💘( Mending the King! )✨

TWENTY SEVEN

[ June Wedding ]

( 🤴🔨👸💋💑🏍 )

" You stood by me when I was losing my mind—when I thought I'd never see my son again. You fought for me, for Abel. Now, it's my turn. I'll do whatever it takes to bring Moss back to you. Just like you did for me. "

~ JAX TELLER to ALU ORTIZ 

☆《》¤

THE FAMILIAR SIGHT OF THEIR MOTHER'S MODEST HOME greeted Alu and Juice as they pulled up to the curb. But the air was heavy with silence—the kind of quiet that made the Ortiz siblings' instincts go into overdrive. Alu practically leaped off Juice's Harley before he could even take his helmet off. She moved fast, her boots crunching against the gravel as she made her way to the van that was always parked out front.

"Something's wrong," she muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Juice followed, and as they rounded the van, Alu froze, her eyes almost jumping out of their sockets. 

"Shit," Juice cursed under his breath, stepping ahead to confirm what she already saw. Shepard, the prospect who was supposed to be watching their mother's house, lay slumped in the driver's seat, his throat slit; a pool of blood beneath his feet. 

"Alu, wait—" Juice started, but she was already sprinting toward the house, her instincts overriding any sense of caution. "Alu! Be careful, dammit!" he yelled, chasing after her, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun tucked into his waistband. He took in their surroundings as they went, scanning for any movement, any sign of an ambush, but Alu wasn't slowing down.

She burst through the front door, screaming, "Ma!" Her voice echoed through the house as she tore through the entryway. Juice cursed again, following her inside, gun drawn.

Alu skidded to a stop in the living room, and Juice nearly ran into her. Their mother was slumped on the floor near the couch, her hand pressed weakly to a stab wound on her side. Blood seeped through her fingers, staining her shirt and the carpet beneath her.

"Ma!" Juice rushed forward, shoving his gun back into his waistband. He dropped to his knees beside her, while Alu removed her leather jacket and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Call an ambulance!" Alu barked, her hands shaking as she applied pressure.

Juice fumbled with his phone, his fingers slick with sweat, "Yeah, yeah, I got it." He dialed 911, barking the details to the dispatcher, while his eyes darted around the room, still on edge.

Adela groaned, her eyelids fluttering open, "Mija," she whispered weakly.

"Mami, we're here. You're gonna be okay," Alu said, brushing her mother's hair from her face.

But then something shifted in Alu's expression, a dawning realisation. Her breath hitched, "Where's Moss?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Juice's head snapped up at the question, his stomach sinking.

Adela coughed, wincing from the pain, "Carlos...he took him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Who?" Alu demanded, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who took my son?!"

Adela's eyes brimmed with tears as she choked out the name, "Oscar."

Alu's entire body tensed, her heart sinking like a stone. Her hands faltered on the leather for a brief moment, "No," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "No, no, no..."

Juice slammed a fist against the floor, "Goddammit!" He looked at Alu, his hand gripping her shoulder to steady her. "We'll get him back," he said firmly, though his own fear was evident. "I promise you." 

But Alu could barely hear him, her mind already racing with the horrifying possibilities of what Oscar might do to her baby boy. 

***

The flashing lights of the ambulance casted harsh patterns against the quiet street as Adela was carefully lifted onto the gurney. Alu stood frozen for a moment, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her breaths sharp and uneven. Juice paced a few steps away, running his hands through his hair, his mind reeling.

"How the hell did this happen?" he thought out loud, spinning around to face Alu. "We had a prospect here around the clock, for God's sake!"

"Yeah, and look what good that did!" Alu snapped back, her voice cracking under the weight of her panic.

Juice shook his head, trying to think clearly, but his frustration only grew, "He had to of known we were all out of town." 

Alu didn't respond. Her hand was already in her pocket, pulling out her phone.

"What are you doing?" Juice asked, his voice still sharp.

"I'm going straight to the source," Alu said flatly, unlocking her screen with a trembling hand.

Juice frowned, watching her closely, "What do you mean, the source?"

"Oscar," Alu said simply, scrolling through her contacts.

Juice's eyes widened in disbelief, "Wait, wait—how the hell do you have his number?"

Alu didn't look up, her fingers still moving, "He's been texting me."

"What?" Juice's voice rose. "And you don't think that was relevant information to tell me before?!" 

"No," Alu replied casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "All he was doing was taunting me, playing his little mind games. Like, 'Always running, Ana Lucía. Funny how easy it is to keep up. Careful—I see more than you think'," she recited, rolling her eyes. "I just didn't think it mattered."

"Of course it matters!" Juice exploded, his voice filled with equal parts anger and concern. "He's been watching you! You don't think that's important to know?"

Alu shot him a glare as she raised the phone to her ear, "Well, now it's important," she said coldly.

Juice could only stare as the call connected, his jaw tightening in frustration.

The line clicked, and a familiar, mocking voice came through, dripping with condescension, "Hello, love," Oscar drawled.

Alu's jaw clenched at the sound of his voice, her grip tightened on the phone. And without hesitation, she stormed back into the house, her tone cold and filled with fury, "Where's my son?" she demanded, slamming the door behind her as she disappeared inside.

Juice stood frozen for a moment, his hands balled into fists at his sides, his heart pounding in his chest as the scene unfolded. He could do nothing but wait, the tension thick and suffocating, as Alu confronted the man who had ripped their world apart.  

***

The doors to the hospital waiting room swung open with a loud clatter as SAMCRO burst inside, their heavy boots echoing against the linoleum floor. Juice stood near the reception desk, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his head hung low. His face was a mixture of panic and guilt, and he barely looked up when Jax and Clay stormed toward him.

"What the hell happened?" Clay demanded, his voice rough and authoritative, cutting through the tense air.

Juice took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, "The prospect's dead," he said, his voice strained. "Throat slit in the van outside Ma's house. She...she was stabbed." His voice broke slightly, but he pushed through. "She's in surgery now. But...Oscar took Moss."

Clay cursed under his breath, pacing in frustration. 

Jax's expression darkened, his jaw clenched tight, "Took Moss?"

Juice nodded, his guilt palpable, "Alu called him. She was trying to get answers, but... she's a wrecked, man. I can't get a word out of her." 

Jax turned his head, following Juice's gaze to the corner of the waiting room. Alu sat slumped in one of the chairs, her head buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly. Her pain was visible even from afar, and without another word, Jax moved past the others, striding straight to her.

"Alu," he said softly as he knelt in front of her. 

At the sound of his voice, Alu looked up, her eyes red and glassy, her face pale. The moment her gaze met his, a fresh wave of emotions crashed over her. Throwing her arms around his neck, she clung to him as if he were her anchor in the storm that was her life. 

"I—I couldn't stop it, Jax," she sobbed into his shoulder, her voice muffled and broken. "He has my son."

Jax held her tightly, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back, "We'll get him back," he murmured, his voice firm and steady. "I swear to you, Alu, we'll get him back. You stood by me when I was losing my mind—when I thought I'd never see my son again. You fought for me, for Abel. Now, it's my turn. I'll do whatever it takes to bring Moss back to you. Just like you did for me." 

From across the room, the rest of the club watched silently, the weight of the situation sinking in. Tara stood at a distance near the entrance, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes were fixed on Jax and Alu, her expression a mixture of jealousy and hurt as she watched him comfort the woman who had become such a significant part of his life.

For a moment, the room seemed to close in around her. The depth of Jax's care for Alu was undeniable, and it left a knot in her chest. She turned away slightly, blinking back her those tears that threatened to fall. 

Jax stayed with Alu, holding her as she cried, his promise hanging heavy in the air. Whatever it took, he was going to bring her son back to her. 

***

Words: 1579