Beautiful Dangerous

by Michelle Betham

  “Fucking bitch,” he laughs, as I lean over and ruffle his hair.

  “I’m going to get ready. I’ll meet you outside in half an hour.”

  To become that bitch everyone knows I am, I need to put that mask on. I need to transform into the Olivia Delgado the people I do business with expect to see. A woman who’s respected, loathed, loved, and hated, but above all, I’m just a woman with a job to do…

  Lucca

  She’s right, and although I wouldn’t have put it in quite as crude a way as she did, from the second I set eyes on Olivia Hammond – as she was back then – I wanted her. And that should’ve been something I killed dead from the get-go, but instead I allowed her to get inside my head, she fucking messed with it, big time. But I never let that show. It was more than my life was worth to let that happen.

  She was Javier’s. She could never be mine, so yeah, I was indifferent to her, for a long time, as a way of dealing with the feelings she’d stirred up in me. Feelings that scared me, because I’d never let myself go there before, emotions made you weak. So I kept mine battered down, I had to. I had no other choice. But watching them together…

  They made a beautiful, powerful couple, Javier and Olivia. And I was there beside them, every step of the way, watching as they became a team, putting on the perfect show whenever they were out in public together. They were the kind of power couple envied by many, their performances were always flawless. Effortless. Believable. They became supporters of local charities both sides of the border, donating vast sums of money to help the less fortunate, leaving people in no doubt that the Delgado’s cared about others. And they did, to some extent. Javier would never hurt those who were innocent. Ordinary people had nothing to fear from him, or any of the Delgado cartel, but those who crossed him – us – they paid. They always did. Always will. And that perfect image he and Olivia gave off? That’s exactly what it was, in reality. Very close to perfect, anyway. Olivia learnt fast, and she wasn’t afraid of the shit she was finding out. She knew her role, and she played it well, but the one thing that neither her nor Javier could hide was how much they loved each other. She knew the kind of man he was; what he did, what he was capable of, and despite all of that she still loved him. The kind of unconditional love that can sometimes be hard to give in this world. But she was there for him, by his side, his partner in every sense of the word. And Javier worshipped her. Together they were a force to be reckoned with. And for me, watching their relationship develop, it was hard. Painful. A lesson in dealing with shit far worse than the crap we lived through on a daily basis.

  Theirs was a deeply passionate relationship, bordering on the obsessive at times. It was intense. Wild. Fucked up. Something I’d never seen before, it was like they’d been put on this earth to be together, despite coming from two very different backgrounds. The ease at which Olivia slipped into Javier’s world was unreal. I think that’s what fascinated him more than anything, that this ordinary girl could somehow be his queen. But that’s exactly what she became. His queen. His entire fucking world, and she in turn adored that man. So losing him, it could’ve destroyed her, but it didn’t. Instead, it made her stronger. Fueled her, almost. Her need to keep Javier’s legacy going is what fires her up. Avenging his death is what gets her up in the morning, she’s a woman I have nothing but admiration for. A woman I’ve grown closer to since Javier’s death. Has she grown closer to me? I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. She’s as capable of hiding her emotions just as much as I am. And the fact it’s been almost two years since she lost Javier, and we haven’t yet taken down the bastards who put a bullet in him, I know that’s frustrating her. But we have to be careful. We couldn’t just go in there all guns blazing, we’re talking about a rival cartel almost as powerful as we are. A cartel we’ve been at war with for a long, long time. They were expecting an instant retaliation, so when it didn’t come that put them on the back foot, and that’s where we need them to stay, to give us the advantage of succeeding when that chance to strike finally shows itself. And it’s close now. It’s coming…

  I throw a quick glance in Olivia’s direction as we drive toward our meeting with the bikers, but she’s staring out of the window, her eyes covered by dark glasses. Her perfume – white musk – it’s a strong scent, and one I’ve grown familiar with. It’s her. Who she is. Who she was, even though she still looks like that same girl who walked into Javier’s life fifteen years ago; still beautiful and wild and so fucking smart. But, at the same time, she’s very different now. She’s colder. She doesn’t trust easily, and that’s understandable, given what she’s been through; what she’s seen; the circles she mixes in. The people she deals with. That’s why I’m always with her. Why I need to stay close. I’m following Javier’s instructions – never leave her side; protect her, no matter what, in this world we can’t afford even a moment of weakness. Javier taught her to always be on her guard, even allies can become enemies. Trust is a rare commodity, Javier taught her that, too. But I hope that she will always trust me.

  We finally pull into the Devil’s Creed compound, the giant metal gates closing behind us, and I park the black Jaguar alongside the rows of bikes all lined up outside. I get out and walk around the car to open Olivia’s door, and the moment she steps outside the atmosphere changes. I can feel it in the air. Those bikers that are hanging around the compound, they stop what they’re doing and they watch her, because her presence is nothing short of breathtaking. But these men, they know that touching her could get them killed. No question. No hesitation. She’s beautiful, but she’s off-limits. And that order, that one comes from me.

  “Olivia!”

  Eddie Calito – the President of this Devil’s Creed chapter – comes out of the clubhouse, and the second Olivia sees him she smiles. So does he, these two have a close relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

  They exchange greetings; light kisses on cheeks and a firm handshake. A hug. And then Eddie turns his attention to me, extending his hand.

  “Lucca, my man!”

  “Good to see you, Eddie.”

  Eddie and I go way back. We’ve known each other since my days as a Devil’s Creed brother back in Mexico, our chapters did a lot of business together. We’ve remained friends, and as far as the cartel is concerned he’s one of our most trusted contacts. A necessary ally.

  “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  Olivia follows Eddie into the clubhouse, I stay a few steps behind them, there’s something about her today that’s making me feel the need to watch her more carefully than usual, but there’s a reason for that. We’re coming up to the second anniversary of Javier’s death, and that date, it plays on all of our minds. Mine especially.

  We go straight to the chapel – the meeting room at the back of the clubhouse – where we’re joined by Angel Ruiz, Eddie’s vice-president, a tall, bearded Mexican-American who’s been part of the club since he was a teenager. I’ve known him nearly as long as I’ve known Eddie.

  “Is everything still ready to go as far as the weapons are concerned?” Olivia takes a seat at the huge rectangular table in the center of the room, while Eddie takes his seat at the head of it. Me and Angel hang back by the door.

  “It is. This first shipment will be off our hands within hours of it arriving.”

  “Can I trust these people you’re doing business with?”

  “Do you trust me?” Eddie sits back and lights up a cigarette.

  Olivia smiles a slow smile, crossing her legs, her eyes never leaving Eddie’s. “Of course I trust you.”

  “Then you can trust them. I’ve been doing business with these people a long time, Olivia, everything’s good.”

  “And the cocaine? That’s ready for distribution?”

  “It’s all in hand.”

  “I’d still like to know more about the people we’re selling the weapons to.”

  Eddie glances over at Angel, jerking his head in the direction of a stack of cabi
nets in the corner of the room. Angel goes over, pulls out a drawer and lifts out a file, which he hands to Eddie. “Here.” Eddie slides the file toward Olivia. “Everything you need to know is in there.” His gaze shifts to the door as Carlos Marin, his sergeant-at-arms, sticks his head around it. “Yes?”

  “I need Angel.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “Colton’s here. Wants a quick word.”

  I exchange glances with Olivia, who then looks at Eddie, but he just shakes his head and turns his attention to Angel.

  “Go see what he wants, then get rid of him.”

  Angel leaves with Carlos, but Olivia’s expression remains one of concern.

  “You didn’t tell me you were expecting company, Eddie.”

  “I didn’t know we were.”

  “Colton’s law enforcement.”

  “He’s on the payroll, it’s fine. He’ll be checking in, that’s all. We have our own business going on here, Olivia, we don’t just work for you.”

  “But you understand that I have to be careful?”

  “Of course.” He taps the file he’s just pushed toward her. “Take that with you. We have copies.”

  “Thank you.”

  “This is a good business move, Olivia, believe me.”

  I lean back against the wall and cross my arms as Olivia once more glances over at me, something Eddie doesn’t miss.

  “You don’t agree, Lucca?” he asks, dragging deep on his cigarette.

  “I didn’t think it was necessary, for the cartel to become involved in arms dealing.”

  “Then it’s just as well it wasn’t your decision,” Olivia points out, our eyes locking for a moment or two, and then she smiles. But it’s a cold one, she’s making sure I get the message now.

  “This is going to work for all of us,” Eddie continues, leaning forward and steepling his fingers together in front of him. “And, as far as you’re concerned, Olivia, the cartel itself doesn’t have to get too involved, if you don’t want it to. The club, this is what we do. We can deal with everything.”

  “I prefer to stay involved, to some extent.” Olivia’s attention is now back on Eddie, an ex-military man with an air about him that tells you straight he doesn’t take any shit. “I want to know what’s going on, at all times. Is that clear?”

  “We’ll make sure we keep you in the loop.”

  Eddie casts a quick glance in my direction but I just raise a brow. He knows the score.

  “Do we have any more updates on the Pino hit?” Eddie directs that question to me.

  “Endo’s shipment from Bolivia is coming soon. The plan is to hit them on the way to the port.”

  “Antonio and Emilio, they’ll be in that convoy?”

  “They’ll be there. We have someone on the inside, one of our own men who’s a part of the group handling that deal, and it’s a big one. Endo French is an incredibly important client. The brothers want to be there themselves to check everything’s in order. We’ll know the exact route they’ll be taking, how many vehicles they’ll have, how many men there’ll be and, if by any chance things change, and the brothers don’t travel in that convoy, then we’ll have men – yours and ours – surrounding the Pino estate. One way or another we’re taking those bastards out, in two weeks.”

  Olivia looks at me, and this time when she smiles there’s a warmth to it. “We take their shipment,” she says, turning her attention back to Eddie. “And then we take Endo French.”

  “You think he’ll be okay with that?”

  “I’ll make sure he is. We’re going to bring their business down, piece by piece, take everything from them, and expand the Delgado cartel even further. Which will benefit the club, too, Eddie. There’ll be territory for the taking.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “We never forget those who help us. Don’t think for one moment I’m not grateful for everything you do. And I haven’t just come here today to talk about the weapons shipment or taking down the Pino cartel, I have a proposition for you – we have a proposition for you.”

  Eddie raises an eyebrow and sits back in his chair. “What kind of proposition?”

  “I want you to move further into the circle. The Devil’s Creed should be playing a much bigger role, you and the club are too important to be playing around on the sidelines.”

  “How big a role?” Eddie’s eyes narrow slightly, he’s still a wary man. But he shouldn’t be, not in this instance. Olivia’s offer is a genuine one, we’ve been thinking about making this move for a while now. A move that will benefit us all.

  “I’d like you to become part of the cartel. A division, if you like. You’ll be in complete control of this club, obviously, that won’t change, but, you’ll run more business alongside the cartel. You’ll be involved in more meetings, we’ll work together much more closely. Become partners, if you like. That way we can control a much bigger share of everything, even more so once we take the Pino clients, gain control of their business deals, and their territory.”

  “We’ll control more of the border.” Eddie’s face breaks into a smile.

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay… I’ll need to take it to the table before I officially commit to anything, but, I like the sound of this.”

  “Good.” She pushes her chair back and stands up. She’s finished now. This is over. “We’ll arrange another meeting soon.”

  Eddie gets up and comes over to us. “What about Miguel?”

  “I’ve spoken to him. I want the Tijuana chapter on board, too, obviously. That way we have both sides of the border covered. Talk to Miguel yourself, after all, you’ll be working together a lot more, if you agree to come on board.”

  “It’s just a matter of club formalities. I don’t think anyone’s going to have a problem with this.”

  Olivia smiles. “Good.”

  “Pleasure doing business with you, Olivia. As always.”

  They shake hands, and hug.

  “Lucca will fill you in on anything else you need to know. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get some air.”

  She leaves the room, and Eddie frowns. “She okay?”

  “It’s coming up to the second anniversary of Javier’s death. She needs this job doing, Eddie. It’s been too long coming.”

  “I know. But this is the best way. We’ve played it right. How are you?”

  “Same old.”

  “You look tired. Babysitting your beautiful queen taking its toll, huh?”

  “She doesn’t need babysitting, Eddie.”

  “She needs protecting.”

  “And that’s exactly what I’m doing. Protecting her.”

  He leans back against the table, sliding his hands into his pockets. “So, the Pino hit. What are we talking here? Do I need to draft in men from other chapters? I can bring the Mexicans in, if we need to. Miguel will be more than happy to help, those bastards cost his brother an eye, and a shitload of product. Your old chapter wants to see those cabrons brought down just as much as the cartel does.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to have as much back-up as we can. Mention it to Miguel when you speak to him.”

  “What about weapons? What are we bringing?”

  “Everything you’ve got.”

  “You sure you’re okay?” Eddie asks, and I frown. Of course I’m okay, why the fuck wouldn’t I be? “You look distracted.”

  “I don’t get distracted, Eddie. That’s when shit happens.” I drag a hand through my hair and glance back at the door. “I should go make sure Olivia’s alright. You got everything you need for now?”

  “Yeah. We’re good.”

  “Okay. We’ll talk soon.”

  “We will, brother. We will.”

  Another quick handshake, another brotherly hug, and then I’m out the door, I’m eager to get to Olivia now. I don’t like her being out of my sight for too long, even here, where she should be safe. Should be. Nothin
g’s guaranteed.

  “Hey, Lucca, hold up a second!”

  I stop and turn around to face Eddie. “Yeah?”

  “Olivia. How big a target is she?”

  “Since Javier’s death? A big one. They want her, too.”

  “You need any extra protection, you just say the word. You got that?”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to her, Eddie. Not on my watch.”

  That’s a promise I made to Javier. And it’s one I don’t intend to break, because doing so wouldn’t just endanger her life, it would endanger mine, too…

  Olivia

  “You ever ridden one of these?”

  Angel runs his fingertips over the gleaming silver steel handlebars of his Harley.

  “A couple of times. Javier had a Roadster.”

  “You rode pillion?”

  I look right into the eyes of this dangerously handsome man. Angel Ruiz. He’s been Eddie’s VP for as long as I can remember, he’s a good man. A sensitive man, despite the fact he’s a member of one of the most notorious biker gangs this side of the border. He reminds me a lot of Javier, with his dark hair and beard, and eyes that seem to look right into you. We’ve known each other a long time. I trust him more than I do many others, but I still wonder what brought him here to this club, because he’ll have a story all of his own. We all do, when we end up in these places; living these lives. We have stories. I’ve just never asked him what his is.

  “Yes, I rode pillion. I was never brave enough to ride it solo.”

  Brave enough to shoot and kill; to give orders that could involve others doing the same. I’m brave enough to handle multi-million-dollar drug deals and the people who come with that territory, but I’m not brave enough to ride a motorbike all on my own.

  “The bike’s just gathering dust in the garage now.”

  “You should take it out. Try riding it yourself, I swear, you won’t regret it. There’s nothing like that feeling of freedom being out on the road gives you.”