I've Got This Friend

Chapter 19

Rereading the text, Opie's hands curled into fists. He was enraged, disgusted and horrified not to mention heartbroken that he couldn't protect her. The number wasn't saved in her phone but there was a long string of texts, threatening and abusive, and Opie nearly lost his mind.

"Mae?" He hollered up the steps.

His voice startled her and Mae frantically wiped her face before stepping into the hall as Opie made his way to the landing.

"What's up?" Her act was actually strong aside from some of the smeared makeup she missed by her temples. He looked angry and she was thinking maybe even scared. "Opie, what's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That that asshole is still bothering you."

"I couldn't." She stepped away from him. "How in the hell do you know?"

Opie handed her the cell and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I knew you were hiding something. I can tell when you're scared."

Mae nodded and whimpered. "I'm so scared, Opie." She threw herself on him just to feel that comfort again for as long as she could. "He came to my office last night and scared the shit out of me. He has stuff on you and the club and he told me if I didn't do everything he said or if I told you or the cops about any of it, he'd rat on you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

Stroking her hair, Opie held her tight to calm her but roared inwardly. He felt paralyzed and even worse, demasculinized, by Jude's current power over him and his inability to stop Jude. "Mae, I told you I'll take care of you." She shivered as he whispered in his ear, his beard and lips tickling her with each syllable. "I'm not scared of him, you should have told me."

"I'm sorry." Her tiny fingers grasped at the ends of his cut. "I felt hopeless. I didn't know what to do."

"You always come to me." He soothed her, even managing to get a tiny smile as she looked up at him.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Opie tilted her head up and kissed her, pulling her body tight against his. "We need to go somewhere else though. I don't know how but he can see us."

"Where are we going?"

"A hotel." He said as he hurried her into his bedroom to grab some clothing. "Won't be the Ritz but it'll keep eyes off us until I can figure this shit out."

"He can't find out I told you." She said in a whisper. "I can't have anything happen to you Ope."

He froze and nodded, looking at her terrified face, and moved closer to her. Tugging his beanie onto her head he gave her a tight smile. "That's why I need you to tell me these things, Mae. I can't let shit happen to you either, okay?"

"Okay."

--

Opie had Juice and Chibs head to Mae's and check it out, being sure to clear the home and search for Jude or any sign of him. When Mae and Opie pulled up, Juice was on the stood smoking a cigarette and Chibs was watching TV.

"She's just gotta get some stuff." He explained as they headed up the path and into the house.

"No one is in there." Juice said confidently and only continued when Mae was up the steps to get bedroom. "We did find a camera, a good one, jammed into her radiator here and one in the bedroom. Bad spot but, it's summer, he probably thought it was safe in there until at least Christmas."

He crouched down and pulled it out from its hiding spot for Opie to see but he didn't need to. "Anything else?"

"Her laptop." Juice grimaced. "She never closes it does she?"

Opie shrugged. "I don't know. She listens to music a lot so probably not. "

"I'll take the blame for this one." Juice said fearfully. "I didn't think this guy was that bright but he managed to open a video feed." Turning her screen toward Opie, Juice played back some videos Jude had recorded of the two of them. "I didn't watch any of it. As soon as I saw what it was I stopped watching."

On the screen, Mae was stripping down for him, her hips swaying, and Opie was murderous. "I'm gonna fucking kill him."

"As long as we can help." Chibs piped in. "Ope, it's still recording you." He said pointing to the screen and, overcome with rage, Opie slammed his fist into the screen. "This ends." He growled. "The place secure now?"

"Well, now that you did that," Juice gestures to the computer, "Yeah we're good."

"Alright." He made his way toward the steps. "Call Clay and Jax and get them up here. We got some shit to talk out before I take her somewhere safer."