Other Side of the Tracks

Chapter 25

"Wait," Julia whispered as she pushed Jax back. "I have to talk to Ryan."

"Can we trust him?"

She pursed her lips and nodded, sure she could talk to him after their relationship. Jax tensed but nodded and even extended his hand to Ryan to help him back to his feet. As much as he hated Ryan and Charlie and the entire situation, Jax knew Ryan was generally innocent in the situation and just one of Charlie's pawns.

"What the hell?" Ryan snapped once Jax hid back in the kitchen. "Charlie told me all about him."

"Charlie told you lies, Ry." Her hand moved to her neck, moving the scarf and tracing the bruises as she looked Ryan in the eyes. "He did this to me, not Jax, not some stupid beat cop, Charlie did this."

Ryan shook his head. "He hurt you?"

"He did," she sighed. "But I need you to please keep this quiet. Ryan, please don't tell him."

Hanging his head, he shrugged, and eventually nodded, but Julia could see he was far from thrilled about the entire situation. "Yeah, sure. Guess I'll talk to you later."

"I'll call you the morning, we can talk about this more. Okay?"

"Okay," Ryan mumbled as he kissed her cheek. "See ya."

Julia joined Jax in the kitchen as soon as Ryan was gone and the door was locked. She was bright, her smile wide and toothy, as she threw her arms around his neck. "I have never been happier and more terrified at the same time in my life."

"Charlie touched you?" Jax's mood was dramatically different than when she first saw him, his fingers ghosted over the marks on her skin.

"Jax," she took his hand and held it tight between them. "It's okay. He found out I was fucking around with the books, he attacked me and told me if I didn't end it he'd kill us. I wasn't planning on it being long term but I know you," she thumped his chest with her fist. "You're impulsive and stubborn and you would never have listened to me."

He smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah, you're right about that." Pushing her back against the fridge he kissed her again, his hand wandering under her shirt, he muttered breathlessly into her mouth. "Ain't gonna happen again."

"Mmm," she murmured as his lips moved down her neck, "Whatever you say, Prez."

Once Jax and Julia redressed, after two romps that moved from the kitchen and then into her bedroom, they laid in her bed blowing smoke above their heads with their legs intertwined beneath the sheets.

"So what's the plan Little Miss Mastermind?" He asked, a goofy smirk on his lips.

She rolled her eyes, an airy giggle escaping her lips, and turned onto her side. "From what I can tell no one knows about the books. We have a few options; make it look like an accident, set him up and kill him before he can defend himself, or I can goad him out and it'll be self-defense."

"No," Jax said firmly. "I am not letting him get that close to you again."

"This was an accident, he was playing me and if I knew he was pissed and I went in prepared he wouldn't have touched me."

Jax didn't believe her, she knew he didn't and Julia wasn't even sure she actually believed herself, but she stood by her words.

He shook his head. "We'll figure something else out."

--
Jax headed to TM while Julia went work, as if everything were normal, and for Jax it almost did feel average. Until he stepped into the office, at least.