THE DEVIL’S BRIDE

by April Lust

  “Technically, we were never really together,” Ace pointed out. “You were the one who didn’t want us to be official, but then you became enraged whenever I was with anyone else. What kind of game is that, Katie?”

  “It’s not a game,” Katie spat. “This gang is my life, Ace, and I accept the rules that go along with it. Gangs with female leaders are seen as weak, so I’ve never run for president because even though I know I could do the job better than anyone—even you—I don’t want to hinder The Hell Brothers in any way. That’s why I don’t push to be your second-in-command either, so no one accuses our leader of favoritism.”

  Ace was stunned; he had never known Katie wanted to be leader.

  “That’s why I’m so upset with you bringing her around. You did it without any regard to how it affected the gang,” Katie said. “You’re the one who’s treating it like a game. So just…get out,” Katie said, her voice like stone. “Get the fuck out of my room, Ace.” She grabbed her top from the floor and turned her back to him.

  Ace went to the door, unsure of what to say, if anything, that could mend things between him and Katie. Turning the knob, he opened the door to leave and came face to face with an angry-looking Fiona and…the hotel waiter behind her.

  ***

  Fiona had searched every inch of the lower level of the house, even though she already knew deep down that Katie had brought Ace upstairs. Still, she had searched, hoping against hope Ace had refused Katie and had instead joined a game of beer pong somewhere.

  Finally heading up the stairs, Fiona first tried Ace’s room. It was empty, which, for a moment, filled Fiona with joy—until she realized there had to be at least five other bedrooms on this level.

  Three turned out to be empty, as well, and the fourth had a couple in it, but it wasn’t Ace and Katie. After apologizing for the interruption, Fiona went to the fifth door, praying it would also be empty—or, if it had to have someone in it, let it be Ace, alone.

  “Are you sure about this, Mrs. Connor?” Bobby asked as Fiona reached for the handle.

  He understood the need for truth, but even at his sixteen years, he didn’t think it was a good idea to intentionally walk into a room to see your husband cheating on you.

  “Why don’t you just wait until they come out? Then you can say what you need to—”

  The door flew open just then, removing anyone’s choice in the matter.

  Fiona barely even saw Ace. She was already zooming in on Katie’s naked back. She swallowed hard. Bobby was right. I should have just left. I didn’t want to see this.

  Without a word, Fiona turned on her heel and walked down the steps. She almost made it out the door before Ace caught up with her.

  “Hey, Fiona, wait…just let me…” He was stumbling over his words trying to explain what she had walked in on.

  She ignored him and he grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving.

  “Let go of me!” Fiona screamed, violently thrashing in her attempt to get away.

  She somehow managed to simultaneously knee Ace in the groin and punch him in the ear and he dropped like a hot stone. Having heard the yelling, Smalls, Lianna, and Riley all piled into the room to see what was going on.

  “Go get her,” Ace ordered through gritted teeth. He was holding onto his junk like it was going to fall off. It felt like she burst something down there.

  A minute later Smalls and Riley returned with a thoroughly incensed, very vocal, Fiona between them, each firmly holding one of her arms. Next came Bobby, who looked extremely put out at being led from behind by Lianna, her powerful hand clasping his shoulder.

  “You tell these assholes to get the fuck off of me, Ace! Right now! I mean it!” she shrieked as they half led, half carried her up the stairs to Ace’s room.

  Ace closed his eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for the ringing in his ear to subside. It eventually quieted, but the pain did not. He opened his eyes to see Katie standing over him.

  Why, God? Why me and why today? Ace asked.

  “Well, I never thought I would ever say this, but I’m glad she was here,” she said viciously, looking down at him. “Watching her kick your ass was a special treat.” Katie stepped over him and walked into the kitchen, slinging her arm around a tall, handsome stranger Ace had never seen before.

  As he pulled himself to his feet, he watched her pluck the cigarette from the man’s lips and take a drag. She kissed the stranger, and when they separated, he blew smoke to the ceiling, a giant grin on his face.

  Ace shook his head. Katie was upset, but he was willing to bet there were plenty of people around who would be willing to give her a shoulder to cry on. He took the steps slowly; he seemed to have a minor case of vertigo from Fiona’s blow to his ear. The girl could really pack a punch.

  He walked into his bedroom to see Fiona sitting on the bed, a furious glare on her face. Bobby was sitting next to her looking considerably more frightened.

  “Guys, can you give us a minute?” Ace asked, meaning Fiona and himself.

  Smalls and Lianna looked at each other. Riley shifted imperceptibly.

  “What?” Ace asked, looking at each of them.

  “We are growing concerned over the impact this girl is having on the gang,” Riley said, nodding towards Fiona. “Katie is not the only one with concerns. Even excluding the issues this has prompted with Alexei, which many of us feel would have come about anyway, events like tonight are not acceptable.”

  Ace stared at Riley. Embarrassment burned his face, but he refused to look away. “I believe my patch still says Leader on it, and until it doesn’t, you’ll do what I say,” he said quietly.

  “Dammit, Ace!” Riley cried, flipping over his nightstand. A lamp shattered. The light bulb popped loudly inside, causing Smalls, Lianna, and Bobby to each let out a Smalls scream. “Blake died today! People are mourning downstairs, and you’ve got two women at your throat all because you can’t keep your dick in your pants!”

  Ace was shocked. Never in all the years he had known Riley had he ever heard him raise his voice. “I know,” he said soothingly. “I know, and I’m sorry, Riley. You’re right.”

  Riley was breathing hard, sweat shining on his dark skin. “Diego was right downstairs; we need you, Ace. If you want to wear that patch,” he raised a long arm to point at Ace’s vest, “then you’d better do something to deserve it.”

  Riley walked out of the room, Smalls and Lianna behind him, Lianna stopping long enough to grab Bobby by the front of his shirt. He glanced back at Fiona helplessly before Ace closed the door.

  He stood there for a long moment, leaning on the doorknob with one hand.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Fiona?” he asked tiredly.

  “You weren’t returning my phone calls,” she fired back hotly. “I thought something had happened! I guess I know what it was now.”

  “Nothing happened between Katie and me tonight,” Ace told her. “If you don’t believe me, you can go ask her yourself. She’s your biggest fucking fan after seeing you take me down,” he added, seeing Fiona’s skeptical look.

  “Why is that?”

  “She’s pissed because I broke up with her,” Ace said, sitting next to her on the bed.

  “Was it because of me?” Fiona couldn’t help but blurt out.

  “Did you not hear Riley just then?” Ace asked. “Somebody fucking died, Fiona! Because I wasn’t there to do something about it! Because I was too busy with all your shit!”

  “Ace, that is such bullshit!” Fiona said. “How the hell were you supposed to predict that?”

  “Is it?” He laughed skeptically. “Maybe if I had been here, where I belonged, I could have…have…” Ace trailed off, throwing his hands into the air.

  “What?” Fiona asked. “Done what? What would you have done differently if you had been here?”

  Ace didn’t answer her.

  “Exactly,” Fiona said softly. “Nothing. So stop blaming yourself. It’s only keeping you from blaming the
person truly responsible for hurting your friends.”

  Ace looked at Fiona gratefully, and she leaned forward to kiss him. There was nothing more in the world that Ace wanted to do right now than kiss Fiona and show her his appreciation for her words, but her gentleness with him only further proved his point that she deserved more than he could give her.

  He pulled away.

  “What…?” Fiona said with a confused smile. “Ace, it’s okay if we mess around a little; I promise nothing bad will happen if you ‘shift your focus’ for an hour,” she teased, thinking he was worried about Alexei’s next move.

  “It’s not that,” Ace said, his voice suddenly cold.

  “Well, then what is it? Are you too drunk?”

  “No, I’m just not interested.”

  Fiona felt like a cement fist had just punched a hole in her stomach.

  “I mean, don’t get me wrong, back at the hotel was great, but…Fiona, come on. Did you really think I would want to hit it twice? I’ve moved on.”

  The fist uncurled and a thick concrete rope spread from each finger to every limb, filling it with a numbing sensation.

  “But…at the hotel, it seemed like…” she feebly protested as she lost the feeling in her lips.

  “Yeah, well, a lot can happen in a day,” Ace said shortly, hating himself more and more with every word, weakly holding onto the knowledge that this was what was best for Fiona. “I’ve moved on; you should. too.”

  Ace stood up and headed to the door.

  “Wait!” Fiona cried, tears beginning to swim in her eyes. He stopped and looked back at her. “I love you,” she admitted, the tears now freely slipping down her cheek.

  Ace swallowed hard, trying to keep himself in check. “You don’t love me,” he said without a hint of emotion. “You just confused good sex for love. Now, Riley is going to keep an eye on you, since you can’t seem stay put like I told you. Alexei will know I’m not bringing you back to him by now, and he’ll be out looking for you. If you need me, I’ll be downstairs.”

  “I don’t know why you’re lying to yourself,” Ace heard Fiona say from behind him. He paused and turned back to her. “You felt something at the hotel, and if you don’t want to admit that, then you’re a weak man, Ace, and you can go to hell,” she said.

  Chapter 10

  Alexei paced furiously back and forth. He picked up a very large, very expensive-looking vase and heaved it over his head, smashing it against the far wall.

  “Blyad'!” he cursed, his heavy voice echoing against the far metal walls.

  Paul winced as a ceramic shard whizzed by his scalp.

  “You’re surprised?” Vlad drawled. “This is what happens when you give people options. They think they can do whatever they want.”

  “Might I remind you that you are the one who suggested I give him this option?” Alexei pointed out tersely.

  “True,” Vlad admitted. “But I didn’t tell you to give him the extra time with the girl. You should have taken her immediately.”

  “You speak up now; where were you yesterday with your wisdom?” Alexei asked.

  Vlad shrugged, sensing now was a good time to be quiet.

  “What about you?” Alexei suddenly asked Paul. “Any smart ideas?”

  Paul wasn’t sure how to answer that, so he took Vlad’s lead and said nothing.

  “Come on,” Alexei said, waving his hand. “Speak up!”

  “Uh, are you sure he wasn’t at the bar when it blew up? Maybe he got hurt or something,” Paul suggested lamely.

  Alexei let out an ugly laugh. “That would be funny. He is preparing to go to war with us, and he dies in the first battle.”

  Paul laughed with him, secretly praying Ace was alive and was still going to go through with their plan.

  “Where is William?” Alexei asked, suddenly turning to Paul. “He’s late.”

  Paul stood up straight. “He should be here any minute.”

  As though on cue, the side door boomed open, slamming against the metal wall. William strolled through looking like the cat that had eaten the canary.

  “Why do you look so happy?” Alexei asked suspiciously.

  “Because I found Niko,” he said with a nasty grin. “We finally got a bead on him somewhere in Massachusetts; he’s staying with an uncle on his mother’s side.”

  Alexei finally began to smile. So what if he didn’t have the whore, Fiona, today? He would have her soon enough, and he had the image of Ace Connor’s mangled, crispy corpse to keep him happy.

  “We need to grab him,” he ordered William. “We will use him to draw the girl out. If Ace is alive, he will follow her to us.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Paul blurted out. “How will you lure him here, then?”

  “Why wouldn’t it work?” Alexei asked, his brow furrowing. “Do you know something?”

  Paul bit his lip, shaking his head. “No, of course not. I’m just…trying to be thorough. Sorry if I seem nervous,” he said.

  Alexei stared at him suspiciously for a long moment, then broke into a grin. “Do not be nervous!” he said, throwing a friendly arm around Paul’s shoulders. “It’s very simple, trust me.” Releasing Paul, Alexei began to bark orders at the people standing around him. “William, contact our people in Boston and have them sit on the boy until we get there. Paul, I want you to look into our situation with Ace. Vlad,” reaching into his pocket, Alexei pulled out his wallet and threw it to his second-in-command, “I want two first-class tickets leaving for Boston tonight, one way, and we’ll need a car to drive back in once we have picked up Niko.”

  Vlad lazily snatched the wallet out of the air. “You got it, boss.”

  Six hours later they were touching down in Boston and picking up their rental car—something with a nice, large trunk for the way home. Using William’s connections, it hadn’t been difficult to find Uncle Leon. Apparently the man worked for a big time law firm.

  Alexei wondered how someone so prestigious could be connected to someone like Niko, but he supposed that was the weakness of family. At the very least they could rob the man once they had collected Niko.

  “We’re here,” Vlad said, pulling up alongside a three-story brownstone that was partially obscured by clinging ivy.

  Several lights, at least one on every floor, were on in the house, causing Alexei to worry that, perhaps, others lived with Leon Carver. He had not come prepared to execute an entire family, neither mentally nor materially. That kind of work required a serious cleanup crew, which he simply did not have.

  Movement caught his eye—it was Niko! He was standing in the middle of the kitchen wearing only his boxers. Alexei glanced at his diamond encrusted watch. It was almost midnight. Why do they have so many lights on at this hour? And if everyone is awake, why is Niko the only one who is up?

  Watching Niko open the refrigerator and take a pull straight from the milk carton, Alexei realized that what he was looking at was the careless lifestyle of an adolescent man who had been left in an extravagant home with no supervision.

  He nudged Vlad. “He’s alone. Let’s go.”

  They quietly stepped out of the car, carefully shutting the doors behind them. The last thing they wanted was to give him a head’s up. As they crept around to the back of the house, both Alexei and Vlad darkly recalled the violent resourcefulness of the elder Brown, thinking they didn’t want to find out if it ran in the family.

  It had been easy enough for Alexei to pick the lock of the back door. The hinges squeaked gently as the two men snuck inside, but muted footsteps from above told Alexei that Niko was upstairs now, too far away to hear such a small noise.

  Alexei pulled his gun from the back of his waistband, silently motioning for Vlad to do the same. They circled around to the floating staircase, tiptoeing up the steps to maintain the surprise advantage. The top of Niko’s head came into view, and Alexei quickly ducked back down to avoid being seen.

  He looked at Vlad, who gave a nasty grin in reply. Alexe
i smiled, too. Niko had evaded him for far too long, and now he was going to learn what it meant to pay your dues.

  ***

  Riley was standing guard as Ace had ordered, making sure Fiona didn’t randomly decide to take off, when Lucky approached and asked to go in.

  “I don’t think Ace would like that,” he said, dubiously shaking his head.

  “Oh, come on,” she pleaded, prettily batting her eyelashes. “Ace only said Fiona couldn’t come out. He never said no one could go in.”

  Riley glanced down at her, raising his eyebrow. “I’m not going to make my judgment based on a technicality, Lucky. The answer is no.”