Roots Run Deep

Chapter 19

Although he was visibly less tense than when they left Gemma's, Jax was still not himself. Katie watched as he hung up his cut and tossed his keys on the table with his shoulders slumped.

"Hey," she followed him further into the house. "You wanna talk?"

"Nah," he lied. "I'm tired."

Katie nodded. "Yeah. It's been an insane month."

Taking her hand, Jax sat on the couch and pulled her down on his lap. "You really think you're gonna head back?"

"I don't know," she laughed sadly. "Jake, Pop, and my dad are here, although my dad is shady as fuck, but my life is back east."

"So is that shitty boyfriend," Jax reminded her.

"Ex," she corrected him. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Yeah," he said, a serious look on his face. Jax pushed her hair from her face. "Always."

"I'm scared that if I stay my life will always be in constant upheaval. Clay had me kidnapped, Jax. Christ, it took every ounce of self-control I have not to snap on him and your mom."

Jax nodded. "I'm kind of surprised no one got hit," he smiled a little. "Kind of wanted to see you throw a punch."

"I can punch you if you want," she offered.

"I'm good, babe," he laughed. "You know I'm not good with that, with what he did?"

She nodded. "I know but you gotta be, or at least act like it. Does kind of sting though."

"I'm sorry," Jax said, his hand moving up her back to her hair. Gently, he led her toward him until he could kiss her. "I'm not gonna let you get hurt as long as you're here," he promised her. "A day, a month, or years."

Katie smiled at that turning her body a few inches and moving her legs to straddle him. "You're sweet but you can't keep that promise."

"You're pretty safe now," he said smugly.

"I'm something else too," she said, reaching down and fiddling with his belt buckle.

Chuckling, Jax kissed her again as he stood, gripping her ass as he walked her down the hallway. "I could use a shower," he told her, turning into the bathroom and placing her to sit on the sink.

He turned on the water while Katie pulled her shirt up over her head and slipped her bra off. Her feelings for him were growing, there was a familiarity she felt with him that she hadn't felt with anyone before. She was desperate to hang on to it as long as she could.

As he stripped down to nothing she hopped off the sink and shimmied out of her jeans. "You are looking kind of grimy, Prez," she teased him.

"Yeah and you're fucking filthy girl," he growled, kissing her before they both stepped into the shower.

--

Jax rolled over, still sleepy, to see Katie was on her side, sleeping deeply. He smiled dreamily at her before remembering what he had been told hours before. With still damp hair he climbed out of bed, got dressed and left the house. He arrived at Opie's but needed no announcement, Opie was out front on the lawn within two minutes.

"What are you doing here?" Opie asked, looking equally as sleepy as Jax.

"Didn't think you'd be up," he chuckled, pulling out his cigarettes. "That dinner tonight, Clay told me some shit I don't what to do with it."

"What?" He asked, his forehead creased with concern.

The Warden killed his wife, Clay helped," Jax sighed. "He found out Jake isn't his son, she was having an affair for years."

"Jesus Christ," Opie sighed heavily. "Kill the guy too?"

"Killed him first, himself, sent Clay after his wife."

Opie rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. "You need to know what to do with this 'cause of Katie?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

"When she going back?"

"Dunno," Jax sighed. "Wouldn't mind if she stayed," he admitted.

"Brother, you do not want that shit," Opie told him sternly. "With Clay, the Warden, and her working out here, no chick is worth that shit."

Jax looked at Opie with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Work."

"Yeah, you forget?"

"Kind of," he shrugged.

"Not something to forget," Opie said wisely. "You good hittin' that knowing she's out there?"

Jax's face turned dark. "This ain't about her job."

"Alright, don't tell her about Clay or any of that shit with her dad," Opie warned him. "It's gonna end bad." Looking at Jax's expression, Opie realized Jax was in much deeper than he realized. "Ah shit, you actually like her?"

"Yeah," Jax sighed. "I want her to stay."

"You want a hooker as an old lady?"

Jax tensed and glared at Opie. "Escort, hooker, they all do the same shit. Do you want my advice? Keep your mouth shut and let her go back," Opie advised.

"Yeah, alright," Jax said, with no intention of taking his best friend's wise words to heart. "I'll see you in the morning, brother."

"Yup," Opie sighed as Jax headed back to his bike and rode off.