Black nodded at Tillman's words, his hand never leaving Tallis' back. He had to protect her. At all cost, no matter what. "You have a week, Tillman." President Black paused, his full attention on Jeremy Tillman. "When your week is over we execute him and anyone else you find is involved. No vote. No one spared. Does anyone have a goddamn problem with that decision?" He glared at those sitting around the table, daring them to speak their minds.

The room was silent, the members refusing to look at their President. No one was that stupid.

"Yeah, I have a problem with it." It was Tallis that spoke up. "Tillman just said that an execution would cause a bloodbath, did you miss that, dad? I've seen how the boys of Cherokee City operate first hand, and you aren't prepared. They're fucking ruthless. A civil war will bring us to our knees, and then Cherokee will shove their cock in our mouth...and I've personally had enough of having their cocks shoved in my mouth."

Had Tallis been her mother, he would have gladly smacked the shit out of her. Black ran his tongue over his teeth as he thought. "Even after everything he's done to you...you still protect him. I thought I had raised you better. Were three hospital trips not enough for you?" He knew, and had for a long fucking time. Black couldn't have killed him for wat he did to Tallis, but he could sure as hell kill him for treason and betrayal. "Did the baseball bat to the head damage your ability to think?" Anger was speaking for him by now, and he knew he would regret it all in the morning.

"Fuck you, old man, I'm not protecting anyone. Execute him if you want, but don't be surprised when your plan gets you fucked in the ass." She left it at that before storming out of the conference room. Her father had never spoken to her like that. It was almost as if her heart of ice was beginning to shatter.

Jeremy knew that he couldn’t act upset at the exchange between Black and Tallis; it’d be too suspicious. He leaned his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands until they stopped and she stormed out of the room. “We done here, Black?” Jeremy sighed, not letting his facial expressions give him away. “Aye,” Black replied, as he hit the gavel once more on the table and everyone fled the room. It was tense inside, making Jeremy feel like he was choking.

He saw Tallis walking in the parking lot towards his bike, and he jogged after her until he caught up to her. He grabbed her arm, making sure it wasn’t too tight, and turned her to face him. She was upset and teary eyed, and although he couldn’t shake the mood he was in, he wrapped his arms around her and buried her face in his chest. “You know I’m going to kill Cameron, right, Tallis?” he asked with his chin on top of her head. “I’m going to wait ‘til the right time, but I have to do it.” He grabbed her ass, then released her from his grip and looked down at her, using his thumbs to wipe away some of the makeup trailing down her face. “I think you need a shot,” he smiled.

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

As soon as Solomon got out of the meeting, he whipped out his phone to text Kaci. "K, things aren't safe right now. You shouldn't be by yourself. Where are you?" He slipped his phone back in his pocket as he walked behind the bar. "I need a beer," he whispered to himself as he searched the bar for a Yuengling. As soon as he found one, he popped the top off and nearly chugged all of it.

“You know I’m going to kill him, right, Tallis?” He could say that all he wanted, but Tallis knew that Cameron was her's to kill. No one would take that from her, not even the man that was trying his best to protect her. Tallis wrapped her arms around him, only letting him go when his hands left her ass. "I think I need six or seven shots, actually."

What she really needed was to drink until she couldn't remember what had brought tears to her eyes.

_____________________________

"I'm at home, come by if you want." Kaci hit send as she collapsed on her bed face first, screaming into the mattress. Tallis' words were eating at her, causing a knot of anxiety in her chest. Would Solomon really leave her once he had gotten his fill? Was she that easily discarded? All the women that Jeremy saw were, so why would she be any different? "Actually, please stop by, we need to talk." She needed to get this off her chest or she would explode.

___________________________

Tallis' arms were folded on the bar, her head resting on them like they were uncomfortable pillows. Strippers danced around them, but they didn't even register in Tallis' word. She was drunk as hell and it was only 5:30. Her words were slurred as she spoke, "Tillman, I think I wanna go back to your house now. These strippers fucking suck!" Her statement earned her glares. "I could do better than allllllllllllll these bitches!" What an idea; her father did own Lipstick's after all. So technically she could do whatever the hell she wanted her. And right now she wanted to swing around a pole. She took another shot before stripping down to just her thong, making her way to the pole with a surprising amount of grace.

“Jesus, Tallis,” he laughed as he saw her crawl up on the bar and get undressed. Jeremy’s realized that he probably doesn’t get as jealous as he should. He knew Tallis had made her way mostly through both charters, and now she was up here swinging around on a pole, but it just didn’t matter to him. He even went as far to take a crisp $100 bill and slip it in to her waist band. He laughed and took his last shot. He was drunk, and the thought of him being in the dimly lit bar any longer just made him want to pass out. He took a small bump out of his pocket with his key, and he shook his head at the taste dripping down the back of his throat. He leaned over the bar so that Tallis could hear him and said, “Let’s go.” He held his hand out to help her off the stage that the bar wrapped around. He already had her clothes in his hands.

Seeing her so drunk made him remember the days when Taylor and Jeremy had recently turned 21, and the three of them would drink until the sun came up, chain smoking cigarettes and telling stories on the Black's roof.

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

The first text from Kaci made Solomon excited, but that was quickly stolen by the second text. “Aw fuck,” he mumbled. ”Is she mad at me? Is she pregnant? Do I suck in bed?” The last thought made him laugh as he went downstairs and got on his bike. As he approached her house, he parked down the block just in case Jeremy was there. When he noticed he wasn’t, he slipped through the front door and up the stairs, lightly knocking on Kaci’s door. “K? I’m here.” He saw her on her bed, and he went and sat at the end of it. “What’s wrong, K?” He took one of her feet in her hands and rubbed it slowly.

"Where are we going?!" Tallis was leaning towards Jeremy so that he could hear her, her fake boobs practically pressed into his face. At least it was a pleasant one. She gladly took his hand, though, using it to steady herself as she hopped down from the stripper's stage. All of her grace had been wasted on swinging around the pole and she nearly faceplanted into Jeremy well-muscled chest. "Are we going home? I want to have some fuuuuuuuun." She wiggled her brows at him before starting to grope him. It was important that he knew she wanted him. All of him. Naked and on top of her. Her nails kissing the soft flesh of his shoulders.

God, she wanted him right here and now. He was better than anyone else she had been with, and she had been with a lot.

_______________________

Kaci had never liked someone touching her feet, but she had never minded when it was Solo. "Talking to Tallis always puts me in a bad mood, and it didn't help that Jeremy lost his shit on me today." She sighed as she absentmindedly began scrolling through her gallery on her phone. Most of the pictures were of her and Solo. They brought a smile to her pretty face. "Tallis basically told me that I don't have what it takes to be your old lady, and I'm starting to think that she's right. You need someone like her...someone with a heart of ice." Just talking about this put a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Easy, tiger,” Jeremy chuckled, pulling her shirt over her head. He handed her the jeans she had peeled off earlier and waited for her to put them on. He looked at her, clearly being engulfed by her seduction. He kissed her slowly and then reached for the wallet for his pants. He left enough on the counter to cover the tab and tip and threw his arm around her shoulder. “We can go home, darlin’,” he breathed the words into her ear as they both slowly made their way out of the club. He seductively placed his hand around her neck and squeezed as he kissed her one last time before exiting.

Jeremy reached into the pocket of his cut and pulled out two cigarettes. He lit them both at the same time and handed one to Tallis as he heard the sound of a motorcycle riding down the street the club faced. Figuring it was someone from the club, he looked on innocently until he saw different patchwork on the cut that the biker was wearing. This made him tilt his head in drunk confusion until he saw the gun the biker was holding. Jeremy pushed Tallis down onto the ground and reached for the gun secured at his lower back, but he was too late. One shot hit his abdomen and another at the top of his arm. He flew back, making a loud thud on the ground as the driver sped off. He grunted as he pulled up his shirt, revealing the vest that absorbed the bullet to the stomach. But his arm began to drip out on to the sidewalk as he laid there for a moment. He laughed for a moment before looking back at Tallis, who was still on the ground. “You alright, love?”

-------------------------------------------------
Kaci’s words made him frown as she spoke. As she finished, he crawled up in between her legs, resting his arms and head on her stomach. “Oh, K,” he sighed. “I don’t want some hardened old lady. I don’t want someone who doesn’t flinch at the talk of cocaine and murder,” he laughed. “You must think I’m some tough guy, but I’m really not. You’ve heard me have nightmares. I’ve never killed someone. I’ve cried when a girl has dumped me.” He smiled and looked up at her. “But I will kill you if you tell anyone that.” He made his way up further until he kissed her, and then rolled to the side of her. “Don’t let Tallis get you down.”

Tallis crawled towards Jeremy, placing his head on her lap so she could inspect his wound. "I think we're going to have to cut your arm off, honey." She giggled at her poor excuse of a joke before kissing Tillman softly. Despite how uncomfortable the ground was, she could have stayed there with him forever and ever.

__________________________

She curled up next to Solo, resting her head on his chest so she could listen to the sound of his beating heart. It was the sweetest song she had ever heard. "That's easier said than done, Solomon." A sigh escaped her bright red lips. Her head was swimming. There were so many things on her mind, she was beginning to feel like she had found her breaking point. Another earth-shattering sigh bubbled forth. "I don't know about you, but I could really use something to take my mind off of things." She wiggled her eyebrows in false seduction. "I was thinking we could order Chinese! Because I'm too tired to do anything else. Sorry." For the first time in what felt like forever, Kaci laughed.

_______________________

Jeremy and Tallis stumbled into his home, laughing so loudly that they could have woken up the dead. Tallis looked around in a state of drunken confusion. How did they get back here? Why was Jeremy's shirt? Was her shirt on backward? As the questions dropped into her mind, she began to laugh. Their night together had been a blur, but she was sure that it had been a wild time. It was just like the glory days when Taylor was still alive. The three of them would go to Lipstick's every Friday night and would only leave when they had been kicked out. "You're bleeding. We should probably shower, because I'm sure there's blood on me too." There wasn't, but she needed an excuse to be naked with him. She pressed herself against him, rubbing her hand up and down while biting her bottom lip.

"I promise I won't be too loud, baby."

"Why do women love to tease me?" He said jokingly and nodded to her request at Chinese. He felt so calm with Kaci laying on him, until he heard what sounded like two elephants stampeding into the house. Being as skittish as he was, Solomon jumped out of bed. "Jesus Christ, K... He's home."

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

Jeremy and Tallis slowly and passionately made their way up the stairs, and everything felt right. Shit, Tillman had a bullet in his arm and for that moment didn't care, until he heard a man's voice upstairs. He drunkenly shushed Tallis and signaled for her to stay in the staircase while he quietly climbed the remaining two steps.

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

"Fuck, what do I do? What do I do?" Solomon panicked, searching the room for some sort of hiding spot. In a last ditch attempt, he began to crawl under the bed as the door swung open. Solomon paused for a moment and slowly stood up, ready to face the moment he'd been dreading for months.

"Solo, why the fuck are you here?" Jeremy slurred, already knowing the answer.
"Tillman, I... I'm sorry." Solomon couldn't make eye contact with him.
"Whatever, man. Fuck this. Fuck both of you," Jeremy said quietly as he left the room and stumbled into his.
His thoughts were racing as he slammed the door behind him and began searching for the bottle of whiskey that he knew was in his room. Once he located it, he popped the top and sat on the floor against the wall, taking swigs of the alcohol.

Surprisingly, the fact they were together didn't bother him as much as he thought it did. It was how they lied to him for whatever length of time. That they didn't feel like they could tell him. He didn't think he was being that unreasonable, not wanting his friend and brother in the club fucking his sister. That was normal. But, Jeremy's thoughts paused all at once. "Like Taylor felt about Tallis," he thought, as he finished the contents of the bottle and threw it across the room, letting it break on the wall. He remained quiet and let his head fall into his hands.

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

The work to find out who was supporting Cameron was underway, and all of he club members were on duty. Voodoo, who turned into a sort of technician for the club, reached out to their contact down at the station to get the audio recording from the phone call. Chip and DT took the unmarked van to follow Cameron around to see who he had connections with and who else could be turned into an enemy of the club. Prospects and other new club members offered their time to the old ladies and families members, escorting them to the grocery store or other simple errands.

Chip and DT followed Cameron for an hour or two until he started driving towards the docs. The van trailed behind him far enough to not tip him off, almost losing him for a little, but they caught up just as he pulled into the bay's parking lot. Chip scribbled down some notes as DT parked and took out two pairs of binoculars. Cameron was meeting with none other than Marvin Winters, Moira Winters' father. Before her and Jeremy got together, Marvin made a deal with the club to let them import and export narcotics and illegal weapons through some of the docks for a hefty fine. The relationship they had with Winters was over the three year mark.

DT got out his phone while Chip continued to watch. "Boss, he's with Winters."
"Aye. Thanks, boy." Black hung up and cursed. This discovery could mean a whole new set of problems for the boys.

"I told you this would happen," Tallis said te Kaci as she followed Tillman into his room at the sound of breaking glass. She had never seen him like this. Ever. It was going to take a lot more than sex and drugs to fix the way he was feeling now. Luckily, they had all the time in the world. She slid down the wall, resting her head on his good shoulder before sighing. "What are you thinking, baby?"

_____________

Kaci turned to Solo, black tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please leave, I want to be alone." Once Solo was out of the room, she slammed the door and fell back into bed. They had fucked up big time.

____________

Tallis and Jeremy had started spending all of their time at the clubhouse, only leaving long enough to go get take out or go home and shower. They had even resorted to having sex in Black's office while he was away. A dangerous game to say the least. Tallis was sitting on her father's desk, a cigarette of a different kind between her lips. "What did DT say?"

Black rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up at his daughter, he was beginning to look exhausted. "Cameron is meeting with Winters. That's a bad sign for us. We have to assume that everyone who meets wit Cameron is against us" He rested his large hand on Tallis' knee.

"How about Patty, Voodoo, and I pay that man a visit, hm?" His daughter was grinning like a demon.

"It'll have to be put to a vote if you plan to do him harm."

She shook her head, holding the smoke in her lungs while she spoke, "Nah, just going to have a nice little talk about business ethics." Tallis exhaled the smoke, withholding the fact that they would have Moira with them. And the fact that they would be breaking into his house. All minor details. Kinda.

_____________

Seven club members were parked outside the Winter residence, black bandanas covering their faces. They were waiting, but Tallis knew they wouldn't have to wait for long.

Solomon hadn’t had a good conversation with Kaci for a few days, usually only seeing her when he had to escort her out. This crushed Solomon; he had really began to fall for her, and now it was ruined. But, to be a gentleman, he gave her the space she needed until she was ready to talk. He also tried to avoid Tillman unless it was on club business, which wasn’t hard, since it seemed he was doing the same thing.

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

Spending time at the clubhouse was enjoyable to Jeremy as it felt like a second home. Having Tallis with him there made it even better. They never had a boring moment, whether they were completely sober and running errands, or high as kite huffing and puffing after an amazing round in Black’s office. Tallis had pulled the bullet out of his arm that night and patched him up, and he was healing slowly but surely. They found out that the unknown assailant was someone working with Cameron.

Jeremy knocked on Black’s office looking for Tallis. “She said she was with you, Tillman!” Black yelled as he stood up. “She said she’d take one of the guys with her to pick up something from the store, Black, I had no idea.” Jeremy quickly turned around and walked through the clubhouse to notice that seven of their men weren’t present. “Fuck,” he whispered as he lit a cigarette and attempted to call her. No answer.

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

Moira moved back in with her father, Marvin, on the other side of town. It had been a month since she left Jeremy, but he still occupied her almost every thought. She'd often lay in bed and try to piece together what exactly she had done wrong.

Jeremy and Moira met when Black tried to strike a deal with her dad. He owned a couple ports on the bay, and the boys of the RDMC wanted to move product in and out of the bay. Jeremy ended up being the smooth talker of the deal, and that made her fall for him. It started off as casual, he was only 23 and she was 25 at the time. But with enough effort on her end, they became a serious thing. She moved into his house 6 months later, and things were perfect. The sex, the adventure, and his love.
But after the year mark, Moira became annoyed of the club lifestyle. Jeremy would often come home injured or drunk as all hell, and Moira would get furious, throwing things and screaming at the top of her lungs for him to grow up. This caused him to start staying out later and more often, always "club business." But she had a hunch that he was cheating on her or avoiding her, and the main target of her blame for the relationship failing was Tallis.

After their two year anniversary, Moira found out that she was pregnant. She knew that Jeremy's dream was to be a father, and her anger swayed her decision in not giving him that satisfaction. Without telling a soul, Moira had an abortion. She never planned on telling him, until a collection agency called the house for the rest of the payment for the procedure. Their biggest fight erupted that night, resulting in Jeremy disappearing for three days, without even the club knowing where he went. She, to this day, had never found out where he was.

The next year was torture for both of them. Moira continued to pine for his love and affection, while Jeremy started to distance himself more than ever. He buried his pain in blow, whiskey, women and the club, often not even responding to her when she tried to start a fight. Sometimes, he'd stand as still as a statue while she slapped him repeatedly, trying to find out what was going on. One night, she came home early to see Tallis' motorcycle in the driveway. Her and Jeremy laid naked in her bed while she screamed at the top of her lungs things like, "I don't even want to see her, Tillman! Just get her the fuck out!" As Tallis left, Moira stared at her blankly, not even surprised as she already had her suspicions. "Goodbye, Tallis," she said emotionlessly as she walked out.

But Moira finally had enough, and she left Jeremy in the middle of the night. She had loved him too much to face him. He didn't bother to call after she left, which was the opposite of what she was hoping for. She wanted in to crawl back to him and beg for her return. She wanted to feel his heart break in her hands.

Moira was laying down and watching TV as she noticed it had gotten dark outside. She grunted as she got up and reached to close her curtains, when she saw something in the corner of her eye. She rubbed them for a second, her eyes adjusting to the darkness outside, when she saw 8 bikes downstairs. She slowly closed her curtains, pretending not to see them when she began to panic. "Shit, shit, shit," she repeated as she threw on a pair of sweats and her shoes. "Why are they here? I haven't seen Tillman in a month? I haven't done anything! What to they want?" She began to take deep breaths to calm herself down. She wouldn't be able to escape this during a panic attack. She thought a lot of things about Jeremy, but she never thought that he'd kill her.

Her fingers shook as she grabbed her phone and called her dad. "Dad, listen, the Devils are here," she said as she tried her best to calm the panic in her voice. "I don't know how long they've been there! I just saw them."

"Who do you think she's calling?" Voodoo asks, pulling down his bandana to smoke a cigarette.

Tallis looked back at him, hating having to take her eyes away from Moira's window. "Let's hope it's her daddy-o. I'm not in the mood to get arrested tonight." She turned her attention back to the window. Moira was still standing there in a panic. Tallis found no satisfaction in her fear, though. Memories were plaguing her. They had been friends once. Good friends. Well, acquaintances, really. But still. They had worked together at one of the local hole in the wall restaurants. Tilly's. They had hung out occasionally, but never anything serious.

But their friendship died the day Moira started dating Jeremy. She knew how Tallis felt about Tillman, because she had confided in her...but even through her anger, she could also see how she why Moira had fallen for him. He was handsome and charming. Dangerous and sexy. They were the same reasons she had fallen for him all those years ago, and fell for him still.

It was sweet revenge when Tallis started fucking him behind her back. When he screamed her name and she slept in their bed. And when Moira found them in bed together? The icing on her chocolate cake.

The sound of screeching tires pulled her from the memories past, bringing a smile to her blood red lips. Marvin Winters was finally here. "Marvin, Marvin, Marvin." She turned to face him, pulling down her bandana. Tallis was grinning like a demon. "Before you reach for your gun or your phone, you're going to hear us out...because we're being painfully civil. We waited outside your house and your daughter is still in one piece. That's civil by outlaw standards, but you're making us feel very...uncivil. You see, it's a bad idea go behind our backs and make deals with other people, because we're always going to find out. Drop all business with Cameron Williams or I promise we will be painfully uncivil next time we see you. We know where you live. We know where she works, and none of us are afraid to go to jail for murder. Some of us already have." Her threats were loaded. The way she saw it, it was Moira's life or her own...and she was rather partial to her own life.

Despite making it seem like he would be given the chance to speak, he was not granted that chance. The Red Devils started up the bikes before peeling out of the Winters' driveway, a few of them shooting off warning shots. They would be back, and next time there would be more.

___________

"Where the fuck have you been?" Black demanded as Tallis slid off Banshee.

"Out, we got food."

Jeremy waited at the bar for Tallis to return, finding that going after her wouldn’t be worth it. He took a shot of whiskey went he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. “Moira” flashed across the screen. “Women are going to be the death of me,” he mumbled as he answered the call.

“Moira? Hey.”
“Hey, Tillman. I’m sorry to call you. Eight of your bikes just left my house. They were camped out for a while.”
Jeremy sighed, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m sure it was just business with your dad. I didn’t send anyone.” He felt bad for her. She must have thought he was a monster to think he’d try to hurt her out of the blue. “I’ll make sure they don’t come to your house again.”
Moira’s voice began to shake as she let out a quiet, “Okay.”
“Take care of yourself, Moira,” he said gently as he hung up the phone.

As Jeremy finished the call, her heard Tallis and the rest of the crew come in the front. He stood up at the sound of Black yelling at her. Once they were done, Jeremy approached Tallis and said in his deep, gravelly voice, “We need to talk.” He pulled her away from the group of members over towards the bar. His facial expression looked like a mix between anger and confusion. “Moira called me. You went to her fucking house, Tallis?” He shook his head and poured another shot for himself in his glass. “I don’t want you involving her in club affairs. I put her through enough.”

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

Solomon laid in his bed, missing the warmth Kaci used to provide for him. He rolled over towards his nightstand and grabbed his phone. “K, I don’t think Tillman’s as mad as we think he is. I miss you. I need to see you soon.” He sighed and clicked send. He hated feeling this emotional over a woman. Why couldn’t he be like all the guys in the club? They just saw women as a warm body. He had yet to tell her, but he was in love with her.

Although Solomon was used to loss, it never came easy to him. After his mother died when he was only 10, his step-father gained full custody of him. Ray, an alcoholic and gambler, used to beat Solomon at any chance he got to discipline him. Whether it was spilling his drink or flunking a test, he was subjected to violence and neglect, being locked in the basement days at a time with little food. At the age of 14, Solomon devised a plan to escape from his step-father. He crushed an Ambien and dropped the powder into Ray’s beer, and that night, he took his backpack and left the house. Ray never bothered to file a missing person’s report, which led to his arrest when the school reported his absence.

When the police activity surrounding Ray and the abuse died down, Solomon went to stay with a cousin who lived near the clubhouse. That’s when he first saw the club, and he immediately was enamored by the lifestyle he saw. He started out as a prospect, doing grunt work like serving drinks and fixing up bikes. Most people would see this as an insult, but Solomon couldn’t get enough. Most of the club members treated him like a little brother. He began to grow close to Taylor and Jeremy, as they were around his age, and they all eventually got patched in.

Solomon always strived for the friendship that Taylor and Jeremy had, but he always fell short. He knew they had his back and loved his as one of their brothers, but he always had felt left out. After Taylor died and Jeremy began to lean on Solomon for support, it meant a lot to him. He’d take a bullet for him if it came to it.
This made what had happened with Kaci that much worse. He felt so bad for the pain he caused him, but he loved Kaci. Did that make it okay? Probably not. But he had to try to make things right between them.

Tallis stared at Tillman in disbelief, hurt and angry that he was siding with Moria after everything she had done to him. "Involve her? It's not my fault that she was there, that's not something I could know." She laughed and shook her head. "I can't believe this." Trying to hide the look of hurt on her pretty face, she began walking away.

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

"Tallis," he grabbed her arm and spun her around. "You can't be doing club shit behind everyone's back like this. I have Moira calling me freaking out. Black was up my ass asking why I wasn't with you. We're all on high alert, and you're running off with my guys showing up to Winter's house?" He sighed and put his rough hands on her small shoulders. "I need you to let me know what you're doing. I just want to keep you safe, and keep blood off of our hands."

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

"We didn't go there to kill him, we went there to talk. The only face he saw was mine." Tallis wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him, but she stopped herself before she got too close. She was hurt. "I know what I'm doing, Jeremy. I'm protecting myself...and I don't care who gets in my way...because he will kill me. Cameron will kill me and all of you."

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

“You don’t have to protect yourself anymore,” he said quietly, moving a stray piece of hair from her face. “I’m not gonna let him lay a finger on you, Tallis. You have to trust me.” If it weren’t for all of the eyes in the room, he’d sit her up on the bar and show her how much he meant what he was saying. His eyes scanned her top to bottom, lingering for a little on his favorite spots on her body, before landing finally on her eyes. "Why don't we spend the night at home tonight? I think it'd be good to get out of here," he said with an alluring smile.

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

Tallis Black fought the smile that was creeping onto her lips, looking away from him before rolling her eyes. "I guess that sounds fun." The only thing on her mind was makeup sex, and allowing Jeremy to rule her body. She kicked her lips hungrily. The longer she stayed with him, the larger her appetite for sex grew. He was delicious.

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

“Atta girl,” he said quietly enough so no other members heard. “Hang tight for a bit. Let me finish up a few things, and we’ll get outta here.” He pulled a cigarette out of his breast pocket and lit it before he walked away from the bar and headed to Black’s office.

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

Black’s head was swimming with all of the activities the club had going on. The rivalry with the with the Saints, the bullshit going on with Cameron and the Cherokee charter, and the possibility of losing his ports to get his supply, and Tallis was here; he was tired to say the least. He had been the President of the RDMC for 10 years now, and it aged him 20. He had lost a lot of brothers, money, weapons and drugs, and it finally began to start wearing on him. His body ached, his mind was a mess, and Linda was getting sick of never seeing him. He had been considering stepping down for a while, but it wouldn’t be right to put this shit show onto Tillman’s shoulders. He had to finish what he started.

He heard a knock on his door and let out a gruff “Come in.” Jeremy nodded in respect and sat down in front of Black. “Hey, boss. I’m gonna cut to the chase here. I need more time to get information on Cameron. I think jumping the gun and pressing for the execution vote too soon will still leave a lot of our enemies in the dark. We need to figure out how deep this shit runs before we start putting bullets in people.”

Black rubbed his chin and nodded. “You know what, Tillman. I’m gonna place you in charge of this operation.” Black felt disappointed for himself for saying, but he needed two things. One, some time off, and two, to see how Jeremy handled running things alone. “I trust your decisions to keep this club and Tallis safe.”
Jeremy was taken aback. He didn’t know whether he was suspicious or happy about Black’s decision, but he didn’t really have a choice to feel either way. “Yes, sir. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks, son,” Black smiled as he spoke. “I’m gonna be taking off for a few days. I got some personal shit I need to handle. Call me if you need me.”

On that note, Jeremy nodded once more and and shook Black’s hand firmly. Walking out of his office, his mind began thinking of what this could all mean. He knew Black was getting older and was starting to grow tired of the lifestyle he was living. They all did at one point. Jeremy felt that he was ready to lead the club, but he being so young raised some concern amongst the club.

Jeremy paused as he gazed up the stairs that led to Solomon’s bedroom. He wasn’t ready to do this. Not today. He wanted to let all that shit go, but his pride was getting the best of him. It was his little sister. He sighed with guilt and pulled out his phone. "Love you, Kase." He hit send.

He saw Tallis from across the clubhouse and walked over to her. “I’m ready when you are, love.”

Kaci stared at the message on her screen, unsure if or how to respond. I should respond, he at least deserves that much. "Just come over whenever you like, I'll be in the bathtub." That's not what she had meant to say, but she had already sent it. She needed to relax and unwind. With a sigh, she shoved the phone under her pillow before rolling off the bed with a soft thud. A glass or three of wine would also be needed for this night of relaxation. If she was feeling especially frisky, she would take a shot. Maybe she would even snort some cocaine...or whatever the hell you were supposed to do with cocaine. Smoke it? Inject it? Kaci had no fucking clue.

God, I'm so fucking boring.

She sat on the edge of the clawfoot tub, filling it with steaming hot water and many bubbles as the tub could hold. This would be the best night she'd had in a very, very long time. Well, other than that night she had with Solo a few days ago. Nothing could top that. Not even finding out that Jeremy and Moira were back together and Tallis was gone. Well, maybe that could top losing her virginity...

__________________

“I’m ready when you are, love.”

She had been ready to go since she got there, but Tallis decided against bringing that point up. "I'm ready now, baby, though I'd love to go out for dinner or something. Maybe we can go on a date that didn't involve strippers and blow. I could wear a dress and you could put on a tie. And I could take a cute ass selfie to post on Instagram." Part of what she said was meant to be nothing more than a tease, but she was serious on the rest. Tallis couldn't remember the last time they had been on a proper date, and she was almost sure that they had never been on one. Had they ever been on a date? Probably not. You never took your side chick places where they could be seen.

That's just the way things worked.

___________________

The knock at the bathroom door started Kaci, some of her wine sloshing out of glass. "Come in." It was Solo. Her heart sunk into her stomach, she had missed him a lot more than she wanted to admit. "Care to join me, Solomon?" The words came out sounding a lot more sexual that she had meant them to. In all honesty, she just wanted him close to her. To run her fingers through his hair or to rub his back.

It was the little thing she had missed more than anything.

The thought of taking Tallis on a date was something that never crossed his mind. He was a criminal and was raised by them to. Outlaws. Harley riding, whiskey for breakfast, chain smoking outlaws. How to treat a woman right was never on the syllabus. He nodded and smiled at the suggestion to not raise any eyebrows, and but the thought made his thoughts begin to race. He thought of a few favors he could call in as he lead Tallis to his bike outside.

"You know," he began as they stopped at a red light, "I only dress up for funerals." He laughed and turned up his radio, blaring Every Time I Die's "The New Black" as they took off from the red light and headed to the house. Jeremy loved the feeling of his bike underneath him and a woman behind him; it was comparable to the sensation of a good high.

As they approached the house, he saw Solomon's bike in the driveway but chose not to comment. Instead, he just hoped he wouldn't run into them. "I'm sure they're busy." He led Tallis through the house and up the stairs, into his room, and closed the door. "I have a few button ups in the back of my closet, you pick," he said with a smile as stripped off his shirt and sat on the bed.

He unlocked his phone and shot a text to John Cicario, an owner of a nice Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. Jeremy had "scared off" some guys he owed money to, and John always offered to return the favor on top of the money he paid. He never knew what the fuck kind of favor he would need from a slime bag like him. "Hey John. Don't ask. Need something set up on the roof top. Be there in an hour. Red wine and whiskey, please." He looked up to Tallis and smirked. His thoughts brought him back to a memory of a 17 year old Tallis with sand all over her, drinking red wine straight out of the bottle. It was night time, but he clearly could envision how she looked, the wind whipping her long, black hair behind her and the moon shining on them both.

The young Tallis of Jeremy's memories was soft and sweet, her porcelain skin free from tattoos and her piercings reserved for her ears. She was incredibly tipsy and couldn't keep her eyes off Jeremy. He's so handsome. Just when she was about to pluck up the courage to kiss him, Taylor plopped down between them to ruin the moment. He always had a way of ruining the moment. He wrapped his overly tattooed arms around Jeremy and Tallis to pull them close, Taylor smelled strongly of alcohol and weed. "You two are my favorite people of all time, I swear to God!" He kissed them both on the cheeks. "We're fucking family and we always will be. The three fucking musketeers."

"You're drunk, Taylor!" Tallis said loud, pressing her head to his. These were her best friends and they would always be, but she would always hope that Jeremy would be more. Needed him to be more. As Taylor fell back into the sand, Tallis stole more glances at Jeremy. God, I want him so badly.

Today's Tallis was searching Jeremy's closet, trying to decide between a black or white button down. He always looked so good in black, but white just seemed to be more appropriate for a date. White it is. On her way out she grabbed a pair of light gray dress pants. She was fairly certain that her mind was going to be on everything but food tonight. "I promise it won't take me too long to get ready!" Tallis kissed him softly as she passed him on the way to the bathroom.

She was going to blow his mind tonight.

***

When Tallis exited Jeremy's bathroom, she looked like a whole different person. Her hair was perfectly curled and her makeup expertly applied. The black dress she wore hugged her curves while the blood red heels made her slender legs look miles long. She was breathtakingly beautiful tonight, mostly because she very rarely ever dressed up. Why should she? Criminals never went anywhere fancy. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is my eyeliner off?!"

Solomon smirked as he entered the bathroom to see Kaci drinking wine in the bathtub. "Wild night, huh?" He laughed as he stripped down and sunk into the water with her. "K," he nearly whispered, "I'm sorry about Tillman. He'll get over it." He leaned in and kissed her when they heard the bike pull up in the driveway. Solomon sighed; he doubted Tillman would be on an angry rampage when he came in the door. He already saw his bike outside. He faintly smiled at Kaci and signaled with his hands to lay back on him. They were quiet, not because Tillman came home, but because they were enjoying their time together. He had missed her. A lot.

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After Jeremy got dressed in the outfit Tallis had chosen for him, he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes for a minute. The situation with Cameron and the Cherokee City chapter of the Red Devils had been constantly sitting in the back of his mind. He was in charge of learning who all was a hidden enemy of the club, and it should have been his top priority right now. ”After tonight,” he promised himself as he crossed his hands over his stomach and relaxed for a moment.

He heard the bathroom door open and he opened his eyes to see something he hadn’t seen before. Tallis. In a dress. In that dress. He had already thought that she was the hottest woman in the world, but seeing her in a skin tight dress and her red pumps nearly made his heart stop. Her tattooed body looked perfect” "Why are you looking at me like that? Is my eyeliner off?!" He smirked at her comment and stood up, approaching her slowly. “With you dressed like that, I’m not sure we’re gonna make it to our date,” he said in a deep, hungry tone as he wrapped his arms around her. He got only an inch or two away from her face and met her gaze. “Let’s go,” he said as he smacked her ass jokingly.

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Solomon sighed in relief as he heard Tallis and Jeremy leave the house. Kaci was laying on him, her head reaching right under his chin. He stroked her wet hair back and kissed her neck for a brief moment before he reached her ear. “I love you, K.”

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Jeremy thought it’d be best to take his truck with all of the activity going on with the club. He wanted to remain under the radar, for his own sanity and for Tallis’ protection. He still had a gun tucked into the waist of his pants and a pocket knife in his boot. He started the truck and pulled out before smiling and placing his large, rough hand on her thigh as they made their way to the restaurant. He felt strange doing this, as if it broke some club code to take your old lady out on a nice date. Was Tallis even his old lady?

They parked and walked into the dimly lit establishment as John Cicario approached Jeremy and gave his a bear hug. “Tillman! So good to see you. And hello, young lady,” he bowed to Tallis in a gesture of respect. “You guys can come this way!” He led them up a spiral stair case to the top of the restaurant onto the roof. There were string lights lining the wall and a single table set up, with roses, water, and of course a bottle of red wine and whiskey.

Jeremy leaned into John and whispered, “You outdid yourself man. Thanks,” he slapped his hand as he went over to the table and pulled a chair out for Tallis. “Saw that in a movie once,” he joked. As they sat down and got their drinks poured, they began to talk like they were two old friends seeing each other for the first time in years. There was no talk about the club or their troubled pasts, or even the lust they had between them, but about good memories and the future. They laughed throughout the night until the evening was coming to a close.

“Tallis, I hate bringing up club shit right now, but I have something to tell you,” he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he spoke. “Your dad is taking a few days off, not sure why. Personal shit. He asked me to run things while he’s gone, specifically all this bullshit with Cameron. Now, I know this is personal for you. I don’t blame you one fuckin’ bit for that. But, this has to be my top priority now. I gotta do things right by the club.” He sighed and rubbed the top of her hand across the table. “I want your help with this. You know Cameron better than any of us do.” He let a finger continue to lightly graze the top of her hand until he saw goosebumps rise on her arm, which made him smile. His eyes ran from her hand slowly up to her face as he met her eyes. “Let’s go, darlin'.”

Jeremy took a final sip of his whiskey. He stretched his arms out and that grabbed the bill, signing it and handing it back to the waiter. He smiled at Tallis and asked her, “You wanna to have dessert at home?” They both knew what the question meant. Before leaving, Jeremy looked over the ledge of the roof down at his city. He thought about all of the bullshit he’d have to wade through tomorrow and ran his fingers through his hair. At that thought, he heard a ‘boom’ and looked to his left. A ball of fire stretched into the sky, and Jeremy knew at that moment that it was at the clubhouse. “FUCK!” he yelled as he grabbed Tallis’ hands and they descended the spiral staircase to the first floor. “Thanks, John!” he said quickly as they dashed out of the restaurant and into his truck.

When they reached the clubhouse, all of the members were standing outside, watching the fire department work on the garage area that had been engulfed in flames. “What the fuck happened, Patty? Is everyone accounted for?” He asked, obviously stressing out. “Yes, boy-o, everyone is whole,” Patty said, his words dripping in anger. “Looks like someone set fire to one of the garages and a gas can caused the explosion. Told the cops that someone threw a cigarette, and that’s what started it.” Jeremy nodded and patted him on the shoulder. Last thing they needed was cops snooping around, or worse, getting to Cameron before they did.

Jeremy watched the flames be extinguished before he looked to his club and called out, “Table. Half hour.” They all nodded and agreed, and he turned to Tallis. “Sorry, love.”

"I love you, K." His words sent shivers down her spine, filling her stomach with bubbles and butterflies. "I love you, too, Solomon. I really do." How long had she been waiting to say those words to him? It felt like years. Kaci pushed herself into a sitting position to get a better look at him. He's so incredibly handsome. She traced his lips with her fingertips while biting her own. "I want you."

That was an understatement.

__________________________________

Just an outlaw and his old lady on a date. Was she his old lady? A large part of her hoped so, hoped that they could have a future together. A future with matching tattoos and tiny Tillman's running around, but all of that would have to wait. Tallis was too pleased with the here and now to continue thinking about the future.

Jeremy and Tallis talked and laughed for what felt like hours, all of their troubles seeming to melt in the crisp night air. They discussed the art that littered their bodies, pointing out the pieces that were new and delving into the stories that went with them. Memories flowed from their mouths as freely as the whiskey and wine were poured into their glasses. "Do you remember that one time you and Taylor set firecrackers off in my room? Jesus Christ, I'd never seen dad appear so quickly in my entire fucking life. I was actually impressed. I didn't know a man that large could run." She erupted into laughter, doubling over for laughing so hard. This was the happiest she had been in months. No, years. Nothing had been right since Taylor died, but this was right. This was perfect.

They were having such a delightful time talking, they barely touched their food. "Would you like boxes for your food?" Asked the flamboyant waiter with a flourish of his hand.

Tallis looked down at her seafood alfredo, mildly surprised that her plate was still so full. "Oh, yes please!" And with that, their waiter left them alone once more. To her great disappointment, though, their conversation did not resume to tattoos and what motorcycle was the best.

“Tallis, I hate bringing up club shit right now, but I have something to tell you. Your dad is taking a few days off, not sure why. Personal shit. He asked me to run things while he’s gone, specifically all this bullshit with Cameron. Now, I know this is personal for you. I don’t blame you one fuckin’ bit for that. But, this has to be my top priority now. I gotta do things right by the club.” He rubbing the top of her hand until she had goosebumps. “I want your help with this. You know Cameron better than any of us do.”

She placed a hand on her stomach, frowning deeply at his words. Tallis had tried her best to forget, but that wasn't a possibility anymore. "You know I'll help any way I can, baby, just say the word and I'll do it." And she would. Anything he asked. But if he thought he was going to be the one to kill Cameron, he was a fucking idiot. Despite the serious tone that the conversation had taken, Tallis perked up at the idea of dessert. "I'm sure you'll taste even better covered in chocolate and whipped cream." And handcuffed to the bed, but that can be mentioned later.

Her excitement for dessert was short-lived, though, at the sound and sight of the explosion. Tallis' heart sank into her stomach. Were outlaws not allowed to have happiness? Because it was beginning to feel like that was the case. Before she knew it, she and Jeremy were back and his truck and racing towards the clubhouse. Her heart sank even more then they arrived; the garage was engulfed in flames. The fire department were running around like mad, trying the best to put the fire out.

"Jeremy, Banshee is in there. That's all I have left of Taylor's. Banshee is in there!" Without realizing it, she began moving towards the fire.

Just as Solomon nodded to Kaci’s words, he heard his phone vibrating. He would normally jump at the chance someone from the club called him; he was the definition of dedicated. But, with a smile, he said “Fuck it,” and gently ran his fingers through Kaci’s hair to the back of her hair and pulled her to him, engulfing the both of them in a passionate kiss. He didn’t care who knew about their relationship anymore. He was sick of hiding how he felt and, now that the one person he was most afraid of knew, he felt like a heavy burden was lifted off of his shoulders. He kissed her neck and collarbones as they laid there in the warm tub.

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It took a moment for Jeremy to process what Tallis was about to do, but once he did, he ran up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Tallis, are you fucking crazy? Wait, wait,” he tried to calm her as he looked into the fire. He didn’t want to be the hero, but a part of him wanted that bike out of there just as bad as she did. He released her and glanced at her for a moment before he ran towards the garage. The flames had begun to die down, and he bolted inside with an arm of his white dress shirt covering his mouth. He looked around quickly, the heat starting to nip at his skin, as he located the bike and ran towards it. A fire fighter began to scream at him when he began to move the bike. “Help me push this out!” Jeremy yelled back, and the firefighter reluctantly agreed. The motorcycle’s handle bars were hot, and Jeremy cursed as he felt them begin to sear his skin.

When they made it out of the garage, Jeremy coughed and spit onto the ground, and began to catch his breath. He immediately began to evaluate the damage to the bike. The handle bars had warped a bit, the rear fender was damaged, and the fuel tank was leaking. His nice white shirt had patches of gray all over it along with Jeremy’s face. He walked over to Tallis after checking out his hand and nodded over to the bike. “Should be an easy fix. I’ll start on it tomorrow,” he smiled as he squeezed her hand with his uninjured one.

He had to meet with the club soon to deal with the bullshit that had just happened, but all he wanted to do was go home. “Let’s get this meeting over with, and then we’ll head home, babe,” he said quietly as he lightly pinched her chin and winked, then began to head for the bar inside to get something to drink. The fire now had been extinguished, and Jeremy didn’t want to trouble himself or any of the club members by trying to assess the damage right away. "Where the fuck is Solo?" Jeremy mumbled to himself, not wanting to believe he ignore their calls to stay at his house with Kaci. It was already bad enough they were together, but if he forgot that the club is always number one, everyone had a long road ahead of them.

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After their fun, Solomon and Kaci laid back in her room, tangled in one another. He didn't want to deal with the consequences of him missing whatever had happened that night, and he knew it was bad as he had at least ten missed calls. Kaci deserved a night to be uninterrupted by the club. God knows she probably hadn't had that with Tillman.

Knowing that everyone was watching, Tallis kissed Jeremy on the lips before burying her head against his chest. "Thank you. You don't know how much that meant to me. I love you." And she did. Tallis Black had loved Jeremy Tillman since she was 15. Eight years she had loved him, and she was sure she would love him for eight more. She followed behind him like a puppy, equally concerned that Solo was screening their calls. The club came first, always and forever. "I'll go see what the deal is, but don't start the meeting without me!" She kissed him one last time before stealing the keys to his truck.

***

Tallis didn't bother knocking on Kaci's door, but barged right in. "I hope I'm not interrupting something."

"Tallis!" Kaci grabbed a pillow to cover herself and another to cover Solo. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"You don't need to cover him, I've seen it all before." She was grinning from ear to ear, making her way deeper into the room. Solo was going to get an ear full. "I guess Solo didn't tell you, Kaci, but old lady's don't get to speak when members are talking about club business. It isn't their place. And Solo if you pulled your dick out of Kaci long enough to answer your fucking phone, you would know that we have a club meeting. You're probably wondering why, and I'll tell you, the clubhouse was fucking attacking. Our garage literally blew up and you would know that if you actually answered your goddamn phone." Tallis was seething now. "I understand how you feel about Kaci, I do, but she will never be first while you're a club member. Even if she's your wife, she'll never be first. That's the fucking sacrifice you make when you get jumped in, fucking deal with it. And kiss any chances of mending your relationship with Jeremy goodbye, because he won't forgive you for this. I fucking wouldn't." She left it at that, grabbing his cut as she walked out of Kaci's room. He didn't deserve to be called a Red Devil right now.

Kaci stared at the door in horror, still covering herself with the pillow. She hadn't taken away much from the conversation, but she did understand two things: Tallis and Solo had fucked before and Solo was in deep shit with the club. "You should go." Her voice was shaking.

-20 Minutes Later-

Tillman's new old lady tossed him Solomon's cut, sinking into the Vice President's seat. "He can have it back when he realizes that the club comes first."