The Final Ride

Chapter 14

"I'm not going." Rory was staunch as she glared at Happy with little concern for the random passers by witnessing their heated argument.

"Yes you are," he growled. "Whoever this is is fucking dangerous. I won't let you fuck around out here like its nothing."

"I can handle myself," she sneered. "Or did you forget?"

"You see what they did to him?" Happy asked, grabbing her chin and staring intensely into her eyes ."That's Tig and he's one crazy motherfucker, I don't want to imagine what they would do to you."

"I think I've been through a lot worse than some broken bones," she scoffed. "The cancer, the fucking Russians, Zobelle, and even you. I'll make it."

"I know you'll live through it," he said in a dark and ominous low tone. "But that don't mean I want you hurt, you been hurt enough."

There was so much heart, even fear, in his words, despite the way he spoke them, and Rory felt herself understanding his side a bit more. "Hap, Knox is coming home," she argued. "He needs to be home, Hap, he's still healing. He had brain surgery for fuck's sake!"

"I am thinking about Knox," he hissed. "I want everyone I fucking care about to be fucking safe, Ror. You gonna go about your fucking life like these assholes aren't looking to hurt us?"

"Emma has school," she knew she was losing the argument and it burned her. "I can't just pull her out, Hap, she can't go missing shit. I want her to have more than this and she won't if she flunks for unexcused absences."

"A few days," Happy swore. "It'll just be a few days and we can get Tara to write her a doctor's note, then the school has to excuse them."

"Please," she begged him. "Stay with us, we can do this without disrupting out children's lives and putting Knox at risk."

"I can't do that," he shook his head. "Emma and Asher are coming with me," Happy wouldn't waver on that. "I think you should talk to Tara, having Knox with us is safest."

"I'll decide what's best for my son," she said sadly.

"This about that shit with Tig?" Happy was shocked she would still focus so much on that incident considering the danger involved. "You need to get over that bullshit."

"I'll talk to Tara," she spat bitterly. "I'm doing what's best for Knox. That is what this is about."

--

"He can't give us anymore than that?" Bobby asked frustrated with their lack of information. "Everyone's in danger, specific, that's great."

Happy shook his head. "I was just there, Tara said he's in too much pain to keep him off the drugs."

"It's important though," Jax reminded them. "We keep our families safe while we figure this shit out."

"Galindo is gonna love this," Opie scoffed.

"Galindo is what got us here," Jax growled. "I'm sick of this shit. It's gotta he Lobos, no one else has beef."

"Or they do and don't want us to know," Juice whined.

Jax looked at the table and nodded. "Get everyone here, gates close in four hours." He brought the gavel down and the men scattered except Happy. "What's up?" Jax asked as he lit a cigarette.

"Rory doesn't want to come," he sighed out of frustration and even embarrassment.

"That's her call," he spat. "No one is forcing her."

"I'm trying to," Happy admitted. "Tara doesn't think it's good for Knox either. He's still recovering and shit, she said it'll be too much for him."

"I can't mak-"

"I don't want you to make your old lady do anything," Happy corrected him. "I just need some advice."

"If it's for the kid I get it, if she's bitter about that bullshit from years ago," he shook his head but didn't finish his statement out of respect for Happy.

"I think it's both," Happy admitted. "I don't know what to do."

"You know your old lady," Jax shrugged. "I can't tell you what to do on this one."

"If Tara-"

Jax immediately cut Happy off and wouldn't let him finish the question. "She'd fight me on it but she'd be here when those gates closed."

"I wasn't askin' 'bout that," Happy hated being so open. "Would you take her back af-"

"If you're asking about what happened with Tig, Tara wouldn't do it, ever. So I can't answer that."

There was no doubt about Jax's answer was; they both knew that. "Yeah," Happy stood. "Thanks for the time, Prez."

--

"Aurora Harvelle?"

Rory stopped, speechless, and turned to see who had called her by her maiden name. Hearing it after so many years made her heart swell but at the same time her stomach churned.

"I haven't been Harvelle in a very long time." She said coolly. "You are?"

"Detective Reeves," he offered her his hand. "I'm with the San Joaquin Sheriff."

"What can I do for you?" She stood, hands on her hips, and smiled sweetly. "I'm really kind of busy."

"Your landlord called about the break-in at your apartment," he chuckled a bit. "You know it's actually illegal not to change your name on your lease after it's been changed."

"I didn't," she admitted. "I'll get right on that."

"Do you have any information that may help with finding who attempted to break into your apartment?" He swayed on his heels, back and forth, as he looked at Rory with a confidence she wasn't used to seeing.

"Nope," she rolled her eyes. "There's not really anything in there. My husband and I fight a lot, I kind of keep it for those sleep on the couch kind of nights. I haven't been there in a while though."

"That doesn't sound like a healthy marriage."

"Well, we're not actually even married yet."

"You and Mr. Lowman are divorced, correct?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You knew I'm not a Harvelle anymore so you used it to what, try to throw me off my game?

He smiled. "Is that something you would do to throw your marks off?" Unimpressed, Rory didn't answer. "Speaking of your pseudo husband, maybe one of his associates was looking to send a message? How's their business going?"

"This conversation is over," Rory snapped. "I'm not interested in pressing charges or looking into the attempted break-in."

"I'll be talking to you."

Rory swallowed hard. "I'm not a kid anymore, Detective, and I've learned a lot. There is nothing I'm better at than protecting my family; blood and extended."

"I hope so." Detective Reeves nodded and watched as Rory disappeared down the hall toward Knox's room.