...When in Hell

by N. Tetterton

  “The Syn.” He crinkles his nose, causing me to laugh out again. “The SoCal guys.” He just shakes his head.

  “They are better, but I think I’ll just set up a meeting with all of the cartels.”

  “That will work for most of them, at least one will try to test you.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because you’re so young.”

  “I’m a few years older than you—” I stop him.

  “That’s exactly how I know.” I look up at him as he laughs.

  “You’re not even out of the hospital yet.” I shrug.

  “Won’t be the first time I end up in the hospital and in our work, won’t be the last.” I nod, reaching over to my phone. “I’m going to call The Syn.”

  He groans as I look up at him. “Fine.”

  “He won’t be able to get back to me right away. You know how bikers are.” I roll my eyes at the thought of making a group decision. This shit is not a democracy. He laughs along with me.

  “Just see if they can be ready to come down here.”

  “He will.”

  “How do you know?”

  “We have a good working relationship.” He laughs. “You’ll owe them though.”

  ❖

  “Luce?” Khan sounds through the phone as I sit, staring forward. “You usually have one of your minions call.” He laughs into the phone.

  “Yeah, I have a favor to ask of you guys…”

  “Damn, I thought we were even now.”

  “We are. Favor isn’t really for me.”

  “Then who?”

  “Bash Javier.”

  “Bash?” He asks.

  “Yeah, Arlo is no longer around…”

  “Shit.” I know that he already knows what I’m about to ask, because he hasn’t heard about Arlo yet… “Alright, let me pass it around the table and see.”

  “I assumed as much.”

  “Yeah, but Luce, if we do this… we will need the favor repaid.”

  “Yeah, I know I told him.”

  “From both of you…”

  What? I’m guessing that my silence says enough as he speaks again.

  “Some shit may be going down…”

  “Okay.”

  “Cool, I’ll call you back soon.”

  Nyx walks back into the room as I hang up the phone and she’s smiling. “They said they’re getting ready to discharge you.”

  Chapter 21

  Nyx

  We pull up to the airstrip and I can’t wait to get Luce home. We can get back to our life.

  Our life.

  It’s still weird to think about that. I get out of the SUV and walk towards the jet.

  “Nyx.” Luce calls from behind me as I watch Laney standing to the side talking with Gunner. He sighs and I can already tell that he’s about to tell me something that I don’t want to hear. “I’m not going back just yet.”

  “Excuse me?” I look at him again.

  “Bash is going to need help.”

  “You just got out of the hospital.” I whisper to him, and he places his hand on my cheek.

  “I’ll be fine.” He reassures me.

  “Yeah, because you’re not staying.”

  “Nyx.” He growls at me. “He’s the closest thing to family that I have…”

  “Okay,” I nod, seeing him visibly exhale. “Then I’m staying as well.”

  “Lilith.” He scolds me. “Get on the plane.”

  “No,” I stomp my foot as he glares once more.

  “Yes.” He steps into me. “I told you about openly defying me.”

  “And I told you. I don’t belong to anyone.” He lets out an evil snicker before my feet are no longer on the ground and I’m moving towards the plane… tossed over Luce’s shoulder. When I look up, I see Laney looking at me with a shocked expression as Gunner leans into her, talking. “Put me down, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

  We’re inside the plane before he tosses me onto the chair, growling out, “Sit down.” At me and I bounce up rushing back out the door, but I’m gripped on the shoulders before he shoves me down. “I said sit down.” He grits out through his teeth in a voice so stern it instantly turns me on. He precedes to buckle me in so that I cannot move. Making sure that I can’t as he tightens the buckle over my hands, pinning them next to my legs.

  “Fuck, I love you Little Girl. But I love you a whole fucking lot more when you let me make sure you’re safe.”

  “But what about you?” I whimper out and I see a reluctant smirk form on his face.

  “I told you.” he kneels down, looking me in the eye. “You can’t kill the devil.” I smirk out as tears threaten to fall. I can tell he notices them because his face falls before they do. “I have a charter meeting with you guys in L.A. you’ll switch planes there. We have a couple of guys flying back out here.” Laney still isn’t on the plane so I know that we have a few more minutes at least.

  “Luce, this tracker.” He laughs, looking away from.

  “Really now?”

  “Yes, now.”

  “Fine,” he laughs again. “It’s a small tracker on your scalp.”

  “What? I would have…”

  “No, it’s that small. It was in trial when I got it.” He shrugs.

  “How long has it been there?” He smirks as he looks at me.

  “Since the first week you were at the house.”

  “What? But I thought you trusted me?” He laughs this time.

  “No, Little Girl. Since the very first week you spent with me. I told you back then I was planning on selling you. I had an option to put a tracker on you so I took it.”

  “So you really knew this entire time where I was.”

  “Yes.” He pauses. “Well, the first couple of weeks after you left. No, they were still figuring out the software. But yes, mostly. Although the only time we really used it to find you was the first time you left. The other times we were just able to find you.” He pauses again. “Do you want me to have it removed?”

  “No,” I even shock myself when I say it.

  “Okay, then I’ll promise you this. I’ll only use it when it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “Sounds perfect.” I pause as I look down and then back up at him. “Can you unbuckle me now?”

  “Not a chance.” He laughs. “I know you better than that.” He leans into me and kisses me once more. “I love you. Let me know when you get home. I’ll be home soon.”

  “I love you too.” Leaning in, he kisses me once more before he pulls away.

  “Just in case. Don’t forget where I told you everything is hidden.”

  “Luce, don’t talk like that.”

  “We all have the possibility of dying every day. In this life, it’s only elevated slightly.” I huff out as he kisses my forehead before nodding past me, “be safe.” He tells me before he stands up and walks towards the front of the plane. I also hear him say. “You can unbuckle her when you guys reach altitude.” I try to look behind me, but I’m buckled in so tightly I can’t even move.

  When Laney comes into my sightline, I understand what just happened.

  She smirks when she sits down in front of me. “What?”

  “You two are cute.”

  “Don’t tell him that.” I grunt out, causing her to laugh again.

  “It’s just…” I trail as I look up at her. “They sit here and pretend like we’re inept.” I see her mind turning. “I mean, just because we’re women.” Once we’re in the air, she unbuckles my straps.

  “Do you really think they are sending us back just because we’re women?”

  “Of course. Luce literally just got out of the hospital and he can stay, but I can’t.” I roll my eyes as I see her head slowly nod.

  “Yeah,” she’s still considering my words as I get up, walking to the back of the plane and into the bathroom.

  I jump as I open the door and come face
to face with Laney. “What are we going to do?” Her face is determined as she demands to know what my plan is.

  “Well, we’re stopping in LA where some guys are getting flown back down…” I trail running my plan to her as she nods her head.

  ❖

  “Oh shit,” a man shouts as he hops on to the plane. “This is niiiice.” He’s tall but looks scrawny to be a biker as his leather vest claims. “Axe, don’t you think this is nice.” The second man boards as he looks around, unimpressed. “Oh, I forgot you grew up rich.” He just roll his eyes as he moves back to sit down. “Oh, well, who are you two?”

  “Flight attendants,” Laney tells him as he places his arms around both of us.

  “Yes, I have something that you two can attend.”

  “Blaze you’re disgusting.” Axe, as he called him earlier, says back up to the front as Laney giggles to the man with his arms draped around us.

  “Sorry about him. He’s going through some shit right now.” He laughs again.

  Great, now I have to spend the next hour trying to fend off his advances.

  “So why are you guys heading to meet with Mr. De Santis?” I ask the boys, causing them to laugh, looking towards one another and then shaking their heads. Another man boards the plane. He’s massive compared to the other two and I have to look up to look at him. He’s probably the same height as Luce but has some extra muscle mass on him than Luce does.

  “We’re helping him with a problem.” The man tells me as he walks past me. “And that’s all you need to know. Blaze, leave the girls alone and let them do their jobs.”

  ❖

  Luce

  “They’re here.” Bash comes into the room, telling me before I follow him out and step out onto the front steps. I watch as the SUV comes up the drive and Khan steps out of the passenger seat.

  “Luce, thanks for the ride.” It makes me laugh.

  “Thanks for the help.” I nod to him.

  “We’ll have to talk about all the stipulations.” I nod, having remembered I essentially promised him whatever he wanted.

  “THE FUCK!” I hear Gunner snap before he looks back at me from the back of the SUV. “Boss, you may want to come check this out.” Tilting my head, I move over to where he’s at.

  “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” I shout as I look into the back. Nyx’s scared face is on display as I just shake my head, pulling her out of the trunk and moving her up the stairs on the porch, grabbing her by the back of the neck, guiding her inside. The laugh that comes from Bash just infuriates me further.

  But I do catch the concerned look on the biker’s faces as they turn and look at one of the other men.

  “Luce, stop.” She shouts to me as I hear the door open a second time and can only imagine that Gunner is walking in with Laney. I’m hoping to teach her a lesson, just like I am about to do with Nyx.

  “Why?” I snap at her as I squeeze my hand on the back of her neck again, pulling her back to slam into my chest. “You made your choice, Nyx, now you have to deal with the consequences.” She tries to lower her head as I continue to push her in front of me before I lift it back up. “Open the door.” I tell her as we approach it, and she obeys. Pushing her into the room that I am staying in, I slam the door behind me.

  Hearing the door slightly down the hallway slam as well I know Weasel is about to get taught a lesson as well...

  “Turn around.” Slowly, she turns around and looks up at me. “You like to defy me, don’t you?”

  “No, Luce, it’s just—” I cut her off.

  “Shut up, Little Girl.” I glare at her as her eyes drop. “No, don’t look away from me. You decided what you were going to do. To deceive me. You better be able to stand by your choices.”

  “I do, but—“

  “But what?” I shout at her, cutting her off again.

  “I just don’t like you being mad at me.”

  “I’m not mad at you.” I tell her, stepping in to her, gripping a hold of her face and bringing it up so that she is looking at me. “I’m fucking furious with you. So, I am going to have to teach you a lesson.”

  “How are you going to do that?” She whispers, through pursed lips, caused by my hands pressing her cheeks together. Letting go of her as she finishes, because I can’t take her seriously talking like that.

  “I haven’t decided yet, but first I’m going to take you back to the airstrip and put you back on a plane straight home.”

  “No,” she states again, just as she did at the airstrip earlier. I have to hold back my laugh when she stomps her foot again. “Luce, if you’re here then I will be too.” She stands her ground as she steps into me, not backing down. “If we’re going to be together, then we are going to be together. If you’re doing dumb shit and putting yourself at risk, then I will be right there as well.”

  We glare at one another, daring the other one to say something first. The tension rising as she and I just continue to sit in silence. As if she’s trying to test me.

  “Fuck,” I grunt out before I clasp my hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to me and slamming my lips down to hers. Pulling away abruptly, I look down at her, “You are going to drive me fucking insane.” A sly smirk spread on her lips “you enjoy making me insane, don’t you.” She slowly nods her head.

  Gripping a hold of her chin, I bring her face back up to mine. Consuming her lips, no matter how fucking angry I am at her right now… what she just said hits me. It makes me realize what exactly that it is I have found. She’s willing to stand by me no matter what stupid thing I decide to do and I realize what Blaine was trying to say. Accepting her for her, it makes me stronger, not weaker. She brings along something with herself.

  ❖

  The entire mansion rattles causing our exchange to break as I grab a hold of her hand, pulling her out of the room with me. “Stay behind me.” Rounding the corner. Bash looks at me and nods his head.

  “They blew up a car.”

  Nodding my head I look to him again, “this can go anywhere from just seeing where you stand to a full blown war. Don’t retaliate right away. See what he does first he could just be trying to test you...”

  “But wouldn’t that show him that I’m weak.”

  “No,” I look back at him. “It shows him that you’re not afraid of him.”

  We step out of the house and I see the car on fire and Mo along with the rest of his cartel at the end of the yard. He smirks as he eyes us all and starts to step forward until the loud rumble of the bike engines grow closer.

  The rest of the bikers pull into the driveway as the cartel stands staring back at us. I watch Fury speed towards them before Guillermo’s eyes widen, even from here I can see just how much they do, and he lunges out of the way. Fury laughs along as he comes barreling up to the front of the house. That fucking man has always been slightly unhinged.

  Reaching behind me I move Nyx slightly out of the way just in case anything happens. The cartel members have weapons on us all as I slightly lean over, hoping that no one else really notices. “Wave your hand as if you’re telling people to stand down.”

  “What?”

  “Just fucking do it.” he does and Mo glances around not being able to see anyone because well there isn't fucking anyone, but he doesn’t need to know that. In fact, the less he knows the better. The more that he thinks we have them surrounded by men the better.

  The bikers roll up to a stop in front of us and step off, standing, staring over to the men who are staring at Bash. Debating on how best they can over take his territory.

  Mo stands, staring at us for not wavering, so we stand in unison staring back. It’s the first time I can notice out of my peripherals that every biker I can see is holding a rifle on the group at the other side of the compound.

  I can feel my meds wearing off and my chest begins to throb. Nyx steps into my side, slipping her arm around my back so that I can slightly lean against her. Almost as if she c
an feel my pain and knows exactly when it’s starting.

  She makes you stronger. Looking over at her, everything around us stops. She looks up at me and even in the tense situation she smiles up at me. She makes me stronger.

  Suddenly, I don’t care about Mo, threatening our lives.

  I don’t care about business.

  I don’t even care if we’re all gunned down right here on these steps.

  Because she was right, I am happy.

  Pop, pop.

  The shots spin my head to look back in the direction as Mo and his men start to scatter as Mo’s lieutenant holds onto his hand as I watch another man scoop the gun that he was just holding up. The group of men move off of the compound and I look over as one of the biker’s starts shouting.

  I instantly pick out the voice as Ash. “Fuck,” he groans. “Can we not sit around holding our dicks all day. If I'm not home by the end of the weekend my wife may literally wear my nuts around her neck.” the squealing of the tires from the SUVs start mixing with the laughter that erupts around us at Ash’s comments.

  “I mean she wouldn’t have to move them very far from her purse.” Fury shouts back to him.

  “I’ll be sure to tell her you said that.” Ash glares at him.

  “No,” Fury whines, wide-eyed looking back to Ash. “Please don’t.” I can see the look on his face that he may actually be afraid of her. Fury’s expression makes the rest of the biker’s laugh as well as Nyx next to me.

  “Let’s get you your meds.” Nyx whispers to me before we are moving back into the mansion. “Let me clean it.” She tells me as we step into the bathroom and she sits me down.

  “How did you know that they were wearing off?”

  “I dunno, could just sense it.”

  Chapter 22

  Luce

  —2 months later—

  Pulling the boat up to the shore, I actually let out a smile as I look over to Nyx, who sits at the front, looking out over the shore.

  “It’s gorgeous.” She looks back at me as she smiles. Turning the ignition off, I leave the key in, just so I know it won’t get lost.

  “It is.” I whisper to her as I walk up, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her backwards into my chest.