Jax returned to the clubhouse to check out the damages. He couldn’t describe the hurt he felt seeing the place in rubbles. This was the place he’d grown up in. The place his father had established the club in. Now it was nothing but burnt wood and ash. He walked inside as Chibs followed him both taking a look around the place. Everything was destroyed. The glimpse of his fathers bike under beams seemed to hurt him the most.
He took a seat on what was left of a safe and put his head in his hands. “This is all my fault.” he sighed to himself.
“No, Jackie boy, this is war.” Chibs said walking across the room after spotting the gavel.
“This is all because of me. This is because of me trying to get away from guns.” He shook his head staring down at the floor.
Chibs walked back over to him, putting the gavel in his line of vision and handing it to him. “We have to make this right.”
Jax took the gavel and continued staring at the ground. They did have to make this right. They weren’t just going to fall back and crumble because of an explosion. “We have that summit meeting with the west coast charters today. We’ll let them know what’s going on.”
He felt the need to tell Mina he was going to be out of town for some reason so he decided to drive over to the coffee shop. The place was quiet so he spotted her immediately. He smiled to himself when he saw her laughing at her coworker.
He made his way to the front and her smile grew when she saw him. “Hey, you” she wiped her hands before coming around the counter to give him a hug. “Want your regular?”
He wrapped his arms around her neck giving her forehead a quick kiss before she pulled out of his arms to look up at him with that gorgeous smile. “Please” He used his most charming smile.
She laughed and walked behind the counter to make him his cup. He was watching her work when his phone rang. The Caller ID said Gemma so he answered. “Yeah, Ma.”
“Hey baby, I need to talk to you. Where are you right now? I’ll meet you.” She sounded in a hurry so Jax looked around the place and told her he was at the coffee shop. He hung up the phone when Mina came around the corner with his cup.
“Thanks.” He smiled down at her before taking a sip.
She smiled and motioned her head towards an empty table sitting down across from him. “Everything okay?”
He sat down and smiled at her taking a minute to appreciate the way she looked at him. “Your boss ain’t gonna freak out that you’re sitting?”
Mina laughed and leaned back in her seat. “He’s on vacation for a week thank god!”
Jax laughed and leaned his elbows on the table. “I’m heading out of town for the day. Just wanted to make sure everything was alright with you.”
She gave him a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, darlin’. I’m alright. Just shook me a little.” She leaned forward to look at him closely.
“Mind if I ask where you’re going?”
He shook his head and shrugged. “San Bernardino. We’re having a meeting with the rest of the west coast charters. Gotta figure out what we’re going to do. That explosion meant war.”
Mina sighed and placed her hand over his, tracing light circles with her fingertips on his skin that drove him crazy. “Is a war really what you guys need right now? Especially with the IRA, Jax. It’s big shit to handle and with the DA on your ass for that school shooting, they’ll look for anyway to lock you all up.”
Jax watched her small hand move around his and thought hard about what she said before he nodded in agreement. “You’re right, but I still can’t let them get away with this.”
Mina laced their fingers and continued to look at him. “You shouldn’t, but it’d be best to avoid a war at all costs. You have a family and a pregnant wife. You can’t get locked up or killed now.”
He gave her hand a small squeeze. She was so level headed with club business. He tended to be irrational when he was angry but being with her calmed him down enough to think things through. This is exactly what he needed today.
Gemma walked in to see the pair. The loving look in their eyes made her smile as she approached them. “Am I missing something?” She put her hands on her hips looking down at them.
Mina and Jax both smiled at her, neither pulling their hands away immediately. “Hey Gemma,” Mina spoke up. “Can I get you a drink?”
Gemma smiled at the young woman and nodded. “Yeah get me a large. Black.”
Mina nodded and smiled at the two before walking back over behind the counter starting to make the drink while Gemma sat in the seat she’d just evacuated. “What was that?” She asked her son with a smirk on her face.
Jax shrugged and leaned back in his seat. “Just told her about the summit meeting later today.”
Gemma waved off the topic and leaned forward on her arms. “Look, Nero got arrested. They’re charging him with the bullshit murder of that Diosa girl.”
Jax leaned forward “What? How?”
Gemma shrugged and threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know! Apparently they got evidence of her blood and hair all over his truck. That’s not possible, Jackson. Someone planted all that.”
“Jesus Christ.” He mumbled.
Mina came up to them handing Gemma her cup of coffee. She noticed both their moods considerably down. “Everything alright?”
Gemma looked up at her and shook her head. “No baby, nothing ever seems to be anymore. Jax we should get to the station.”
Mina nodded in understanding as both of them stood up. She hugged Gemma before turning her attention to Jax who gave her a long soft hug. “Don’t do anything stupid.” She whispered in his ear before pulling away from the hug. Jax nodded with a small smile and leaned down kissing her cheek with his hand on her hip before he walked out the door.
Gemma noticed the same guy from the other day standing outside tucked into the wall of the shop in the alleyway. His face mostly purple from the bruising around his nose. She grabbed Jax’s hand and nodded her head towards the man leaning against the wall. “I think you need to have a word with him.”
Jax looked at the man before looking at his mother in confusion. “Why?”
Gemma crossed her arms over her chest “Because he’s been bothering Mina. He was here when I can to pick her up for lockdown, begging her to talk to him before he called her a biker whore and she did that to his face.”
Jax felt anger wash over him completely. He didn’t like the fact that he’d been bothering Mina and calling her names, but he liked it even less that he was her ex. He pointed to the guys nose and looked at his mother. “Mina did that?”
Gemma nodded. “She’s got quite the bite for being so small” He laughed and nodded. He could only imagine how she looked when she hit him. He couldn’t help but be turned on by her aggression but that was for later. Now he had to handle this guy. He didn’t want him anywhere near Mina.
Jax walked up to the guy grabbing his shirt in his fists as he lifted him up before slamming him hard against the wall. “Heard you’ve been botherin’ a friend of mine.”
The guy looked stunned for a moment before narrowing his eyes and shoving Jax off. “Mind your fuckin’ business and let me handle mine, Teller.”
Jax smirked hearing that the guy knew his name. He balled his hand into a fist and sent it crashing down hard on the guys nose causing him to scream out in pain. “Your business with her is done, understood?! She’s mine!” He leaned up kicking the guy in the head.
He looked left and right to make sure nobody saw them and returned to Gemma, who’d been watching with a smirk on her face. “Your’s, huh?”
He shook his head and walked past her to his bike. “Leave it, Ma.”
Mina had the was stuck until close again so she got home late. She hadn’t heard from Jax all day which kind of had her worried. There seemed to be a lot going on right now. She just hoped he was okay. Truth be told she missed him. He’d been gone all day without so much as a text. She had to put these thoughts to rest. He wasn’t her boyfriend. He was a friend. A married friend.
She needed a distraction. After changing into a pair of grey skinny sweatpants and a navy blue off-the-shoulder oversized sweater, she put her long hair up in a messy bun and cleaned off her make up. Peeking through the window she saw her sister’s car in the driveway and decided to spend some time with her. Adrianna had gone back to Georgia to visit family for the last week so she hadn’t had much time to talk to her.
Walking downstairs, Mina unlocked her sisters door and walked into the kitchen to find Adrianna making dinner.
“Smells great in here!” She said as she wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck from behind.
“Hey you! Joinin’ me for dinner?” Adrianna turned to kiss her sister’s cheek.
“Hell yeah!” Mina smiled and grabbed the placemats and plates to set the table while her sister brought the food out. She grabbed a glass of wine and two glasses before sitting down. Her sister filled the glasses as Mina filled their plates.
“How was Macon?” Mina asked taking a bite of her food.
Adrianna laughed. “You know nothing changes over there. Cassie misses us though. Her and her boyfriend have gotten pretty serious.”
Mina’s eyes widened. “Serious? Addy it’s Cassie. How serious could it be?”
Adrianna shrugged and took a biteful of her food. “Serious enough to get married next month.”
Mina choked on the food she had in her mouth and started coughing. “Jesus Christ! Married? How long has she been with him?”
“About a year now.” Adrianna patted her sister’s back as she finished coughing. “We’re going.”
She shook her head again. “Alright, alright. Might be good to go home for a bit.”
Adrianna finished her plate and pushed it aside, crossing her arms as she leaned onto the table. “So what’s this I hear about you messing around with Jax Teller?”
Mina leaned back and rolled her eyes. “We’re friends Addy.”
Her sister pointed a finger at her. “I told you to stay away from the Sons. Do you realize how fucked up they are!”
She leaned forward slamming her hands on the table. “Like our lives were any fucking better Addy! Who do you think you are to judge anybody.”
Adrianna stood up. “You’re going to get yourself killed one day. You’re taste in men is just like moms.”
Mina crossed her arms over her chest, “At least I won’t die a lonely frigid bitch like you and her.”
Mina went back to her house after dinner. It seemed like she couldn’t even be in the same room with her sister anymore without them fighting. In a way it made her sad but she was tired of her sister trying to decide what was best for her, especially when she didn’t have any type of life to brag about. She put on a movie in her bedroom and ended up falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
A knock on the door woke her up, as she rubbed her eyes and looked at the time she saw it was 3 in the morning. Who the fuck would be here at three in the morning. Shit was someone here to rob her? Wait, a robber wouldn’t knock. She slowly made her way out of bed and grabbed a bat just in case as she walked down the stairs. Peeking through the peephole she saw it was Jax.
She opened the door slowly and shivered a little as the cold air hit her. “Jax?” She asked, rubbing her eyes again.
He lifted her up into a hug and she wrapped her arms and legs around his body laughing lightly as she hugged him back. “The charters voted out of guns with the IRA!” He spoke excitedly.
Mina laughed and hugged him tightly laying her head on his neck as he shut the door and walked up the stairs. “That’s amazing, sweetheart!”
Her face was so close to his he just wanted to reach in and kiss her. He’d literally made the guys drive all the way back just so he could tell her the good news. He knew how happy it would make her and that made him feel like he was actually on the right track. He leaned in to kiss her cheek before putting her down. “I’m sorry if I woke you, I just wanted to come tell you the outcome.” he said once he realized how ridiculous it was showing up to her house at 3am.
She smiled and waved him off. “It’s fine, I have a day off tomorrow. I’m glad you came. I actually missed you.” She laughed punching his arm playfully.
He smiled wide as he lowered his head. He hoped she would’ve missed him. He couldn’t explain how happy he was to hear that she did. He punched her back lightly in the stomach and laughed. “I missed you too.”
She rubbed some sleep off her eyes as she laughed and he realized how beautiful she looked. Her hair was messy, but a sexy messy. Her face was clear of makeup and her skin seemed to have this radiant glow. Even the sweatshirt and sweatpants she had on made him want to tear them all off of her. He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her again taking in her sweet smell. He felt at home here. Like he had with Tara at one point.
Mina curled her head into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, this was nice. He smelled so good. The comfort he provided her was intense. It’s like she needed to see him. See that he was okay before she could relax. She pulled away and looked up at him. “You tired?”
He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Mind if I crash here? I told Tara I wouldn’t be back till tomorrow.”
Mina nodded her head towards the couch and went to her bedroom to grab a pillow off of her bed and a blanket handing it to him. The pillow smelled just like her, the scent instantly relaxing his muscles. “You hungry or anything? I can make you a sandwich?”
Jax smiled at her nurturing nature and nodded. “That’d be amazing.”
She smiled and walked into the kitchen to prepare a sandwich for him. He watched her move swiftly around the kitchen as she toasted the bread before spreading the mayo on it. She cut up the lettuce and tomatoes before putting them on the sandwich with ham. “Here you go, love.”
He took the plate and sat at the table. She poured them both a glass of milk before sitting down next to it and taking a sip. He took bites of his sandwich and watched her try to keep her eyes open before she yawned. Mina laughed a little and covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I worked another double. I’m exhausted.”
He laughed and waved his hand. “Nah I get it. One of these days I’ma have a talk with your boss.”
She smiled softly as she rested her head on her arms on the backrest of the chair. “God no. I actually need this job.”
He smiled down at her and stood up to put his plate in the sink, taking the time to wash up the dishes she’d made. It was strange. He actually wanted to do the dishes so she wouldn’t have to get up and do them since she was tired. Mina watched and walked up to him from behind giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Jax.”
He noticed she was about to walk back into the bedroom and he grabbed her hand. “Got time for a movie before bed?”
She laughed lightly and ran a finger through her hair. “Yeah. That’d be nice.” She nodded and he sat back on the couch pulling her against him. She leaned her body into his side as he flicked through to on demand options. He felt light breathing against his neck that sent shivers down his body. When he looked down he realized she’d fallen asleep. He’d grown to love her stunning sleepy face. He smiled to himself as he pulled a blanket over them, wrapping his arms to hold her close. Her small arms wrapped around his waist and he could’ve sworn this was love. As he moved a stray hair out of her face, he realized that all these feelings he had when he was with her had been confirmed. He was in love with Mina, and for once in his life, he wasn’t scared.