Club Princess - Nicole James Page 0,9
a solid and bring her ass home.”
“Christ.”
“Memphis, I’ll owe you one.” It’s as close to a please as a badass MC president is going to get.
“Again, the girl’s an adult, Rock. Is she gonna cooperate?”
“Probably not.”
“Great.”
“I trust you can handle her.”
“Just so you understand, it’s a long fuckin’ way to Colorado.”
“Just so you understand, she’s still my fuckin’ daughter.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lola—
Katie, Amy, Josie, and I pull into the motel parking lot off Tulane. Katie and I arrived earlier this morning and met up at Amy and Josie’s hotel in the Quarter. I insisted they immediately take me to where Trez was staying.
“You sure this is the place?” I ask, staring up at the dilapidated Capri Motel. It’s got only two levels with a walkway running along the second floor.
“Yep,” Amy replies. “I was just as shocked when the Uber driver pulled in here the other night. I thought for sure he’d made a wrong turn, but then Trez climbed out of the car. I just shook my head and told the driver to take me back to the Quarter.”
“Do you think Trez was messing with you?” I ask.
“He went in room 231.” She points up. “That one there at the top of those stairs.”
I look up. It’s right above the office. My eyes scan the place again. The nightly rate can’t be much, which may be a good sign that he’s still got most of my money. I dip my head and catch Katie’s gaze. “Okay. Wait until I know he’s there, will you?”
“Of course,” she replies from behind the wheel. “I’m not leaving you in this ghetto dive alone.”
“If he’s there, give me a half hour to talk to him and come back.”
“I could go up with you. Maybe I could help,” Amy offers.
“No. It’s better if I go alone.” I can see her deflate with my answer. Amy’s had a secret crush on my brother for years. I just don’t understand how, considering the way he’s treated her. I’m surprised he hasn’t driven her away like he has everyone else. Apparently love dies hard, which is another reason I don’t believe in it. Men can be dicks.
“Why can’t we just wait for you down here?” Katie asks.
“I don’t want to scare him off,” I insist.
Josie is busy tapping on her phone, but glances up to take charge of the situation, as usual. “Look, there’s a Starbucks nine minutes away. I need coffee. We’ll be back as soon as you call or when my Mocha Frappuccino is gone, whichever comes first.”
I smile and nod. “Get me one, too. I’ve got a feeling I’m gonna need it.”
Amy leans out the window, “Tell him I said hello.”
Her puppy love would be cute if it wasn’t so misplaced on my loser brother who I want to kill at the moment.
I walk up the cement steps clinging to the wrought iron railing. The peeling paint is a hideous faded salmon color. I knock tentatively on the door, suddenly wondering if Trez might have a woman inside.
I hear footsteps approach. I’m sure whoever is on the other side of the door is right now peering through the peephole.
“Open up, Trez,” I snap.
The door swings open, and he’s standing bare-chested, a pair of faded jeans hastily pulled on. His face is stony, but it’s easy to see the shock in his widened eyes. His gaze darts down to the parking lot, and I know he’s not looking for my girlfriends; he’s looking for our father and maybe half of the Royal Bastards.
“You alone?”
I shove the door open and push my way inside. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” He closes it and limps over to the small table next to the ratty bed and grabs a pack of smokes, shaking one out and lighting it, then drops to the bed. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“What the hell do you think? Where’s my damn money, Trez?”
He blows out a stream of smoke. “It’s gone.”
“All of it?” I shriek, dread filling my stomach.
“Lost it gambling last night.”
“You what?”
“I had a roll going. I was winning big at the craps table. Then I moved to blackjack and lost it all.”
“You son-of-a-bitch, Trez. It took me years to save that money. Darko was selling me a GTO. I had a sweet deal all worked out.”
“Sorry, sis. But I can win it back. I know I can. I just need you to loan me some more cash.”
“Have you lost your mind? You took it all,” I scream, feeling like my head is about