Roots Run Deep

Chapter 36

When Jax got the first chance he went straight up to Katie's without even contacting her first. She was home, as he expected, wearing yoga pants and a tank top with her hair in a messy bun. Clearly she'd been crying before he arrived.

"Hey," she smiled. Katie tried to hide her tears but it was useless. "What's up?"

"We gotta y'all," he said coolly.

"Uh okay," she said. Stepping aside she let him into the apartment and watched as he slapped the file down on top of the TV. "What?"

"Got some interesting mail," he said.

She didn't like the vague game he was playing. Katie snatched the papers and barely finished reading the date and her name before she knew what it was.

"Fuck."

"Yeah," he huffed. "I was pissed Katie."

"I figured. I know how much you love Abel," she said.

"And you didn't think to tell me? Ask me?" He said, feeling indignant, with his eyes locked onto hers. 

"Uh no," she said defensively. "It's my body and we weren't together."

"We were still talking," he reminded her.

"Barely!" She scoffed.

"But we talked enough when you needed my club to cover your shit in DC."

"Oh please," she snapped. "Don't you dare try to dangle that shit over my fucking head. You're not some savior, Jax."

"No, I'm not," he spat. "I did that shit cause I wanted to, cause I loved you even then and I wanted to protect you."

Taken aback by that she was speechless for a moment before coming back with a reply. "I don't owe you anything. I paid that debt, remember?"

"It doesn't mean you owe me," Jax said angrily. "I just would have like the chance to talk about it."

"Talk about it?" Katie scoffed, glaring at him with her hands on her hips. "The shit I went through when I was here, the shit I had to deal with when I got back, that fucked me up. I'm still dealing with it, every goddamn day, so excuse me if I didn't want to bring a child into that, possibly as a single mother."

Jax paused, his angry expression softening. "You think I woulda let you go through that shit alone? That woulda bailed on you and my kid?"

"I didn't think about you," she snapped. "It wasn't about you. At all."

"Who was it about? You?"

"Yes! It was about me and it was about the well being of the child," she said. "I want children, I do, but as much as it sucks and I wish I didn't have to, now is not the time. I'm sorry you're hurt, Jax, but I was hurting too."

Jax nodded. "I get that."

"What?" She looked at him with surprise.

"I'm pissed and I wish you woulda told me," he admitted, "But you left here, after some crazy shit happened and when you got home it got worse for you." Jax shrugged a little and took the papers back from her. "I guess...I guess I get why you did it."

Katie whinnied and broke down. "Thank you."

"Hey," he whispered. Collecting her in his arms he held her tight. "Right now, I'm more pissed at whoever sent this shit."

"You know who sent it," she hissed.

"Yeah, we both do." He spoke softly as they sat on the couch together.

"I'm sorry I never told you," she said shamefully.

"It's done," he sighed. "Can't go back."

Katie nodded. "He's gonna do whatever he can to put a wedge here and to pull you over to his side. I don't know what this business shit really is, he's always hiding something so I doubt it's as simple as he says."

"I'm sick of Jacob's shit," he spat. "There's only one thing I think we can do to wrap this shit storm up."

"Kill him." Katie spoke matter-of-factly but she was firm in her stance. Jax sputtered and looked at her surprised by the suggestion. "What? Were you going say have a peaceful meeting and settle shit with a handshake?"

"No," he laughed, "But I didn't think you were gonna say that."

"Shit was messy between us and the lies coming from Jacob were confusing as fuck so I kept shit from you but there is no way we can settle anything without killing him. "

"What did you keep from me?"

Katie got up and grabbed her notebook off the bookshelf. She dropped it on the coffee table and gestured for him to flip through it. "My dad is not Jacob Feldstein, he's not Jake's dad and I doubt he's mine, he killed JT and had Clay kill my mom. He's dangling a fucking murder charge over my head, the shit from D.C., and I'm over being fucked. I quit escorting and I'm kind of loving not having to make men happy for my day to day survival. I'm not going back to that."

"I love you," he said with a smile. "But you gotta explain all that shit."

Nodding, she outlined what she heard from Jacob, Piney and what she'd put together herself. Jax was taken aback, to say the least, but it all fit together piece by piece and created a portrait of what they were facing.

"What's his crew like?" Jax asked. "If he winds up dead or missing what's gonna come looking for us."

Katie shrugged. "Are you kidding me? I only just found out a few months ago that he's a fucking criminal. I have no idea how deep his network goes."

"Alright," he sighed. "I think I have an idea."

"Let's get to it," she said excitedly. When she jumped up from the sofa he instantly pulled her down onto him. "What are you doing?"

"I missed you," he cooed. His lips turned into a swoon worthy smile and Katie melted into his arms. "We can get to work tomorrow morning, babe."

Her face turned beet red but she nodded timidly and, as he stood, wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I missed you too," she whispered into his ear.

"Good," he chuckled. Carrying her into the bedroom Jax ignored the bed and laid her carefully on the chaise. "So let's take the night off."