What I Love Most

Chapter 5

"That was a bullshit errand." Juice complained as he clipped his helmet. No one was there and from what they could see no one had been there at all but they still had to waste what was left of their night. Far from drunk, the buzz he'd been working on with Amelia was long gone as the morning drew nearer. He wouldn't have taken things further, she was much too drunk but they'd been having a good time.

With a hard slap Chibs laughed. "Blue balls, eh Juicy? I told you before, you don't want to get involved with that." Juice scowled and Chibs could see it was more than he assumed. "Look you want your dick wet, go pick some crow eater or CaraCara girl. Amelia's not one for fooling like that."

"It ain't like that. I like her," it was a timid little whisper but Chibs heard it clearly.

"Oh Christ boyo." Pinching the bridge of his nose Chibs sighed heavily. "That's not going to end well. Just leave it."

Fed up, Juice started his bike and ignored Chibs' warning. They weren't teenagers but the club insisted on treating them as such and assuming he and Amelia didn't know each other when really it was the complete opposite.

"You really want to deal with Tig?" Chibs called out as Juice began pulling away. "All I'm saying is it won't be easy."

"I don't give a shit." Juice spat as they waited for the oncoming truck to roll by. "Killing that guy wasn't easy either but I wanted to." Looking away Juice shrugged and tried to project an air of nonchalance that Chibs would never buy. "Just forget it." His engine roared as he turned onto the road and sped away.

-----

"Can we talk?" Opie poked his head in the bathroom as Mae jumped in the shower. He stood, his hands on the tile as he listened to the water rushing on the other side of the curtain.

"Yep, I have some time, I'm going in a few hours late. Who throws a party on a weeknight? You know those bikers might not have real bosses to answer to but I do. I shouldn't have drank so much." With a cheeky grin she peeked her head out and winked at him. "Did make for some fun when we got home though. I didn't realize I was such a wonderful acrobat."

He couldn't help but laugh, Mae was incredibly feisty and adventurous when she drank. "Yeah, I'm glad we found that out." Catching his reflection for a second before the mirror was completely fogged Opie shook his head. "Last night Jax mentioned needing me for club stuff. I was thinking about helping. It would be some nice extra cash and you know, I am still patched."

Mae listened to him fumbling over his words, he knew she'd be unhappy with it. Tara was right at the party, they were lucky they weren't locked up. Now that she had him safe, why would she ever let him go back? "What kind of stuff?"

"New gun order, risky buyers so Jax needs me to have his back to help convince the others it isn't too dangerous."

"Is it?" She could see his shadow moving around the bathroom, fidgeting and anxious. No wonder he waited until she was in the shower to talk, he didn't want to look at her. Mae peeked out and he instantly looked away. "Is it dangerous?"

"Could be, I guess."

"Why are you lying?" She looked him in the eye with a hard stare. "Just tell me, goddamn it. Shit Ope, when I have ever not had your back?"

"It's a cartel." He blurted out. "Jax said it isn't dangerous but I think we all know it could be."

Her heart stopped and dropped into her stomach. There were so many things wrong with it Mae didn't know where to begin. "I think it could be very dangerous, I know it could, no matter what Jax says."

"I know. He didn't make the deal, Clay did. It's a cash grab before he loses the gavel. Looking like six months, tops. We're not dealing, we're not bringing coke into Charming just muling it and selling them guns. That's it."