. As soon as the first shot was fired, Tig had Clay on the ground and Putlova was hurried behind his car. The other men fired back as they searched for somewhere to take cover from the high caliber bullets being sprayed around them.
“Who is it?” Jax called over to Juice who was closest to the offending vehicles. He looked back, shaking his head, but before he could holler any response or guess Juice took a bullet to the stomach and hit the ground.
“I got him.” Happy was already halfway across the open space when most of the Sons realized Juice had even been hit. Dragging him back further from the gunfight and to a much safer, better-covered area Happy felt two molten hot bullets wing past him close enough to rip open a good-sized gash into his side and one right below his ear.
“Jesus,” Tig watched as the Sons and Russians emptied the last of their ammo. “Fucking sitting ducks, we’re gonna die out here.” He said to himself right before the automatic weapons were silenced and the Hummers sped away in reverse.
“We whole?” Clay shouted as he jumped to his feet.
“Juice took one,” Jax said as he met Clay halfway across the open area. “Happy got a few grazes. I’m gonna call Tara; we gotta get him out of here.”
“Take him and Hap in the van.” Clay was already pointing off to the others. “I don’t want anyone dead.” He said with a warning look.
“Looks like it might not be us you gotta worry about.” Jax said as he looked past Clay to see the Russians mourning two of their own. “This is only going to get worse.” He said, catching up with Happy as they helped Juice into the van.
--
DUN DUN DUN! Haha Thanks for all the feedback and support. Please keep it coming, I love hearing your opinions and guesses! xoxo