Waking up in my own bed was a strange feeling for me anymore, it was like I always expect to wake up at the club, a hospital, surprises. Gotta love them. I was kind of in a daze while I was getting dressed, Chibs took a shower, met in the kitchen for some coffee and then we just headed to the club where we both knew more interesting things were going on. Is it wrong to say that comfortable was getting a little mundane for me? It was like the club was beginning to take over the larger part of my life, like I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I have my doctorate, but I was doing nothing with it but catering to everyone around me. I did want to be a doctor to help people but now I'm in a gang in my home town...wow.
Clay was sitting just outside the clubhouse doors at the picnic table that had been sitting there along with a few other of the guys, Juice being one of them, his face still bruised and cut from the dudes that jumped him. I felt for him I did, I knew how it made him look to the other guys. I guess I was treated differently from the start and it didn't really show til Juice had his cut taken from him and lost a bag of the drugs we got from Piney's 'friend'. Chibs told me he was going inside and I leaned against the table lighting a smoke and waiting for something to happen. We had Abel to get and bring home, the IRA to deal with, and now me and Jackson had our own little side project going on with Stahl. Full dance cards all around. I was a little surprised to see Chucky bringing out a couple of beers and he smiled when he saw me.
"You need anything Sonya?" He asked. He was always so cheerful, like nothing could phase him. I shook my head and he went back to whatever he was doing inside. I guess he officially works here now, not that we could ever tell him no. He really has done a lot for the MC, lost a lot.
Suddenly from the door came Bobby just ending a phone call and behind him, Jackson and Chibs. Chibs came over to stand beside me and draped his arm around my shoulder and I couldn't explain it but I felt like property at the moment. Not that it was different from any other time he did this. I pushed the thought from my mind as Bobby started speaking to us all. "10 grand we sent Serg's guy in Vancouver? Gone." Opie got very upset at that. He jumped up from his chair and through his beer across the lot. Jax told me that he put up the money for them to hire this guy. When he came back over I moved away from Chibs and patted Op's shoulder trying to show that I was sorry it ended up like it did.
"And the money we made on the roid was in the bag the mexicans stole from this idiot." Chibs said dramatically leaning across the table to point at Juice.
"Come on now, he was jumped." I interjected.
Chibs just looked at me. I knew he could see how much this all bothered Juice, why would he push so hard. "Don't change anythin' does it lovie? Still lost it." He turned his sights away from me and put them back on Juice. The look he gave him was something I hadn't seen from him before. I would have to make it a point to ask him about all of this later. But like I said we had way more important things going on.
"We're tapped. We have a VERY expensive excursion in front of us." Bobby started again. I could see he was becoming less and less phased by everyone's personal shit. I couldn't blame him.
"What about the other drugs?" My brother nodded to Juice.
He shrugged. "No street value. Black market scripts need a way into the clinics." He informed Jax.
"We blow off that bail hearing this afternoon we're underground. Its gonna be a little hard to earn." Clay reminded us all. Well, I wasn't the one being taken to court, but I would be affected by it none the less. I didn't like the idea of the guys going back inside. I just hoped Stahl would pull her weight with this one and hold her part of the deal. "You think Tara can maybe help us move those scrips?" Clay asked my brother. I didn't like the idea of moving those scrips that way but I didn't have anywhere near as much pull in the hospital as she did.
"Absolutely not." Jackson answered quickly. Yeah, I knew he would say this. The way him and Tara have been going lately I don't think Jackson knows how far to pull her into all of this yet.
"There might not be another way Jax." Tig tried.
"I said no."
I sighed putting my sunglasses in my pocket and waited for this to be over. "Shes your old lady..." Clay spoke.
"I don't care!" Jax shouted suddenly. We were now back to him and Clay just staring each other down challenging one another.
"where we at with the Mayans?" I asked finally taking a seat next to Opie. Jackson just looked over to me with a look that said thank you for changing the damn subject.
"Based on that shipment schedule, that dope's shipments set to leave for Stockton today at 1." Tig told him.
"Now that run; Lodi to Stockton is all main roads and highways, no place off the grid to take it down." Piney interrupted.
"Then lets get creative," I spoke up finally. "They're trying to stay off the radar right? Means there won't be too many bodies." I explained.
Clay nodded. "What time the meeting set with Alverez?"
"3." Tig told him leaning back in his chair running a hang through his black hair. I smirked a little at the sight, I don't know why but it just pulled a reaction from me. "I left word for him at his warehouse, hopefully he'll show."
"We snatch up his heroine, he'll show." Clay said getting up from his seat.
I jumped a little when someone ran up behind me lifting me out of my seat and spun me around like a child, and that could only be one person. "Kozik put me down shit head!" I yelled through my laughter. He yelled he wouldn't and we fought a little until I ended up on his back being carried around by him which was fine with me.
"Hey Chibby." He said greeting Chibs and then moved to greet the rest of the guys.
"We got a vote to get out of the way." Clay said as I slid off Kozik's back finally. He went to hand Clay a paper and then Clay t old us all to move into the club and get this done since we have other shit we need to get done today. Before we were all inside Kozik told Clay to give him a moment with Tig. Clay rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and moved me through the door with him shutting it behind us.
"Think they'll be ok?" I asked while we walked back to the chapel.
Clay chuckled. "Well one of them will be at least." He joked.
Tig joined us rather quickly and that made me worry a little but soon we were all voting on the new prospects. All three of them were voted in, the only one I knew by name was Phil and he seemed like a nice dude. The other two I could give a shit about. It went quick and then Tig brought them into the room. Chibs got up to hand them their prospect jackets and told them that the easy part was over.
"Prospect period ends one year from today." Tig told them. I liked seeing him in charge, it just seemed like he was so used to it.
"Got it man." One of them said.
"Shut up!" My brother yelled at them making me laugh a little. "You don't say anything unless a member tells you to." He explained. They all got quiet and nodded.
"Answer him!" I yelled at them and their eyes got wide as they gave Jackson a verbal answer now. Jackson and I just exchanged looks laughing like the children we were. Bobby told them their dues, nothing too crazy just seventy-five bucks a month. Easy. Right after they were taken out of the room. We still had another vote to do. Everyone in the room yelled 'shut the door!' as they left which made me laugh again with everyone. Clay quieted us all down now to get our attention.
"I got two requests to transfer. One from Tacoma, one from the Nomads. Kozik and Happy both want to be a part of SAMCRO. Just want to say, for me, both guys would make welcomed additions. To be honest, we need you. So, lets vote it." He said starting things off.
Happy got voted in easy. For a guy known as the Tacoma killer a lot of us really liked him being around. He wasn't so scary once you got used to him. Then came Kozik's vote. Clay voted yay. It died with Tig though. He said Nay instantly.
"Seriously?" Clay asked turning to look at him.
Tig Shrugged. "I don't trust him man." He said it like it was nothing. I didn't know the full story of what was happening between them , maybe I should have asked Tig about it when we were all more 'familiar' terms with one another. Kozik's face fell when he heard what Tig had said. Everyone was a little let down by the fact he was making this so difficult.
After the vote we all went to the bar congratulating Happy on patching over. I smiled giving him a big hug and he kissed my cheek as we waited on shots to be poured. I turned around to see Tig right behind me and as our eyes met he just smiled. The gesture was simple and small but I smiled back to him. He was about to say something to me but inside jerked forward, falling into me as he fell onto his knees. We all turned our eyes up and saw that Kozik was standing over Tig now. He had came up and punched him square in the back. I rolled my eyes and hopped up to sit on the bar out of the way of what was going to happen next.
As Tig and Kozik rumbled in the main room, all the guys cheering them on I felt someone come up behind the bar and put their arms around me.I laid my hands on top of his and leaned back into him as I felt him plant a kiss on my arm. Chibs was really the sweetest man when he did things like this. Just without warning. My mind is causing me to twist and turn my impressions of him all the time anymore but I know how I feel about him. I felt him pull me back and I slid off the bar to stand next to him. He just placed his lips against mine in such a simple way that made me melt into the gesture but this weird feeling in my stomach made me stop and put my eyes on the ground. I was scared when I finally realized what this feeling was. Guilt. It was already beginning to rip me apart from the inside out. Chibs obviously didn't think anything of my stopping as we both went back to the fight that was happening in front of everyone.
"Hey." Jackson called from the end of the bar. Chibs nodded and I left his side to go to my brother. "You ok?" He asked looking me over, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You looked like you were about to get rid of your breakfast."
"I'm good. Whats up?" I asked.
"The guys are gonna take care of the mayans H later, I figured while they're all out doing that we could go to the hospital to visit our mother." I nodded. "Clay will be going over too a little before us."
When we got to the hospital I wasn't surprised we made a stop in the church chapel when I saw Stahl sitting in the pews. I knew she wouldn't want to be far from my mother in case she could weasel her way into making her say something she would regret later. Jax and I knew that they would be pushing her to plead guilty to two murders she didn't commit but this was the game and we all had to play along for the time being. Jax went to sit in the pew behind Stahl while he asked me to stand by the door but he spoke loud enough to allow me to hear. I was happy he wanted to keep me in the loop, be careful what you wish for I suppose.
"Just spoke to Lowen, said our bail hearings still on the SANWA docket." he informed her, as if she didn't already know.
"My super was impressed with Luke." she began. "Put me back on the Irish. Limited basis." I rolled my eyes, glad she could get something out of all this. "I convinced him I need SAMCRO out of jail right now but getting through to county is gonna take a lot of favors."
"Thats not our problem." I spoke from the door.
I could hear her sigh as she took some papers and gave them to my brother. "No, but this is." I came over to Jax as he looked through the documents. "Its Gemma's statement of what happened with Polly and edmond at the safehouse."
"Wait a minute...this is...." Jax looked back to her. "I don't get it." He admitted.
"You don't have to." it was a simple statement that she meant for the both of us. "Just make sure that your mother feeds the details back to us. If you want her clear of the homicide, get her on board." Only after Jackson said okay did she get up to leave telling us that she would keep them out of jail for a couple more weeks. I sat down next to my brother and sighed deeply.
"You really think we can trust her not to kick us in our asses the minute we put our backs to her?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Right now, we just have to trust that everything we planned will work out." I nodded. "How you doing?" He asked me. "You looked like someone killed your dog back at the bar."
"I guess the guilt is just starting to get to me." I admitted to him.
He patted my shoulder as we both got up. "Just be careful with that. Guilt got to Tig and Op nearly beat him to death." I rolled my eyes. "Just tryin' to look out for ya." he chuckled a little as we headed for the door. Clay pushed his way through though and stopped us from leaving.
"What did Stahl want?" he asked eyeing the both of us up and down like he had already made his mind up.
"More demands." Jax answered quickly. Clay walked around us both and took a seat. "What?"
"What the hell is going on with Tara?" He asked my brother.
"You want me to step out?" I asked Jackson. He just nodded and I shot one last look to clay before going out into the hallway. I was just happy Jax shoved that folder into his cut before Clay saw it. Who knows, maybe we would have ended up getting killed mysteriously if he would have caught us. He just thought he knew something about Opie and look how that turned out for Donna. That thought made my stomach turn a little and my heart drop but I knew we had to keep pushing more.
I made my way pretty slowly to my mother's room and when I got there she gave me a smile as I sat down next to her legs on the bed. "Whats wrong baby?" She asked taking my hand in hers. I shrugged. "Ya know, I been thinking about you, when you were born." I smiled and chuckled softly. "You were the hardest birth ya know, its like you didn't wanna come out and I knew, I knew you would be stubborn...like me." I laughed with her. "My stubborn little girl, my heart."
"Wheres all this comin' from?" I asked squeezin' her hand a little.
She put her eyes down. "Lawyer told me they're willin' to take the death penalty off the table if I plead guilty to the murders. Might get visitation so I can still see you all..."
"Mom..."
"Stop. If its the best I can get then let it be." She told me as if almost in warning.
I was going to argue but Jax came in and I moved from the bed so he could come over. After he made sure we were the only ones who would be in the room with her her pulled the papers from his pockets and handed them to her. She looked them over in confusion and asked him how he got them. "I can't tell you that, not right now. This is what happened in the safe house. Point for point." he told her. She glances between the two of us and back to the papers.
"This is from Stahl isn't it?" she asked. We looked to each other. "What did you do?"
"I'm protecting my club and my family." jax said.
"Do not get in bed with this bitch." our mother told us both.
Jax stood closer to her now. "Don't argue. Right now you're not my mother, you're just a member's old lady and I'm telling you this is what you need to do to protect SAMCRO. You need to trust me, trust us, and this has to be our secret." I felt dirty now. I hated having to go behind everyone's back and keep secrets but I knew this was for the best for getting my brother to his son. As we were leaving the hospital I got a text from Chibs telling me that him and the guys snatched the H from the Mayans without incident and that they were waiting on Clay for what to do now. I told him that I would be coming along to meeting, which he tried to protest to but Clay had already confirmed with me that I was good to come along so he couldn't really argue with me. I know he worries but I wanted to be in this, and I wanted all of it. I wasn't just some old lady who pretended to be blissfully unaware of what was going down on a day to day.
Meeting with Alvarez under the overpass was a little intense, although we all knew it would be. There was a long history of blood and violence with them and the Sons and we didn't know how this would play out, it helped that we had a bargaining chip though. I stood next to my brother, the only ones present were He and I, Juice, Clay, Chibs, Tig, and Bobby along with a few of the Grim Bastards.
"What is this Clay?" Alvarez asked as we all met in the middle to talk.
"We know you're patching Calaveras." Clay answered.
Jax interjected. "Cutting and bagging heroine in a janitorial house and piping it to Stockton."
Alvarez smirked. "If you're here to declare war, consider it already on." He informed us like he was king of shit mountain.
I rolled my eyes. "We're tired of getting bloody. Your attack at the wake, our attack at Zobelle's meeting. Why don't we just call it even?" Clay asked in a surprisingly civil manner. I knew he was thinking about Abel though, this was all about locking down the home front while we handled family business. It would be nice not to worry about anything here at home while we were away. No one had told me about any travel plans though, figured I would find out when we getting ready.
Alvarez shook his head. "Too much history to be even, Clay."
"Thats my point. We been doing this too long Marcus. Has to be an end."
I stepped forward. "And you helped me," He turned his hard eyes to me. "You came through for me when I needed you to, you're a good man and we're just lookin' for a little peace for a change," My voice was smaller than I realized. Clay put his arm around my shoulder comforting me best he could. "Nobody ever really wins anyway."
The rival president's face softened just for a moment and he looked to my step father again. "Get the to point, ese."
Clay gave Chibs a nod and he dropped a black duffel bag in front of Alvarez and opened it to show him the heroine in the bag. "I think you may have lost somethin'" Chibs said holding up a handful of small balloons filled with the drug. Marcus immediately grabbed Salazar, the Calaveras' president and shoved him into his guys shouting at him. Chibs stood back up and came over next to me.
"Moving high-risk cargo is tricky. Things seem to get lost in transit." Clay said bringing The rival president's attention back to him. "However, if it comes across our borders again we can guarantee safe passage to Stockton."
"And thats why you're patching over these idiots right? So shit like this don't happen?" My brother asked him driving the point home that maybe Marcus didn't think enough about the decision to let the Calaveras in. "We got a better idea. Our brother in Lodi are more capable, and with our support, your new enterprise is protected."
"We're tryin' to make peace here," I told him looking into his eyes.
"Well forgive me, mija, but whats peace gonna cost me?" He asked me back in a more gentle tone.
"I'll let the Bastards negotiate their own price, for us, just a toll. Say, 25k a run."
"And we'll consider this the first run." Jackson told him.
"You know the last time we made a deal i lost my son." He said to Clay.
"Yeah and you tried to assassinate me. It ain't personal its just about the cash. This is the best play, for both of us."
Alvarez spoke briefly to his vice president and then agreed to the terms.
"Means no Mayan charter in Lodi." Jackson told him.
Alvarez huffed. "None of these little bitches would have made it anyway."
Alvarez told us he needed something from us, a snitch up in the hospital was going to testify and he needed to disappear so everyone agreed to help them out. Then Juice was able to get his cut back and kick the guy's ass for his trouble. It was nice seeing him blow off some steam and get his shit back.
Later on I was sitting in the Chapel listening to Tig and Kozik fight about killing Pozo, the guy in the hospital that was planning on ratting the Mayans. Apparently Kozik hit the guy in the side of his head to knock him out while Tig injected cyanide into his IV.
"You slammed the guy, BAM, right on the side of his head! They see that they're gonna think homicide!" Tig yelled over mine and Chib's heads at Kozik.
"Oh and cyanide won't make them think it?!" Kozik yelled back. "Maybe you shouldn't have let the little bitch clock you!" They started moving towards one another but I stood up putting my hands on Tig's chest to keep him back while Chibs kept Kozik back. We were all laughing a little seeing at Tig and Kozik arguing and fighting was becoming a normal thing around here.
"Point is it got done!" I yelled over them.
Clay laughed and stood as well. "Shes right, you blocked the only camera. Long as theres no prints or witnesses it'll be fine!" He yelled over everyone. I pushed away from Tig and was about to sit down when yelling from the bar made us all look that way. Police, Sanwa and Charming were flooding in through the door. We all made our way out with our hands up, Chibs kept me behind him as we were soon shoved onto the floor while they began searching through the clubhouse and no doubt the garages outside. I looked to Jax who looked angry as hell this was even happening and I just stayed still until they moved each of us outside.
As I was pushed out the door Chibs pulled me into his embrace. "You alrigh' lovie?" He asked. I nodded and he kissed the top of my head while we all watched what was happening. I overheard one of the cops while we moved over to Clay and Jax.
"Jax, this ain't about Pozo," I said quietly. "This is a search and seizure. They're lookin' for scrips."
"How would they even know?" Juice spoke up from behind us. Clay walked across the lot to talk to unser while we all just waited. This was a huge hit considering we were all planning to leave the country very soon. We really needed to keep a low profile, which was just going awesome. Clay came back over to us.
"Cancer boy, dead to us." He said regarding unser.
"Clay, Gem just called. Oswalds on his way, now." Tig said so everyone could hear.
Clay nodded. "Call our friend. We got half an hour to pull this shit off." as soon as he said this, him Tig and Jax walked off. I turned to Chibs and he pulled me back inside by my hand.
After the meeting with Oswald everyone was kind of heading home or bedding down in the dorms in the back of the clubhouse, Chibs and I were no exception, we were packing up getting ready to head back to my place towards the end of the day when I saw it. I watched my brother walk in with that porn star, Ima, hanging off his arm like a leech. I dropped my bag and started straight over to him. He saw me and his eyes fell instantly.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I hissed at him trying not to cause a scene.
"Take it easy sweethea...." I shot Ima a glare that made her shut her mouth.
"Jackson!" Yelled making him snap his attention back to me standing there wide eyed and angry. "If Tara finds out..."
"Tara and I are done!" He shouted at me. "Best way to get over someone, getting under someone else." He said shamelessly right in front of the girl even though she didn't even seem bothered. Jackson glanced at Chibs still next to me and leaned in real close to my face. "And don't act like you have a single right to judge..." He whispered. I couldn't help myself. I cocked my hand back and hit him right in the face. I hit him hard enough to bloody his lip, which he just wiped away and shoved by me as he took the girl back to the dorms. I clicked my tongue and turned to Chibs, just hoping he didn't catch what that asshole said to me.
"Lets head home." He told me and walked outside first. I sighed and followed him out, I had a feeling my night wasn't close to over yet.
Riding separate bikes didn't leave much room for conversation on the way home but I could almost feel something was coming. Chibs was too smart and too observant to miss what Jackson did back at the clubhouse. How could he say something like that?! How could he think that just because he wanted to fuck up his relationship that I should be in that boat with him? Misery loves company I suppose but I could kick his ass right now.
Walking into the house we sat our things down and I turned to Chibs. "I'm gonna take a shower and fall into bed, you wanna come?" I asked with a silly smirk, hoping to play some of this heaviness off. He sighed deeply and shook his head.
"What did he mean?" He asked me.
I shrugged. "When?" I shot back. He gave me a look that told me right when he meant and he wasn't going to repeat himself. I sighed and sat on the back of my couch. "I don't know. I guess hes in a pissy mood tonight, and wanted someone to be there right along with him." I offered that as my answer but he didn't seem to accept it. "Look, can we just go to bed and think about it in the morning?" I almost begged him. I felt scummy doing what I was, I had no right to brush off his questions when I knew I was the one who did wrong here.
"You go on ahead. I'm gonna stay up a while longer." He said turning away from me and heading into the kitchen. I knew he wouldn't talk anymore tonight so I just went to my bedroom. No shower, I didn't even change, I just kind of fell onto my mattress and closed my eyes. Thinking that I would get any kind of sleep was a joke in every sense. Guilt. I was guilty and it was racking my body now that I had actually been confronted..and I lied about it right to him. I hope Jackson was happy.