Dealing with the Devil

by Black, Marina

  At seventeen years old, Lucy lost her mother and the only female influence in her life. Louisa Harding was dainty and glamorous; her greatest joy was dressing her daughter up like a little princess. After she died, there was no one there to needle Lucy into wearing pretty dresses or to tell her when to wear pantyhose. Anything with ruffles, lace, or frills only served to remind Lucy how out of her element she was. Since then, she stuck to the basics: jeans, t-shirts, and baggy sweatshirts. Lucy owned exactly one skirt and it remained crumpled in the back of her closet until today.

  Unfortunately, the lack of dressy clothes left Lucy feeling uncomfortable. She sat on the edge of her bed contemplating whether or not she was really going to wear jeans to her own wedding. If Louisa Harding could only hear Lucy now, she’d surely roll over in her grave.

  Running a hand through her damp curls, Lucy gathered her courage. She tiptoed down the hall to the room her parents once shared and paused for a moment in the doorway. She took a cleansing breath and pushed the door open. The air was musty and a thick layer of dust coated everything. Neither she nor Danny liked going into this room; it dredged up too many memories. Hell, Lucy hadn’t even changed the sheets on the bed. The floral ones peeking out from beneath the down comforter were the same ones her parents had snuggled beneath the night before they died. A pang of hurt hit Lucy in the chest. She forced herself to open the closet door. The lavender scent of her mother’s perfume still lingered there, although it was so faint now, Lucy was sure she imagined it.

  Thumbing through the clothing that hung neatly on hangars, it felt as if Louisa would walk in at any moment, smile knowingly, and pick out a fabulous outfit for her daughter to try on. Sadly, that was not the case. Lucy located the bag she was looking hiding in the back. The sacred garment was wrapped in plastic and so pristinely preserved that Lucy almost wept. Her mother promised when Lucy got married, this dress would be hers. Lucy’s great grandmother had sewn this dress by hand for her daughter’s wedding day and then Louisa wore it on her wedding day. It had been passed down through generations and Lucy dreamed about the day she would get to wear it. The dress was as much Lucy’s legacy as the leather cut she’d neatly folded and placed in her suitcase. This may not have been the wedding Lucy ever expected but it only seemed right to uphold the tradition…

  Lucy stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, silently assessing the stranger who stared back at her. She had been told, on several occasions, that she was pretty. Lucy wasn’t sure that was true. Her hair was naturally black and, because of the wild curliness, had a tendency to frizz. Lucy swept her hair up into a delicate coif and pinned the curls to keep them from getting unruly. She’d inherited her onyx-colored eyes from her mother; they were bleary and puffy from lack of sleep. For the first time in a long time, Lucy put on a little bit of makeup—just enough to hide the dark circles staining the delicate skin beneath her eyes. With a smear of lipstick and just a hint of blush, she stepped back to assess her work. Even though Lucy knew she was not a great beauty, she would make her mother proud today.

  Tugging the plastic away from the wedding dress, Lucy’s heart swelled in her chest. Reverently, her fingertips traced the intricate bodice adorned by a myriad of tiny, perfect pearls. The sleeves were trimmed in silk and felt incredible against her skin. The train was fairly short but the overlay was hand-sewn lace. Easing the dress over her head, Lucy’s greatest fear was that the dress wouldn’t fit. She was more voluptuous than her mother…then again, when Louisa wore this dress she was already several months pregnant with Danny. Much to Lucy’s relief, the fabric cradled her curves like a lover’s hand.

  A car door slammed and the thud of footsteps got louder as he headed into the house. Lucy knew instantly that it was Gabe; she’d have recognized his heavy tread anywhere. He made his way through the kitchen to search for her then looped toward the bedrooms. He paused when he reached the door to her parents’ bedroom. Lucy watched him in the glass, memorizing his expression of awe. There were easily a hundred buttons, starting at the curve of her spine and stretching all the way up her neck. “Can you help me, please?” She asked softly.

  Archie’s breath caught in his throat as he drank in the sight of Lucy. Seeing her in that wedding dress almost brought him to his knees. He didn’t immediately trust himself to speak but inched toward her nonetheless. Archie’s fingers felt clumsy as he carefully slipped each delicate pearl button into the corresponding scalloped edge. Every once in a while he glanced up, meeting her soft gaze in the mirror. When he was finally finished, Archie stepped back and dragged a hand over his stubbled jaw. Something primal had awakened inside of him and he was having a hard time keeping it under control. “I’m…underdressed.”

  “You look fine.” Really fine, Lucy thought to herself. Gabe was never sexier than when he tossed on a pair of dark blue jeans, a white button down shirt, and his leather cut. She instantly recognized the cowboy boots he had bought in high school. It had taken months of mowing lawns, delivering groceries, and odd chores to earn enough to buy them. Once he had, Gabe wore them almost every day. He kept them pristine by oiling the leather and Lucy knew for a fact he drove two hours to see a cobbler every year. If Gabe was even half as good a husband to her as he was to those boots, they would be okay.

  Lucy wondered what her mother would say if she could see her preparing to marry Gabriel Archer. Lucy wanted to believe her mother would be proud—if not concerned that Gabe and Lucy were marrying for club business instead of love. “The first memory I have is of my mother is her telling me that this was going to be my wedding dress. I must’ve been three or four years old…” Lucy chewed on the bottom of her lip as she faced her reflection again. “I want to honor her today.” Her palm smoothed over the bodice of the dress before she felt brave enough to face him head on. “Does it look alright?” It had been a long time since this dress saw the light of day, Lucy needed to make sure it wasn’t stained or spotted somewhere she hadn’t noticed.

  “Lucy, you’re beautiful.” The words tumbled from Archie’s lips before he could stop them. For years he’d tried to ignore the attraction between them, but it was getting harder by the second. In an attempt to keep those traitorous thoughts at bay, Archie turned his back. He noticed that her suitcase was sitting on the bed and he grabbed it without asking. “We should get going.”

  Lucy nodded her acquiescence. She did one last check to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She was ready as she’d ever be. After leaving a note for Danny, Lucy headed onto the porch. Her entire body tensed as Gabriel’s arm snaked around her waist and he lifted her into his arms without warning. “What are you doing?” She gasped incredulously as Gabe carried her out to the van. “I’m pretty sure the tradition is to carry your bride over the threshold into the home, not out of it.”

  Archie smirked as he plopped her into the passenger seat. “It rained last night, Luce. I didn’t want you to get any mud on your dress.” He ignored the little voice in the back of his head telling him he was just looking for an excuse to hold her in his arms. Perhaps if he got used to Lucy in small doses, he could build up immunity once and for all. While his brain said that was a logical conclusion; his heart told him with every passing moment, he was in more danger of losing himself completely…never mind what his cock was thinking! That part of him was dying to skip the wedding and go straight for the honeymoon.

  Lucy remained silent as they pulled out of the driveway and headed out to meet their fate. Most of Errol’s citizens wouldn’t begin to stir for several hours yet. The only two souls they saw on the drive through the neighborhood were the local paperboy and Old Man Jenkins who practiced yoga in his boxers every morning at dawn. Gabe’s posture was tense and his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel. Lucy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Are you sure you want to do this.”

  “I’d give up my life for this club,” Archie replied irritably. “I am giving my life up for this club,” He muttered.

  A flash of h
urt clawed its way to the surface before Lucy could stop it. Anger filled her next but Lucy truly wasn’t upset with Gabe, she was furious at herself. Of course he wouldn’t want to marry her! He barely tolerated her. For the last ten years he’d gone out of his way to keep their interactions brief and curt. Getting married wasn’t going to fix anything between them. Lucy tamped down on the impulse to drag her fingers through her curls; it would ruin her attempt to quell the frizz. She dug her fingernails into her palm instead. “It’s not forever, Gabriel.”

  Archie visibly flinched. He hated being called Gabriel and Lucy knew it. There was only one woman who had ever called him by his Christian name and that was his mother. Lucy had long ago taken to calling him Gabriel when she was really angry or upset but Archie couldn’t figure out why Lucy would be either right now. “If we’re going to pull this off, we need to be honest with each other. So, you want to tell me why you’re so pissed at me?”

  “Where should I start?”

  Sighing heavily, Archie eased into a spot in front of the tiny courthouse and killed the engine. “Look, I get it. You’ve got something to prove, Luce. You want in this club and you think that I’m standing in your way.”

  “You are standing in my way,” Lucy countered. “When you found out Monster used your proxy to vote me in as a prospect, you threw the mother of all tantrums. Don’t think I didn’t notice the black eye he was sporting last night. I bet you put him on grunt work for the next six months, too.” So far, Gabe was denying nothing. “Then you tried to intimidate me into giving up my patch and got pissed off when you failed. I’m not entirely convinced this wedding isn’t your way of trying to control me!”

  Archie pinched the bridge of his nose. “Excuse me for wanting to protect you! If you think these guys see you as anything but a pair of tits, you’re out of your damn mind!” He snapped, “Most of them aren’t like Danny and I. Many have criminal records, sexual deviances…some of them are even like my father.”

  Lucy felt her blood run cold. Gabe never talked about his father. The man who sired Gabriel was a member of the Wichita branch of the Devil’s Own MC. Erik Archer was tall, dark, handsome, and a sociopath. He had a penchant for violence and served half a dozen years in prison for aggravated assault and battery. It all boiled down to the fact that Erik enjoyed knocking down those that were weaker than him; his favorite targets were his wife and young child. Gabriel was barely out of diapers when his mother had packed him up and sent him to Errol where the Hardings unofficially adopted him. To this day, Gabe still couldn’t forget the bruises around his mother’s throat or the tears in her eyes as she kissed him goodbye one last time. A week later, his mother shot Erik in the head moments before she succumbed to the injuries he inflicted on her. It was a tragedy Gabe had never truly recovered from…

  Archie was vaguely aware Lucy had called his name several times. The soft touch of her hand against his shoulder startled him out of his memory. He wrenched away from her, his fist tightening on instinct. Archie’s stomach tightened in agony when Lucy flinched. Why shouldn’t she expect violence? Archie was convinced given half a chance, he would be the exact same kind of monster as Erik Archer was. Although his initial movement startled her, Lucy did not seem to be afraid. Her onyx eyes shimmered with a combination of empathy and annoyance. Archie furrowed his brows at her.

  “Are you still with me?” Lucy’s heart twisted in her chest as she watched him wrestle with invisible demons. She reached out again, refusing to be brushed aside this time.

  Archie laid his palm over her hand for a brief moment, absorbing some of the strength she offered. Lucy was far too good for him; he had to keep reminding himself of that. “Let’s just get this done. I want to be in Reno by noon.” The moment Lucy stepped out of the van, sunshine beat down upon her ebony hair and illuminated her flawless skin. She looked like an angel. Guilt stabbed Archie in the gut as they trudged through the busted up parking lot at the courthouse. Lucy deserved a fairy tale wedding; she should walk down the aisle surrounded by friends and family into the arms of a man who would honor, protect, and cherish her for the rest of his life. This debacle wasn’t even a close second.

  Lucy remained quiet and level as she followed Gabe. Her eyebrow quirked up as she noticed her fellow prospects standing in front of the courthouse. Mort, Kyle, and Hunter were in various states of dishevelment, chatting quietly amongst themselves. She stopped walking, folding her arms across her chest. “What are they doing here?”

  Archie rested his hand at the small of her back to keep her moving. “We needed witnesses to make this legal. Besides, I figured if one prospect has to suffer, you should all have to.” It was still very early; he’d had to call in a couple favors to get them in front of the judge first thing but it was worth it. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

  Anita Raleigh looked up from her paperwork with a wide smile on her face. “When this came across my desk, I thought this was a prank. Lucy Harding getting married to Gabriel Archer. I never thought I’d see the day.” Her crystal blue eyes sparkled with mirth. Anita was harmless and everyone knew it. She’d grown up two streets down from Lucy and they had been pretty good friends. Anita was a few years older than Lucy and one of the very few Errolites who’d actually gone to college. What was more impressive, she’d actually chosen a school out of state. Just like Anita’s mother before her, she obtained her law degree and returned to her hometown where she’d practiced for a few months before being offered a judgeship. Errol had a longstanding history of ‘keeping it in the family’. Everyone who lived here set down deep roots; some families, like Anita’s, could trace their lineage back to the founding members of the town.

  Lucy chuckled despite herself. “Yeah, well if you asked me about getting married yesterday, I’d probably have said you were insane.” She ignored the look that Gabe shot her. “It took a while for this idiot to propose, but once he did, he was in a big damn hurry to make it legal.” Gabe’s expression tightened and Lucy resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

  “How romantic,” Anita replied wistfully. There was not a single note of irony in her voice. “Well, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Mort had taken it upon himself to explore the area, including Anita’s personal pictures and her college diploma. She cleared her throat before she tugged away a photo of herself wearing a skimpy bikini while on spring break with her law school friends. “Today we come together to celebrate the union of Lucy Temperance Harding and Gabriel Stephen Archer.”

  Archie bit back a snicker. “I almost forgot your middle name was Temperance.” He dodged the elbow aimed for his ribs. Lucy was anything but temperate, so her middle name was fantastically ironic.

  Anita continued on, oblivious to the fact that Lucy and Archie were engaged in a silent battle of wills. “Marriage is a sacred union and is not to be entered into lightly. So before we begin, are there any objections or second thoughts?” Her eyes flicked between Lucy and Gabe. Neither of them moved and so she folded her hands, “Excellent. Have you prepared your own vows?”

  “Yes,” Archie sensed Lucy’s shock and welcomed it. Everyone outside the club needed to believe this was real, starting with Anita. It just so happened he knew exactly how to sell it. “I remember the day we met like it was yesterday. I got off the plane with a flight attendant shepherding me to the pickup area. All I knew about your family was that my mother said you were good people.” Archie had been only four at the time but he was wise beyond his years. “I didn’t say a single word the whole way back to the house…” He vividly remembered being angry, scared, and fighting the urge to cry in front of everyone. “Then you reached out from your car seat and you held my hand. You were so small but somehow you knew exactly what I needed. I knew it was going to be okay.” Archie squeezed her hands tighter in response. “So I stand in front of you today to promise you, we will be okay…I will be a good husband, one that you deserve. That’s my solemn vow.”

  A loud sob drew attention away
from the ceremony. Lucy thought it was Anita at first but quickly realized it was Mort. He grabbed tissues from a box on Anita’s desk, whimpering after he loudly blew his nose. Lucy couldn’t deny she felt a bit misty herself. She was barely a toddler when Gabe had come to live with them and hadn’t realized how a simple gesture could mean so much to him. Or maybe was he just trumping it up to make it seem like they had an epic love connection. Either way, Gabe had definitely sold it.

  Unfortunately, she had to come up with wedding vows that sounded just as intimate off the top of her head; it wasn’t going to be easy. “Gabe, I’ve known you for almost my whole life. You were always made a great husband when we played house. Even though you preferred playing doctor, you always went along with what I wanted. I thank you for that…”

  Hunter and Kyle both snickered. Anita let out a soft ‘aww’ at the sweetness of the moment. Mort cried louder. Archie could hardly bite back his groan. Why did she have to bring that up now?

  Lucy continued mirthfully, “As we got older, I realized there was so much more to you than a companion and a playmate. You were my protector and my champion. I may not be the sweet, docile wife that you expected but I will do everything in my power to make you happy. That’s my vow to you.” Mort was wailing like a banshee now and Lucy felt confident she’d made it believable.

  Archie reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box containing a ring that would put a robin’s egg to shame. He slid it onto her finger, his hand lingering a moment as he watched Lucy’s expression go from smug to shocked. The jeweler promised him that no woman could resist a set like this one and although it definitely put a dent in his life savings, Lucy deserved the best. Archie had also picked out a simple wedding band for himself. Lucy slipped it onto his finger with ease. The weight of it was odd but comfortable at the same time. Getting used to all of this would take time for both of them.

  Anita smiled at the tender exchange between newlyweds. “By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Anita bent over her desk to sign the marriage certificate with a flourish before passing it over to Kyle and Hunter to sign as witnesses; Mort was still whimpering and dabbing at his eyes. Thankfully, they only needed two signatures to make it legal.