BABY FOR A PRICE: Marino Crime Family

by Kathryn Thomas

  There was the sound of a door being unlocked and then footsteps down some stairs.

  “Boss! He’s come to,” he heard a man’s voice say. He couldn’t see the face or trace the voice - it was too dark for that - and the voice was behind him somewhere. He was too immobilized to be able to turn his head either. He could only fidget in the chair. Whoever had tied his hands had done a good job of it.

  Then there was the sound of a shuffle of shoes down the same stairs. It was a group of people who were walking towards him now. Then the smiling face of Jimmy Figueroa appeared in front of him. Devin’s eyes had now adjusted to the low light, and even though he couldn’t see completely clearly, it was definitely the leader of The Choppers before him.

  Jimmy was dressed in a dark navy suit and a red silk shirt. He was an older man and very pale with a thin face and a goatee. Devin had never been able to stand him. And his suspicions were right; The Choppers had been behind his abduction. Jimmy was smiling wryly, no doubt chuffed that he had finally managed to pin Devin down.

  “Well, well, well. Look who has decided to finally join us… Welcome to your new humble abode, Devin Rock,” Jimmy said, slowly clapping his hands. He had three cronies standing behind him, with their feet spread apart and guns in their hands that were pointed at Devin’s head.

  Devin could feel his eyes burning, and he was sure that the back of his head, where he had been hit, was bleeding as well. But he glared back at Jimmy nonetheless.

  “Why am I here, Figueroa? To what do I owe this pleasure of our meeting?” He asked through gritted teeth, still trying his hardest to wriggle his hands out of the knots on his wrists.

  “Give up trying to escape, Devin. You’re going nowhere.” Jimmy grabbed his hands together behind him.

  “Did you destroy all that art? Was it your fucking men who did it?” Devin growled, and Jimmy laughed.

  “Of course it was. Anything to bring a frown to your face. Your new girlfriend handled it well, though, she’s a smart one,” Jimmy said, that sly smirk still on his face.

  Devin jerked his body in an attempt to fly at Jimmy, but he couldn’t move. His feet had been tied together as well.

  “You’re going to pay for this you bastard!” Devin screamed, but it only made Jimmy laugh more.

  “It’s cute when you try to struggle. I’ve always tried to remind you that resistance against me is going to be futile.” Jimmy took a few steps towards Devin and punched him in his face. Devin’s head twisted, and he felt the center of his lip split open and start to bleed. He clenched his jaw and looked back at Jimmy. He wasn’t about to give in, a few punches and blows weren’t going to break his spirit.

  “That is for what you did to my man on the beach,” Jimmy said with a wide smile.

  Devin’s nostrils flared as he looked back at the man, his lip bleeding, and his head throbbing.

  “What do you want Figueroa? Money? Is the business not going as well as you hoped?” he growled, and Jimmy raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. He turned to his men behind him, and they all exchanged smiles.

  “You think I want money? The money that you make by underwear modeling?” he asked, and they all laughed. The sound rang in Devin’s ears, and he had to do all he could to keep himself from fainting. His body was protesting against him. He was thirsty.

  “Then what do you want?” he demanded, and Jimmy walked towards him again. Devin didn’t flinch; he was prepared to fight this man to his death for what he had done to Camille’s art.

  “I want you to tell me just what you’ve told the police,” Jimmy said and punched him again. This time Devin’s chair toppled backward, and he felt his head crash loudly against the concrete floor. For a moment he saw Camille’s smiling face, her blonde curls and then there was darkness again. He had lost consciousness for a second time, and Devin had never felt this helpless before.

  ***

  Devin’s chair had been straightened, and he was sitting upright again. He could feel the crusty coagulated blood on his face. He was thirsty, his limbs were aching, and this time Jimmy Figueroa and his men were already standing there to greet him.

  “We were worried there for a second. You’re getting old Devin. Not able to take a few punches?” Jimmy laughed. Devin breathed in deeply. His head was swimming, but he remembered what Jimmy had told him right before he knocked him out.

  “Why do you think I’ve been talking to the police?” he asked, trying to get right to the point. He didn’t want to have to delay this any longer. He knew they weren’t going to kill him. That would start a club war and madness. They clearly wanted something.

  “We know you’ve been ratting on us to the cops,” Jimmy replied, and this time the smile on his face disappeared. He meant business. Serious business.

  “And if I was, how would you know?” Devin asked, raising his chin up so that he could look at Jimmy directly.

  “Because I have a source and they have confirmed it,” he said, bringing his face up close to Devin’s.

  Devin smiled. Now he knew exactly what they were talking about.

  “Is Evangeline your source?” Devin asked, and Jimmy clenched his jaw.

  “Yes, my beautiful new girlfriend. Soon to be wife,” he remarked and looked at his men, who nodded at him in support. Devin laughed.

  “Shut the fuck up!” Jimmy screamed, but Devin didn’t stop laughing. He knew it. He knew Evangeline had stirred the pot and started something.

  “And what makes you think she knows what she’s talking about?” Devin asked, the smile still on his face.

  “You still think she’s close to you and your friend. You tell her everything,” Jimmy said, and Devin grimaced.

  “I barely talk to her. She doesn’t know anything about me!” Devin screamed, and Jimmy shook his head.

  “I know you’re still crazy about her. You want her back. You’re trying to put me in prison so you can have her all to yourself again. But she’s mine!” Jimmy was like a mad man now. His eyeballs were pushed out of his sockets, and the vein on his forehead was pumping. He was enraged by the thought of Devin with Evangeline.

  “I don’t want her. She’s crazy. You two are perfect for each other,” Devin threw back, and Jimmy smacked him in the face again. This time Devin was prepared, and the punch didn’t land as hard on his face.

  “Watch yourself, brother. She’s my woman,” Jimmy said, and Devin narrowed his eyes.

  “What has she told you?” Devin asked, deciding to go with a different approach.

  “She told me everything. How you’ve been feeding the cops with false information about us. Pinning your own crimes on us. Giving them our location!” Jimmy screamed, losing his temper even more with every passing second.

  “And you got your men to follow me. Did they see me talking to any cops?!” Devin screamed again, but Jimmy wasn’t listening to him. It was obvious that only Evangeline’s words were playing in his ears. He was besotted with her. Obsessed. He could trust nobody else except her. Devin had seen this happen before, he knew what Evangeline was capable of - how she could wrap anybody around her little finger. Even a man like Jimmy Figueroa.

  “She’s playing you, Figueroa. She’s trying to start up a club war by pitting us against each other,” Devin said, hoping that the man would be able to see some reason. But Jimmy was still under Evangeline’s spell.

  “Why the hell would she do that? She has nothing to gain from doing that!” he yelled back.

  Devin knew Evangeline had her reasons. She was obsessed with Devin; she knew that he would never take her back so if she couldn’t have him… he needed to be punished. And the best way to do it would be to get The Choppers to do the dirty work for her. And Evangeline had another agenda too. Something that nobody else knew about. Something that Jimmy Figueroa wouldn’t believe about his angelic girlfriend.

  “Evangeline hates me that’s why,” Devin replied instead. There was no way that he could have a logical discussion with Jimmy at this moment. He couldn’t see reason
.

  “But she loves me!” Jimmy yelled, and Devin nodded his head.

  “Yes, which is why she thinks that you’ll do anything for her. Even start a club war. You’ll kill me for her. Don’t fall for it, Figueroa. Let me go.” Devin was still trying a different approach, but he couldn’t be sure if it was working yet.

  Jimmy still looked maddened, his eyes were wild, and he had begun to sweat. He was clearly thinking about what Devin had just said. He didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to believe that his precious, beautiful girlfriend could hatch a plan of revenge like this using him.

  “I trust her. I don’t trust you. We have always been at war!” Jimmy yelled after a few moments of silence.

  Adrenaline was pumping strong in Devin’s veins. He was in survival mode. He needed to find a way out of this place alive. Jimmy Figueroa was capable of anything, especially when he believed that Devin was a rat.

  “We don’t have to be at war. Our gangs can work together. We’re both bikers. We live by a code. We can find a way to work together Figueroa,” Devin urged, softening his voice. He knew there was no way he could enforce violence on this man or his men, not in his current position. Trying to reason with him and buying time was his only option.

  Jimmy regarded him intently like he was looking at Devin’s face for clues. He clearly wanted to believe Evangeline, as he was in love with her, but he also seemed to find some truth in Devin’s words too.

  ***

  “I live by a code. I have never broken the code. I’m not a rat!” Devin was screaming again. He had been trying to talk reason with Jimmy Figueroa for ages. He had lost all track of time, but his body clock was telling him that it was morning now. Jimmy’s men were growing weary too. Their boss had still not decided whom to believe.

  “Why would she lie to me?!” Jimmy yelled back. He must know, somewhere at the back of his mind, that Devin had no reason to lie. He wasn’t under police investigation and his men had found no evidence that proved that he had been talking to the cops.

  But on the other hand, there was Evangeline, a woman he was obsessed with. He couldn’t look past her or the information that she had fed him. He couldn’t think of one reason why she would make this stuff up, and Devin had yet to convince him that she would do all this just to get back at him for breaking up with her.

  “Give me a chance to prove it then,” Devin said.

  Jimmy threw him an indignant look. “You want me to just let you go? So you can run directly to the cops with this evidence, all these bruises?” He laughed, still unsure of himself. But Devin jumped on the opportunity. They were headed in the right direction of thought.

  “If I run to the cops, you’ll know where to find me, where to find my men, and if I’ve ratted on you. All the evidence will be there. Then, you can really do me in.” Devin was speaking evenly again. There was no need to scream at Jimmy anymore. What was needed was calm and calculated rational thinking. He needed to save his own skin first before he could think of an appropriate way to handle the mess that Evangeline had made.

  “You want me to let you go so you can go and sit pretty in your clubhouse?” Jimmy shook his head.

  “I can prove to you that I’m not a rat. My biker code and loyalty to our gangs is stronger than anything else,” Devin said.

  Jimmy was staring at him and a new sly smile formed on his face. “Your loyalty to us is stronger than your feelings for that new young thing you have around your hip?” he asked, smirking.

  “Camille?” Devin felt like his heart stopped for a few moments. “She means nothing to me. She’s not a part of our world. She’s just a girl I know. I can prove my loyalty to you in so many ways. Tell me how,” Devin replied, trying to change the topic.

  Jimmy smiled and shook his head again. “A biker’s code is above all. It’s why I haven’t killed you yet. I should have killed you when Evangeline told me you were snitching to the cops,” Jimmy said, bringing his face close to Devin’s again.

  “I understand. I know you uphold the code and let me show you that I do the same. Let me go and see if I go to the cops. Investigate and see if the cops know anything about you.” Devin kept the strength in his voice. The only way he could play with Jimmy’s fire was by showing him that he had nothing to hide and that he was willing to do anything to demonstrate his loyalty to their biker gangs against government authority.

  “Good,” Jimmy said, taking a few steps away from Devin. He clapped his hands together and dusted them like he had just finished a tasty meal.

  “Prove it then,” he added, and Devin held his breath in silence. “I’ll let you go, and I’ll make sure that my men follow you. Make sure that you stay away from the cops.”

  Devin nodded and smiled genuinely for the first time in several hours. He had finally managed to convince this madman to free him.

  “Untie me then. Let me go, and we’ll forget this little misunderstanding ever happened,” Devin said, looking Jimmy directly in the eye.

  “Not so fast, Mr. Rock. You also have to prove your loyalty to us. Your loyalty to the biker code above all else,” Jimmy said, waving a hand to his men behind him so that they didn’t yet take a step in Devin’s direction.

  Devin glared at Jimmy. By the look in the man’s eyes, Devin knew that nothing that he was about to tell him would be anything he wanted to hear. But he was willing to agree with him, buy some time - just to get out of this place alive. By now he knew that Jimmy Figueroa was capable of anything. He wasn’t a rationally thinking man.

  “What do you want me to do?” Devin asked when Jimmy hadn’t spoken in several minutes.

  “I have a special request. Something that’ll prove to me just how truthful you are about upholding the code.” He walked up to Devin and leveled his face with his. Devin could see the man’s chapped lips, the hair in his nostrils, and the cold, flaky, pale skin on his head where his hair was thinning. Evangeline was using Jimmy for her own gains - that much was clear.

  “What is it?” Devin asked, noting the dull ache at the back of his head returning. Just a few minutes more in this place, without water, without light, and he felt like he might go completely mad.

  “Boys, make sure that he has none of his precious dogs to go home to if he doesn’t follow through with the plan,” Jimmy called out to his men while keeping his eyes on Devin.

  Devin clenched his fists but kept the smile on his face. He was going to do just what Jimmy Figueroa wanted him to do.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Camille

  The previous night had been a rollercoaster of emotions, but business had never been better. Camille was behind the desk, and a queue had already formed right to the front door of the comic bookstore with people excited to get their own copies of Country Crowns.

  The media coverage, the vandalism and all the photos and reviews had played their part. People wanted to know about the secret authors and wanted to get their hands on their own copies of the comic book.

  Shayna was showing customers around the store while Camille was manning the till. It was only midday, but they had made more money in three hours than they did in an entire month. She didn’t have time to think about anything else. The exhibition was a huge success, and they were going to be famous.

  Shayna and Camille had both received calls from agents, including from the person who had called some days ago. Agents wanted to represent them as artists, and publishers were sending emails about buying the copyrights. Camille had all but forgotten the fact that she still hadn’t heard from Devin. She had no idea where he was, even though he was the one who had made all of this possible in the first place.

  Camille smiled at a customer at the desk, and when she looked up, she saw Shayna reading an excerpt from the book. She smiled to herself, happy that things were finally coming around for them after so many months and years of hard work.

  But Camille couldn’t get that nagging feeling out of her system; that Devin wasn’t there by her side.

 
He had completely changed her world. Initially, he had seemed like a bad idea. Like a man who could be nothing other than trouble. But she had been unable to resist him - his charm, good looks, and how absolutely hot he was in bed. And then she had begun to realize that he meant more to her than just a sexy man. She needed his company; she yearned to hear his voice. He had pushed her and encouraged her to do all this. He had gone out of his way to make sure that she made a name for herself.

  But then he had disappeared. She knew his business - the one that he insisted was completely clean and yet she knew it wasn’t everything that he pretended it was. She knew he was involved in things that he was keeping hidden from her. But was it actually more dangerous than he was willing to admit? Than she was willing to admit?

  But maybe it was as simple an explanation as that he went away with Evangeline - that they had rekindled their romance and he had gone away to spend the night with her. After all, she and Devin weren’t exactly in a marriage or even a committed relationship. He was free to do what he wanted.