Roots Run Deep

Chapter 20

*One Month Later*

Katie stood anxiously at the counter, sporting a vicious black eye, trying to get back to California as soon as possible. "When is your next flight to Oakland?"

"Oakland?" The ticket agent asked. "Tomorrow afternoon."

"I don't want to wait," Katie huffed. "San Francisco?"

The agent tapped away on the keyboard and smiled. "Take off is in about 90 minutes," she said cheerfully. "Coach or first class?"

Slipping her sunglasses back on she smiled smugly, pulling an envelope of cash she stole from Kris out of her purse. "First class, please."

—

When Katie arrived in San Francisco she had two options to choose from; call her father or call Jax. She was on much better terms with the latter, after their last night together he drove her to the airport and was his charming self during goodbyes but, she was hesitant. It felt needy, in a way, and she didn't want to look like she was running to a man even though that was exactly what she was doing.

"Daddy?" She said in a tiny voice when Jacob Sr answered.

"Kay," he said excitedly. "How is my baby girl?"

"I'm uhh, not great, and I'm at San Francisco international airport," she admitted.

"I'll be right there," he said hurriedly. "I'll text you when I get close."

He didn't text her. He never got close to the airport. Instead, Jacob sent 'Uncle Sean' the man she never knew was more than her father's best friend. Uncle Sean was his tough guy, the lackey, and the errand runner.

Katie was an errand, or she felt that way at least.

"Your father couldn't get away," Sean explained.

"Yeah," she huffed. "Okay."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyes locked on the road.

Regretting the decision not to call Jax, Katie wasn't sure she should even explain why she's flown back so suddenly.

"Homesick," she lied, pushing her sunglasses back up her nose.

"It happens," he chuckled. "I'll take you to your dad's."

"I can get a hotel first," she said quickly.

"And I'd need a new job," Sean laughed. "He's excited to see you."

"I'm sure he is," she grimaced.

Jacob was excited until she took her sunglasses off. Her black eye was glaringly obvious but that was the least of Katie's injuries.

"I need some help, Daddy," she whimpered.

"What happened?" He growled.

Her chin quivered as she worked up the courage to tell him how stupid she had been. "I trusted the wrong guy, again."

"Who?"

"I don't know," she began to cry. "Kris is...already handled, but there were others."

Jacob enveloped her in a large hug and squeezed her, eliciting a yelp from Katie. "Do I even want to see?"

"No," she shook her head. "You don't. I'm so fucking stupid."

"You're not," Jacob said comfortingly. "How can we find these guys?"

"I have Kris' phone," she explained. "They're all back east though, Daddy. I just wanted to come home."

Jacob hadn't caught all the details, some things didn't connect in his brain as he tried to separate his anger and his sorrow.