I'll Catch You

Chapter 24

Jax and Clay met with Happy and Tig at one of their many hidden spots and kicked the unconscious Paulie out of the van and on to the ground with a thud. Dirt puffed up as he landed and Tig laughed as they rolled the overweight Italian fasts from the clearing.

"Chain him up," Clay ordered Tig and Happy.

They did as they were told, leaving Jax and Clay out in the humid air to complete the task. "You here?" Clay asked Jax for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Yeah," he nodded unconvincingly. "I'm here."

Clay wasn't sure but he didn't say much else until they were called back as Paulie came around. As soon as his eyes focused, he knew he was trouble and that he most likely would not get out of it.

"I'm not telling you shit." He hollered rattling his chains as he struggled.

"We already know who you're working with and why," Jax grinned. "This is purely retribution for what you did."

"You hurt a brother," Clay growled his menacing expression close to Paulie's as he leaned down. "You almost killed him and I'm willing to bet your asshole crew went after me a few nights ago and my crew the other week."

Happy swung his leg and gave Paulie a swift kick. "Fucking bitch."

"How'd you know it was us?" He panicked and grasped at any ideas that would free him from his chains. "Did that bitch sell me out? She didn't even know shit she's fucking lying.

Jax perked up and immediately threw a punch to silence momentarily Paulie. With intrigued albeit furious eyes, Clay looked at Jax.

"Who?" He asked, grabbing the chains to still Paulie as he recovered from the blow. "What bitch?"

Seeing the confusion and sudden burning rage erupt in Clay told Paulie that he in fact did not know about Mae, he wasn't going to bring her into it unless he knew she had outed him. "No one," he chuckled as blood stained his chin from Jax's punch.

There was a chance if Jax brought up the possibility of Paulie mentioning Mae he could offset any damage done when Happy inevitably got him to tell the truth. It was no secret that Paulie knew Mae, Jax could claim he was saying it strictly for the relief from torture, but Jax feared bringing her up at all.

"Bullshit," Clay roared. "Who are you getting your information from?"

No answer meant it was time for Happy to start his work. He pulled off his rings one by one, saving his wedding band for last, and smiled as Tig forced Paulie into a chair. "This is not going to be fun, not even for me to watch," he warned. "I'd start talking."

Paulie had used Mae, in the most innocent way possible really. He tracked her car to find Opie's home address and from there kept two men in the general area. When Jax visited, they followed him carefully, each time and found the Irish meeting purely by accident. It was, for the Italians, serendipitous and for Paulie he could keep his cousin happy while not having to hurt or involve Mae, or so he thought.

"Alright," Paulie screamed barely in hour into Happy's work, "You just have to promise you won't hurt her."

"Who?" Happy grumbled as he dropped the hammer back down to the makeshift table.

"Mae," he stuttered, "Your boy's girlfriend. It ain't like that though; she didn't mean to help us."

Covering his face, Tig turned and sighed heavily, he knew but the confirmation was crushing. He'd have to handle this but he wasn't sure if he could. Happy growled but didn't seem to feel much remorse or care for the situation. He hated rats plain and simple.