What I Love Most

Chapter 30

In the flatbed, Opie took the ride to Sacramento with Mae to pick up the four bikes. They'd discussed the day at length and while she was anxious, she was more than ready to make the moves. As he signed the paperwork and began the task of securing the bikes Mae put some distance between her and Opie.

"Hey Dave," she said sweetly. "I guess you heard about the guys?"

Hale wasn't surprised to hear from her, in fact he was shocked it had taken so long. Putting her on hold for a brief second, he shut his office door and sat back down to take the call. "I did, Stahl was here last night."

Just the name made Mae's stomach sour. "What did she say? Anything?"

"Just ranting," Hale said casually. He knew the game they played by now and while it didn't thrill him he continued to play. "She's heading out of town though."

"What?" Peering over an impounded Chevy, Mae watched Opie securing chains, his thick firm arms flexed with every move. He was not going to be happy and that thought kept her from enjoying the view she usually loved. "Where is she going?"

"Home? Back to the nest, I guess. Ten months, it really had her fuming."

Mae nodded to herself, "Yeah. Interesting deal, wasn't it?"

"It was, high level shit, very hush hush."

"Got it, well, I just wanted to check in. It was good talking to you, David."

"You too, Mae."

The line went dead and Mae felt a pit grow in her stomach. What interest did some high-level mystery man have in keeping Jax and the boys out of federal prison? Really, she didn't want to know, there was enough keeping her up at night. She found her way back to Opie's side as he was finishing with the last bike. They couldn't search Jax's bike, not yet, so he helped her back into the truck and took off.

"Hale said no one knows anything, it's gotta be from pretty high up though."

"And Stahl? Please tell me he knows what's going on with her."

Mae shook her head, she knew how Opie would feel about losing his chance. "She's gone, babe. Whoever brokered that deal sent her away. It's all I could get from him, I'm sorry."

Frustrated, Opie hammered his hands into the wheel and as he drove a dramatic sigh filled the tense air around them. Mae let him have his moment, he growled and cursed under his breath, it was better he do it with her than around the kids. They continued to drive but with every mile closer they got to Charming Mae grew more anxious. "Far enough?" She asked, impatient, as they moved quickly away from the impound yard. He didn't answer, his eyes focused on the road. "Ope?"

"Sorry," he pulled off to a rest stop that looked fairly empty. He had been adrift in the hate swirling in his head. "Remember, this is us, this stays between us." Before slipping out of the cab of the truck, she nodded in agreement and met him around the back side of the flatbed. They climbed up, Opie's large hand guiding her as they walked to the back. Opie used the key Jax had given him years ago and opened the left saddlebag, nothing, so he moved to the right. His eyes lit up when he saw the bag of pills and Lotto's old, beaten up, burner cell.

"There's a message on there?" Quietly she asked as he pocketed the contents and locked both sides. Watching his expression closely as Opie helped her back down and up into the cab again she could see how lost in it he was. This was all a truth before he laid eyes on those two seemingly insignificant, day to day items but the reality it brought crashing down upon Opie was powerful.

Opie didn't answer her; he just sat back in the driver's seat and fished the phone out of his pocket. Accessing the voicemail, he played the message on speaker, more than once. Unfurling the bag of pills as they digested the message Opie shook it, his eyes examining them. Mae hit the end button, tired of the raspy, dark voice filling the cab and took the bag from him. "Can Tara have them tested?"