The Wild River

Chapter 6

Hearing several bikes pull into the lot made her walk to the door to the clubhouse and watch the bikers getting off their bikes. Tig wasn't with them, she noted. Jax, Happy, Quinn, and Opie walked over to where she was waiting for them. The biker leader told her they were going on lockdown just to be safe. She let out a little gasp knowing things were worse than she had realized if they were going to such measures for her. He slung his arm around her shoulder and promised they were going to get him and nothing would happen to her. She glanced over at Happy who was watching them intently. As if he were jealous. It made her curious. Opie kissed her forehead and said she'd finally get to meet his new wife that evening when she got off work making her smile up at him.

Quinn moved to have a seat with Happy and just watched the three friends chatting at the bar. She wondered where Tig was since he hadn't come back with everyone else. Jax explained he was meeting Gemma at the grocery store so he could escort her back and make sure nothing happened to her while she was out before the gates were closed for the lockdown. She just nodded remembering how things were done before she left for nursing school. Since Tig had been with her Pops all night at the hospital, she wanted to hear from him how he was doing. He wouldn't lie or sugar-coat things with her. He never had.

Gemma shopped as fast as she could knowing the gate would be closed soon. Tig helped her load her car before they took off for the lot. The Queen always had a packed bag in her trunk for things like this. She was always prepared just as she'd taught Stacy and River to be. Jax had the prospects unload Gemma's car when the pair returned. Seeing Tig walk into the clubhouse, River excused herself from Opie and Jax and walked over to Tig, throwing her arms around his neck.

"How is he? Really?" She immediately questioned.

"He came out of surgery just fine. Woke up from the anesthesia just before we left. The doctors say the prognosis is good for a full recovery. They were able to get all the bullet fragments out of him so he shouldn't have any long-term effects." Tig explained.

"You're sure he's going to be alright?" She asked again.

"Yes, Doll, I'm sure. He's worried about you. He told Happy to look after you and I'm to help." Tig chuckled.

"Ok. If you're sure he's alright." She stated.

"One of us will be sitting with him until we get this prick just to be on the safe side. We don't want anything else to happen to your Pops." Tig told her.

"You think he could go after Pops again?" Her eyes widened.

"We don't really know. But we're covering all our bases here just to be on the safe side." Tig told her.

"Oh my God..." She trailed.

"Doll, listen to me. We're going to find him and when we do, we're going to deal with him. He won't bother you or hurt your family anymore. I promise you." Tig softly told her.

"He's all I have left, Tiggy." She stated.

"That's not true! You have all of us. We all love you too." Tig pulled her in for a hug.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to calm herself back down.

"Didn't the rest of us help you through the death of your mom? (She nodded her head yes) That's what families do. We help one another. We're there for one another. You've got a big family. Not just your Pops." Tig told her.

"Thanks, Tiggy." She replied.

"Anytime, Doll." He smiled back.

She looked back over to Happy to see him watching her and Tig. Taking a deep breath, she walked back over to the bar and asked the prospect for a shot of Tequila. It was going to be a long day she figured. Gemma was in the kitchen putting up the groceries she'd bought. The guys were sitting around talking about how to catch her stalker. Juice was on his laptop doing what he did best. All that left her to do was sit there and drown in her own thoughts. She felt eyes on her but tried to ignore the feeling as she sat there alone. Once Gemma was done in the kitchen, she told River to come sit with her. The younger woman slid off her stool and followed the Queen to the furthest part of the clubhouse so they could sit and chat in relative peace.

Gemma wanted to know all about what was going on in River's life making her smile. She told her mother's best friend all about her friends, her apartment, funny things that had happened while in nursing school, and the trip she and a few of her friends were planning to Mexico. They talked about any boyfriends River had had in the past and the few dates she'd gone on here and there. She was single at the moment not liking any of the men she'd recently met or had been introduced to. Gemma just nodded wanting to hear more about her life in Baltimore.

River shrugged and said there wasn't much left to tell. She had a pretty simple life. She went to school, went to her part-time job, went out with friends on the weekends when she wasn't working, studied at night and on the weekends. She never got into any trouble and her grades were at the top of the class. Gemma laughed and told her she remembered the little hell-raiser that River was in high school making the younger woman laugh. "I was young and dumb and didn't have a healthy respect for education back then!" River exclaimed as she shook her head.

"You were young and a lot of things in high school." Gemma commented.

"Oh? Like what?" River tilted her head and asked.

"Like a boy magnet. I can't tell you how many teenage boys Bobby threatened when you were in school. Hell, even some of the younger club members eyed you up like a piece of meat. Bobby got into a lot of fights with those guys as you were growing up." Gemma told her.

"Oh, stop. I was nothing to look at." River shook her head.

"You were a beautiful girl. 'Looks just like her momma!' Bobby always said and he was right. You grew up to be a stunning young woman. I'm sure you get attention wherever you go. You may not realize it but you do. Just like your mother did." Gemma exclaimed.

"Mom was gorgeous." River chuckled, "But I don't look that much like her."

"Oh yes you do. And you get the same looks she did, I guarantee it." Gemma winked at her making her blush.

People began showing up for the lockdown. Jax's nanny dropped his boys off for him before leaving the lot. Gemma excused herself so she could spend some time with her grandsons leaving River alone once more. She smiled slightly as she watched Jax and Gemma with his two sons. It was hard to fathom that Jax was a father but seeing how he smiled and interacted with the two boys showed how much he loved them. Around the time for Lyla to get off work, Opie left the compound to go pick up his wife from the porn studio. She hated being on lockdown and being forced to stay at the clubhouse. When they arrived back at the lot, Opie was excited to introduce his wife to who he considered almost like his little sister.

"River, this is my wife Lyla. Babe, this is Bobby's step-daughter River." Opie introduced the pair.

"It's nice to meet you, Lyla!" River smiled.

"You too." The blond porn star smiled back, "I haven't seen you around here before."

Opie left the two women to get to know one another a little bit and walked over to the bar.

"I've been in Baltimore in nursing school at John Hopkins University. I just came back yesterday." River replied.

"I thought Bobby was single?" Lyla asked.

"He was married to my mother for about fourteen years before she died. She died when I was sixteen and he raised me from then on." River explained.

"How long have you been gone? Opie and I have been married a year and a half now and we were together a year before that." Lyla stated.

"I headed off to get my ADN, Associate's Degree in Nursing, when I was eighteen. After that, I headed straight to John Hopkins to do my Bachelor's degree which was a four-year degree. I recently graduated. I've been gone about six years now." River stated getting a bit irritated with all the questioning.

"Oh." Lyla stated before looking around and catching her husband's eye.

"Yeah. Not sure yet if I'm moving back or staying in Baltimore." River chuckled as her eyes scanned the room.

Gemma caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. River shrugged unsure of what to say. Lyla excused herself to go talk to her husband so the younger woman moved to sit with Happy and Quinn. Not a word was spoken between the three as others chatted around them. Juice was busy hacking into places, searching databases, and looking at traffic camera footage to notice anything around him. Just sitting with Happy eased her nerves a little.

A/N: Think River and Lyla are going to get along?

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