A Kiss To Send Us Off

Chapter 28

It was always some cruel mix of twisted events that kept Juice constantly showing up late when Amelia needed him most. First with Tyler back when they started dating, then when Salazar had her and now, as he pulled up to Max's to see a body bag being rolled out of the house on a gurney.

"No," he gripped the side of his bike, as his knees grew weak. "Meels." Summoning his strength but fearing that it was his wife, his Amelia, in that bag was crushing. Approaching the police tape, Juice saw Amelia wobbling out with Raylan's arm around her protectively. He could finally breathe, knowing she was okay, and explaining who he was; Juice was allowed to meet her at the ambulance, again.

"Givens," the patrolman pointed to Juice who stood eagerly behind him. "This man is claiming he's the victim's husband."

"He is," Amelia grimaced at being referred to like that. "Where were you?" Her voice was barely audible and it shook as she questioned him with terrified eyes.

"Club shit," he said unable to give any other details. "Meels, I'm sorry."

She nodded, yelping as the paramedic tended to her burn and other minimal injuries. "You should go."

"Can we talk?" He begged despite the audience. "Amelia please, I'm sorry I wasn't here. I didn't even get the text right away."

Raylan watched as she shook her head and refused further eye contact. "You really should go," he warned as he stepped away from Amelia. "Max attacked her and she had to kill him. She's going to need some time and she's angry, as you can see."

"Who the fuck are you?" Juice spat. "Some goddamn therapist? She's MY wife."

"The wife you couldn't protect," he said coolly, "For the second time, and she's feeling that."

Juice hung his head, his jaw tight and lips pursed. "Does she know it was him? All this shit was on him?"

"How did you know?" Raylan asked suddenly deeply interested in the conversation.

With a smirk, Juice shrugged and made his way back to the ambulance. "Can I just have one second with you?"

Amelia nodded and the paramedics moved but barely five feet. "You were right," she said sadly." Max did it all and he killed my aunt."

"I am so sorry, Meels, I wish it wasn't him." He gripped her shoulders and slowly his hands moved to the sides of her neck. "And I should have been here, I'm sorry you had to do that."

"You're never," she bit her lip and forced a fake chuckle. "I'm feeling very, raw, right now and I'm really pissed off. I don't want to say anything I'll regret. You were right and I'm sorry that I put the blame on you but you should have been here."

With puffy cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, Juice nodded knowing she was right about that, without a doubt. "I know."

"The club always comes first, JC. I see it, I hear it and I don't know if I can live in second place. I'm confused about the whole old lady thing, how I fit into this, I don't like it."

"There is no one more important to me than you, not the club, nothing."

Amelia could see how deeply he meant the words but he kept making the worst mistakes possible. She opened her mouth to speak as Chibs, Tig and Bobby came up the street just as Juice had. "What are they doing here?"

"Back up," Juice shrugged. "That's what we do, protect each other but I guess your Marshal had that covered, huh?"

"Lucky he did," she snapped, annoyed by his attitude. It was touching to see other Sons aside from Chibs and Juice but his remark washed that away. "I'm confused and I need you to leave me alone, Juice. I need to look at this, everything, and see if it's something I can handle."

"It's not always like this Amelia," he said earnestly. "It's been a bad year."

"I almost got killed like three times. What's a good year?"

"Please don't do this," he said as Chibs came from behind him.

"What happened, love?"

"I killed Max," she said with a cold look in her eyes.

He huffed and hugged her tight. "I'm sorry, Ginger. Are you okay?"

"I will be," she assured him. "I was just telling Juice, I have to reevaluate this, everything. My family, my marriage, the club, I don't see how any of it, fits."

Chibs nodded and jabbed his heel into Juice's shin. "You can take all the time you need."

"Thanks, Da," she actually smiled.

"Come on, Juicy Boy," Chibs gave his son-in-law a hard shove toward the bikes. "She's not going to leave you," he assured the young man in a whisper.

"I wasn't done talking to her," he said defiantly. "I'm not some goddamn kid, Chibs, let me finish the conversation."

Chibs' eyes narrowed. "You need to let her sort that shite out. She doesn't need you crying to her about forgiveness, aye?"

"I know," he admitted, "But that fucking Marshal, brother, he's gonna twist her head up."

"She loves you boyo," he said confidently. "Let her work it out and she'll come back."

"And if this was you and your old lady?" Juice asked sadly.

"I wouldn't have left," he motioned back to the ambulance, "But that's why I'm alone."

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