Angela was driving in the funeral home van towards St. Thomas for another pick up when she spotted the Teller Morrow tow truck on the side of the road. Juice was leaning against the back of it, one foot propped up on the bumper sand cut in his tight white t-shirt with the skulls across the chest looking sexy as hell. Half-Sack was working on loading up the tow truck while Juice inspected his rings, probably making sure they were clean. She honked her horn, making both of them jump in surprise. She pulled over to a stop on the other side of the road before quickly skipping across the street to them. A huge smile spread across Juice's face, his hands reaching for her hips. "Hey baby," he greeted, pulling her into him.

"Hey you," she replied, looping her arms around his neck and leaning in to catch his lips in a sweet kiss. "How's your day goin'?"

"Better now," he replied, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Hi Angie!" Half Sack called out, grunting as he hooked up the car.

Angela knew he was purposefully trying to interrupt them, but for the first time, she didn't mind. It would be best if she didn't make out with Juice in the middle of downtown for all her past, present, and future clients to see. She turned around to watch what the prospect was doing. "Hey Sack! How you doin'?"

"Been better," he answered on a shrug. His lip was split but healed from his fight. Juice had explained the outcome of it to her the night before. Apparently, he'd ended up winning the fight he was supposed to lose which meant the club lost a ton of cash they needed. Angela hadn't asked what they'd needed it for, though she knew if she did, Juice would probably tell her.

Juice hooked a finger in one of the belt loops of her slacks, tugging on it to get her attention back. "How much cash you think you got at the funeral home?"

She turned to face him, brow furrowed in confusion. "Dunno. Skeet doesn't like to keep a lot handy 'cause of his gambling problem. Could probably go to the bank and pull some. I've got access to the account," she replied, studying his face. She could see the worry in his eyes. Something big was going to go down if the Sons didn't get that cash, and it had Juice a little nervous. "How much you need?"

"In total? Like 15K," he answered on a grimace, a number that practically stopped her heart.

She frowned; that was way too much. The funeral home made decent money, but they also had a ton of expenses. "I could probably do like half of that without anyone noticing."

A look of relief spread across his face, his eyes lighting up just a little as if he was excited he could help the club in some way. "Really, baby?"

"Yeah, you guys helped pay for the oven. 's the least we could do," she answered on a shrug.

"Thanks. You're the best, y'know that?" he asked, a look of pride crossed his face. Pride in her, pride in her work. The look alone made her heart flutter, and when his hand moved to the back of her neck, and he pulled her in for another kiss, she melted into him. An ambulance whipped by, making her hair fan around them, but she was too wrapped up in the warmth of his mouth, the taste of his tongue to really give a shit.

"Hey Juice!" Half Sack shouted, making them pull apart. Juice glowered at him over her shoulder, but the prospect was used to it so it didn't seem to faze him. No, his eyes were on the ambulance in the parking lot nearby. He gestured to the car. "Dude, handle this for me."

"Where are you going?" Juice asked, the cutest confused look on his face.

Half-Sack started to cross the street. "Get my top rocker!" he called out, heading straight from the ambulance.

Angela caught Juice's eye and fought off a laugh. There was no way he was going to steal the ambulance. He wasn't that dumb. "He's not gonna..."

"No, no, he's not," Juice replied, watching as Sack opened the driver's side of the door and got in the ambulance. He started it up and whipped out of the parking lot, speeding away with a squeal of the tires. "Yes, he is. Shit."

She laughed, glancing around the block. Thankfully, there was no one outside to witness Sack driving off in the stolen ambulance. "What an idiot. The hell does he think he's gonna do with that?"

"Sell it for cash, probably," he muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "Fuckin' dumbass. They're gonna blame that shit on me."

Angela stopped laughing when she noticed how annoyed Juice actually was. He wasn't wrong, though; they'd probably initially think it was his fault. No one in the club seemed to know how smart Juice actually was. He was a total goof some times, but he was smart enough to know an ambulance wasn't the type of vehicle they could get money off of. "I'm guessin' Sack's gonna take full responsibility for that. He looked pretty proud of himself for that idea," she stated, trying to make him feel better. "You're too smart to do that shit."

Juice relaxed a bit, the smallest smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah?"

She kissed the corner of his mouth, right where it'd just started to turn up, making that full-fledged smile spread across his face. "Yeah," she confirmed, pecking his lips once more. "I gotta get back to work. Good luck with this...and that. Let me know when you need the cash."

"Don't start taking it out just yet. We got other places we're tryin' first, but I'll tell the club you can help," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in for one last kiss. "Love you."

Angela squeezed his hand lovingly. "Love you more," she answered, letting go of his hand and going back to her van.

"Not true!" he shouted after her.

"Yes it is!" she called back, getting in her car. She stuck her tongue out at him as she drove by, giggling when he did the same back to her. God, she loved her goofy biker boy.

~'~'~'~

Esai's hands were shaking as he drove away from the old white man's house, Raffa sitting in the passenger seat at his side. His father had asked him to sneak into the racist old man's house in the dead of the night, kill him, and take the envelope with the ATF information on the Sons' gun running connection. He and Raffa had gone in and lit the place up, killing him and some other innocent people. Guilt settled in a pool at the the pit of his stomach; he'd never done something like that before. It was a weight he wasn't used to feeling. He wasn't even sure the man he shot was the right guy. He had a deep feeling he'd fucked something up, though the envelope in Raffa's lap was proof that he'd at least gotten something right. His other two friends were supposed to go to some bar and carry out a hit on the president of SAMCRO. He wondered how their assignment had gone and hoped they'd been able to do the job. "You heard from Migs or Jaime yet?" he asked his best friend.

Raffa shook his head, looking just a shaken. "Nada."

"Shit, you think somethin' happened?"

"Dunno," he answered softly. His leg was bouncing up and down anxiously, and he was looking everywhere but over at him. He let out a long exhale. "That was some fucked up shit, 'mano."

Esai nodded in agreement, doing his best not to dwell on it. "We did what Pops wanted."

"I know pero..."

"Callate," he said, squeezing at the steering wheel to try and relieve his own anxiety. "No more. We did what we did and now it's done."

He couldn't blame Raffa though. His heart was still racing, doubt making him feel sick to his stomach. He needed a release. Needed someone to talk to that wasn't directly involved in it. Needed someone to tell him everything was going to be okay. He saw the funeral home, could make out Angela's Mazda parked in front of it. She'd told him it was over. He'd accepted it was over, yet still...he needed her. She'd know what to do. She always did. Before he could stop himself, he turned the car in that direction.

"Esai, no," Raffa stated, sitting up slightly. "You said it was over. Enough already. Leave her alone."

Esai ignored him, pulling into the parking lot beside the Mazda. His heart was still beating fast, though he wasn't sure if it was still the adrenaline or if it was the idea of seeing her again. She'd been haunting his dreams as of late. Dreams that quickly turned into nightmares the second he woke up and realized she wasn't his. That he'd lost her.

She must've heard the car because she peeked her head out of whatever room she'd been in. He relaxed at the sight of her, feeling his heart do that stupid skipping thing it usually did when he saw her. How could she still have this kind of effect on him? She'd rejected him so many times, yet she still felt like home. "Stay in the car," he ordered his best friend. "I need to talk to her."

"This is a bad idea, E," Raffa warned him, though he didn't stop him. Raffa rarely stopped him from doing anything no matter how stupid or dangerous it was. He'd let him do it and was always there to support him when it backfired in his face.  Esai wasn't sure if that made him a good friend or a terrible one.

He nodded, slowly getting out of the car just as Angela stepped out of the door. "Esai?" she asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

She was beautiful. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun, sweat glistening on her skin, cleavage on full display because of the dark tank top she was wearing, her tailored pants hugging her curves just perfectly.  "I dunno," he managed to get out, hating how stupid he sounded. He started to pace, unsure of where to start. How to explain the need he had to see her. She had her own gravitational pull that drew him to her despite how much he resisted. He just needed to be near her. "I um...I...shit went down, and I...I dunno, I needed to see you..."

Her eyes widened slightly, and for some reason, he got the feeling she knew exactly what had happened. Did the Sons know already? How could they? Migs and Jamie were supposed to kill anyone who was at that meeting. "Did you...did you try to kill Clay?" she asked, taking a step away slowly.

Try. What did she mean by try? "N-no! That wasn't me. That was...that was Migs. I um...Raffa and I..."

"Is Raffa okay?" she interjected, looking genuinely afraid of his answer.

He nodded towards the car where Raffa was watching them like a hawk. He lifted his fingers in a slight wave through the open window, which she returned, a look of relief on her face. Esai had no doubt he was listening to every word that was said, watching, ready to step in to protect her if necessary. While he was his best friend, Angela had been Rosa's best friend for years, and Raffa was a little protective of her. Sure, he'd talk a lot of shit behind her back, but when it came down to it, he didn't want to see her hurt just like she didn't want to see him hurt. "He's fine. It was Migs 'n' Jaime that went after the Prez...we were...we got the ATF info. Had to kill the fuckin' racist shithead, but I dunno if it was the right one..."

"ATF info," Angela repeated under her breath, brows furrowed in confusion. She shook her head quickly as if she trying to ignore that information. "Esai, why did you come here?"

"I dunno! I dunno anything anymore," he muttered, starting to pace. "Chiqui, I think I fucked up. I...I...shit's goin' down...Mayans and Sons and..."

"Stop!" she shouted, cutting him off quickly. "Don't say another word, Esai. I'm not...I can't fix your mistakes, and I don't want get deeper into this shit. We're done. Get in your car and go home. Now. Before someone else gets hurt."

He swallowed hard, shaking his head. She was right. The reason he'd sought her out to begin with was to help him. To figure this shit out for him, but she couldn't. She was on the other side now. "You don't get it..."

"I don't want to!" she interjected again, arms thrown out to the side in exasperation. "Please, Esai. Go home. Don't complicate this more. I won't tell anyone you came by just...leave."

Esai, Esai, Esai. He hated the way she called him by his full name. Even before they were together, she always called him 'E'. The tone in her voice when she said that single letter had the ability to make him feel loved, supported. Not like the cold and formal way she was saying his name now.  He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump from his throat. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around her, feel the comfort of her warm body against his. "Angelita, I can't...what do I do?"

Her face softened, the hard lines of confusion fading just slightly. For a moment, he saw a flash of sympathy cross her face with a hint of fear. Not of him, though, she looked afraid for him. While she didn't love him, she still cared. It was written all over her face. He took some comfort in that at least. "I don't know. I don't know what you did. I don't want to. I can't help you. We both know that."

Her phone went off in her back pocket, and she grabbed it, checking the front screen. She tried to hide a smile at the caller ID, but he caught it. It was probably that idiot Son. She answered it quickly, holding a finger up to her lips. "Hey you. I got somethin' goin' on. I'll call you right back, okay?...Love you, too."

Hearing her tell that idiot she loved him was like a punch to the stomach. He'd heard her say it before at the wedding, and it hurt just as bad this time around. Without thinking, he smacked the phone out of her hand the second she closed it, grabbing her by her upper arms and physically pushing her against the building. He let the rage take over, used to that emotion over the fear he'd been feeling before. "How can you love him, huh?" he asked, getting in her face. "How can you just leave me and move right onto that fuckin' asshole?"

Her jaw clenched, an angry fire igniting in her dark eyes. "Let me go," she said, her voice low, lethal.

"Answer me!" he demanded, squeezing her arms tighter.

"Get. Off," she ground out. 

He knew the reasons why. She'd said them so many times. He'd fucked up. He was always fucking up. It was all her fault. She would've told him what to do. She would've figured it all out for him. Now, he needed her, and she wouldn't even help him! Before he knew it, his hand came up and connected with her cheek, hard. He let go of her immediately, shocked by his own actions. Her lip was starting to swell just a little, a red mark apparent on her cheek. This wasn't the first time things had gotten physical between them, but it was the first time she hadn't been his when it'd happened.

She looked equally as stunned for a millisecond before she brought both of her palms up and forcibly pushed him away. "Get the fuck outta here, Esai," she said, walking towards him again and pushing him once more. The strength in the simple pushes shouldn't have been as surprising as it was; she had broken his nose once before already. He was surprised all she was doing was pushing until it dawned on him she was doing her best to keep it simple, peaceful, so it wouldn't fuck things up with the Sons on her end. She was always smart like that.

"Chiqui..."

"Leave and never come back, or I will kill you myself," she told him, nodding towards where Raffa had stepped out of the car, ready to intervene. "Go home 'fore anyone sees you, and you get us all killed."

He hadn't thought of that. Hadn't even considered how much danger it put her in for him to be there. Her cousin and her new man may be Sons, but if the Sons thought she was working with the Mayans, those two couldn't do shit about it. The club would shun her at the very least, but there was also a chance they could vote to have her killed. He wouldn't put it past those vicious fuckers, and he certainly didn't want to risk it. He loved her too much to want her dead. He couldn't even bear the thought of it. It was one thing for them not to be together, it was quite another for her not to exist anymore. "Y-yeah, okay," he said, walking backwards towards the car. Slowly, he got into the driver's seat of the car with a sigh.

She stood strong in the middle of the dark parking lot. Her shoulders squared, body tensed and ready to pounce should he give her reason to. They could've had a civil conversation, but he had to go and fuck it up. He didn't know what had come over him. He'd heard her tell the Son that she loved him and had lost his shit. It was all too much. His life was spiraling out of control, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Not without her.

~'~'~'~

Angela pulled into her driveway and blinked in surprise; she'd totally zoned out on the drive over. Hadn't even realized where she was going. Her hands shook as she opened the car door and practically sprinted towards the house. She let herself in, turning to lock all the locks behind her. She'd tell Juice to call her before coming home, so she could unlock the inside security lock for him to let him in. She wasn't going to risk leaving it unlocked in case Esai decided to show up again.

Sinking down heavily on the couch, she let out a long breath, messing with her rings. Her cheek was still throbbing from where Esai had slapped her, slight bruises apparent on her upper arms from where he'd grabbed her. What the hell had he been thinking showing up like that? Juice had called her earlier to say the Sons were involved in some kind of shooting. That he hadn't been wherever it was that it happened, so he was fine, but he was going to be home late because someone else got hurt in someone's attempt to kill Clay, and he was helping Chibs take care of him. It'd been the Mayans that went after them, she realized. But for what? And what did the ATF have to do with it? 

Sighing, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and held down the number 2 button, Juice's number for speed dial. Juice picked it up on the first ring. "Hey Angel," he greeted, sounding tired.

"Hey you," she replied, feeling as exhausted as he sounded. "You okay?"

"Tired," he answered softly. "How're you? You sounded weird on the phone. Eveythin' all right?"

Of course he picked up on the awkwardness of their previous phone call; it was rare she told him she couldn't talk while she was at work. Usually, it was because she was with a client, but it was far too late for that. She sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "Yeah, fine. I'll...I'll explain when you get home tonight."

There was a long pause, and she could hear someone groaning and Chibs' accented voice in the background. "About that...I gotta stay here to help Chibs," he explained. The idea of being alone in a spot where Esai could easily come back to find her made her uneasy. What if this time when Esai came back, he was angrier? What if he wanted some kind of sick revenge? She cursed softly which clearly raised his hackles because he repeated his previous question, "Angel, is everything okay?"

She couldn't tell him over the phone. Not when he was with Chibs and the rest of his brothers at the clubhouse. It needed to be in person, so she could see his reaction, so he could see hers. Over the phone was too risky. He'd want to come straight back to her, and she didn't want his brothers knowing what had happened. Not yet. She didn't want to start shit without running it by Juice first. "Y-yeah. I'm good. Everything's good. I'll explain more when you're alone," she insisted, messing with her ring again. "How're you? Can I bring you anything?"

"Not right now," he replied. "Maybe tomorrow you can drop off my go-bag? Need some fresh clothes." 

She was slightly relieved at being given a task. If he needed the go-bag, she could make sure it was well stocked with clean clothes and his little toiletry bag. At least putting it together would take her mind off of her conversation with Esai. "I can do that."

"Thanks, baby," he said, pausing awkwardly. She knew he was dying to ask her what happened, but also knew that he wouldn't press it. There were so many things he kept from her, he was respecting her need to keep this from him at the moment. "You're safe, though, right?"

Angela couldn't help but smile at the concern in his voice. "Yeah. 'm fine," she assured him, making a mental note to load and make her gun ready before going to bed.

"Gotta get a dog or somethin' to protect you when I'm not there."

She kind of loved the idea of having a dog. As a kid, her Ma and Aunt worked too much for her to get one. "Yeah?" she asked, already excited about it. 

"Yeah, sure. If you want one, of course."

"Never had a dog," she said with a little smile. "Always wanted one though. No one was home long enough for us to properly take care a one. Least that's what Hap always said."

"That's weird. Always took Hap for a dog person."

"He is, which is why he was always insistent that to have a dog, we'd have to be around to take good care of a dog," she clarified, remembering all those times she'd begged Happy for a dog. She had a feeling it was her aunt who really didn't want one, and Happy was respecting her wishes more than anything. "That and he's a cheap fucker and didn't want to worry about paying for vet services and shit."

Juice chuckled softly. "Gonna get us a dog, then. See if one of the guys knows a place we can adopt."

"Love that. Maybe a Shepard mix or somethin'."

"Yeah. Somethin' we can run with," he replied, and she could hear the excitement in his voice as well.

Angela grinned. They hadn't gone on an actual run together in a long time, but they used to do it all the time in New York during the warmer months. They'd met while she was running after a mugger, and every time they went for a run through Central Park, Juice would tease her about it. Tell her they were training for the next mugger. They hadn't run together since they both got to California. "Miss our runs."

"Me too, baby. We'll get back on 'em. Show me your route around the cemetery or somethin'."

The cemetery behind the funeral home had been her go-to running spot as of late. She enjoyed the quiet peacefulness of the place. It was rare there were people there, and if there were, they didn't seem to mind her running on the path. It wasn't like she was trampling on the graves or anything. "Sounds good to me."

She heard Chibs call his name and frowned. "I gotta go, baby," he said with a tired sigh. "You're okay, right? You'll call if you need me?"

She loved the concern in his voice. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait. Love you, Angel."

As usual, when his brothers could heard him say those words, she could hear Chibs mocking him in the background. She couldn't help but smile in response, grateful that their teasing never made him stop saying it. "Love you too, goof."

She hung up the phone and let out a long sigh, tilting her head back on the couch. Slowly, she got up and went to their bedroom, grabbing her gun and making sure it was loaded and ready. Slightly paranoid, she walked through the house, checking each room, making sure the back door and the garage door was locked, paranoid of Esai somehow finding his way inside. Once she was sure everything was locked, she took the world's quickest shower and got ready for bed. She locked her bedroom door and climbed into bed, making sure her bedside drawer was open with the gun ready inside. Grabbing Juice's pillow, she held it tightly in her arms, breathing in his scent as she tried her best to fall asleep. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

~'~'~'~
I gotta say, I really love deep diving into these first season episodes again!! Hopefully, y'all are enjoying it too!
If you're watching the Mayans...I'm still so angry about this season's episode 6. It was awful.
Anyway, let me know what you think!!
🩵