Dealing with the Devil (9 page)

* * *

Nausea churned in Lucy’s veins and her vision swam dangerously, causing her to sway on her feet.
Breathe
, Lucy reminded herself. She hadn’t been so off-kilter since the day she found out her parents had been killed. Sofia claimed the Black Jacks were different but Lucy didn’t believe them. The same Black Jacks that murdered her family had now claimed her life in a very different way.

Somehow, Lucy managed to put one foot in front of the other. Ignoring the cold glances of people scattered around the room, she staggered back into the ballroom. She locked eyes on Gabe immediately and pushed her way through the crowd to get to him. “We have to go…” Her voice was thick with desperation and fear. “Now!”

Archie had never stopped worrying about Lucy. Seeing the state she was in now did nothing to allay those fears. Grasping her shoulder, he furrowed his eyebrows at the vest draped over her gown. “What the hell are you wearing?” His eyes widened in shock when he spun her around and saw the Black Jack logo emblazoned across her back. “Lucy, what the fuck is going on?”

“Not here,” Lucy begged and grasped his wrist. “I need to go, I need to—” Inhaling sharply, she felt panic clawing at her chest. Lucy’s knees grew weak and she would’ve ended up in a crumpled heap on the floor if not for Gabe’s strong arms wrapping around her. The next thing she knew, he was carrying her out of the stuffy, crowded casino. Lucy threaded her arms around his neck, desperate to absorb some of his strength.

Fear slammed into Archie’s chest. Right now, he didn’t care that she was wearing the colors of another MC, their sworn enemies; he just needed to make sure she would be okay. “Should I call an ambulance? Are you sick?” She didn’t feel feverish but she was certainly flushed and shaking.

“The hotel…” Lucy rasped. “Take me back to the hotel.” Instead of getting into the limo, they stole the first taxi rolled up. Her icy fingers tangled in Gabe’s dress shirt as they drove in silence. When they got out and she went to pay, the cab driver shook his head; Black Jack members paid nothing in this city. This time when her stomach roiled, she barely made it to the bathroom in their suite before she retched until nothing came up but bile. Once the gagging stopped, Lucy ripped off the leather cut she’d been forced to wear and threw it into a heap.

Archie paced outside the bathroom door, his heart thundered in his chest. “Lucy, I need to know you’re okay!” It wasn’t often he felt the cold grip of fear’s hand wrapped around his heart and lungs, but Lucy was his everything. He wouldn’t rest until this was resolved.

“No, I’m not okay!” Lucy’s face was wet and hot with tears as she gripped the porcelain bowl of the toilet so tightly she feared it would crumble beneath her hands. Dragging herself up, she plopped down on the lid. “It was an ambush…” Her throat was thick with emotion and burning with the acid from her stomach. “Sofía is
Sal
. She’s the leader of the Black Jacks and she’s known we were here the entire time. She’s been biding her time and waiting for an opportunity to strike!”

Horror coursed through Archie as he stomped into the bathroom and plopped down on the edge of the whirlpool tub to face her. His teeth were clenched tight in rage. “Did she hurt you?” He reached out, cupping her cheek, “She threatened you, didn’t she?”

Lucy couldn’t stop herself from whimpering. “She offered me a wager. Play a hand of blackjack or she’d kill you. There were gunmen waiting to take you down!” She drew in a shaky breath, “If I won the hand, I would walk away unscathed…but if she won, I’d have to join the Black Jacks.”

“That cheating bitch!” Archie thundered, snarling angrily, “This won’t stand, Lucy. I won’t let them take you from me!” He snapped. “First thing tomorrow, I’m going down there and she will rue the day she was born!” Lucy’s hands grasping his face stopped him cold and he felt as if the world tipped on its axis.

Fat tears slid down Lucy’s cheeks, dripping off her nose and splattering onto the gorgeous gown she wore. “They’ll kill you, Gabriel! And not just you but
Danny
, too. They will wipe the Devils off the map! But she said if I stay with them, they won’t hurt you.” She covered her face with her hands. “I can’t risk it. I won’t!”

Archie shook his head violently. “We can take them, Lucy! You don’t have to go through with this.” His desperation grew deeper as he watched her struggle against him.

“No!” Lucy bellowed. “I won’t lose one more person that I love. I can’t do it!” She pushed hard against his shoulder, craving a moment alone. She needed to compose herself. Lucy stomped away from Gabe and headed straight for the sink. She scrubbed her face clean of makeup. Brutally, she brushed her teeth and used the entire mini-bottle of mouthwash the hotel had provided for them. Lucy swept her ebony hair into a bun before reaching back, trying to undo the zipper on her dress. She tugged and toiled until she felt Gabe’s warm fingers at her back, easing the zipper down her spine. The minute the dress came loose, she tore it off, balling it up and hurling it into the corner with the cut. Sadness was quickly replacing the anger that bubbled up in her gut.

Watching Lucy wrestle with invisible demons tore something open inside of Archie. He couldn’t take it anymore. “Enough!” Moving in front of her, his hands slid over her body and he dragged her to him again. “I told you I could protect you. You have to trust me!”

“Sofía knew everything about us! She knew we got married in Errol and she was aware the second we arrived in Reno. She has eyes and ears everywhere. And I’m willing to bet her spies would be happy to get some blood on their hands if it meant getting into her good graces.” Lucy peered up at him.

“I don’t care what the fuck she promised you! I won’t go home without you!” Archie cried.

“What do you even care?” Lucy snarled. “When we go home, the only thing that’s waiting for me is divorce papers, raising Danny, and putting up with more sexual harassment from the Devils.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Do you think I’m not fully aware that I need a unanimous vote to join the MC? I will never get that, Gabe! Danny will never give me his vote, even if you somehow changed your mind.” Her entire body was shaking. “This prospecthood was all a temporary situation you’re planning on sweeping under the rug once you can kick me out on my ass.” Lucy had one chance to make good and she wouldn’t waste it. “I won’t
ever
be able to help you as a Devil.” Lucy chewed her bottom lip. “But as a Black Jack, I can save you…”

The muscle in Archie’s jaw was ticking dangerously again, “I have always wanted more for you out of life than this. Don’t you get it? It’s why I fought so hard to keep you away. I never wanted it to come down to life or death, Lucy. I care about you too much to let it happen!”

“And I love you too much to let you die!”

Silence hung between Lucy and Gabe for a long time. He turned away from her, his gritty eyes closed tight against the anguish he felt. “You can’t love me, Lucy.”

“It’s too fucking late! I already do.” Lucy sagged under the weight of her grief. “In the morning, I will leave this hotel as a member of the Black Jacks and you’ll go back to the Devil’s Own.” He fingertips trailed over his tensed muscles. “Tonight I want to forget everything that’s happened in the last week. I want to spend the night in your arms. Just this once, let me be your wife.”

Archie was weak. He’d loved Lucy since before he even knew what that really meant. His soul was irreparably tangled with hers now and he couldn’t have denied her even if he wanted to. Archie’s fingers brushed her cheek and slid to her chin, tilting her face upward. He could taste the salty tang of her tears against her flushed skin. Everything in the world was wrong, except for when their lips met in a searing kiss.

Lucy couldn’t stand to be parted from him for another second. Gabe was the salve that her wounded soul needed. “I love you,” she whispered between kisses, “And I know you love me too. This could be the last time we see each other. Don’t lie to me, Gabriel.”

There was a split second Archie contemplated lying. If he pulled this off, he could push Lucy away once and for all…but he was not strong enough to do it. He growled. “I do love you, Lucy. I love you so much it hurts.”

Tears rained harder down Lucy’s cheeks as she tumbled into the throes of ecstasy with him. This time when they made love, both of their hearts were open completely. Tugging him against her, she reveled in the warmth of his body covering hers. Their first coupling was fast and furious—she needed to release the pain she felt. The second time, was slow and sensual. Lucy spent inordinate time memorizing every inch of him. She traced his lips, remapped his scars, and tangled her fingers in his hair. Lucy was determined to relive this moment with him every day for the rest of her life.

Archie’s his mind turned with endless possibilities. He ached to experience every little miracle with this woman: buying their first house, bickering over renovation projects, planning a real wedding, giving birth to their first child…the Archer curse be damned. Somewhere along the line he’d fallen head over heels for his wife. It was the worst thing that ever happened to him. “Lucy—”

“Don’t,” Lucy begged. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she closed her eyes tight against the pain splitting her heart. “There’s no tomorrow, Gabriel. Only tonight. Just let it be…”

For once, he did.

In the hazy grey light of dawn, Lucy disentangled herself from Gabe’s arms. She hadn’t slept a single moment last night and was running on adrenaline alone. Lucy was more exhausted by the fear of what was to come than the events of last evening. She remained silent as she stuffed the rest of her belongings into her bag. Reluctantly she grabbed the Black Jacks’ leather cut from the bathroom floor, brushed it off a few times and eased onto her back. Lucy paused to press one last kiss to Gabe’s lips. He was still pretending to sleep…she was infinitely grateful for that. Everything they needed to say had been said last night. To reopen those wounds now would be far too much to bear.

Lucy tossed her bag over her shoulder without fanfare and slipped out the door. She kept her gaze level as she inhaled the thick desert air. It was her very last breath of freedom.

As promised, a car was waiting to take her away. Sofía sat in the back, her hands folded across her lap regally. “No tears.” She smiled darkly. “Good.”

There were no more tears left, no more emotion left inside Lucy. She was cold and empty except for regret regret. That meant only one thing: she was officially a Black Jack now.

* * *

Archie placed a gruff call to Kyle, Hunter, and Mort to inform them he’d be arriving in town sometime in the afternoon. He’d also tasked them with summoning the club for a meeting immediately upon his return. It was their responsibility to make sure every available member with voting privileges was sitting in that War Room when Archie arrived. The only person they weren’t to contact was Danny…

Daniel Harding was Lucy’s only family and he deserved to know what had happened before it became public knowledge. Of all the things Archie was dreading, telling Danny was number one on the list.

The drive back seemed brutally long. Although Lucy had slept most of the trip to Reno, knowing she was resting peacefully beside him had been oddly comforting. Her soft breathing and the occasional murmur kept Archie smiling; he avoided cursing out other drivers so he wouldn’t disrupt her sleep. Without her presence to temper him, Archie was the worst combination of fuck-all tired, pissed off, and floundering to breathe under the crushing weight of his fear. He drove like a maniac, pushing hard to get back to Errol as soon as possible.

Danny was standing out on the lawn when the van screeched down the street. He had clearly just gotten out of bed, his sweatpants resting low on his hips. Obviously, he’d lost his shirt a while ago and couldn’t be bothered to find it again. Scratching his shaggy blonde head, Danny pushed back the messy locks and jogged to the passenger side. When he found the seat was empty his face fell. “Where’s Lucy?”

“Danny—” Archie leapt from the van, hurrying to explain before Danny lost his temper. He was too late.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SISTER?” Danny went from lax to raging in two seconds flat. Stalking around the car, he grabbed Archie by the lapels of his vest and slammed him against the van. When Archie didn’t fight back, Danny’s terror deepened. “What the hell happened out there?”

“I need you to listen to me,” Archie begged, guilt crushing him and pushing him closer to the edge of drowning in his grief. “I’ll explain everything inside. Come on.” Dragging Danny through the unkempt grass, Archie kicked aside mail and papers that hadn’t been picked up in quite some time. As soon as they walked in, there was an odor of burnt food mingled with the acrid stench of garbage. Archie was almost glad Lucy wasn’t here to see how badly Danny had wrecked the house. “Sit down.”

Danny shook, knocking aside several dirty plates as he plopped down on the couch. His fists were balled up and his teeth were clenched so tightly it seemed as if his jaw would crack. Danny leaned slightly forward to catch every word as Archie began to speak.

“Shit went south, man…” Scrubbing a hand over the stubbled curve of his jaw, Archie exhaled sharply. “The Black Jacks we used to know have changed. They’re women. Run by this bitch Sofía—”

“You got beat by a group of
chicks
? Dude, what the fuck!” Danny hollered. In his mind, men were the stronger sex and he saw no way how Archie could’ve lost. His blood suddenly froze in his veins. Danny knew how badly Lucy wanted to join up with the MC. His breath hitched in his throat. “Wait, did she do it on purpose? Did Lucy decide to join up with them?”

“No! There was no choice. Lucy traded her life…for mine.” Archie had trouble choking out the words. The emotion was thick in his throat as he watched Danny struggle to digest the information. “The Black Jacks ambushed her and gave her an ultimatum: join up or they’d kill all of us. I told her we’d fight it but…you know Lucy.”

Yeah, he did. She’d rather sacrifice herself than let anyone she loved get hurt. Danny’s breathing grew ragged as he descended into a cursing fit that lasted several minutes. Eventually, the end of the violent rant was punctuated by a very forceful,
“Fuck!”

Archie nodded along the entire time, clearly in agreement with Danny’s summation. “We can’t just leave her there, man! I don’t give a fuck what she said. I swore an oath on the day my parents died to
always
protect her.” Danny’s eyes grew damp and he rubbed at them. “I’ve let her down in every other way. I can’t do it again. Not this time!”

Archie pulled Danny into a tight hug. “I swear on my fucking life, we will get Lucy back. The Black Jacks will rue the fucking day they ever messed with the Devil’s Own.” That seemed to placate Danny for the moment. “Get dressed. The whole crew is assembled and awaiting instruction. I’ll take you over to the clubhouse.”

Half an hour later, Danny and Archie entered the War Room. Applause and hollers of joy at the return of their fearless leader were quickly halted when they saw the state he was in. It took every shred of Archie’s self control to explain everything they’d learned while in Reno. Whispers and angry curses erupted when the rest of the crew learned the Black Jacks had taken Lucy. Unfortunately, no one could seem to agree on a course of action and conflict broke out shortly thereafter…

“Should we even go after her at all? She isn’t
really
a Devil. There’s no rule against a prospect choosing to patch with another club. It ain’t like they’re torturing the girl! They made her a full member and welcomed her into their ranks. I personally don’t see how that warrants a dangerous, potentially bloody, rescue mission…” PJ Murphy was a soft-spoken, levelheaded Southern gentleman. He had a way about him that put the world at ease and was universally liked by his peers…until now.

Archie’s jaw clenched tightly as he glanced around the table. Several other members seemed to be nodding in agreement with what PJ was saying. Danny was on the brink of losing control but Archie got there first. He slammed his hand on the table to silence the rumblings. “Lucy isn’t just a prospect with this club. She’s my
wife
!”

It was in that moment Daniel Harding realized his best friend was in love with Lucy. He fully intended to deal with that later, but right now there were more important things to do. Danny pointed an accusatory finger at PJ. “If this was your
mama
being taken by the Black Jacks you wouldn’t hesitate for a second. Lucy’s the only family I have left. She’s my sister and we
are
going after her, with or without you!”

Voices erupted again, bickering and sniping at each other. The cacophony of noise rose until Archie could take it no longer. “Enough!” He grabbed the gavel and slammed it down so hard that the wooden mallet cracked right in half. Archie paused, composing himself before he spoke again. “We’ll adjourn for fifteen minutes then come back and vote on this
anonymously
.”

“Why anonymously?” PJ pressed, his face molded into a mask of confusion.

“Because if you vote to leave Lucy in Reno and I find out about it, I’m going to
kill
you,” Archie snarled back. “Now get out of my sight!” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he kept his eyes shut tight as the rest of the club filed out. Archie expected that when he opened them again, everyone would be gone. Instead, he found himself face to face with Kyle. “Now’s not the time, kid.”

Kyle shifted nervously. “I know I can’t vote because I’m a prospect…” Archie was giving him the
‘get to the fucking point’
face and he willingly obliged. “But I won’t stop fighting until she’s home safe. I’m with you a hundred percent and that goes for Mort and Hunter, too. I don’t give a fuck what PJ says. Lucy
is
one of us. We won’t let her go without a fight.” Archie clasped Kyle on the shoulder in silent gratitude before ordering him out of the room a second time.

Per his duties as treasurer and ombudsman to the club, Big Mike removed the ballot box from a locked closet in the corner of the War Room. The founding members of the Devil’s Own MC were ruthless smugglers and gangsters, but they certainly had an appreciation for beautiful things. The Devil’s insignia had been hand carved into the expertly crafted box and fashioned with a hinge that was rumored to be made of solid gold. Traditions ran deep here and, in situations like this one, it was comforting to know there was still order in the world.

Big Mike cleared his throat. “Boys, grab a pen and a piece of paper from one of the prospects. Voting will begin now.” Big Mike gave Archie a wide berth as he stepped out of the room once more. Slipping his glasses on, he cast his own vote before instructing members to place their papers in the box one by one.

Danny bounced in anticipation as he stood at the back of the line with Archie. There were fourteen members assembled and given the nature of the vote, no proxies would be accepted today. They only needed eight votes to win… but when Danny started counting the men in line, he was quickly discouraged.

Archie and Danny’s votes had were two in favor of saving Lucy. Monster looked distraught enough to vote for his sister’s safe return. Beaver’s face was still busted up; he would either vote to save Lucy in fear of Archie’s wrath or against her to spite Archie for decking him. Wilson and PJ were engaged in a heated discussion that Danny couldn’t quite make out…but he was sure it meant the worst.

One by one the men filed in: PJ Murphy cast his ballot first followed by Wilson Stevens, Harold “Hal” Cline, Gerry McLean, Nico Newman, Grayson Thomas, Timothy “Rager” Andrews, Luis Demauro, Nathaniel Aaron, Terence “Beaver” Cantor, James “Monster” Walcott, and finally Daniel Harding. These were Archie’s brothers by choice; he had grown to know them very well over the years. It felt wrong that they were all at odds now…

Archie strode in the War Room and placed the final vote into the box.

“That’s it for the voting,” Big Mike called out. With that, he closed the War Room door behind him and locked it to avoid distraction. Two of the prospects stood guard, ensuring that the count was fair and accurate, though everybody knew Big Mike walked the straight and narrow.

Mort already had shots waiting when Danny approached the bar. Archie slammed back three shots of tequila with no chaser before Danny tugged him back. “You aren’t the sloppy drunk, Archie. I proudly hold that title. So, cool it.”

Archie did not want to
cool it
. He wanted to numb the pain swirling inside him. God only knew what the hell kind of torment Lucy was being subjected to right now. Sofía Salma was a twisted bitch and his imagination ran wild with possibilities. It was too much to bear. “How fucking long does it take to count fourteen votes!” He thundered.

The door to the War Room opened moments later and Big Mike stepped out. Silence filled the entire clubhouse as he cleared his throat. “The decision to go after Lucy and the Black Jacks has passed…unanimously.”

Danny left his position at the bar, running around to hug every single member tightly. Several of them trying to fend him off but he didn’t even care. Lucy would be rescued and that was all he needed to know. “Yes!” Danny pumped his fist in the air.

Archie slumped down on a bar stool, breathing a sigh of relief. His club was behind him wholly and completely. It was more than he ever could have asked for. When he looked up, PJ was standing there with a slight smile on his face. “Thank you,” Archie murmured.

“Don’t thank me just yet. I know you want your wife back but we can’t go off half-cocked. We need a plan of attack. Based on what you told us, the Black Jacks are smart, organized, and they’ve got connections. I think we need to tap our sister charters in California and Louisiana. Maybe they’re willing to get their hands dirty,” PJ replied. “I also know you want to get to her as soon as possible but they’re going to be expecting retaliation right away. We need to sit on this for a little while, shore up our defenses, and hit them when they’re least expecting it.”

Danny moved to argue but Archie cut him off. “You’re right,” Archie agreed. “If we go out there now, they will slaughter us like sheep. We don’t know who we’re dealing with yet.” Archie drew in a shaky breath. “Lucy’s a smart girl. She can hold her own until we get there.” He straightened his spine, and turned to address the group again. “All those in favor of calling in our other charters?” The
aye
echoed through the room. It was settled. They were going to get Lucy back, no matter what it took.

* * *

The shimmering black sedan pulled up to a massive compound approximately an hour outside the city. Sofía swiped her ID card and wrought iron gates creaked open to admit them. Lucy immediately felt as if she’d entered a prison. Thick concrete walls at least thirty feet high stretched above them were accentuated by barbed wire laid over the top. There were guards pacing with guns and talking to each other on two-way radios. Sofía must have sensed Lucy’s discomfort because she smiled. “Don’t worry,
mija
, this is only to keep us safe inside. You are free to come and go as you please. Security will issue you your very own keycard once you get settled in.”

Lucy didn’t believe that for a single second. The minute they stopped, she was ushered through the front of the building into a room that looked like it had been ripped out of a mausoleum. Thick white marble columns supported a ceiling that seemed to stretch to the sky. Natural sunlight filtered down onto the sparkling floor made of the same marble as the columns. Along the walls were paintings from various artists and judging from the frames alone, Lucy was pretty sure they were originals. The entire place oozed decadence, wealth, and death.