Chasing Down Changes (Moroad Motorcycle Club) (14 page)

Tiff groaned, wiping the wet tears from her cheeks. "It's nothing. It
was
nothing. I'll fix this. Go back upstairs and tell the men when everything calms down they're free to leave. We'll give them a free fifteen-minute Frenchy the next time they schedule an appointment."

Marci hesitated, glancing at Jeremy to Tiff to the window. Tiff pushed at Marci. "Go, and lock the upstairs door."

The sirens got louder, then softer, then shut off. She swiped her fingers underneath her eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and turned around to talk Jeremy into going upstairs, too.

Except, he was gone.

She peered out the window and found him on the sidewalk with Deputy Mendal. Her throat closed, and she pulled the phone out of her back pocket. She tapped her contacts list and found the number for Cam.

His voice had come over the phone before she realized it took Jeremy coming home for her to reach out to the club for help.

"Are you going to talk?" Cam blew across the phone, and she imagined him sucking on a cigarette, scowling at her.

She cleared her throat. "Cam?"

"You called me."

Right. She had.

She stepped toward the window, never taking her gaze off the deputy, waiting for him to grab his pistol or the handcuffs strapped to his belt.

"Jesus Christ, woman. What's going on?"

She exhaled in a rush and said, "He's in trouble."

"Where are you?" asked Cam.

She pressed her hand against the window wanting to grab Jeremy and whisk him away. His thought process so different than hers since he'd returned, he'd walk straight into danger without a second thought to anyone else.

Sheriff Colby couldn't save him. She couldn't save him. She needed Moroad, and doing so would once again put her second in his life.

"At the Sterling Building." She disconnected the call. Not only had she called the only person who could help Jeremy, but her actions also brought trouble to Federal. Moroad Motorcycle Club never gently probed, they swept in and fucked everyone up.

Deputy Mendal motioned toward the building, and Jeremy walked to the door. Tiff turned as he entered.

"The badge needs to talk with you," Jeremy said, slipping his pistol behind the curtain on the window ledge.

She bit down on her lip and looked out the window. A crowd across the street stood on the sidewalk gawking. "What do I say?"

"Whatever you want to tell him." Jeremy stepped in front of her and kissed her forehead. "You shot a hole in the floor. You were pissed at me. Tell him you want me gone. Do what you think you need to do."

Her heart raced, and she studied him. "What are you trying to do to me?"

Jeremy's gaze softened. "Here's your chance to get rid of me, huh?"

He slipped his hand behind her neck, guided her through the door, and placed her in front of the deputy. All the while, she stared up at Jeremy, unable to believe he forced her hand in their argument. She'd threatened to shoot him. She'd told him to leave. She'd begged him to stay.

At one time, he would've played her game. A couple of days going back and forth arguing, she'd always return to make things right with him, because during her heated temper, he always supported her. He no longer was willing to give her room to breathe. He wanted to know her level of commitment. She either had to keep him, submit to his lifestyle, rules, and status in her life or send him back to prison.

"Miss Carter?" Deputy Mendal dipped his chin. "We received a call of a gunshot at the Sterling Building. Could you tell me what happened and is there anyone in possession of a weapon now?"

She nodded, looked at Jeremy hoping he'd speak up, and when he refused to bail her out, she blinked the burning sensation from her eyes. "I shot the pistol," she whispered.

"Where is the gun now?" Deputy Mendal's gaze searched her.

"Inside." She held her hands out in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'm still shaking. I was holding the pistol, and it slipped from my hands. I went to grab it, and the safety must've been off, and my finger hit the trigger. I'm never careless. I have a concealed carry permit. I-I'm just glad there was nobody around when it happened."

Deputy Mendal frowned and looked at Jeremy. "Where were you when all this happened?"

"Does it matter?" Jeremy's hand went to the back of Tiff's neck, warm and firm. "She gave her statement."

"It does if you were in the vicinity of a loaded weapon and picked up the gun." The deputy put his hand on the butt of his pistol. "Turn around, hands in the air, and get down on your knees."

"Wait." Tiff waved her arms. "He didn't do anything."

"Ma'am, stand away from the felon." Deputy Mendal focused on Jeremy. "Lay flat on the ground. Cross your ankles and put your arms behind your back."

Jeremy went down, following the instructions. Tiff stepped forward again. "He was upstairs in my suite. I was downstairs moving some tables and going through supplies. Jeremy was nowhere near me. I was in possession of the pistol the whole time. That's my right. Y-you can check the record at the Sheriff's office. My permit is on file there."

Deputy Mendal went down on one knee in the middle of Jeremy's back. "Put your arms straight out at your sides."

A rumble of a motorcycle drew closer as the deputy frisked Jeremy. Tiff searched the street looking for Cam. Alone, she couldn't stop the deputy from arresting him. She had no idea how Moroad handled trouble from law enforcement.

"Stay down." Deputy Mendal pushed himself to his feet.

Cam pulled up to the curb, toed his kickstand, and limped straight to Jeremy, ignoring Deputy Mendal's raised hand for him to stay back. "You want to explain why the fuck you have my son on the ground."

"Back off." The deputy radioed in, talking code, and then directed his attention to Cam. "I was called in regarding a gunshot in the area. Mr. Aldridge is a known felon."

"Jesus Christ," muttered Cam. "Did he have a gun on him?"

"No."

Cam's eyes narrowed. "Stand him up."

"I'm following procedure until I have backup and get their individual stories."

"Then you don't mind if I call backup and every fucking member of my club comes and watches you make an asshole move so that we can file a harassment complaint." Cam reached into his pocket.

"Raise your hands." Deputy Mendal aimed his pistol at Cam. "Get on the ground."

Tiff cupped her elbows. Blood rushed through her head. In one fell swoop, the whole club would be arrested. "Is this really necessary? I told you it was my gun that went off accidently. These men don't have anything to do with what happened to me.
He
wasn't even here, and Jeremy was upstairs."

Cam lifted his head off the ground and stared at her. She flinched. His message came across loud and clear. He wanted her to shut up and let him deal with everything, except she was the one who got Jeremy involved when she'd reacted without thinking.

Tires of a car squealed around the corner. She turned and found Sheriff Colby, lights flashing and no siren. He stopped in the middle of the street and hurried to the sidewalk. She glanced at Cam, who shook his head. Fine, she'd shut up and stay put.

Colby talked with the deputy out of earshot. She bit down on the end of her thumbnail. Without knowing what Colby and Jeremy talked about out on the sidewalk, she had no idea what would happen to Jeremy and Cam. God, she wished she'd lied and said there was no gunshot. She could've blamed the noise on the music or a car backfiring in the street.

She glanced up at the second story of the building. The curtains remained closed. The only windows she allowed open were the ones facing the alley. The women were probably going crazy up there. She'd left them alone with the customers, something she never had to do before.

She hoped they were safe. She sucked in air. Marci deserved a raise.

"Mr. Aldridge. Mr. Farrell, you can get up." Sheriff Colby stepped over and waited for both men to get their feet under them, and then he continued. "You both broke no laws and were found to have no weapon on you."

"Maybe you need to clue your deputy about how not to harass the citizens of Federal." Cam pulled his jeans up higher. "Now, if we're done here, we're going inside."

Tiff hurried over to Sheriff Colby. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Nothing was going on. I swear. The gun went off accidently."

He gazed at her for a few seconds. "Are you okay?"

Thrust into a world she tried desperately to avoid, her concern came from Jeremy's freedom at risk, her employees inconvenience, the fear of discovery. Somehow during the whole dramatic scene, she forgot to be worried about herself. She avoided any chance of having law enforcement officials around the Sterling Building. Today came too close to home for her.

She nodded. "Scared. Angry at myself."

Sheriff Colby's jaw tightened. "You need anything, give me a call."

"I will," she mouthed. "Thank you."

Deputy Mendal and Sheriff Colby drove away. Jeremy stepped beside her and grabbed her hand. She let him lead her inside where Cam rounded on her. She stepped closer to Jeremy.

"I should shoot you." Cam pulled out a cigarette, lit the end, and passed the pack to Jeremy, who waved the offer away. "You not only came fucking close to putting Jeremy back in prison, but you also had the bright idea to put me in prison, too."

She shook her head. "That's not why I called you. I was afraid Jeremy would—"

"Fucking bullshit." Cam blew smoke out of his mouth. "You never once called for help in fifteen years. Jeremy's free, and within the first two weeks that he's home, I get a call from you. Tell me what I'm supposed to think."

"I was scared," she said.

Cam pointed his finger at her. "You're weak."

Jeremy stepped in front of her and faced his dad. "Enough."

Cam stopped talking. Tiff leaned her forehead against Jeremy's back. There was nothing Cam could say that she wasn't already thinking. She regretted letting herself get angry. Scared of losing Jeremy again, fear of bringing the Feds down on Red Light, she'd never survive losing everything important to her.

"Tiff?" Jeremy turned around. "Go upstairs. Stay up there and take care of the women, and close down for the day. I need to talk with Cam."

She nodded. The need to escape Cam's anger and Jeremy's disappointment in her, she fled the room. On the landing, she straightened her shoulders, unwilling to face her employees while she fell apart inside. Later, she'd lock herself in the suite and give way to the fears consuming her.

T
he fury Cam unleashed on Tiff brought everything Jeremy still had questions about in order. Jeremy hooked his hands under his armpits and stared at his father. Their dysfunctional relationship was built on favors, manipulations, and a deep need to stay alive.

He'd taken the years he spent in prison and planned his next move, set the club into motion, and orchestrated the future. His dad, always a loose string, primed Jeremy to take over as president and yet kept the answers Jeremy sought from him.

Now he understood why he'd had trouble grasping Cam's weakness during his time as president. Cam failed to comprehend the emotions behind the actions.

"You never protected her." Jeremy tightened his arms, clamping his hands against his body to keep from strangling his father. "How many times had I asked you about Tiff during the first year of my imprisonment, until I quit mentioning her name because you told me she'd moved on with her life?"

"We already talked about what happened when you left the other day." Cam braced his hand on the back of a chair and took his weight off his left leg. "I told you Tiff stepped away from the club. I fulfilled my promise of paying her monthly."

He shook his head. "No, you allowed her to leave without stopping her. She had no choice.
You
gave her no choice."

"Kid." Cam clamped his mouth shut, inhaled noisily through his nose. "I built you up to be the head of Moroad. You grew in prison, following my shadow. She's a weak link to our plan."

Jeremy braced against the head trip. Cam could believe everything he spouted, but Jeremy understood. He'd gone the length it took to become the man standing here, confronting Cam without any fear.

"She's not the weak link," he said.

Cam ran his hand down his beard. "You're not opening your eyes to the situation, kid."

"She's survived all these years on her own. The money I gave her is in a safe. She never used a penny of what I gave her. She's worked her ass off and succeeded in an illegal business where many Moroad members failed. Hell, she's got the fucking Sheriff backing her, keeping the Feds from investigating. The whole town is oblivious to what she's running upstairs, because she's put trust in her customers, Federal, herself. Does that make her sound like a weak link to you, huh?"

Cam rubbed the lit cigarette against the thigh of his jeans, stubbing the coal out and pocketed the butt. "I'm not talking about her personally."

"Fuck you," Jeremy said, already ahead of Cam's manipulation. "Tiff created a fucking dynasty right in front of you that puts your gun chain and extortion agreement with the other gangs to shame."

Cam weighed his words and came back at him. "She's
your
weak link. As long as that woman is in your life, she will always come first. Before club. Before your freedom."

"Bullshit." Jeremy widened his stance.

"You're fucking ready, kid." Cam limped closer. "You've done more inside the prison system during your incarceration than I ever managed to complete. Our men respect you, trust you. We've got Los Li pushed back. Blues are toeing the line. Reds are swinging by their necks. It's time."

Jeremy walked off, roamed the room, looking out of the windows. Claustrophobia pressed in on his back, tightening his chest. He expected the changeover, and yet something ate away at him. He'd blamed the unsettled feelings on a new routine, freedom, and the pressure from outside.

He'd grown used to the demands in prison. The outside brought unwelcomed change he fought to contain and new people he had to work with and count on. Every day something new developed within the club, and he needed to take care of problems before those snags started a war on the inside of the Cyclone fence.