Capturing Stephanie: Devil's Henchmen MC Next Generation, Book Three

by Samantha McCoy

  “Steph?” her dad asked. “Is that you?”

  “Yes!” Who else would it be? “Dad, I need your help.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Dallas,” she answered. “Old Industrial. And we’re coming in hot.”

  “We?” he asked.

  “Long story.” She would have to explain things to him, but only after they were explained to her. “Can the boys meet us?”

  “Absolutely,” he said immediately. “What highway?”

  Stephanie looked around and then rattled off the number to him.

  “Alright, we’re heading out,” he told her.

  “Thank you,” she replied. “But be careful. It’s Holston’s Crew.”

  “Fuck.”

  She heard him relay the information to the others, but he sounded far away like he’d taken the phone from his ear. After the last run-in with the Holston’s, she knew the DH wouldn’t be too keen on another so soon. However, Steph also knew that they wouldn’t leave her behind.

  “Alright,” he finally said into the phone. “We still have a few guys here from the out of state chapters. They’ll ride out with us.”

  “Sounds good,” she told him. “Ride safe.”

  “You, too, sweetheart.” He disconnected the phone.

  Stephanie set Rafa’s phone down in the cup holder and glanced behind them. There were several cars but nothing that screamed ‘we are following you’. Turning back in her seat, she glanced at Rafa. A part of her still couldn’t believe that he was sitting right next to her. However, another part – needed answers.

  “I think now is as good a time as any to tell me what in the hell is going on,” she told him. “You know before we meet up with my dad and the rest of the club.”

  “It’s not his fault,” his sister tried to defend from the back seat.

  Steph turned around and eyed her. “With all due respect, this doesn’t concern you.”

  “But it does, Mija,” his mother said. “Rafa left his old life to protect us.”

  Steph looked at his profile. “What is she talking about?”

  “Franco would have killed us,” Angelica interjected.

  “Explain.” She was starting to get annoyed.

  She understood his family’s need to defend him and his actions, but this was between Rafa and her. She wanted to hear his words, not theirs.

  “Can we talk about this later?” he asked. “When we aren’t running for our lives?”

  “No.”

  “Steph…”

  “Rafael!” She wasn’t going to let this go. “I put not only my ass on the line, but my family’s, as well. So, talk. We have time.”

  She saw him inhale deeply. But still, he didn’t say anything. She didn’t know if he was choosing to ignore her, or if he was trying to find the words to explain himself. But the lack of communication was causing her to quickly lose her patience.

  “Rafa…”

  He held up a hand and shook his head. “Four years ago,” he started, “my father died, and Franco took over the family business.”

  Steph nodded. She already knew that much, but she stayed silent as she waited for him to continue.

  “Franco got bored with what little money the business brought in,” he said. “So, he decided to expand.” The last word he put in air quotes. “And by expanding, I mean get into business with a cartel south of the border. He started running drugs and weapons through the shop, even eventually girls, too.” He cleared his throat as he glanced in the rearview mirror. “At first, I just thought the business was finally picking up. It wasn’t until Franco came to me wanting me to move money to an offshore account that I finally realized what he was doing. And by then, it was too late. You have to believe me,” he said, glancing at her. “I didn’t know what he was doing in the beginning. I promise.”

  Steph didn’t know how to answer, so she remained closed-lipped and continued to listen.

  “Anyway.” He cleared his throat, again. “By this time, Franco had both my mom and sister working for him,” he went on to explain. “People from around the world were in and out of the house. Politicians, world leaders, you name it. Franco had my mom working in the house laundry room, but he sent Angelica to the caves…”

  “Rafa…” Angelica said from the back seat.

  “It’s okay.” Rafa shook his head. “She’ll find out anyway.” He shrugged.

  “What are the caves?” Steph asked, finally speaking.

  “As I said, he ran girls.”

  “Wait.” Steph’s brow furrowed. “You mean, like sex trafficking?”

  She heard a sniffle from the back seat and turned to find tears falling down Angelica’s face.

  “No…” Her stomach turned at the thought. Her head shifted back to Rafa. “And you allowed this?” She couldn’t believe it. The Rafa she knew would have never allowed his sister to go through that type of injustice.

  “No!” he shouted, looking outraged by her suggestion. “I demanded Franco remove her from there. I told him if he didn’t, I would go to the police with everything I had on him and the Holston operations.”

  Stephanie looked back at Angelica, and her heart broke for the girl. She was so young and yet already her world had been tarnished.

  “Franco didn’t take the threat too well, as you can imagine,” Rafa continued. “He retaliated. He let the information about a drug drop off leak to the FBI.”

  Her eyes shot to his face and her stomach turned nauseously. She remembered that day. It was the day that her life shattered into a million pieces and everything had changed – she had changed – in a blink of an eye.

  “I was walking out of the office of a client.” He glanced over at her, then back to the road. “I had no idea that a drug deal, even a fake one, was taking place right in front of me. Franco’s men fired on the FBI, and they shot back.” He rubbed absently at a spot right above his heart. “A bullet hit me.” He looked at her again. “I remember seeing your face, and then nothing. Everything went black until I woke up in a warehouse basement hooked to machines and wires.”

  Stephanie didn’t know what to say. She looked out the window and staring at anything other than Rafa. She couldn’t let him see how much that day still affected her.

  “Franco was there,” Rafa said, continuing with his story. “He explained what he’d done. He threatened to pull the plug and let me die and then send both Mom and Angelica to the caves if I didn’t work for him and launder the crew’s money.”

  He blew out a loud, long breath.

  “I couldn’t allow anything to happen to them,” Rafa said. “They would have never survived that. So, I agreed.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Steph asked, unable to remain silent. “Why not come to me for help?”

  “Because I had to keep you safe, too!” he answered. “If Franco knew how much you meant to me, he would have used you, too. I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

  “So, you faked your death?” she asked. “Left me to pick up the pieces?”

  “I’m sorry, Stephanie…”

  “You’re sorry?” She couldn’t believe it. Did he really think a simple ‘I’m sorry’ would make up for everything?

  “Steph…”

  She raised a hand to silence him and shook her head. “I’ve heard enough.” She couldn’t listen anymore. She was completely shutting down.

  Inside, she felt like everything was falling apart again. Her heart hurt. For four years, she’d shut herself off from the world, her family included. The pain from losing the love of her life was just too much. She’d built walls to protect herself from future hurt because she knew there was no way for her to survive any other way. And it was all for nothing…

  Because he never died… He’d just left her. Steph had loved a man who had found it so easy to just lie to her, rip her world apart… and walk the fuck away.

  Her hurt started to mix with anger. Her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to punch him. Nail him one, right
in the throat. But she couldn’t. Because unlike him, she couldn’t stomach seeing him hurt. So instead, she kept her face turned out the opposite window and prayed the miles would fly by so that she could get the hell out of the car, and away from him.

  Chapter Eight

  Rafael

  There was nothing for him to do. He couldn’t make things better for her, not right now. Maybe not ever. But he wanted to try anyway. He’d missed her. Missed them.

  Rafa had been forced to make the hardest decision of his life. How could she not understand that? he thought.

  So many days, he’d wished things could have been different. He’d hated himself for wishing that he’d chosen her instead, but if he had, there was no telling where his mother and sister would be today. It had been his job to keep them safe. He’d promise his father long ago, that if anything ever happened to him, that he’d ensure their safety and wellbeing. Maybe his father knew what Franco would do when he took over the family business, Rafa wasn’t sure. Nevertheless, Rafa kept his word and he took the responsibility seriously.

  He continued to drive and as the miles ticked by, the awkwardness in the car became almost suffocating. Between dealing with Stephanie’s silence and constantly watching their backs to make sure they weren’t being followed, Rafa’s nerves were being pushed to their limits. He could only focus on one thing at a time. So, he pushed Stephanie to the back of his mind and decided to deal with what he could. There was nothing he could do about her attitude now. So, he would put his energy into something that he could do – like keeping them alive.

  “Two black SUVs are coming up behind us,” Stephanie said, still looking out the window. “Nothing confirmed. Just unusual.”

  Rafa looked out the side mirror and saw the two vehicles, but they had been behind them for a while. “I don’t think they’re following us. They’ve been back there for a while.”

  “Unless they were ordered to follow and watch,” she replied. “Maybe see where we go and report back.”

  She had a point.

  Rafa put on his blinker and changed lanes. Up ahead, there was an exit that they could use to test her theory.

  “What are you doing?” his mom asked.

  “I’m getting off that the next exit.”

  “Why?” Angelica asked. He could hear the fear in her voice.

  “If they exit with us, then we’ll know that Franco sent them,” Rafa answered. “If they keep going, then we’re still in the clear.”

  He exited off the interstate and glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, both SUVs followed.

  Stephanie reached for the phone and rapidly tapped several keys before setting it back down.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “I messaged my dad,” she replied.

  “He’s on a bike.”

  “Yes, I know,” she said. “He’ll get the message, though. Trust me.”

  “Okay.” He didn’t understand how but he chose not to ask.

  He carefully maneuvered the car through traffic and got back on the interstate. Giving the car a bit more gas than normal, Rafa tried to put a bit of distance between them and the people following, but when he did, they followed suit.

  “We’re almost there,” Stephanie said as they passed a couple of eighteen-wheelers. “In ten miles, take the exit then turn left to go under the bridge.”

  “Alright.”

  Rafa kept his eyes on the road ahead, anxious to get to their destination. There was only so much he could do in a car and he felt like a sitting duck, just waiting to be picked off by a hunter.

  He saw the sign indicating the exit he needed and pressed the gas a bit more. Moving over in front of a series of trucks, he announced, “Hold on.” He waited until the last second and jerked the wheel to the right.

  Behind him, an eighteen-wheeler laid on its horn.

  He flew down the off-ramp and prayed the light would stay green long enough for him to get through it.

  “We still have one following,” Stephanie said.

  The light turned yellow.

  “Keep going,” she ordered.

  “I planned on it,” he told her.

  Easing off the gas, he slowed down enough to make the turn even as the light turned red. If he got pulled over, he’d deal with it. Rafa would much rather explain running a red light to a cop, than deal with Franco’s men.

  Ahead, the road was wide open. He put his foot into the gas and sped off away from the SUV that was now stuck at the light. The more miles he put between them, the better they would be.

  “How much further?” Angelica asked.

  “Not too much longer,” Stephanie answered. “Maybe five miles.”

  Five miles, he repeated her words to himself. Three minutes.

  His eyes constantly shifted from the road to his rearview and as they topped a small hill, he almost cheered in relief. Up ahead, he could see at least twenty motorcycles pulled over on the side of the road.

  “There they are.” Stephanie smiled. “Just keep going though.”

  “Why?” Angelica asked. “Stop so they can help us!”

  “They will help,” Stephanie explained. “They’ll pull up behind and run interference.”

  Rafa did as Stephanie told him and as the car flew passed the bikes, she reached over and laid on the horn. His eyes jumped to the mirror and he watched as a flood of bikes pulled back onto the road and closed the distance. Some pulled ahead of him while another pulled along the side.

  Stephanie rolled down her window. “Black SUV,” she yelled. “We lost one at the exit, but the other is behind us.”

  “Alright,” the man on the bike yelled back right before he left off the gas and fell behind.

  “Will we be safe?” his mother asked.

  Rafa didn’t know how to answer her. They would probably be fine, but him – that was a different subject altogether. He didn’t know how her father or brother would react to seeing him. If Stephanie’s reaction was any indication, then he just hoped they didn’t kill him in front of his mother and sister.

  The rest of the way to the clubhouse was a lot less eventful. The SUV that had been following them had either stopped their chase, or they were staying out of sight. He made the turn down the driveway and as the clubhouse came into view, his gut started to turn. Really, at this point in his life, nothing should have been able to get to him but the fact that he was only moments away from coming face to face with Diesel Briggs, almost made Rafa want to take his chances with Franco.

  He pulled the car to a stop on the far side of the lot, leaving the closer spots for the bikes, and then he sat there for a moment when everyone else climbed out.

  “What’s wrong, Rafa?” Angelica asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Steeling his resolve, he pushed open the door and climbed out. He watched as Stephanie chatted with several bikers over near the front door. For the most part, they ignored him. Rafa tried to give them some space. He knew her family must have been scared and worried when she’s gone missing. While it had only been for a night, Rafa remembered how close-knit Stephanie’s family was. They all looked out for each other. It was something that he’d always admired.

  Until now.

  Together, with his mom and sister, he took a deep breath and slowly made his way toward the gathered group. Looking around, he could tell that some of the bikers that had been on the side of the road, hadn’t returned with the group. Figuring they had stayed behind to deal with whoever was driving the SUV, Rafa decided not to ask any questions.

  He wished that he could just blend in with the crowd but standing there in his two-thousand-dollar suit surrounded by guys in jeans and leather cuts, Rafa wasn’t even close. So, as he moved into the crowd, several of them stepped back and looked him up and down.

  “Fancy,” one man said, while another chuckled.

  “That suit probably cost more than your bike,” one man told another.

  The banter continued to go back and
forth until it seemed like a hush had fallen over the crowd. The wall of bikers that surrounded Rafa divided and when he turned his head to look, he knew it was time.

  “You and me,” Diesel said, not looking thrilled to see him at all. “Now.”

  He felt his mom and sister both grip his arm. He turned to look at them both. “It’s fine,” he told them. “Go with Stephanie.”

  “No.” Angelica shook her head. Her fear-filled eyes bounced between him and Diesel.

  “It’s fine,” he repeated. He pulled his arm away from them and looked toward Steph. “Can you…?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded.

  “Thank you.” He turned back to Diesel and lifted his chin once. “After you.”

  He followed Diesel around the side of the clubhouse. He glanced back to see that four pissed off looking bikers were also trailing behind. Rafa had no illusions about this meeting. Whatever Stephanie’s father had planned for him, it wouldn’t be pretty.

  Chapter Nine

  Stephanie

  She felt a bit sorry for him but kept her mouth shut as they walked around the side of the clubhouse. She knew her dad and the others wouldn’t kill him, so there was no real reason to fear anything.

  She walked over to the door, turned back to Rafa’s family, and asked, “Are you coming?”

  “What about Rafa?” his mother questioned.

  “He’ll be in soon.”

  “Will he?” his sister quipped.

  Steph narrowed her eyes and stepped toward the other woman. “Listen,” she told her. “I get why Rafa did what he did, but that still doesn’t negate what he put me through. He could have told me the truth. I could have helped him. This club could have helped him. Hell, we could have helped all of you and saved you both from whatever shit y’all had to deal with. But did he speak up? No.” Steph let her emotions get the best of her. “He faked his death. Destroyed my entire world. Not that either of you gives two shits! And left me to pick up the damn pieces!”

  “Stephanie.” She turned to find her mother standing at the door, a dish towel draped over her shoulder. “That’s enough.”

  Stephanie rolled her eyes and shook her head. It would never be enough. Not until they understood just what Rafa had put her through. The hell and pain she had been forced to live through.