Chasing Down Changes (Moroad Motorcycle Club)

by Debra Kayn

  "Hey, kid. Lola's in the back," shouted Bear.

  Jeremy raised his hand in thanks and walked through the opening between the two buildings to the rear of the motel. Expecting to find a crowd and instead found a lone woman tending the fire.

  He stopped at the edge of the grass. Seldom had he ever caught Lola unaware.

  Lola poked a stick into the flames, staring down into the glow and ignoring the smoke curling up in front of her. Unaware of Jeremy studying her, she sat unmasked. No flirtatious smile graced her lips. Her rounded shoulders hid her breasts. Her dull eyes despite the light coming off the fire spoke volumes of Lola's lot in life.

  A heaviness settled on Jeremy's shoulders. He had one responsibility put on him at sixteen years old. It was his club duty to take care of Lola and see after her care. Cam handed Jeremy the job without knowing all the details, or maybe Cam knew, and that's why Lola was thrust upon Jeremy.

  Duty or not, He'd never walk away from his responsibility toward Lola. Tiff would need to come to terms with his life and deal.

  Jeremy walked forward.

  Lola looked up and transformed herself for his sake. The weight on his shoulders increased. He expected nothing less from Lola. Though he wished he could give her more.

  Something to make her happiness real and for her to experience the good things other people achieved. He inhaled deeply, surprised he could still grasp that other people, normal people, had a need for contentment.

  "Hey, you." Lola dropped the stick and sat back in her chair.

  He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and said, "Hey, sweetheart."

  Taking the nearest chair, he placed it beside hers and sat. The warmth of the fire coated his body, and he stretched his legs out in front of him. His mind still reeled from the day's results and the changes.

  After several minutes, Lola reached over and rubbed his thigh. He gathered her hand in his and held on. She understood what went on in his head and supported him, no matter if she agreed or not. What he received in return exceeded anything he could do for her, and that was a fact Lola learned long ago and one he'd accepted while incarcerated.

  "It's going to happen Monday night." While he spoke, he felt nothing.

  Lola raised his hand, leaned over, and kissed his knuckles. "Cam's not wasting any time."

  "Nope."

  Lola inhaled deeply and blew the air out. "You're ready."

  "Right." He turned his gaze to her. "He kept Tiff away from me this whole time."

  Lola nodded. "He had his reasons."

  "You helped him." He stated the truth and expected no answer. The conflicting story he heard from Tiff gave him a view of what went down upon his arrest. It also explained Tiff's reluctance to have anything to do with Lola and her jealousy.

  Lola blinked and when her eyelids opened, she stared at Jeremy's hand. "I don't regret anything I've done. This is a rough life. An unfair life. I tried to make things better. You've always had it in you to be the president of Moroad. You know it. I know it. Cam knew it. Don't let anger over what others have done to help you along the way make you careless."

  He let his head fall back and gazed at the sky. "I almost got arrested today."

  "What?" Lola smacked his shoulder. "Don't even joke about something like that."

  "I've spent time for murder, and killed more men while incarcerated. But, while I'm lying there on the sidewalk, getting molested by a deputy ten years younger than me, I wanted to laugh." He snorted. "What the fuck is worth laughing over, huh?"

  "What did you do?"

  He rolled his head to the side and looked at her. "I didn't do a damn thing. Tiff decided today would be a good day to try and shoot me."

  Lola grinned. "That girl always had a temper."

  "Yeah." He ran his hands over his face. "She's bottled up years of anger. It's only now starting to show, but she picked a hell of a time to let loose. Tiff's buried up to her neck in crimes. Any jury would have enough claims against her to send her away for a good twenty-five years, if not life."

  "Ah." Lola shook her head. "The women she keeps upstairs."

  "Yeah." Cam straightened in the chair.

  "That doesn't explain why you were frisked and questioned. Do the cops think you're involved?"

  He shook his head. "The sheriff is protecting her. He knows she's running an illegal business in his town. The damn girl planned and built a fucking empire and uses law enforcement to keep her ass out of prison. If I weren't so fucking pissed, I'd be impressed."

  "I take it they couldn't pin any crime on you today."

  Jeremy chuckled and with the sound, the pressure in his chest eased and the weight on his shoulders lifted. "Nah, Tiff stepped up, and the lies rolled out of her mouth."

  "Jesus Christ, Jeremy." Lola stood up. "This isn't funny."

  "I never took it as a joke. She had her chance to turn me in and get me out of her life." He pushed out of his chair and faced her. "She loves me."

  Lola's face softened, and she nodded.

  "Will you be there Monday night?" he asked.

  "Yeah." She slipped her arms around his waist and gazed up at him. "I take it Tiff will also be there."

  "She doesn't know about the meeting yet, but she will be."

  She raised up on her toes while pulling him down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for coming to see me."

  "I'll never stop." He smoothed the hair from her face. "Someone has to take care of me."

  Lola's eyes welled up with unshed tears. "I'll always do my best."

  He kissed her forehead and backed away. "Hey, do me a favor."

  "Anything."

  He lowered his voice. "Go out and join the others. Don't stay back here by yourself. Enjoy what they can give you. Besides, I think Bear needs some attention."

  She covered her mouth and nodded. He winked, turned, and walked to his motorcycle. Lola belonged to Moroad. She'd put her life aside for him for fifteen years to help the men remember Jeremy was still active and a part of Moroad while he sat in prison. The constant reminder of his dedication through Lola's reminders that Jeremy controlled her even while away would make the announcement Monday be accepted club-wide.

  Lola had paid her debt. She was free.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Fear played games with Tiff's head until tiny ideas multiplied, and her problems grew too big for her personality to handle. She sat down on the couch and hugged a throw cushion. For a while after she'd left Cam and Jeremy to talk privately downstairs, she'd stood at the top of the landing, trying to eavesdrop. When not a word of their talk traveled up the stairs, she'd given up and gone into the main kitchen seeking company, but the women had already taken advantage of their time off and retreated to their rooms.

  Finally, when she wanted to march down the stairs and throw herself at Jeremy, she'd gone to the suite and tried to keep busy, except her mind wouldn't shut off.

  Everything about the day prickled her raw emotions. Guilt, anger, pity and even love made a presence, changing her high energy level to exhaustion. Her body vibrated as if she'd cried all day or she'd ran a marathon. She'd done neither.

  Her fatigue came over her an hour ago when she'd watched Cam and Jeremy ride away from the building on their motorcycles. She rubbed her face. Every muscle in her body ached, and the tension refused to let go of her.

  Though she hated Cam, she could handle Jeremy talking with him. She'd never tell him he couldn't be around his family.

  Jeremy had left, and she knew without a doubt he wasn't going to his club brothers because he split off from Cam and headed toward the motel. She blinked dry eyes. Jeremy was going to see Lola, and it killed her.

  He'd told her many times that Lola was none of her business. He had no desire to choose her over Lola. God, she hated that woman.

  At one time, she thought Lola was the only person who understood her position when Jeremy got arrested. Lola pretended to care until she stopped. She'd never forgive Lola for encouraging her to distance herself from
Moroad.

  In her confused state of mind, she'd done everything Lola suggested without questioning anybody.

  She cut off communicating with all members of Moroad, except when it came to Silver Girls. She stopped hanging out at the parties, and she stepped away from the Moroad women. She never called on any of them for help, even the time a tourist hit her while drunk and belligerent and put her in the hospital for two days with a concussion.

  She refused to spend the money Jeremy sent her every month.

  Over time, she learned to hide the pain of living every day without Jeremy in her life.

  But, she'd done it.

  She'd succeeded.

  She built Silver Girls into something better and more profitable. Red Light gave her the excitement and fulfillment she missed with the club, and she'd achieved everything on her own.

  To accept Jeremy cheating on her with Lola would make her vulnerable. Even if his claim of not sleeping with Lola was true, the emotional affair put her at risk.

  A knock brought her out of her self-inflicted funk. She walked across the suite and opened the door.

  Marci studied her. "You look like shit."

  "I feel like it, too." She stepped back, letting Marci inside. "Are the ladies settled in?"

  "Of course." Marci grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and returned to Tiff. "Drink all of this. You've got bags under your eyes."

  "How is water going to help?" She cracked the top and drank.

  Marci led her to the couch. "Who knows. I just need to do something for you, and getting you to drink water is easier than fixing world problems. Do you want to talk?"

  "No." Tiff put her feet up on the coffee table and slouched down into the couch. "Why do you want to work for me?"

  Marci laughed. "That's a loaded question."

  "I'm serious." Tiff waved the bottle in the air. "The women...I understand. I know what they have to gain, and I know what they have to lose. You're different because you're not here for the sex."

  Marci shrugged, slipping off her shoes, and folding her legs underneath her on the couch. "I'm no different than everyone else."

  "Not true." Focusing on someone else helped her get her mind off of Jeremy's location. "I hold you to the same standard as I hold myself in this business. I would do everything in my power to protect you, but what made you take the risk of working here?"

  Marci tilted her head to the side, rolled her lips inward, and sighed. Tiff reached out and squeezed Marci's hand. "Nevermind. I'm being a bitch for asking. I just need to talk about something else rather than sitting here driving myself crazy. Tell me what the ladies said when you informed them they had the rest of the day off."

  "You know what they said." Marci pulled her hair over to one side and braided the strands. "I'll answer your question because I had a feeling the man who you need to distract yourself from is Jeremy, and I've heard the rumors that he was your life years ago."

  Tiff stayed quiet. She never talked about him with anyone, ever. Her past remained buried so far deep in Federal even the people who were aware of them being together had no idea how she lived each day without him or the effect he had on her by coming back.

  "I agreed to work for you because it's the farthest thing anyone would suspect me of doing." Marci wrinkled her nose. "My parents are both professors at a college in Washington. Great people. They're kind, giving, and smart."

  "Do you talk with them?"

  "All the time." Marci unfolded her legs. "I love them, but I have no desire to live in the area or have them involved in my life."

  "Why not?"

  Marci leaned closer. "I'm married, and my husband lives two miles from my folks."

  "I...you are? But why are you here?" She clicked her tongue. "Sorry. I had no idea."

  "Nobody here knows, but everyone back home does." Marci stood. "Someday, I'll get a divorce and be able to move on with my life. In the meantime, I'm working for you and loving what I do. Things are okay."

  She wanted to ask if Marci's husband was abusive or if she loved him, but she refrained from asking more questions. "I'm glad you enjoy living and working here. You've helped me so much. I'd be lost without you."

  "Eh. You'd be fine." Marci laughed as if sharing part of her life story wasn't a huge deal. "Now, let's get ready for tonight. We've got an hour before the dancers show up, and you need help hiding the damage you've done to your eyes. I think it's time for you to wear the new purple dress."

  "Oh, hell no." She followed Marci into the bedroom. "I never should've bought that dress. It's too much for Federal."

  "Exactly." Marci turned and grabbed her shoulders, her gaze serious. "I don't know what is going on, but you have a man that would appreciate that purple dress. You're wearing it."

  Against her saner thoughts saying she deserved more than second place to Lola, her wishful thinking won out, and had her believing she could win Jeremy if she looked pretty.

  She wore the dress.

  She went downstairs.

  She put on a smile and welcomed the customers into Silver Girls.

  The whole time her stomach tied itself in knots. Jeremy still hadn't come back to her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kurt Ramchett, Bantorus Motorcycle Club's president, pushed out the back door of the Sterling Building. Jeremy parked at the curb, got off his Harley, and raised his hand, stopping Kurt from shutting the door. He'd arrived back later than planned after his talk with Lola.

  "Aldridge." Kurt held out his hand. "You coming in to watch the show?"

  Jeremy shook and lifted his chin, grabbing the door before it swung closed. "Yeah."

  Kurt slipped on his leather vest. "My men will be by in a few minutes to escort the women back to the club."

  "There's several Moroad members inside. We'll keep an eye on everyone." Jeremy put his boot in the doorway. "I had something to do earlier and got back late, but you should know I'm living upstairs now."

  Kurt raised his brows. "That's good to know. With the shelter women who rent the rooms upstairs and the amount of men that come visiting Silver Girls, I'll feel better knowing the Bantorus girls have a Moroad member on site."

  "Right." Jeremy gazed out at the other Harley parked at the curb. "New bike?"

  Kurt grinned. "Present for myself."

  "The best kind." Jeremy nodded. "Ride free."

  "Always." Kurt walked away to his bike.

  Jeremy slipped inside, shut the door, and turned the lock. He'd set the alarm once the customers left.

  He glanced at his cell phone. Fuck, twenty minutes until closing. It had taken him longer than he planned to get away from his MC brothers in the parking lot of the motel after leaving Lola to Bear's company. One beer turned into two, and everyone wanted to find out what was happening inside the prison system.

  Following the music, he stepped into the main room and leaned against the back wall in the shadows. He spotted Tiff beside the front door, opposite side of the room from him. His body warmed and pulsed.

  Decked out in a dark purple—almost black dress, her hair loosely piled at her neck, she gazed at the dancers with the look of a woman deep in thought. His gut tightened. Or, a woman hurt beyond repair.

  He'd challenged her today and then left her to attend business. When all he wanted to do was take her upstairs and show her how much the lie she told to the deputy meant to him. He'd given her one chance to get rid of him, and she'd balked.

  She wanted him.

  He only needed to prove he was staying for her to come around and accept him in her life. Then she'd realize he could give her the life she deserved. Together, nobody could touch them and he'd protect her. Not because she hadn't done a fucking good job of setting herself up in business, but because she needed more protection to fully enjoy the life she'd built.

  The music rose and fell, casting silence in the room until the customers added their cheers. The lights came on. He slipped out into the hallway, knowing Tiff opened the door to personally esc
ort the customers outside while the dancers escaped into the backroom to dress and exit out the back.

  Katie, Jessie, and Tina waved and touched him on their way out of the room. He followed them with his gaze, surprised all over again by the changes in them. Next to the younger women he hadn't gotten to know yet, the original Moroad women fit right in, comfortable with their surroundings and their role with the club.

  When the front door shut, he stepped back into the room. Tiff's back straightened, and she turned. A soft gasp escaped, and he unhooked his fingers from his front pockets. He wanted the little burst of air from her lips on his skin, reminding him that he was free.

  "I-I thought you'd left," she said, walking toward him slowly on higher than fuck heels.

  His gaze traveled her body, landing on her eyes when she was within reach. "I had business to take care of."

  "Hm..." She walked around him.

  He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Learn to trust me again, huh?"

  She settled her gaze on his chest. "Maybe you need to earn my trust."

  "I'm doing that." He pulled her up tight against him. "Been doing it for close to eighteen years, baby."

  She raised her chin, challenging him. "Where did you go?"

  "Does it matter?"

  "Sometimes I think nothing matters, except for the moment," she said.

  "This moment?"

  She pursed her kissable lips and raised her bare shoulder. "Whatever moment I want to grasp and experience to keep from remembering the million times I want to forget."

  "Do you remember?"

  "Absolutely," she whispered. "But, I gave up on dreaming about tomorrow when I lost the man I loved to the prison system."

  Deep in his chest rumbled with awareness of the depth of her hurt. He swallowed. "Go see to your dancers and come back to me."

  She moistened her lips. "You can go upstairs and wait for me in the suite. It'll be a little while until I can lock the door and set the alarm."

  "No." He stared into her eyes. "I want you right here, wearing that dress, looking at me exactly that way, because I'm not done looking at you yet. You wore that dress for me, and every man tonight enjoyed it. It's my turn and from now on, I'm not going to be as lenient about who gets to look at what belongs to me."