Skimming the fine print, Steve folded the paper and jammed it into his pocket. “I’ve held up mine as well.” He grabbed the radio clipped to his belt and gave the command. There was a fleet of military grade SWAT vans filled to bursting with riot gear, grenades, and every semi-automatic rifle known to man. “These are on loan. When this is over, they all get returned or I come after all of you. And believe me, this is only a fraction of what we’ve got.” The threat lingered between the two men for a moment before Steve continued. “I’ve got men in the trucks ready to go. We’ll be at my office, a block away from Aces High. It’s a long way from the compound but if Sofía manages to escape, she’ll head straight to the casino. Highway patrol is on standby.”
“You really think she can get past us?” Archie raised a questioning eyebrow.
Julia’s soft snort of laughter broke through the tension. Suddenly both men were staring her down and shrank back. “You’re off your rocker if you think this is going to be easy. Sofía’s got a backup plan for everything. She’s paranoid and delusional but smart…worst of all, she thinks that she’s doing everyone a favor by keeping those people locked up. In her mind, the world is too dangerous a place for her girls.” She licked her lips. “With Lucy it seemed to run deeper. Sofía made more of an effort. She never got beaten for defiance. Sofía even let her leave the compound long enough to meet with Stevie…that’s unheard of.”
If Steve minded Julia calling him Stevie, it didn’t show on his face. He nodded curtly, “We believe this is due to the familial connection between them. Sofía wants family and loyalty and will use force to get it, if necessary.”
“I’m sure it makes it worse that Lucy is—”
The air was knocked out of Julia’s lungs as Candy barreled forward and smothered her sister in a hug. “Jesus Christ, I’m glad you’re okay!” Candy gushed, the rush of emotions she had been holding back suddenly burst.
Archie gnashed his teeth. “Lucy is what? What’s wrong with her?”
Julia looked stricken for a moment when she realized what she’d almost revealed. It was not her secret to tell, it was Lucy’s. Thankfully, Bea picked the perfect time to appear.
“Jules just meant Lucy’s still in there.” Bea felt oddly disconnected from the scene at hand. These were not her people. She was never a part of their clubs; she was just another woman imprisoned by the Black Jacks. Once upon a time she was a nurse working a night shift job at the local emergency room; her biggest concern was trying to sleep during the day and whether or not she’d get called in on her day off. Now, Bea had become deeply entangled in the battle against the most notorious biker gangs around. Her hand curled around the gun at her hip. How life had changed… “By now, I am sure Sofía knows we are coming. The longer we wait, the more time she has to shore up her defenses or escape.”
Steve nodded curtly. “She’s right.” He extended a hand to Archie. “They move on your command.”
Archie clasped Steve’s hand tightly and shook it. He wanted to say thank you but at the moment, all he could think about was Lucy. The longer they waited, the more opportunity Sofía would have to hurt Lucy or worse. He wasn’t going to let that happen.
Turning on his heel, Archie strode back to his bike. Steve, Julia, and the rest of Steve’s team rode ahead; it would take them longer to get to Reno and set up communications. Once Archie was sure Steve was clear, he revved his engine and they were off.
Flashes of memory continued to plague Archie as they drew closer to the Black Jacks compound. Lucy was all he could think about: the tiny girl who’d reached out and held his hand when he was sad, the orphan with haunted eyes, the fiery-tempered prospect, and the gorgeous woman he’d taken to wife. Every experience had shaped Lucy into the incredible person she was today. Archie had fought his feelings for too long…when he got Lucy back, he swore he’d never take her for granted again.
* * *
The thick concrete walls of the Black Jacks’ compound appeared in the distance, looming before Archie and the MC. The fortress stood alone, removed from the local town. Even from this distance, Archie could see that there were guards out front and snipers on the roof. Before he had a chance to warn them, Cecelia was radioing the leaders behind them. “Stay frosty guys, they know we’re here!”
There was no doubt Sofía had the advantage. The first shots started flying when the Devils were still a quarter mile out. Archie swore bitterly and changed directions. The riot gear might stop a bullet but the impact of the shot would cause a wreck. Losing just one of their riders could cause a chain reaction that would take out a much larger group very quickly. The snipers standing at the top of the roof were trying to pick off riders in the middle of the pack. Parking his Harley off to the side, Archie grabbed his handgun and took off on foot.
Danny was at Archie’s side in a heartbeat and Cecelia was only a step behind. They were bonded in rescuing Lucy from the Black Jacks. Cece dragged a hand over the blue strands of her hair and grasped Archie’s arm tightly. “Send the SWAT vans ahead and let the Black Jacks run their ammo out. When they retreat to refuel, we overwhelm them. If we break the group up and each take a side, we can take them.”
“That’s actually a really good idea. How the fuck do you know all this shit?” Danny stared incredulously at Cecelia.
“Not the time, pendejo,” Cece chastised but she flashed him half a smile. There was no malice in her body language. She wasn’t angry with Danny, they just had shit to do. Everything else would have to wait. Cece faced Archie again. “I know what I’m doing, trust me.”
Archie nodded swiftly. “Danny, get it done,” He ordered. “Cece, you’re with me. You know the way in.”
“Wait, that wasn’t part of the plan,” Danny balked, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re putting her in danger!” And for some reason, that made his chest tighten painfully.
Cecelia glanced between the two men. This was about to turn into a measuring contest and they didn’t have time for that. “Danny, I’ll be fine.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll be in and out in no time.”
“Then I’m coming with you!” Danny snarled, the protectiveness surging within him. “Lucy is my sister. I should be there!” He took a step forward.
Archie barked a sharp “no” in response. “I need someone manning the front lines, Danny. You’re my second in command! If something happens to me, I need you to make sure that our guys get out. I need you to make sure Lucy gets out. Can I trust you to do that?”
Danny’s face was molded into a mask of anger. “Why even make a plan if you were going to go cowboy all along?” He grumbled. Still, he grabbed Archie’s hand and pulled him in for a tight hug. “You better get out of this alive. I’m not losing my favorite brother in law…you hear me?”
“I’m your only brother in law.” A smile slid over Archie’s features and he pulled back, clicking the safety off his gun. Danny needed a moment with Cece and Archie turned away to give them some privacy. In the meantime, he searched for a weakness in the compound’s walls. The vans were already moving forward and bullets ricocheting off the metal seemed to be coming mostly from the front lines and the snipers on the roof. In the Southeast corner, Archie noticed a door they could get through with minimal exposure. It wasn’t guarded on the outside, but he had no idea what was waiting for them inside.
Right now, Archie had to focus on Lucy or he risked being swept away by his rage. Cecelia broke into a dead run, keeping her head low as she made it to the side entrance. Archie was hot at her heels. The door was locked tight but she grabbed a slim pick out of her pocket. “Give me three minutes.” Before she had a chance to touch the lock, Archie tugged her away and kicked the door open. “Or we could do it that way…” She grinned and allowed him to precede her into the building.
“Stop!” A shaky voice echoed down the hall. Priscilla’s hands were wrapped tightly around a gun, her entire body shook as she aimed straight for them. “Put your weapons on the ground and back away from
them!”
Archie growled low in his throat. On the one hand, he needed to get to Lucy sooner rather than later but he did not want to take out the women Sofía had locked up here to do it. Archie knew how brainwashed some of the women in Sofía’s cohort were; he’d seen them at Aces High, blindly following her every command. Before he had a chance to react, he felt Cecelia’s hand against his shoulder, urging him onward. “Go,” Cece commanded. “I’ve got this.”
“I’ll shoot!” Priscilla’s high, breathy voice stabbed through the earsplitting haze of gunfire and shouting from outside.
Vaguely, Archie heard Cecelia laugh as he rounded the corner. There was no doubt in his mind Cece could handle herself…he just hoped it wouldn’t end in bloodshed. Keeping his gun at the ready, Archie weaved his way down the long hallways, searching frantically for any sign of his wife. “Lucy!” He hollered, gazing down the twisting corridors. It took several minutes before he happened upon a massive room filled with bunk beds. He could hear muffled voices, women and children crying, but he couldn’t see anyone. They must have been hiding in the rooms down the hall. “Lucy!” Archie hollered again, his fear rising as he glanced around. The area looked deserted but he could hear a whisper of movement rippling within the room. He wasn’t alone…
“I know you’re here,” He snarled through gritted teeth. Silence was his only response. Creeping closer to the edge of the room, he felt a rush of movement at his back. A cold, derisive chuckle emanated from behind him. He turned to find Sofía with a gun trained on him.
“Drop your weapon,” Sofía commanded. Her face contorted into a violent grin that made her entire body seem twisted. When he didn’t immediately comply, she took a step forward and pressed the barrel of the gun against his chest. “I’m looking for any excuse to shoot you, mijo. Don’t tempt me.”
“Why don’t you then?” Archie stared her down. The grayness of her eyes mirrored the blackness of her soul. “You orchestrated all of this. The violence at our borders, getting Lucy and I to come here, and making her gamble her life away to save mine. It’s always been about Lucy.” He gritted his teeth. “You don’t give a shit about me. It’d be easier if I were dead so come on, finish the job!”
“Brave boy,” Sofía chuckled darkly. “You remind me so much of my Hector. Strong-willed, determined…and willing to risk the lives of your wife and child for the good of your club.” Her expression darkened. “Lucy is safe here. She has friends and family.”
Archie’s hands were clenched in fists of rage. It took every ounce of strength in his body not to tighten his finger on the trigger of his gun. “We are her family, Sofía! I’m her husband, Danny is her brother, and the Devils—”
“Treat her like garbage!” Sofía interrupted, her anger spilling over like lava erupting from a volcano. “Do you think I do not know what she has suffered? I have watched you. I see the way you treat her like she is nothing. You push her out of club business as if she does not belong!”
Guilt speared through Archie’s chest. “I just wanted to protect her, Sofía!”
“Then we want the same thing,” Sofía countered. “The only difference is that I can accomplish it and you cannot.” Silence hung between them for a moment as Sofía circled him like a hunter stalking its prey, “I have everything here she could ever need: a medical facility, housing, food, an art gallery, commissary…what more could anyone ask for?”
“The people she loves!” He roared.
“Daniel is welcome here at any time!” Sofía countered. “But you,” She pointed an accusing finger at him, “I saw Erik Archer only once. It was the day he gloated over killing my precious daughters!” Spiraling into despair, she suddenly sagged. “You will do the same to her. You will ruin her and you will ruin your child!”
Archie’s shock was twofold. He knew his father had spent time in this part of the country, but he’d eventually settled in the South. It made sense now as to why his father never came back…killing kids was not something the club ever condoned. Erik had likely been banished and forced to seek asylum with another charter. Then, there was the way Sofía talked about a child. When she first mentioned it, Archie thought she was speaking abstractly but now it seemed too personal… “What are you talking about?” A new terror spread through him at the realization. “Is Lucy…” Sofia’s expression was all the confirmation he needed. That’s what he had been missing…and it only strengthened Archie’s need to protect his wife.
Amusement had replaced Sofía’s rage. She was totally unhinged. “It is not too late. Walk out of here, take your people, and go…there will be no retaliation.” She leaned against one of the bunk beds, her expression unreadable now. “Or you will die today. I will not stop until every last one of your men is dead.” There was a beat of silence as she stared him down. “No one else has to get hurt…walk away and you’re free. Or I will crush you. Make your choice.”
“I am not leaving here without Lucy.” Archie steeled his spine.
“Suit yourself.” Sofía raised her gun again and cocked it.
A single shot rang out, the blast echoing through the cavernous room.
Time seemed to grind to a halt as the soft thump of a body hitting the floor reached Archie’s ears. Drawing in a labored breath, his body flooded with emotion. Life flashed before his eyes before he teetered, staggering under the weight of crushing relief.
Lucy stood on the opposite side of the room with her weapon drawn, silvery smoke rising from the white-hot barrel of the .45. Sofía crumpled, wide-eyed and shocked. The bullet had gone clean through her shoulder and blood polled onto the carpet, the circle of blood expanding with each passing moment. Archie turned to stare at the drawn, pale version of Lucy standing before him and he rushed to her side.
“Luce—” Suddenly and without warning, she pitched forward. Archie managed to catch her. “Lucy!” He cried as she lay limply in his arms. Her onyx eyes fluttering shut as he lowered her gently to the ground. Glancing up at the barren room around him, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Help! Someone help!”
Chapter Sixteen
Once it had been discovered that Sofía Salma had fallen, all the fighting stopped outside. Those from whom she collected debts and held ransoms were free—she could no longer hurt their loved ones. Although the wound to Sofía’s shoulder was not life threatening, she was being taken to the hospital to be patched up before they brought her to court. Steve was on his way to read the charges against her and start the process of her indictment. Slowly, the frightened women that Sofía had forced to stay in this prison began to trickle out to reunite with lost loved ones or start their journeys home. It should have been a happy occasion…unfortunately, for the Devils, they couldn’t relax until they knew Lucy would be okay.
Lucy was vaguely aware of a murmuring voice pushing through the depths of her subconscious mind. She tried to move toward it, the sensation reminded her of trudging through mud. As she clawed her way toward lucidity, Lucy realized it wasn’t just one voice surrounding her…there were far too many to count. Onyx eyes squeezed tighter but the harder she fought, the more exhausted she became. It wasn’t long before she felt herself slipping away again. It was no use; she was powerless.
Danny shoved people aside as he collapsed next to the stretcher on which Lucy was strapped. “Lucy!” He cried, grasping her face. Archie sat on the other side, just as pale as Lucy. Danny wasn’t sure who was worse off at the moment. He grimaced at the small moan of pain that emanated from Lucy’s throat when the paramedic put an IV into her arm. Seeing his baby sister in this state was worse than any pain he’d ever experienced. Storming over to Archie, Dannie grabbed him by his cut and shook him. “What the hell happened to her?”
“I don’t know…one minute I was arguing with Sofía and the next, Lucy shot her and collapsed.” Archie’s grief was palpable as he stared down at his wife’s frail form. Lucy hadn’t been hit by a wayward bullet, which was his first concern. The second, gut-wrenching fear was for the baby she
was carrying. He’d only just learned of her pregnancy and it was already in jeopardy. Archie was trying not to think the worst. The only way they were going to know what was wrong was to get Lucy to the hospital. Nothing else mattered now except getting his wife the care she needed.
Cecelia tugged Danny away from Archie. He was working himself up and it was only a matter of time before somebody snapped. “Hey, he had nothing to do with this. Back off,” She commanded. Danny was teetering on the edge of losing control. When he didn’t immediately respond, she grasped his face between her hands and forcibly held his gaze. “Listen to me, Lucy is strong. She’s much tougher than you give her credit for. She’s going to pull through this, Danny.”
After their parents died, Lucy had been the anchor holding Danny in place. If anything were to happen to her, he’d never recover. He looked ready to blast Cece…but then, he pulled her into his arms. Danny buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled the soft almond scent of her shampoo. In turn, she slid her arms around him, comforting him as best she could.
Archie breathed a small sigh of relief that Cecelia seemed to be keeping Danny balanced for now…but if Lucy didn’t come around soon, there was no telling how bad the fallout would be.
“We’ve got to move,” The paramedic urged. They’d already made it very clear that only one person could ride with Lucy to the hospital, but there were many who were willing to go.
“I’m her husband,” Archie waded through a sea of people, barking orders as he went. “Danny, I need you to send our boys home. Tell the prospects to get everything the FBI loaned us back into the vans. Steve will catalogue them…” He paused a moment, facing Cece. “Help him, please?”
“I ain’t a Devil, jefe,” Cecelia fired back but her posture changed when she glanced back at Danny’s haunted face. “But…you said please. So, I’ll make sure it’s done.”
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