Ch. 4 Helping Out
Juice was proud as hell when Jax had suggested they ask Angela for help getting bodies to stage a crime scene and burning the bodies of the two workers they'd uncovered at their old dummy corp's site in order to protect Tig. He himself hadn't seen the two burned bodies of the innocent helpers who had "serviced" Tig, but by Jax's description, they weren't pretty. He felt bad for the two ladies; they were innocents who'd gotten mixed into the Mayan's stupid plot to steal their guns. It was comforting to know Angela would take care of them well and see to it they were cremated with the utmost respect.
He was also relieved that his suggestion to help pay for the new cremator at the funeral home was paying off; initially, his brothers had been skeptical about it and how often they'd actually use it, so he was glad they were putting it to use so soon after they spent the cash on it. At least is showed he knew what he was talking about when he'd suggested it, and it wasn't just to help his girl. Not only that, but Jax's suggestion to actually go through with the deal showed Angela was trusted enough to go to for something that was definitely illegal. Even Bobby had voted yes on it, and Juice knew he still didn't trust Angela.
He rode with Chibs, Jax, and Half-Sack towards Dubrowski's; the other brother's had their own shit to deal with around town. Once they got to the front, he maneuvered to the front of the back, leading them around the back of the funeral home where the oven was. They all dismounted their bikes, and headed towards the retort, the sound of reggaeton music coming from behind the closed doors. He smirked, that meant Angela was in there working. He knocked three times so as not to scare her before he opened the door.
Angela was in the process of pulling ashes out, a sheen of sweat on her skin making it glimmer in the best way. She was wearing a maroon tank top with a lace trim, black slacks, and her work boots. A nicer maroon blouse was hanging on a hanger in the corner of the room. Dirt streaked her arms and pants which made him wonder if she'd had to dig a grave earlier. Her dark hair was braided away from her face, the heat of the oven making it frizz. She was absolutely beautiful. He took a moment to enjoy the sight before him.
"You really cremate bodies in here?" Half-Sack asked, catching her attention.
"Yeah, we do," Chibs replied on a smirk.
Angela grinned up at them, wiping her forehead with her arm as she straightened. "Hey boys," she greeted before her eyes fell on Juice, her smile getting even bigger just for him. His heart did flip flops at the sight of it. "Hey you."
"Hey baby," he replied, leaning in to catch her lips in a quick kiss.
Chibs closed the door behind them, and she furrowed her brows at them in confusion. "Everything okay?" she asked, suspiciously looking from Chibs to Juice. Juice shrugged, giving her a reassuring nod, and she relaxed a little.
"Just checkin' in on our investment," Jax stated, nodding towards the oven.
Angela wasn't fooled, but she knew better than to call him on it. Instead, she gestured towards it and launched into a very detailed description of it, and its capabilities just to fuck with them. Juice had never loved her more. "And then over here is the cremulator where we grind everything that's left over into fine ash like this perfect specimen right here," she said showing them the light grey ashes. "Perfect color and everything. Hotter ovens will make them darker, almost black. Families usually don't like that. 'Course I always double check to make sure all the big chunks are...."
"Tha's enough of that," Chibs interrupted, holding up his hands, a disgusted look on his face. "Not really why we came here, love."
"Oh no?" she asked, sarcastically as she checked on whatever was currently in the cremator. Juice snickered at her sass, shaking his head at her.
"Need a favor, Ang," Jax said, leaning in closer to her. "Need two bodies. Fresh."
She looked between them all, still confused. "Seriously?"
The VP nodded. "Got anythin' on your list? Need a white guy and a Mexican," he asked, looking at the clipboard on her table. "We'll throw some cash your way for your trouble."
She grabbed the clipboard, and Juice moved in behind her to look over her shoulder as she studied the list. She leaned back into him, and he took the opportunity to discreetly nuzzle his nose against her temple, breathing in the intoxicating scent of her her hair. "Got one white guy on my table right now. Took header off a phone pole he was working on....and I just interred a Mexican guy. Took me all fuckin' day 'cause our excavator's broken."
"Interred?"
"Buried," Juice explained, proud of himself when Angela gave him an approving smile. He shook his head at her, scowling a little. "Told you to call me when it breaks down. I can figure out how to fix the engine. Do it faster and cheaper than Skeeter's guy too."
Angela shrugged a shoulder. "It's fine. Needed the arm workout today anyway. Not really lookin' forward to digging him up, though."
Juice caught Half-Sack eyeing Angela's arms with his eyebrows slightly raised as if he hadn't noticed the gently toned muscles. She wasn't jacked by any means, but her muscles were there in delicate curves. Juice loved tracing his fingers over those curves when she lay cuddled against him in bed. "I'll do it," Juice offered, excited for any time he got to spend with her. He'd help her dig the hole and then they could sneak away to the shower in the little apartment above the mortuary and clean each other up.
Chibs chuckled, grabbing onto his shoulder and pulling him away from Angela. "Oh no, Juicy. You stay and nothin'll get done."
"Probably end up going at it inside the hole," Jax agreed on a laugh. "Nah, Sack will do the diggin'."
Angela rolled her eyes at them, looking a little disappointed. "You guys are no fun."
"Wait. I gotta like dig him up?" Sack repeated, eyes wide.
"Well, we're certainly not gonna make Angie do it," Chibs said, smirking.
Jax patted Sack on the shoulder. "Good luck," he stated, ruffling his hair before he headed towards the door after Chibs. "C'mon, Juice. Leave your girl alone. She's got work to do."
Angela flipped him off, scowling as he walked out. "Asshole," she muttered.
Juice chuckled. "Give us a minute, Sack," he said, fighting a laugh when the prospect almost tripped over his feet on his way out.
She laughed, shaking her head before sighing. "I really have to spend all day with him?"
"I tried, baby," he said, turning to face her. He set his hands on her hips, letting his thumbs slip under the hem of her shirt to brush over her warm skin. "Guess we got quite a reputation."
Angela messed with the little pocket flap on his cut, shrugging a shoulder as she looked up at him with her pretty dark eyes. "Guess so," she replied, her eyes leaving his and darting to his mouth as her lips parted just slightly.
It was a subtle sign he'd seen her do many times even before they got together. Before, he didn't understand what it meant. Now, he knew exactly what she wanted. Dipping his head, he brushed his nose against hers before connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. He could feel her lips move into a smile against his and smiled himself. She deepened the kiss, moving her arms around his neck as her tongue massaged his. He wrapped her in his arms, his hands sliding up her back. The world evaporated around him, and he forgot why he was there, what he was supposed to be doing. She'd invaded his brain and everything else disappeared.
A pounding on the door pulled him back into reality in the harshest way. "Get off a her, Juicy! We ain't go time for that! Let's go!" Chibs' voice shouted on the other side.
Angela sighed in frustration. "He's the worst," she muttered, her fingers scratching down the back of his mohawk and sending shivers down his spine. Juice blew a raspberry into the crook of her neck, loving the way her laughter filled the small room. He did it again, squeezing her ass once before unwrapping himself from around her. Angela was still laughing as she lovingly pushed him away. "Get outta here, goof. I got shit to do."
"I know, I know. Gimme one more," he requested. She squeezed his face between her hands and smacked a loud kiss to his lips, pushing him away playfully as he stepped back. He stumbled towards the door, still feeling a little drunk off her kiss. "Bye, baby."
"See you later, goof," she called after him. "Be safe!"
His brothers started clapping and wolf whistling as he stepped outside. They didn't bother him at all. He shrugged it off as he grabbed his helmet. "Haters," he said with a huge grin.
"You're one lucky fucker, Juicy-boy," Chibs exclaimed, shaking his head.
He nodded in agreement; he knew how lucky he was. "Where we goin' anyway?"
Chibs gave him a mischievous grin. "Oaktown. Got an SUV to steal."
He knew Angela would freak if she knew he was going to Oakland flying colors for any reason, but he looked forward to it. He liked the adrenaline rush that came with doing something dangerous especially with the security of his brothers at his side. "Sounds like fun."
~'~'~'~
Angela started pulling weeds around the graves where Half-Sack was working, not willing to let him work alone; she didn't want him to destroy the boundaries of the grave or collapse the sides. They were entertaining each other with comic book talk, or rather, she was listening to him go on and on about his love for Captain America. She was having fun debating him just because she liked watching him get all flustered about it. She left him for a moment to grab them some water and was surprised to see he was almost done when she returned.
"Okay, but Thor is the best Avenger. He is a literal god," Angela stated, handing him the bottle of water as she sat at the grave's edge, her legs dangling over the side.
Sack shook his head, taking a long sip of water as he did so. He closed the water bottle and tossed it back up at her before scooping up another shovel of dirt and setting it in the neat little pile beside the grave as she'd previously instructed. "No way, Ang. Captain America is. He's pure muscle. No super powers or any of the shit Thor has. He'd be nothing if he wasn't a god."
"Captain America is a science experiment. He has super powers too!"
"Whatever," he muttered, shaking his head again. "You're really not going to help?"
Angela shrugged a shoulder. Her arms were still aching from the first time she had to dig and fill the grave. "No sir. I already told you. I dug it the first time and filled it. Not doin' that shit again, especially not in this heat. I'm just here for quality control."
"This is so wrong," he said, frowning as he kept digging. "Feel like its bad luck or somethin'."
"Probably," she said on a laugh. "Welcome to your prospect year."
He glared up at her as if he wanted to throw something at her face. "Whatever," he muttered under his breath. His shovel hit the box. With a sigh, he pulled off the top and wrinkled his nose at the smell. "He's fuckin' huge, and he stinks! You couldn't get us someone...fresher?"
"He is fresh, but it's hot out. Bodies decompose faster in the heat. I can't work miracles," she explained on a shrug. Half Sack was too absorbed in what he was looking at to hear the Harleys coming, but she did. She didn't warn him, though, knowing the boys would have fun scaring the shit out of him.
Chibs ran over stealthily, leaning over the grave and shouting, "Hey! Beware the zombie bikers!"
Half-Sack practically jumped out of his skin. Angela laughed along with the other bikers, beaming when she saw her biker laughing along with them. Juice sat down beside her, pecking her cheek before jumping into the grave next to Sack and looking at the dead body. "How we gonna get him outta here, baby?" he asked, glancing up at her with the cutest look on his face.
She held out a hand to Jax. "Help me up, Teller. I got an idea."
Jax pulled her to her feet easily as Chibs shook his head. "Think we're gonna need a tow truck," he suggested.
"Nah. We can use the lowering device. It got him down there, should be able to get him up," she explained on a shrug. "C'mon, Jackson, you can help me grab it."
He groaned at the idea of having to do anything remotely helpful but trudged after her, hands in his pockets. "Where's our other dude?"
Angela unlocked the garage, lifting the door open, and looking around for the device. "He's in my work room. Juice knows how to move him."
Jax nodded, looking around the room that was filled with cardboard caskets. "This gonna cause a paperwork mess for you?"
She sighed heavily; she'd thought about that. It was going to look bad on their funeral home if it got into the newspapers, but she had a feeling it wouldn't harm the business. Not when they were the best funeral home with the lowest prices in a twenty mile radius. "Eventually. It'll take awhile to identify this guy. I'll report him missing to PD tomorrow say some assholes raided the cemetery at night," she explained on a smirk. "Any particular group to blame it on?"
"Nah, you can make it ambiguous. And the other one? We're stealin' him from your work room."
Angela thought it through a little before she came up with an idea. "Maybe you guys can come by later? Make it look like a break in without...breaking anything expensive?"
Jax smirked and nodded. "We'll figure something out."
"How's Abel doin'?" Angela asked, grabbing the device and pulling it out. He went to grab it from her, but she held it tightly, waiting for his answer. If he took it, he'd walk away without another word.
"Still in the toaster. Went to visit earlier today. Tara said it looks promising though," he answered begrudgingly.
She nodded, narrowing her eyes at him a bit. "How are you doin'?"
"Don't start with the feelin's shit, Ruiz. I don't wanna get into it," he said, pulling on the metal poles of the device. She held tightly to it, giving him an expectant look. He sighed heavily, raking a hand through his hair. "Feels like this is all karma for leavin' Wendy while she was pregnant. I knew she was avoidin' the appointments and shit, but I didn't think she was usin'."
"Yeah," she said, feeling a little guilty herself for not checking in on her. She let go, letting him take the device from her. "How're things goin' with Tara?"
Jax smirked, and she knew exactly how they were going. "Good, I think. Talk almost daily now. Feels close to how we were before. She say anythin' to you?"
"Maybe," she said on a shrug as she grabbed an extra body bag. She had, in fact, talked to Tara. The doctor had mentioned she and Jax had some kind of moment the night before when he went to the hospital after whatever happened with the Mayans to see his son. Tara had run into him, and they'd shared what she had called 'an intense hug'...whatever that meant. Then Tara saw the blood on Jax's shirt and was reminded of all the club shit she'd tried so hard to get away from when she'd left Charming, so she'd pushed him away. It was always three steps forward and two steps back for the two of them. "Maybe stop showin' up to the hospital covered in blood."
He grimaced. "Yeah, that wasn't good."
"Nope," she agreed, walking with him towards the plot. Juice and Chibs were still teasing a very ashen looking Sack when they approached.
Juice grinned at her, his smile nearly knocking her off her feet as he climbed out of the hole. "What're we doin' with this?" he asked, gloved hands on his hips as he looked down at Sack.
"These straps need to go under him, and then we can crank him up," she explained, directing them on how to set it up. She handed Chibs the big black body bag. "Stretch this out and you guys can roll him in. The rest is up to you. I'm gonna go into my office and pretend I know nothin' about any of this. Can you guys put the device back in storage for me when you're done? At least make it look like it was a grave robbing or somethin'?"
"Anythin' you need, love," Chibs replied on a nod.
"Good luck, boys with whatever this is," she said, gesturing towards the body. She kissed Juice's cheek quickly before heading towards the funeral home, hoping helping them wasn't going to blow up in her face later.
~'~'~'~
Juice came home with his envelope filled with cash in his cut pocket. Unbeknownst to his brothers, he'd been using the funeral home to help launder the cash. It was just enough money not to be suspicious, and Angela didn't seem to mind helping. She was on the couch when he opened the door, her laptop on her lap as some silly reality TV show was muted on the television. Her phone was pressed to her ear, and she was laughing with someone. She waved to him as he entered. "Hey you!" she called before going back to her conversation. "No, not you, Ro. Juice just came home."
"Hey baby," he murmured, leaning over the couch to kiss her cheek. He tossed the envelope on her lap before sitting down beside her. "Got some cash for us."
"Sweet. Hold on a sec, Ro," she said, putting the call on hold. She wrinkled her nose in the cutest way. "Shit, did you climb in the bag with the guy? You stink!"
"Somethin' like that." Juice grimaced, his body still aching from when he dived on top of the dead guy in the back of the moving suburban Jax was driving while running away from the cops. The guy really did stink, but he hadn't realized the smell had lingered on his clothes. He got off the couch with a grunt, turning his nose to smell his shirt; she was right, he stunk. "Thought you were used to the smell."
"Yeah, but not on you," she shot back, waving him away. "Go shower. Leave the clothes out, I'm puttin' those straight in the washer."
"Yes ma'am!" he exclaimed, leaning over the couch to smack another kiss to her cheek. He took his cut off first, hanging it up by the door as Angela started up her conversation with her friend again. It sounded like Rosa was telling one hell of a story.
He got an idea and stepped in front of Angela, catching her attention. With a wink, he pulled his shirt off and over his head, twirling it around like a lasso. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing, shaking her head as he started to strip for her. He threw the shirt at her, and she couldn't contain her laughter. "No, no, I'm not laughing at you! 'm sorry, I'm listenin' I swear! Just...Juice is trying to strip for me," Angela explained to Rosa, her dark eyes sparkling with laughter.
He triumphed at the fact he got her to laugh. That he could hear Rosa laughing on the other end. "You told me to take my clothes off!" he exclaimed with a grin, throwing the shirt at her face.
She gasped, immediately throwing the shirt back at him. "Ew! Get outta here! Go get clean, stinky!"
He chuckled, grabbing his shirt off the floor and slinging it over his shoulder as he headed back to their room. As he walked away, he heard her tell Rosa, "He's such a goof. Yeah, 'm really happy, Ro. Haven't been this happy in a long time."
A sense of pride filled him at her words; all he wanted was for her to be happy, to make her happy because she made him happy. He walked into their room, not surprised to see the bed was still neatly made as it usually was when he left after she did. He didn't know how she managed to slip out from underneath him without waking him, but she always did. Sometimes she'd leave him a note or a lipstick kiss on the mirror for him before she went to work. He always cleaned off the mirror right away; he hated the mess of it, but the sentiment never failed to make those stupid butterflies flutter in his stomach.
He showered fast, pulling on a pair of pants and a tank before he headed back to the living room. She was off the phone now and in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she watched the oven timer in front of her. The smell of pizza filled the air, and his stomach grumbled in response. "I know, I know, I'm supposed to be playing Susie Homemaker and cooking dinner tonight, but I'm so fuckin' sore from digging all day that I just...couldn't," Angela muttered without looking at him, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. She looked up at him, her dark eyes slightly worried as if she were afraid she'd actually offended him. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," he said on a shrug as he leaned against the counter beside her. "Like my Angel way more than whoever this Susie chick is."
"Good," she said on a sigh of relief. He leaned in to kiss her softly, cupping the side of her face with his hand, thumb trailing over her warm cheek. She pulled away, leaning into his side, her head on his shoulder as he draped an arm over her shoulders. Nuzzling her cheek against his skin, she moved her arms around his waist.
They stood there in a comfortable silence, watching the numbers on the timer tick by, both of them exhausted from their days and leaning on each other for support. It was something they did often as friends in New York. Of course, they weren't wrapped up in each other like this back then, but they'd spent many a night on the roof of her apartment building just sitting beside each other in quiet contemplation. He loved those nights. They were what had cemented their friendship, what made him fall deeper in love with her. He pressed his lips to her forehead, hoping she knew how much she meant to him. How much he appreciated her constant support.
The oven timer went off, and she sighed heavily. With a smirk, he kissed her forehead again, nudging her away gently. She went to the oven, and he went to the cupboard, grabbing some plates and a wine glass while she cut the pizza. He poured some red wine into a glass for her, kissing her temple when he moved around her to grab a bottle of beer for himself from the fridge.
Silently, they headed towards the couch with the food and the drinks. Both of them falling into their usual seats. She angled herself towards him after she set the pizza down on the coffee table, moving her legs over his lap. He handed her the glass of wine, clinking his beer against it before taking a sip of it at the same time she took a sip of hers. His phone buzzed on the side table, and he checked it with a smirk. A text from Chibs, asking how to get into the funeral home without setting off any alarms. He explained it quickly before snapping the little phone closed. "The guys are fuckin' up your place right now. Should be able to call it in tomorrow."
Angela sighed, bobbing her head in a nod. "Good. Skeeter kinda knows what's happening, so he'll call it in tomorrow. I already pulled all the tapes out of the cameras 'fore I left."
God, she was smart. He hadn't even thought of the security cameras they had around the funeral home. "Good thinkin'."
She shrugged a shoulder. "Police won't be surprised either. They hadn't been hooked up in years. I was the one that got them working."
"That's my girl," he said, folding his slice of pizza in half before taking a big bite. They ate in silence for a moment. "Tell me something good about your day," he requested.
She thought for half a second. "I got to see you," she answered, a light blush coloring her cheeks as she picked a pepperoni off her pizza. "You?"
His own cheeks flushed at the sweetness of her answer, his heart skipping a beat. She gave him shit for being mushy, but she could be just as cheesy when given the opportunity. "Got to see you."
"You can't use the same thing."
"Not the same thing. You were happy to see me, I wasn't happy to see me, I was happy to see you," he pointed out, grinning triumphantly when she laughed.
"Goof." She leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Hey, Gemma invited us over for dinner tomorrow."
That was surprising; Gemma usually went through him to ask them over for dinner. "No shit?"
"Uh-huh. I'm to bring dessert, and if I forget, she'll murder me," she said with a shrug, a playful smirk on her face.
Juice chuckled, shaking his head at her. "She did not say that."
"She may as well have," Angela commented, shrugging again. "Gotta make somethin' to impress her. Thinkin' somethin' basic like...chocolate chip cookies or cheesecake or somethin'."
He wrinkled his nose. He loved her baking, but she had way better recipes than that basic shit. "Make the torticas that your aunt does. That lime shit is amazing. Blow them all away."
"Hmmm, that's not a bad idea," she contemplated, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. "Been wanting to make some kind of like tequila infused drizzle or something. Spice it up a bit. My aunt won't ever let me play with the recipe."
Juice loved how her eyes sparkled when she was excited about something. He nodded slowly. "Love that," he commented, meeting her gaze after a moment. "You're beautiful. You know that, right?"
She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head, though the blush to her cheeks made him smile. "Shut up and finish your pizza, goofy."
~'~'~'~
Little fluff. Very different from how things started in Hands All Over, which made it all the more fun to write. ;)
So...I met Theo Rossi a few weekends ago at a Fan Expo, and let me just say, this man is the kindest person. So sweet and genuine. I absolutely loved him and appreciated that he took the time to talk with me. :) Just wanted to share that because I know y'all would understand my excitement! I swear I almost died when he smiled at me!! >.<
Anyway, thank you all for reading!! Let me know what you think!!
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