Roots Run Deep

Chapter 18

With each passing block, Katie felt pangs of anxiety growing stronger. It wasn't a feeling she was used to and she didn't like it. As they arrived she quickly hopped off Jax's bike and caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of Gemma's SUV. Immediately Katie felt a surge of confidence and quietly laughed at herself over her anxiety. She wouldn't let her current emotional issues take away from who she was and she didn't back down from anyone who started a fight, even Gemma Teller. Katie did hope Tig was exaggerating though, just because Katie wouldn't back down didn't mean she was looking for another fight.

"You okay?" Jax asked, taking her hand to led her up to the door.

Katie nodded and smiled broadly at him. "Yeah, I'm good. I think Tig got into my head for a minute."

Shaking his head, Jax rolled his eyes. "You got nothing to worry about darlin'."

Everyone was there when they finally stepped into the house. Clay, Bobby, Chibs, Juice, Jake, Half-Sack, Opie and a few women Katie recognized but didn't really know.

"Wow," Katie laughed. "This is a bigger family dinner than I'm used to."

Jax just glanced at her and winked before pulling a chair out for her. "Sorry Ma," Jax said sweetly. "Lost track of time."

"I didn't mean to keep him from you," Katie added.

Gemma smiled, "Oh honey, no one can keep him from me."

Keeping her mouth shut Katie simply nodded, a small smile on her face to keep her expression pleasant rather than angry or even bored.

There was chit chat, nothing interesting or important, and Katie silently picked at the small portions on her plate and dipped her beer.

"What had you two so busy?" Gemma suddenly asked.

"We took a ride," Jax shrugged. "Got to talking and didn't realize how late it is."

"What could be so interesting? Work?" She said, looking at Katie. Normally Gemma wouldn't judge Katie's work but since she now saw Katie as a threat or at least an annoyance, Gemma would use whatever she could as a dig.

"Family," she replied quickly. "You know funny stories, childhood mysteries, deaths, and rumors."

Clay's attention was torn away from Bobby. "Mysteries, rumors and death?" He chuckled loudly. "What kind of family is that?"

"Pretty common," Jax suddenly chimed in.

"Oh, the death, I get it," Clay nodded. "The loss of a parent can be hard," he said with faux sympathy.

"Morbid thing to bond over," Gemma said dismissively.

"Not if you're Tiggy," Chibs joked.

"I don't bond over the dead, I bone over them," he said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Everyone laughed, Clay, Jax, Gemma, and Katie included, and the air cleared a bit while they ate. Once all the plates were clean the few women in attendance stood and cleared the table, it was wildly archaic to Katie but she stood and helped while the men retreated to the living room.

"You better shut that down," Clay advised Jax as the two spoke quietly.

"Shut what down?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

"Her, poking around and sticking her head where it doesn't belong. Send her back east, you got more than enough pussy out here to choose from."

Jax cocked his head to the side and looked at Clay, angry but incredibly interested in the narrative he was trying to build. "Her old man said the same shit," Jax told his step-father. "We're trouble, bullshit she doesn't need, and it's safer for her in D.C."

"He isn't wrong," Clay chuckled.

"What is this?" Jax asked forcefully. "I'm your VP, I'm gonna at the gavel and you're keeping shit from me, shit that isn't buried anymore with The Warden suddenly a big player in our business."

Clay's face fell, a mix of exasperation and exhaustion in his expression, as he turned and had Jax follow him into the office. "I've been helping Jacob Feldstein out for years," Clay explained. "He's been helping us out. It's a mutually beneficial relationship."

"What have we ever done for him?"

"Taken care of some of his shit in Stockton, he kept our guys clean and made them more comfortable." Clay could see Jax was deeply troubled and it was only going to get worse if he didn't bring Jax closer and truly lock him down. "He doesn't want her to know about their family shit, everyone's got messy secrets but none of that has to do with us. I gotta be able to trust you, Jax and I'm worried if I bring you in, tell you about that mess he's still cleaning up, you're gonna spill it all over that girl."

Jax knew what Clay meant. Pillow talk could be dangerous, pretty girls made for loose lips and he was already quite taken with Katie, they all knew it. "If I spill anything, it won't be family secrets, Feldstein's or ours."

--

Meanwhile, in the now empty dining room, Gemma invited Katie to sit with her over coffee. Katie waited for her hostess to speak while sitting with a pleasant expression on her face. "How are you doing, baby?"

"I'm okay," she nodded.

"I'm sorry about ev-"

Katie cut her off. "It wasn't personal. It was business, as they say," she rolled her eyes.

"Clay still wants to talk to you, apologize personally for everything."

"Oh no," Katie laughed nervously, "I don't want that. I don't think either of us wants that, to be honest."

"He's going to try," Gemma laughed.

"I'm sure," Katie remarked. "Those guys aren't used to not getting their way."

Gemma laughed and nodded as Jax stomped into the dining room, anger on his face, and motioned for Katie to follow. "Come on, let me take you back."

"Oh," she looked for some clue as to what or who made Jax so angry but no one followed him and he said nothing else to her. "Okay."

"Thanks for dinner, Ma," he said, kissing Gemma's cheek.

Jax took Katie's hand and pulled her from the house and it was only then that Clay entered the dining room and took his seat at the head of the table. "Motherless children," she sighed, "Even decades later stir up some nasty shit."

Clay nodded.

"You tell him?"

"I did," Clay sighed. "Said he wouldn't tell her."

"You believe him?"

"I think so," he grumbled.

"The sooner she leaves the better," Gemma huffed. "Nice girl but she's got too many strings, too much baggage."

"And your little Prince is smitten," Clay teased her. "You're not ready to cut that string."

Gemma shook her head. "I want him safe and happy. That's it."

--

"What's going on?" Katie asked as Jax got on his bike. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he huffed. "Club shit," he said as a veiled explanation.

"Jax," She said seriously. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he said, forcing a smile. "Really, just business, darlin'," he stroked her cheek. "Come on, let's go."

"Where to?"

"My house?" He glanced back at her for a second.

Katie smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I'm in."