What I Love Most

Chapter 14

Mae opened the door to Dave's office just as Stahl and Opie made their way into the station. She gasped at the sight of her husband in cuffs, then the reality of where they were, where she was, hit her and she slammed the door shut again.

"Why did she arrest him?" Mae was in tears as she looked at Dave with her hands out. "He didn't do anything, he can't go to jail."

Flicking the blinds he watched Stahl lead Opie into an interview room rather than to have him processed. "I don't think he's been arrested." It was more to himself than her but Mae appreciated the thought. "If anyone can be charged for transporting those damn drums it would be Clay, he owns TM."

"You have to find out. I truly have no idea why he'd be here, Dave. He hasn't done anything, I swear." She pleaded with him thinking that was indeed the truth but it wasn't.

"Stay put," he ordered her. "If he sees you here it won't be good."

"You think she'll tell him she met me?" Mae looked at her feet, her heels digging into the carpet as she waited for the inevitable answer.

With his hand on the knob Dave pursed his lips. "She'll try to figure out if he knows then play it from there."

"She's sick," Mae uttered sadly. "Hasn't she hurt him enough? Why does she have it out for Ope?"

Dave shook his head and opened the door. "It's not him, it's them." He pointed down the hall, "She probably thinks after what happened he'll be easier to flip."

"He won't," Mae said confidently. "He bleeds SAMCRO."

Dave didn't agree with Opie's thinking in that. Mae was right, he did have the club in his veins but in Hale's hopelessly romantic mind Opie should bleed for Mae. It didn't matter though, she'd made that abundantly clear on numerous occasions. When he left he room he smiled to himself as the knob lock clicked behind him. Poor girl was probably terrified to have Opie find out or even worse actually see her there.

His keys and cuffs jingled down the hall drawing Stahl's attention as she stood outside the room scanning a file. "What's that?"

"That is a felon," she winked at him.

"What are you charging him with?" With a tight grip Hale held Stahl back from stepping into the room.

"Who's asking you or the shrink?" She could see he was taken back by the question and it only stroked her confidence. "I pegged you for a softie last time I was in town but this is pathetic."

"You're dirty," he growled.

Smirking she ran her hand along his crotch and nodded. "You would know." Yanking her arm away Stahl left Dave in the hallway at a loss for words. "Mr Winston," she feigned politeness. "Who did you beat with that crowbar?"

"No one." He wouldn't even look at her.

Instead of joining him at the table she hovered by the window, coffee in hand and her file under her arm. "We're having it tested; fingerprints, blood analysis, the works. You know how it goes, cooperation can do you wonders when it comes time for trial."

With a roar Opoe brought his fists down on the table and stared coldly at her. "I am cooperating. I didn't kill or attack anyone." It was unbelievable how hard he wished that were true.

"Well, we shall have to wait and see, won't we?" As she rested her coffee on the skinny windowsill Stahl flipped open the file and smiled. "What does traditional etiquette say, gifts within the first year are still acceptable, right?" Opie kept his mouth shut, his wedding band wasn't immediately noticeable with his other rings but she'd surely spotted it if there was something about Mae in the file. "She's cute," Stahl said with a shrug. "You have a type, that's for sure."

"Don't talk about my family." He snapped. "You don't know shit about Mae, me or my club."

"But see, I do." Stahl finally joined him at the table and allowed him to look at the file. He had the same reaction Mae did to the oil photos but the ones of Clay, Tig and Jax with the Irish contact were much less amusing. "I know so much more than you think." After the photos was what looked like, Mae's entire life story. This bitch did her work.

"My lawyer is going to love to see the obsessive digging you did on Mae for no reason. Might put a hole or two in whatever bullshit you've got planned." He wasn't sure where the self-control was coming from but the fact Stahl was still breathing seemed to be a miracle.

"Do you think the DOC would like to hear about Mae's position at Stockton?" Stahl leaned back; the patronizing smile she wore fell from her lips as she became more serious. "I know, she's technically allowed to be there. Let's be real though, if someone starts making noise how long do you they'll keep her?"

"That's weak," Opie laughed. He was feeling much more confident now. "You think one of us will flip to keep her job? You tried this before, I don't know why you think after what you did I'd go along with you."

"Because you see what happens when you don't. I told you not to bet your life or your family on Clay Morrow, and look what happened."

"Don't. Threaten. Me." Opie swallowed his rage and remembered to cover himself and SAMCRO. "Besides, we don't know who killed Donna, but it wasn't my club."

Stahl's eyes darted to the window where Dave still stood and back to Opie in a flash. It wasn't her original plan but it would work nicely she was sure. "I bet you get off on knowing you stole Deputy Hale's girl. That why you went for her, just to fuck with the guy?"

She really knew what she was doing. Stahl's goal was to cause strife and stress and she was doing so beautifully. Opie pursed his lips but was desperate to set the record straight. "This what you wanted to ask about? My dick?"

"Well actually," Stahl stretched herself over the table. "I just wanted to know if you think she'll go back to him when you're locked up again."

Kicking his chair away from the table Opie roared an angry laugh and jumped to his feet. There was nothing he could say or do that wouldn't land him in a cell and that was exactly what Stahl wanted. "Charge me or let me go."

"I can hold you for twenty four hours, you know that by now."

---

Dave watched the torture through the inch between window frame and the blinds, he knew it was wrong. Pacing back to his office he was relieved to find Mae was already gone but had left a note.

'Sorry, I had to run. Please call me later. Thank you David. xo - Me'

Just as Mae knew better than to sign her name, Dave knew better than to keep the note even though he wanted to. Crumbling the paper in his fist he jogged back and barged into the interview room.

"Just got a call from the club's lawyer, she's requesting you leave him until she can get here."

Stahl's face went red and her fingers curled into fists. "And who called her?"

"Who knows? The wife, the club, there's a couple options."

"You would know if it was the wife, wouldn't you?" Slamming the file shut Stahl took to her feet and sneered hatefully at Opie. "You can go but like I said don't leave town until I get my forensics back." Her heels clicked away and Opie looked at Dave without the usual glare.

"Lowen really call?"

"No but that wasn't right. Just go."

"Thanks," Opie said as he slipped out quickly.