All the Money in the World

Chapter 26

The clubhouse was bustling but the second Happy escorted Ana and Nathaniel into the building Katie was there pulling the baby out of his carrier. As she held him close to her chest, Happy draped his arm around her and pressed his lips to her head.

"She didn't even know what happened," he said.

Katie nodded, "Good. The further he was from it the better."

"Take him in the apartment," Happy said. "I'll be in later."

"Thank you," she said quietly. Looking up at him, Katie gave Happy a sad smile before heading off to the apartment with Ana in tow.

"Hap," Bobby called from the doors of the chapel. "Come on, brother."

Once they were all seated, numerous out of town Sons gathered in the back of the room, Jax started emergency church. "What do we know?" He asked them all.

"Hit the Mayor's office, we gotta thank em' for that one," Tig said with the smallest grin. "That fire spread to the insurance office and... the gym."

"How's the gym?" Happy asked immediately.

Juice grimaced. "It's a bit crispy, sorry."

"The second was the paper," Bobby told them. "Not sure why they picked the news paper and Hale's office but it could have been worse."

"Could have been here," Jax said darkly. "I should have expected something," he chided himself. "We took out a bunch of the Irish, I was stupid to think they wouldn't hit us back."

"We don't know who it was," Chibs reminded them. "No one took credit yet."

"We're good with everyone," Opie huffed. "Had to be Irish."

"Why not hit us where it hurts?" Happy asked ominously.

"This does hurt," Jax said. "This is our home, our town. Shit doesn't happen inside Charming, this is worse than them hittin' us."

"No one got hurt," Juice said with a shrug. "That's a win."

"I don't know if it's over," Jax said apprehensively. "I need to make a call. Juice, Tig, Kozik and Bobby, go check out back, everyone else look around the lot. I want to make sure we're in the clear here."

The group dispersed and went about their jobs while Jax, Opie and Chibs stayed at the table to make the call to the Irish. It was late there but someone would be up, especially after planning such an attack.

The phone rang. It rang and rang but before anyone could answer, Juice burst into chapel.

"Out, now!" Juice ordered hysterically.

By that time, they were the last ones left and there was no need to ask what was happening. Billowing smoke filled the clubhouse making it almost impossible to see or even breathe.

"Everyone out? All the kids?" Jax shouted over the quickly approaching sirens.

"Yeah," Juice gestured to the small play area where Tara, Ana, Kate and the children were huddled.

"What was that? Where was it coming from?"

"The basement,"  Bobby explained. "Ask Darby," he snarled, pointing at Darby as he stood, scorched and coughing, by Tig's feet.

Snapping, Jax grabbed Darby by his shirt and slammed his back into the steel railing. "What did you do?"

"Jax," Opie grumbled as Hale along with deputies and firefighters poured into the lot. "Not now."

"I'm not done," Jax growled into Darby's ear. "Tig, Hap, put him somewhere safe."

--

Somewhere safe was up in the mountains. On paper, Bluebird owned the land where a ratty old barn sat but anyone who mattered knew who really controlled that area. Darby was duct taped to a chair, still unharmed, when Jax arrived as the sun was coming up.