by Erin Trejo
LYING HEARTS
The Dark Duet
Lying Hearts
The Dark Duet
By Erin Trejo
Edited By: Elfwerks editing
Cover Photo: depositphotos
Copyright 2018@Erin Trejo
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet without the permission of the author, which is a violation of the International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and imprisonment.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents and places are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real except where noted and authorized. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.
Authors Note:
Although this is a work of fiction for the most part, this is someone's reality. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to a survivor of a cult similar to what you're about to read. Through friends, she decided to talk to me although she wished to remain unnamed. I gladly agreed. This was her life for so many years. Although no biker came and saved her, she still got out. She's lucky to be alive. The parts in this story that are told from Ariel's point of view within the cult have realistic aspects from this woman’s real life. I am telling you this so that you can get a real life feel for what she went through. Nearly twenty years later, she's a beautiful adult that looks at life as a whole brand new world. This book is for you and your happily ever after.
Chapter1
Q
I sit here with a heavy heart, a beer in one hand, and lit joint in the other. I never thought I would be in this position. I never thought I would have done what I did either. Even all these years later and the pain still sits in the middle of my chest like a lead weight. Taking a life wasn’t the problem. It was taking his life. This was Savage’s MC. He took over for his father when he became ill and that line goes way back. This was his home and he left it in my hands. At first, I shoved the idea away. I didn’t want to be any part of this shit, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew that I could be what this club needed. I would never replace Savage and there is no way in hell that I’d try, but I could give it a shot. I take a long toke from the joint, letting the weed steady my nerves.
“You okay? You look lost today,” Stoney asks. I voted Stoney in as soon as I was made president as my VP knowing he could handle the job.
“Just one of those days, brother. The guys ready?” Stoney nods his head as I shove out of the chair and stand. Stretching my back, I take one more long pull from my beer before setting the bottle on the table.
“You sure you’re okay, Q?”
I’ve been out of sorts for weeks. This shit we’re facing today isn’t for the faint of heart. We’re waging a war that I’m not sure all the guys are ready for. Of course, we’ve upped our training, shooting, and gone over all the possible situations, but if this deal goes south, we’re all fucked.
“Yeah, Stoney. Just want this day over with and out of the way. We got a lot ridin’ on this shit.” Stoney nods, knowing the extent of what’s happening today. I’ve made damn sure that the guys fully understand that raiding something the DEA has a hand in is dangerous. We’ve studied our target and we know the risks. If we get caught, we all go down. That isn’t an option but things around here have been slow lately, and the more we go into debt, the worse it’s going to be on us. Our coke supplier was busted by the DEA six weeks after our weed grower did. Coincidence? I don’t fucking know, but if we aren’t supplying the streets, someone else will be and that isn’t an option. This is our turf and we will be the kings of it once more. I step into the hot humid California air, inhaling deeply as my eyes move over all my brothers.
“We all know what we’re riskin’ today but that shipment is ours. We’ve staked out the warehouse and we know there are at least six guards on the outside. Armored trucks ran inside with what we can only guess was two per truck. That puts us at eighteen total. Why the DEA chose this warehouse over the usual? I have no fuckin’ idea but we are usin’ that to our advantage. We all have our orders. We’ve gone over this plan more times than I can count. If you don’t think you’re ready, I need you to pull out now.” My eyes scan the crowd in front of me. We’ve brought in another MC that we’re friendly with out of Orlando, Florida, Soulless Bastards MC to help us out. I trust them and we’ve had a bond over the years so to speak. “We’re riskin’ a lot, brothers but the reward far outweighs that shit. We’ve hit some rough patches with our suppliers gettin’ caught up and we can’t afford that anymore. Petty work isn’t cuttin’ it. We offered SBMC half profits. Bein’ who they are they refused. Neo has a few things he wants to say.” I step back and watch as Neo steps up next to me.
“As President of Soulless Bastards MC, I agreed to help out with this for a variety of reasons. We’ve had a long runnin’ relationship with Dark Savage MC that dates back to before any of us motherfuckers were born. I’d like to keep that in good standin’ in case of times like these. We don’t need payment. We all know how this game rolls. Anytime any one of us could end up here. I appreciate the offer from Q, though. My men are ready for this!”
The guys roar and go wild. It does my heart good to see them this into it. I know we could be walking into a goddamn ambush, and that thought alone causes my nerves to stir as I step back up next to Neo.
“We take the vans! Only the men we selected will be on bikes. Our look outs are already over there settin’ up. We have communication devices in the back of each van that link back to the central unit, which will be Richy and Asphalt. They will have eyes out on all of us. If that’s all from Neo, we’re ready to ride!” I roar, getting the crowd amped up. I know I need them on high alert with as much adrenaline running through them as we can get. The guys move to their positions as Neo and I head to our bikes.
“You know I appreciate this, yeah?”
Neo turns to look at me with understanding in his eyes. “It’s not a thing, Q. Like I said, we’ve been friendlies for longer than we been alive. One day I may need a favor,” he says with a shrug.
This is one of the reasons I like Neo and his club. They are straight forward guys who take no shit, much like we are.
“Heard that. You’ll have it too,” I assure him. He nods his head, grabs his helmet and climbs on his bike. I do the same before we share a glance and head out. The warehouse we’re hitting is about forty-five minutes out.
As I ride, memories of Savage slip into my mind. Of the day he patched me in. It was a fucking high that I never wanted to come down from. But with that memory comes another. The day I had to take his life. I will forever be haunted by that one. The look in his eyes, the smile on his face. It gutted me to have to be the one to do it, but I raised my gun and followed the law that our brothers before us set up to keep the club in order. That will never change the fact that I had to kill my best friend in the process.
Chapter 2
Ariel
“Bow your heads. Almighty father, we are grateful for your choices. We are grateful for choosing us to lead our people to better lives. Father, we ask that you please bless this compound and all who live on it and continue to show us the way. Amen.”
“Amen,”
I repeat, but that doesn’t mean I believe. At least as of lately. The things I’ve seen and endured here would make you cringe but to me they are normal. We all rise as one and the women start filing out of the room, off to do the duties that only apply to women. The older I get the more I question things. I shouldn’t, I know that because that is against God’s will and Joseph would be angry if he knew that I was thinking such things. That’s why I keep them to myself.
“Didn’t Mark look cute today?” Ava asks with a giggle as she comes to walk next to me. I giggle a little too before looking over at her.
“He looks the same as every other day,” I tell her as we make our way across the small field. Ava and I grew up here. I’ve heard stories though over the years. Ava and I are blood sisters who were brought here when we were very young. No one knows who our real parents are. At least this is the story I’ve heard. I never really thought about it until they said it. Now I look at Ava and me and wonder if that is true. We don’t look anything like any of the others here. A few of the older girls say that Ava and I are the purest of the girls here. There are special places in heaven for those who cleanse their souls in us. We look different than the other girls too. Ava and I both share the same emerald eyes and blonde hair as the other girls mostly have dark hair and brown eyes. Our parents, or at least the parents Joseph gave us, say we are special as well. They say that we hold the almighty in us and that’s why we look so different - God made us that way. The kids at school? They all make fun of us. They say we live in a cult that defiles children. I’ve learned a lot about the outside world going to public schools. I even revel in the normalcy that it gives me.
“His hair was a little more spiked today,” Ava says a little louder than she should. We aren’t allowed to look at the boys that way. Joseph says that all girls must belong to a man, not a boy.
“Shh, Ava! Do you want to be punished?” I shudder as the thought races through my mind. I’ve been punished before for my defiance at school. I like the idea of the outside world a little more than I should, and one day I let my friend Debra put eyeshadow on me at school. It felt amazing to fit in, but I forgot that I had it on, and once I returned home, I was sent to the chambers. I’m sure you’re wondering what the chambers are. They are dark, much like a dungeon. Blood stains the floors and any man who wishes to cleanse himself in the pure can come in and do so in any way he chooses. I had many who came in those three days I was locked in there to cleanse themselves. The pain will forever be engrained in my mind.
“What are you girls talking about?” Our mother, Angelina, walks closer to the two of us with a smile on her face.
“We were discussing what Joseph said in church today. How the almighty has a plan for all of us. I wonder what that plan might be for me.” I make up a lie that could ultimately get me in trouble as well. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the pain too much.
“Ah, that is always the question but we don’t know the answers to that. We can only wait and see what the Lord has planned for us,” she says, running her soft hand down my cheek. I smile back at her and nod my head before heading to the kitchen to start dinner.
“It’s your turn to cut potatoes,” Sherry, my other sister, says smartly.
“I know,” I reply with a smile although I want to slap her. I should be afraid of what might happen to me for thinking so badly of another person, but there are days that I just don’t care. This being one of them. Sherry moves to the other side of the kitchen when Ava sidles up next to me.
“Abby is planning to sneak out of school in a few days. I’m going with her,” she whispers excitedly. I turn my gaze to her, seeing the excitement in her eyes as I shake my head. I glance around to be sure that no one else is near.
“You will get in trouble. You don’t want the punishment, Ava, I promise you!” Ava and I are twins. We aren’t identical but close enough so that people wouldn’t know the difference. I once was put in the chambers when I pretended to be her so she wouldn’t get in trouble for sneaking brownies after dark.
“They won’t know, Ariel. We’re turning eighteen tomorrow. We should be allowed to have a little fun.” Her voice is low and hopeful. I know what she means but that isn’t how things are here.
“We will talk later,” I tell her and set about cutting the potatoes as Mother comes into the kitchen. I can’t believe that I’m actually thinking about going with her, but I’ve heard of all the fun the kids at school have when they go out. We hear the stories but we never get to experience it for ourselves. Music is something that peaked my interest years ago but we aren’t allowed to listen to any of it. Joseph said it’s the work of the devil trying to sing his way into our hearts to overrule us. I don’t see Debra or any of the other girls at school affected aside from the dancing, which I find intriguing.
“Hurry now, girls. We don’t want to make your father wait for his dinner.” Mother’s words ring in my head as I quickly pick up the pace of my cutting. She is right. When father’s dinner is late and he has to wait, we all suffer.
Chapter 3
Q
We’re set up and in place. All the guys are ready and I can see the fire in Neo’s eyes. It’s one of the reasons I asked him here. I knew he would be all in even if it wasn’t for his club.
“We fire on three. Take out the guards first then the cameras. Snipers, check in,” I say into the walkie talkie attached to my jacket. We left the cuts at the clubhouse. We don’t need to flash those around today.
“Sniper one in place.”
“Sniper two in place.” The remaining two call in as I glance over at Neo. He smirks and nods his head.
“Three…two…one…fire!” The snipers shoot quickly and accurately taking out the guards and then the cameras, like they were told to do. As soon as the last guard falls, we move. Twenty guys move in, one taking the door down. As soon as we step inside shots are fired. We fire back, ducking and covering where we can. I raise up from behind the crate and fire. I watch a few guys drop before I get back on the walkies.
“Front’s clear!” One of the guys says.
“Back’s clear! Call the vans in!” I add. Once all the enemies are dead, we move. We all file out, Neo pulls the doors open, and ushers the vans inside.
“Make sure you check everything! I don’t want shit left behind and move quickly! We have a small window of time here,” I yell through the warehouse. The guys start hauling ass, moving the coke from the back rooms as Neo and I check the armored trucks.
“Empty,” I call out as I check the first one.
“That one’s empty too. Pretty sure they moved it all in the back. Short runs.” Nodding my head, I agree. I jump down out of the back of the truck and head toward the vans.
“Easier than I thought it would be,” Neo adds.
“Shit, we ain’t out of the danger zone yet, brother,” I remind him. Nothing is ever this simple. We just killed a shit ton of DEA agents. That isn’t going to sit well with the heads of this shit.
“Let’s move, boys! Our window is closin’!” I holler once more as the first of four vans close their doors.
“We got it all?” I ask Murphy, one of the other brothers, as he walks up to me with a grin on his face.
“Damn right we do. Ready to ride?” Nodding my head, I get on the walkie once more.
“We move out! You each have a route back to the storage warehouse. No fuckin’ detours.” As the words leave my mouth, I hear it. The sound of helicopter blades whipping through the air. Fuck!
“We got company! Choppers!”
“Leave the bikes! They’re far enough out they won’t notice them,” I tell Neo. He leaps in the first van giving me a mock salute as I jump in the other.
“Move out!” The vans speed from the warehouse ripping over the dusty path leading to it. Once we hit the main road, we all go separate ways. There’s no way in hell they can follow all the vans so we know one is going to be targeted. I turn on the police scanner when I hear it.
“Goddamn it!
” I roar slamming my fists onto the dash board.
“They on us?” Roman asks as he veers in and out of traffic.
“Yeah. Callin’ in the dummy van,” I tell him as I slide my cell out. Keeping my eyes on the window, I call Stoney.
“Shit gone bad?”
“Yeah. Chopper is trailin’ us. Get the dummy van under the twenty overpass,” I tell him before hanging up. We have our asses covered to a point. We planned ahead of time for a situation like this, but when it hits you, it hits you hard. My nerves are on fire as the chopper keeps up with us.
“Goddamn traffic,” Stoney grumbles as he weaves in and out of cars. I can’t help but chuckle along with him.
“You not worried about this shit, Q?” he asks the closer we get to the bridge.
“Hell no. Ain’t no cops on us so far. I’m sure they’re on the way though,” I tell him as I listen to the police scanner. And just like magic, the words come over the air. They’re moving in but not close enough for this not to work yet.
“Get to the right. Dummy van’s in place.” Stoney maneuvers the van to the right and just as we go under the overpass, the dummy van takes off. The chopper follows it but I know the cars are on the way. We count it down from ten. Giving them a ten second start before we pull out.
“First exit, brother,” I remind him. Stoney presses the gas throwing my ass back in the seat with a laugh before pulling out and off the exit. I run the scanner and listen as the dummy van is tailed. They have patrols out looking for the others but they should be far enough out now that it doesn’,t matter.
“Fuck yeah!” I roar, slamming my fists on the dash once again. I’m happy as hell that shit went down as it did. My first major decision as President of the Dark Savage MC and I’m sure it would have made Savage proud.
“You fuckin’ called it, Prez! Fuckin’ kick ass, brother!” Stoney is as amped about this as I am. The adrenaline rush is something else. I can’t even explain the feeling that courses through me right now. Explosions dance in my veins, a high I’ve never felt in my life. This is what I was born to do. This is what and who I am.