Life on Two Wheels

The punch only made him laugh.

Angry, she furrowed her brows and drew back her fist to let it fly into his arm again.

Still, he just laughed.

“Jax, you’re being a butthole,” she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well you’re a baby,” he said and stuck his tongue out.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he realized then he better run. She took off after him, chasing him around the huge picnic area.

They dodged in and out of jeans and black vests. All above her, the Reaper loomed but she just smiled and chased after Jax who wasn’t far in front of her. She grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt, but he burst free and turned to laugh at her.

Suddenly, he disappeared, but she kept running. Right into a pair of legs. Shyly, she looked up and when she realized who it was, she was immediately relieved.

“Sorry Mrs. Gemma,” she said and looked back down at her shoes, missing the smile the older woman gave her.

“That’s alright, sweetheart,” came the gruff yet sweet reply.

Tessa looked up at the smiling face. Gemma reached down and picked the girl up, settling the seven-year-old on her hip. Tessa giggled and looked at Gemma, running her fingers through her hair.

“What were you doing, there, kiddo?”

“Jax called me a baby, so I was gonna teach him some manners,” Tessa said and lifted her chin stubbornly.

“That’s my girl,” Gemma said, smiling. “If he ever picks on you again, just remind him he didn’t learn to use the potty until he was five.”

Tessa hid her giggle behind her hand. Gemma set her down and she immediately took off running. Ducking through the rest of the people, she found her dad sitting at a table. Jax was sitting next to John Teller, the President of the Charming charter was in deep conversation with her dad, the President of the Huntington Beach charter. Beside them, Clay was sitting, talking to Doc, her dad’s Vice President.

She’d been around the MC her whole life and the cuts and vests didn’t bother her. She was happiest when her dad took her for a ride on his motorcycle. She’d gotten so used to the sounds of them revving up each morning when she would wake up and be at the club. Her mom would get her ready for school, they’d go to the club, and she’d fall asleep again until she heard the rest of the members show up. Then, she’d say hello before she was carted off to school.

Now, she was approaching her father in one of the biggest gatherings of the Sons of Anarchy. They’d driven hours during the night to come to Charming for the gathering. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was about, but she knew she’d gotten lots of attention and she loved it. She was passed around from cut to cut, people crooning over her and smiling at her and she loved the attention.

Now, however, she wanted to get her dad’s attention.

She may have broken the rules when it came to school and everyone else, but when it came to her father, she knew better. She waited by his side patiently until he acknowledged her presence. She didn’t have to wait long.

“Yes, baby girl?” he asked, picking her up and setting her on his knee.

“Tessa Jane Monroe!”

Her head whipped around and she saw John Teller smiling at her. She smiled back, showing her teeth and he chuckled. He reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheeks.

“You keep getting bigger and more beautiful every time I see you,” he said, smiling.

“Thank you,” she said, her smiling getting bigger.

Beside him, Jax crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. Tessa made an ugly face at the older boy and she saw John chuckle. She felt her dad’s body rumble underneath her and she turned her attention back to him.

“Where’s your mother?” he asked, his hand rubbing her back.

“I’m not sure, want me to go find her?”

“Yes, please, baby,” he said and she immediately slid off his lap and jogged away.

She felt a presence beside her and saw Jax jogging next to her. She moved his way and shoved into him. He did the same thing, and they laughed as they rounded the house. Her mom was in the front yard, her beautiful blond hair curled and flowing around in the wind. She was talking to Gemma and Tessa smiled, seeing the two women.

Suddenly there was a loud noise and people were yelling. Even though he was young, Jax knew the sound and pulled Tessa down to the ground, flinging his body overtop of hers. He could hear her cries of fear and knew she was crying, but his concern was her safety.

Tessa didn’t know what was going on, but she looked up to see Gemma on the ground, frantically trying to pull at her mother’s jeans. The black van came into her vision then, and she saw the barrel of the gun sticking out of the open door. Her breath lodged in her throat and her eyes shot back to her mother just as the bullets found their target.

Her mother’s body jerked as each bullet made a home inside different places. The scream tore through her body and she tried to move, but Jax wouldn’t let her. Screams were heard all around the house and when the threat was over, Jax finally released her. She scrambled from his grasp and made her way to her mother. Gemma was crouched over her body and Tessa flung herself on top of her mother.

Even when her father and the rest of the MC came around to the front, she didn’t move. She didn’t move when her father tried to pull her off of her mother. She screamed and clung to the body. She heard Jax’s voice in her ear and even though she was crying, she finally let go.

Her father’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of his wife on the ground, lifeless, and his daughter standing in front of him with tears streaming down her face, blood covering the front of her dress. Immediately, he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

“I’ll find who did this, Daddy,” she whispered into his ear.