by Erin Trejo
“Which I respect greatly. So, do we have a deal on that front?” Grave looks to us once more, trying to gauge our reaction. I honestly don’t mind dealing with Enzo over his dad.
“Fine, but if your dad brings shit to my door, I will handle him before you get the fuckin’ chance.” Lorenzo laughs and blows smoke through his nose.
“Noted. The other issue is my sister.” All eyes turn to her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, I think it kind of annoys her. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest as if this whole thing is irritating to her.
“What about her?”
“My father has set up an arranged marriage to Leonardo Cancio.”
“Which isn’t happening. I don’t give a shit what he says.” The little girl finally speaks and fire shoots from her mouth. I smirk because frankly, I like her attitude.
“Gaia,” Enzo warns her.
“What, Enzo? I am not marrying him. He’s a piece of shit!” Enzo is clearly becoming aggravated with her, judging by the look in his eyes.
“Precisely why we are here, Gaia.”
“I’m really feelin’ this brother-sister love and shit but if you aren’t gonna spit it out, we’re outta here, man.” Psycho hasn’t wanted to venture far from home now that Faith is there, not that I blame him. So, sitting here and listening to them argue pisses him off more than usual.
“The marriage can’t happen. She doesn’t want it and frankly, the man she is set to marry isn’t worth the air we breathe. I will not allow a man like that to take over my family!” He roars the last few words. I don’t blame him. We saw the same shit when Cash was in charge.
“What do you need from us?” Grave asks.
“To be honest, I need someone trustworthy outside of the family. I need someone that isn’t invested in our father, yet someone I can trust. Gaia may need to disappear for some time until I can handle things here.”
“What? You never said anything about disappearing, Lorenzo!” Her anger can be felt throughout the room. The evil glint in her eyes is almost amusing, yet I can understand her position.
“Because we haven’t discussed that, Gaia. It may be needed in order to keep the wedding from happening. If you are not on board with that then you can carry on with your marriage to Leonardo!” The rumble of his voice shakes the room but quiets his sister. She looks a little lost but quickly masks it with anger.
“As I was saying, she may need to disappear. I don’t expect this takeover with my father to be easy. I don’t expect that everyone will play along, but I want her safe no matter what.”
“And you want us to hide her?” She huffs at Grave’s words but doesn’t make a scene.
“Yes. I would pay, of course. I just need to be able to focus on the task at hand and not worry about her well-being. If she’s with someone trusted, then I can move forward with my plan,” he says.
“Which is?”
“Taking over my father’s empire.” I let out a low whistle when she turns to face me. She sneers and rolls her eyes looking back to her brother. I feel sorry for whatever asshole gets stuck with her ass.
“Fine. When do you need this to happen?” Grave asks.
“Soon. The wedding is set for two months from now. At the moment there are things that she’s needed at home for but once those are handled, I want her to disappear.”
“Lorenzo! Really? You aren’t going to ask me what I want?” she snaps.
“Seems you already gave your answer, darlin’,” I add. She turns her angry gaze in my direction but I just shrug. She already said she didn’t want to marry the prick.
“He’s right. You either follow my rules or you marry Leo. Either way, I will eliminate him. It’s up to you to decide what you endure in the meantime.” Damn Enzo is harsh.
“Fine.” I love watching her huff. It pushes her tits out more.
“Can I go get my cock sucked now? This shit is depressin’ as fuck,” I add. Enzo looks to me and smiles.
“By all means. Please, feel free to have your pick of women. On me, of course.” I nod my head and smile before heading out of the office. It’s stifling in there with all of that testosterone. My eyes roam over the girls as I try to make my choice.
“She has chlamydia.” I turn to the sound of the voice and find Gaia staring up at me.
“Thought this was some upscale shit?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“It is. Some of the girls haven’t been tested yet. She’s one of them.” She smirks.
“And you know this how?”
“Fuck her. I really don’t care. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
6
Gaia
Packing. I never thought I’d be packing a bag. A bag! Not a suitcase, a bag. To most people this would be considered a carry-on. I can’t believe this is what my life has come down to.
“Don’t look so happy.” James smirks as he walks closer to me.
“This is stupid. You protect me just fine.” And it’s true. James has always protected me.
“Not against your father. He is the one that pays me after all.” His words are like acid slipping down my spine. I straighten and turn to look him in the eye.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t do that. You know that’s not how I meant it. You know what would happen to me if I went against him and then who would protect you?” He’s right. I hate that he is, but I know my father would kill him and not think twice about it. He already hates how close James and I are.
“I know,” I say, blowing out a breath. “But now I have to go with them? I don’t know anything about them aside from what I’ve heard. They are nothing like us, James.”
“They protect what they care about. They rule their empire. I’d say they are pretty close to what we are if my observations are correct.” I want to huff and ignore him but he’s right. They are like us in that sense.
“I don’t know them. How can I trust them?” I drop onto the bed and sigh, resting my head in my hands. This is a mess.
“If Lorenzo trusts them with your life, then I’d say they are trustworthy people.”
“You saw them,” I remind him. Not that they looked bad in their jeans and cuts. They didn’t, but that is far from what I know and live every single day.
“It’ll be fine, Gaia. I think you will see you are overreacting again.”
“What about you? What will happen when Father realizes I’m not here?” I hate the thought of anything happening to James.
“Lorenzo has that all worked out. I was set for a vacation anyway.” His smile is infectious but that does little to ease the worry in my heart. If anything happened to James, I don’t know that I could go on living. He is everything to me. The only real friend that I have.
“I wish you could come with me,” I say under my breath. James grabs my hands and pulls me from the bed and into his arms.
“Me too but this will all work out. You will be home before you know it.”
“He’s right. I have many plans that will be set in motion soon. You shouldn’t have to be gone long.” I pull out of his arms and wipe the lonely tear that slides down my cheek.
“I know. I trust you,” I tell Enzo. He nods and moves through the room picking my bag up and tossing the strap over his shoulder.
“Is this all you’ll need? I will be sure to give Grave extra money to get whatever else you may need.”
“It’s fine. This will be fine.”
“Very well. Let’s go before Father comes back. I doubt he will notice your absence anytime soon,” Enzo says. That’s not a lie. He never sees me and that’s perfectly fine. The further I am from Leo the better off I’ll be. Turning to James, he pulls me into a hug.
“Be careful. I will be waiting when you return,” he whispers in my ear.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Gaia.” Pulling away from him feels wrong. This all feels wrong but what else can I do? Enzo is right. I would only cause trouble if I were to stay around here. Leo
would still come and harass me and I’m not sure how long I could handle that before I actually slit his throat. Enzo holds his hand out to me, and I quickly grab it. We walk into the hall when a thought occurs to me.
“Won’t Father see the security footage?” Enzo chuckles.
“No. I have a loop playing. It will appear as you’re walking to the sauna and then back to your room thirty minutes later.” I smirk at that.
“You really do have a plan, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. Protecting you is at the forefront of this, Gaia. I will not allow Leonardo to harm you or touch a thing of this family’s,” he reminds me once more as we descend the stairs. A few men look our way, but I know they are all Lorenzo’s men. I give them a soft smile and shrug into my coat, following my brother to the waiting car. I hate leaving. I don’t want to go but at the same time, I will not sit back and let Leo abuse me either. That’s the only other choice. Even though I am twenty-one, I am not free, not while my father is alive.
“Stop fidgeting,” Enzo says once we’re seated in the car.
“I hate this,” I whisper, looking out the window as the car moves forward. I watch the snow as it falls to the ground, piling up in mounds.
“You think that blizzard is coming?” Enzo asks, shifting to look out the window with me.
“Maybe. I hadn’t looked much at the weather. It’s beautiful though, isn’t it?” His hand rests on my shoulder as I stare out into the night.
“Everything will be fine, Gaia. I promise you that much. I will deal with all of this.” I have no doubts that he will. I know my brother. I know the monster that lurks inside of him, and on occasion, I have seen him set that monster free. If there were anyone in the world that I would fear it would be him.
“I don’t know what I’m up against at their clubhouse. What’s it like there? What are the people like?”
“I don’t know how long you will be there. I have asked for you to be moved every three days after next week,” he adds. My head whips around, nearly smashing into his face while my mouth gapes open.
“You what?”
“You can’t possibly be this naïve, Gaia. We are all based in Chicago. Father will have eyes out looking for you as soon as he realizes you are missing. I assume that to be early into next week.” His eyes are hard, his stare penetrating. I shake my head unsure as to how to respond.
“I-I suppose I didn’t think about that.” I don’t want to run. I was never the type but since this is Enzo, I will do as he asks. I can’t promise that I will like it and not give Grave’s men hell when the time comes because that’s just who I am. Enzo smirks at me.
“I can see the wheels spinning. You are going to be trouble, aren’t you?” Letting out the tiniest of laughs, he shakes his head. “Always were too hardheaded to listen.”
“I’m listening. You told me I had to go, and I will. That doesn’t mean I won’t make those men work for their money.” Now Enzo laughs loudly.
“I have no doubts about that. Just be safe. You can push their buttons because I know you won’t be harmed but don’t do anything stupid,” he adds, his gaze hardening once more. I know the boundaries or at least the ones to keep myself safe. I will have to learn the boundaries of the men that I will be with.
“I will do my best to not piss them off too badly,” I giggle.
“I’m sure that’s a lie, but I trust you,” he adds. Pulling into the clubhouse, I glance around but don’t see any bikes.
“Where are the bikes?”
“I’m sure they are being housed somewhere. It is snowing after all.” The thought hadn’t occurred to me. I assumed they would still ride but I guess in blizzard-like conditions, they couldn’t. The driver steps out of the car and opens our door. Enzo climbs out adjusting his jacket before helping me out. Taking a deep breath, I blow it out, my breath dancing in the cold air in front of me. Enzo grabs my hand just as the door opens and Grave steps out. His dark hair blows with the wind and his eyes find mine. They are dark and menacing but there’s also a slight calmness to them.
“Glad you made it. This weather is gettin’ crazy,” he says, stepping toward us. Enzo pulls me along with him until we are close enough that he can pass off my things. Grave takes the bag, hefting it over his shoulder.
“I expect her to be taken care of properly.”
“Don’t worry about her. We got her,” Grave states, his tone serious. I can see the glint in his eyes. He’s not joking, and that eases a little of the fear that was settled in my chest.
“Good. Gaia, I will be in contact when I can. Be safe. I love you.” Enzo leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek as I whisper the words back to him. I hate this part. The part where I’m letting go of everything I know and stepping into the unknown world of the Royal Devils.
7
Preacher
Proverbs 12:20 “Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.”
There are days that I find myself torn on that aspect. Where one sees evil, others see joy. Where one sees darkness, some of us find light. I’m in the middle. I neither see the light nor fear the darkness anymore. It’s not a strange feeling either. It’s safe, calming. I know there are two routes I can take. One further into the blackness and the other casting me into the sun.
“What is that?” Freak asks, nodding toward the bible in my hand. I shove it back in the drawer and close it before turning to look at him.
“The past makin’ an appearance.”
“Your dad?” I nod my head not feeling like talking about it right now. Things happened the way they did for a reason.
“Grave turn the fuckin’ heat off or what?” I ask, shoving off the bed and grabbing my hoodie. Slipping it over my head, I grab my cut next and shrug into it.
“That fucker keeps it like an ice farm in here.”
“No shit.”
“That girl is here.”
“What girl?” I ask, grabbing my cigarettes and lighting up.
“Ricci’s sister. I don’t like this shit. I don’t like havin’ her under this roof. Fuck, we just got Psycho back to somewhat normal and Faith is here now. The idea of anyone comin’ around here huntin’ her and shootin’ at this place makes me crazy,” Freak says. I can see the torment in his eyes, and I understand it fully. I’m the same way. We’re protective of what is ours and with the baby here, it’s ten times worse.
“Good thing no one is gonna be out in this shit.” I look toward the door when I hear Grave’s voice. He stands with his arms crossed over his chest glaring at us, the small dark-haired girl next to him.
“You might be if you don’t turn the goddamn heat up,” I remind him, raising an eyebrow. He chuckles and shakes his head.
“Fuck off. This is Gaia; you met already. That’s Freak and Preacher,” he says, nodding toward us. Freak gives her a small smile and a nod, but I just stand here staring at her. I don’t really want her here and I know I’m going to get stuck with her. I can feel it. The other guys have their old ladies to take care of, but I’m single as fuck. That makes me the target. I drag my eyes back to Grave and see the smile curling his lips. Yeah, he’s sticking me with that girl.
“Come the fuck on, Grave. Put a prospect on her!”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Orders are to keep her safe. You think I’m gonna let a prospect handle that? Not a chance in hell. Once this blizzard shit is over and you can move freely, you’re takin’ her on the run,” he tells me. Bringing my gaze to hers, she looks afraid. She should be. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. She shouldn’t be here, around men like us. This isn’t her life, and it never will be. Enzo throwing her into this shit wasn’t the smartest move on his part.
“I won’t cause much trouble,” Gaia finally adds with a flirtatious smile. Grave huffs out a laugh and Freak whistles. Assholes.
“Standin’ there right now is causin’ trouble, darlin’.” She rolls her eyes
at me and looks to Grave.
“Stick me with anyone but this prick,” she demands.
“The fuck did you just say?” My hands clench as I take a step closer to her. Freak slaps a hand on my chest, shoving me back a step. “Watch who you’re talkin’ to.”
“I am watching. Grave, don’t you have anyone else but him?” she nearly pleads. That little bitch. What, am I not good enough to protect her overprivileged ass? Is she too high class for someone like me?
“He’s all I got. He ain’t all that bad,” Grave tells her with a smile. I could gut that bastard right here and now.
“Great.” I watch the way she rolls her eyes and looks back at me before taking a step into my room. She moves past me and Freak, glancing around. My head turns, following her movements before she drops onto the bed. “This bed sucks.” She bounces a little to make her point.
“That’s good, cause it ain’t yours!”
“You mean I get my own room?” she mocks. What the hell is with this little brat?
“No. You get this one,” Grave says. My head whips back around in his direction but he just shrugs. “Rooms are full. Most of the guys are waitin’ the storm out here.” It makes sense. We have generators and shit to keep everything running around here, but that does little to ease my mind at the moment. I’m not sharing a room with this brat.
“She can take a couch,” I add, inhaling nicotine into lungs.
“No, she can’t. She’s a guest and a job. No fuckin’ couches,” Grave growls. I have to resist the urge to roll my damn eyes now.
“Fine. She can have the bed.” Grave nods and turns to leave the room with Freak chuckling right behind him. They close the door and I spin around ready to give her the rundown of my room when I see her crying. Fuck me hard. Why do I get the emotional shit?
“The fuck you cryin’ for?” She lifts her head and those big tears slowly leak down her cheeks.