by Debra Kayn
The men walked off. He escorted Christina up to the porch. At the front door, two cars filled with Moroad women arrived. Cam motioned for Jacko.
"I want you inside the house," Cam said.
Jacko's eyes narrowed. "You sure?"
Cam nodded. "Leave the women alone, so they can keep Christina occupied."
"Cam..." Christina frowned.
"Don't even start. I don't want you sitting inside worrying all night." He patted her ass. "Let the women take care of you, and hopefully we'll have Jeremy with us when we return."
Christina sucked in her breath. "I should cook something, because he might be hungry when he gets home."
"Good idea, baby." He kissed her hard. "Go see what you can make."
Christina went inside the house. Cam shut the door and turned to Jacko. "Whatever you do, keep her from cleaning and cooking. She'll drive herself insane if she scrubs the kitchen one more time."
Jacko lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out his nose. "Fuck, she's your old lady. Can't you tell her to shut up, sit on the couch, and wait for you?"
Three years ago, he would've done exactly what Jacko suggested. Today, Christina would fight him every step of the way. She'd earned her spot beside him and he relied on her. She needed to help, and he'd be damned if he'd make her feel useless.
"Just do what you're told," he said.
"How the fuck do you expect me to entertain a bunch of women?" Jacko asked.
Cam shrugged. "She likes to play poker and gets off on winning, so throw a few hands and you'll make her happy."
Jacko shot him one more look of disgust and went inside the house. Cam walked over and got on his motorcycle. The others were ready to ride.
On the way into town, he assigned positions. He gave hand signals to Gunner who passed the information off down the line of bikers, until only Gunner and Merk rode with him.
Acting in place of his vice president, Gunner glanced behind them at Merk. Cam ignored Gunner's concern. Merk lost his place beside him, and until Cam officially assigned Gunner to the V.P. job, Merk fell back to prospect position, like it or not.
He wanted Merk with him to stake out Tiff's house, and Gunner around to make sure Merk followed directions. Cam rode up the hill to First Street and parked his motorcycle at the concrete safety barrier at the edge of the cliff. From the elevated position, he could look down onto Tiff's mother's house and all streets in the vicinity.
Gunner pulled out a pack of smokes and said, "You really think Reds have Jeremy?"
"I rather assume they do and be ready." Cam held out his hand. "Give me one of those."
Gunner grinned and tossed the pack to Cam. "Don't let Christina know you got one from me."
Cam grabbed the lighter out of Gunner's hand and inhaled the first hit of nicotine he'd had in two weeks. He exhaled waiting for his lungs to seize up, and smiled when only relief came over him. "She doesn't tell me what to do."
"No, she just corners all of us and threatens to rip our balls off if we cater to your habit." Gunner chuckled. "She's a hard ass when she wants to be."
He grunted, pleased Christina stood up to his men despite knowing he'd get a lecture if she found out he bummed a smoke off Gunner. He'd stepped into the relationship with Christina hoping she'd never change from the vulnerable girl who depended on him. Her strength and growth surprised him, and only made him more possessive.
"So..." Gunner flicked the cigarette butt into the gravel at the edge of the road. "What do you think, Merk? Is Jeremy coming tonight or not?"
"I wouldn't know." Merk stared down onto the town.
Gunner blew his lips. "You also didn't know your sister had a baby or Jeremy was your nephew. What do you know?"
"She was going to abort the kid. That's all I knew when I went to prison." Merk planted his boot on the foot peg of his motorcycle.
"You didn't check up on your sister after you got out?" Gunner whistled.
"I was only out six months before I got picked up by the cops again. She refused to see me during that time. This last time I served my sentence and walked away, Roni disconnected her phone. I didn't know where she lived, and the last house she stayed at had a lockbox on the door. I couldn't get ahold of her. I asked around town and nobody wanted to talk to a felon," Merk said, his voice giving nothing away. He wasn't angry. He wasn't bitter. He almost seemed as if he grieved the loss of his sister.
"That's cause she was dead." Gunner shook his head. "You were her only family. Hell, I don't see my sister, but I sure in the fuck know where to find her."
Cam sat back a few feet from Merk and took the time to study his MC brother. The Moroad members believed Cam lost all trust for his V.P. when Merk shot him. That wasn't true.
Merk lived off emotions. Where Cam lacked any feelings toward others, he depended on Merk to bring logic and reason to the actions of the club. Through Merk, Cam learned how to use greed, jealousy, and attachments with others to stay on top. He couldn't even fault Merk for falling in love with Christina. If only he'd kept his feelings to himself and not shown his weakness, Merk would still be his vice president.
Unfortunately, Merk betrayed Cam by trying to kill Christina's love. He tried to take Christina away from him and force her to see him as other people do. A criminal. A burden on society. A dangerous man.
The phone in Cam's pocket vibrated. He pulled the cell out and glanced at the incoming message.
Christina: I won twenty $$! Have U found J yet?
He texted back. No.
"Any news?" Gunner asked.
"No. That was Chris—"
The phone vibrated again.
Stache: We've got him in sight. He's coming down Third Street.
His pulse picked up and he peered in the direction of Third and Main Street. He pointed to the others. "There he is. Do not take your eyes off him."
He texted back. Hold back. Cover both exits. I'll get him.
Merk stood and toed his kickstand. Cam leaned over and grabbed his arm. "Don't. We're going on foot. If we ride in, he'll hear the bikes and take off. I want him off his motorcycle, so he can't ride away."
Cam, Gunner, Merk stood at the edge of the road and watched Jeremy circle the block twice before stopping outside Tiff's house. The front door opened. Cam fought the urge to hustle down the embankment after Jeremy. If Tiff came out and got on the back of Jeremy's motorcycle, he chanced losing him.
Hell, he'd given Jeremy his old motorcycle and taught him to ride. If the kid wanted to get away, he'd have a pair of wheels that'd make it possible to outrun them all.
Tiff stood on the porch with her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side. Jeremy swung his leg off his bike, and walked up to the house. Cam's next breath came easier.
"Let's go," he said.
With his mind on his girl, Jeremy stayed oblivious to the three Moroad members sliding over rocks and raining dirt down the hillside. Cam motioned for Merk to take the left and Gunner to take the right.
Jeremy held Tiff in his arms. Cam removed his pistol and leveled it on Jeremy's back.
"Your running is over, kid." Cam kept walking closer.
Jeremy jerked around, shoving Tiff behind him. "I'm not going back."
"Tiff?" Cam thumbed the safety off his weapon. "Take your ass in the house. I have business with Jeremy."
She scampered up onto the porch and hurried into the house, slamming the door behind her. Cam inhaled deeply. He wondered if Jeremy would be stupid enough to believe he could walk away from Moroad with his life.
"Gunner?" Cam said loudly. "Call the others. We'll escort Jeremy back to the house."
"You can't make me—"
"You signed a fucking contract with Moroad MC giving your life to the club. You deserted your brothers. You've put us all at risk. I have every right to put a bullet in your heart," Cam said.
Jeremy held out his arms to the side. "Then do it."
Fuck, the kid had balls.
Cam walked up to Jeremy without lowering t
he gun. "I could kill you, but there's a woman at the house who is everything good in this world. You don't deserve her, but she loves you anyway. She's torn up and the only thing she wants is you to come back, so you're going to get your fucking ass on your motorcycle and make Christina happy again."
"Then what? You're going to kill me anyways. That's the rule." Jeremy put his arms down.
The roar of motorcycles arriving made talking in a normal voice almost impossible. Cam motioned for Jeremy to walk and followed him out of the yard. It'd be the last chance he had to talk to Jeremy when others couldn't overhear. "To live, you need to stay strong. Prove to yourself you have what it takes to slap the Moroad patch on your vest."
The others surrounded Jeremy. Cam slipped his pistol back into his jeans and gave instructions to his men. Then he made the steep climb up to the next street to get his Harley. At the top of the hill, he sat on his bike and couldn't move.
His legs shook and he broke out in a sweat.
One down, one more to go. He dealt with Jeremy, and now he had to face Reds. Moroad MC could walk into an ambush tonight on the gun chain, and he'd never experience Christina's happiness over having the kid home.
Something deep inside of his chest ached; a tight knot formed a lump in his throat making it impossible to swallow. He couldn't lift his arms. The suffocating feeling foreign and uncomfortable, he stared at the ground confused. He should panic or get help, and yet he enjoyed the feeling and wanted the pain to stay, and he couldn't understand why.
Was the painful feeling an emotion Christina experienced every day? How did she survive that kind of hell and pleasure?
He had a club to run. He stared down the hill at Jeremy, boxed in by the Moroad MC, and laid his chin on his chest. He'd brought Jeremy home alive and it felt good.
Chapter Nineteen
Christina sat close to Jeremy on the couch. Cam stood in front of the coffee table. The happy family reunion could wait. He only had an hour until he needed to go on the gun chain, and he needed the answers only Jeremy could provide.
"You should eat." Christina rubbed Jeremy's arm.
Jeremy glared at Cam and spoke to Christina. "I'm not hungry."
"He can eat later. I'm not going to ask again. Where have you been shacking up?" Cam shifted his weight to his good leg.
Jeremy appeared bored and refused to answer. Cam knew differently. The constant tap of Jeremy’s boot heel hitting the floor, the need to look down when he swallowed, and the constant pull at his shirt told him everything he needed to know. The kid was ready to blow. He wouldn’t leave Christina alone to deal with Jeremy’s anger.
"Okay. If you're not going to talk, we're done." Cam turned to Merk. "Go get Stache and Johnson. I want a lock put on Jeremy's bedroom. The only way he's getting away is out the upstairs window. If he survives the fall without breaking his legs, tell them to shoot him."
Merk nodded and promptly walked out of the house without comment.
"No." Christina stood. "You're going too far, Cam."
"I brought him home alive. For you." Cam gazed at Christina. "He knew the rules when he signed the contract and patched in. He should be dead for what he's done."
"Leave her out of this." Jeremy stood. His anger beating the indifference he desperately tried to hold on to. "If you want to kill me, do it. I'm here. I've betrayed the club. I'm not even your—"
"Shut the fuck up." Cam jabbed his finger in the air toward Jeremy. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Whatever. It doesn’t matter what you do." Jeremy walked past Cam and took the stairs three at a time.
Cam wanted to drag Jeremy down the stairs and teach him a lesson about going against his orders. Hell, the kid couldn't even respect him enough to listen.
Christina approached Cam. "You can't lock him in his room. He's an adult."
"So were you when I brought you into this house and a lock on the door and bars on the window worked." Cam turned when the front door opened.
Stache and Johnson walked up the stairs carrying tools. Cam checked the time on his phone. Successfully bringing back Jeremy changed the plan for tonight's run. He needed half the club here to protect Christina and the kid if Reds decided to grab Jeremy. That lessened the number of men who'd protect the chain.
"Cam, I'm serious. I'll unlock his door the moment you leave." Christina's lips pursed.
"You won't go against my rules," he said.
"Yes, I will."
Cam growled and focused on Christina. "What's with you?"
"This whole mess started because you kept a secret. I understand you didn't know Jeremy was Merk's nephew until later, but secrets are killing this family, the club. Me," she whispered. "It needs to stop. Give Jeremy control of his life."
"He's a Moroad. I've already broken the rules, because he's still breathing."
"Stop." She shook her head in frustration. "I will not let him walk out the door without going with him. If he runs away, I'll run away, too."
"You'd leave me?" His pulse pounded in his head and his body tightened ready to act. Cam stepped closer and hooked her neck. "I won't let that happen."
"And, I won't let you kill him," she said. "No matter how much I love you. I need to do the right thing, and Jeremy believes he's alone right now. I know what that feels like, and I won't let him go on believing he's lost everyone he cares about."
"Jesus," Cam muttered. "I need to ride out."
"Then go." Christina laid her hand on his chest. "Then come back to us. Trust me to take care of Jeremy and do whatever I can to make sure he stays home. You always want me to rely on you, and I do. Most of the time against my better judgment. Please, rely on me to take care of your son."
Upstairs, the drill ran through the door. Against his natural urge to emotionally and physically demand she follow his order to let him handle Jeremy in his own way, he nodded. He'd run out of time. The stakes too high to push Christina, he wouldn't risk losing her. The last place he wanted her was outside the house on a night Reds could attack.
His men wouldn't let her or Jeremy go without shooting them before they stepped off the porch. Christina wanted to believe they were dealing with a family problem, but club came first. As president of Moroad MC, he dealt with the circumstances using his head and not his heart.
"If Jeremy gives you trouble, I'll lock both of you in the rooms when I return." He held her head. "Understand me when I say the men will not let you leave the house. Don't be stupid. Make sure Jeremy doesn't go off half-cocked and get himself killed."
"I understand." She kissed him. "Be careful and come back to me."
He hesitated. "You've got the house, the—"
"Yeah, yeah." She patted his chest. "I know. That doesn't mean shit if I don't have you."
He held her gaze. "Are you wearing my ring?"
"Yes." Her eyes softened. "I love you, too."
"Good."
Footsteps coming down the stairs stopped him from saying anymore. He brought her to his side, holding her close, and faced Stache.
"The lock is installed, but we left the door open." Stache glanced at Christina. "It's time to ride."
"You and Johnson are staying behind at the house. Pick six others, 3 from the bottom and 3 from the top, going by seniority, except Merk. I want him on the run," Cam said.
"Are you sure about that, man?" Stache rubbed his hand over his jaw. "We were all going, and you wanted Bear to stay and watch the house. He can handle anything Jeremy tries to throw at him."
"We could be falling into their plans. I don't know yet if Reds have anything to do with Jeremy. They could be throwing threats out to keep our attention on the chain and tear apart my family." Cam removed his arm from around Christina. "Go tell the others the change in plans. I'll be out in a second."
Alone with Christina, Cam walked out of the room and into the kitchen. He grabbed two more pistols. One for his boot and one in his back pocket. The third pistol in his possession would sit between his legs on the ride to the schedul
ed meeting spot and be in his hand when he faced Blues for the exchange.
"Shit," Christina said behind him.
Cam remained with his back toward her. "Protection, baby. Don't start."
Silence greeted him when he turned around. He reached up into the cabinet above the fridge again and removed a smaller pistol. He assumed Jeremy still had his weapon, but if for some reason he lost his pistol, he wanted the kid to have access to a gun if Reds showed up. He was confident if Jeremy needed to choose between Reds and Christina, he'd protect the woman who loved him the most.
"This one is for Jeremy if trouble comes." He set the pistol on the table. "I want you to get your pistol when I leave and put it on you. I'm not going to lock his bedroom door. If you or Jeremy walk out of the house, Moroad members will shoot."
She nodded, catching her lower lip between her teeth.
"I don't want to come back and find you dead." Cam walked over to her and kissed her hard. "In three hours, it'll be over and we'll fix our family. You need to keep him calm and in the house."
"I will." She sucked in her breath. “Please be careful.”
Cam pulled himself away and walked out of the house. He motioned Stache over. Fear kept men safe in prison. He hoped the theory worked as well on women and one pissed off kid.
"Jeremy's upstairs. Christina believes she can handle him and any situation that comes up." Cam walked over, reached up onto the beam of the porch roof, and grabbed a hidden pack of cigarettes. He lit the smoke, needing something to settle his head.
"Orders?" Stache asked.
"They believe you'll shoot to kill if they step out of the house." Cam lowered his voice. "But if one of my men harms a hair on their heads, I'll kill the person who fired the shot and everyone who witnessed it. You do whatever you need to do to keep them both in the house. Jeremy's room has a lock, and so does my bedroom. Use ‘em if you can't control them."
"Got it." Stache hurried off to tell the others.
