Hands All Over

Ch. 101 If You Say So

Happy's phone buzzed while they sat there waiting for the Italians to show up. Digging into his pocket, he checked the number before putting it to his ear. "Yeah?"

"Hap?" Chloe's voice crackled on the other line.

He shifted on his seat a bit, hoping this call wasn't about something stupid. He'd given her the number in case of emergencies. If she was calling to ask if he was coming home, he wasn't going to give her the number to his burner ever again. "This an emergency?"

"You know that thing we talked about last night?" she asked cryptically.

He did. She'd told him Angela was pregnant again in hopes he would help her make sure his little cousin followed all the rules that went along with her high risk pregnancy. "Yeah."

"It...isn't happening anymore."

Happy let out a long breath, rubbing a hand over his head. He'd been worried this would happen. "Shit. She okay?"

"No."

He looked around, debating whether or not he could leave and head back to Charming to be with his cousin. They had more than enough brothers there to cover Jax's back, but he was the only one who wore the Sergeant patch. It was his job to protect the rest of his brothers above all else. If he left now, he'd be forsaking that job, he'd be failing that title. "The idiot with her?"

"Yeah, but he's not okay either."

"She need me?" he asked, though he already knew the answer to that question.

He heard her sigh quietly. "Why do you think I called you?"

Hap sighed again, closing his eyes. It was a rare event he had to choose between his club and his blood family. He knew the pain Angela must be in, felt it in his gut. He knew she needed him, but so did his club. He'd given Angela to Juice on their wedding day. Had trusted him to be there for her when he couldn't be. This was one of those moments. Chloe had told him before to step back and let Angela and Juice be, and this time, he was going to do exactly that. He didn't really have a choice. "Be there as soon as I can, killer. Take care a her."

"No, she needs you now!" she insisted, her voice stronger in her resolve now. "She draws strength from you. She needs you here."

The fact she was right was really starting to piss him off, but he did his best not to snap at her. "Can't swing it right now."

"Hap, she just lost her baby. Don't do this now. Don't choose today to pick the club over her. She needs you!"

Happy didn't know why he was fighting with her. He should've hung up the phone the second she'd told him 'no', but for some reason, he couldn't do that to her. Probably because he knew she was right. "Ain't happening."

"Happy Lowman, you do this. You pick the club over Angela, your kid, and you are not the man I thought you were. Do not expect to be allowed back into my house ever again. This is your family. Your blood. Family always comes first."

And with that her line went dead. Happy growled to himself as he slammed his burner shut and threw it into the pocket of his cut. There was no way he could leave now. No way for him to desert his brothers and just head out. Guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders as he sighed, running a hand over his head. He had a bad feeling swirling around the pit of his stomach, but there was nothing he could do about it at this point. He'd made his decision, and he had to stick to it.

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Angela walked into the house first, Juice trailing behind with Evie in her carrier. The second they were inside, Evie started to cry. The sound of it made Angela's heart ache. She'd lost a baby. Lost Evie's brother or sister. Her eyes teared up as she shook her head. "I can't do this," she whispered, wiping at her eyes. "I need...I need to get out."