Back again! This is the sequel to "She Will Be Loved". Highly recommend reading that one before this one! ;)
This will loosely follow the actual SOA seasons, but I'm going to take a few more liberties with it and change A LOT of the story as I go. It'll be very different from "Hands All Over" mostly because in writing this, all the seasons are out, so I can think of the big picture and plan stuff out instead of just guessing as I go... ;)
As always, please let me know what you think!
~'~'~'~
Angela was washing the mixing bowl in her kitchen when she heard an explosion. She raised an eyebrow, drying her hands on a dishrag before heading to her backyard. It was still warm outside with the smallest hint of a breeze. Off in the distance, she could see a plume of smoke and a ball of fire rising in the air. A brief thought that it might have something to do with the Sons crossed her mind, anxiety creeping into her thoughts a the idea. Juice and the boys had been gone for the past week on a run in Arizona, and if she was judging it correctly, that explosion was probably on their way home. She hoped the boys were far away from whatever had caused it.
As if on cue, the sound of a Harley filled the air, and she relaxed; Juice was home. She stayed in the backyard, watching the smoke as she listened to the front door opening and the familiar thud of his boots as he walked through the living room. She knew this routine by heart and loved the sound of it. It meant he was safe. That he'd come back to her just like he promised every time he left. "Angel?" his voice rang out through the house.
She stayed quiet, knowing he'd eventually figure out where she was since she'd left the door slightly open. It took him a minute, but soon she heard the door open more, felt his eyes on her back. She smiled to herself as he neared. "Hey you," she greeted without turning around.
Juice's arms moved around her shoulders from behind as he buried his nose in the crook of neck. "Hey baby," he murmured, kissing her throat.
She dropped a kiss to his arm. Right over his new reaper tattoo. "Hey you. Welcome back," she tilted her head back against his shoulder. "How are you?"
"Fine. Happy to be home." He nuzzled his nose against her skin, the scruff on his chin tickling her just a little. "You smell good."
Her hands came to rest on his thick arms. Honestly, he smelled good too, though she was pretty sure she was the only person who would ever think that. He smelled like dirt and sweat with just a hint of his deodorant and some marijuana. And leather. The smell was a constant reminder of the club, of how it'd become a part of him. So much so that the smell of it seemed to cling to his skin. While the combined smell wasn't as appealing as his usual clean smell, there was something about it that made her heartbeat kick up a notch. "Mmm, and you stink," she teased, knowing it irked him. She turned around in his arms, laughing at the offended look on his face. She stood on her toes and kissed his nose. "I like it though."
His responding grin gave her butterflies. "Maybe we can share a shower? You can help me fix this mess," he suggested, gesturing to his mohawk. It was still perfectly shaven, there was a fine layer of stubble on either side blurring his tattoos. It was a request he made often; he seemed to love when she cleaned up his mohawk. She had to admit, she did too. Loved the time they spent alone just talking as she took care of him. Loved that after it usually ended up in a quickie in the bathroom where he took care of her.
"Think I can manage that," she told him with a smirk. "You see that big explosion?"
"No." His eyes were more focused on her cleavage as he shook his head. "Did you get my present?"
"Maybe," she replied with a shrug. He'd sent over flowers one day, but the next she'd gotten a box with a very pretty cobalt blue bra and pantie set with silver flowered lace detailing. She was constantly getting little packages like that. Juice seemed to like shopping for panties more than she did. Tugging on the front of his cut, she caught his lips in a hungry kiss. "C'mon, goofy, let's get you cleaned up."
He was hot on her heels as he followed her inside, his fingertips skimming over her hips, her ass, anything part of her he could touch. Then, his phone went off his in pocket. "Fuck," he cursed, stopping short, his hands falling to his sides.
"You just got home," she said on a scowl as she turned around. She stepped in closer to him, her finger tracing over his belt buckle. It was a skeleton hand holding up a middle finger. He'd told her it reminded him of her, which was why he liked to wear it on runs; it was a reminder of what he had waiting for him at home. She loved it. What she didn't love was his damn burner phone. She wrinkled her nose. "What could they possibly want?"
"One minute, Angel. Promise," he said, holding up one finger. Angela sighed and nodded as he answered the phone. She wasn't going to make it easy for him, though. Leaning into his chest, she pressed a kiss to his neck as her hand slipped underneath his shirt. She nipped at his throat lightly, taking pride in his sharp inhale. He moved his free arm around her, his hand going to her ass, squeezing it lovingly. True to his word, the conversation only lasted one minute. He cloed the phone with a satisfying snap before shaking his head at her. "Fuck, baby. You can't do that."
"What?" she asked, feigning innocence.
He kissed her nose, tangling a hand into her hair. "You know what," he murmured, pulling her into him before slanting his lips across hers and pushing her towards their bedroom. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss, nipping at his lower lip gently. He growled in response, grabbing her hips and hoisting her over his shoulder. "Time for some fun."
She laughed, feeling triumphant when his laughter joined hers. The sound of it warmed her heart, and she reached down to smack his ass. Yelping when his hand connected with her ass. He lowered her to the ground, dragging her body against his as he did so. She looked up at him meeting his gaze. Heat was smoldering between them, but it was a different kind of passion there. A warmth spread through her that went down to her toes. God, she loved him. Framing his face with her hands, she placed a soft kiss on her lips before tapping her forehead against his. "Glad you're home, goof. Missed you."
Juice's little smile made her heart do back flips. "Missed you too, Angel."
~'~'~'~
Juice let the tips of his fingers trip down Angela's spine as she lay on top of him, her skin glistening with sweat and sticking to his own sweat soaked skin. Both of them were breathing had, enjoying the post-coital bliss and peace of just being together for the first time in days. Angela's finger was tracing the same pattern over and over again just over his heart. It took him a minute, but he finally realized she was tracing out her name. He couldn't help but smile at the feeling of her marking him as hers despite how she wasn't actually leaving any visible mark. It didn't matter, she had his heart. Had had it for a long time. He took her hand in his own, kissing her fingertips. "It's yours, y'know," he murmured, playing with her fingers. She lifted her head to give him a quizzical look, and he elaborated, "My heart. Can feel what you're writin' on it."
The sweetest blush colored her cheeks as she smile sheepishly. "You caught me," she said, biting her lower lip. She kissed his chest before laying her head on it again with a happy sigh. "You got mine too."
His hands tangled into the hair the back of her head, tilting her head back so he could catch her lips in a sweet kiss. "I'll take care a it, I promise."
"Goof," she replied, kissing him again. She set her chin on his chest, looking up at him. "What was your phone call about?"
He sighed heavily. When he first started being let in on club secrets, he'd been unsure of how much to tell her. This was new territory for the both of them and some of the club things he was now privy to could get the whole club in a lot of trouble. He'd decided after a particularly bad day, that he needed her to vent to, needed that release, and he actually valued her insight. Angela was smart and usually gave him sound advice or at the very least was able to provide him with some comfort. He never regretted letting her in. "That explosion you saw was our dummy corp," he explained on a heavy sigh. "Probably Mayans. We'll find out more tomorrow when we see the aftermath."
She lifted her head to meet his gaze again, eyes slightly wide. Though she and Esai ended on the worst of terms, he knew she still cared about the Mayan club president and his family. "Shit, are they trying to start a war?"
"Dunno," he admitted, shrugging a shoulder. "Feels like it. Things'll definitely get worse before they get better at this point. You talk to Rosa lately?"
"Daily," she answered on a frown. He appreciated how honest she was with him in return, though he had to admit he didn't love how often she and Rosa talked. It felt wrong for her to be so close to someone with Mayan ties. "Lino and Ness's wedding is coming up. We've been helping with the planning."
He ran a hand over his face; he'd forgotten about the damn wedding. Forgotten that Angela was insistent on going because she was in the wedding. Lino was her best friend, her brother, she wasn't going to miss such a big event. Which was fine, Lino wasn't a Mayan anymore. What Juice was worried about was the amount of Mayans that would be there because of Vanessa's ties to the club. "Damn. Timing is terrible."
"It'll be fine, Juice," she insisted stubbornly. "Not gonna go in there with a big reaper tattooed on my forehead or whatever."
Juice knew it was a slight dig at the Reaper tattoo he'd gotten the month before. She hadn't minded the reaper so much as the placement. She'd said it was too obvious, too hard for him to hide should he ever have to. He hadn't understood what she meant until he'd had to wear a long sleeved flannel in the scorching Arizona summer heat to cover up the tattoo while sneaking around somewhere he definitely wasn't supposed to be. "I know you will be. Think they'd be stupid to mess with you there."
"Yeah, Marcus will kill anyone who messes up his favorite goddaughter's wedding," Angela agreed on a smirk.
"Favorite? How many does he have?"
"Pretty sure every first born in a Mayan family is automatically Marcus' godchild," she replied with a smirk. "Marc is a sucker for kids. He's probably super excited to be having a new one soon especially since his first born is such an ass."
He wrinkled his nose at the intimate detail, another reminder of how close she'd gotten into the Alvarez family. "That asshole's gonna be at the wedding, huh?"
"Probably," she replied on a heavy sigh as her body tensed against him. Clearly, she wasn't excited about the idea of seeing her ex. "He's been told to leave me alone, though."
"Like he's gonna listen," Juice scoffed, rolling his eyes a bit. He hated the idea of Angela and Esai being in the same place, especially when he wasn't there. He knew she didn't need protection from the asshole; she'd proven she could handle herself, but Juice wanted to send a clear message to Esai that she wasn't available. That she was his now. He'd seen the voicemail notifications on her cell phone. Knew Esai was trying to call her, even though his number was blocked. "Know he still calls and texts you. See his name come up on your phone sometimes."
Angela sat up a little so she could face him. Her dark eyes studied his face, a look of concern in them. "Do you want to read them? See my responses? I'll give you my phone."
She was testing him, and he knew it. While she'd trusted him as a friend, she was still figuring out their boundaries romantically. Esai had broken her trust so many times, broken her heart, so she was re-learning that kind of romantic trust that came between two people who loved each other. Still he knew the right answer, and it was his honest answer too. "No, I trust you. Know you don't respond."
"Never once," she assured him, catching his lips in a quick kiss. "I'm yours, goof. There's nothing he can say to change that. Promise."
He stroked her cheek with his fingers as he nodded. "I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it," he replied just as his stomach grumbled loudly.
She chuckled, rubbing his stomach as she leaned up to kiss him again. "Hungry?"
He nodded enthusiastically, tucking a hair behind her ear. "We skipped dinner to be home earlier, and after the workout we just had...need some fuel."
"Can't have that," she said, kissing his nose before rolling away from him and getting out of bed. "You shower. I'll get some dinner ready for us."
He missed her warmth immediately. "Angel, c'mon..." he started with the intent to get her back in bed. His thought leaving his head at the sight of her naked back. God, she was beautiful. His eyes traced over the muscles of her shoulders, down over flare of her hips, to her round ass. Her dark hair was a tangled mess as it hung down to the middle of her back. There was a dark mark on her shoulder, something he'd left behind from when he'd bit her as he came inside her. He watched the muscles of her shoulders move as she pulled one his shirts over her head, shaking her hair out from the neck of it. She grabbed a pair of simple boyshorts out of her panty drawer. Black ones with little skulls all over them. He knew she thought they weren't sexy, but he loved them just as much as the lacy ones. Juice loved the way her ass jiggled as she pulled them on. She bounced a little more as she did so, clearly aware he was watching her.
She looked over her shoulder at him, giving him a little wink before she walked out of the room, swinging her hips as she did so. "Tease!" he called after her, grinning at her laughter. He moved onto his back, letting out a light sigh as he stared at the ceiling.
With a groan, he threw back the covers and got out of bed, taking a quick shower and putting on a pair of sweats before padding towards the kitchen. Angela was standing in front of the oven, a large pan in front of her. She was tapping her foot as she stirred a wooden spoon around the pan. Whatever she was cooking smelled amazing, the scent making his stomach grumble even louder. He loved coming home to this. To her barefoot in the kitchen cooking, humming to herself. Stepping behind her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Whatcha cookin', good lookin'?"
She smirked, leaning back into him. "Arroz con gandules."
He loved the way she rolled her 'r's when she spoke Spanish. It never failed to send the best kind of shivers down his back. "What's that?"
"Rice with special seasoning, olives, and beans. Lena and I made it last night. She said this was the best way to reheat it," she explained on a shrug. "She also put chicken in it, which I don't think is traditional, but she knows you like your protein though, so..."
Juice smiled, kissing her temple. He was touched by the way Elena had thought about him when cooking the dish. "Gotta thank her later," he muttered, letting her go to grab a few plates. "This another Cuban dish?"
Angela shook her head. "Puerto Rican, actually. At least that's what Lena said," she answered, smirking at his raised eyebrows. "My aunt wants me to learn the food of your people."
Juice was touched by the sentiment, but he had a feeling Elena didn't realize how out of touch he was with his own culture. It was something he'd been given shit for by his friends during his youth in New York. He was Puerto Rican by birth, but he didn't speak a lick of Spanish, had never had any kind of homemade Puerto Rican food. Hell, he wasn't sure he could even find it on a map. His mother's form of cooking was TV dinners, whatever food she could bring back from Mrs. Z's diner when she'd worked there, and the occasional Happy Meal. Once his sister, Jo, was older, the dinners got better, and Jo would cook healthier dishes for them, but they were never anything Puerto Rican. They didn't have grandparents to show them the cuisine. "Baby, I don't even know what that food is. My Ma never cooked for us."
"Never?" she asked, her eyebrows raised now.
Her eyes grew sad as he shook his head. "Not that I can remember," he answered honestly. "My sister cooked a lot once she was old enough, but it was mostly easy shit. Whatever Mrs. Z at the diner taught her to cook. She made a mean cherry pie though."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, plating the food for him while he went to grab beers from the fridge. "I never met your sister. What's her name?"
Juice popped the top off each beer, feeling guilt sink like a rock in his stomach. He hadn't talked to his older sister in over a year. He knew she was happy and living with her husband. Knew she'd recently had twins. He kept tabs on her electronically, but he didn't have the balls to call her. She didn't even know where he was, he realized. "Jo," he answered, his voice cracking a bit. He cleared his throat, shrugging a shoulder. "Josefina."
"Juan Carlos and Josefina," Angela repeated with a small smile. "Nice names. She older?"
"Yeah. Call her Josefina, and she'll knock you out, though," he commented on a laugh as he sat at the dining table. He took a bite of the rice plate, groaning at the taste of it. "Fuckin' delicious."
She grinned proudly as she sat across from him. "Thanks," she replied, taking a bite herself.
There was a long, awkward silence for a moment, and he could sense the millions of questions racing through her head. He'd opened up a door he hadn't before. They'd known each other for years and yet, she didn't know anything about his life before he met her. She wouldn't ask, though. She respected his privacy, and if he wanted to keep it to himself, she'd let him. He knew that. He appreciated it, but he also knew it would be good for their relationship if he opened up to her. "I um...Jo lives in Jersey now, I think. Married her high school sweetheart. Had twins not too long ago. Boys. Least that what it looks like on the internet. Haven't talked to her in a long time."
"Why's that?" she asked, taking a sip of beer.
He shrugged a shoulder. There were a lot of reasons he'd pushed her away. He'd been embarrassed by the life he led. She'd turned her whole life around, and he'd gone down a path parallel to his mother's except without the addiction. He was the one selling the drugs, the one responsible for distributing the same drugs that were the reason for his mother's absence. His sister had every right to hate him, so he alienated her before he could ever find out what she thought about it. "I was hooked up with the mob. 's some dangerous shit," he stated, giving Angela the easiest answer. "Didn't want her anywhere near that."
"So you pushed her away," she finished, her dark eyes warm and understanding.
"Something like that," he said around another bite of food. "Are there any other cousins I don't know about?"
Angela smiled a little sadly as she shook her head. "No. Not gonna go into Hap's shit, 'cause that's his story to tell, but he's an only child, and I know I was supposed to be the first of many...and then my dad got sick so...its just me and Hap. My Dad was an only child, but he had his cousin Chico. Chico never got married, had no kids. Ma just has Lena. So its just been me and Hap for...forever. I always wanted a big family though."
Juice could hear the pain in her voice when she spoke about her dad. The way her mind went to what could've been. Maybe it was the reason she loved so hard and why she took people into her life and made them family. He knew the feeling, though; he also had yearned for a big, loving family. They could make a family together, he realized as he watched her take another bite. Have a bunch of kids and raise them within the club family. He'd love that. Love having so much love surrounding him, love to be able to share all the love he hand inside. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing because when their eyes met, her cheeks turned a little pink. He chuckled and nodded. "Me too."
"Think we kinda have a big, weird family, though, huh?"
"Super weird," he agreed on a nod. "But kinda great."
"Really great," she replied with a bright smile. "Finish eating, so we can watch the Sopranos."
He nodded; they'd started re-watching the mafia show when they'd both realized neither of them had seen it before. During its initial run, neither of them could afford HBO. Rosa had loaned them the entire series on DVD, and they were slowly going through them. It was difficult since it seemed they rarely had time where they were together long enough to get an episode in, but he was enjoying it. Hell, he enjoyed any moment he had alone with her. He finished up his food, clearing their plates. "Make some popcorn, 'n' I'll wash up."
"Aye, aye captain," she shot back, grinning at him as she followed him into their little kitchen.
He loved these moments of domesticity where they were in the kitchen together in their comfy clothes getting ready for some kind of movie or TV show marathon. Loved how normal it all felt, a stark change from the craziness of the run he'd just been on. He finished cleaning just as the popcorn finished popping. She dumped it into the bowl, shaking some M&Ms on top as was their custom. He grabbed two more beers and together they settled on the couch in the living room, Angela with the popcorn in her lap leaning against him, his arm around her. Turning his head, he kissed her temple. "You good, baby?"
She grinned up at him and nodded. "Yeah. You?"
"Perfect." Because that's how it felt. Perfect. Too perfect. He knew there were days when it wasn't so easy. Where he came home too late or not at all, or she was too tired to do anything but give him a kiss goodnight and go back to sleep. He savored this moment though. Enjoyed the normalcy of it for once knowing it wouldn't last for long.
~'~'~'~
Starting off slow and sweet... ;)
ALSO! If anyone knows how to work photoshop magic and can make a better cover than the one I made, please let me know!! I'd love you forever!
Let me know what you think!!
🖤