Chasing Down Changes (Moroad Motorcycle Club)

by Debra Kayn

  "Where did you get this picture?" He couldn't stop looking.

  "I know you're not in that photo, but—"

  He turned and grabbed her upper arms. "Where did you get it?"

  She raised to her tiptoes and frowned. "Christina printed up all the pictures and gave them to me right after you were arrested, and I thought you were only going to be gone eighteen months."

  He let her go and ran his hand through his hair. For a moment, he thought someone in prison had gotten their hands on the picture he kept in his cell. The one he'd shredded before he walked out of the Cyclone fence.

  "What's wrong?" She touched his stomach. "If you don't like the pictures, I can take them down. I only thought..."

  She exhaled and flapped her hands in front of her. He pulled her into his chest and held her. His heart raced. He'd done everything in his power to protect her and keep her away from the shit going down in prison.

  "I like it, baby." He rubbed her back.

  "Are you sure?" She laid her cheek against his chest. "You seem upset."

  "That picture of you was the one I kept in prison with me. I kept it hidden and only looked at it when I knew nobody else was around, even the guards." He swallowed.

  "Then it's okay to have it on the bedroom wall?"

  "Yeah. I looked at you every fucking day," he mumbled, kissing the top of her head. "I couldn't mention your name or talk about you to anyone. Moroad members would get incarcerated, and it killed me not to ask about you and what was happening back in Federal. Then when one of my MC brothers got his walking papers, it killed me not to send him back with a message for you. I never did. I couldn't risk someone hurting you to get back at me."

  "Now we're together." She gazed up at him. "Okay, I have a couple more things to show you."

  She led him to the closet. He couldn't see the purpose of taking a tour of the bedroom when he'd been in every part of the suite, slept in her bed, and rather have her on her back in bed, enjoying her body than seeing how she'd decorated the place while he was gone.

  The light came on. She swept her arm out in front of her. "Left side is mine. The right side is now cleared out for your things."

  "I don't have anything," he said.

  "But you will." She grinned. "I told you, I plan to go shopping soon. Come and look at this."

  He walked over to the bed. She stopped suddenly, and he caught himself from running her over.

  "I took my things out of the nightstand." She leaned over and opened up the drawer. "I left the box of condoms in there, because they're yours, too. You can use this bowl beside the lamp to throw your change, wallet, and pistol in every night."

  "You want me to put my gun in a glass bowl?"

  She nodded. "That way everything is in one place. It's now your bowl."

  "I don't need a bowl." He scratched his bare chest.

  Her smile fell, and she frowned. "Okay, I can remove the bowl. How would you like a new bedspread? I could get a blue one. Something more manly than the purple orchids spread I have."

  "Baby?" He turned her around. "What's all this about?"

  "You're living here." She moved in close. "I want this to be your home."

  Fuck him. She'd spent most of the day trying to give him something special when he got home, and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed with her. Closet space, drawer space, and a glass bowl meant nothing to him. The energy and thought behind her trying to make him comfortable meant the whole damn world.

  "You make this feel like a home." He scooped her up and went down to the mattress with her, cushioning his weight. "All I need is you."

  She smiled lazily. "Yeah?"

  "Yeah." He pushed back, lowering himself on her body and hovered above her sex.

  She widened her legs. He dipped his head, opening his mouth to the warm, wetness of her pussy. He growled, licking, stroking, caressing in his need to repay her for her attempt at making him comfortable in her suite.

  Her knees fell to the mattress, and she moaned long and low. He slid his hands under her ass, not to embrace her, but own her. There was one thing he could provide her that she always desperately needed. A firm hand. A stronger personality. Permission to let go and let someone else take care of her.

  The inside of her thighs trembled. He lifted her pelvis and concentrated on her clit, stroking each side, circling, until her ass quivered in his hands. He pressed his elbows into the mattress, planting her at his mercy. Her legs thrashed on each side of him.

  "No, no, no," she said, moaning out more garbled words, in which he'd only picked up on 'too soon' and 'not yet'.

  His lips curled against her, and he moaned. He wasn't worried about her orgasm because he'd make sure she came two or three more times before he finished for the night.

  Tiff's ragged breath suddenly halted. Her body pitched forward, and she grabbed handfuls of his hair. He pulled back, keeping his mouth between her legs, his tongue inside of her, his beard moving along her slit.

  She groaned into a scream and clamped her thighs around his head and flopped back on the bed on a shudder, making the sweetest tsss...tsss... sound. He lapped the wetness up with his tongue, easing her down and enjoying the taste of her.

  Finally, her knees widened, loosening their hold on him. He lifted his head and moved up her body, wiping his mouth on his arm before taking her nipple in his mouth. His cock throbbed outside her pussy, seeking the heat and comfort that made him feel more like he'd come home than any room in a building could do.

  He lifted, stretched, and blindly grabbed a condom out of the nightstand drawer she'd delegated to him. The tightness of the condom only aided in his urgency.

  "Jeremy?"

  He positioned himself between her legs. "Hang on, baby."

  "No." She grabbed on to the sides of his waist. "Wait."

  His head snapped up, and he stilled. It took everything in him to stop.

  She stroked her hand down his face, tugged his beard, and smiled lazily up at him. "We haven't had sex like we used to since you came home."

  "What are you saying?"

  She reached around him, grabbed his ass, and said, "I want hard, fast, and you to let go."

  He kissed her hard and plunged inside of her. His balls tightened at the tightness.

  Then he gave her hard.

  He gave her fast.

  And, only when she screamed his name and clawed at his shoulders, he let go and took her with him again.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  The dancers lined up in the hallway in the back of the Sterling Building. Tiff stood in the doorway, keeping them out of sight until the lights dimmed and the spotlights hit the stage. The women's hushed whispers and excitement rubbed off on her, and she glanced at Jeremy standing beside Johnson in the back of the room.

  God, he was sexy.

  They'd spent the morning enjoying each other before she had to supervise the bordello customers. The activities upstairs at Red Light ran smoothly once she talked Jeremy into staying out of view. She ran a strict policy that afforded each of the men anonymity, and since Jeremy was going to be a regular fixture upstairs, she needed to slowly get the customers used to seeing him around. Right now, customers and employees viewed him as a threat. Over time, she'd change their minds.

  Jeremy turned and caught her watching. She bit her lip and lifted her shoulder. For some reason, he'd become fascinated with the black, thin strap of her dress earlier when she got dressed. The moment ripe for teasing, she raised her brows and waited to see what he'd do.

  He rubbed his hand down his beard and walked toward her, leaving Johnson talking to himself. She slithered her arms around his waist when he came close enough and whispered, "You look hot."

  He chuckled. Though only his chest rumbled against her and no sound reached her ears. "Keep talking, baby, and I'll steal you away from here."

  "Oh." She moistened her lips. "Where would you take me?"

  "Upstairs."

  She laughed. "Here I thought you'd take m
e somewhere else."

  "Is that what you want?"

  "Maybe." She ran her hands down the back of his vest, under his T-shirt, until she found bare, warm skin. "We've never gone out since you came back, and going to meetings at the motel doesn't count."

  "I'll take you out soon." He kissed her. "Tonight, I want you to stay in this room. Don't go back with the girls during the different sets and stay in my view."

  "I have to go back with them." The warmth of knowing there would be a future date on the town with Jeremy fizzled. "I always help Shari, so she can stay out front and run the show."

  "Not anymore." Jeremy cupped the side of her neck, tilted her face, and stroked her cheek. "I've asked Lola to come over and help out in the back for a while."

  "She is not working for me." Tiff pulled away from Jeremy.

  He tugged her back and held on tight. "No, she's working for me."

  "Why?" Her stomach soured, and she pressed her hand against her chest.

  She hated the fact that one woman ruined her whole mood. To have Jeremy rely on Lola to do Tiff's job only ate away at her and became impossible to ignore. His decision, one he never consulted her about, was solely responsible for the doubts she had about him. When would he realize how much easier their life would be if Lola had nothing to do with them?

  "I meant to tell you about the changes earlier, and you distracted me." He looked up and scanned the hallway. "I'll fill you in after you close the building for the night."

  "Just answer me one thing. Why Lola?" She grabbed his vest, stopping him from moving away.

  He opened his mouth, and Shari clapped her hands getting everyone's attention. That was Tiff's signal to open for business.

  She glared at Jeremy as if he had everyone working against her. "I have to open the doors."

  He stepped out of her way. She walked past him, strung tight and in no mood to watch the crowd for the next five hours. Lola better stay out of her sight, because if she had to deal with the woman in her current bad mood, someone was going to get hurt and it wasn't going to be her.

  She was done letting Lola push her around.

  The faces of eager men coming to spend their time watching the dancers greeted her. She toed the door stopper and stood at the entrance smiling, saying hi to those she knew, and welcoming those who were new to Silver Girls.

  After fifteen minutes, she closed the door and caught Shari's attention. She nodded, giving the signal to dim the lights. The closer they stuck to the schedule for the night, the more organized and relaxed the men stayed. If they waited too long, customers tended to wander which put the women upstairs at risk, even with the door and alarm set.

  The lights dimmed, the music came on, and Tiff worked her way along the back wall to stand in her usual spot with a view of the whole room. Johnson and Merk flanked her. She gazed up at them both and then spotted Jacko by the front door. All the Moroad members wore their signature jean vests.

  "It appears the rule about taking off your vest inside the building doesn't apply to Moroad members anymore," she said, knowing Jeremy had something to do with the changes.

  Johnson leaned toward her. "It's good to have you back with the club, sweetheart."

  She glared at Johnson. "I belong to Jeremy, not the club. Never have, never will."

  "Take it for what it is, Tiff. You livened things up back in the day." Johnson crossed his arms. "We've never turned away from you."

  "You're full of shit," she whispered loud enough for him to hear her over the music. "You and all the others don't say a word to me in fifteen-fucking-years of visiting Silver Girls every week, and you act as if you've had my back the entire time. Maybe Jeremy believes you, but I don't. I lived without Moroad."

  "Why don't you two shut up." Merk motioned with his chin. "See the badge over in the corner? The dark haired asshole?"

  She scanned the faces on the other side of the room and found the man. "Is that the new deputy?"

  "Yeah." Merk's eye twitched. "Let him do his job and stay away from him. If he speaks to you, I want you to look at one of the Moroad members, and one of us will take you away. Do not leave this room, not even with one of the women."

  "Jeremy already told me." She half turned and faced Merk. "What's wrong with him?"

  "That's for Jeremy to tell you about." Merk's gaze stayed on the stage.

  She studied Jeremy's uncle. The years had been kind to him. Still handsome, still strong. Obviously, Desiree's love for him only benefitted his life. Merk was one of the few members that stayed out of prison after claiming a woman.

  "Do you plan on being an uncle to Jeremy?" she asked.

  Merk rolled his lips over his teeth. She waited because after all these years she had no idea if Jeremy opened himself up and got to know his uncle. Last she witnessed, Jeremy avoided Merk, and his uncle was a hard, unforgiving felon.

  "I think it's a little late for me to take him on a fishing trip." Merk turned, and his gaze softened. "We have a relationship. The only kind we both know. Now he's my president."

  She pursed her lips. Merk gave her nothing, and she knew better than to push for answers.

  The music stopped. The women waiting in the hallway came out and replaced those on the stage. At the start of the next song, Katie motioned for all the men to stand as she paraded back and forth.

  For a second, pandemonium broke out. Highly aware of the crowd, Tiff pressed her back against the wall. Unable to see the women, she was confident that Shari watched the customers from the front.

  The Silver Girls dancers worked the front of the stage within an arm-length away from the men, giving them an up-close and personal view of their bodies. House rules, along with the presence of bikers, enforced a strict 'no touching' rule toward the dancers. The skimpy sequined top, thong, and high heels sufficient enough to excite everyone in attendance.

  The three women who served drinks and delivered them to the tables continuously moved around the room making sure everyone had what they wished.

  A whistle shrilled the room from her right. She turned and caught Sawyer's flirtatious smile. She grinned and shook her head. One of the friendlier Bantorus Motorcycle Club members, Sawyer hung out weekly at the club and made sure the Bantorus women made it home safely. She'd grown to enjoy talking to him while they waited after closing. His interest ranged from midwifery to restoring classic cars, a mix she found adorable. She was surprised one of the ladies hadn't tied him down yet.

  Despite her misgivings of the hours slowly ticking by, the night flew right along as she enjoyed the music, the routines, and the rowdy customers obviously enjoying their drinks and the entertainment. Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she looked down at the screen, surprised to find that it was time for the last routine. She gazed around looking for Jeremy and couldn't find him.

  Suddenly tired, the ache in her toes from her shoes showed up. She moved forward, excusing herself through the crowd, knowing exactly where she'd find Jeremy. All night, she hadn't seen Lola and suspected Jeremy kept her in the back room out of her sight.

  "Excuse me." She patted Gene's arm and scooted in front of him, ducking to stay out of his view of the girls.

  She made a straight shot to the hallway, ducked around the corner, and practically walked right into Lola. Her shoulders went back. Lola was alone.

  "You're not supposed to be back here," said Lola.

  Tiff crossed her arms. "You have a habit of telling me where I should and shouldn't go. Considering I own this building, I think it'd be best to keep your attention to whatever job Jeremy hired you for and away from me. I don't need an excuse to kick your skinny ass out of here."

  Lola inhaled deeply. "Listen, Tiff. I'm only—"

  "Save it." Tiff feigned boredom. "I'm not here to get into anything with you. I'm looking for Jeremy. It's almost time to close."

  "He left a few minutes ago out the back." Lola touched Tiff's arm and pulled back when she jolted. "Please, go back to the main room."

  Unlike the
Moroad men, Lola, at least, seemed to talk more. There were only a few minutes left and she'd need to go open the door and see people out.

  "All of this extra precaution because there's a new deputy here tonight." Tiff shook her head. "Maybe it's not me everyone should be worried about, seeing as how I don't have a criminal record as long as my arm."

  "You're Moroad and a female." Lola lowered her voice. "Sometimes that's enough to receive extra protection."

  Tiff harshly laughed. "Never needed protection. I can take care of myself."

  Her phone vibrated. Finished slinging words with Lola, she left the hallway and walked through the crowd as the music stopped. Jostled by a chair, she stumbled and reached out to catch her balance.

  Two hands grabbed her waist, and she let go of the arm she'd grabbed. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

  The new deputy smiled at her. He had nice teeth. His hair, cut short in a military style, fit his square face. Friendly enough, she wondered if the deputy's newness to Federal made Jeremy leery because the cop seemed normal to her.

  "Not a problem." He let go of her. "We haven't met yet. I'm Deputy Jay Williams."

  "I'm Tiff, the owner of Silver Girls. It's nice to meet you." She nodded, walking backward toward the door. "I'm sorry again about bumping into you, but I need to open the doors before everyone gets the urge to leave at the same time."

  "I understand." Deputy Williams lowered his chin. "Nice show you offer your customers."

  "Thank you." She escaped and opened both glass doors, letting in the cool air.

  Men, pumped up on testosterone, started walking out to the sidewalk. More than likely each man would go home to their wife or girlfriend and reenact what they saw tonight in their head while having sex in the missionary position.

  By the time the last customer walked out the door, goosebumps covered her arms. She rubbed warmth back into her skin, locked up, and found Johnson, Merk, Jacko, and Jeremy waiting for her.

  She walked into their conversation, waited for a lull, and said, "Are the women gone already?"

  "Get upstairs." Jeremy lifted his chin. "Merk will walk you up."

  "Uh, why can't you walk me up?" She glanced around at the serious faces. "What's going on?"