Marianne Armstrong moved to Charming to be closer to family, they just don't know she's there yet. When Chibs Telford is hurt in an explosion, he thinks he's seen an angel upon waking because she disappears and he can't find her anywhere. When her l...
Darby smiled and spread his hands out in front of him on the table between himself and Clay. "I have no idea. He hasn't been with us for a while. You might try his mother's house out on County Line Road. He could be there."
Clay eyed him for a moment before he slid out of the booth and stuck his hand out to shake. "It's been a real pleasure, Ernest."
As Jax and Chibs stood behind Clay, Ernest grinned and nodded. "If you mean that you'll tell me the last name of Gemma's new BFF. I saw them earlier today on Main Street. She's a hot little number. Red hair, tiny?"
Clay heard Chibs growl from behind him and shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. She might be hazardous to your health my friend."
Darby looked past Clay to the Scot and smirked. "Why? Has someone already claimed that piece?"
Chibs took a step forward to stand abreast of Clay as Jax took the other side. "Aye, I have. I catch ye even lookin' at her, I'll gut ya like a fish."
Ernest chuckled and nodded. "Duly noted, although that sounded more like a challenge than a threat." He nodded before turning to the door of the diner. "Have a good afternoon, gentlemen."
Once he was gone, Clay sighed and turned to Chibs with a frown. "You might want to warn her about him."
Chibs nodded as they walked out into the afternoon sunshine. Happy had just pulled in and nodded to Clay and Jax before looking at Chibs. "Your girl's house is pretty secure if you can get her to learn what a lock is. I walked right in this morning."
Chibs shook his head as he cursed under his breath in Gaelic. "She's no' new. She knows the way things work. I'll be reminding her, yeah?"
Happy simply grinned and nodded as they all mounted up to return to TM. When they arrived, they walked into the clubhouse to find Gemma and Bobby talking at the bar. Clay and the others walked up as Half-Sack sat four beers on the counter. Clay leaned in to kiss Gemma on the cheek before shaking his head.
"You could have told me that you ran into Darby this morning. Chibs almost killed him just now."
Gemma frowned for a moment before she got what he was talking about. She shrugged. "He flirted, she acted like a lady and that was that. I didn't see a point in bringing it up."
Chibs looked at her and shook his head. "It's the information I need, Gem. Where's the ho' little number now?"
Gemma chuckled. "Is that what he called her?" When Chibs gave her a short nod, she continued. "She's in Lodi, looking for supplies."
Chibs frowned. "For wha'?"
Gemma grinned. "Her side business." When all the men stared at her, she shook her head. "She's a glass blower. Apparently a pretty good one."
Happy nodded. "That must be why she needs the shed in her back yard to be secure. Asked me to add it to the list of things that needed locks and shit."
Chibs shrugged and nodded as he upended his beer, draining the bottle before slamming it down on the counter. "Mar and I need to 'ave a conversation. I'm out the rest of the day, boys."
Three hours later, Mari pulled into her driveway beside a motorcycle and sighed as she got out of her truck. She started to push her front door open and found it locked. She mumbled to herself as she dug through her bag, finding a set of house keys in the bottom. When she finally walked inside, she found Chibs sitting on her couch, drinking a beer and watching a cooking show. She glared at him as she threw her bag into a chair.
"Why was my door locked?"
Chibs grinned and shook his head as he put his feet up on the table in front of him. "No, luv. The correct question is why wasn' it locked in the first place?"
Mari rolled her eyes as she walked past him to the kitchen. "Because nobody is going to mess with my place, Chibs. I'm not on anyone's radar."
She heard him chuckle as she walked back into the living room with a beer in hand. "Tha's jus' no' true, Mar. I know of at least one asshole drug dealer that knows ye."
She frowned as she sat down at the other end of the couch. "I don't know who you're talking about."
Chibs looked at her as he shifted position to sit facing her. "Ye forgo' already? Darby, darlin'."
Mari scrunched her nose up in disgust and kicked him in the leg with one barefoot. "Eww!"
Chibs chuckled. "Wha' took ye so long in Lodi?"
Mari once again rolled her eyes. "Wow, did you manage to lo-jack me already?" She shook her head. "I was in Oakland."
Chibs stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Mar, when plans change, I need to know tha'."
Mari tilted her head to look at him. "Why?"
Chibs groaned and laid his head back on the couch. "Ye know why. If something happens, I need to know where ye are."
Mari snorted. "Is that the best ya got?"
Before she could move, he had yanked her over to him, making her lay half in his lap as he stared at her with a stern expression on his face. She swallowed hard as he stared at her mouth before speaking.
"Fine, ye want it plain? Yer mine. Lock yer doors. Tell me where yer gonna be, and if Darby so much as breathes the same air, I wanna know it. Do we understand each other?"
She bit her lip and nodded, knowing that she should argue that she wasn't his yet, but she just couldn't form the words while his hands were on her. She found herself pushing closer to his body heat as she stared into eyes that seemed to be looking for her soul. Her last coherent thought before his mouth met hers was that he was gorgeous when he was angry.
