Devil's Sins

by Naomi West

  He nudges me when I imitate him. “You are,” he says. “And that’s not even a joke.”

  12

  Cage

  The door busts open just as I’m really starting to feel the cold. Scarlett seems okay with the jacket and the hoodie, though. That’s the most important thing.

  Arvin Hatter walks in with three men behind him. I recognize the man called Uncle from earlier. He looks down at us holding hands. He grins like a real prick. “Well, look here, fellas. How sweet is this? It looks like true love to me. I can’t blame you, Morrow. She sure is one fine lady. What’d you reckon, boys? Is this a fine lady or what?”

  “Fine as hell,” Uncle whispers. His lips are wet. He looks high. High’n something else.

  I jump to my feet, standing in front of Scarlett. She climbs to her feet as well. “If you touch her, I’ll kill you slow,” I bark. “I’ll kill you slower’n you can believe. It’ll take ten damn years for you to die. And every day, you’ll be begging me for it.”

  Uncle hefts his gun.

  Hatter smiles, waving it down. “Come on, now,” he says. “Let’s not be monsters about this.” He’s holding a big Desert Eagle pistol. He aims it casually at me. Scarlett stiffens against my back. “Either come with me now or I’ll set them loose on the girl.”

  “And I’ve got your fuckin’ word nothing will happen to her while I’m gone, eh?”

  “Is my word worth much to you?”

  “Maybe I’d like to believe that the president of a club as goddamn great as yours has some honor. That’s how it’s supposed to be, eh? Is that Texas I hear in your voice, Hatter? Last I checked, the folks down there take the word of a man pretty damn serious.”

  He flinches. “You have my word,” he snaps. He half turns to his men. But keeps his gun aimed at me. “Nobody touches the girl. That’s an order. Good enough for you?” He turns back to me.

  “Don’t let them take you,” Scarlett whispers fiercely.

  I ignore the laughter of the men as I cradle her face. I kiss her on the forehead. “There isn’t much choice, Scarlett. But he’s given his word. I swear to God, if he breaks it, I’ll break him.”

  “Promises, promises,” Hatter grunts. “Come on. Don’t test my patience.”

  It hurts like hell leaving Scarlett in there all alone. I wonder what’ll happen if the brothers don’t come for me. Will they just leave her in there to starve to a cold death? But I can’t do shit about it. Hatter shuts the door behind me and leads me through a big warehouse-type room. He takes me to a cell down a narrow corridor.

  There’s nothing in here except for a naked lightbulb, a metal-wire chair, and a table with a bunch of torture equipment on it.

  “What a surprise.” I laugh right in Uncle’s face as he ties me to the chair. He fixes my hands behind my back but doesn’t tie up my legs. No need with three fellas standing against the wall, all armed.

  Hatter struts over to me. “You know what I’m gonna ask you, Morrow.”

  “I reckon so.”

  “We can make this easy.”

  “Can we? In my experience, this is never easy.”

  “We don’t have to go down this road. I’d rather ransom you. You were right before. You are worth a damn lot. I reckon I can get your boss up to five hundred at least.”

  “I reckon you could,” I agree.

  “So give me something,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be big. Give me the address of one of your businesses. Something like that. We know you’ve got more’n you let on. Half the businesses in Steep Rock, I bet. Maybe more. Just give me the address of one.”

  “Then you and your goons’ll go down there and kill those civilians like dogs to send a message to Boulder. Is that what you think I am, Hatter? I don’t know how it works in the Bloody fuckin’ Talons, but the Angels have some damn loyalty—”

  The punch is as quick as his draw was back in the forest. I don’t even see it coming. He’s a fast motherfucker. I’ve gotta give him that. He knows what he’s doing as well. I can tell that when I fight a fella. Sometimes even an outlaw doesn’t know how to throw a proper punch. Hatter does. I fall sideways, the chair falling with me. My head buckles painfully. My neck cracks.

  They haul me back up. Hatter wipes his knuckles on his shirt. “How did that feel, Morrow?”

  “Fuckin’ great!” I snarl. “If I knew you hit like a little bitch, I would’ve got myself caught a long time ago—”

  The fist comes like a flash. Lightning, smashing right under my jaw. For a second, I’m sure he’s dislocated it. But it’s just numb. Numb and aching. I’m not new to pain, though. I just stare at him.

  “You always start out brave,” Hatter says. He flicks the naked bulb. It swings back and forth, warping the shadows. “It’s so damn cute. Really, it is. But you all break. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” It hurts to talk. I don’t let it show. “Or maybe you’ve just been going at weak men. You haven’t tortured any of ours. I know that much. You know how, Hatter? ’Cause you have no damn clue how many businesses we’ve got.”

  He flinches.

  This time he hits me on the other side. The chair falls. My shoulder crushes into the hard stone floor. It reeks of grease and dirt. The men haul me back up. Blood drips from a cut just under my eye.

  “Get me a rag, will you? Somebody’s spilled some goddamn cherry soda on my face—”

  This time, I fall backward. My head buckles again. I’m starting to get dizzy. The blood slides into my mouth. I want to spit it away, but that’d be like admitting I give a damn about it.

  “You know there’s an easier way to do this,” Hatter mutters. “Just drag the girl in here. Give her to Uncle. Lock the three of you up’n see what happens.”

  “You ever heard of Jax Boulder?” I ask.

  He flinches again. It’s clear he has. “I don’t give a damn about Jax Boulder.”

  “If you’ve heard of me, you’ve heard of him. What’d you reckon he’d do if he found out about that, eh?”

  “I don’t give a damn!” Hatter spits. “You think we’re scared of the Boulder brothers? We’ve got fellas who make them look like little girls.”

  “Sure you do.” I laugh, not caring when I spit blood everywhere. “And I’ve got fifty million buried in the forest. Don’t fuckin’ lie to me, Hatter. You’re scared of the Boulder brothers. I can see it in your face. Shivering like a little bitch. Shivering like a virgin on her wedding—”

  I’m not really sure what happens next except that it’s pretty damn painful. I know he hits me in the face and that I fall onto my back again. But the rest is a flurry. Too many punches to count. My head aches. My face roars at me. He works the body, too. He gets a couple of good belly shots in. I gasp in air, winded. Finally, they pull me back upright.

  Hatter doesn’t look as composed anymore. He takes a rag from Uncle and wipes his bloody hands and face. “An address, Morrow.”

  “Fuck you!” I laugh madly. “Fuck you’n fuck your fuckin’ club too! Fuck you all!”

  He sighs, walks over to the table. My eyes stray over to the equipment. Nasty stuff. Hammers and pliers, shit like that. But I’m not some green kid. Every outlaw knows that this day might come.

  “We’ll have to pull his fingernails,” Hatter says. “Hold him still—”

  The door bursts open. A Bloody Talon runs in, sweat dripping down his face. He’s panting madly. “We’re under attack!” he breathes.

  “Where?” Hatter snaps.

  “West, boss. West.”

  Distantly, I can hear the bullets. I didn’t notice before because of the pounding in my ears. Maybe Hatter didn’t notice for the same reason.

  “Fuck!” Hatter snarls. “Uncle, watch this motherfucker. Fellas, come on.”

  Hatter runs from the room, the goons following. Uncle grins when the others leave. He strokes his ratty beard. “I’m gonna make sweet love to your girl,” he says. “Sweet, sweet love. ‘Morrow, oh, Morrow.’ Is that how she
moans?” He laughs grimly. “Your men won’t do shit against Hatter. He’s the real deal. Your club’s weak as fuck.”

  “I thought Hatter was a smart fella, I really did.”

  “What?” Uncle snaps. “The fuck are you talking about?”

  I move my hands behind my back as though I’m cutting myself free. He can’t see my hands. “Some idiot left a knife in the refrigerator. You’re a dead man!” I leap up as though my arms are about to spring free. It’s bait, nothing more. My hands are trussed up like a Christmas turkey.

  “What!” Uncle leaps forward, raising his gun.

  Idiot.

  I carry the chair with me, throwing my whole body at him. A shot goes off. It smashes into the wall. Another. It hits the light. In the pitch-dark, I find his neck with my teeth. It’s a messy way to kill a man, but I don’t care. I bite right through his neck, crunching hard until my teeth meet. Then I spit the blood into his face and headbutt him. Pain surges through me. I ignore it. When he stumbles back, I leap on him and bite even deeper into neck. He’s too weak to pull the trigger now. I spit more’n more blood into his face.

  He falls down. I bury him with my body. Soon, he stops struggling. Blood gurgles from his torn throat.

  I move quickly. I turn around, kneel down, and search him for a knife. It’s awkward with the chair, but I don’t rush it. Calm is the most important thing for a man doing bloody work. I find one inside his jacket. It takes a few minutes to cut myself free since the angle is so awkward. The chair falls away. I stuff the knife into the back of my pants and take Uncle’s gun.

  The gunfire is closer now, more rapid.

  I run back the way they came, glad the bastards didn’t think to blindfold me when they walked me over. The warehouse is mostly empty except for two fellas crouching down near the door. They turn to me, raise their guns—Two shots, well-placed. It’s good to know my aim still works, even with the blood in my eyes.

  I run over to the refrigerator. I’m about to open it when Uncle stumbles over to me, somehow still alive. Blood pisses from his neck. He gurgles at me, trying to say something. Then he comes at me with a knife. The prick must have more’n one on him. I duck aside, jab him in the belly, then shoot him under the chin. Once he falls, I rush into the refrigerator.

  She’s not where I expect her to be. For a second, I panic. What if they moved her when they learned they were under attack? For the second time today, I realize how much I care about this woman. It crushes me. The pain makes it worse. It’s just a reminder of what they might be doing to her right now.

  The whimper comes from my left.

  He’s a big chunky motherfucker wearing just a vest and jeans, the belt not even buckled. Probably he was sleeping when this shit went down. He has a teardrop tattoo just under his right eye, the color of blood. And he has a pistol to Scarlett’s head.

  “Easy there, Morrow.” He moves his head behind Scarlett’s, shielding himself as best he can.

  “Let her go,” I growl.

  He chokes out a laugh. “Now why the fuck would I do a thing like that?”

  13

  Scarlett

  If I thought I knew fear, I was wrong.

  It’s one thing having a bunch of tough men terrorizing you. That’s scary enough. But to feel the cold metal of the gun pressed right up against the back of my head … Any moment, he could pull the trigger. It’s like waiting for the apartment buzzer to go off all over again. Only this time, when it goes off … I shiver. The man’s hand is sweaty, grabbing a hold of me. And terrifyingly strong.

  But I can’t die here, not with Cage watching. In the madness, with bullets cracking from outside the building, that seems very important. I can’t do that to Cage. Not after what happened to his brother.

  I stare into his face, trying to communicate: Distract him. I’ll do something! I can help!

  It feels useless, but to my surprise, he nods shortly. He holds tightly onto his gun.

  “You better drop that thing,” the man says.

  “That don’t seem too smart,” Cage retorts.

  “I’ll kill the bitch.”

  I can feel his breath on my neck. It makes me sick. As soon as the gun moves from my head, the second it moves … I get ready to act. Fear tries to paralyze me. Fear has always tried to paralyze me, to make me useless. But I won’t let it, not this time. I will myself to be strong. Just like Mom was when she stabbed Dad. I never realized that until now. It took real strength to do that. He was a monster to her. But somehow, she managed.

  “I wouldn’t recommend that,” Cage says. His face is a mess. Blood covers almost all of it and there are several weeping cuts. But I can see his eyes. And his eyes tell me to be ready. I tense up even more. I’ll be like a spring. I’ll uncoil fast. I’ll explode onto this asshole. “What’d you think I’d do if you hurt her, you fuckin’ idiot? Let her go and I’ll let you live. You have my word. I swear on my patch. Let her go’n we can leave the killing to another day.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” the man snaps. “I weren’t born yesterday.”

  “That’s funny. You sound like you were. You sound like a fuckin’ idiot. You sound like a fat fuckin’ idiot. And the only pussy you can get is by raping girls. I bet you were bullied in high school, you fat loser fuck. You fuckin’ freak. When’d you first rape a girl, eh? Did you enjoy it the first time? Nah, I bet you went soft. I bet you couldn’t even do that properly, you’re so damn useless.”

  “Shut your fuckin’ mouth!” he roars. “I’ll kill her! I’ll fuckin’ kill her!”

  Cage looks panicked for a moment. I scream at him with my eyes: keep going! He swallows.

  “You kill her’n I’ll hang you up by your fuckin’ feet and find every girl you’ve ever raped. I’ll let them come in, one by one, and spit in your face, cut you, whatever the hell they want—”

  “You’re a dead man!”

  The metal is suddenly gone from the back of my neck. He’s aiming the gun at Cage. Everything happens fast, but it feels like it takes a long time. A millisecond is several full seconds at times like these. I never knew that until now. I wonder how long Mom really spent stabbing Dad.

  Then I don’t wonder anything at all. I push my fear deep down. Cage said that men have to be strong in this life, but I think women can be, too. If we have to be.

  I drop like a stone to the floor. As I drop, I elbow him hard in the crotch. It connects cleanly. I feel a crunch. He curses, making to lift me up. Then he suddenly ducks to the side. It saves his life. Cage shoots fast. The bullet hits him in the shoulder. I crawl away. The man crawls after me, clawing at my feet. Another shot, chipping at the wall. Something makes a loud ding noise. A bullet, bouncing. My ears ache with the sounds. Everything is a rush. There’s rushing water in my ears.

  I scramble into the corner, turning. The man isn’t on me anymore. But Cage is on him. He beats him with the butt of his rifle. He hits him brutally, smashing him in the nose over and over. I have to cover my mouth to stop from being sick. He caves his nose into his skull. Then he keeps going.

  “Touch my fuckin’ woman!” he roars. “Touch my fuckin’ old lady! Fuckin’ prick! She’s mine, y’hear me? Mine! Mine! Mine!” With each ‘mine,’ he hits him again.

  I crawl over to him, focusing very hard on keeping myself steady.

  “Cage,” I whisper, touching his shoulder. “Cage, it’s okay. It’s over. Come on.”

  The man is moaning softly, arms limp at his side.

  Cage brings the gun to his head.

  “Cage! It’s over! He’s done!”

  He looks at me, grimaces. Then he hits the man one more time and stands up. “Come on. Stick close. Hug right into my back. If I crouch down low, you crouch down low. If I run, you run. Scarlett, are you hearing me?”

  “Yes, yes!”

  “Tell me what I said.”

  I repeat it.

  He nods and makes for the door. He sticks his arm out, blocking me. I press myself against the wall. It’s c
razy how calm he is when he fires his gun. He picks his shots carefully. I don’t see what he’s firing at, but he must’ve hit it. He nods gruffly at me. I follow, sticking to his back like a shell. There’s a knife on the floor. I scoop it up, cradling it to my chest. Then Cage snatches it out of my hand and tosses it back on the floor.

  “Last thing we need is you cuttin’ yourself. Don’t be offended, eh? It takes practice to use a knife properly. More practice’n a gun, I reckon.”

  We’re moving carefully toward a door at the edge of the building, furthest away from the gunfire.

  The whole time, I’m waiting for some random bullet to end it all. I focus hard on controlling my breathing. Mainly it’s because of how impressed I am by Cage’s steady breaths. He doesn’t panic at all. His eyes are narrowed. Focused. He doesn’t look like he’s on the verge of panicking, like I feel. I think he could do this for days if he had to, despite the blood dripping down his face. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  Eventually, we bust out of the building. We’re standing at the edge of another stretch of forest, this one leading down to a small lake. Cage grabs my arm and shoves me in front of him.

  “When I say go, you run down there to those rocks. You see ’em?”

  There is a small outcropping of rock jutting from the water and hugging the shoreline. “Yes,” I tell him.

  “Don’t look back. Crouch down behind them as best you can. Stay low. Don’t fuck around, Scarlett. Just run. Don’t think.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  “And be safe, all right?”

  “Wait?” I turn to him. Across the other side of the warehouse, guns continue to go off. It sounds like popcorn nuking in a microwave. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  His jaws tighten. “Once I see you’re safe, I’ve gotta get back in there. I can’t let my brothers die saving me. I can’t hide like a little bitch.”

  “Which is what I’m doing …”

  He winces. “Ready, Scarlett?”

  I shrug. I don’t have much choice. “Yes, I’m ready.”