All the Money in the World

Chapter 16

Katie and Jacob got out of the clubhouse and scurried to the fence line as the ATF team crashed the party. Everyone still inside the clubhouse was being forced to the ground, face down, while Katie tried to escape.

"Here," she whispered to Jacob as they reached the gate. "We just gotta-"

Before Katie could finish her sentence an ATF agent bashed her in face with the butt of their shotgun. She fell onto her back, bloody and unconscious, as Jacob was cuffed and rightly dragged away.

No one knew what had happened, or why, but as Jax and Happy sat cuffed in interrogation rooms they assumed that Katie and Jacob had gotten away.

"Tell me," Stahl said as she sauntered into the room where Jax was being kept. "When you're locked up for parole violations and Katie for prostitution, who will you have care for little Charlotte?"

Jax rolled his jaw as he looked at her. "You're gonna regret this shit," he warned her.

"What makes you say that?" Stahl sat across from him with a smarmy smile.

"Katie ain't a prostitute," he said firmly. "And if you think that little raid was necessary for supposed parole violations and bullshit prostitution charges you're gonna surprised."

"She isn't?" Stahl chuckled. "You think she just left that life? For what? It wasn't the baby and it wasn't what happened here with Pope. She was still a sex worker when she left Charming for D.C."

"I don't know shit about what Katie did in D.C.," Jax shrugged nonchalantly, "But I know she's not a criminal."

"And how about your parole violations? You denying them too?"

"I want my lawyer," Jax said flatly.

Stahl nodded. "Katie's pimp, right? Happy can't be too thrilled about that."

"I. Want. My. Lawyer."

Stahl wasn't amused and even more annoyed by the fact she couldn't rile him up. "He's a little busy but I'm sure he'll be in eventually. You should really decide who you want to have temporary custody, both of you are going to be in here for a bit."

"You have Katie?" Jax asked, his cool demeanor cracking.

"We do," Stahl winked at him. "If you don't have anyone we can have social services pick her up."

"Shouldn't I get to talk Katie about it?"

Stahl stopped with her hand on the doorknob and glanced back at him. "I'm not an idiot. I'll get the paperwork together and you two can sign it. Think she'll agree to Tara Knowles?"

"Yeah," he said sadly, "She'll agree."

Confident she had one that battle, Stahl left the room and had one of the lower ranking agents get to work with the locals on proper guardianship paperwork. She wasn't sure it was even necessary but she knew it hurt them.

—

"I need to talk to Jax," Katie said as soon as Alec got there. "If Stahl tells him first about the-"

"She hasn't. Not yet," he said. "You in pain?" 

Alec pulled the other chair around so he could sit beside her. Taking the ice pack from her he held it gently against the right side of her face.

"A fuck ton," she hissed. "I thought it was all legal?"

"It is," he said. "She's grasping at straws. We're going to file complaints against her, all of us myself included. You'll get out soon."

"Good," Katie huffed. "How much trouble is Jacob in? Was he arrested or did he fuck be over?"

"He's looks to be in legitimate trouble," Alec said sadly. "He'll probably be fired, even if he's not charged."