His Crime

by Debra Kayn

  Cam took in her sexy legs coming closer. When she sat down beside him, he laid his hand on her thigh. Warm and willing, he tried to gauge her mood. Merk had fallen in love with her, while she appreciated Merk's friendship. Was she angered over Merk's actions toward her or concerned over his safety?

  Lately, Christina's attitude left him wondering why she fervently opposed having Merk in the club. Her lingering obsession with hoping he'd kill Merk rose to an unhealthy level.

  "I put a condition on his probation. He'll be moving out of the trailer and will be shacking up with Jacko in town," Cam said.

  The stiffness went out of her and she leaned against him. "Today?"

  "Soon," Cam said.

  "Thank you," she said on an exhale.

  He stared at the floor. "Do you want to tell me why you're determined to get Merk out of your life?"

  She straightened. "He's Jeremy's uncle."

  "So?"

  She blinked up at him. "I don't want him to take Jeremy away from us or turn him against you. Cam, you didn't see how Merk acted the day he shot you. He was out of control and tried to convince me you were using me. He warned me I'd lose you and everything you've given me."

  "He's talking shit," Cam said.

  "It didn't sound that way and now with him being related to Jeremy..." She shook her head. "I don't think he's the best influence to have around. He shot you."

  "Jeremy's seen blood before, baby. He knows I've killed. The kid knows when it comes to club business anything goes." Cam squeezed her leg, amused at how hard she tried to make Moroad MC a normal family. "I need to go out and talk with the others. Remember, you're not to go anywhere alone until we hear from Blues."

  She nodded. He left her sitting on the bed and walked out of the room, fastening his jeans and latching his belt. Glancing out the living room window, he scanned the yard for Jeremy. The kid left the house early after Cam had rolled out of bed. Instead of questioning what plans he had, he'd let him go, trusting him to abide by his probation.

  Outside, Gunner, his newly appointed vice president, stood beside Cam's motorcycle and motioned to him. He walked over, taking in the hardness etched around Gunner's eyes.

  "Any word?" Cam asked.

  Gunner tossed him a cell phone. He caught it and looked down at the screen.

  The message came from Blues. "Meeting's cancelled. 5557581"

  Cam suspected Blues would have questions and react once they buried their dead and called together the members. He'd set up the meeting with the intent to stop any retaliation.

  He dialed the number left in the message. After two rings, Miller answered.

  "We need to have the meeting," Cam said.

  Miller tsked. "Three of our men lost their lives."

  "One of those men was a traitor and put the livelihood of the chain in danger. You would've done the same." Cam walked away from Gunner and out of hearing of the other men in his front yard. "I expect a courtesy meeting to find out how far Reds have jeopardized our agreement."

  "I don't like this," Miller spoke slower than normal. "I have men ready to go after your whole club, and you've given me no reason to stop them. We've supported Moroad and you turned on us."

  "You kill one of my members and I'll shut the chain down," Cam said, looking off into the mountains. "If you can't see that one of your men took the bait from Reds and put targets on your whole crew, you're fucked up, man."

  Miller sighed. "Men dying, Cam. It's not something we can overlook."

  Cam never hesitated. "As of now, the chain is officially shut down and our partnership is dissolved. Blues are no longer protected by Moroad MC inside or out."

  He disconnected the call and put the phone in his pocket. Without Blues, Moroad wouldn't be able to run the chain alone. There were too many of his members locked up in prison. The chain distance too long and out of their territory to pick up the slack if he could manage to get more Moroad members out. It'd take too long to rebuild.

  His dream gone, he had no way to support his club. He inhaled through his nose and felt nothing. He wasn't disillusioned. Hard times were coming at him faster than he could stop. Money only lasted so long and he'd have to cut financial support off to the inside.

  He'd need to start over.

  There were only a few things a felon could do to earn money, and each one more illegal than the last.

  He turned around and found the eyes of his men on him. He walked straight toward them.

  "What's up, prez?" Stache asked.

  "Blues will retaliate. I'll be disabling the chain." He caught Gunner's gaze. "Make the phone calls to the leaders of each section and tell them to close it down. I'll make the call to our supplier and our buyer. As of right now, we're on high alert. The women are on voluntarily lockdown while they work, and we'll guard them on their off time. We're back to escorting them to and from Silver Girls."

  The men nodded, their mouths set firm. Cam let the information soak in. He wanted them pissed. Their anger directed at the enemy.

  "What about our guys inside?" Johnson asked.

  Cam needed to handle getting the news to all his men before Blues and Reds informed the inmates on their side. "I'll handle it."

  He walked away, leaving them to do what he asked. Christina and Jeremy had no choice. They'd go into lockdown. Blues would come after what would hurt Cam the most and he needed to keep his family safe.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Music from outside in the yard blared into the house. Christina stood on tiptoe, thrust her hip to the side, and caught the handle to the screen door with her body. She planted her foot into the opening she made, and gave a bump with her ass to swing the door all the way open.

  "Here, let me get it." Jeremy reached out and took the large cooler out of her hands.

  "Thanks." She gazed behind him on the porch and smiled at Tiff. "I'm glad you and Tiff are talking again."

  Jeremy set the cooler down. "After she told me...you know. She talked to me, finally. I don't know what's going to happen now that things have changed, but she's here."

  Christina held in her happiness knowing he had someone more his age to lean on and Tiff liked him, a lot. "That's good."

  "Yeah." Jeremy ripped the plastic off the top of the bag, and dumped the ice in the cooler. "Are you okay with what's going on with Moroad?"

  She ripped open a cardboard case of beer. "You mean the lockdown?"

  "No." Jeremy wadded up the empty bag. "About the club not going on runs anymore. I figured you're out of a job, since Cam's cutting off the money going to the prison."

  She gazed at the can of beer in her hand. Cam explained the dangers Moroad faced Blues and Reds. He even told her the runs he made with the others ended. Not once had he mentioned their source of income disappearing or the ramifications of breaking up his partnership with Blues.

  "Here." She handed Jeremy the case. "Put these on ice."

  She hurried off the porch and across the yard. Her gaze met Merk's and she looked away. How would they survive without any money coming in?

  Not only for every Moroad member living in Federal, but Cam supported money to over two hundred members inside the prison system. The outgoing amount of money staggered her every week when payroll cuts went out. For how hard she'd tried to decipher the codes and reasoning behind each man's allotment, the importance of the role Moroad played in so many lives was clear.

  Without money to support the men, what would happen to Moroad Motorcycle Club?

  She could go get a job in town, but she couldn't support everyone. She had barely supported herself when she worked for the county. How could she earn more and still be home to take care of Cam and Jeremy, not to mention the other men who relied on her to wash their clothes, send messages from Cam, and feed them?

  Cam stood with his back toward her talking with Bear and Ring. She slipped her hand into his back pocket and squeezed his butt, not wanting to interrupt but needing to talk to him.

  His arm came up and lan
ded around her shoulders. She gazed up into his face, but he continued to listen to Ring.

  "I'm sure they could unload two or three a week." Ring's tongue came out and caressed the hoop at the corner of his mouth. "It all stays local."

  "Too risky and not enough payback." Cam said.

  Bear spit between his boots. "We've still got members working in the silver mine."

  "Are they hiring?" Christina asked.

  All three men turned to Christina. She shrugged. "Not down below, but in the office or maybe above the mine. I could work there. I'm in good shape."

  Cam took her arm and led her away from the men. "What the hell are you doing?"

  "When you made the announcement that you're not working with the other people and the runs were over, it never dawned on me most of the men are now out of a job." She squirmed out of his hold and stopped. "I can get a job since I won't be working for Moroad any longer. I doubt if I can earn as much as I did working for you, but every little bit helps. If we're careful, I can at least keep you and Jeremy comfortable. I'm good at—"

  "Jesus Christ, baby. You're not going to work."

  "But, you said—"

  "Shit has changed." Cam pulled out his pack of smokes and lit a cigarette. "Before you start bitching at me to stop smoking, you can take care of me. But, that doesn't include throwing away every pack of cigarettes you find around the house."

  "If you didn't hide them, I wouldn't have to." She crossed her arms. "You're not helping your lung heal."

  "My lung is fine." Cam paused. "I don't want you getting a job."

  "You told me I could."

  "That was before Blues decided to retaliate. We've exchanged one vulnerability for even more. Reds will drop back, because all they wanted was in on the...job we had. That's over. Blues is aiming for Moroad to pay us back and they want to make it personal," he said.

  Every threat pointed at the club seemed bad. How much worse could it get?

  She shook her head in confusion. "As in...?"

  "Blues are bigger and more powerful than Reds. For now, you'll stay at home and if you need to go out, you only go with me." Cam placed his hand low on her back and led her up to the porch. "It's early in the war. I don't know what we'll be facing."

  She picked at the edge of his vest. The jean material frayed, practically bleached white in places from the sun. "How will we survive with no money coming in?"

  "That's not your worry." He kissed the top of her head. "Moroad MC always survives. This time is no different. All you have to worry about is you and me."

  "Us," she whispered, awed at how well he handled changes when all she could focus on was the next thing to go wrong.

  Cam's lack of reply brought her gaze up. He stared over her shoulder. She glanced behind her and spotted Jeremy holding Tiff against the wall of the house. Going by the grin on Tiff's face and her wandering hand at Jeremy's hip, Jeremy's girl seemed happy again, which made Jeremy content.

  "It's good they're back together, especially now," she said.

  Cam frowned. "He's too young to depend on her."

  "I have a feeling he's aged a lot in the last couple of months. What he's had to deal with and going out on his own, it wasn't easy on him." She slipped her hands inside his vest. "Why don't you talk to him and see how he's doing?"

  "He doesn't need to hear anything I have to say." Cam glanced out into the yard.

  "That's not true. Nothing has changed. You've always known Jeremy wasn't your son, and you took care of him anyways. Just because Jeremy knows, doesn't mean you have to give up your right to have a relationship with him. He admires you." She warmed. "He mimics you."

  "Huh?"

  "Just like that." She laughed softly. "You have a habit of saying huh when you want someone to answer you. He does the same thing. He can wipe his face of any emotion and his shoulders get broader and his eyes harden. He's learning from you, honey."

  "I don't know what to say to him," Cam said.

  "Just talk and be involved in his life. Things will work out. You only need to make the effort and he'll come around," she said, believing with her whole heart Cam loved Jeremy and he only needed to learn to share that feeling.

  "I thought Merk would step up and be an uncle to the kid," Cam said.

  She found Merk hauling a box out of the trailer. "He's packing. Does that mean he's moving out?"

  "He's sending some of his stuff with Jacko when he leaves later. Merk will be gone as soon as he can. Since he's on probation, he has to clear everything through his probation officer before he moves."

  She inhaled deeply, for once relief filling her over the changes. "If Merk truly loved Jeremy, he'd be there for him. He hasn't made one move to talk with him. He's up to something."

  "The man thought he was spending the rest of his life in prison." Cam worked his fingers up into her hair at the back of her neck. "He didn't know he had a nephew."

  "That doesn't matter. He knows now, he should be trying to get to know him. I don't know why you defend him."

  "I thought you wanted him to stay away from Jeremy?" Cam asked.

  "I do." She shrugged. "I think he's dangerous to anyone close to him, but imagine how Jeremy feels. He found out he had an uncle. The closest person to his mom. Merk's lack of communication is seen as rejection in Jeremy's eyes."

  "You don't know how the kid is feeling," Cam muttered.

  She snorted softly. "It's normal for kids who grew up like Jeremy without two supportive parents giving him security and unconditional love to always seek the love they never received at home. It doesn't matter what age you are, everyone needs to feel wanted."

  "The kid will be alright," Cam said.

  Christina tugged him closer. "Then talk to Jeremy and give him what he needs."

  "Not my place anymore, baby." Cam kissed her lips. "Soon, he'll be too busy busting his ass to worry about if everyone wants him. Now, I need to go make some phone calls, and I'm going to do that in the bedroom. I need you—"

  "I know." She waved him off. "I'll stay outside."

  His chin dropped and he looked at her. She exhaled loudly. He never slowed down.

  "Go on. I'm fine." She patted his hip. "I'll go over and talk with the girls while you're busy."

  Cam gazed over at the others and nodded. She watched him walk into the house. She stepped off the porch and head toward Katie and Lola. He had too many things going on and he took the responsibility of the whole club onto himself.

  Merk walked in front of her, going out of his way to avoid looking at her.

  "God," she muttered, not missing a step.

  Cam might've forgiven Merk for shooting him, but she never would. Merk had pretended to be her friend and practically stabbed her in the back when he tried to turn her against Cam. The damage and hurt he'd caused could never be forgiven. Shooting the man she loved put him officially on her shit list. Not to mention the way he treated Jeremy now that the truth was out. The sooner he left, the better.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  In the back row of the visitor's parking lot at the Idaho State Penitentiary, Cam sat on his Harley and gazed past the Cycle fence. The exercise yard where the men received one hour of fresh air a day if they earned the right sat empty. He searched the entrance of the prison. One lone security guard operated the gate.

  The cameras installed high on the fence every ten steps around the perimeter caught his every move. Security teams watched the tapes inside their cushy office, sipping coffee and bullshitting about their job and whether their favorite sports team won over the weekend.

  What they should be doing was questioning his next move.

  Cam got off the motorcycle and walked toward the gate. Keeping his gaze forward and his hands loose at his sides, he showed the guard his fake identification. Once on the inside, he checked in at the desk and after a good thirty minute wait, he walked down the hallway with Pretaro. His reasons for the visit stayed secret. Not even the Moroad members on the outside knew of his plans. />
  He walked through the door to the private visiting room. Blues wanted to retaliate against Moroad, and the only way they could was outside the walls. The number of Moroad members on the inside exceeded the numbers in every gang. Reds, Blues, Los Li, all suffered with lower numbers, making them weak and vulnerable.

  Since Cam aligned himself with Moroad MC at eighteen years old and found himself shoved inside the pen, he'd known one thing. To become the biggest and most powerful, the number of members inside the penitentiary needed to remain high.

  It was time to go back to the beginning and show every one of the fuckheads pushing their power on the outside that Moroad still held control.

  Shaver shuffled through the doorway with the experience of a man used to having his ankles chained and sat across from Cam at the table. Cam waited for the guard to reach his position at the door, so he could have privacy. After the last three days of keeping his next move to himself, a move that came in the middle of the night as he held Christina, he looked forward to sharing the news with Shaver.

  "I've heard things heated up for you on the outside." Shaver lowered his voice and his green eyes lit up with excitement. "What can I do?"

  Cam leaned forward. "Listen closely, because I only have time to go through this once. The future of Moroad Motorcycle Club sits on your shoulders, brother."

  Shaver nodded.

  "Moroad shut down the chain. I've already contacted the suppliers and buyers and told them the news. Blues are no longer working with Moroad. Money's come to a standstill." Cam put his elbows on the table. "Are you getting this?"

  Shaver nodded. "Yeah, prez."

  "Security has been breached, and Moroad has taken out several Blues member. We believe Reds somehow compromised Blues, and we trust no one. There will be retaliation, and we're prepared. They have enough men on the outside it wouldn't take them long to wipe us out, leaving only those sitting in a cell."

  "Jesus," Shaver said.

  "You were a member back when I got voted in as president. I know you remember how we ran the club for years, before we hustled powder, women, cars, whatever we could get our hands on. We survived by taking chances, and we pushed our power until we got control." Cam paused, letting Shaver sink back to a time when every member held no fear. They walked proud, free, and gambled with their life.