It was one of Samcros typical Friday night parties and this time Cassie was able to join them since her shift wouldn't start before tomorrow afternoon, which meant she could have some drinks, sleep in and still make it to work without a hangover.

The last two days Happy wanted her to stay home and call in sick until she was feeling completely like herself again. In her eyes he overreacted a little, yet she knew he was just worried about her and giving her the order to stay home was just his way of showing her how much he cared.

Knowing he only did it out of love made her give in and call in sick but she really had to go back tomorrow. Mainly because she really felt a lot better. The headache and body aches were gone and apart from the disgust she felt at the thought of Kyle touching her while she was defenseless, she was fine.

The brunette still hasn't asked Happy for details. To know and remember what Kyle did was enough to know, she didn't want more details⸺ if there even was more.

Sitting here on her Old Man's lap with his arm possessively draped around her waist helped her to forget about all the shitty things that happened in the last few days and weeks. This just felt like a reward, which she enjoyed to the fullest.

While Happy was involved in a conversation about Harleys with Jax, James, Chibs and Juice, who sat at the table with them, she had a lighthearted conversation with Tara, which was kind of weird. Tara wasn't the person for such conversations, yet the doctor seemed actually relaxed and comfortable tonight. Something that didn't happen often when she was around the clubhouse.

“Why didn't you continue studying if you had such good grades? You could easily have made it as a doctor”, Tara stated, surprised about how good Cassie was back in school and nursing school.

When she first met James' younger sister and saw how she dressed and looked, Tara never thought she was one of the smart women and more like a party girl. Well, which Cassie was⸺ but she was also smart enough to become a doctor and Tara just couldn't understand how the younger brunette could be happy with just being a nurse. However, not everyone was fixated on a great career and she had to accept that.

“Because I never wanted to be a doctor”, Cassie shrugged with a small smile, sipping on her drink. “I'm grateful for all the people who decided to become a doctor but my dream was always to be a nurse. And that's what I became.”

“Well, I can tell you that you are a great nurse. Everyone at St. Thomas is happy to have you around. Good for us, bad for Tacoma. Can't believe they fired you”, Tara shook her head slightly as she nervously played with the sticker on the bottle of beer in her hand. “How are you doing?”

Cassie noticed the sudden change in Tara, how nervous she got once again. The doctor checked on her for the last two days, always paid her a visit after her shift was over. Maybe it was just kindness but something felt off but Cassie couldn't tell what it was. But the interest Tara had in her well-being since the incident with Kyle was just weird.

“I'm doing fine. Why are you suddenly so worried about me?”, Cassie asked with a frown.

“Because I'm sure it's not a good feeling to be assaulted, just wanted to make sure you're doing okay”, Tara retorted quickly, putting on a smile.

“I'm okay”, the brunette assured the doctor with a raised brow, a polite smile on her face. “It could've been worse.”

Tara sighed but nodded eventually. “I know, but what happened to you is bad enough.”

The doctor still felt like shit. Helping Kayla with her plan was one thing she regretted, especially now that she saw what a kind and sweet person Cassie actually was. She had her flaws, especially the weed smoking part was still something Tara didn't like, but otherwise the Connor woman was pretty nice.

Also the fear of Kayla speaking up to tell everyone that she was involved in the plan scared the shit out of her and gave her sleepless nights. Jax would lose his shit if he'd ever find out and so would James. But who she feared the most was Happy now that Cassie and him were officially a couple. The Tacoma Killer was someone you just didn't want to mess with.

Cassie cleared her throat, shrugging. “It is what it is. Why don't we talk about other things?”

The brunette hated to admit it, but the incident didn't leave her untouched. She acted all tough, like she didn't care much, but deep down she knew she wasn't so strong. The things Kyle and Kayla had done behind her back made her question her knowledge of human nature. Trusting people was never much of a problem, she always gave them a chance if they were nice to her. Now she wasn't so sure anymore if she was able to trust so easily again.

Only Happy and sometimes her brothers were lucky enough to get to see her vulnerable side. In front of others she still and would always pretend that everything was fine and as if she was one strong woman.

“Yeah, sure”, Tara smiled politely and put her bottle aside. “Do you miss Tacoma? I mean, you lived your whole life there.”

“God yes, I do”, the brunette chuckled, seeing no reason to lie about this. “I still have to get used to the heat here. And I noticed the first light earthquake last week. I knew Cali had them but it was still kind of scary.”

“Yeah..the earthquakes”, Tara nodded in agreement, a brief laugh leaving her lips. “That's why I loved Chicago so much. No earthquakes, no fires and the summers were bearable. But I hated being cold all the time in winter.”

“Mh, yeah, winters aren't really my thing either”, Cassie hummed, bringing her glass up to her lips again to take a sip of her whiskey. “But it does look pretty when everything is covered in snow.”

“Until it looks like shit a day later after people ruined it”, Tara laughed lightheartedly.

“Did I just hear the word shit coming out of the perfect doctor's mouth?”, Cassie teased with a smirk.

“I'm not as uptight as everyone thinks”, Tara winked.

While the two women were talking, Happy was focused on the conversation he had with the guys, yet he kept listening to what the two women were talking about. He didn't trust Tara but he knew how easily Cassie trusted people. His Old Lady was just too good for this world, which is why he kept an eye on them.

“You okay, little girl?”, he rasped in her ear as he gave her small waist a gentle squeeze after Tara excused herself for a moment.

“I am”, she replied with a smile and wrapped and arm around his neck before pecking his lips, earning glares from some Croweaters who were brimming with envy. One more reason to steal another kiss from her man.

“Stop”, he groaned softly and grabbed her wrist as she let her hand slip under his shirt just enough for her fingernails to caress his abs. “Your outfit is a tease already, no reason for you to tease me even more.”

“I didn't even do anything”, she looked at him innocently but she knew exactly that the slightest touch from her could drive him crazy already.

“You really wanna play this game tonight, little girl?”, he asked huskily, a lustful gleam in his darkening eyes while his hand slid up her thigh and shoved her black leather skirt upwards only to expose more of her in fishnet tights covered thighs, which made her bite down on her lip.

“Maybe I do”, she whispered seductively against his lips, letting the tip of her tongue slowly glide over his bottom lip. The others were distracted and even if someone would watch them she knew that they didn't care. Tig was close to fuck a petite blonde on the black leather couch in a crowded clubhouse, what she did was harmless, almost innocent compared to that.

Just when Happy buried his hand in her long waves and was about to crash his lips onto hers, two police officers stroded into the clubhouse and had everyone's attention immediately. Happy grunted in annoyance, wondering what these idiots wanted from them this time.

Jax stepped forward after he motioned the prospect to turn off the music, a cigarette hanging between his lips as he eyed the two men who looked at him with a judgemental look.

“Anything I can do for you? Or did you just want to go to a good party?” The cocky smile on his face didn't help to make him look more sympathetic, the opposite was the case. Jax' arrogance just pissed them off more.

“We're looking for James Connor, is he around?”, one of them asked unabashed.

“That's me. What do you want?” The oldest Connor stepped out of the crowd. His gaze unimpressed and his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't know what to be afraid of, so he stayed calm.

Jax, like a loyal Pres should be, never left James' side. Happy tapped his Old Lady's leg to motion her to stand up. She quickly slid off his lap and let Happy join his brothers. She swallowed softly as she watched the scene unfold and wondered what they could want from her brother. Lyla came to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist as she saw how nervous the younger Connor sibling got.

“We have to take you to the station. There is a suspicion that you violently abused your wife and child last night. You're under arrest for now”, the other police officer explained, a smug grin appeared on his face as he watched James' face drop.

Cassie gasped in shock at the news, her heart felt like it would stop for a moment and the concern for her niece almost drove her mad.

“What the hell?! I didn't do shit”, he exclaimed furiously.

Shocked looks fell on James, mostly from the women, but none of them dared speak out. The men, however, just talked wildly and tried to convince the cops that James was innocent.

“That's bullshit! My brother would never hurt a woman or a child, let alone his own”, Cassie seethed angrily at them after she freed herself from Lyla's hold and rushed over to her brother's side.

“Oh yeah, and what's that?” The taller Cop pointed at the scratches all over James' neck and the bruised knuckles. “Seems like he's not so innocent after all.”

James started to panic. Not because he was about to get arrested but because he had no idea who hurt his child. He didn't care much about Kayla. But the fact that someone laid their hands on Lily almost made him throw up. His eyes dropped, fixed on the bruised knuckles, which came from a fight between him and a brother in the ring yesterday. The scratches, however, were Kayla's. The visit he gave her was only two days ago so yes, they still looked pretty fresh.

Fuck, that really made things more complicated and harder to explain.

“Where is my daughter?”, he asked darkly, his eyes fell back on the tall man. “I need to see my daughter!”

“I don't think you have a right to see your daughter at the moment, Sir. Turn around”, the man ordered strictly.

“You can't just take him with you, man”, Jax huffed as he put a hand James' shoulder just like Happy did.

“He was with us the whole time, you can't do shit”, the SAA grunted, clearly pissed at the two officers.

“Yes, we can. And if you give us trouble, we'll just arrest all of you”, the shorter one flashed Happy a brief smirk, waking up the beast inside him with that cocky behavior.

Cassie quickly got in front of him to keep Happy from punching the man. She didn't need her man and brother getting arrested. “Let that idiot talk”, she told him softly. Her hands rested on his chest, which heaved rapidly up and down.

“I'll go with them, it's fine. I have nothing to hide”, James assured his brothers, his eyes then landing on his sister. “Check on Lily for me, okay? I need to know who did this to her!”

“Of course”, the brunette nodded quickly and threw her arms around his neck, standing on tip toes to whisper something in his ear. “Don't say too much, I'll get you a lawyer.”

“Take care of you and Benny until I'm back, okay?” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed the top of her head, sighing to himself as the scent of her perfume filled his nostrils. He hated to leave her with all the responsibilities but her and Happy were the only ones Benny would want to stay with while he's gone.

“Of course. I love you”, her voice shook as she spoke and a big lump formed in her throat.

“Love you, too”, he smiled bravely and looked over at Happy. “Keep an eye on my sister.”

“Always. We'll get you out of there soon”, Happy nodded at him and pulled the brunette close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist from behind.

“You sure about this?”, Jax raised a brow.

“It's not like I have a chance”, James let out a humorless laugh before he held out his hands for the Cops to handcuff him. “Do me a favor and make sure Kayla doesn't leave town.”

The blonde nodded silently and patted James' back brotherly before running a hand through his slicked back hair. His eyes landed on Tara who stood in the back with her arms wrapped around her body and her face chalk white.

They watched James getting dragged out of the clubhouse like he was some dangerous criminal. After the door was slammed shut, Cassie turned in Happy's arms and buried her face in his chest. A deep hatred towards Kayla guided Cassie's emotions and she would definitely pay her sister in law a visit later. Whoever hurt Lily would pay for it.