Juice took a long toke of his joint as he stared out at the scenery in front of him. They'd pulled off at some random truck stop along the way to Eden for a piss break. It was rare he smoked when he knew he'd be riding, but his nerves were all over the place and he needed something to take the edge off or he'd end up laying his bike down on the road. He heard the click of a lighter and looked over to see Happy at his side. The Tacoma killer looked pensive for a moment as he took a long drag of his cigarette. "How's she doin'?" he asked after a moment.

He didn't have to ask who he was talking about. They didn't have much in common besides Angela and the club. "She's scared, stressed," he said, flicking of the ash off his joint before rubbing his forehead with his thumb in a nervous gesture. "She's not...producing enough milk for Evie. The stress 'n' everything is uh...its really gettin' to her, I guess."

Happy grimaced at his bluntness and then sighed. "She'll get over it."

He shook his head quickly. "Hap, this club shit is fucking with my family now. I got to...I gotta get them outta here before they get hurt."

"She ain't just gonna leave."

He looked down at his feet and sighed. "I know," he said, kicking at the ground. "Brought it up earlier this morning. She didn't take to well to it."

Happy smirked, he could only imagine his cousin' reaction. "You ain't the only reason she stays."

"Hap, I'd pay anything to get all of them outta here, your Ma, hers, Chlo..." he admitted. He didn't know why he included the nurse in there. Somehow, she managed to sneak into their little family, and he couldn't imagine it without her there. "They're not safe here."

"You think they'd be safer somewhere else? You give me a place, and I'll take her. Won't have a damn choice," he offered, completely serious. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Juice considered the idea for a brief moment. "I don't know," he said finally. "I don't know where to...to put them so that they'll be safe."

"You know what'll make her leave, right?"

He hung his head and nodded. Of course he did. If he hurt her, cheated on her, she'd leave. She'd almost done it before after she'd caught him with Carla. The pain he felt at that memory was a reminder of why he didn't want to do it again. He didn't want to hurt her. Didn't want the kind of pain that came with being without her and knowing she didn't want him anymore. The idea of losing her, even temporarily made that familiar lost feeling start to grow inside of him. It was an empty, desperate feeling that he didn't know how to handle. He didn't know how to survive without her at his side. He didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want her in danger either. "I can't hurt her again, Hap. I won't. I know it'd work, and she'd leave, but I'd never get her back that way. And she...she's all I have. I can't lose her forever."

Happy felt a surge of pride in his brother as he looked over at him. He'd thought that Juice would take the cowardly route and try to manipulate her out of Charming. "You got another idea?"

He scowled. "There's gotta be a better way, man."

"You figure one out, lemme know," Happy said, stubbing out his cigarette. He patted a heavy hand on his shoulder before turning to head back to his bike.

Juice threw down his blunt, crushing it under his boot. With a deep sigh, he headed back to his bike, determined to find another way to get his girls out of Charming and keep them safe without losing them forever.

---------------------

Angela sat at her desk in the funeral home, contemplating the way Juice had been before he left. He'd had that look in his eyes again. That sad puppy look that broke her heart. He was worried about them, sad, scared, everything all wrapped up into one. Juice didn't deal with his emotions well on his own, and the fact he wouldn't talk to her made her nervous as hell. She knew he didn't want to worry her by unburdening himself, but he didn't seem to notice that by not saying anything, he was making her worry more. She drummed her nails on the desk, itching for a distraction from her thoughts. Evie was asleep in her bassinet and Rigor was passed out on his little bed in the corner. Bones and Kenny were out digging a grave and Skeeter was sleeping off a massive hangover leaving her completely alone. She briefly considered waking up her daughter just to have something to do. The buzzer over the front door rang, signaling that someone had walked in. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she been holding and stood, happy to finally have something to distract her.

When she entered the main entryway, she found a well-dressed woman with a brown leather briefcase in her hand. She had a feeling the woman was not a client; she didn't have the right look to her. That, and most clients called ahead of time to set up an appointment. "Hello," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

The woman turned and looked her up and down, assessing each inch of her as if looking for something. "Angela Ruiz, I presume?" the woman questioned, holding out her hand. Angela nodded and the woman gave her a polite smile. "Tyne Patterson. District Attorney."

Angela fought the urge to recoil at the name. She'd heard it mentioned time and time again with the Aquino school shooting. The woman was trying to use the Sons as a scapegoat for it. She'd heard that she'd pressed Tara for information but never would've guessed she'd be next. How the hell did she even show up on this woman's radar? Putting on a calm face, she shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Patterson. How can I help you?" she asked, grimacing when she heard Evie start to fuss over the baby monitor that was clipped to her hip. "Oh. Sorry, my daughter..."

"Ah, yes, Ms. Evangeline Ortiz. Daughter of one, Juan Carlos Ortiz. Correct?"

And there it was. Evie's birth certificate tied her to Juice, finally giving them a concrete, legal tie. Why hadn't she thought of that? Why hadn't he thought of that? Surely the woman didn't think she'd just waltz in there and start asking questions about the Sons and get anywhere. She had to have some type of leverage. They always did. She was willing to bet the RICO case Juice almost played a part in might have something to do with it. Maybe she didn't know the club knew and was going to use his safety as a way to get her to talk. "Right," she replied on a breath. "Would you mind...relocating to my office? I get the feeling you aren't here because a loved one passed away."

"No, Ms. Ruiz, I'm not," Patterson replied, gesturing in front of her.

After giving Evie her pacifier, Angela took a seat at her desk, waiting for Patterson to take a seat across from her before asking, "So what can I do for you, Ms. Patterson?"

"I'm here to ask about Melville Kozik," she answered nonchalantly.

Bile rose up in Angela's throat at the name, but she made sure to keep her face a mask of calm. How could she possibly know about Mel? He'd been dead and gone for almost a year. Leaning back in her chair, she put on a confused face. "What about him?"

"Someone has filed a missing person report for him," she explained, never once taking her eyes off the younger woman's face. "Seems he disappeared into thin air. His last known whereabouts were right here in Charming after the death of his brother, Herman Kozik, who died in a solo bike crash, correct?"

Oh the strings she'd had to pull to get that death certification. Luckily, she had some good connections. It'd cost her more than she would've liked, but she'd done it. Had made sure Kozik was legally dead because she couldn't stand the idea of not giving him a final resting place. "Yes ma'am."

"And I'm correct in assuming Melville was here?"

Angela held her gaze, knowing to look away would be a sign of weakness. This wasn't the first time she'd been questioned by the feds; she knew their tricks. "Yes, of course. He was his brother."

"And what was your relationship with Melville?"

"Koz...Herman," she corrected with a grimace. She could talk about "Herman" and "Melville" easily. Using their formal names made it easier for her to talk about them. "Herman" and "Melville" weren't Kozi and Mel, they were men she didn't know. "Herman and I were very close friends. I met Melville through him. We were both going to college in Tacoma at the time, so we became friends."

"Are you aware of Melville's obsession with you?" she asked bluntly, opening her briefcase and pulling out a folder. She slid it over to her. "E-mails between the brothers. Mostly about you, about how Melville wanted to win you back and Herman trying to dissuade him from trying. His apartment had pictures of the two of you all over the place, and rumor has it, he'd gotten a spot to continue his residency at a hospital in Sacramento to be closer to you."

Angela stared at the rather large folder, intrigued by its contents. A part of her wanted to read them, another part knew just how painful they'd be. "No, I was not aware of that," she lied. She'd found out the hard way that he was obsessed with her. Discreetly, she rubbed her foot against the bullet wound scar on her other leg. "Herman never mentioned it."

"But you two did date?"

"Herman and I?" she asked, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"No, you and Melville."

"Yes ma'am. For about a month about four, five years ago. It ended amicably, and we stayed friends. I was not aware of his obsession as I do not make a habit of reading other peoples' private correspondence," she replied as formally as she possibly could. "What are you aiming for, Ms. Patterson?"

If Patterson heard the question, she didn't dignify it with an answer. "Now I've been told you are engaged to Juan Carlos Ortiz, a member of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club."

"So?"

"Can't imagine he was too happy with Melville's visit, with his obsession."

"He wouldn't be. If either of us had known about it," she acknowledged with a nod. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to cut you off, but I think I know what you're going for here. I don't know where Melville is, and if you're implying Juan Carlos and the Sons had anything to do with his disappearance, you are barking up the wrong tree."

Patterson didn't seem surprised that she'd put two and two together. "When was the last time you saw Mr. Kozik?"

"At his brother's grave. The day of Herman's funeral," she answered softly. "He'd come onto me a few nights before and apologized for it...to both of us. He understood we weren't going to get back together, told me he declined the Sacramento position, and left. I don't know where he went. I never heard from him again."

"Did Juan Carlos and Melville ever meet?"

"Yes, they were both at the funeral."

"And how would you describe that meeting?"

"Cordial. Both men were on their best behavior," she answered honestly. She knew what Patterson wanted now. The woman thought she'd anger her by inferring Juice had killed Mel. Anger her enough to get her to turn on the club. It was bullshit. A desperate ploy that would never work. Stahl had already tried the same thing years before with Esai. These feds were all the same. She had a feeling the DA was doing the same thing to Nero and Tara. "I have no reason to believe Juan Carlos or any of his brothers were behind Melville's disappearance. I didn't even know he was gone."

Patterson raised an eyebrow. "Well then if I were you, I'd look into Mr. Ortiz's whereabouts on the night of his disappearance. Jealousy can make a man do crazy things."

"And if I were you, I'd stop trying to pin major crimes on innocent people to try and get the information you need for that shooting. It's not going to lead you anywhere, and someone is going to get hurt."

A look of shock quickly passed over Patterson's face before she got control of it. Clearly, she didn't think she'd connect the dots so easily. She stood quickly and gave Angela a nod. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Ruiz. I'll leave these here for you to browse. Both brothers speak very highly of you in them."

"You're welcome and...thanks. Please, if you hear anything about Melville, let me know. You have me a bit...worried about him," she said, trying to manage a nervous smile.

"I'll keep you posted," Patterson replied, her hands curled around the back of the chair, her lips pressed together in annoyance; obviously she thought she was going to get her way. "Stay close, Ms. Ruiz. Wouldn't look good for you to go disappearing now."

Angela gave her a confused look and gestured towards the crib. "Wasn't planning on it. My baby girl's not up for travelling yet. Thanks for stopping by."

She held her breath as Patterson walked out, waiting until she heard the front door close before letting it out slowly, her mind reeling. Her hands shook as she dug through her purse for her burner. Juice had given her the number for his burner for the day, and she dialed it hastily. He didn't answer, and she waited for the message machine, her heart beating fast in her chest. "Hey you," she greeted, trying to keep her voice steady. She hesitated a bit before clearing her throat. "Y'know what? Never mind. I'll talk to you when you get home. Just...be safe, baby. I'll see you soon."

Snapping the phone shut, she sat there for a moment, staring at the folder in front of her. She knew she shouldn't open it. That it would just open old wounds, but she pulled it towards her anyway. As if she knew what her mother was about to do, Evie started crying.

Angela pushed the folder away and went to the bassinet. "Hey there, Evie-doll," she cooed to her baby as she picked her up. She pressed a kiss to her chubby cheek before cradling her in her arms. "You got great timing, Monk. You know that? Savin' Mama a lot of heartbreak today. Yes, you are, gorgeous girl."

---------------------

Happy glanced over to Juice as Jax talked, studying the man that sat across the table from him. The idiot had almost killed himself with that motorcycle jumping stunt. He was trying to take his own life to save his family, and that bullshit didn't fly well with him. Losing Juice would absolutely kill Angela. He'd seen the way she was after Kozik had died, he could only imagine how lost she would be without Juice. That was a loss he knew he wouldn't be able to pull her back from, and he didn't want Evie to be affected by that kind of damage. He'd seen what his aunt had gone through when his Uncle had died, how she'd pushed Angela away. He didn't want to see Angela go through that, hell, he didn't want to see Evie be put through that. The brat deserved better. As soon as they were done with the meeting, Happy pulled Juice aside, waiting until they were alone before pinning him against the side of the cabin. "The fuck was that?" he growled at the younger man. "This your way of gettin' em out? Killin' yourself?"

Juice pushed him off of him. "No!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "No, of course not. I wouldn't...I wouldn't do that."

Happy could see the lie in his eyes. The idiot didn't know he knew he'd tried to hang himself just the year before. He'd known exactly what Juice was playing at when he got up on that fucking cop bike. Killing himself would be the easy way out, the coward's way out. No wonder he told the cop he knew a coward when he saw one; the idiot was a coward. Probably like looking in a mirror. "Then calm the fuck down," he said pushing him back.

"Yeah, yeah," he said nodding quickly. He rolled his shoulders, taking in a deep breath. "I got this. I'm fine."

"Don't do her any good for you to die. You saw how she was with Kozik," he stated, opening up a bit more to him than usual for his cousin's sake. "Only gonna be worse if it's you. That shit ain't gonna be good for your kid."

Juice clenched his jaw; clearly, he hadn't thought of it that way. "I know," he said softly.

"Then stop fuckin' up," he said, a threat hidden in his words. He pushed him once more before walking away.

---------------------

Juice was trying to stay calm. If Happy realized what he was trying to do, it wouldn't be long before the rest of his club did too. Jax had told him he had nothing to prove, and though he didn't believe it, he was going to act like he did. No more outbursts. He had to keep it under control. He hung back when they walked into the garage where they'd taken his bike, determined to keep it all in. That was, until he saw his bike up on risers, halfway stripped already. His saddlebags were open, the contents spilled all over the place. Evie's sonogram was crumpled on the floor amongst other pictures he had in there. The picture of Angela in her bikini laying across his bike was taped up on a wall nearby, a dirty fingerprint on the corner. That's when his calm flew out the window and blind rage took over.

He grabbed the dirty mechanic, throwing him against a car. Rage filled him at the idea that the greaseball mechanic had not only seen the picture but had liked it enough to tape it to the wall. To use his Old Lady as some type of...porn star to get off on. His hands wrapped around the guy's throat with every intent to kill him. Angela was better than that. She was his. Her body was meant for his eyes only and would be until the day he died.

As soon as Chibs pulled him off, he headed straight for his stuff. He tore the picture of Angela off of the wall, gingerly smoothing out the edges and rubbing the grease stain off on his pants before tucking it into his cut pocket. He had another, more private picture of her already in that pocket. That one he kept with him always. Turning around, he locked eyes with Chibs. The Scot gave him a brief nod of approval, his arm outstretched, the picture of Evie in his hands. "They headed over to the garage," he explained, nodding in the direction the rest of his brothers had disappeared in. "Keep those girls close."

Juice nodded, grabbing the picture and tucking it in with the other ones. He wasn't sure if Chibs meant the pictures or the girls in them. A part of him wanted to ask Chibs' opinion about what he should do with Angela. How he should get her out of Charming. Chibs' family was in a different country. Safe from all the madness that was going on there. If anyone was going to understand, it would be Chibs. He decided against it, though. His face was still battered and bruised from the last "chat" they had. He wasn't ready to open up to his brother again. Not after what it'd gotten him the time before.

---------------------

Juice parked his new bike in the garage, flexing and extending his hands that were sore from the events of the day. His whole back was hurting from his little stunt in Eden. He was hoping Angela would be up for giving him a massage; he could really use one. He was surprised to find the house dark and quiet, the only light coming from the living room. Peeking into Evie's room, he found her crib empty, checking their room, he found it the same. For a moment, he panicked. Had Angela left? He knew he'd said that was what he wanted, but had she actually done it?

He walked slowly into the living room, his heart breaking at what he found there. Angela was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, papers strewn about the couch and coffee table. He could hear her sniffling as he neared. "Angel?" he said, catching her attention. What was she crying about? Where was Evie? She looked up at him, her dark eyes rimmed with red. He crossed the room to her quickly, taking a seat on the couch next to her. "Baby, what's wrong? Where's Monk?"

"Monk's with Chlo," she answered softly, wiping at her eyes and sniffling a bit. "This is...um...this District Attorney came by the funeral home today. Tyne Patterson? Askin'...she was asking questions about Mel."

"What?" he breathed, sliding his arm around her shoulders and moving in closer to her.

She swallowed hard, sucking in a deep breath and trying to calm down. "Someone put out a missing person's report 'n' they found these...these fuckin' e-mails between him and Koz and me and him and him and some of his friends. She...she left them with me. Trying to make me feel guilty. Trying to...I think she wanted to pin it on you and use it as some kind of leverage for information on the Sons so she could tie you guys to the Aquino shooting."

"Jesus Christ, baby," he said, rubbing soothing circles on her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her temple, unsure of what else to do. Though what had happened was huge, he still thought her reaction was a little...strange. Angela didn't break down like this over being questioned by the feds. Something more had to have happened. There was something she hadn't told him yet. He looked at the papers on the coffee table and pulled one closer to him. It had Mel's e-mail address at the top along with Kozik's. There was a picture inlaid into the message of the three of them. "These the e-mails?"

"Yeah," she answered, her voice rough. She wiped at her eyes and handed him a piece of a more official looking paper. "The report too."

He picked it up, skimming through the details before he found it. He understood her reaction now. Why she was so crushed by all of it. The person who reported him missing was his ex-girlfriend...his ex-girlfriend who needed money to support their child. Mel had a kid. Right underneath the report was another e-mail with a picture of a toddler with blonde hair and blue eyes. His eyes lifted from the picture and met Angela's. Tears filled her eyes again as she nodded. Fathers and father-figures were a soft spot for her since she lost hers so young. Now, she'd just learned that she'd single-handedly taken a father away from his son. He didn't know what to say, how to say it. "Angel..."

"He's cute, huh? They call him MJ 'cause the asshole named him Melville after himself," she said, a pained gasp escaping her hold. "Melville Junior. And he...he's so young, he won't...he'll never remember Melly. 'cause I...I.."

"Stop," he interjected, waiting until she met his gaze before continuing, "He almost killed you, Angel. Almost killed Evie. You didn't have a choice."

She hung her head, shaking it slowly. "We always have a choice," she murmured miserably.

Juice pulled back the hair that was hanging in front of her face, blocking her from view. "You didn't. He'd shot you," he said, watching every word sink in. "Shot you, tried to...to...and then he stabbed you. If you didn't kill him, he was going to kill you and Evie. That kid is better off without his psycho old man. Kid's mom is looking for child support, right? Means he wasn't around. That he'd abandoned them and had to send them money. He wasn't a dad. He was a bank!"

"Because of me!" she exclaimed, moving away from him and getting to her feet. "I took this boy's father away from him not once but twice! He's going to grow up alone because of me! I didn't have to kill him. I could've just run away. Taken the gun and run and you guys were there and..."

He stood up and stepped in front of her, grabbing her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. He'd seen Happy do this before and knew it worked. "Baby, breathe," he ordered, holding her gaze. "Come on. In and out."

Angela took a deep breath in and let it out. Her hands clung to the front of his cut, and she leaned her head into him. A soft sob escaped her hold as her shoulders began to shake. "I'm a monster," she breathed, the words barely above a whisper.

Juice wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head so his lips were even to her ear. "No, you're not, Angel. You're not," he murmured, kissing her cheek. He felt a lump form in his throat at how distraught she was. It physically hurt him to see how much anguish she was in, and he had no idea how to make it better. How to ease her pain. He knew better than anyone the guilt that came with taking someone's life. He tried to remember what she'd said to him about Miles and Darveny, but he couldn't come up with something that fit. Her case was different, her relationship with Mel was different. He didn't have a clue what to tell her. "You're not a monster, baby. You're...you are the strongest woman I've ever known, and I love you. I love you so much."

He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt and squeezed her tight, dropping a kiss to her hair. "Tell me how to make it better, baby," he whispered in her ear. "Please. Just tell me how to make it better."

When she didn't reply, he pulled away a bit. His eyes meeting her for a brief moment. The utter anguish in her dark eyes made him feel useless. He wondered if this was what she felt on those nights he came home a mess. God, he hoped not. He hated the idea of putting her through that kind of pain. He had to be strong for her now, just as she always was for him. He brushed away an errant tear before dipping his head to kiss her softly.

He hadn't been expecting her to kiss him back, but she did. Her responding kiss was passionate, almost desperate as her arms encircled his neck, her fingers raking over the point of his mohawk. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth, biting down on it, hard. He pulled away, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were filled with grief, but the way she was touching him, indicated something else. "Baby?" he asked.

"Please," she breathed, standing on her toes to connect their lips again. "Make me feel better, Juice. Please."

Juice remembered the day Kozik had died. The way she'd cried for hours and then had come on to him. She'd told him later it was because she'd needed to feel something besides the pain. Needed him to quiet her mind, make her feel alive again. He nodded slowly, grabbing her thighs and lifting her up off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him hard. He walked backwards until his thighs hit the couch. He sunk down on the plush leather sofa with her in her lap, his lips still on hers. He tangled his hands into her hair, pulling her away from him. Carefully, he moved her so she was lying down on the couch underneath him. He pressed his lips to her neck as he pulled open the button down flannel she was wearing. He moved his lips away from her mouth, kissing his way down her neck. Her hands skimmed over his head as he moved lower, lathing his tongue over her koi fish tattoo as his fingers worked open the button on her jeans. His name left her lips, a soft plea a he mouthed the lacy waist of her panties. He stopped to look at her. "I love you," he told her, meaning every word as he helped her out of her jeans. "I'ma take care of ya, Angel. I got you."

---------------------

Happy rode up to Chloe's house, exhausted from the whole trip. He kicked over the fake rock on the porch, stooping to type in the code that unlocked it. Picking up the key, he opened the door and strode into the house. Hades ran to him, his front paws coming to rest on his thighs, Rigor trailing after him. "Hey guys," he said, rubbing his hand over each of their heads in turn. "Where're your mothers?"

Hades headed back out through the dog door, but Rigor stayed by him, his dark eyes stared up at him as he whined a little. Happy raised an eyebrow at him. "C'mon, Rigs. Let's go see your Mama," he said, confident that Angela was there. If her dog was, she had to be. Rounding the corner, he was surprised to find Chloe sitting on the bed alone with a baby in her arms, a bottle in her hand. Angela was nowhere to be found. "The kid here?"

"Nope. Just the dog and the brat," Chloe answered, her hazel eyes watching as he shrugged out of his cut and hung it up neatly in her closet.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed, leaning over to look at his niece. She really was a cute kid. Dark eyes, dark hair, tanned skin, long eyelashes. He ran his finger over the sole of one of her tiny feet, smirking when her little toes wriggled in response. "What're they doin' here?"

"I don't really know. Angela dropped them off. Said she needed to be alone. She seemed a little...on edge," she answered honestly. When he didn't move, she raised an eyebrow in question. "You're not going to go after her?"

"Thinkin' about it," he muttered, still playing with Evie's foot. It was so small compared to his big hand. He could remember when Angela's foot was that tiny. "How bad?"

"Hap, she brought her two kids here. 's not good."

He pushed himself up off the bed with a grunt. Leaning over, he dropped a kiss to Chloe's forehead before grabbing Evie's toe again. "Take care of the brat."

"Take care of the kid," she sassed back, wrinkling her nose when he flicked it. "You comin' back tonight?"

Hap considered the question for a moment, his dark eyes taking in the sight of Chloe with a baby in her arms. He knew it was Evie but still. The sight of her with the baby asking if she was going to come home made him a little nervous. Was she starting to want things he didn't? As if she knew what he was thinking, she rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Don't flatter yourself, Lowman. I'm not playing house. I just want to know where to put the bassinet. If you're comin' back, I'll put her in the guest room."

He relaxed at the comment, smirking at her. "Keep the brat in here," he answered on a shrug. "You just gotta keep it down."

Chloe's scowled at him, though he could tell she was trying to keep from smiling. "And who said you were gettin' any tonight?"

He held her gaze, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood his full height. Her hazel eyes drifted from his face to his biceps as she bit the corner of her lip. "That look right there," he replied, shrugging his cut back on. "Later, lady."

"Bye, dude!" she shouted after him. He chuckled as he headed down the stairs, pausing only to give Rigor some love before going to his bike.

It didn't take him long to get to their place. They didn't live very far away from Chloe, something that pleased Happy. It made checking up on his little cousin that much easier. Once there, he didn't bother knocking on the door and just let himself in.

He found Juice shirtless, sitting alone on the couch, a stack of papers in his hand. "Hey," he said, catching his attention. "What's going on?"

Juice lifted his head and sighed, hanging it back down and rubbing a hand over his hair. "DA went to Dubrowski's asking Ang about Mel. Gave her the full report. Old e-mails between her and Mel, Mel and some buddies, Mel and Koz. Think she was trying to scare her into pursuing where he is or some shit. Make her feel guilty. Make her look into it. Thought we did it behind her back."

Happy let out a long breath. "Shit," he muttered, running a hand over his head. "Where is she?"

"Bedroom. Gave her something to help her sleep."

He looked impressed for a brief moment before nodding. "Good. She needs it."

"Yeah," he agreed on a nervous laugh. "He...did you know he had a kid?"

He nodded slowly., running his hand over his face as he put two and two together. "Shit. She found out?" he asked, knowing that was what had put her over the edge. She had to have been a mess. Judging by the scratches that criss-crossed Juice's back and the dark bite mark on his neck, the idiot had comforted her the best way he knew how. As twisted as it was, Happy was thankful for that. He couldn't imagine her having to go through that kind of shit without some kind of distraction. He was just glad she hadn't tried to drown herself in alcohol. "Yeah, I knew. Had the kid a few years back. Koz thought it'd be best to keep her out of it. 's what Mel wanted anyway. Claimed the kid wasn't his."

"He was payin' child support," he pointed out. "Not like a guy who thought the kid wasn't his."

"It was his all right," Happy clarified on a sigh. "He didn't want her to know. Thought it'd lessen his chances of gettin' her back."

Juice lifted his head now, glaring at Happy as if he were Mel himself. "He was never gonna get her back. She's mine. She'll always be mine."

Happy fought against the urge to smirk at the dark, possessive look in Juice's eyes when he said it. It was moments like that when he realized how good a fit Juice was for his little cousin. How much he liked them together. Juice would protect her at all costs, and he was all for that. "She okay?"

He considered the question for a moment, his eyes falling on the stack of papers. "No. Not after all this shit," he said gesturing towards them. "Doesn't help that Koz kept it all from her. Best not to tell her you knew. It'll hurt her even more. You shoulda seen her, Hap. She was...I don't even know how to explain it. Kept saying she's a monster, and I'm doin' my best to tell her she's not, but...I don't know how to convince her."

"Was a hard kill for her. She ain't used to that shit," he mused with a frown. "Still thinkin' of making her leave?"

Juice scowled at that, shaking his head. "I can't. Not when she needs me. Love her too much to push her away like that."

"Wouldn't look good to the feds either," Happy pointed out.

He nodded in agreement. He was quiet for a moment, reaching out to grab a picture of Angela and Mel. "What'd you do with him?"

"Acid bath. Ain't nobody gonna find him. Burned the rest of the place down. Had faulty wiring anyway. Car was stripped, burned all the upholstery with her blood, his blood," he explained, going through each part of what had happened. "Went to rest stop bathroom, bleached the shit outta it. She's got the bullet we got outta her calf. Dunno what she did with it. No evidence 'sides that."

He let out a breath of relief. "Thank God," he murmured, relaxing back onto the couch. "How's Evie?"

Happy shrugged a shoulder. "Fine. Chlo's got her and the dog taken care of."

"Think she can handle her for the rest of the night?" he asked, guilt written all over his face. "She...she's not okay, and I know she loves Evie but I think..."

"I know. I got the brat. You take care a her," he said nodding towards the hallway that led to the bedroom.

Juice nodded. "Always, brother."

Happy reached out a hand and clapped it on his shoulder before he got to his feet. "I'll bring the brat and the dog over tomorrow mornin' with Chloe."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "With Chlo, huh? Havin' fun playing house?"

"Don't worry about it," he ground out, his tone annoyed. "Worry about her."

Juice let out a long breath. "I am. But...Chlo, huh?"

Happy flipped him off over his shoulder as he headed towards the door. Juice waited until he heard the door closed before getting up and going back to the bedroom. He undressed and glanced over the bed. She was lying on her stomach, dead to the world, the tattoos on her back in full view marking her as his. He'd given her the same "vitamins" Tig had once given him to hold on to. When he'd taken them, he'd woken up hours later on Main Street in nothing but a diaper with a sign stapled to his chest. He smiled at the memory, rubbing his hand idly over where the staples had been. He still remembered the smile she'd given him when she pulled up next to him in the van. The way her eyes lit up and shined as she laughed.

She hadn't been his then, but he'd wanted her. God, he'd wanted her so bad, he'd sat in on an embalming just to be near her. He never would've believed she'd be at his side so many years later. That she'd stick through him through a prison sentence, cheating, and more than his fair share of stupid moments. He didn't know what he would've done without her.

He knew then he would never be able to let go of her. Without her, he'd be lost, untethered. He needed her to keep him grounded, to keep his mind from buzzing. And the crazy thing was, she needed him too.

Reaching out, he traced a finger over one of the tattoos on her back before brushing her hair out of her face. "I love you, Angel," he whispered, moving to kiss her forehead. "I'm not gonna leave you. Ever. It's you and me, baby. You and me and Monk and Rigs. Forever."