If I Die Tomorrow (Sons of Anarachy)

Two

Once I was finally deemed trustworthy enough at the store to be left alone, I got the night shift. I didn't care. Better pay, less people to deal with and I had trouble sleeping at night anyways. Or so I thought.

SAMCRO was constantly coming and going, throughout my entire shift. Their identifier being the leather, or sometimes jean, vests with the Grim Reaper. Beer and cigarettes sales were outrageous here due to the gang. Sometimes they'd add some chips or soda into the mix, occasionally condoms, and throw off the routine I'd gotten into with scanning, out of wack.

All of the guys I'd rang out had been incredibly nice. Some were a bit scary looking, but they seemed to be the more chit chatty ones. I couldn't be rude either, not that I wanted to be anyways. My cousins couldn't get angry for me doing my job. It was a given they'd come in with the location.

One guy in particular had been friendlier than most. He introduced himself as Juice. I'd be lying if I didn't giggle a bit when he told me his name.

I saw Juice probably twice, maybe three times a shift. Sometimes he'd come in with others and not get anything. He just wanted to talk to me. It was clear he was flirting. It made my shift interesting to say the least.

Juice was cute, in his own biker way. Witty and full of smiles. I could see he got picked on by some of his brothers, but he handled it well.

Juice was of Puerto Rican decent. He had his head shaved into a mohawk. His dark hair being the only thing separating the two tribal tattoos on either side of his head. I couldn't imagine ever getting a tattoo there. It had to of hurt really fucking bad.

I'd gotten comfortable with the club or at least the ones I saw on a regular basis. I hadn't witnessed any gang like behavior or anything that seemed dangerous, other then the amount they drank and smoked. It got to the point where I rather enjoyed going to work.

I could never go near any of them out of work though. On my days off I hung out at my cousins house. They both worked during the day so I really didn't see them much, which was fine by me. We really had nothing in common.

My cousins tried to talk me up to others, and always made me out to be some big war hero. They never mentioned the part where I wasn't there very long. I wasn't a hero. I was a failure in that department. Only once did I save someone who could've been in a life threatening situation. Other than that I only mended cuts and sprains. I didn't shoot anyone. I got shot at, hell I'd gotten blown up. I survived. That's all I did. I was a survivor.

My compensation from the military hadn't been deposited into my bank account yet. The whole getting injured during combat thing, they really take seriously yet for some reason my compensation was taking forever. It was the only reason I was living with my cousins, let alone in Charming at all. I didn't even have a car, there was no way I could afford my own place. So I got to walk to and from work.

I didn't mind walking. The dark didn't bother me. Generally I never saw a sole anyways. The walk was only ten minutes and if I really wanted to I could easily jog it in a little over five.

Saying goodbye to the man who did the early morning shifts, I walked out into the dark street. It was unusually warm and I set off at a steady pace. I think Charming's so much more inviting and almost mystical at three in the morning. If it was like this all the time I might actually want to stay here.

Walking on the sidewalk, I heard rustling in some trash cans. Watching them carefully under the street light, I hurried by and my footsteps seem to have quieted whatever it was. Probably a raccoon or a couple rats. They rustled again once I was past and I glanced back just in time to see a raccoon crawl out. Nasty little creatures.

Because I'd been looking behind me, and because it was three in the morning, I never expected to see anyone on the street, let alone run into one, but I did. My body smashed against someone a lot bigger than me and made me jump back in shock.

An older man stood before me. He was practically bald, only had hair on the sides of his head. His hair looked to be grey but in the dim lighting I was unsure. His build was bigger and he wore smirk on his face. Red flags were flying up everywhere in my brain. This man wasn't safe.

"S-sorry." I stammered and backed up. His eyes stayed glued to me.

"It's okay sweetheart. What's a pretty little lady like you out walking the streets, alone, at this time of night?" His voice seemed to echo a threat.

"None of your business. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get home." I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm.

Military training and all the self defense classes I took when I was younger kicked in. Breaking his grasp on my arm, I sent the elbow of the arm he grabbed, back into him in a quick jab. He curled over from my elbows impact to his stomach and it gave me the opening I needed.

I took off sprinting as fast as I could. It'd give me just enough of a head start and I could easily sprint the rest of the way home, but I didn't feel like he'd come after me now. I'd clearly shown I could hold my own.

I slowed back to a walk once I'd gone out of sight. I kept watching behind me and I was constantly listening for any rustle. I wasn't going to be the damsel in distress. If he came at me, I'd drop his ass.

I heard a faint click behind me and I stopped dead. I'd recognize that sound anywhere. Very slowly I put my hands out, visible at my sides and slowly turned around. There stood the man with a pistol trained right on me.