Juice tensed as he felt two hands on his shoulders. He thought that all Croweaters knew by now that he didn't want to be distracted when he was working on his laptop, since that was always important, and he also thought that his relationship with Shane would keep them away. 

Lips touched his head tattoo while two arms glided around him. The moment he saw the ink on them, his revulsion disappeared and surprised he looked over his shoulder. Even now they had revealed their relationship to the others, Alex didn't show a lot affection in public. He pulled back his hands from the keyboard and shoved them across her arms up to his shoulders. Smiling, he looked at her. 

"What are you doing?" she asked. 

"Finding the address of some guard. Jax says he's to blame for Ope's death." He studied her face for a while. Since the day they had learned about the fate of Rita's unborn child, she was having a hard time. He felt her self-reproaches surrounding her like a poisonous aura. They had talked about it, but she just couldn't get rid of the guilt. Still, her face was softer this time, the look in her eyes less hard. 

She lifted her lower arms until she was hugging his shoulders, her chin resting on his head. "I think I just got us a short vacation."

"What?" He shoved back his chair. 

She seemed to be in an exceptional good mood, for usually she didn't like to sit on his lap when others were around; she rather wanted him to sit on her lap like she was the guy in their relationship. It had been strange in the beginning, but by now he just gave it a shrug. If this worked for her, he was fine with it. He was just happy she allowed them this; and right now he was surprised she had dropped on his lap. 

"I had a good talk with Jax," she said. As he laid his hand on her thigh, she laced their fingers while looking at him. "We're okay now. He gave a little more insight in the reasons he wanted to take over the gavel and I get it now."

Juice hadn't felt this relieved in a long time. The tension between his girlfriend and his president had caused him sleepless nights, it had felt like they were both trying to tear him to pieces by demanding his loyalty. He hadn't counted on a reconciliation and was surprised about her words. 

"Did you tell him the truth about the home invasions?" he asked quietly. 

She shook her head. "I thought about it. Thought he might forgive me if I was honest now. But I know Clay will expose me if I rat him out and I'm not ready for that."

Pensively, Juice chewed his cheek. He just wished they could get rid of all their lies, it felt like they were walking through a minefield, every lie being a mine waiting to explode, exposing all other lies in its downfall. 

"He suggested to take a few days off, since last weeks have been tough. I told him I wanted to go visit a friend in Colorado, he's an orthopedic technologist having connections with the army. Helps a lot of war victims, worked in our field hospital for a while. I think he can help Koz, so Jax gave me permission to take him there. Few days away, paying the charter in Denver a visit... And as it seems, he doesn't want a prospect and an invalid member to take a road trip together, so you gotta come with us. As long as you keep your laptop and burner close, he said."

It had been a while since Juice had left the state for a run; the last time was right after they'd kissed for the first time, when he was questioning his sexuality. Leaving Charming for a while with her... He knew it would do them both well. 

"I'll ask Mila to take a few days off." Her hand glided to the inside of his thigh, the sight of her dark glance making him hold his breath. "So she can keep Koz occupied when I..." the palm of her hand pressed against his growing excitement, "... keep you busy."

His breathing faltered. It took him all of his willpower not to kiss her, to resist his teasing. 

"Don't fuck it up now," he whispered. Despite his words, his hand glided to hers, pressing it firmer against his cock. Biting back a groan, he said: "If I keep Jax waiting, he'll send someone else with you."

She laughed quietly. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?" She gave him a titillating kiss in a last attempt to drive him crazy, then she got up, leaving him alone with his laptop. 

. . .

Four days later they were in Colorado. Today, they first had an appointment with the doctor. Although Juice didn't need to go with the others, he didn't feel like staying behind in the hotel on his own. While Mila rolled her boyfriend's wheelchair into the elevator, Alex and Juice went inside too. 

It didn't take long before Kozik was called into the office. Mila and Alex both went with him, Juice decided to wait outside. There had been too many times his brothers had been harassed inside the hospital, so he rather kept an eye on who entered the waiting area. 

There were mainly elderly shuffling inside the room. After fifteen minutes, a man showed up looking way too fit for a place like this. The fact that he was alone, increased Juice's suspicion and automatically he laid a hand on his gun. 

The man sat down on a chair on the other side of the room, bending forward so the muscles in his arms tensed, accentuating his tattoos; around his left biceps curled a snake and on his lower arm was a flaming skull depicted. His skin was tan, not much different from his own. 

The man looked around, his glance lingering on Juice's face for a while. He nodded, making Juice relax a bit. He seemed to be too chill for a gangster. His hair was short, shaved off on both sides and there was a diamond in his ear that might have looked gay on every other guy, but not this one. 

Juice took his phone from his pocket to distract himself, scrolling aimlessly through 9GAG until the door was opened. Finally. 

Alex was the first one leaving the room, although she froze on the doorstep. She stared at the man who had also attracted Juice's attention, and from the corner of his eye he saw that the guy got up. The moment he took a step towards her, panic radiated from Alex's face. Juice was about to pull his gun, but knew better since he was in a hospital. 

Alex tore her glance away from him, turned around to the doctor and snapped: "How fucking difficult is it to keep your mouth shut if I specifically tell you to do so!"

"Oh come on Alex, you really think you can meet with my friends behind my back? Grow up!" the other man burst out. His voice was like thunder and put even Alex in place. 

Her eyes shot towards the door, through which Mila and Kozik left the room. Kozik frowned his eyebrows, trying to understand the situation while Mila stared at the stranger with eyes wide. It felt like she wanted to run at the man and hug him but was taken back by something; at least she seemed to be happy to see him, making Juice relax a little. 

"What are you doin' here?" Alex barked. 

"David told me you called him."

"The fucking rat."

He lifted the corner of his mouth. "Cute haircut by the way."

Juice bit the inside of his cheek. That guy was about to tell Kozik that Shane was a girl and he didn't know how to stop him. He had no idea who this guy was, why Alex was so angry with him and why Mila seemed... relieved. 

"I have no idea who you are, but I don't think the hospital is the best place to talk things out. Why don't we grab a coffee somewhere." Juice walked to Alex, wrapping an arm around her to show the other man she was his. "What do you think, Shane," he stressed, looking at the man, hoping he would understand that she was trying to hide her real identity. 

"Fine," Alex grunted. Her tense body told him she wasn't fine with that at all, but he sensed her fear to get exposed if she didn't give in. 

The other nodded. 

"Juice Ortiz," he introduced himself, holding out a hand and hoping to take some of the tension away. "Shane's boyfriend."

"Jaeden Brewster." The man gave him a firm squeeze.

This time it was Juice who froze to the spot. Suddenly it felt like there was a giant ice cube in his stomach and his hand slipped away from Alex' shoulder.

"He's my brother," Alex told Kozik. She glanced briefly at Jaeden, the look in her eyes just as cold as Juice's guts felt.

Again he looked at Jaeden, who raised his eyebrows but didn't disagree. Juice felt sick. Suddenly he could no longer breathe, and he turned around and rushed away from the others, feeling like the floor could disappear any moment, making him fall down three stores. 

Alex had told him about Jaeden, her former best friend on which she'd always had a huge crush. What she had never mentioned, what that she had taken his fucking surname to create a new identity, like some twisted way to marry him without the guy knowing about it. Something she had to tell that asshole now, since she had told Kozik that he was her brother to explain their common name. 

This was fantastic. Just fucking fantastic.