His Crime

by Debra Kayn

  Her shocked body recovered and warmth rekindled in her lower stomach. Cam continued to take and take, while bringing her with him. Caught off guard at the powerful statement, the never-ending splurge, the force at which he worked her body over, she realized Cam eradicated the emotional rollercoaster he'd lived through recently. From the time of the shooting up to today, he cleaned his soul, sharing his lack of control with her. He needed her to corroborate and accept him, to lift his confidence over his ability to bring Jeremy home and to run his club.

  By the time she discovered his reasons, Cam plunged into her on a groan, his body stiffening with his release.

  He never said the words, but she understood.

  His hand rubbed her lower back. Frozen in time, caught in his hold, she hung in balance, held in his capable hands. After several seconds, he pulled out, holding her in front of him. She turned and curled against his side.

  Cam's loud, rough breathing worried her. She sensed his gaze and lifted her chin. With the gentlest feather light touch, he ran his fingertip along her cheek.

  "Okay?" she asked quietly.

  He nodded. His current passive, relaxed expression belied the wild, dominating way he took her in the kitchen. He'd carried too much on his shoulders for far too long. She gladly accepted him, letting him rely on her to ease his stress. She only wished she could exist inside of him to help carry his responsibilities.

  "Yo, anyone in here?" Bear called from the other side of the house.

  "Shit," she mumbled pulling away to search for her shorts.

  Cam stopped her, kissed her hard, and said, "I'll take him outside."

  "Thank you," she mouthed.

  The second the front door closed, Christina hurried through the house and into the bathroom. Once she'd cleaned herself, redressed, and grabbed her purse and phone, it was almost dinnertime.

  Out on the porch, Cam talked with Bear, Stache, Gunner, and Merk. She met Merk's gaze and looked away. The silent questions he gave her with one look would go unanswered. She no longer trusted him, and he had no right to know anything about her.

  "Honey, I'm leaving." She squeezed past Stache and kissed Cam. "I'm going to pick up pizza. I won't have time to cook before the others get here."

  "Be back before dark." Cam squeezed her ass in front of the others. "Do you have your phone?"

  "Yes." She kissed him again. "See you in a little bit."

  She walked between Stache and Gunner and patted their arms on her way through, waving over her shoulder as she skipped down the steps. In the truck, she watched the men on the porch in her peripheral vision, wondering why Cam wasn't sending a rider along with her.

  Everyone focused on Jeremy, while the threats against the club remained quiet. The lack of action a blessing, because bringing Jeremy home remained her top concern.

  The old truck rattled down the gravel road. She glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled. Cam let her go to town on her own without any added security. Change never happened overnight, but slowly, perhaps day by day, hour by hour, Cam stubbornly began to trust her.

  She'd changed too.

  She no longer allowed herself to dwell too long on the past, the hard times, and the constant conflict warring in her head on how unfair the world treated her. Instead, she focused on the security, the excitement, the love Cam's world brought her. She couldn't imagine life without him. Once they got Jeremy back home, she'd have everything she needed in her life.

  Humming an unknown tune to herself, one that changed and moved to her climbing good mood, she pulled into the parking lot at Country Mart. Before getting out of the car, she phoned Pizzazz Pizza and ordered three large meat pizzas in case any of the men wanted to eat with them.

  Her positive mood moved her along. She walked into the store pushing a cart and went straight to the beer cooler in the back. She loaded the cases and smiled. Somehow, during those minutes Cam took her body the way he used to before Merk shot him changed her. He'd taken little pieces of her soul, healed her, and provided her with the strength to move forward.

  He'd pushed past her fears and altered her course. To dream. To believe. To live again.

  "Wow," a female voice interrupted her musings.

  She looked up and tilted her head, recognizing Jenny, the cashier. "Excuse me?"

  Jenny laughed. "I'm sorry. I saw you smiling and you're...wow. Not that you're not always pretty, but you look happy."

  Heat flooded Christina's face and she nodded. "I am happy."

  'Then you found Jeremy?" Jenny stepped closer and put her hands on the end of the cart. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask."

  "No, we haven't found him yet." Christina put the last case of beer in the car. "How did you know he was gone from home?"

  "Tiff." Jenny shrugged. "We used to be best friends."

  "Used to be?"

  Jenny puckered her lips. "She stopped talking to me about a month ago. I kept calling to apologize in case I'd upset her. I've been working a lot of hours and have neglected all my friends, not just her. But, she wouldn't return my calls. I finally had a chance to talk to her last week. She told me about her relationship with Jeremy and how he'd left without saying anything to her. She's heartbroken. When I saw you, I thought if you were happy, then maybe he came back. I hate to see Tiff sad, and she seems so down lately."

  Christina squeezed Jenny's hand. "No, he hasn't come back and I hope Tiff finds what will make her happy, too."

  "Yeah, me too." Jenny dropped her gaze to the cart full of beer. "I should get back up front. My break is over."

  Jenny hurried down the aisle. Christina pushed her heavy cart up front and went through the self-checkout lane. Jeremy's actions effected more than the club. Everyone in his life hurt without him.

  Tears threatened to make an appearance, and she shoved them down. People were going to question her. She'd stay strong and prove to everyone who judged her that Jeremy's family was here for him if he needed them.

  By the time she arrived at Pizzazz, the teenage girl working the counter hurried and handed over the boxes of pizza in her frenzy to keep up with the fast pace on a busy night. She loaded dinner into the front seat of the truck and pulled away from the curb. Traffic picked up the closer she came to the viaduct.

  She glanced at the cars parked near the Sheriff's Department. The whole area seemed packed with out of state vehicles, and yet none of them clogged the streets in town. Six blocks long and three blocks wide, most people visiting the area parked and walked to browse the antique shops, the silver museum, and visit the unique bars in town.

  She drove under the viaduct. A figure behind the cement pillar caught her attention. She slammed on her brakes. Her heart exploded in her chest.

  "Jeremy," she whispered.

  Wearing his favorite ratty 'Do It or Die' T-shirt, Jeremy's eyes widened knowing she'd spotted him. She slammed the shifter on the column into PARK, and Jeremy slipped out of sight.

  "No, no, no." She looked behind her, checking for traffic.

  She couldn't leave the truck in the middle of the road. She had to call Cam.

  In her hurry, she gunned the truck before putting it in gear. "Dammit."

  She lifted her gaze and caught Jeremy riding toward the on-ramp of Interstate-90. Afraid she'd lose him; she abandoned the idea of calling Cam and shifted the truck into drive. A blue van cut in front of her at the cross street. Impatient, she drove onto the side of the road and passed the vehicle on the right side of the on-ramp.

  She spotted Jeremy riding three car lengths ahead of her, heading west. Exhilarated at getting on the interstate without too many seconds separating her from Jeremy, the sirens never penetrated her head until she noticed lights flashing in her rearview mirror. She pressed her foot down, going faster. If she stopped, she'd lose sight of Jeremy.

  The sheriff's SUV changed lanes and pulled up beside her on the left. She exhaled in relief. As soon as the sheriff went around her, she'd be able to keep going.

  The siren changed pitched. S
he glanced out the driver's side window. Sheriff Colby motioned her to pull over. She shook her head, caught between ignoring all legal obligations to follow the traffic rules and knowing she broke the law. She stared ahead of her. Jeremy and his motorcycle were nowhere in sight.

  Disappointed in herself for losing him, she flipped on her blinker, slowed down, and pulled onto the shoulder of the interstate. She put the truck in PARK and shut off the engine. Why had Jeremy ran away when he seen her?

  Her one chance of talking to him and convincing him he needed to come back to the house with her gone, she rolled down her window and faced the sheriff.

  "I'll need to see your license and registration, Christina," Sheriff Colby braced his hand on the door.

  She grabbed her purse beside her. Her hands shook as she pushed the pistol to the bottom of the bag and grabbed her driver's license. She retrieved the registration above the sun visor and handed the items through the window.

  Sheriff Colby studied her. "You illegally passed the vehicle in front of you on the on-ramp."

  "I know," she said.

  He leaned closer. "Is everything okay?"

  She nodded. "If you don't mind, can you give me my ticket? I need to go home."

  Sheriff Colby glanced in the bed of the pickup. She closed her eyes an extra beat. Now was not the greatest moment to be stopped by law enforcement when she had eight cases of beer in the back.

  "None of the cases are opened. I'm going to assume you haven't been drinking." Sheriff Colby's eyes softened. "I've never known you to be a drinker."

  "It's not for me...we're having a party." She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about my driving."

  "Give me a few minutes and I'll come back and talk with you," Sheriff Colby said.

  The sheriff rapped his knuckles against the side of the truck on his way back to his SUV. Minutes ticked by, and all she could think about was her missed chance at talking to Jeremy. At least he'd stayed in Federal. That was more than she'd known before today.

  Sheriff Colby returned and passed his clipboard through the window. "Your court date is in two weeks. You can either pay the fine or appear in front of the judge and explain your side of the story. Sign on the bottom line."

  She scribbled her name and took the ticket from the sheriff. The rest of what he had to say scrambled in her head. Then she drove away.

  Her freedom to come to town on her own without Cam no longer seemed like a step forward. She wanted him with her. If he'd been here, he could've stopped Jeremy from leaving. He would've made sure Jeremy understood he needed to come home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  "Tell me—"

  "No."

  Cam glared at Christina standing in the archway of the living room, one foot in the foyer as if she'd lunge for the door at any moment. He expected more cooperation from her after she returned from town.

  "Let me finish my sentence," he said.

  She clamped her lips together. He glared. She knew better than to push him. This time, she had better answer him.

  He continued. "Tell me exactly what you—"

  "No."

  He turned away from her and looked at Merk witnessing Christina's disobedience. He pushed back his frustration. She made any kind of communication impossible when she got in a mood.

  She cleaned the house every time he turned around as if someone important made an appointment to come inside and judge her housekeeping skills.

  She used her body to distract him from being outside with the guys as if she could stop a bullet hitting his back.

  She played the music at headache producing sounds at ten o'clock in the morning as if Jeremy never left.

  Her independence pushed his patience. He ran his hand down his beard. Gunner already called and told him what went down in town. Once he heard the news, he'd brought Merk inside the house, so when Christina returned they could hear every bit of new information she had on Jeremy. Now she refused to talk.

  "I can wait you out all night." Cam sat on the arm of the couch. "Except, the sooner I know exactly what happened in town, the faster I can act on the next step."

  Christina's gaze snapped to his. "Then get him out of my house."

  Her refusal to tolerate Merk filled every aspect of their lives. She stayed in the house if Merk hung out in the yard. She refused to visit outside with the women if Merk even looked at her. Whether she wanted Merk gone or not, right now he needed Merk's skills.

  "Baby, the men are outside. As much as they'd love to have the information you have on Jeremy, I'd like to hear what you have to say first."

  "I'll tell you." Her eyes flickered to Merk and back to Cam. "Alone."

  "Merk's staying to listen." Cam walked over and stood in front of Christina. "Now start talking."

  A shudder went through her and she huffed. His passionate woman failed to hide the emotions flowing through her.

  She hated Merk.

  While he enjoyed witnessing her disgust after questioning her involvement with Merk, a new tension came from her. It went beyond her fear of Merk repeating his attempt to kill him.

  "Where did you see Jeremy?" he asked.

  "Why do you think I did?" She leaned against the archway to keep him from touching her.

  "Stop the bullshit." Cam turned, walked back to the couch, and sat down. "I had Gunner follow you, because I expected Jeremy to make contact with you. I had a hunch Jeremy watched you in hopes of catching you alone. He knows you always go on a beer run on Friday night."

  Christina crossed her arms. "You set me up and made me believe you trusted me?"

  "I do trust you."

  Her lips curled in anger and damned if he didn't want to kiss her temper away. He held back, because Merk needed to see what he'd done. He'd ruined a family, and he wouldn't get a second chance at taking Christina or Jeremy away from him.

  "I can't believe you," she muttered.

  "The kid's smart. If I'd told you ahead of time I thought Jeremy would come out of hiding to find you, you'd be looking all over for him, and he'd know it." Cam squeezed the ache in his bad knee. "You can't hide your feelings. Everything going through your head is right there on your face for anyone to see."

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "If you knew what would happen, why weren't you there?"

  "I'd scare him off," Cam said.

  "What about...him?" Christina pointed at Merk without looking at him.

  "We don't know how much Jeremy knows or who he's been in contact with since he left. If he ran to Reds, there's a good chance they would know Merk is his uncle and have already informed the kid." Cam stood, restless and frustrated. "We need to act now. We know he's close."

  He'd sent Gunner into town to trail her without her knowing. Gunner lost contact with Christina under the viaduct and had turned around to cut her off using the second exit out of Federal. Christina never showed, but he'd spotted Jeremy and decided to follow the kid while calling to inform Cam of his move. A half hour later, he still hadn't received any more updates. No call coming in meant Gunner still traveled. His MC brother could only go so far until he hit the Washington/Idaho border and lost Jeremy.

  Patience had always been his strong suit in prison. He'd outwaited every enemy he'd made, biding his time, hitting others at their weakest. His time in the state pen, running Moroad, and dealing with men who'd kill to save their own life made him smart. When it came to Christina, keeping her safe and out of danger made him weak.

  She fucked up his thinking, made him second guess, and he worried one wrong move and he'd involuntarily hurt her. He needed to keep his head.

  "I need to know what happened," Cam said.

  "I saw Jeremy under the viaduct. He looked right at me, so I know he saw me. I stopped and was about to call you when he took off. I followed him onto the interstate, and then...shit." She inhaled deeply and set her purse on the chair. "I had to stop."

  "Who stopped you?" Merk asked.

  She refused to look at Merk. Cam cleared his throat
and repeated the question. "Who stopped you, baby?"

  "The sheriff." She moistened her lips and dropped her gaze. "I panicked, okay?"

  "What happened?" He pushed her to keep going. Any information she gave him became relevant to finding Jeremy.

  "A car pulled in front of me getting on the on-ramp. I was afraid I'd lose Jeremy, so I passed on the shoulder." Christina rubbed her arm, her voice breaking. "I broke the law."

  Cam ran his hand down his beard to hide his amusement. "It's a traffic ticket."

  "Whatever. I still broke the law," she mumbled. "All I want to know is if Gunner found Jeremy."

  "I haven't heard." Cam walked over to her and gathered her to his chest. "That means he's still following him."

  "He'll bring Jeremy home, right?" She gazed up at him, hope written all over her face.

  He shielded her from Merk's view. The kind of vulnerability she gave him, relying on him, knocked him on his ass every single time. He wanted no one to see the gift he received. She belonged to him, and he'd never let her give that part of herself to another man.

  "Yeah." He kissed her forehead. "You did good."

  She sagged against him. "God, Cam, I was so close to him."

  "Did he look good?" Cam whispered, swallowing hard.

  She nodded against his chest. "He needs a haircut. His hair has gotten so long."

  He chuckled. "He mentioned how he wanted to grow it long enough to tie back when he rides."

  "Like you do," she said, softly.

  Cam's chest ached and he stepped away. "We need to go outside before the others start questioning what we're doing in here. I don't want to give them any information about Jeremy until I have more answers."

  Christina pulled away. "The pizza and the beer are still in the truck."

  "I'll have the men unload everything." Cam kissed her again. "Make sure you eat a piece."

  "I'm not hungry." She leaned closer and whispered, "Take him outside with you, and then stay away from him."

  He winked. "I won't let anything happen to you."

  "It's you I'm worried about." She sidestepped and hurried out of the room, going toward the kitchen without glancing at Merk.