Falling For Crazy (Moroad Motorcycle Club) (5 page)

"Jacko?" Amy's sweet voice washed over him.

He kept expecting Amy to burst out laughing or throw her arms around his neck and pepper him with kisses the way Sarah had. He rubbed his face and opened his eyes. Amy wasn't Sarah though and never would be.

"Do you think we could talk about how I can get my money out of the bank without going back to Montana?" she asked.

"You can't go back, Jack." Jacko pulled out a cigarette and lit the end. Inhaling and drawing the smoke into his body, his grin came easily. "Get it?"

"Now is not the time to joke." Amy's brows pinched, creating a pale spot between her eyes that temporarily camouflaged her freckles.

"I'm serious as a heart attack." He leaned forward and whispered. "Be patient. Today, I'll make contact with Reds and find out why they're working with Los Li and try to figure out their next move. Afterward, I'll decide what to do with you."

Amy worked her lips in worry. He couldn't look away from her mouth. Hypnotized by the plush, moist, firm lips, he found himself waiting for her tongue to make an appearance.

"I've changed my mind. I want to take you up on your offer to borrow money," she said.

He flinched and grabbed her gaze, studying her. "That offers off the table."

"Why?"

"Because it is." Aware of the audience, he turned her around and pushed his hand against her lower back, walking her to the motel room.

She sat on the bed without any argument. He picked a donut out of the box and thrust it into her hand.

"I already had one...two," she mumbled.

"So, eat another one." He picked up another donut and ate a bite, even though his stomach rolled, and he wasn't hungry.

She wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. "Why did you change your mind about helping me?"

He leaned against the far wall by the window. "It's too dangerous. As soon as the rest of the world wakes, I'm calling the president of Reds to see what needs to be done next."

"Do you honestly think he's going to tell you he burnt down my house and left me a note?"

He nodded. "There are reasons why Moroad can get answers from Reds. We have an agreement with them, and it's in their best interest to deal with us."

Moroad ran the inside of the Idaho State Penitentiary. The other gangs inside and outside consisted of Blues—an all-black membered gang. Reds—a Latino gang. And, Los Li, who were the strong arm of the Mexican mafia and worked on the states side. Moroad had more members inside and held power over the other gangs. The extortion money to keep Moroad safe also kept wages going to the Moroad member inside of the prison and let those on the outside gain some freedom they wouldn't otherwise have with a felon patch on them.

If Reds refused to talk with him, he'd go in front of the club and demand Moroad put pressure on them. He'd do whatever needed to be done to protect Amy.

She blew out her breath and sagged on her spot on the bed. "I'd feel more comfortable far away. It doesn't make sense for me to remain here with you in the motel."

"Get it straight. You're not going anywhere right now." He pushed off the wall. "Jesus Christ. Stop with the attitude of thinking you have the answers on how I need to handle the situation. You ran to me. I never came looking for you. I had hoped never to see you again."

"Great." Amy looked away. "Then, please, tell me what you think I should've done."

It dawned on him that she'd driven out of Montana. Yet, she said she'd slept in strangers unlocked cars since arriving. "How did you get here?"

"I drove," she said.

"Where's your car?"

"Maybe that's something else you can tell me, because I don't have a clue." She stood and dropped the half-eaten part of her donut back in the box. "On my second night here, I went over to the community hall to line up for my free daily sandwich. When I went back to the car, it was gone."

"Stolen?"

She shrugged. "I guess, or the sheriff had it towed away. It really doesn't matter, because I don't even have a dollar on me to buy the car back from the tow truck company if that's what happened. I was lucky enough I had a full tank of gas to make the trip to Federal."

Two weeks she'd suffered alone, scared, and homeless. Anything could've happened to her. She was damn lucky to be alive.

"I'll fix this." He paced the room. "I'll get Reds and Los Li to stay away from you, and set you up somewhere safe. All that takes time, and you need to deal with staying out of my way and not questioning me."

"Let me borrow some money, and I'll pay you back. I promise." She stood, smoothing out the front of her shirt against her flat stomach. "I can go to Oregon. I've heard it's pretty there, and it's far from Idaho."

Thoughts inside his head roared, and he couldn't gather a response. His hand shook, and he punched the wall. The pain helped him focus. He beat his knuckles against the sheetrock until a dent formed, and then he used his energy to make the hole bigger.

She refused to listen and trust him. That damn red hair both of the O'Harris women had made them stubborn and independent.

"Jacko, stop." Amy grabbed his arm. "What is wrong with you?"

He ripped his arm away from her and swung with his other arm. Back and forth, he boxed the wall, shutting her out. He'd lost the meaning of life when Sarah died. He'd be damned if Los Li took Amy, too.

"Dammit, stop." Amy pushed against him. "Jacko!"

He dropped his hands to his sides and grinned. "Always worrying about others, aren't you, Momma."

"You're scaring me." Amy sucked in a breath. "You've changed."

"Everyone changes." He leaned his head back until he jeopardized his balance. "You've changed. I've changed. The world fucking changes, and we adapt. You can't tell me that after a while, after the pain numbs you, you kept living. You got up, brushed your teeth, got dressed, and went to work. When your paycheck came, you paid the bills and bought groceries. But, every step of the way, you walked through life inside your head, never letting anyone else into your thoughts. No one knows you, Momma. You don't fucking know me."

Amy backed away. "You're right. I don't know you, but you're fooling yourself if you think I believe for one minute you're crazy. When you were with Sarah, you were quiet. A loner. Half the time, I could never figure out if you were happy to see her or if she was someone you wanted at your side to impress your friends. I don't even think Sarah knew if you cared about—"

"Shut up." He grabbed her upper arms, lifted her off her feet, and shook her. "I cared. More than you'll ever know."

"Then prove it by giving me some money to get to Oregon," she said, kicking her feet against his shins. "You won't ever have to see me again. I'll mail you as much cash as I can every week after I find a job and a place to rent."

He dropped her, wiping his hands across his chest. His body vibrated with anger and awareness. He'd lose his head completely with Amy around.

"I can't," he whispered.

"Why not?"

He growled, pulling at the top of his hair. "I've got fifteen hundred dollars saved up. It's not enough to help you."

"But..." She let her head fall back and gazed at the ceiling. "Shit. You don't have a job."

"I have a job." He walked over and sat on the bed. "Sorta."

"What do you do? Is that where you went early this morning?"

He lifted his head. "I work for the club, and then I do whatever needs to be done."

Amy sat down beside her. "I'll figure out something. I know you don't want me here, and I only want to go somewhere safe."

"Not until I make a call to Reds and then wait to see if they'll hold up to their word." He glanced at her hand.

Slim fingers, similar to Sarah's, held a world of problems. He squeezed her hand and let go. The sooner he got rid of her, the faster she could move on with her life away from every reminder of what she'd lost. Away from him.

A
t least twenty Moroad members stood around the fire behind the motel where Jacko held the phone to his ear, grabbing everyone's attention. A loud pop broke the silence. Amy jolted, grabbing the man beside her.

"It was a car backfiring on River Road." The man glanced down at her hands on his arm and grinned. "Probably a piece of shit beater."

"Oh." She let go of him and straightened her shoulders. "It just surprised me is all."

"My name's Jeremy." Jeremy widened his stance.

Unable to guess his age, she picked up on him being the youngest Moroad member. She glanced at Jacko, who still stayed silent on the phone, and whispered, "I'm Amy."

"Yeah, I already got your name." Jeremy gazed down at her breasts. "Are you with Jacko?"

"Yes." She shook her head and glanced at him again with a smirk. "No, not with him
that
way. He's..."

How was she supposed to explain her situation? Jacko told her to keep all information to herself. While Cam, Bear, and Johnson understood what was happening, she had no idea if Jacko informed the rest of his club about Reds burning down her house and Los Li wanting her as some sex slave in Mexico.

"He's only a friend," she said, playing it safe.

Jeremy grinned. "Jacko doesn't keep women as friends. He's either fucking them, or he's never met them yet."

She curled her lip. "I didn't need that information. Like I said, we're friends."

"If you say so," Jeremy said, pulling out a can of chewing tobacco.

She walked a few feet away and leaned against the back of the motel. Five years had changed Jacko. Not only personality wise, but his need to fit in with his club. He all but ignored her when everyone came over. The jokes, the swaying, the outbursts of laughter made her think he wanted them to like him. The old Jacko wouldn't want to be the center of attention. His true personality leaned toward loner status, a rebel with an attitude.

Jacko held up his hand. She stayed against the wall while everyone else stepped closer.

"I'm not someone you can keep waiting, Franco." Jacko walked in a circle, ignoring his MC brothers surrounding him. "I want to know what your plans are for Amy O'Harris."

Jacko stopped, dug the heel of his boot in the overgrown grass, and stared at the ground. Amy shivered, crossing her arms to keep the chill from making her shake. Ever since losing all her extra weight, she could never get warm. The slightest breeze during the day gave her goosebumps and the nights in the Bitterroot Mountains made her bones ache.

"Was that a direct order from Los Li?" Jacko asked the person on the phone.

The men around Jacko went still. Their bodies stiffened and practically grew twice as wide in front of her. She hugged herself tighter. The conversation went over her head, but the reaction from Moroad came through loud and clear.

They each took any mention of Los Li seriously.

Jacko's gaze snapped to hers. "Then we have a problem. She belongs to me and is Moroad property."

Cam stepped forward. Jacko backed away, shaking his head, refusing to hand over the phone. The
she
in the conversation was obviously her. She slid down the wall and sat on her heels, making herself smaller so to go unnoticed. Since Jacko refused to talk to her like a normal person, she needed to hear the conversation.

Jacko's free hand fisted at his side, and he bounced on his toes. She bit her lip, studying him. Was his fidgeting a tic he'd developed in prison or something he'd kept hidden when he was with Sarah?

No, he'd always sat around the house with ease, never agitated or easily bothered. Sarah had given him many chances to show his true colors with her jealousy and immaturity, and Jacko always took her mischievous attitude in stride. At times, Amy even believed Jacko had found her sister amusing.

When Jacko claimed Sarah and announced she should move in with him, things between them changed. One day, Sarah would be excited about living in Jacko's rental house and the next, she'd pull away and exert her independence, taking Jacko on a chase Amy found immature. Sarah was too young for the type of relationship he wanted and no matter how many times Amy tried to talk with her sister, Sarah failed to understand how her lack of seriousness harmed the relationship. Sarah loved Jacko, but it wasn't a mature love meant to last forever.

Given time, she was sure Sarah would grow up and with Jacko's guidance and patience, they could've made it work. Amy raised her shoulders, absorbing the shiver, remembering how Jacko had grabbed her in anger and seconds later totally changed his personality. The way Jacko behaved lately, she no longer had confidence in his ability to accept responsibility for anyone, much less himself.

Cam motioned Jacko to cover the phone, and then he said, "Los Li's out of our reach. We can only control those in prison. You need to shut Reds down, get them away from dealing with Los Li, or we'll go against them with the extortion. They'll lose a man a week for every seven days that passes without any obvious sign they've stopped dealing with Los Li. I'm getting fucking tired of their bullshit, trying to gain power over us. Tell him the same thing will happen to him that happened to his last leader."

Jacko held the covered phone above his head. "I know which Reds member is working with Los Li. He's scheduled to get out in a month, and he's not going to live a day outside the prison. Fucking hell, Cam, I need to do this. It's the only reason I'm on the outside right now."

Cam poked his finger in Jacko's chest, pushing him back. "Don't fuck up the extortion agreement."

"Yeah, yeah, I won't." Jacko laughed loud enough for everyone in the area to hear and shook his head.

Cam limped away from the fire. Amy pressed a hand to her temple. Jacko planned to stop the Reds member in a month. What did stop mean? Was he going to kill him?

"Franco?" Jacko lifted his shirt, rubbing his stomach, his chest, and grabbing his shoulder.

His bare skin flashed everyone. Amy caught the defined lines of a six pack.

"Call off your agreement, and you'll live." Jacko snapped his fingers at Bear and took the cigarette offered to him. He sucked on the smoke. "All I want is everyone in Reds to back the fuck off dealing with Los Li. Let them come after me on their own. If I hear you going behind my back, Moroad will follow the rules of the extortion agreement. You can't afford to lose more men on the inside, and you don't want my crazy ass after you."