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Chapter 3 - Liam

It had been a long day, to say the least, for Liam O’Connell, President of the Rebels MC. They had just got word one of their legitimate business was hurting for workers and the bar manager was caught stealing and had taken off when he got caught. Liam would have to deal with that later, though, because right now his mom needed him.

He pulled his truck up to the front of the motel and parked. He couldn’t wait for the weather to break and for spring to fully arrive. The only downside of this town was the weather, if he could make it riding weather all year round, he would. But he loves this town, and it loved him. So he would deal with a few months of driving in a cage.

No sooner had he walked through the door of room one was he greeted by the smell of a hot meal. Beef stew, my favorite, he thought as he removed his leather jacket and hung it by the door. “Ma, you need to start locking the door.”

“Oh, hush,” she said, coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of stew in each hand. She sat them at the small dining table and waved him over. “I unlocked it because I knew you were coming. Sit. Eat.”

Liam smiled and shook his head, walking up to the woman who birthed him and whom he now towered over, and gave her a kiss on her cheek before he sat down at the table and dug into the stew.

“Long day?” She asked. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but she could always tell when he had things on his mind.

“Yeah, I said with my mouth full. Sylvia clicked her tongue at Liam and he chewed and swallowed before continuing. “Jasper told me today he’s going to have to close down the pawn shop if he doesn’t get another hand in there within the next couple of weeks. And Connor has been shorting the deposits from the bar and he split when he got caught.”

“I’ll take care of Connor,” Sylvia said as she dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “He’s had a hard life with hardly any parental supervision. He just needs a bit of a reprimand and I will have him return what he stole.”

Liam laughed as he finished the rest of his stew. He wiped his mouth and leaned back. “Ma, you don’t need to get involved.”

“Nonsense,” she said, patting Liams knee before standing and clearing their bowls. “I have been looking out for that boy since he was a pre-teen. He just needs a bit of guidance.”

Sylvia disappeared into the kitchen. Liam stood and paced around, “I should get going. Finn needs to meet at the club house to go over numbers and discuss what to do about the pawn shop.”

“Here,” Sylvia said before returning with a plastic covered bowel of stew. “Take this down to room 5 before you leave.”

“Why?” Liam asked, taking the bowl from his mother’s outstretched hand.

“A girl came in today needing a room long-term. She was alone and looked exhausted. I thought she could use a nice meal.”

“Ma,” Liam said, as if he was a boy whining because he was told to come inside for bed.

Sylvia kissed her son on the cheek and smiled. “Thank you, my love.”

Liam sighed, slung his jacket back on and waved goodbye as he left his moms apartment and walked down the rom of single rooms on the opposite side of the lobby. His mom was always taking in strays – cats, dogs, and runaways.

Liam reached room 5 and knocked. He heard some shuffling and a startled gasp on the other side of the door. He rolled his eyes. Probably snorting cocaine or shooting up, he thought. He knocked again.

“Hey, my mum sent me down with dinner,” he said through the door. He shoved his free hand in his hoodie pocket, his other still clutching the bowl.

“Um, I didn’t order anything,” a small voice said from the other side of the door. Liam sighed in irritation. “Yeah…Can you just, open the door and take this? I have places to go and she won’t let me leave until she knows I delivered it to you.”

Another minute or two went by before the door creaked open and Liam was met with a pair of beautiful green eyes highlighted with a purple bruise under the left. She was hiding most of herself behind the door, but her long blonde hair was slightly damp and a strand of it fell in front of her shoulder into her face. Her lips were plump and pink, the bottom one was obviously swollen and recently split. He clenched his hand in his pocket.

“Um, hi,” he said, extending the bowl towards her. She looked frightened and clearly noticed he was staring so she hid her face as she accepted the bowl.

“Thank you,” she said. Her voice was soft and melodic. Like birds singing in the morning or water running in a creek. He had to swallow down the sudden anger that someone had clearly abused her. She’s running, he thought. And ma knows, that’s why she’s helping her.

“Alright, well… I, uh, have places to be but…my mom stays here and she said if you need anything to head over to room one.” Liam said. He caught the smell of her shampoo she used, orange and cinnamon. He had to get out of here…

“Okay, thank you,” she said, starting to close the door before she pulled it back open. “Thank you. And, tell your mom thank you, also.”

Before he could say anything else, she closed the door and he heard the locks sliding into place.

Liam stood there for a moment, shook his head and pulled out his phone.

I’ve got to talk to mum, I’ll be a bit late, he texted Finn. Liam made his way back to his mom’s apartment.