Dealing with the Devil

by Black, Marina

  Sofía remained quiet for a long moment. “Time passed and Hector drifted further away. I wanted to rekindle a relationship with my family, most especially my sisters…” She swallowed hard. “Roberta welcomed me back with open arms but Louisa and Maya were not so forgiving.”

  Lucy tried to ignore the uneasiness that crept over her. It could have been a coincidence that every summer they would spend months visiting with her mother Louisa’s sisters Roberta and Maya. Those names were common enough…

  “I regret very much that I did not try harder.” Sofía smiled sadly. “If I had, I would’ve gotten to know you. I swear on the grave of my mother, I did not know what Hector had planned. If I knew my sister would be caught in the crossfire…”

  “What are you saying?” Lucy’s anger spilled outward like molten lava, mingling with her shock. “You’re my…”

  “Tía, yes.” Sofía filled in after Lucy trailed off. “You were named after our mother—Lucia. I see so much of her and Louisa in you.” Tears burned in her eyes once more. “When I found out you had joined with the Devil’s Own, I had to do something!” She cried. “Men are violent, cruel creatures. We are better off without them! My husband, your father, your husband, they are monsters! They perpetuate violence and hatred. Look at how they try to control you. How your husband treated you!” She slipped from her bike. “I am offering you a partnership, Lucy. You are a kindred spirit. A natural born leader…already in a few short weeks you have garnered a reputation for being someone our people can trust.”

  “I won’t be your puppet!” Lucy cried. “I get it, Sofía. Your father was a dick and your husband wasn’t much better. I’m sure Gabe’s appearance can be frightening to some but he is honorable, dependable, and sweet.” She glanced away. “I love him.”

  Sofía did not seem convinced. “Men are the root cause of all the violence, depravity, wars, pestilence, and fear in this world. You think that you love him because you do not know any better.” She inhaled sharply. “In the new world I am building, there will be peace, love, joy, abundance to share. We will not be weak any longer, mija.”

  Lucy gritted her teeth. “I’m not weak now. See? I’m getting the fuck out of here.” Having had enough for one day, she kicked her bike into gear and took off like a shot. The gates opened automatically from the inside and there was only one road out of the place. Lucy took it all the way to a two-lane highway and followed the signs toward a small town between Reno and the Black Jack compound. Her mind spun as she mulled over Sofía’s confession. Could it possibly be true? Lucy wished her mother were still living…there were so many things she needed to talk to her about right now.

  Eventually, Lucy found herself in the middle of a town. There was a diner, a post office, a small clothing shop, and, the last building on the left was a tiny family-owned pharmacy. Pushing open the door to the shop, Lucy threw money down on the counter as she grabbed a pregnancy test from the shelf. She hunkered down in the small bathroom and stared at the box until her vision practically blurred. The instructions were easy: Open box, piss on the stick, and wait. If only it easy enough to gather her confidence. Lucy’s hands were shaking the whole time and she narrowly avoided dropping the test into the toilet. It had been a long time since she had something to pray for but in that moment, she begged for the strength to turn the test over.

  Seconds ticked into minutes and Lucy knew it was time. Gripping the plastic stick tighter, she stared down at the tiny plus sign staring back at her. Emotion clogged Lucy’s throat as she stuffed the stick into the garbage can and washed her hands until her skin was raw. Stomping out of the bathroom, she headed for the front.

  “Miss, are you all right?” The cashier looked up at Lucy’s pale, drawn face.

  “I need to borrow your phone.”

  “I’m not sup—”

  “Give me the goddamn phone or I’m going to come over this counter and break you in half!” Lucy warned menacingly. And by God, the way she felt at this moment, she might have gone through with it. Thankfully, neither of them had to find out. The girl handed the phone over and Lucy pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket. After she dialed, she held her breath until a masculine voice picked up on the other side. Lucy didn’t let him get a word in edgewise. “I need you to meet me at the bar in an hour…you know where?”

  “Lucy?”

  “Just be there!” Lucy hung up. Stalking out of the pharmacy, she took a shaky breath. After composing herself as much as possible, she headed toward the city limits. Darkness was starting to fall but she didn’t care. This mattered more. Her unborn child mattered more. Even if it meant fighting dirty.

  * * *

  Errol was overrun with bikers.

  Anita frowned as she sat on her porch, listening to the thunderous rumble of engines in the distance. The machine hum could be heard all day and all night now. Between Los Santos, the Redhawks, the Nightriders, and the Devil’s Own from out of town, there was always someone motoring around town.

  The lodge was way over capacity, the bed and breakfast housing the MC’s most important leaders was booked solid. Even rooms at the clubhouse were occupied. It had taken the prospects half a week to clean out the mess Danny had made at the Hardings but now that it was done, Archie and Danny holed up there. Even with that accomplished, there were still MC members without a place to go and the prospects were forced to take the overflow into their own homes. Everyone was on edge. Disaster was imminent. No one felt that more acutely than the people who called Errol home…

  Winding her way through the backyards of friends and neighbors, Anita stared along the pathway she’d spent the summers running. She could almost picture Lucy standing out on the front porch, Danny chasing after her with threats to feed her to a garden snake; Archie pretended to play along but Anita knew he would have protected Lucy at any cost. Not all that much had changed, she supposed.

  Anita climbed the stairs to the Harding’s back door and rapped sharply. A train whistle blew in the distance and she turned away just long enough for a pair of strong arms to wrap around her waist. She cried out, sending a sharp elbow into the faceless assailant’s stomach. “Stop it!”

  “Anita!” Mort’s breath was knocked out of him as she lashed out. “Shit, it’s just me!”

  Anita whirled around, her neat braid snapping around like a whip. Her expression bordered on murderous. “I hope you learned your lesson, Mortimer Lally! You don’t sneak up on a woman like that, especially with every biker in three states hanging around here!” Her hands rested on her hips as she frowned at him sternly but it was really hard to stay mad. Mort looked so apologetic. His big blue eyes were soft and sorrowful as hung his head in shame.

  “I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry…” He leaned in, nuzzling her neck before he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “Make it up to you later?” Mort stole another kiss—this time on the lips—and he smirked as she leaned into it. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “You shouldn’t be here, pumpkin. There’s too much going on. Go home and I’ll come by later.”

  “Damn right you will,” Anita huffed and allowed the barest hint of a smile to cross her features. “But I’m not here for you. I need to speak with Archie and Danny.”

  “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Mort lowered his voice. “Danny’s a wreck. Archie had to knock him out last night because he wanted to go off after Lucy himself. It’s been real nasty lately. Everybody’s on edge…”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here then.” Anita rapped sharply on door and waited with her arms crossed.

  Archie was in the middle of yet another How I Met Your Mother rerun when he was dragged out of his thoughts. Lumbering to the door, he was poised to give Mort the verbal lashing of his life. The man was loyal, Archie would give him that, but he was a klutz. Mort had tripped over his own shoelace and nearly knocked out his own front teeth in front of Rogelio Santos two nights ago. It wouldn’t do to have anyone thinking his club was made up of peop
le who couldn’t even walk without taking a nosedive. When he realized it was Anita on his doorstep, uneasiness crept into his chest. “Don’t tell me you’re here to arrest somebody.”

  “I’m a judge, not a cop.” Anita pushed her way inside and headed into the living room. Danny was snoring loudly and she turned to Archie, “Vodka?”

  “Allergy meds…I put them in the vodka. He’s been out for a while. I can tell he’s not dead because people four streets down can hear him snoring.” Archie pulled out a kitchen chair and motioned for her to sit. “I appreciate you helping us out with that treaty, Anita, but I’m not in a position to return any favors right now.”

  “I don’t need any favors. I’m here because I got a call from an old friend of mine…well, my ex-husband, actually.” Anita cleared her throat. “That’s a long story…but anyway, Steve told me he got a call from a girl he met at a bar. Said her name was Lucy Archer and she’s trying to get the fuck away from the Black Jacks.”

  Archie’s legs felt weak and he stumbled to the table. “Steve Ellis? Short, WASP-y looking bastard?”

  “That’s the one,” Anita grimaced. “Lucy contacted him to look into some family records. Errol’s such a small place that most of our records are handwritten and stored down at Town Hall.” She paused, lacing her fingers together before she spoke again. “Louisa Calaveras married Edmond Harding in 1983. According to one of the documents, Louisa had five siblings, two brothers who passed early on in life. But there were four girls: Maya, Roberta, Louisa…and Sofía.”

  “Sofía? As in…” Archie felt his stomach turn over.

  “Sofía Calaveras married Hector Salma several years earlier…” Anita pressed. “I did some digging and it’s true, Archie. The woman you’re going after is Lucy and Danny’s aunt.” She sat up straighter. “You don’t have to worry that storming the Bastille will cause tension, though. Lucy also mentioned she wants to prosecute Sofía for fraud, extortion, kidnapping, and assault.”

  “Assault?” Archie’s chest tightened painfully, “Did that bitch hurt Lucy?”

  “No, but apparently there is a girl named Cecelia whose face is all scarred up after she tried to escape the Black Jacks’ compound.” Anita patted Archie’s hand. “Steve said that the meeting was brief. They communicated using handwritten notes in case someone was listening in…she’s doing okay, Archie. She’s strong.”

  Archie let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “It’s going to be a few more days. I just need Tim and Rogelio to agree on their entry points into the compound. From what we’ve learned, their headquarters are a fortress.” He frowned, “The White House doesn’t even have that much security. They’ve got guns, tear gas, grenades…and a whole shitload of guards.” He rested his palms on the table. “I got my boys their Christmas presents early. Every one of my members has a bulletproof vest.”

  “I hope you got them for the prospects too.” Anita stared down her nose at him.

  “Anita—”

  “Don’t you ‘Anita’ me, Archer! It is not every day you meet a man who’s sweet, caring, and who also knows how to please a woman in bed. If that big lug does not come home to me because you cheaped out and refused to buy three more vests, I will bury you in so much red tape that your club will never open its doors again!”

  Archie made a face. “That was way more information that I needed…” He muttered. “Fine, I’ll order vests for the prospects.” That seemed to satisfy Anita for the moment. She stood up and headed for the door. Reaching out, Archie grasped her wrist. “Hey, thank you for bringing this to me. I didn’t realize the lawyer was your Steve.”

  Anita smiled sadly. “He hasn’t been my Steve for a long time.” She tugged her jacket tighter around herself because of the slight chill in the early September breeze, not because she needed comfort… “I told him to look out for Lucy and keep his mouth shut about this. I don’t want anyone to know Lucy’s related to this bitch.”

  Danny leaned in the doorway, shirtless and still drooling slightly in his sleep. “Related to who?” He scratched his belly and chest aimlessly, his pants drooping low on his lips. They were in significant danger of sliding right off his slim hips and Anita had to force herself to look away. “What’s going on?” Danny yawned.

  Anita decided it would better to defer to Archie on this one. Danny was in a very fragile state right now. Without Lucy to keep him in line, Danny was falling apart. Scurrying to the door, Anita glanced back. “You boys have a good night. I’ll be expecting my prospect home before midnight, you hear?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Archie drawled and chuckled to himself. He’d let them have their fun.

  What wasn’t going to be fun was telling Danny the truth about his mother’s side of the family. He debated back and forth telling Danny about Sofía but seeing how lost he looked was the deciding factor. Archie would continue to reassure Danny his sister was fine and look after him until they brought her home safe. “You want something to eat? I’m getting pretty good at making hotdogs.”

  “A monkey could make hotdogs,” Danny huffed. “No, I’m not hungry.” Flopping down at the table, his forehead plunked onto the tabletop as his consciousness waned again.

  Archie flicked off the television and headed down the hall. His childhood bedroom was completely unchanged. There were still rocket ship sheets on the bed, though they had been laundered so many times the little shapes seemed melted. His old, crinkled Harley Davidson poster hung lopsidedly on the wall above a small blue dresser. The room was cozy and quiet…but it’s not where Archie wanted to be.

  Instead, he padded into Lucy’s room and sat down on the edge of her bed. She was a no frills kind of girl and her room reflected that. The walls were painted light beige and unadorned—except for a picture of her mother taped to the mirror. Sentimental items dotted her armoire. The whole place was infused with her presence.

  Archie lay down, resting his head on Lucy’s pillow. He inhaled the delicate scent of her shampoo infusing the pillowcase. The confirmation she was still alive and kicking comforted him. For the first time in weeks, Archie actually felt as if he could relax. He fell asleep there, spread out on her bed, and dreamed of nothing.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bea checked Lucy’s blood pressure again, releasing the cuff with a rush of air. “Your BP is in the toilet. It’s no wonder you feel like shit.” Pressing a hand to Lucy’s pale cheek, her frown deepened. “You’re not drinking enough.” Stalking over to the fridge, she rifled around until she came up with a sports drink and plopped a straw into it. “Small sips to start.”

  Julia was sitting cross-legged on a table next to Candy, nervously chewing her thumbnail. “Is there something we can do?”

  “These things pass in time,” Candy assured her. “It’s totally normal.”

  Lucy ignored the crushing ache at the base of her skull; so far, nothing had alleviated the nausea that roiled inside of her. The best she could do was grin and bear it. “Candy’s right. I’m fine, Jules.” Lucy took a sip of the proffered drink and tried not to gag at the saccharin taste of it. Everyone was watching her and so she choked down another swallow before sitting up. “Look, women have been doing this for millennia. I’m pretty sure I’m not the first one to have a little morning sickness. So, let’s get back to the task at hand.”

  “Luce is right,” Cecelia replied curtly. “We’ve got bigger problems. Sofía hasn’t been spotted in a few days. Last time she disappeared, she came back with Lucy. This is her pattern. I think it’s safe to assume she’s got another girl on her radar…”

  “We’ve got a small window of opportunity to bust out of here. There’s no telling when she’s going to come back. There’s no time to lose.” Lucy moved to stand up but her vision swam again and Bea pushed her back against the bed before her knees buckled. Lucy dragged a deep gulp of air into her lungs. “Shit!”

  Bea shook her head forcefully. “Lucy is in no condition to be running around right now.” She folded her arms. “I’m putt
ing my foot down. She needs at least a day or two of rehydration and rest. And that’s if she doesn’t have any further nausea and vomiting, which is unlikely given how she’s been feeling. Any undue stress could complicate the pregnancy and I’m not willing to risk it. Are you?” Bea faced Cecelia—who was frowning and muttering curses under her breath. “You wanted my professional opinion and there it is. Take it or leave it.”

  Silence hung between them for a moment and Lucy gathered her strength. She was the weak link; it wasn’t fair to hold them all back. “Go without me.”

  “No!” Julia squealed. “We can’t!”

  Cecelia shushed Julia and held up a hand before Candy could jump in. “Listen to me!” She stood up straighter to emphasize her point. “If the five of us get out, we can go to our own clubs for help…”

  “You really think Los Santos, the Nightriders, and the Redhawks are going to sign on help the Devil’s Own?” Candy snorted. “Are you out of your freakin’ mind?”

  Cecelia rounded on her. “Los Santos have no beef with the Devils.”

  Adela had not spoken a single word since she arrived. She shifted several times before clearing her throat. Her timid voice was scratchy from disuse. “The Nightriders will put aside their blood feud to see that I am safely returned. My father is an honorable man. He can be trusted to help.”

  Lucy wrapped an arm around Adela and held her close. She couldn’t imagine how frightened the little girl was; it only validated how important this was. What they were doing was the right thing. “That takes care of the Nightriders.” She peered over at Julia and Candy. “The Redhawks are friendly with the Devils. My godfather is Marco Caraway.”

  “Marco is Candy’s boyfriend,” Julia giggled.

  “He’s not my boyfriend!” Candy’s cheeks reddened. Marco was fifteen years her senior, not that it mattered. She’d been infatuated with him from the moment they met. They shared a couple crazy nights years ago…she’d ended it abruptly when she realized she cared a hell of a lot more than he did. Marco never called her again, proving she was right all along. More importantly, Marco didn’t know about the son they shared and Candy wanted to keep it that way. If there were any other way, she would’ve suggested it right then and there… Unfortunately nothing came to mind. “So, we bust out of here, rally the troops, and then come back for Lucy and the rest of the girls who want out of here?”