One Rule

Chapter 36

A couple of days after everything happened with Opie and Lyla, I finally found out what happened with the missing brick of cocaine. Apparently, Miles really did take it. Thankfully, they found it, and there was no harm done with the cartel. According to Happy, "That bitch is very dead."

That news surprised me. Miles never seemed like the type to steal from the club. Supposedly, Juice found him with the missing brick and he attempted to kill Juice to cover his tracks. I just couldn't believe all of it...

There were a couple of other events that stick out in my memory of Kozik's time away. The first is the death threat that Tara received. I only remember it because Clay called me early in the morning and told me we were on lockdown, and to get my ass to the clubhouse. He told me that I'd be sleeping there for a few nights.

While I was there, the guys brought Marcus Alvarez in with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Tara and I worked together to get him patched up quickly. Other than that, there really wasn't a lot of excitement.

The real excitement happened about a week later... I was working the day Tara got brought in with a smashed hand. I knew she was supposed to be taking the boys with her to a conference in Oregon. I didn't know that Jax had planned to go with her. When I finally saw Jax, he told me some guys had tried to kidnap her. She ultimately sustained serious damage to her fingers and the median nerve. There was some doubt as to whether or not she'd be able to perform surgery ever again.

I knew better than to go visit. She was upset, and I wasn't about to give her a target. I was standing in the hall with Tig when we heard her screaming at Jax.

"We should go," I told him.

"Yeah, come on. I'll ride home with you and make sure the house is clear."

"Thank you."

"I think Happy is gonna crash with you tonight while your Old Man is gone, just to be safe," Tig told me.

"That's fine," I nodded. "Makes me feel better, actually."

Tig did a walk-through of my house, and only left when he was satisfied that everything was safe. Happy showed up about an hour later.

"It's just for tonight," he told me. "Clay just wants to make sure that everyone is safe."

"It's fine. I really appreciate you staying," I admitted. "All of this cartel stuff has me a little freaked out."

"You know the vote almost didn't pass," Happy said. "Your Old Man was the swing vote that made it happen."

"I knew he voted for it. I didn't realize he was the deciding vote. Can I ask how you voted?" I asked.

"I said no." That kind of surprised me a bit. "I didn't want this."

"You and me both," I yawned. "I'm going to head to bed. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen." I stopped part way up the stairs, and turned back to look at him, "Thanks Hap."

"No problem, Little Girl."

...

The next afternoon, I was walking back toward the ER after transferring a patient when I saw Gemma walk in, beat to hell. She had sunglasses and a hat on in an attempt to cover it up, but I could still tell that her face was bruised and cut up.

"Who did that to you, Gemma?" I asked, pulling her aside.

"Who do you think?" she snapped.

"Really? I just want to help you. You don't have to be shitty with me," I reminded her.

"It was Clay. He did this after I confronted him about Tara," she told me, taking off the sunglasses so that I'd get the full view of what happened.