I've Got This Friend

Chapter 26

Post holiday shortie. Toddler egg hunts are exhausting! Xo

--

"I know you want to get these guys," Unser said somberly. "But you have to look at the facts here. This guy was stalking her, beat her and violently raped her. Walking in on that, if it were me, I'd do the same thing. Any man would have. You can't charge him with a clear conscious and if you do, no jury would convict. Ever."

Everything Unser was saying was true but that didn't make the idea of nailing a club member for murder any less exciting. "The brutality," Patterson shook her head in disgust. "How's the girl?"

"You tell me which is more brutal." Unser dropped crime scene photos and the few taken as documentation of Mae's injuries. "He tore that girl apart and got less than he deserved. She'll live but you know there's going to be more than physical scars."

When her eyes swam over the photos she visibly reacted and drew her head back. "I'll think about it. Keep him over night."

"I was planning on it."

--

Unser sat back at his desk after the conversation with Patterson feeling less hopeful about Opie's future. He knew Jax was due soon but all he wanted to do right then was to head home and light up a joint.

There was a light knock at the door and Jax stepped in without being invited. It was later in the evening, less than twenty four hours after the attack, but he was looked withered and exhausted.

"Chief," he extended his hand. "You talk to the DA?"

He nodded and, sinking back in his desk chair, pulled some medicinal marijuana from his bottom drawer. "She isn't sure what she's doing. I tried, I did, but she's a cold bitch."

Visibly disappointed, Jax nodded and lit up a cigarette. "Yeah, I agree with that shit. Anyone else and they'd be writing him up as a damn hero. Some dad does that for his kid, he wouldn't have even been arrested."

Raising his hand to silence Jax, Unser shook his head. "There's evidence of a second and third guy. Three different sets of prints and DNA from her, you got any idea who that person was?"

"Jesus Christ." Jax's nostrils flared as he jumped to his fet and began pacing. "I don't know. We knew he had help when he was stalking her but not last night."

"Well, I'm just giving you a heads up. Thought you might like to know."

"Need to not like to," Jax sighed. "Thank you."

"I'm not doing this for you or Clay. I'm doing it for Opie. He doesn't deserve to be punished for this."

--

There was a heavy air that hung around them as Jax and Opie hugged. Unser opened the cell but didn't go far.

"How are you holding up?"

Opie rolled his jaw and shook his head. "How's Mae?"

That was not a topic Jax was really excited to talk about. "Out of surgery, stable, Tara says she'll be okay. Some broken bones and a bunch of cuts and bruises."

"Anything else?" He looked at Jax knowingly.

Finding her nude, tied to the bed, only left one thought for Opie to obsess over as he was locked up. He didn't want to have to wonder and he knew he shouldn't be, it was clear. He knew logically that her being raped was a huge possibility but he couldn't allow himself to go there without having more proof.

"Ope, I'm sorry, brother." Jax's stomach turned as he watched his best friend's face twist. "She was raped. Unser said three of guys, we're on the other two. I swear brother, we'll find em'." He had to say it, he knew Opie couldn't accept it until it was said aloud.

Silently, Opie began to tear up, his head bent to hide it, and Jax looked at Unser for privacy. "Five minutes." He grumbled as Opie roared, his fists balled up, and threw a painful punch into the cinder block wall.

Jax didn't say anything. He let Opie work out his anger in the only way he could.

"Is she awake?" Opie asked once he calmed himself but his voice was still dark and raspy.

"No but Happy and Chibs are floating around there. They know you want to be there so they're just having your back."

"I didn't give a shit about the cops or the evidence." Opie said firmly. "I knew I'd be arrested. His blood was all over me and he was right there in the room, I didn't care. I'd do it again."

"We all would. I'm sorry, Ope. This was not how it shoulda went down."

"Yeah. I know."