The doorbell rang - Allie jumped a little at the sound. She'd known this was coming today. After all, the text message couldn't have been clearer, or more abrupt. But then again, that's usually the way this went.
She'd show up. They'd make awkward small talk. She'd collect. She'd leave.
That didn't make anything easier, but it was better that they both knew how these visits were going to go so they could check their expectations accordingly.
Allie opened her front door to find her mother standing on the doorstep, waiting expectantly like she always did. One quick look at her told Allie everything she needed to know - her clothes looked like they'd been laundered recently, her skin was a little brighter than the last time Allie had seen her, and her hair was only a little greasy, which meant she'd probably showered within the last few days. Overall, Anna Levy looked okay. Maybe even a little better than the last time Allie had seen her.
That was good news. That meant she was doing the right thing here - that this was helping, that this was helping her mom stand on her own two feet.
"Alexandra," Anna exhaled with a smile, and Allie had to swallow back all the emotions that came bubbling up to the surface at the sound of her voice.
"Hi, Mom."
They stared at each other for a moment before Allie stepped to the side so Anna could enter the house. Anna walked through the entryway slowly, almost robotically, marveling at everything from the couch to the rustic fireplace, just like she always did.
I wonder how long it'll take this time, Allie thought wryly. It never failed, and she was sure this visit would be no different from all ones before it.
Allie trailed after her as Anna moved deeper inside the house before finally settling at one of the barstools by the kitchen island. At first glance, Allie and Anna weren't all that different - same dark eyes, same chestnut hair, same petite frame. At one point, they'd even worked in the same industry, although Anna's job was in front of the camera, not behind it. But that was probably where the similarities ended, and they both knew it.
There were so many ways Anna's life could've been different. In the early 80s, she'd been the most in-demand actress in the industry, churning out a new film every few weeks - which, given the current safety regulations, was no longer the industry standard - and she'd been riding high on just about anything and everything a person could get high on. Then she'd met Jimmy Levy and everything had gone downhill from there.
And while Jimmy had not only survived their inevitable downward spiral into booze and drugs, but had built an empire in his rise, Anna hadn't been so lucky.
"You know," Anna started easily, gesturing to the expansive kitchen. "It never fails to amaze me how well you're doing, honey. I mean, I always knew you would find success, but you've really come into your own."
Allie took a deep breath. This was typical. Her mom was just buttering her up because they both knew Anna wasn't here for a social visit.
Given that the party the night before had quickly spiraled out of her control, which was really Jax's fault anyway, Allie was still a little dead on her feet, which were still throbbing from those sky-high heels. And being in a room filled with smoke for hours had left her feeling stuffed up and groggy. Not to mention the fact that she'd been all but strong-armed into leaving her car in the studio's parking lot. While she'd be the first to admit she probably shouldn't have driven home last night, Allie was also not going to linger on the effort Jax had taken to make sure she got home safely, or his motivations for doing it, any longer than she had to.
So, Allie reached into her purse to give her mom what she came here for. When she handed over the cash, Anna didn't hesitate.
Now that that was over, Allie shifted to the refrigerator and started pulling out a few things to make her mom a sandwich before she left. The kitchen was silent as she worked - and really, now that Anna had her money, what was left to say? Small talk wasn't necessary anymore, and Anna wasn't stupid enough to leave without a free meal either.
By the time Anna had her sandwich in hand, Allie figured this was about the time the other shoe would drop.
Anna smiled with about as much warmth as she could muster, and started, "I know this is probably a lot to ask but -"
"No, Mom."
There was no point in even letting Anna finish. Allie knew what she was going to say and her answer would always be the same. Still, her heart dropped into her stomach at the dejection coloring her mom's face. That wasn't what she wanted either...but there was only so much she could give.
"Well," her mom tried again and this time, her voice shook a little. "Can't I just -"
"No, Mom."
Anna stared back at her with the same hurt expression she wore every time they had this conversation. It seemed like they had this conversation every time Anna came by for money too.
"Mom," Allie began gently. "We've talked about this already. You know it's not a good idea for you to stay here for a lot of reasons, and I really wish you would -"
"But it would just be for one night."
Allie swallowed tightly and shook her head. The last time she'd agreed to let her mom crash at her house, it had been under the agreement that it would only be for a week so Anna could get back on her feet and find a new place to live. She'd been evicted from her apartment, and Allie hadn't been able to tell her no. One week turned into three months before Allie had to resort to calling her dad for backup. The ensuing screaming match between her parents hadn't been pretty, but it had gotten her mom out of the house.
Dan had moved in the next day, and after that, Allie promised both Dan and her dad that she'd never put herself in that position again.
"Mom," Allie tried again. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. I really am. And I'm happy to help you when you need it, but you know you can't stay here."
That was getting harder and harder to say every time she had to say it, but she was proud of herself for doing it.
Anna sniffed a little, then held her chin high. "I understand. I'll just...I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'll just figure it out, like I always do."
This was more of a subtle approach than the usual guilt trip, but it still hit its target. Allie didn't want to think about what her mom was going to do to figure it out, but she'd learned the hard way that her mom couldn't do that here. So, she just held out the bag she'd thrown together - it was just a sandwich, some fruit, and a bottle of water, but it was better than nothing and probably the best meal Anna would eat all week.
Anna hesitated for a moment, as if she was trying to decide if the free food was worth her pride, and then she scooped up the bag.
"Thank you, honey," Anna told her as she started moving toward the front door again. "I really appreciate this."
Tears pricked her eyes, but she swallowed them down. It wouldn't do either of them any good if Anna saw her cry. This is what happened after every visit anyway, and Allie had gotten pretty good at holding back her tears until her mom was out of sight.
They hugged, a little awkwardly, and Allie held the door for her. Anna gave her a small wave before heading toward a waiting sedan on the side of the road. Allie wiped a stray tear, frowning at the car - she hadn't realized her mom had a ride, and that car definitely hadn't been there when Anna showed up on her doorstep. What was she doing asking for a place to stay when she had a car waiting outside?
The loud roar of a motorcycle engine crackled through the air, and a beat later, a familiar figure pulled into her driveway. Allie smiled a little - while this wasn't exactly great timing, she'd never be upset about this kind of a visit. Opie pulled a long leg over the side of his motorcycle, his attention shifting to the car waiting on the curb and the sight of her mom sliding into the passenger side.
The sedan peeled away from the curb, probably right around the time the driver got a good look at the Reaper cut on Opie's back, and sped down the street.
Opie's solemn gaze watched the car in thought and then he turned to Allie with a hesitant smile.
"Hey, Al," he called out and then jerked a thumb behind him. "What was that all about?"
She just shrugged. She had about two seconds to pull it together before he got close enough to realize she'd been crying, and she furiously wiped away another stray tear.
Opie frowned at the movement. "Everything okay?"
Allie nodded. That wasn't enough to convince either of them, but it would have to do for now. She swallowed tightly, gesturing for him to come inside the house. Opie stood in her living room for all of three seconds before it was clear she'd given herself away.
His eyes studied her carefully for a beat, and then he called out gently, "You sure you're alright?"
All she could do was shrug. She wasn't alright. They both knew it. What was the point of trying to hide it? When she didn't respond, he just pulled her into a tight bear hug, squeezing just hard enough and just long enough to let her know he was there if she needed him.
They'd known each other since they were 12, and Opie knew her well enough by now to know when to push and when to give her the space she needed. So, she leaned into him, drawing on his strength and finding the support he offered.
When she pulled away, she smiled gratefully and gestured with her head to the kitchen, "Want some coffee?"
"Sure," Opie grinned back.
He trailed after her as she moved into the kitchen and settled into the same barstool Anna had just left vacant a few minutes ago. While Allie busied herself with pouring Opie some coffee and adding a little bit of creamer for him, his deep voice called out again:
"She's still runnin' that game, huh?"
Allie sighed as she set the mug in front of him and leaned up against the other side of the island. "Ope, I don't -"
"I know, I know," he held up his hands in defense. "But I'm just curious. How much did she ask for this time?"
She kept her eyes locked on her hands as she responded. "Look, I hear this enough from my dad all the time. I really don't need to hear it from you too, okay?"
"Alright," Opie shrugged and pushed out a deep breath. "Fair enough, I guess. But seriously though, Al, you ever seen that guy with her before - the one drivin' that car?"
She hadn't gotten a good look at the driver. They'd left in a big hurry as soon as Opie pulled into her driveway, so she'd only seen enough to catch that he looked a little rough around the edges - not exactly the kind of guy she'd always hoped Anna would hook up with.
"No," Allie shook her head. "That was new."
Opie nodded slowly and then rubbed his mouth with a ringed hand before shifting his thoughtful gaze back to her. "If she shows up here again with that guy, you call me, okay?"
"Ope, it's fine -"
He just huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "No, Allie, it's really not. I don't like you here by yourself when she shows up with her dealer. Or maybe he's her pimp - either way, that's definitely not just her boyfriend, and you know that. Now, I know there's nothin' I'll ever say or do that's gonna stop you from handin' your mom cash. I get that, okay? But if she shows up here again with that guy, you will call me."
His voice was just as serious, if not as lethal, as the expression in his eyes. There was no point in reminding him that she didn't live alone, although Dan was currently at the studio getting ready for a shoot. He waited for her to give him what he was looking for, and when she nodded tightly, he nodded to himself and took a drink from his coffee mug.
Allie watched her former step-brother with a small smile. His intentions were good, just like they always were. That was hard to come by these days.
"So," Opie started again. He set his coffee mug down and shot her an apologetic grin. "I really didn't come here to give you a hard time. I just wanted to stop by and thank you in person for lookin' out for Lyla the way you did with her contract."
Allie frowned a little and shrugged. "All the actors got the same contract. I don't -"
"Maybe it wasn't just for Lyla," he cut in with half a smile. "But you know what I mean. Luann was in head over ass with all that, and Lyla and me had no idea how bad it really was until all that shit came to light. Lyla'd already been signed with Luann for a few years before I met her - I'm really wishin' I'd asked you to take a look at her contract a long time ago. I just didn't wanna put you in a tough spot with your dad and the studio..."
"I would've done it, if you'd asked," Allie nodded. "That probably would've saved us all a ton of time if I'd seen one of actor's contracts before we started working on that partnership deal."
Opie chuckled before taking another drink from his cup. "Well, that being said, I really appreciate the care you've taken to make sure she's safe - that all the actors she's gonna be working with are safe. And the extra bump on her paycheck doesn't hurt either, ya know?"
"Good. I'm glad, Ope."
He smiled at her again with a nod. "You're a real good lawyer, Allie."
"Thanks," she huffed out a laugh. While Jimmy told her all the time what a good job she was doing for him, what an asset she was to his business, he was also her father. That felt a little differently coming from Opie.
And when he fell silent across from her, Allie cocked an eyebrow at him as she lifted her coffee mug to her lips. So there was an and. Some kind of ulterior motive for stopping by her house today. While she wasn't sorry for the visit, Opie also didn't make a habit of just dropping in, at least not without calling first.
"We need ya, Al."
Her coffee mug hit the counter with a crack, and Allie shot him an exasperated glare.
"So that's why you're here," she nodded, annoyed that she hadn't seen it sooner. "Lemme guess, Jax told you to just...casually stop by and ask me to work for you guys again? What, was he too scared to do it himself?"
Opie's eyebrows lifted to his forehead. "I don't know 'bout scared. Hesitant is probably the better word for it."
"Sure. Hesitant. Because he knows exactly where I'd tell him to shove his job offer."
He bit back a grin, lifting a shoulder nonchalantly. "Look, I know you two don't exactly see eye to eye -"
"See eye to eye, Ope? He has been a dick to me since the day I met him. Why would I want to work with him? I work with enough assholes the way it is. I don't really feel like adding another one if I can help it."
His mouth opened to respond, but he winced a little when the words wouldn't come. He knew she was right. There was no arguing this one away.
"Wow," Opie blew out a deep breath, shaking his head. "Okay. Well, you know...don't take this the wrong way, but you swap out dick and asshole with something else and he could probably say the same thing about you."
Allie started to protest, but he cut her off just as quickly with his hands held high in defense.
"I'm just sayin' is all. Okay?" he laughed. "Maybe it's safe to say that you both just..."
"Don't like each other?" Allie offered wryly.
"Sure."
Allie had very, very clear memories of Jax walking through the halls of Charming High School like he owned the place. Of course, every time they'd passed each other, she'd found someone or something to hide behind as much as she could. She didn't want to be associated with Samcro anymore than she had to, even if that meant keeping her distance from Opie at school. And the handful of times she'd heard Jax's voice inside their house, she'd practically hid under her bed until he left. At the time, Opie didn't seem to mind all that much since they had their own set of friends and completely different class schedules, when he and Jax actually went to class.
Sometimes she wondered how either of them had graduated.
Still, when they did interact, Jax typically rolled his eyes whenever she spoke and acted like she wasn't even standing there, choosing to ignore her presence rather than deign to speak to her. When he did notice her in the hallway, he shot her that same cocksure smirk he was still giving her now, like he was telling her, you're sooo smart, aren't ya?
Well, she was. She'd been the salutatorian of their class and had only missed valedictorian on a stupid technicality.
And if she was being honest with herself, every time she saw him in the hallway, her cheeks burned and her body flushed...just like they had last night. It was completely aisine to have an unmanageable, irrational crush on a guy who treated her like dirt, but by the time Jimmy and Mary got married and moved in together, forcing her to transfer schools, she'd been 14 when she came face to face with Jackson Teller for the first time. Fourteen-year-olds are stupid. And that stupidity trailed after her all the way through high school, as much as she hated to admit it.
But Allie hadn't really wanted his attention then, and she certainly didn't want it now. It was just easier to act like his presence detested her than do anything else. If he'd actually given her the time of day when they were younger, she didn't know what she would've done. Probably would've just ran to the nearest bathroom without saying a word. That would've showed him.
"Can't we just..." Opie tried again, and this time she could hear the exasperation in his voice. "Forget all that old high school shit and I don't know, act like adults or somethin'?"
"Did you have this conversation with him too before you came over here?"
He just huffed out a laugh. "No, but I can. If that will help."
Allie let out a shaky breath and bit down on her bottom lip. This was pretty immature - she knew that. Knew she needed to rein it in and act like an adult, like Opie had said. But that was easier said than done.
"I have been trying to be professional around him, I really have," she sighed. "He hasn't been making it easy for me though."
He frowned back at her, leaning an elbow on her kitchen island. "What do you mean?"
Her lips parted to respond, but then she found herself chewing on her bottom lip instead. Jax was arrogant and a jerk. He thought he ruled the world, or at least, the town, and that gave him license to do whatever the hell he wanted. Now that he was the big, bad biker president, that particular personality tick had only intensified. He goaded and poked and prodded to wedge himself as far under her skin as he could. Everything he'd done last night, every second of every interaction they'd had...she got the impression that had all just been one big game to him. He'd ruffled her feathers just because he could. He'd had an effect on her. He'd always had an effect on her, whether he knew it or not.
But how was she supposed to explain all that in a way that didn't make her look like a complete fool?
"Look," Opie tried again. "I know he's never been exactly...nice, if that's what you wanna call it. I'm not makin' excuses for it, but did you ever think maybe some of that had to do with the way you..."
He trailed off and promptly rubbed his hand against his mouth like he wasn't quite sure if he'd gone too far or not far enough.
"The way I what?"
Opie's eyes flicked back to her, and he sighed. "I don't know...you just always seemed like you were embarrassed by the club. Like you were too good for it or somethin' back then. Maybe he didn't exactly appreciate that."
Her heart stuttered a little at his words, momentarily stunned by this new revelation. If Jax felt that way, that could only mean... "Did you, Ope?"
He just lifted a shoulder with feigned nonchalance. "I knew you didn't really mean anything by it."
"I..." Allie couldn't find the words. She hadn't meant for him to feel that way. Hadn't wanted him to ever feel like she was ashamed or embarrassed of him. But looking back at the cold shoulders she'd often resorted to as a defense mechanism, she could see how that might've been misinterpreted.
"I'm sorry, Ope," she murmured. Her throat burned and tears pricked her eyes, but maybe she deserved that. Maybe she'd reaped what she'd sowed. "I never meant for...I mean, my parents were porn stars and I was the new kid, you know? Everyone thought I was in those movies too."
Opie's jaw clenched tightly at the memory. "Yeah. I heard those rumors."
She sighed in resignation and lifted a shoulder. "I was just trying to survive high school the only way I knew how. The last thing I needed was to hang around with..."
She trailed off, not wanting to rub salt in an open wound.
"With a bunch of stupid, lawless bikers?" Opie finished for her with a lopsided smile.
Allie just sighed and shook her head. She didn't really feel that way - well, at least about the stupid part.
"I was...miserable in high school," Allie swallowed tightly at the way his smile dropped. "Everyone knew what my parents did for a living. No one let me forget it. I was lucky if I had even two friends who weren't hanging out with me out of morbid curiosity or because they thought they'd be able to score drugs at the house. It didn't help that I looked like I was 12 until I was like, 22."
Opie huffed out a laugh, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He was looking at her a little differently now, with some renewed understanding that hadn't been there before.
It was almost as if they were both imagining the person she'd used to be, skittering down the halls of Charming High, trying to blend into the background as much as she possibly could. That girl didn't exist anymore. Besides, it had clearly been a mistake to try to pretend like her parents weren't porn stars and that her step-brother wasn't prospecting for the local, very lawless motorcycle club. No one at school had bought what she was selling anyway, especially not Jax Teller. And now, she knew that it was better to own who you were and to feel no shame about the things you couldn't control.
"All I had was school," she told him. "Being smart was the one thing I could control. I just...it was easier to keep my distance, you know? I didn't want to give anyone one more reason to talk about me behind my back. I never meant to..."
Words failed her again, but he nodded anyway despite her failings.
"I get all that, Al," he murmured gently. "I really do. And I'm not sayin' Jax wasn't in the wrong either. He got all worked up whenever you were around because he figured you thought you were better than all of us - and you were, anyway. But I saw the way he treated you and I didn't do anything about it either. I guess what I'm tryin' to say is, I think we all just need to set that shit aside. That was years ago and we're all different people now - I know that's probably hard for you to believe, at least where Jax is concerned, but it's true."
He paused there to gauge her reaction, found whatever he was looking for, and then pressed on.
"When Donna left, it just about broke me," Opie's voice cracked a little, and her heart cracked right along with it. "Then she took the kids. And I...I didn't think I'd ever come back from it. I didn't know if I even wanted to. And then I met Lyla and things started to get better. I started to come back to myself a little, you know? She's made me feel like I deserve a better life and I wanna be able to give that back to her. Keep her safe. Keep her happy. Give her a life that's not full of blood and bullets."
Allie smiled softly, tilting her head to the side as she felt her heart break in two. Opie deserved all those things too. He was probably the best person she knew. With the biggest heart and the best of intentions.
"The club is headin' in the right direction, Allie," he told her now, his voice filled with firm conviction. "We're gonna go legit, get out of guns as soon as we've got enough cash flow to stay afloat without it. We need help to do that, though. And Rosen - the lawyer we have now - I don't think he wants anything to do with that. Or at least, he sure as shit doesn't care. We had a deal on some storage units that fell through today all because that asshole couldn't be bothered to return Jax's phone calls."
Allie frowned at that. While she'd known Rosen was the definition of a lazy attorney, she hadn't realized he was that bad. She couldn't blame the club for wanting to drop him like a bad habit.
"What we need, Allie," Opie pressed on, "is someone like you on our side. Someone who will have our backs and help us protect our money and our businesses. Someone who will help us make some better decisions. Losing Clay...that was a wake-up call. I wanna be around for my kids...for my wife. I don't wanna die in an orange jumpsuit. I don't wanna end up on the wrong end of a bullet. Or a knife. I just - we all just want another chance to get this life right. We just wanna be free, ya know?"
She swallowed hard and nodded tightly.
"And I gotta think that if we can turn things around, if things get better, safer...I gotta think that Donna might let me see the kids."
There it was. The breaking point. She didn't know if she'd be able to take any more.
"I'm not tellin' you all this to guilt you into anything, Al. I'm just tryin' to help you understand where we're comin' from here. All you gotta do is name your terms, and Jax will accept them, no questions asked. I promise. And if you need me to run interference between the two of you, I can do that too. You don't have to like someone to work with them, right? But Al, we need you. I need you. I don't know if we can do it without you."
Well, she supposed there was only one thing left to say. She took a deep breath - she didn't like it and it wouldn't feel good. But, at this point, she really didn't have any other choice. And she couldn't say no to him.
"Tell me more about that deal, Ope."
***
Jax leaned back, lining up his shot just right, then thrust the pool stick in his hand with just enough pressure to send the eight ball flying into the left pocket.
"Aw, shit," Happy muttered behind him. "That's game, I guess."
"Damn right it is," Jax grinned over his shoulder. He took a long pull from the cigarette in between his lips before blowing out that smoke in victory. Sometimes, you had to take those wins where you could get them, and right about now, that win felt really damn good.
Bobby just shrugged. "Best outta three?"
"Why not?" Jax batted a hand his way. "Rack 'em up."
They got a few shots in after Bobby racked up the balls again, and Jax was grateful for the distraction. After they'd parted ways at the storage units earlier that afternoon, he'd yet to hear from his VP. No call. No text. Not a single word. Allie had texted him about her car an hour ago, but other than that...complete radio silence.
Opie had to come back to the clubhouse at some point. He couldn't stay away forever - even if he had nothing but bad news to bring with him. Jax had already had plenty of bad news for one day. What difference did a little more make in the grand scheme of things anyway?
Still, he had a smoke in between his lips. Air in his lungs. His brothers at his side. Things could always be shittier.
And it was that moment that his VP chose to stride through the clubhouse's doors.
Opie wore a cool poker face, giving nothing away, as he made a pit stop at the bar to grab himself a beer. He let Opie have a moment, and then Jax tipped his chin to him, signaling that he needed to get his ass over here. There was only so much he could take. When Opie finally made his way over to the pool table, the suspense was literally killing him. He had to take another long drag from his cigarette just to keep his leg from bouncing in agitation.
"So?" Jax called out to him.
Opie just lifted a shoulder with an easy smile. "We're good, bro."
He blew out the breath he'd been holding and swallowed hard. For a second there, Jax had thought that maybe - just maybe - he'd blown the club's chances. As it turned out, all he'd needed to do was send in reinforcements. Kinda made him wonder why he hadn't tried that in the first place.
But, there'd been a part of him that had wanted her to accept the club's offer because he'd asked. He couldn't quite reconcile that part of him either.
"So, what exactly did you say to convince her?"
Opie shrugged a little and took another pull from his beer bottle. "I told her the truth. Told her why we're goin' legit. That we need her to do it."
Jax felt himself coil at that last part. The club did need Alle. They probably couldn't make many of the moves they needed in order to really go legit the way he wanted them to be. There was just something about hearing the words out loud that set him off-kilter.
"I also might've mentioned the kids," Opie threw out lightly and then shrugged a little guiltily.
Ah, so that was what finally pushed her over the edge. Opie hadn't lied - it was no secret Donna had blown out of Charming like a bat out of hell, ready to burn the place down to the ground, swearing she'd never, ever let Opie around the kids again. That was almost six years ago now, and Opie had been lucky to see them on the few holidays Donna had begrudgingly allowed.
Still, that was a pretty damn good play on Ope's part. How was she supposed to say no to that? And even better, he had a feeling that bit of intel would keep her committed to the job, come hell or high water, if only to help her former step-brother finally get to see his kids again on a regular basis.
"Man," Opie continued and shook his head with a light laugh. "I mean, I always knew she didn't like you, but Jesus, she really doesn't like you."
Jax huffed out a laugh. He rubbed a hand across his mouth, careful to school his expression into something congenial, if not amused. What difference did it make what Allie thought of him? All that mattered was that she'd finally come around, and with her help, the club could continue down this path successfully and with the peace of mind they were going about it the right way.
"Oh, yeah?" he smirked.
"I'm pretty sure she used the words dick and asshole in the same sentence. Well, maybe not the exact same sentence, but you get my drift."
Jax nodded, another laugh rumbling in his chest. This time, amusement crept in through the cracks - that sounded exactly like something she'd say. And he probably deserved it too, for the most part.
"Just give her a little time," Opie reassured him and clapped him on the shoulder. "She'll show. I know she will."
Jax blew out another deep breath, frowning a little when Opie leaned in to murmur, "I gotta talk to you about somethin' though."
He nodded, acutely aware that Bobby and Chibs had shifted closer to where they stood to catch what was going on.
"What's up, Ope?"
Opie glanced at Bobby and Chibs for a beat and then lit up a cigarette. He puffed away on it for a few moments before finally lifting his eyes back to the three Reaper cuts who surrounded him. A prickle of awareness crept down Jax's spine - his senses were on high alert now, ready for whatever Opie was about to say.
"Look, this has gotta be on a need-to-know basis, alright?"
Jax cocked an eyebrow at him, but nodded anyway. Opie waited long enough for Bobby and Chibbs to follow suit before pushing on.
"Allie's mom is...well, she's an addict and lots of shit has gone down between her and Jimmy that I won't get into - but long story short, she comes around every once and awhile when she needs cash and Allie gives it to her."
Jax's eyebrows flew to his forehead. That was definitely not what he was expecting Opie to say. Allie wasn't stupid. She was easily the smartest person in the room - always. So to hear that someone like her was mixed up in something like that...there were so many emotions tossed in the scatter, he didn't think he'd be able to pick any of them up if he tried.
Opie shook his head with just a subtle warning in his expression, almost as if he'd been able to read Jax's thoughts.
"She would literally smother me in my sleep if she knew I was tellin' you all this right now. I'm pretty sure she'd renege on everything if she knew. But I'm tellin' you this because I think she's gotta problem. When I got to her house today, her mom was there with some guy waitin' in a car. I did not like the look of that guy, you know what I mean?"
Jax nodded slowly, taking another long drag from his cigarette as he listened carefully.
"I told her to call me if her mom shows up with that guy again, but I don't completely trust her to do that. And, let's be honest, even if she did call me right when they showed up, none of us would be able to get there right away anyway. I think we gotta get her set up with some security...she won't like it, but I'll make sure she's good with it. Maybe have Juice rig up some cameras or somethin' like that."
"You think she'd let a prospect sit outside her house?" Jax threw out.
"No fuckin' way," Opie laughed and shook his head. "I'd never hear the end of it and neither would you."
Jax huffed out a laugh. Yeah, Ope was probably right about that. He couldn't really see Allie letting either of them take charge like that for just about anything. But Opie was right - from the way it sounded, Allie needed that security, and she needed it sooner rather than later.
So he nodded. "Alright. Let's get Juice on it."
Bobby and Chibbs nodded in agreement, and then everyone went back to normal, as if Opie hadn't just walked in here and dropped all that at their feet. Even as Jax gripped the pool stick in his hand a little more tightly, he couldn't shake this feeling. It was unsettling - knowing that Allie had willfully put herself in a position like that. He didn't like it. Didn't like the thought of her potentially unprotected, alone in her house, vulnerable like that...
But, considering the current state of his own personal life, he wasn't exactly in a position to judge. Besides, if he was really being honest, he got why she couldn't tell her mom no. Why she couldn't stop giving her cash, as surprising as it was. It was the same reason he'd been too terrified to pull the trigger with Wendy.
At least until now, he thought with finality.
With nothing else left to do, Jax settled back into their pool game, letting himself slip into the necessary distraction the clubhouse always afforded him. It was easy enough, considering the only thing he had to do right now was wait. And about an hour later, his prepay buzzed with an incoming text. He slipped it from the pocket inside his cut as nonchalantly as possible and flipped it open to find a message from Gemma waiting for him.
You've got company.
Jax grinned, snapping his prepay shut and tossing it back inside his cut. He whistled to Opie to get his attention and then gestured with his head toward the clubhouse's exit. Opie shot him a knowing grin and then fell into step beside him as they pushed through the doors to head out into T-M's parking lot.
But when he saw the three figures standing out in the parking lot, Jax's steps stuttered.
"Oh, shit," he muttered under his breath.
He dared a glance at his VP, who was staring ahead like the skies had just parted to rain down a whole load of shit on them. Then Opie's expression shifted on a dime, moving from shocked to amused a little too quickly.
Opie gestured with his head toward the parking lot and grinned. "You think Wendy hired Allie to be her divorce lawyer or something like that and now Gemma's sittin' there, plotting how to take both of them out?"
Jax swallowed hard as his eyes drifted back to the parking lot. Wendy and Allie were standing a careful distance apart - Wendy looked more than a little perturbed to be kept waiting with her arms crossed bitterly across her chest. Allie, for her part, stared down at her phone like her life depended on it. Gemma lingered off to the side, an exasperated expression written on her face.
"I wouldn't say that too loud if I was you," Jax laughed in spite of himself. "One of them might hear you and get some ideas."
Still, the sight of all three women standing out in the parking lot, waiting for him, was...unnerving, to say the least. Right about now, he was willing to do just about anything to make sure it never happened again.
"Well," Opie clapped him on the shoulder with a laugh. "Looks like they've got it all worked out anyway."
As they ventured closer, Gemma waited just long enough for him to see her shake her head, and then she retreated back into the safety of T-M's office, leaving Wendy and Allie standing there about 20 feet apart.
Jax took a deep breath, and because he needed some sort of safety net here, he pulled his cigarette pack from his cut, lighting one up to let some nicotine course through him before he had to deal with this.
His eyes fell to Wendy, who was watching him defensively even as she took a step closer to him, as if she was putting some sort of claim on him. Jax didn't exactly like that either, but this wasn't the time or the place for that.
Then his eyes dropped to where Allie stood, her attention still focused on her phone. Her gaze flicked up to him, almost as if she could feel his eyes on her, and she observed him with a cool expression for a beat before shifting her attention back to her phone, giving Wendy an even wider berth.
They couldn't have been more different. Wendy, with her long hair streaked with bleach, tight jeans, hollowed out eyes, and world-weary lines crinkling her forehead - she seemed so much older than she actually was. And Allie, who'd clearly decided to slip into work mode, had dressed for the occasion with a pin-straight grey skirt that stopped a few inches below her knees and a cream silk button-up tucked inside it. Her dark, shoulder-length hair was curled into smooth curls around her face. She'd even pulled out the high heels too. She was every bit as calm and put-together as Wendy was messy and seething.
It wasn't fair to compare them, but it was impossible not to see what was right in front of him.
Still, first things first.
He tipped his chin to Allie in greeting and then his eyes slid back to Wendy. Thankfully, Allie seemed to catch his drift and stepped even further away to give Wendy some more space. Wendy stiffened a little at the exchange, and she took a few more steps to try to close the distance between them.
"Jax," she started softly, glancing around to make sure they had some privacy - not exactly realistic in the middle of T-M's parking lot, but at this point, he just wanted to keep her calm. He just wanted to get her out of there. "I was calling and -"
"I know," he nodded once, his eyes shifting to Allie, who was reaching out to pull Opie into a quick hug.
"Who is that?" Wendy's voice pulled him out of that momentary fog and his head snapped back to face her.
"That," Jax tipped his chin in Allie's direction, "is Ope's step-sister. Well, I guess she's not anymore since their parents got divorced awhile ago, but you know what I mean."
Wendy nodded slowly, but she frowned through the movement, her heavily-lined eyes studying him a little too closely.
"And," he added just for good measure. "She's the club's new lawyer."
Maybe not officially yet, but the deal was done, as far as he was concerned.
"Oh," Wendy offered quietly. "Okay."
They fell silent for a moment and he realized that they'd just had the longest, not to mention calmest, conversation they'd had in weeks. They could do this - they could be civil. They could find some kind of common ground and figure things out like adults. Just as long as she understood where things landed and she got the hell out of his life.
So, he exhaled and finally said it: "I think we should talk tonight. I'll come by the house...I'm not sure when yet, but I'll let you know," he paused, struck for just a moment by the dejection creeping onto her face. "But we...Wendy, we should talk."
She rubbed her fist against her mouth - that was a defense mechanism he knew well, and then she nodded.
"Okay," Wendy murmured softly. "I guess I'll see you at home then."
Jax sent her a gentle smile, trying his best not wince at the word home. That was the most he could give her right now. The most he could probably ever give her, and that would just have to be enough. And after he watched Wendy slide into her car and drive out of the parking lot, he shifted his attention behind him to find Opie and Allie approaching a little hesitantly.
Wasting no time, Allie pulled some paperwork from her purse and handed it to him. He slipped it from her fingertips with a smirk. She was trying to be professional here, and yet he just couldn't help himself.
Still, he skimmed through the papers, nodding to himself when he read the words, Terms of Engagement at the top, but then stopped short, his eyes flying back up to her with an amused grin.
"I see you gave yourself a raise."
Even Opie cocked an eyebrow her way at that.
Allie just shrugged. "I took the number of hours I estimated I'd be putting in every month and factored in my usual hourly rate. It's not my problem if Rosen accepted less for his retainer."
He eyed her carefully, an impressed smile slipping across his face, and he rocked back on his heels without breaking their little staring contest.
"What, no family discount?"
Allie's lips spread apart in a wide grin even as she shook her head. "No."
He shot Opie a quick glance and found his VP shaking his head, grinning, but still shaking his head. Jax had to give it to her - she was good. Real good. A no-bullshit negotiator who was tough enough to stand her ground and dig her heels in.
She was exactly what the club needed. And regardless of if she thought he was an asshole, a dick, or both, he was impressed as hell.
"A'ight," he shrugged and shot her cocky smirk as he shoved the paperwork into his cut.
"And this," Allie told him as she handed him yet another set of papers, "is a copy of the offer I just put in for those storage units on the club's behalf."
A slow grin spread across his face as he glanced at the papers in his hand. Yeah, he'd definitely made the right call here.
"I put the offer in for $2,000 over asking, like Ope told me to do," she looked to Opie then for confirmation, who dipped his head in a nod. "So now, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. The seller still has some time to respond to the first offer, but now that we've got one in, it might start a bidding war."
Jax's mouth pulled to the side, trying to fight the shit-eating grin from spreading across his face. Well, he supposed there was only one thing left to do.
He reached out his hand, murmuring with a smile, "Welcome to our payroll."
Allie smiled back tightly, like all this was just annoying and probably an even bigger waste of her time. That was fine. He had no problems with that - in fact, the irritation flickering across her face right now just had him grinning back at her.
And when she gingerly slipped her hand into his to seal the deal, he squeezed her hand and winked at her just because he could.
This was gonna be fun.