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Mack laughed darkly, and then he was offlot all casual, like he hadn’t just threatened ot into an SUV and drove off

Then I moved

Knees weak, I put one foot in front of the other and went back into the bar in a daze I walked right past the bar, and I thought I heard so I went into the office and sat on the first available place to sit The leather made a funny sound as I dropped down on the couch Hands shaking, I placed theainst my clammy forehead, and forced ood

"Calla?" Roxy called from the door Like an idiot, I hadn’t closed it "Are you okay?"

I didn’t lift my head or say a word, because I was pretty sure if I did either I would literally lose my shit All I did was shake ood shake or a bad shake

Roxy didn’t speak again, and I squeezedto do now? I had no idea wherefor her, and I had this horrible sinking feeling a et delivered, because I’d never been able to find my mom in the past when she disappeared, so noouldn’t be any different

Maybe I really should’ve left like Jax and Clyde had told

"Calla?" This time it was Jax’s voice and he was closer than Roxy had been I could tell he was right in front of , because the boy was Godzilla sized "What’s going on?"

When I didn’t respond iure out what the hell I could say, I felt his hands circle ently pulled the in front offace was pinched with concern

He o of one of ht cheek "Talk toto worry me"

That much was true His eyes were darker than normal and his jaas set in a hard line Our eyesto do because I could not handle this mess on my own I knew that There was no way "Mack was here He was outside when I went out there I guess he’d been waiting for aze sharpened and his shoulders hunched "He approached you"

"Yeah," I said in a dry laugh

His features hardened, telling h was funny It wasn’t

"He said that I needed to findwas my problem And he said that if Mo to be my problem" As I spoke, Jax’s face literally locked down No e His expression was bland, but it was as cold as an arctic blast "He said that I would becoht tremble in his hand and then Jax dropped it as he rose quickly He took a step back A e," I said, e he was talking about"

He stared atflickered across his face, and the whole ated Tension poured like the rain had earlier "I’ kill hi my hands "Okay I don’t think that would be the appropriate response"

"He threatened you?" he shot back

"Well, yeah, but"

"He threatened hat I fking think he did?" Although I didn’t confirht it would also be a perfect ot it "And he threatened you on round, but whatever "Jax"

"Did he touch you?" he asked, and I sucked in a breath

I shook my head "No Not really"

"Not really?" His voice was low, hitting a pitch that was beyond cal okay?"

"Not now," Jax spit those tords out in a way that would’ve sent aze bouncing between us, obviously reading that so Jax wasn’t a good idea I probably should’ve just gone straight to the police, because he was looking like he wanted to give soood old-fashioned redneck justice I sed hard "Mack had a knife"

"Shit," muttered Nick

Jax stiffened, like his back went raht "Did he hurt you?"

"No," I whispered "All he did was threaten lanced at Nick, but he was like Jax, alert and ready I lowered my voice "He said he would even out my face if I screamed"

There was a moment of silence and then Jax absolutely exploded Like a bottle rocket "Son of a bitch!" he shouted, and I juonna kill that motherfucker"

"Jax, jail time really isn’t what you have in your four-year plan," Nick said, and dumbly I wondered if Jax really had a four-year plan, and I’d also stupidly realized this was the most I’d ever heard Nick speak at one ti sharply to Nick, and they did know Clyde had warned me Jax had warned me They’d said that Mom had been messed up in some bad shit, and they had said that shit would spread to ht it was this bad; even with the heroin, I hadn’t realized it was like this I’d beenpissed off at Moone back to Shepherd I should’ve called Teresa and asked if I could crash at her place I should’ve gotten the hell out of Dodge

Should’ve Could’ve Would’ve

Truth was, though, even if I had known fro that it was seriously this bad, I wasn’t sure I would’ve left knohat Mom was messed up in I probably would’ve tried to find her the first day here if I’d realized it was this bad Find her, steal money, and send her on a one-way ticket to anywhere but here

Jax twisted, thrusting a hand through his hair "Knowing it was going to happen and seeing it go down are two different fking things, Nick"

"I know," he replied quietly, way quietly