Other Side of the Tracks

Chapter 24

Even though Nero didn't agree to a meeting that evening, Jax, Opie and Bobby showed up anyway and found him, unsurprisingly, in his office. He knocked once but didn't wait for a reply before barging in.

"Can I help you?" He asked, looking up from his work to see them standing around his office.

"You recognize this book?" Jax tossed the ledger down on Nero's desk.

Paging through it briefly he shook his head. "I don't." Nero pushed it back toward Jax.

"Clay says it's the actual numbers for Diosa."

"No," he shook his head, "They're way too high."

"You still with Gemma?" Bobby asked, much calmer than Jax.

Nero drew his head back and looked from Bobby to Jax. "What's your mom got to do with any of this?"

"That's a yes," Opie mumbled in the background with a tiny smirk.

"Clay brought me this trying to prove some bullshit about Jules." He spat, "I know everything I need to about her, you made sure of that, but I got questions about Gem and Clay."

"I can help with that," Nero said darkly. "And trust me, Mano, what you think you know ain't all there is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just because something is practical doesn't make it desirable," He said flatly.

Jax knew where Nero was going but he couldn't open himself up in that yet. Anything about Julia would distract him from Clay and that was his newest and most dangerous target.

"You never saw that?" Jax tapped the book and Nero shook his head. "So, Gem couldn't have stolen it from you, could she?"

"No," Nero opened his side drawer. "I have all the books Julia kept right here, legit numbers and the skimmed."

"He's dead," Jax growled. "Clay is fucking dead."

Bobby and Opie shared a look, knowing Clay all but signed his own death warrant if Nero was in fact telling the truth.

"You two mind giving us a minute?" Nero asked as his eyes looked passed Jax and toward the others.

Jax looked back and nodded. "What do you need the privacy for?" He asked once Opie and Bobby were gone.

"I've been seeing your mom," he explained, "And she confided a few things in me, about Clay."

"Tell. Me."

Nero shook his head as he pushed himself back from his desk. "Look, this mess needs to be handled with care. I can't have you flying off the handle and getting Gemma or Julia hurt."

The mention of harm coming to those two calmed him considerably and Jax nodded, his body relaxing, waiting for Nero to continue. "I can control myself."

"I hope," Nero muttered. "She came to me about Clay a few weeks ago," he explained. "Said she was scared he was going to do something drastic because he didn't trust Julia, or Charlie, to do right by the club."

Jax's brows furrowed as he looked at Nero. "That information would have been helpful a few weeks ago." Jax huffed. "Anything you want to tell me about Charlie?"

"He knows about the books, the skimming," Nero explained. "I don't know how."

"I do," Jax seethed. "You find out if Gem is in on this or he's just using her as a patsy."

"Jax, what are you gonna do?" Nero asked as Jax made his way for the door driven with purpose. "That's your mom and dad."

"He ain't my dad," Jax snapped. "This shit with Jules, her ex, any more to that I should know?" Jax turned to Nero again. "Is Charlie gonna hurt her?"

Nero nodded with a sorrowful look. "He threatened to kill you both, not in so many words but we all know Charlie," he explained. "Julia wanted you to back up while she figured out her next step," he smiled sadly. "She knew you'd go right for him and that would have gotten you killed."

"Is she okay?" His face turned down as his eyes grew red with tears.

"She's safe for now," Nero assured him. "It's part of why I lied to you, but no, she's not okay." Cracking a smile he nodded at Jax as if to give him approval. "She loves you, Mano."

He nodded sadly and stepped out of the office to see Bobby and Opie waiting patiently. "What's up?" Opie asked eagerly.

"You find Clay, I'll meet you back at the clubhouse."

--

"Slow down," Julia forced a laugh as she pushed Ryan back. He had been all over her, the beers didn't help, but she wasn't going to sleep with him. "I'm not ready for that."

"Sorry," he scooted away from her. "We already slept together so I didn't think it was a big deal."

"It is," she scoffed. "Besides I'm actually really tired too."

"Busy day," he nodded with a smile. "Charlie mentioned me going to the next Diosa meeting with you guys. Kind of introduce me to the major players."

"Did he?" She laughed ruefully. "Figures."

"What?"

"Nothing," Julia waved off his concern. "I'm in a really weird mood, I'm sorry."

"No problem," he shrugged. "I'll just let you relax or whatever."

Julia felt guilty knowing Ryan had no clue that their new relationship wasn't real, not at all, but she couldn't subject herself to much more of it that night.

"That would be really great," she beamed. "Thank you."

"Yeah," he squeezed her hand before seeing himself to the door. "You tell me what you're comfortable with, Julie."

"Julia," she corrected. "I hate Julie, Ryan, you know that."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I forgot."

She opened the door for him to see Jax jogging toward her front door. Panicked, she slammed the door. "Uhh, you know..." She failed to think up an excuse before Jax pounded on the door. "Ahh shit."

"Jules? Let me in, I saw you."

"Jax, I can't," she whinnied. "Please."

"He bothering you?" Ryan asked as he reached for the doorknob. "Charlie told me all about this asshole."

"No, he's not," she pleaded when Ryan opened the door. Before the chivalrous yet misguided fireman could get one word out to defend Julia he met Jax's fist, rings and all.

"Jax don't," she begged. "He has no idea what's going on."

"I know," he said angrily.

One punch was really all Jax needed to use to get Ryan out of the way. He pushed by, inadvertently sending Ryan to the floor, and grabbed Julia roughly. Pulling her close, his hands on her neck, he forcefully kissed her.

"Nero?" She asked timidly, sucking her bottom lip in.

He nodded and smiled, happy to see her and have her in his arms again. "I love you, Jules and Charlie ain't gonna hurt you."

"Jax," she sighed, "I love you too. I was so scared."

He rested his forehead against hers and gazed lovingly into her eyes with a sweet smile. "You don't ever have to be scared again."