Dealing with the Devil (17 page)

Sofía’s eyes shimmered with tears. “I just wanted you to have a better life than I did…”

“And I
will
, Sofía. I have a husband who loves me. I have a brother who would follow me to the ends of the earth.” Lucy’s hand covered her belly gently. “Girl or boy, this baby will be loved for exactly what he or she is.” A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “So, I wish you no harm. I can only hope your time in prison gives you a chance to think about what you’ve done.” With that, Lucy turned her back.

“Lucy!” Sofía let out a gasping breath as she tried in vain to sit forward. “I will get out eventually. And when I do—”

Turning on her heel, Lucy’s posture was tight with anger. “
If
you do, you better stay away from me. I may forgive you for what you’ve done but don’t think for a second I want you to be part of our lives. If I
never
see you again, it’ll be too soon.” She exhaled shakily. “Family isn’t about blood, Sofía. Family is about those who choose to stand by you and build you up. It’s about letting people live their lives, about not forcing your choices on them.” Lucy narrowed her eyes. “Consider this goodbye. And if you
ever
come near my family again, the next bullet I put in you will
not
be in your shoulder!

Sofía chortled menacingly, “There is nothing thicker than blood,
querida
. Remember that!”

Lucy shrugged Sofía off. She really wanted to slam the door in Sofía’s smug face…but that would defeat the purpose of sneaking in here. Instead, Lucy hurried to the stairwell, making it back downstairs before anyone was the wiser. Gabe was just turning the corner when she grabbed the bag of her belongings from the bedside. She’d made it in the nick of time.

“You ready to go?” Archie grinned. Lucy looked much better now that she’d gotten some rest and a good meal. There was a soft flush to her cheeks and he rested a hand at the small of her back. She seemed almost nervous. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Never better,” Lucy stood on tiptoe and kissed Gabe sweetly. “I’m just eager to get home.” Gabe took the bag from her hand and carefully helped her into the wheelchair Bea had arranged to take her out of the hospital. Together, Lucy and Gabe headed out into the sunshine. It was a beautifully crisp autumn morning, a soft breeze tickled over her skin. Gabe’s hands wrapped around her waist as he helped her into the van, eager to get them out of the hustle and bustle of city traffic and onto the open road.

Once Lucy was buckled in, Archie weaved his way through the city. He kept his eyes straight ahead as they passed by the hotel they’d celebrated their honeymoon in, the Aces High casino—which had been formally shut down, and the little cafe they’d come to love. Archie almost expected to feel a pang of sadness at leaving it all behind but he didn’t. He was grateful they were going back to their lives in Errol. He glanced over at Lucy; she seemed preoccupied. “You’re awfully quiet.”

Lucy smiled gently as she focused her attention on Gabe. Her mind kept swirling with everything that had happened over the last few weeks. It felt like she was finally waking up from a terrible dream. “I’m just thinking things are going to be very different from now on.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Archie replied. Lucy didn’t elaborate and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Is this about
us
? Are you second guessing your choice?”

“Loving you isn’t a choice, Gabriel.” Lucy’s hand slid over Gabe’s arm. “It’s something I feel with ever fiber of my being. I’m just worried about what’s going to happen when we get back to Errol.” She sighed. “You know I need a unanimous vote to get my patch.” Lucy rested her head against her open palm. “Hunter, Mort, and Kyle are most certainly going to get patched. They were on the front lines the whole time. Everyone saw how hard they worked. Me? I was locked up in the Black Jack compound. How can they see me as anything but some damsel in distress?”

“Lucy, you
shot
Sofía Salma.” Archie remained focused on the road but he stole glances at her whenever he could. “You organized the breakout of the most influential members of every MC around. You were indirectly responsible for a treaty between the Redhawks, Los Santos, the Nightriders, and multiple Devil’s Own charters. That’s basically world peace!” Archie chuckled, “If that wasn’t enough, you somehow convinced the FBI to work with us to bring the Black Jacks down. We put the militant group of lunatics that killed your parents, who have terrorized this club, and endangered our town for decades down for good!” He chortled, “Yeah, I have no idea why they’d patch you!”

Lucy beamed. “Well when you put it that way, I guess I have a shot!”

Archie nodded. “I knew you’d be eager for a decision so I had Hunter call the club. They’ll be ready to vote when we get back.” Lucy glowed with joy and Archie felt as if his heart would burst with joy. All he ever wanted was for Lucy to be happy…and she truly was. “We’ve got at least another hour and a half before we’re home, why don’t you take a little nap? You want to be fresh for the vote…” And he wanted to make sure they followed all the doctor’s orders.

On another day, Lucy would have called Gabe out on his overprotectiveness but he was right, she was tired The sun steamed through the windows, warming her skin as she snuggled into her seat and let sleep overtake her. The next thing she knew, Gabe was gently nudging her. Wiping the grittiness from her eyes, Lucy drank in the familiarity of Errol surrounding her. Before all this happened, she’d seen this tiny town as a curse that held her in place. Now, she was overjoyed to finally be home.

After a quick pit stop to shower and change, Lucy and Gabe headed off to meet their fate. The clubhouse buzzed with excitement as Lucy slid out of the van and stood at Gabriel’s side. Kyle, Hunter, and Mort were pouring champagne. Danny was sitting in the corner, nursing a scotch; he rushed to greet them as soon as he laid eyes on his sister. Hugging her tightly, Danny ushered her into the War Room and prodded Beaver out of his seat.

Archie moved toward the head of the table and without a moment’s hesitation, the rest of the club followed. As soon as he sat, the meeting began. “In the last few weeks, we’ve accomplished more than in the entire legacy of this charter.” He rested his hand on the table. “We got rid of the Black Jacks. We made peace with our brothers—” He paused and smiled gently at Lucy, “And
sisters
in arms. But most importantly, we’ve learned to work together. That’s why I think it’s time we make some changes around here.” A soft murmur moved through the crowd. “First of all, there has already been a motion made to vote on prospects at today’s meeting. Given the circumstances, I think it’s important we waive the requirements that state a prospect must have been among our ranks for a year. I propose we have a vote right here and now.” His cobalt eyes swept over the group, “Any objections?”

There was only the sound of shuffling feet and hushed voices. Archie nodded curtly, “So it’s settled then. We will vote on Hunter Evans, Kyle Ferris, Mortimer Lally, and Lucy Archer.” The whispers grew louder and he cleared his throat. “We’ll start with Hunter. All those in favor?” Unsurprisingly, everyone in the room raised their hand. Clapping ensued as Hunter was handed a brand new patch for his cut, denoting his membership as one of the Devil’s Own.

Kyle was next, followed by Mortimer—there was never any question about their loyalty. The room grew silent as Lucy was left standing alone beside Gabe. “Before you all vote, I’d like to say a few words…” It wasn’t traditional for speeches to be made; then again, Lucy was far from the typical prospect. “I know that some of you might feel pressured to vote my patch through because I’m the President’s wife. Or because Danny is my brother…or even because my father was an important part of this club back in the day.” Lucy took a fortifying breath. “I don’t want you to do that.” The confusion in the room only made her smile wider. “I want you to vote for me because I’m an asset to this club and because I deserve to wear this patch. I know that some of you think women are weak or that we aren’t smart enough to be a part of this club. Some of you think I’m only good for
one
thing…” There was more random shuffling amongst the group. Lucy narrowed her eyes. “That’s not the case. I’m not going to stand up here and preach to you about what you already know. You have to decide what’s right.” Lucy took a step back, “So, go ahead, then. Vote.”

Archie wrapped an arm around Lucy’s waist, pulling her close to him as he glanced around the room. “All those in favor of patching Lucy Archer as one of the Devil’s Own…raise your hands.” Silence hung over the room for a long moment and no one moved. Archie raised his hand and Monster was half a second behind…he’d learned not to vote against Archie the hard way.

One by one, each member of the Devil’s Own put up their palm until only Danny remained. He muttered under his breath, wringing his hands. Finally, he let out an exasperated sigh, “You know what? Fuck it!
Fine
…you can have your patch!” Danny threw his hand in the air.

“It’s settled then.” Archie banged the gavel. “Congratulations to our four new members!” The group broke into cheers and applause, clapping the newbies on the back…except for Lucy, who got several firm handshakes and polite conversation instead. Archie cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve settled that, there’s one more piece of business to discuss here today.” His hand slid into Lucy’s. “Sofía Salma and the Black Jacks tortured and killed and held hostages…but the reason they did it is almost worse than their actions. Sofía Salma pledged to help those in need, women on the run, and children who cannot fight for themselves.” He licked his lips. “For a long time, this club has been about little more than drinking excessively, getting laid, and maybe doing a little work on your bike on the side.” Danny guffawed loudly but smoothly covered it with a cough. Archie smirked at him. “I think it’s time the Devils have a new legacy.”

Lucy snuggled closer to Archie as she addressed the group. “We would redo the bar and make it into a place of refuge. We’d expand the dormitories, maybe add a second story—”

“Yeah, but how we gonna make money?” PJ interrupted.

“The write offs alone would pay for the renovations,” Big Mike piped up. He already had his notebook out. “We could apply for government funding and there are tax shelters for nonprofit organizations. Give me a few days to work up the specs but I could make this work.” He beamed.

Archie glanced around the room. “We can do something good. That doesn’t mean we won’t ride. It also doesn’t mean we’re not going to party our asses off after this meeting…it just means we’re going to start doing better than our fathers did.” He raised his hand one more time. “All those in favor?”

A resounding echoed through the room. Lucy laughed and wrapped herself tightly in Gabe’s arms. He bent to her height, eagerly capturing her lips. All around them, the club members laughed, drank heavily, and carried on as if it were a normal day. But to Lucy, it was not a normal day at all. The Devil’s Own, Gabriel, and her family were finally safe and happy. It was everything she’d ever hoped for and more.

Lucy swiped at the dark circles under her eyes as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever be so tired or fulfilled. A lazy smile slid over Lucy’s face as Gabe wrapped his arms around her and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Morning,” She murmured and snuggled closer to absorb some of his warmth.

“I wish it wasn’t,” Archie groused. His hands glossed over her curves, reveling in the soft sigh of pleasure that emanated from her throat. He began to kiss down the contour of her neck, his fingers grazing the sensitive orb of her breast…and the piercing cry of a hungry infant met his ears. Although Archie was slightly disappointed at the missed opportunity, he chuckled. “Well, she has your timing,” He teased. Stealing one last kiss, he rubbed Lucy’s shoulders. “You finish getting ready, I’ve got her.” He reluctantly slipped away, heading down the hall toward the nursery.

“I love you,” Lucy called after him, gratefully.

Initially, Gabe was nervous about fatherhood. As her pregnancy advanced, he was terrified to sleep in the same bed and walked around as if the slightest touch could send her into labor or worse. It took a blowout fight and a trip to the doctor to put everything into perspective. Lucy had to say, once he became comfortable with her growing curves, the man had been insatiable up until the bitter end. After a harrowing twenty hour labor and some choice curse words, she delivered a beautiful eight pound, six ounce baby girl into the world: Amelia Louisa Archer. Gabe was smitten with his child from the moment he held her in his arms and that love had been unwavering ever since.

Lucy rifled through the closet, attempting to hurry through her morning routine. It was an important day for their family and the Devil’s Own Motorcycle Club. As of last week, they had finished all of the renovations and had received licensure to open up Errol’s very first safe haven for people in need. The entire structure of the clubhouse had been taken down to the studs and rebuilt with twenty new beds, a large kitchen area, and a playground outside. They also had installed a state of the art alarm system and a team of bikers providing round the clock security. There was no safer place around. This afternoon marked the grand reopening and everyone had been invited…it was time to celebrate all they had achieved. Lucy couldn’t wait.

Rifling through her closet, she paused as she found the vibrant dress she’d bought in Reno. It seemed like a lifetime since the horror with the Black Jacks. With everything going on these days, she hardly thought about it anymore. The dress was perfect for this occasion, and after months of hard work she nearly had her pre-baby figure back. It fit like a glove.

A peal of laughter from the other room caused the smile on Lucy’s face to widen. Gabe was always making Amelia giggle; they were two peas in a pod. Lucy hurriedly pinned her curly hair out of her face before she rushed to join her family in the kitchen. Amelia’s chubby cheeks were rosy and pink as she kicked her dimpled legs. The baby hummed and sloppily accepted bites of rice cereal from Archie, slapping her palms against the highchair in a showy display of approval. Lucy chuckled as she tossed on her apron before bending down to give her daughter a kiss. “I’m just wondering if there is any cereal
in
the baby. It seems like you’re wearing most of it, dear,” Lucy teased.

Chuckling appreciatively, Archie took a moment to admire his wife. Lucy was smart, beautiful, and in spite of everything, she loved him. How the hell had he gotten so lucky? He never pictured himself as the doting husband and father. Hell, he never believed anyone would
want
him to be…until Lucy. She made him better. Ever since they settled into a life together, Archie knew true happiness. “You look gorgeous, Luce.” He planned on showing her just how much he thought so tonight. Archie had decided not to mention he’d arranged for Anita to watch the baby after the party. Lucy needed a night off with her husband. They were
long
overdue…

“You’re a charmer,” Lucy smiled. “You go get ready. I can finish up here.” Gingerly, she wiped the cereal from Amelia’s chin and plucked her from the highchair. Amelia cooed happily and snuggled into mommy’s shoulder. Lucy sang softly while she bathed Amelia and changed her into the soft pink dress she’d been saving for this occasion. By the time Lucy finished packing up the diaper bag, Amelia dozing in the car seat.

Archie met them out front, smiling at the image of his two girls dressed in their Sunday best. It was a short ride to the clubhouse and there were already several bikes in the parking lot. Mort turned out to be quite the chef and happily offered to cater the event to drum up business for his new restaurant; he was currently manning the kitchens and bossing around their new crop of prospects. Kyle and Hunter finished putting the last of the balloons outside to mark the entrance while PJ hung the sign out front. By the late afternoon, most of the club was gathered, laughing, and ribbing each other while they worked.

Lucy never expected the Devils to respond as well as they did to all the changes. Instead of drinking and debauchery, there were charity rides and community outreach programs. Big Mike had his hands full with managing the financials of everything, so much so that he’d taken Luis and Nathaniel on as apprentices. Grayson decided to go to college and get an advanced degree in social work so he could help with counseling. Even Beaver was starting to show his softer side; he couldn’t stop grinning as he gave tours of the place to anyone who asked (and some folks who didn’t). This endeavor had brought out the best in everyone, so far.

Lucy caught sight of Danny moping around by the food table. Slipping over to him, she rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”

Danny groaned. She already had that look in her eyes…the one that told him she was reading him like an open book. “Hey, Luce.” He dropped kiss to the top of her head. Maybe if he could distract her, he could avoid the lecture. “This is a great party. Nico said most of the local businesses have already donated to the shelter. You just missed the mayor, she was
very
impressed.”

“That’s great news. So, why do you look like somebody kicked your dog?” Lucy’s expression softened. “I invited her, Danny, but you know how busy she is.” Danny tugged away from her and Lucy sighed. Danny hadn’t quite been himself ever since he’d started spending time with Cecelia. She came down when Amelia was born and had spent a few days here or there with her “Devil Family”—as she called it. Every time Cece went back home, Danny ended up in a funk that lasted until she inevitably showed up again. “Why don’t you just tell her you’re in love with her?”

“I
can’t
be in love with her.” Danny shrugged Lucy off and stuffed another mini quiche into his mouth. “I’ve never even had sex with her. How the hell can you be in love with someone if you’re not screwing them sideways?” He grunted. “You know what? Don’t answer that.” Danny hurried away before Lucy could dig any deeper. Cecelia was a very difficult woman to understand. Usually
he
was the one saying it didn’t mean anything. Cecelia was different. He cared for her and it hurt when she rejected him.

Lucy watched Danny retreat into the crowd. All she’d ever wanted was for her brother to find someone wonderful. Lucy loved Cecelia like a sister. Unfortunately, Danny had fallen for one of the most stubborn women on the face of the earth. Lucy just hoped their story would have as happy an ending as hers and Gabe’s did. In the meantime, there were more appetizers to be put out and she had several more donors to greet. Fixing Danny’s love life would have to wait another day.

Archie remained focused on trying to fix a banner that kept falling. He handed Amelia over to Anita shortly after they walked in. Not that she minded. Anita was ecstatic as she scooped the baby up and cooed over her pink party attire. Archie signaled for Danny to help him get the banner rehung. Danny headed over, mumbling about women and Archie patted his shoulder. “I know what you mean…” Once they got everything back into place. Archie caught sight of Lucy flitting around the room like a queen and his heart swelled with pride. Thanks to Lucy, the Devil’s Own would have a legacy to be proud of and, somehow, it made him love her even more.

As the afternoon wore on, more friends and familiar faces began to trickle into the party. Steve arrived with Julia and Bea in tow. Bea—having come off the night shift only a few hours ago, slipped toward the bedrooms to see if she could catch a nap before she went to mingle. Steve went to grab himself a soda. There was a long moment of awkwardness when Anita and Steve came face to face for the first time in eight years. “Anita! Oh…hi…”

A blush bloomed over Anita’s cheeks as she cuddled baby Amelia closer. It didn’t seem fair to use the baby as a buffer, but Anita didn’t know what else to do. “Hey, Steve.” Anita swallowed hard. “It’s been a long time…you look good.”

Steve’s heart leapt into his throat as he took a step closer. Suddenly all formalities went flying out the window. Everything he’d been holding back came flooding to the surface. “There’s so much I’ve been wanting to say to you since that night in DC. I can explain everything, I—”

“Anita, who’s this?” Mort wiped his hands on his apron as he interrupted Steve’s nervous chattering. He was very much looking forward to taking a break and seeking out Anita for some alone time. What he found instead was Anita looking tense. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mortimer Lally…Anita’s boyfriend.”

Anita’s head nearly spun as she stared between Steve and Mort. Her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment. Her ex-husband and boyfriend in the same room; it was about to get awkward in here. “Mort, this is Steve Ellis. He’s my ex-husband.” There was a long, deadly silence as she waited for Mort to react. Something akin to jealousy spread across Mort’s features but, thankfully, he kept his cool.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Mort’s arm wrapped around Anita’s waist protectively. He extended his free hand and shook Steve’s forcefully. “Thanks for all the work you did helping bring Lucy and the girls home.” He forced a grin. “We owe you one, for sure.”

Steve returned the smile hesitantly. “I was just doing my job.” There was a short pause and he reached out, tugging Julia to his side. “This is Julia Amos…she’s, uh, my girlfriend too. I mean, not
too
…she’s just my girlfriend.”

Julia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Uh, yes, girlfriend…
right
…” Well that was news to her. Steve was kind but he’d never given Jules the time of day. There was always some excuse as to why they couldn’t be more than friends. The moment Jules laid eyes on the blonde goddess before her, she realized
exactly
what was going on. “You must be Anita, right?” Jules suddenly felt inadequate. Anita was beautiful and voluptuous and successful. Julia was…not. She was a natural redhead with a tendency to freckle and who blushed at every turn; not to mention her figure had always decidedly boyish. Now that she’d seen Anita, Jules was positive there was no way she could ever compete.

“It’s so good to meet you, Julia.” A sharp cry from the baby brought her attention back to the bundle in her arms. Anita was grateful for the distraction. “Looks like someone needs a diaper change. It was so nice seeing you two.” Anita hurried to the room she’d stashed Amelia’s diaper bag in. Although Anita didn’t want to admit it, seeing Steve dredged up feelings she had been pushing aside for a while now. Eight years of buried feelings came welling back to the surface. It was going to be a long night…

Once Mort went back into the kitchen, Julia turned her dark glare toward Steve. “Girlfriend, huh?” Steve had the good sense to look sheepish but it wasn’t enough for Jules. “We’ll talk about this later. I just saw Candy sneak in, I’m going to say hello.” Brushing Steve off coolly, Jules sauntered over to the corner that Candy was hiding in. “Hey sis,” She leaned in and kissed Candy on the cheek. Beside Candy stood her son, who clearly did not want to be at this event. Julia nudged him playfully. “Hey Matty. What’s up, bud?”

At fifteen years old, the last thing Matthew wanted to be doing was hang out with his mother. But after being stuck in the Black Jack compound for months and then coming home to find the mess he’d gotten into in her absence, his mom wasn’t letting him out of her sight. Matt rolled his eyes and tugged his phone out of his jacket pocket.

Candy hugged Julia tightly, ignoring her son’s moody behavior. “This is a great turnout. Lucy’s done such a fantastic job of—”

“Candy?” Marco’s voice seemed to carry over the entire room as he paused in from of her. He’d been silently praying she’d show up tonight. Honestly, it was the only reason he came. His heart leapt into his throat when laid eyes on the young man she was with. There had been rumors that Candy had a son but he’d never been able to bring himself to look into it. Now was as good a time as any. “Who’s this?”

“Hey kiddo, let’s go check out the food table!” Jules announced and dragged Matthew away to grab a plate. She was strong but Matty was stronger, he put himself in front of Candy, his arms crossed over his chest. “Who are
you
?”

Candy’s panic clawed at her. Fifteen years ago their relationship ended and she’d never found the courage to tell him she was pregnant. “Marco, this is my son Matthew,” Her throat was suddenly bone dry. “Matthew, this is an old friend of mine, Marco.” Shooting a desperate look at her sister, Candy silent begged Julia to get Matthew out of here. It took some maneuvering, but eventually she was able to drag the teenager away with promises of free food and sugary drinks.

Marco was silent for a long moment as he watched Matthew walk away. When he finally found the courage to speak, there was a note of fear in his voice. “Candy—”

“Marco…
don’t
.” Candy wished that things could be different but the past was the past. The lie she’d been telling for fifteen years rolled off her tongue with ease. “My husband and I were lucky enough to have a child before he went off to Afghanistan…” Candy was trembling.

“Really?” Marco frowned markedly.

Matthew had grabbed a couple things to eat but he couldn’t help but sense how his mother’s concern. Ignoring his Aunt Julia’s pleas to stay away, Matty stalked over to where Marco and Candy were talking. “Look, dude, I don’t know who you are but you’re upsetting my mom. I think you should take a lap.” He wrapped his arm tightly around Candy’s shoulders.