House of the Rising Son

Chapter 31

Hey guys! It's getting crazy in Charming. If you're feeing up to it check out my reincarnation of Amelia in my new story Firefly. It's kind of a test, I was feeling Juicy and wanted to write some more of him! 

--

Wendy swung open her apartment door only to instantly regret the decision. Before she could shut it again, Gemma slapped her hand on the steel and stuck her boot heel in the jam. She smiled, smug and unsettling, and Wendy's fraction of strength was gone.

"What do you want?" Wendy asked as Gemma stepped in, a discerning eye judging the apartment harshly. "I have to go," she checked her watch. "If you're here to rattle my cage, you did a great job."

"Oh, sweetheart, I am not here for that." She sat at the table. "I know all about your little plans for Abel, your underhanded help, everything."

The color drained from Wendy's face. "What are you talking about?"

"Mae, Opie's old lady. Did you think she was stupid or that she'd really pick junkie guilt over us?"

Dropping her purse on the table, Wendy sat hoping to broker some deal or peace between them. "Look, I'm sorry. I tried to talk to Jax and Tara, I did, but they won't listen. You talk about family, Abel is my family."

"No, he's not." She snarled. "What you did to him ended any bond you had with that boy, destroyed any chance of as much as a glance in his direction. Now you're lying and scheming to get him? That's your second mistake."

"I learned from the best."

"Obviously you didn't. Abel is with his parents, in a loving family, and he's safe. Mae is home with Opie, her baby's going to be born soon and she gets to raise and love that child. Here you are, alone with nothing but your twelve step bullshit."

"You need to leave. If Mae knew the truth about you, she'd understand why I lied to her."

"No one is going to take your word, you're a junkie."

"I'm clean." Wendy said adamantly. "I've been clean and I'm working. The courts will see how far I've come and the kind of world Abel is living in." She stood and pointed to the door. "Go or I'll call the cops."

Gemma didn't move, her purse still held under her arm so Wendy made good on her threat. She moved from beside the small three-chair dining table to the kitchen and once her back was turned, Gemma rose and sneaked up behind her.

"You'll never see that boy." She hissed, jamming the syringe into Wendy's arm and depressing the plunger half way.

--

Juice, Jax Opie and Chibs locked themselves in chapel on yet another call with Declan. It was the follow up and they all hoped to gain some valuable information. Jax was anxious having Chibs there, but he couldn't shut him out, all he could do was hope Clay's name wasn't mentioned. It was disconcerting that Juice and Opie weren't overly concerned about the truth coming out involving Lotto and Clay. They wanted to lay it all out, if and when Clay was named, but Jax was feeling far from that honest.

"How's the hunt?" Jax asked after they exchanged customary formalities.

There were always muffled conversations between the Kings before and after Declan spoke. "We've certainly seemed to have lost control of a few stateside soldiers. For thatwe do apologize, but it's our understanding that they have an American or two they've been consorting with."

"We're still working on that." Opie grumbled.

"Any names you want to share?" Jax asked, straight to the point.