Flaws

Chapter 20 - Wheeling and Dealing

"He looked at her the way all women want to be looked at by a man." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

*A Week Later*

"How do you feel?" Hazel eyed Violet carefully as they rounded their third lap on the high school's track. There were a handful of other random runners but the girls moved slowly as Violet was still healing.

She shrugged, focusing on her breathing as her wound burned with each step. "I'm okay, sore but, I'll live."

"That's what's important," Hazel smiled hiding the fact she could see Violet's pain in her slight grimace. "I have work tonight at the shop, will you be okay?"

Rolling her eyes, Violet let out a dramatic sigh. "I'll make it, I promise."

"Good," Hazel felt silly asking but if she didn't it would bother her all night. "I think you should quit Diosa, Vi."

"What?" Stopping cold, Violet's face was twisted in confusion. "Why?"

"With all this shit going on and the guys being at odds with Nero and Barosky it doesn't feel safe."

"Nero would never let anything happen to me," Violet said forcefully. "Besides he's trying to help them and Charlie settle this shit."

"Yeah, but Nero isn't getting anywhere." Hazel glared at her baby sister. "I know you hate listening to me but please, Vi, Stockton itself isn't safe."

The sisters glared at each other in silence as a few people jogged by, moving around them, at varying speeds. One man wasn't as polite and, as he ran by, accidentally shoved Hazel to the ground. He didn't stop or look as Hazel shouted at him.

"Fuck you, asshole," she hollered as she climbed back to her feet. "Let's go. I'm over this shit."

Violet didn't protest. They finished their lap and headed back to Hazel's car in a silence that lasted the entire drive.

--

It wasn't look after lunch that Hazel left Chibs at his place while she went off to work but he wasn't there for long. On his way to the clubhouse he met with Tig who was leaving what was slowly becoming Violet's apartment. Barosky spent a week spinning wheels and keeping the club in an infuriatingly powerless position but now they were meeting face to face.

With Nero acting as a mediator Barosky and SAMCRO met on the docks, no doubt for Barosky's own safety. Jax was sure there were cops and other men on Charlie's payroll secretly ghosting the area while they talked.

"No one died," Charlie said with a smile. "I sent a message. The message was received. Here is where we move on."

"You want us to just take it?" Clay was astonished by Barosky's smug attitude.

"You'll be compensated," Charlie said smugly.

"Compensated?" Tig barked angrily. "My girl got shot."

Jax and Chibs looked at him, surprised not by the outburst but by what he chose to be so offended by, but they didn't say anything. Clay, on the other hand, made his surprise and disapproval well known. Extending his arm out, stiff and with force, he slammed it against Tig's chest to push him back and let out a low growl.

"Get your shit together, lock it up." He grumbled low enough for Tig to hear but no one else. Tig nodded, mortified and still furious, and stepped back to his place. Turning his attention back to Barosky, Clay smiled apologetically. "You were saying?"

"Cash," he chuckled. "That always soothes some pain, and, I got you a spot for your little porn studio. I don't want you in Stockton, it's a warehouse, rehabbed as offices, but with a little demolition it'll work just fine for your needs."

Taking a moment, Clay turned and discussed with Jax in a low whisper. He didn't want any deal with Barosky but no one would doubt they were no match for the old dirty cop. "We can't take another hit," Jax muttered.

"You not in this?" Clay was indignant. "You have to be willing to take hits for this club."

"I can take a hit, but not if there's a smarter way," he spoke harshly. "Take the deal and get this asshole off our back."

"What are you thinking?"

Jax rolled his jaw. "He gets a shit ton of cash from Nero. Maybe, we use Tig's newest little obsession and get Nero out from Barosky. That's financial hit for him and a huge, legal, gain for us."

Without another word to his VP, Clay turned and moved toward Charlie, extending his hand. "Looks like we have a deal."

On their way back to Charming they roared passed Hazel's shop, the rumble making her smile as she glanced up from her work to see them speed by. Had they been a bit later or her next appointment on the early side she was sure Chibs would have helped had he seen.

"Trevor," she rolled her eyes. "This is annoying as fuck. I have work to do, appointments and shit so you gotta go."

He smiled confidently. "I am your appointment."

"You asshole," she kicked at his shins from her spot at the sketch table. "Now I'm out money."

"Nah," he sat in the customer chair across from her. "I'll let ya tattoo me, but you gotta talk to me too."

"I'll pass, not worth it." She sneered.

"You're gonna get hurt, Hazel. Violet too. Whatever games those guys are playing with Charlie are going to get bloody."

She spun around in her chair and glared at him. "Charlie is your boss, Trevor. Is he planning on hurting us?"

Shaking his head, he shrugged. "I don't know, that's part of why I'm scared."

"You're scared?" Hazel asked as she laughed at him. "Why are you here and not stalking Violet?"

"She's with that guy, las time I saw em' he held a knife to my throat. I don't push him and have Violet take the brunt of his anger."

Taking a second to think over his concern, Hazel shook her head. "I honestly don't think he'd hurt her."

"That's another thing I'm afraid of," he sighed and stood up. "Be careful," Trevor said as he slapped a couple hundred dollars into her lap.

Hazel watched as he jumped into his Charger and sped away and immediately texted Chibs. "Things settled? Think I can spend the night at my place with my sister?"

"Sure, I'll let Tig know."

"Thanks, Scotty. I'll call you tomorrow xo."

--

That evening, after a lengthy discussion with Clay and Jax, Tig and Chibs went to the apartment where Hazel was cooking dinner. They weren't expected so when Violet saw them darkening the doorway she drew her head back in surprise.

"Hey," she smiled a little. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I was looking for Hazel," Chibs said with a bright smile as he stepped into the apartment without being invited. "Went by the shop but they said you left early."

"Yeah, my second appointment flaked," Hazel lied, "So I skipped out." She put the lid over her simmering teriyaki sauce. "Everything okay? We talked earlier."

"Aye, love," he came into the kitchen and kissed her. "Tig needs to talk to your sister. Why don't we go out?"

"I'm cooking," she sighed. "Why don't you guys stay for dinner?"

Chibs looked back at Violet and Tig as they whispered sweetly in the other room and he rolled his eyes at the strange display. "I can't deal with that shite, look at em'."

Tiptoeing to look over his shoulder she smiled as Tig kissed Violet, although there was a possessive darkness to his touch, and shrugged. "They're cute. I feel like they're a real life Morticia and Gomez Addams."

"Jesus," Chibs groaned. "Fucked up family dinner?"

"Exactly," she leaned in closer to him. "Now, get to chopping."