Family Matters

Chapter 16

Their first call was to the clubhouse. Quicker than they expected, Happy and Juice heard bikes in the distance but they saw the van first.

"Speedy service, thankfully." Rory groaned, still groggy, as she helped keep pressure on Juice's wound.

"Perks of the club," Happy said. "Bullet wounds are more of a downside."

"But this ain't club shit." Juice could barely speak, he was woozy and in insurmountable pain.

"You're gonna be alright, brother." Happy tried awkwardly to comfort Juice knowing, not from experience but simply from the life, that gut shots were extremely painful.

"Shite boys, I thought Blondie here was supposed to protect you." Chibs was surprised, and concerned, to see the three of them in such terrible shape. "Let's get you back."

Carefully, but quickly to avoid any unwanted attention, Chibs, Tig and Jax helped them into the van. They raced back to the clubhouse and Chibs went to work on Juice first while Rory offered to help Happy. She wasn't as good as Chibs but it was a simple shoulder wound whereas Juice's injury was much more severe.

"I might not be able to do this, Jax," Chibs said quietly. "I can't see shite. There's too much blood."

"Lemme call Tara," he said anxiously. "Just keep him together."

"Aye."

Across the room, perched on the edge of the pool table, Happy ground his teeth as Rory dug into his shoulder.  "Ellie ain't a joke, I'm sure they're okay."

"Better fuckin' be," he growled.

"You good?" She asked, Bobby hovering over her helping where he could.

"I'm fine," he snapped. "Just get it out. I wanna be in LA before dark."

"Hap," she started but he silenced her immediately.

"Don't," he warned. "This shit is old now, gone on too long, so I'm gonna go get them both back."

Rory knew there was no talking to him right then but she also knew he would be dead if he simply went up there with no planning or backup.

"Okay," she mumbled.

"You alright?" With his good arm he ghosted his fingers over the gash on her head. "Got ya good."

"I've had worse," Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm just pissed. I shoulda been more careful. I'm sorry I couldn't help her."

"You're fine," he gave her a weak smile. "Thank you for all this shit. You don't have to be here."

"I want to be," she admitted with flushed cheeks.

"I don't want to hear this shit." Clay bellowed to everyone assembled after eavesdropping on Rory and Happy's conversation. "No pity party bullshit. We patch up and get back to work on this piece of shit."

--

"Bastian is waiting," Kyle barked through the bedroom door. "He doesn't like to wait, you know that."

"Blow me," Ellie snapped as she opened the door. "You'd probably prefer it be Bastian though, right? You're so far up his ass it's like you're in love with him."

"I can't wait for you to screw up," he seethed. "I'll snap your neck without a thought."

"Not if I slit your throat first," she winked. "Try me you muscle bound, 'roid rage motherfucker."

"Love," Bastian called up from the bottom of the staircase. "Dinner is on the table."

"Here I come," she said softly. "You can run along now, Kyle. We don't need you tonight."