Dealing with the Devil (6 page)

Housekeeping had come and gone while they were out, the room once again put back in pristine condition. Lucy plopped down on the bed and watched Gabe hawkishly. “When you said you wanted to dress, you meant a pair of nice jeans and a shirt, right?”

Archie furrowed his eyebrows, “You have a dress, don’t you?”

“Well, I have my wedding dress…” Lucy frowned. Opening up the closet, Archie unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a charcoal gray three-piece suit he’d picked up off the rack a couple weeks ago. Her mouth dropped open. “You mean to tell me you wore jeans to our wedding when you had
that
with you all along?”

“I thought you said I looked good!” Archie bristled, folding his arms over his chest.

He
had
looked good. Lucy wouldn’t have changed a single thing about their wedding but this news still made her stop and think. “Never mind…” She dug through the clothes that remained in her bag. “I seriously have nothing to wear.” Tugging t-shirts out, she laid them on the bed. One of her tank tops had rhinestones around the neckline and she did have that one dusty skirt—but that was about the extent of her ‘fancy’ clothing.

Archie dug through the clothes and shook his head curtly. “This won’t do.” He frowned. “We’ll just have to go shopping.” For any of the other women he knew, that decree would elicit joy. Lucy, on the other hand, groaned as if he told her he was going to waterboard her. “Hey, I don’t like it either, sweetheart.”

Lucy wanted to be angry but when Gabe stepped out in his suit, she forgot to be. She smiled appreciatively as he went from rugged biker to sharp-dressed hunk. Her heart fluttered in her chest at how badly she wanted him right now. “You clean up nice…”

“I’ll look forward to getting dirty again later,” Archie chuckled, closing the distance between them. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Now, come on. We need to get you something to wear that’ll blow everyone’s mind. The Black Jacks won’t be expecting us to walk through the door of their hideout in our Sunday best.”

“Sure, that makes sense.” Lucy genuinely wished they could get dirty again
now
. She decided to keep that musing to herself as they headed downstairs to grab directions to the nearest shopping plaza. According to the shrill-voiced clerk who’d checked them in yesterday there was a plaza on South Virginia Street, just a little ways down from the casinos.

To avoid detection and keep their cover intact, Archie got them a cab. The less people knew of their whereabouts, the safer they’d be. He gazed over at her as they headed down the bustling Reno streets. “I want to make sure you call me Gabriel whenever we’re in public…”

Lucy’s expression changed to one of surprise. “You
hate
it when I call you by your full name!”

“I knew it! I
knew
you used my name to punish me,” Archie scoffed. He shook his head in annoyance. “Even our enemies call me Archie. There are very few people who know my actual name and that works out to our advantage. You call me by my real name and nobody will be any the wiser.” He narrowed his eyes. “A slip up could make us targets.”

“You don’t need to worry. I never liked your stupid nickname anyway,” Lucy sighed heavily. “Gabriel is a beautiful name. It means strength and wisdom. It’s perfect for you.”

Archie always thought she called him Gabe just to annoy him; knowing there was more to the story felt like a punch to his gut. Staring out the opposite window, he tried to ignore the warmth creeping into his veins again. It was becoming clearer by the hour that Archie wasn’t purging Lucy from his system; he was losing his heart and soul to her.

* * *

The Summit was a giant, glimmering, open-air shopping center that was crawling with people. The cab dropped Lucy and Gabe off at the taxi stand. He quickly paid and waded through the crush of bodies toward a boutique. Lucy felt her stomach begin to churn. “This place looks fancy…” Archie ignored Lucy and pushed open the door to the shop.

A small bell chimed, alerting the staff that customers had arrived. A moment later, a tall, slim woman dressed like she just stepped off a plane from Paris had floated over to greet them. “
Bonjour
,” Her voice was thick with a French accent that Lucy instinctively knew was the real deal. This woman exuded class from every pore. “What can I assist you with today?”

“My wife needs a whole new wardrobe.” Archie tugged Monster’s credit card out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Whatever she needs, we’ll take it.”

Lucy had to bite back a chuckle as the woman’s face lit up. She was going to make a lot of money off them today. The associate grabbed the tape measure that was draped across her shoulders and quickly sized Lucy up. Once she’d been measured from every angle, the saleswoman rushed off and Lucy shook her head. “Monster is really going to regret prospecting me, huh?”

“Oh, I think he already does,” Archie smirked. Lucy frowned at him. “Can you at least try and enjoy this? You’ve been wearing Danny’s hand me downs for years.” He peered at her. “You used to love wearing dresses, especially in the summer.”

Lucy pushed down the feelings that threatened to rise to the surface again. “My
mother
loved those pretty dresses, skirts, heels, and accessories. But me? I’m just as happy in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.” The sales associate was lining the dressing room with things for her to try. “Oh that reminds me…” Lucy bent down, undoing the ankle strap holding her handgun; she tugged her butterfly knife from her bra, and unclipped the can of mace from her belt loop before pushing them into his hands, “Hold these.”

Staring at her incredulously, Archie frowned. “I can protect you, Lucy.”

“Yeah, but what if I needed to protect you?” Lucy countered, leaving no room for argument. She headed to the dressing room. There were articles of clothing everywhere: fancy, lacy undergarments, silky slips, smart skirts, tasteful blouses, and—as promised—
dresses
. Lucy cursed bitterly at the emotion that clogged her throat at the sight of this. Her mother would’ve loved this place…and she could only imagine the joy on Louisa’s face as they tried everything on together. Damn it, Lucy internally chastised herself. Why the fuck was she so weepy today?

Archie plopped down on a couch while Lucy tried things on. He could hear the rustling of clothes and her mumbled swearing. It made him smile. “How are things going in there, princess?”

Lucy rolled her eyes at Gabe’s mocking pet name. She tried on a skirt with a flowing black blouse that managed to flatter and accentuate her curves at the same time. She added it to the ‘buy’ pile along with several new bras and matching panties. Next came the dresses. To the sales associate’s credit, she hadn’t picked out anything too wild. Lucy’s favorite was a frock that fell just past her knee. The black silk felt buttery soft against her skin. Only the bodice was different, an overlay of delicately stitched lace covered her breasts, which showed the barest hint of cleavage peeking below the neckline. When Lucy put it on, she
did
feel like a princess. She smoothed her hands over her belly to calm the butterflies that erupted there. “How do I look?”

Archie’s eyes widened as Lucy stepped out of the changing room. He stood instantly, his lips parted slightly. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. “Whoa…”

A blush crept over her cheeks, “That bad, huh?” Gazing at the tag, Lucy’s mouth went dry. “Shit, this dress costs eight hundred dollars!”

“I don’t care,” Archie breathed. “You’re getting it. As a matter of fact, you’re getting all of it.” Poking his head around the corner, he called the associate over. “Just wrap it up, we’ll take it. Can she wear the dress out of here?”

“
Oui, monsieur,
” The woman cooed enthusiastically and hurried to package up their purchases. Gabe directed the boutique to have the rest of the items sent over to the hotel. Lucy allowed the sales associate to cut the tag off the dress and slipped into a pair of black kitten heels that fit her feet like a glove.

Lucy left the shop feeling much like Cinderella—the kitchen maid who tarted up for the big ball. Heads swiveled to stare at her as she and Gabe made their way back to the taxi stand. Once again, his large hand was pressed against the small of her back and his posture was protective. Lucy didn’t fight the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. When they got into the cab, she snuggled against Gabe’s side. The Aces High awaited and they had a job to do but she might as well enjoy these moments while they lasted.

Aces High was once the most vibrant casino on North Virginia Street. The building used to shimmer; the metal frame had once been dazzling. Now, the whole place looked brassy in the sun. The heavy glass doors that had welcomed patrons were cracked and clouded with age. An ancient carpet lined the floors, threadbare and torn in places. The color was perfectly royal red, back in the day, but had dulled to the color of mud.

Lucy crinkled her nose at the mustiness that seemed to fill every inch of the place, mingling with the scent of stale cigarettes and liquor. Straight ahead there was a rotunda with stone benches and a fountain with a cracked cherub drooling water into a dark pool. High above their heads the ceiling was pieced together with boards and plastic sheeting. It was lucky there was no rain today or water would be leaking all over the place. Pip certainly wasn’t exaggerating when he said the place had gone to shit.

The main floor had a half a dozen card games in play. People in various states of dishevelment were hunched over the ancient tables, gambling for their souls. It was utterly and completely depressing. There was a long bar situated along the back wall and Archie felt like he needed a stiff one to calm his nerves. “You want a drink?”

“It’s a bit too early for me, I’ll pass.” Plus, Lucy didn’t really want to drink out of the glasses in this place; everything seemed to be covered in a thin layer of grease. The casino was laid out so that each card table had relative privacy. The one in the furthest corner was completely devoid of players; the dealer was in her sixties and plainly dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a white blouse. She looked up, steely grey eyes boring into Lucy’s onyx ones. Lucy’s first instinct was to look away and join Gabe at the bar…but they were here to get information. What better way was there than talking to the locals? “I’m going to play some blackjack and see what I can find out.”

Lucy fished twenty dollars out of his pocket. Archie followed her over to the table and smiled at the woman dealing cards. He watched Lucy slip the twenty onto the table and remained quiet until he realized the dealer was watching him hawkishly. “Sir, if you aren’t playing, you must leave the table. House rules…we’ve had problems with card counters.”

“Of course.” Archie didn’t love the idea of leaving Lucy alone but he would be nearby if she needed him. Besides, the Black Jacks had no reason to believe a young married couple would be infiltrating their casino. For good measure, Archie bent and kissed Lucy chastely on the lips, “I’m going to take a lap, sweetheart. Call if you need something.” Archie kept his eyes trained on Lucy as he headed toward the bar. If anyone knew something about this place and was willing to take a bribe, Archie was betting on it being the bartender.

“Sure thing,
honey
…” Lucy found the exchange to be slightly awkward. Bedding Gabriel was one thing, playing the doting wife was quite another. Sighing softly, Lucy blushed and faced the dealer again. “How much to buy in?”

“Fifty. But the first one’s on me,” The dealer replied cordially. “Consider it a token of my congratulations. You are newly married, are you not?” Grey eyes slid over to where Archie was standing and she nodded appreciatively. “Young love is so very special…” There was a pause as the woman’s hands rapidly shuffled the deck. “I get the sense that you married in quite a hurry…”

Lucy was immediately at ease with the woman before her. It had been so long since she’d had another woman to discuss things with. Lucy couldn’t help herself. “I suppose you could say that. Gabe and I have known each other our whole lives but our wedding happened very suddenly.” Lucy noticed the woman’s eyes dip to her waist and she laughed. “I’m not pregnant.”

A knowing smile slid over the woman’s features. “You are worried his feelings are not genuine?” Clucking her tongue, she dealt the cards and set the deck back on its mark. “Have no fear, dear heart. A man does not look at a woman like that if there is no love in his heart.” The dealer smiled, her hands poised over the queen of hearts and six of clubs sitting in front of Lucy. The dealer had a hard nineteen; it would be very difficult to beat. “You need to decide if it is worth the risk…”

Lucy glanced over at Gabe. He was sipping a beer and chuckling with the bartender. The dealer was right; she had to decide if falling for Gabe was worth it or not. Things between them had been strained for some time…but at the end of the day, he was one risk she would always take. “Hit me.” The dealer flipped a card from the top of the deck, dropping a four of clubs onto the pile. “Twenty…”

“I’ll stay,” Lucy grinned broadly.

“Wise choice,” The dealer pushed several chips over to Lucy. “It’s very important to listen to your gut when it comes to cards…and to men.”

Picking up the chips, Lucy slipped them into her purse. “Thanks. I’m going to quit while I’m ahead and make sure my husband isn’t getting into any trouble.”

The woman bent her head in acknowledgement. “I’m Sofía Salma. I usually work in the back end, where the high rollers play. If you ever want to join us, mention my name to one of the dealers.” Flashing Lucy a sly smile, she packed up her deck, “Something tells me you can keep up.” Without another word, Sofía slipped behind a thick velvet curtain and disappeared from view.

Archie felt Lucy’s hand slide over his back as she leaned next to him at the bar. He smiled gently and turned to face her. “How’d it go?” He hoped she had something because he was getting nowhere with the tightlipped bartender.

“Doubled my money,” Lucy beamed. “And the dealer I met said I’d be welcome to play with the high rollers.”

The bartender gazed up from the streaky glass he was trying to wipe out. “You’re lucky Sofía took a shining to you. She doesn’t usually take to strangers so easily…I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but there’s a big blackjack tournament tomorrow. Booze and food are free for players and their guests. You folks should stop by.”

Lucy could already tell this was exactly what they needed to get a better look at how things ran here. Unfortunately, it was going to be a very expensive buy in. “How much to play?”

The bartender grinned at her knowingly. “Twenty…”

“Twenty dollars?” Archie scoffed, “That’s nothing!”

“Twenty
thousand
, Gabriel,” Lucy chuckled at his naïveté. “That’s a serious chunk of change.”

“And the payout would be many times that if you win,” The bartender shrugged. “Up to you, sweetheart. Blackjack ain’t a game for the faint of heart.”

“We’ll think about it.” Lucy was ready to get out of here and tear Gabriel out of that suit. “I’ve had enough gambling for today. Let’s go home.” She slipped her winnings to the bartender with a gracious smile. In this business, it paid to have friends.

Archie remained quiet during the cab ride but Lucy was thinking so loudly he swore his head was going to explode. He waited until they were back at the hotel but once they were alone, he could stand it no longer. “How the hell are we going to come up with twenty thousand dollars, Lucy? And even if we could, we don’t know what these people are up to!”

Lucy sighed heavily, “They have no idea who we are, Gabe! They just want make to money off unsuspecting idiots. This would be the perfect way to get in there without anyone realizing it. If we play our cards right, we can get an idea how the Black Jacks operate. It would be the best of all worlds.” She licked her lips. “You remember what Pip said? The Black Jacks accept all sorts of bets. We don’t need to have cash!”

“What exactly are you planning on leveraging?” Archie frowned.

Lucy paced the length of the room before she perched on the arm of the sofa. “Well, I have my bike…”

“You fucking love that bike, Lucy!” Normally, Lucy would never have been able to afford a Harley like the one she had. Danny’s bike had been purchased for him as a rite of passage when he turned eighteen and became a prospect—it was expected. Lucy would not have been given the same gift, of course, but when Lucy’s parents passed away, she received small sum from their estate. There was also an inheritance from Lucy’s grandmother that she hadn’t even known about until the lawyer showed her the bonds. It wasn’t a fortune but Lucy was able to purchase a cherry red Harley Davidson, pay off her parents’ funeral costs, and put aside a little bit for a rainy day. Since then, that bike was everything to her.

“I don’t plan on losing it!” Lucy countered. “I’ll bet smart and cut myself off if I start losing. It’s the best option I have. If the Black Jacks are willing to trade for exotic pets and jewels, I’m sure they’d take a bet on my bike.” Moving toward him again, she grasped the lapels of his suit. “You agreed this is our best shot!”

Archie had no idea how much he’d come to regret this decision later. When Lucy hands pressed against his chest, he sighed and rested his chin atop her head. It did seem like this was their best option despite the fact that Lucy would be the one doing all the legwork. “I don’t like it…but you’re right. We’ll try it your way.”

“Good,” Lucy grinned. She tilted her head back to gaze up at Archie. There was a spark of mischief in his eye that instantly lit her aflame. Before he had a chance to change his mind, she brushed her lips against his. “I’ve wanted you out of that suit since the minute I saw you in it,” She whispered. “You should dress fancy more often.”

“I could say the same thing about that dress,” Archie murmured. There was no hesitation as he moved behind her, easing the dress’s zipper down agonizingly slowly. He kissed every each of flesh he uncovered until he reached the small of her back. Archie wrapped his hands around Lucy’s waist, tracing the curves there. The dress slipped off and pooled at her feet. Lucy’s backside slid wickedly against the turgid length of him as she bent to pick the dress up. When she turned he could tell by her expression that she had done it on purpose to entice him. Archie growled low in his throat, “You little minx…”

A wry smile tugged at the corner of Lucy’s lips as she turned to face him. One by one she undid the buttons on his shirt. She followed his example and she kissed down the taut muscles of his abdomen. Already Gabe’s gut was clenching in anticipation, eager to take control, but Lucy wasn’t going to let him. Not yet. “I get to be in charge this time,” She whispered. Lucy could feel him twitching him against the zipper of his dress pants. Pure, unadulterated need was etched across his features.

Archie’s breath came in harsh bursts as Lucy explored every inch of his body as if it were the first time. She tugged at the buckle of his belt so slowly; he wanted to bark at her to hurry up but her soft ministrations kept him in check. Archie had been sequestering his primal urges all afternoon and right now the beast inside him was winning over the part that wanted to savor this moment.

Tugging him toward the bed, Lucy plopped down on the mattress with a grin. She peeled his dress pants of and reveled in the sight of him bare before her. This man was all hers. Straddling him eagerly, Lucy kissed down the stubbled line of Gabe’s jaw and over the thick rope of muscles at his shoulders. The twisted scar across his collarbone gave Lucy pause. Archie had scars all over his body, seen and unseen. It wrenched something open inside of her, how deeply he’d suffered at the hands of others. Lucy took inordinate time seeking out each scar, laving her tongue over the evidence of his pain in an attempt to heal him. Gabe’s calloused, rough hands slid up her hips and she smiled against his lips. He begged for release and Lucy ached for it too. Finally she seated herself over him and her head tumbled back at the exquisite pleasure of taking him deep within her.

Bucking instinctively, Archie let out a harsh groan. He grasped her hips, holding her steady as she rocked against him. The angle was fantastic for both of them. It didn’t take long before he was swept away by need. Archie wasn’t sure why she chose tonight to explore his soul but he lost himself to her completely. Holding her tighter as he rode out the concussive force of his orgasm, he absolutely knew…the feelings he had for Lucy weren’t an infatuation.

He loved her.

It wasn’t just a teenage crush. The realization terrified him. Archie could never offer Lucy a real marriage, family, or a promise of forever. To do so would be setting them up for failure. Eventually, she’d realize he was a monster but it would be too late for her to run from him. The thought of hurting Lucy made Archie sick to his stomach. Carefully, he pushed her aside and sat at the edge of the bed, dragging his hands through his hair.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy was still breathless. She lay on her side, staring at him as he brooded. He looked tormented and angry; two emotions she was not expecting after the sensual moment they shared. As they made love, it felt different…like their two souls had intertwined. When he didn’t answer, Lucy sat up. “Gabe?” She inched closer and slipped her hands over his shoulders. She gasped in surprise when he tore away from her. “Gabriel!”

“This was a mistake.” Archie couldn’t bear to face her. Lucy was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and he had let this get very out of hand. “Once we figure this Black Jack thing out, we’re going back to Errol and the first thing we’re going to do it get this marriage annulled.”

Lucy felt as if she’d been slapped. “Don’t you mean get a divorce?” A chill crept over her and she pulled the blanket from the bed around her naked form. They’d consummated the union; it wasn’t something that could just be undone. Lucy shivered. “What’s gotten into you? I thought we were having fun.” Her expression soured. “You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself.”

Archie couldn’t lie about that. This time with Lucy was the most pleasurable experience in his entire life. When he was with her, the darkness inside him seemed so far away…but he always knew it was there, lurking and waiting to strike. Archie shored up his defenses, putting on his most apathetic face. “We fucked, I feel better, and I don’t want to do it again. We’ve got more important things to do…” Disgust churned in his stomach from the bitterness of his pain. “I’m going to take a shower.” The more distance he put between them, the better off they’d both be.