Chapter 100 Come on, let us go pay for all your new things.
Liam
David never called me back, and I am so fucking angry. I tried his phone all weekend, but it just rang and rang before going to voicemail. I did not try Jake again. I did not want whoever answered his phone to figure out I was searching for Lia. If what Jake said is true, Lia has been seeing one, maybe two other men. And one of them is involved with a man himself. They are ruining my pure girl. I will fix that when I get her back. She will be clean and innocent again, just for me.
I was putting my clothes on after a shower when my phone rang. I hurried over to the bed and saw David’s name. Finally, you bastard.
“Thanks for calling me back, asshole.”
“I told you I was working another job. It took longer than I expected. But I have what you need now. That phone number was moving all over the place this weekend. I did not get to track it until the next day. It started at a cheap motel, and now it is at a weekly rental place. Here is the address. Good luck finding who you want. We are even now, right?” he asked. I should say no, but I do not need him anymore.
“Yes. We are square.”
Since I know the number belongs to Jake, there must be a reason he is at a weekly place. I decided it was time to call him again.
“Hello?” a low, sleepy voice said.
“Jake?”
“Yeah? Who is this?”
“Jake, it is Professor Carpenter. You called me about three weeks ago. You told me Lia was staying with you somewhere?”
“Yeah, she was. I got thrown out because that lying bitch turned me in. She got all angry because I said something about her crap. She acted like she did not know who I was. I have not changed that much. Just a haircut, some piercings, some tattoos. I think I still look like myself. Even if we did not talk much in college, she should have remembered me, right? And then that bitch Kiki said she did not recognize Lia at all. How could she not remember? She was with me the whole time I was watching Lia for you. Even if she did not know what I was doing, she should have seen her the few times we were in the same coffee shops, right?”
His complaining was starting to annoy me. I had no idea who this Kiki person was.
“Jake, what do you mean you got thrown out? Thrown out of what?”
“The Lords Of Chaos MC. I was trying to join them. I was almost a full member, but then that bitch ruined it for me.”
Before he could start complaining again, I asked more questions.
“Are you telling me she is involved with a motorcycle gang? You said she was with some of the guys. Has she become some kind of club slut? Did you ever have sex with her?” I asked. If he said yes, he was already a dead man.
“What? No! Never. I knew you and her were together. You were always asking about her. I even saw you together a couple of times at restaurants. Not that I ever told anyone. And when you asked me to watch her for a good grade in your class, I was happy to do it. I was so surprised the day I saw her at my club. She was holding hands with the club secretary, and she was friendly with one of the member’s boyfriends.”
I made a disgusted sound at what he said.
“How long have they been together?”
“I do not know, two or three weeks? He said she is his Old Lady. That means she is his, like his wife, according to their rules.”
I growled into the phone.
“She belongs to me. No one else. Can you get back into the club to watch her more?”
“No, I am out. But maybe I can call Kiki? I can ask her.”
“Yes, do that. Make it worth her time. Where can we meet? I will give you some cash to give to her.”
“I am at the Rockford Suites. It is a weekly place. Can I, um, keep a little for myself? I really need the money.”
“For all the information you have given me, I will give you five thousand dollars. You have been very helpful, Jake. You can be the person who talks to Kiki for me, and I will pay you for that.”
“Thank you, Professor. I will call Kiki right now.”
“Good. I will be in touch. If you learn anything new, you can call or text this number.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
I smiled and hung up. He has given me more information than I have gotten in six months. I am getting close. I need to buy her a present. Something to make her relax when she sees me. She will want something costly. Maybe a piece of jewelry. I still have enough money to live on for a few months, maybe three. New York City is much more expensive than Michigan. Even after giving Jake the money, I will be okay. I went to my bag and quickly counted out ten thousand dollars. I put half into a plastic bag from some food I had last night, wrapping the money up inside. I put that bag and the rest of the money into my laptop case. After slinging the strap across my body, I left.
The Lords Of Chaos. It has to be a sign that I am on the right path. First, I saw a biker and his slut when I got to the city. Then I talked to a woman who was going to a party at their club. Now I am mad at myself for not going with her and her friend. I could have had Lia with me all weekend. And now, an old student was in their club, and he knows someone there who can help me. These are definite signs.
I met Jake, and he did look very different from how he did in college. He was not a clean-cut, nice young man anymore. He looked like a biker thug. I would not have known him if I saw him on the street. I gave him the money he asked for, plus some extra for Kiki. I told him to keep me updated. Then I walked around, looking in shop windows, trying to find the perfect gift for my innocent girl.
Lia
Beast brought me to a fancy store to buy clothes. He said he wanted me to have what he called sexy little dresses. The kind that would make him want me the second he saw me in one. Not that he needs a reason, he always says. I just shook my head at him. I love this man. He makes me feel like I am beautiful, and I am slowly beginning to think he might be right.
When we walked in, a woman working there looked at Beast and her eyes got big. I know what she saw. A biker who looks like he was made in heaven. She gave him a huge smile and rushed right over. I do not think she noticed me at all. I moved back a little, just to watch her act all silly over him. He smiled at her, then reached behind himself to pull me close. But his hand found nothing. He turned around fast and saw me still standing by the door. He came over, took my hand, and brought me to the woman. Her smile got a little smaller, then grew big again. She is not stupid. She knows she is about to make a lot of money.
"This is my woman," Beast told her. "We need dresses for going out. Good ones. I want you to help her. I have to go somewhere else for a minute."
I looked at him, surprised. "Do not worry, Sunshine," he said. "I will be right back. You stay in this shop. Max is right outside if you need something, and I am only a phone call away."
He looked at the woman again. "Show her things in black, red, and blue. Do not worry about the price." Then he kissed me on my cheek, which must have looked shocked, and left me there with a person I do not know.
"Oh my god, you are so lucky," the woman said to me. "He is unbelievably hot, and he spends money on you. Tell me, does he have any brothers?"
I looked at her and started to laugh.
"He has about seventy of them, but only some are single. We have a party every Friday at the Lords Of Chaos clubhouse. You should come sometime. Just tell the guy at the door that Lia said you could come. I will not be there this Friday, I have something else, but I will be there the next one."
"Really? Yes! Thank you! Can I bring some friends?"
"The more people, the better. Believe me, the men in this club are perfect," I said, kissing my fingertips like chefs do.
She laughed and then asked, "Can I bring my aunts, too? They are a bit older, in their forties. Do you think the bikers would care?"
"Not at all. We have some good-looking older guys. They just need to be ready to see people having sex out in the open. It gets pretty crazy."
"Just wait until you meet my aunts. You have no idea what crazy is."
I had a really fun time with her. She showed me many dresses and I chose five. She also had me pick new shoes for every dress and three little purses. We were chatting about the club parties while we waited for Beast to come back and pay. I had just laughed at a story she told me about one of her aunts when I looked out the store window.
My whole body went still. A man was walking by very fast. The sun was bright on the glass, making it hard to see clearly, but I could have sworn it was Liam walking past. I quickly said I was sorry and ran toward the door, but then I stopped. What am I doing? There is no way that was Liam. He has no reason to think I am in New York City. It was just a man who looked a little like him. The shop door opened then, making me yelp and jump.
"Are you alright, Sunshine?" Beast asked. He was back, carrying a plain black bag. He looked at me like he was trying to figure something out.
I let out a nervous laugh. "Yes. It is nothing. My dumb brain was just playing a trick on me."
"What kind of trick?"
"It is not important. What is in the bag?"
He smiled at me, a sly, secret kind of smile.
"You will find out later this week. Come on, let us go pay for all your new things."