A Kiss To Send Us Off

Chapter 11

Amelia dozed off while Max watched the monitors obsessively. He didn't want Helen to die exactly, he did love her, but if she did, he couldn't help but think how well it would work in his favor. There was a light knock at the door, Max glanced back and both the visitor and Max did a double take.

"Can I help you?" He asked Raylan as he stepped into the hall.

"Sorry to bother you, I'm Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens; I'm here for the redhead." He pointed through the small window.

Max was thrilled. He knew the threats would shake up some kind of protection but this was better than he imagined. "She's my niece, Max Shawcross."

"The Max Shawcross?" Raylan asked seemingly impressed. "I've heard all about you around the courthouse. Sought after, that's for sure, but you're not exactly on my side of the team, are you?"

Taking his snarky attitude personally and suddenly paranoid by the comment Max visibly clamed up and Raylan noticed. "And what team is that, Marshal?"

"You're an attorney." He explained calmly. "I'm in law enforcement."

"I don't do defense." He laughed shaking off the anxiety. "I did years ago but I switched to family law when I adopted Amelia."

"That's a nice story." Raylan cracked. "I'm here for her actually and I'll need to speak with her soon. What happened?"

Max's face fell and his eyes became stormy. "Someone attacked my wife. I didn't tell Amelia but the doctor's aren't optimistic."

"I am very sorry to hear that," Raylan said with sincerity. "I'm just going to sit out here. Your niece is under watch, I can't leave her unprotected."

"She's very protected." Max said quickly.

"That's what she said but it's my job and it's the law."

-

Juice was exhausted by the time he got back to the clubhouse. All the time in the hospital and the few days at home zapped his energy and even the adrenaline coursing through his veins did little to wake him up. Clay, Jax and Chibs were huddled together at the bar as he approached and yawned.

"I got something new to add to this shit storm." Juice grumbled and handing Clay the note he requested coffee from the prospect.

"What is this?" Clay asked, exasperated, and waved the note in Juice's face.

"Max found it by Helen's body, he's on the goddamn war path. He's blaming us."

Clay shook his head he wasn't buying it. "Why the hell does he think this is us? The note is vague, it doesn't point to us at all."

"What are the chances it isn't?" Jax asked. "We gotta take this shit and run with it."

"What about Amelia?" Chibs interjected.

"She's pissed," Juice admitted. "Told me to leave and figure it out."

"We don't know if this is on us, some pissed off dickhead at County or on that asshole Shawcross. He could have enemies."

As true as Clay's defensive words were, they all felt it was tied into them somehow. "Well we gotta figure it out." Juice said feeling for Amelia and Helen.

"You get her patient list?" Clay asked as they moved from the bar toward the far corner where Juice was usually set up.

"No but it won't take me long."

Juice went to work, tapping away at keys, while Gemma rushed into the main room. "Jackson," she waved an envelope at him. "We got this at TM earlier, I'm sorry; I should have opened the mail right away."

Jax's face twisted in confusion as he took the envelope, marked confidential with his name scrawled along the front, and tore it open. His face tensed, his jaw clamped down as he read the sloppily written words. "How much do you value your families?" From the envelope fell Tara's Saint Thomas ID.

"She's safe," Gemma said quickly, "On her way here with the boys."

Furious, Jax stomped over to Clay and handed him the note and ID. "Still think this ain't on us?"

"Jesus Christ," Clay growled, "Call the rest of the guys, we need to jump on this. Now."

-

Amelia woke a while later and, tiptoeing past Max, decided to take a walk for some coffee. As soon as she hit the hall, she saw Raylan. "Jesus, what are you doing here?"

"I'm wherever you are. Deputies called me and I came up. I'm sorry about your aunt."

"Yeah, thanks. I'm fine, I don't need you here."

Raylan nodded, expecting her to say that, and began walking with her down the hall. "Do you think this could have something to do with your threats? If you think it does I could have federal investigators looking into this attack rather than whatever Podunk assholes they have on it now."

Perking up, Amelia looked at Raylan with a glimmer of hope. "Really?"

"They'd be here in an hour, tops."

Adding Helen's attack to their radar was dangerous but Amelia felt such gratitude and love toward her aunt that she was seriously considering it. "I don't really know."

"Amelia," Raylan stopped and looked at her. "Whoever is doing this won't stop."

Looking away from his intense gaze Amelia shrugged. "I don't know anything. I wasn't there."

"Why do I think you know way more than you're telling me?"

"Overactive imagination, I guess." She sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, I don't know anything."