Juice followed the others to Chapel. The sight of the two empty chairs made him feel uncomfortable. Sack was the only prospect who'd entered the room, he leaned against the wall until somebody would tell him to sit down. Nobody however did so, everybody was lost in his own thoughts.
Clay told them he'd called with Happy from the police station where he was held. Three of them were arrested; Kozik was still in the hospital. If he would survive, he would probably get a lighter sentence because he hadn't shoot. The other member from SAMTAC had probably been a rat, he wasn't arrested.
"We have to give it some rest," Clay decided with a deep sigh. "Two of our men in jail..." He shook his head. "That sucks."
"And that prick probably knows she's here now," Opie said, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
"On case at a time," Clay grumbled. "We have to protect our guys. Find out to what prison they will be send, who're in it, where we can buy protection." The president clenched his fist, Juice knew he was trying not to slam the table. Clay glanced at him. "I want a list of possibilities next morning."
Juice nodded, happy it was already midnight. It was too late to call around. Hopefully his thoughts wouldn't be such a mess tomorrow.
"Then that asshole..."
"We can do shit," Jax objected. "Everything has to calm down first. And..."
A few knocks on the door made them all look up. Juice felt his muscles tense. Nobody ever dared to interrupt their meeting.
After a nod from Clay, Sack opened the door. Juice was surprised to see Dana. Gemma stood at her side, a hand on her shoulder.
Juice felt his heart beat in his throat. Please don't say anything stupid. Don't repeat the things you just told me...
"I... I heard Chucky and Gemma talking about protection for Hap and Tig," she started hesitating. Her eyes shot to Clay, who gave her an impatient nod to encourage her to continue. "And... I heard it will cost you lots of money to fix that." She was quiet for a while, seemed to be looking for words. "If they send them to San Quentin, you don't have to."
"There's... a good chance they will?" Clay answered with a drawl, clearly waiting for an explanation.
Dana took a deep breath. She seemed to find it difficult to keep looking at Clay.
"My dad is in San Quentin. Hap's too, thus. For twenty years."
A gulf of dismay waved over the table. Juice was just as overwhelmed as his brothers.
"Hap told us his ol' man was dead." It was Chibs who formulated the words they were all thinking.
"He's dead to us for twenty years," she answered. "But he isn't really dead. And he'll do everything in his power to make sure his son is willin' to look him in the eye again."
Juice studied Dana's face, wondering what terrible things her father could have done if both his children were pretending he was dead. His mind was probably the only one who went that direction, for the others started to grin triumphantly.
"Well, that changes things," Jax said satisfied. "Thanks, doll."
"And your former lover?" Clay asked. "Does he know?"
Juice saw her jaws tense because of that term. She shook her head. "Not that I know of. I never said a word about him."
"Good." He gave her a nod, indicating she could leave.
💀
The knowledge that Happy's father could provide his son and Tig at least some protection when they would be sent to San Quentin indeed, relieved all of their minds. However, that didn't keep their two brothers from going to jail, and maybe even for good. The murder of a cop, and thereafter shooting at his colleagues, wasn't something they would take lightly. Plea bargain probably wouldn't be a possibility until Dana could testify of everything that had happened to her, and as long as half of the police department was on Maddox' pay roll, that wasn't going to happen. It changed the atmosphere around them in something dark and oppressive, and in the end the meeting was suspended to the next day. They all needed some sleep or distraction.
Juice returned to the clubhouse. His feet were scuffling, his whole body felt heavy. His eyes flashed through the room, along all the girls, but Dana wasn't around. A few meters away from him Cherry wrapped her arms around Sack, pulling the guy close. He felt a stab in his stomach. If he had joined the others, Dana surely would have received him with open arms. Now she'd probably went to bed, and more than ever he longed for her intoxicating lips, for her fingers massaging all tension out of his muscles. He considered to go to her anyway, but he didn't want to force himself. The fact that she wasn't waiting for him, already told him she wanted to be alone.
Juice watched how his brothers spread to the clubhouse, seeking the company of the Croweaters. He suppressed a sigh and walked to his dorm. When he opened the door he felt a glimmer of hope that she was waiting for him, but his bed was empty. He undressed himself and put his clothes in a hamper in the bath room. It was almost bursting. It was a long time ago he'd been to his own apartment, but he would have to wash his clothes soon. There was a washer here as well, but he preferred to do things like that at home.
He stepped into the shower stall, turned on the shower and felt how the water fell down on him. He heaved a deep sigh when the heat made the muscles in his neck relax a little.
When he was done showering he put on his boxers. In front of the mirror he shaved his face and the sides of his head. He had to be precise to not to destroy his mohawk, so that it felt a little therapeutic and he was able to keep his thoughts away for a while.
He however couldn't shave his head all night, and in the end he brushed his teeth and fell down on his bed. Since he was together with Dana, he hadn't slept alone for a single night. Sometimes they slept here, sometimes in her room, but always together. He sighed again and stared at the ceiling. Although his muscles felt a little less tensed, there was still a knot in his stomach.
Was she already sleeping? He could imagine she felt exhausted, but at the same time he wouldn't be surprised if all the things that had happened tonight kept her from sleeping.