Roots Run Deep

Chapter 33

The Warden sent Sean out to gather what information he could and find Jax while he made a phone call to an old friend. Not surprisingly, the call was not answered so instead Jacob Sr decided to try his luck with Katie.

"You're a fucking psycho," he heard her say as the steps creaked under his feet.

"Wars do that to people," he shrugged.

"What?" She grumbled. "No. I don't care. Just let me the fuck out of here."

"Or what?" He laughed, flicking on the light. "You'll do something? I think I have the upper hand here."

Katie glared at him. "Are you going to monologue like some movie villan?"

"No I'm going to make you an offer," he pulled a folding chair from a few feet away and sat.

Katie huffed. "So, yeah, like a villain."

He ignored her bold jokes. "My name isn't Jacob Feldstein. I was born Roger Whitman, I joined the military, I did what I was told but when I came back following orders suddenly turned into war crimes."

"What the fuck?" Katie whispered. "Are you for real?"

"I am," he told her. "I changed my name and met up with some old army buddies who helped me out. Got me a brand spanking new life and I turned it into this."

"The American Dream," she huffed. "Does that include the murders or were they just spur of the moment?"

"I had to have your mother killed, she was sleeping with half of Northern Cali, too much risk. Katie swallowed hard. "Did you love her or was it part of the ruse?"

"Oh I loved her," he said wistfully. "More than anything. It's something you have to deal with sometimes. Look at Clay, Gemma, and JT, sometimes you have to kill people you love, it's self preservation.

Katie's stomach churned as he spoke so casually about the murders, he was so cavalier it was sickening and she couldn't stop thinking of Jax and what he was capable of. Needing to change the subject Katie interrupted. "What's the offer, Rog?"

"Get. Over. It."

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

"Get over it. Get over the lies and the secrets we all kept, forget it, keep it locked up here," he tapped his temple, "And we can continue being a happy family."

"We were playing a happy family, we never actually were one," Katie corrected him.

He stood up and kicked the chair away. "The money, the get out of jail free cards, the clout, it all goes away if you open your mouth, Katie. The dead bodies in DC? They didn't disappear, sweetheart."

"I won't say anything," she swore. Kate was painfully ashamed of herself but too terrified of what could await her in D.C. if he pushed the detectives to actually assist the police back east with the investigation.

He smiled. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

"What do I say?" She refused to look at the smug expression on his face.

"We talked, you understand why I did what I did, we've made peace."

She nodded. "And what about Jake?"

"I trust you can talk to him? Convince him to tow the line so I don't have to kill him too?"

"Yeah," she whimpered. "Sure."

Jacob crouched down and forced her to look up from the floor. "If I find out you opened your mouth, you told anyone, did any digging, I won't kill you. I'll probably kill Jake and Jax then make sure you do a long stint in D.C. Central Detention."

"I understand."

"Good girl," he smirked, kissing her cheek. "I'll let you go soon."

"What?" She was suddenly full of energy again, struggling against the cable ties, as he climbed the stairs slowly. "Come on, let me the fuck outta here!"

--

Gemma told Jax a heavily edited version of the truth, one that placed much of the blame on Clay and Jacob Feldstein rather than herself. Jax trusted his mother, he believed her and he felt her pain as she mourned multiple losses and recollected painful times in her life.

"I'm sorry, Ma," he said with sincerity as he hugged her yet again.

"Jake did a good thing," she said, pressing her palms to his chest. "That is the only good thing to come from this, the traitor is dead and the rightful heir can take his place."

Jax opened his mouth to speak, not even sure what he would say to that, when Tara knocked on the door. "There's someone here for you, Jax."

"Go," she whimpered. "I have to call Wayne. Get this taken care of."

"I love you," Jax said as he hugged her again and placed a kiss on her cheek.

When he left the office he found Tara with Sean standing too close behind her. "What do you want? It's kind of a bad time."

"I heard," Sean said somberly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"What do you want?" Jax asked again more forcefully this time.

"The Warden would like to speak with you."

"I'm busy," he snapped. "Tell Jacob I'll get to him when I have the time."

Sean nodded. "When you find the time you can pick up Katie, too. She came in pretty hysterical, we were afraid she was going to hurt herself or someone else."

"What?" Jax was suddenly interested in meeting with Jacob. "Is she okay?"

"We calmed her down," Sean lied. "Her dad just didn't want to let her leave alone."

Jax sighed, feeling guilty for how he left things with her earlier, and nodded. "I'll be up."

Tara grabbed his arm. "Are you sure? I think you need to settle yourself, Jax. You've got too much going on."

"I'm fine," he brushed her off. "I can't leave her up there, I gotta get her, we gotta talk."

"You have to focus on yourself and Gemma, the club needs you too."

Jax glanced at her and shook his head. "No they don't," he scoffed. "We're grown men, we'll deal with this but it ain't gonna be with some hysterical circle jerk."

Tara watched as Jax felt, Sean following him out, and couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that Jax was in danger. 

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