All the Money in the World

Chapter 40

Katie, no matter how angry she felt, was not heartless. She called the clubhouse, fully intending to ask whoever answered to go to Jax's, but she was relieved to hear Opie's voice on  the other end. If she had to pick who she would have preferred go to break them up it certainly would have been him.

"Happy's on the warpath, you need to get to Jax's now."

"I'm on my way," he grumbled, hanging up and racing off toward the Teller's house. When he arrived he heard Tara shouting through the open windows. He pounded on the door and she answered in seconds.

"Thank God," she said hysterically. "Help him!"

When he stepped into the kitchen Happy had Jax bent backwards on the table, pummeling his face and head with heavy blows. Opie quickly grabbed Happy from behind, using all his strength and weight to yank him off their president. Despite his struggle, Happy couldn't free himself until he had calmed down slightly. By then the reality of what was happening settled in his brain. He knew he couldn't do more damage, he'd gotten his blows in but any more would be overkill and cause for some kind of club repercussions.

"What the fuck is going on?" Opie roared, still keeping Happy back with one hand on his chest.

"You stay away from my wife," Happy ordered Jax.

Jax nodded, wobbling and aching from the beating, knowing he deserved this and more for what he put Katie through. "Okay."

"I fucking mean it," he warned. "Don't look at her, don't fucking think about her," Happy added. "Your weird fucking friendship is over, anything you gotta say to her about Charlotte goes through me from now on. My wife isn't your whore to pimp out and I ain't your SA anymore." Tossing his Sergeant at Arms patch at the Jax's feet, Happy stormed out of the house. 

Tara looked at Jax with fury in her eyes. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I didn't touch her," he said darkly.

"Then what?" Opie looked at Jax, slightly aghast.

Shaking his head, Jax headed for the door with Tara hurrying after him. "Jax, you can drive."

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

"Brother," Opie warned him. "Hap fucked you up. Where you going?"

"Clubhouse," he stated the obvious.

"What happened between you two?" Tara asked him, desperate for an explanation. She was terrified something more blossomed between them after all those years, her worst fears would be realized after working so hard to move passed it all.

"I used her, I forced her to do shit she didn't want to do," he grumbled.

"The Irish," Opie sighed. "That asshole's been talking about her."

Jax just nodded.

Tara looked at Opie. "What asshole?"

"Ryan Mitchell," Opie explained. "It's a long story."

"I have time," she said darkly. "I want to know everything, from both of you," she looked at Jax. "Let me clean you up, Jax and then we'll talk."

--

Happy didn't go right home. He rode around town, then out around the woods, before heading back. Katie was still awake from he finally returned. Exhausted, with aching, still bloody hands, he walked in to find her on the couch with a cup of tea.

"You should be sleeping."

She shrugged. "I was worried."

"I'm fine."

"He still alive?"

Happy nodded. "You call Ope?"

"The clubhouse, he's just the one who answered."

Dropping to his knees in front of her he buried his face in her lap. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she assured him.

"He knows you're still fucked from having Sam, your head ain't right," he sad sadly. "And he still did that shit. If it wasn't for the kids I'd take you, go back to Tacoma," he told her. "I can't trust him."

"Hey," she lifted his head up to look him in the eyes. "It's not that serious, Happy. He was trying to-"

"I don't care what he was trying to do," he grumbled. "He shouldn't have done it that way."

Katie nodded. "What happened? What exactly happened?"

"We had to do a favor for the Irish," he sighed.

"A favor as in killing someone?"

"Yeah," he huffed. "There was a fuck up, guy got away, took out one of the low level Irish assholes before we got to him again."

"And now they're making you pay for it over and fucking over?"

Happy nodded. "It's what they do, we all do it, got the upper hand, ya gotta exploit it."

"And now? What happens now?"

"I don't know," he got up and sat beside her on the couch. "Depends on how that asshole takes rejection."

Katie swallowed hard. "I'm scared, Hap."

Pulling her into his lap he kissed her deeply. "Nothing is gonna happen to you or the kids. Trust me?"

"I trust you," she whimpered, nuzzling his neck.

"Go get some sleep, I'm gonna jump in the shower."

"I'm coming," she told him. "I just wanna be with you."

Happy nodded and scooped her up into his arms as he stood. He chuckled, "I'm good with that."

—

Opie and Chibs went that evening to meet with Ryan Mitchell. It was late but no one wanted to wait to drop the information on him. Jax wasn't able to, his suspected concussion and swollen eyes made riding anywhere impossible so they went instead.

They arrived at the same Irish bar they had in the past but Ryan wasn't there. In his place was a familiar Irish face, Pat Fitz.

"Ryan couldn't make it," he explained vaguely. "He sends his apologies."

"Aye," Chibs huffed. Neither he nor Opie sat despite being invited to. "His little deal with Jax, for the girl, is done."

Pat smiled. "The husband?"

"No," Opie grumbled. "Jax squashed it."

"I see," Pat nodded. "No problem then. I'll pass it along."

"We don't want shite with this, everything else still stands."

"Aye," Pat said confidently. "You boys have a good evening," he said, getting up from the booth and shaking their hands before leaving.

"Too easy?" Opie asked, looking at Chibs.

Chibs nodded. "Aye, I think so."

"We don't need this shit, club's already gonna take a hit when everyone hears about the shit with Hap."

"We'll be fine," Chibs said sagely. "Been through worse shite."

Opie agreed and followed Chibs out for the long ride back.

—

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