Dealing with the Devil

by Black, Marina

  “I’m not really hungry,” Lucy shrugged. “But I could use a cup of coffee. There’s a café up ahead.” The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans fortified her as they stepped over the threshold. Gabe stood so close that his chest kept bumping against her back. Usually, Lucy would find a gesture like that to be overbearing but given the fact they had the most amazing sex of her life, all awkwardness was gone.

  Archie couldn’t keep his eyes off Lucy. She seemed a little off kilter since the meeting with Pip. “Are you alright? You seem a little flushed,” He pressed. These last three days had not exactly had the effect that he’d been hoping for. Archie was still waiting for the part where he stopped craving her like she was a drug…

  “I’m fine,” Lucy brushed off his concern. She ordered herself a hazelnut latte and, at Archie’s behest, grabbed a croissant from the display case. Padding over to a booth near the back, she smiled as he sat across from her with a large black coffee in hand. “So, was the meeting everything you hoped?”

  Archie tore a piece off Lucy’s croissant and popped it into his mouth. “Some of it was helpful. I think our first step is to check out that casino.” He smirked. “Danny told me you used to clean up at the card tables.”

  “Mom loved cards. She taught me how to play hearts, blackjack, and poker.” Lucy smiled nostalgically at the memory. “When mom and I would visit the family in California the days were filled with swimming, touring vineyards, and sightseeing but every night we’d sit around on the patio and play for hours.” Inexplicably, tears built behind Lucy’s dark eyes.

  Archie was shocked by her sudden display of emotion and reached out instinctively to comfort her. “Luce…” It tore a hole in his chest seeing how distraught she was. He suddenly felt like the most callous jerk who’d ever lived. “I didn’t stop to think about how hard this was going to be for you. I’m sorry.” Archie’s thumb stroked over the back of her hand. “I know you miss your parents. Especially your mom…” There was no mother and daughter closer than Lucy and Louisa Harding.

  Lucy’s attempts to rein in her emotion became futile. A sob escaped her throat and she covered her face, desperate not to let him see her crumble. Anger quickly replaced her grief but it did nothing to stem the flow of tears. If anything, her rage deepened the chasm of hurt swirling inside her. Lucy didn’t want to cry in front of anyone, let alone Gabriel and the patrons of this little cafe. “I can’t believe I’m doing this now.”

  Something broke inside Archie. He stood and moved to her side of the booth, wrapping his arms around her. For once, Lucy didn’t fight him. She allowed him to hold her in his strong embrace. He pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head and cradled her tighter. “It’s okay, let it out,” He murmured softly.

  Burying her face in Gabe’s shoulder, Lucy felt as if ten years of pent up frustration and tears poured out of her. He rubbed her back and murmured soft words of comfort in her ear. For the longest time, Lucy allowed him to simply hold her until the tightness eased from her throat. Lucy grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eyes before she turned away again. “I’m so embarrassed,” She whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion.

  “Why?” Archie furrowed his eyebrows. He cupped her cheek, brushing away a stray tear. “It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes.”

  “I just had a meltdown in public over nothing.” Lucy scoffed, shaking her head. She turned away from Gabe and took a long sip of her latte. It was tepid now, but the caffeine was very welcome.

  “Losing your parents isn’t nothing, Lucy. I can see how listening to Pip recount war stories of destruction and violence during his years as a Black Jack could dredge some things up.” The icy façade she put up to keep everyone out was cracking and he was in awe of the woman beneath. Lucy had been so strong for so long; how she managed it, he wasn’t sure. “You went from being a teenage girl with two parents to having to raise Danny all by yourself.”

  A sharp bark of laughter emanated from Lucy’s throat before she could stop it. No one had ever acknowledged that before. Everyone commended Danny for taking custody of his little sister and raising her in their parents’ absence. But the truth of the matter was it was Lucy who kept Danny from self-destructing, even after all these years. She smiled blearily, “You caught that one, did you?”

  Archie shot her a sympathetic grin. “Danny’s got a lot of great qualities but responsibility has never been one of them.” He sighed heavily, “I think that’s why he goes home with a different girl every night. He wants the physical comfort of being with someone but doesn’t want to open himself up to getting hurt.”

  “Whoa,” Lucy raised an eyebrow. “When did you become Dr. Phil?”

  Archie scrubbed a hand over his stubbled chin. Lucy shared a lot about herself today and he decided it was time to return the favor. After all, he had promised her honesty…it was time to hold up his end of the deal. “Do you remember when we were kids? On Thursdays, your mom and I used to drive into Sun Valley.” Curling his hands tighter around his cup of coffee, he gritted his teeth.

  “Yeah, that was the night you went to karate,” Lucy replied blandly. Where was this going?

  “I don’t know karate, Lucy…” Archie nervously picked at the Styrofoam cup. “I was four years old when I came to live with your family. At first, I was a wreck. I wouldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep.” He let out a shaky breath, “The doctor recommended I see a psychiatrist.” Every word of his confession was like tearing up a wound stitch by stitch. Archie shifted uncomfortably, “I started seeing someone every week. Slowly but surely, things started to improve.” He licked his lips. “Your mother thought it might be embarrassing for me to admit that I was in therapy so she fibbed about where we went. For the longest time, I did feel ashamed. Maybe I still do? I’ve never admitted this to a single person, Lucy…except for you.”

  A feeling of warmth spread over her as she gazed at Gabe. The fact that he trusted her enough with something so personal made her heart soar. “You’re the bravest person I know.” Lucy knew all too well that Gabe and his mother had been abused by his father. “What you went through as a kid was awful. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be hurt by someone who’s supposed to love you unconditionally.” She saw Gabe’s jaw tighten and, this time, she reached for him, “Do you still go?”

  “Not since high school. Hopefully thirteen years of therapy was enough.” Archie was on solid ground now and felt as if he’d worked through his issues with his father. Still, there was a niggling voice at the back of his head that told him he was still bad and he’d turn into an abusive monster eventually. It was better to keep Lucy at arm’s length than to fall into the same cycle as the rest of the men in his family.

  Lucy nodded slowly. She took a long swig of coffee, memorizing the expression on Gabe’s face. He was so handsome that sometimes she didn’t look past his sharp features and shimmering cobalt eyes, but there was so much more to him. His features tightened when he was angry, his eyebrows furrowed and his nostrils flared. When he was sad, there was slackness to his jaw and a slight downturn of his lips—that was the expression he was wearing today. Lucy ached to kiss him until that sultry look of joy and satisfaction was the only one they remembered. A change in subject seemed necessary. “Do we have any other meetings today?”

  “Nope, I didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. Too many people coming in and out would tip the Black Jacks off.” Archie replied. “But in light of this new information, I was thinking we should get dressed up and hit the card tables. It’ll be a good way to gather intel. Hey, maybe we’ll even make a few bucks.”

  “Let’s not get carried away,” Lucy teased, grabbing her coffee and wrapping the half-eaten croissant in a napkin for later. She found herself glancing over at Gabe as they walked back toward the hotel. His hand slid around her waist, comforting her immensely. Lucy found herself wondering if this little gesture was part of the act or if he just wanted to touch her? She didn’t have the courage to ask…

  Housekee
ping had come and gone while they were out, the room once again put back in pristine condition. Lucy plopped down on the bed and watched Gabe hawkishly. “When you said you wanted to dress, you meant a pair of nice jeans and a shirt, right?”

  Archie furrowed his eyebrows, “You have a dress, don’t you?”

  “Well, I have my wedding dress…” Lucy frowned. Opening up the closet, Archie unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a charcoal gray three-piece suit he’d picked up off the rack a couple weeks ago. Her mouth dropped open. “You mean to tell me you wore jeans to our wedding when you had that with you all along?”

  “I thought you said I looked good!” Archie bristled, folding his arms over his chest.

  He had looked good. Lucy wouldn’t have changed a single thing about their wedding but this news still made her stop and think. “Never mind…” She dug through the clothes that remained in her bag. “I seriously have nothing to wear.” Tugging t-shirts out, she laid them on the bed. One of her tank tops had rhinestones around the neckline and she did have that one dusty skirt—but that was about the extent of her ‘fancy’ clothing.

  Archie dug through the clothes and shook his head curtly. “This won’t do.” He frowned. “We’ll just have to go shopping.” For any of the other women he knew, that decree would elicit joy. Lucy, on the other hand, groaned as if he told her he was going to waterboard her. “Hey, I don’t like it either, sweetheart.”

  Lucy wanted to be angry but when Gabe stepped out in his suit, she forgot to be. She smiled appreciatively as he went from rugged biker to sharp-dressed hunk. Her heart fluttered in her chest at how badly she wanted him right now. “You clean up nice…”

  “I’ll look forward to getting dirty again later,” Archie chuckled, closing the distance between them. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Now, come on. We need to get you something to wear that’ll blow everyone’s mind. The Black Jacks won’t be expecting us to walk through the door of their hideout in our Sunday best.”

  “Sure, that makes sense.” Lucy genuinely wished they could get dirty again now. She decided to keep that musing to herself as they headed downstairs to grab directions to the nearest shopping plaza. According to the shrill-voiced clerk who’d checked them in yesterday there was a plaza on South Virginia Street, just a little ways down from the casinos.

  To avoid detection and keep their cover intact, Archie got them a cab. The less people knew of their whereabouts, the safer they’d be. He gazed over at her as they headed down the bustling Reno streets. “I want to make sure you call me Gabriel whenever we’re in public…”

  Lucy’s expression changed to one of surprise. “You hate it when I call you by your full name!”

  “I knew it! I knew you used my name to punish me,” Archie scoffed. He shook his head in annoyance. “Even our enemies call me Archie. There are very few people who know my actual name and that works out to our advantage. You call me by my real name and nobody will be any the wiser.” He narrowed his eyes. “A slip up could make us targets.”

  “You don’t need to worry. I never liked your stupid nickname anyway,” Lucy sighed heavily. “Gabriel is a beautiful name. It means strength and wisdom. It’s perfect for you.”

  Archie always thought she called him Gabe just to annoy him; knowing there was more to the story felt like a punch to his gut. Staring out the opposite window, he tried to ignore the warmth creeping into his veins again. It was becoming clearer by the hour that Archie wasn’t purging Lucy from his system; he was losing his heart and soul to her.

  * * *

  The Summit was a giant, glimmering, open-air shopping center that was crawling with people. The cab dropped Lucy and Gabe off at the taxi stand. He quickly paid and waded through the crush of bodies toward a boutique. Lucy felt her stomach begin to churn. “This place looks fancy…” Archie ignored Lucy and pushed open the door to the shop.

  A small bell chimed, alerting the staff that customers had arrived. A moment later, a tall, slim woman dressed like she just stepped off a plane from Paris had floated over to greet them. “Bonjour,” Her voice was thick with a French accent that Lucy instinctively knew was the real deal. This woman exuded class from every pore. “What can I assist you with today?”

  “My wife needs a whole new wardrobe.” Archie tugged Monster’s credit card out of his wallet and handed it to her. “Whatever she needs, we’ll take it.”

  Lucy had to bite back a chuckle as the woman’s face lit up. She was going to make a lot of money off them today. The associate grabbed the tape measure that was draped across her shoulders and quickly sized Lucy up. Once she’d been measured from every angle, the saleswoman rushed off and Lucy shook her head. “Monster is really going to regret prospecting me, huh?”

  “Oh, I think he already does,” Archie smirked. Lucy frowned at him. “Can you at least try and enjoy this? You’ve been wearing Danny’s hand me downs for years.” He peered at her. “You used to love wearing dresses, especially in the summer.”

  Lucy pushed down the feelings that threatened to rise to the surface again. “My mother loved those pretty dresses, skirts, heels, and accessories. But me? I’m just as happy in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.” The sales associate was lining the dressing room with things for her to try. “Oh that reminds me…” Lucy bent down, undoing the ankle strap holding her handgun; she tugged her butterfly knife from her bra, and unclipped the can of mace from her belt loop before pushing them into his hands, “Hold these.”

  Staring at her incredulously, Archie frowned. “I can protect you, Lucy.”

  “Yeah, but what if I needed to protect you?” Lucy countered, leaving no room for argument. She headed to the dressing room. There were articles of clothing everywhere: fancy, lacy undergarments, silky slips, smart skirts, tasteful blouses, and—as promised—dresses. Lucy cursed bitterly at the emotion that clogged her throat at the sight of this. Her mother would’ve loved this place…and she could only imagine the joy on Louisa’s face as they tried everything on together. Damn it, Lucy internally chastised herself. Why the fuck was she so weepy today?

  Archie plopped down on a couch while Lucy tried things on. He could hear the rustling of clothes and her mumbled swearing. It made him smile. “How are things going in there, princess?”

  Lucy rolled her eyes at Gabe’s mocking pet name. She tried on a skirt with a flowing black blouse that managed to flatter and accentuate her curves at the same time. She added it to the ‘buy’ pile along with several new bras and matching panties. Next came the dresses. To the sales associate’s credit, she hadn’t picked out anything too wild. Lucy’s favorite was a frock that fell just past her knee. The black silk felt buttery soft against her skin. Only the bodice was different, an overlay of delicately stitched lace covered her breasts, which showed the barest hint of cleavage peeking below the neckline. When Lucy put it on, she did feel like a princess. She smoothed her hands over her belly to calm the butterflies that erupted there. “How do I look?”

  Archie’s eyes widened as Lucy stepped out of the changing room. He stood instantly, his lips parted slightly. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes. “Whoa…”

  A blush crept over her cheeks, “That bad, huh?” Gazing at the tag, Lucy’s mouth went dry. “Shit, this dress costs eight hundred dollars!”

  “I don’t care,” Archie breathed. “You’re getting it. As a matter of fact, you’re getting all of it.” Poking his head around the corner, he called the associate over. “Just wrap it up, we’ll take it. Can she wear the dress out of here?”

  “Oui, monsieur,” The woman cooed enthusiastically and hurried to package up their purchases. Gabe directed the boutique to have the rest of the items sent over to the hotel. Lucy allowed the sales associate to cut the tag off the dress and slipped into a pair of black kitten heels that fit her feet like a glove.

  Lucy left the shop feeling much like Cinderella—the kitchen maid who tarted up for the big ball. Heads swiveled to stare at her as she and Gabe made their way back to the t
axi stand. Once again, his large hand was pressed against the small of her back and his posture was protective. Lucy didn’t fight the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. When they got into the cab, she snuggled against Gabe’s side. The Aces High awaited and they had a job to do but she might as well enjoy these moments while they lasted.

  Chapter Seven

  Aces High was once the most vibrant casino on North Virginia Street. The building used to shimmer; the metal frame had once been dazzling. Now, the whole place looked brassy in the sun. The heavy glass doors that had welcomed patrons were cracked and clouded with age. An ancient carpet lined the floors, threadbare and torn in places. The color was perfectly royal red, back in the day, but had dulled to the color of mud.

  Lucy crinkled her nose at the mustiness that seemed to fill every inch of the place, mingling with the scent of stale cigarettes and liquor. Straight ahead there was a rotunda with stone benches and a fountain with a cracked cherub drooling water into a dark pool. High above their heads the ceiling was pieced together with boards and plastic sheeting. It was lucky there was no rain today or water would be leaking all over the place. Pip certainly wasn’t exaggerating when he said the place had gone to shit.

  The main floor had a half a dozen card games in play. People in various states of dishevelment were hunched over the ancient tables, gambling for their souls. It was utterly and completely depressing. There was a long bar situated along the back wall and Archie felt like he needed a stiff one to calm his nerves. “You want a drink?”

  “It’s a bit too early for me, I’ll pass.” Plus, Lucy didn’t really want to drink out of the glasses in this place; everything seemed to be covered in a thin layer of grease. The casino was laid out so that each card table had relative privacy. The one in the furthest corner was completely devoid of players; the dealer was in her sixties and plainly dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a white blouse. She looked up, steely grey eyes boring into Lucy’s onyx ones. Lucy’s first instinct was to look away and join Gabe at the bar…but they were here to get information. What better way was there than talking to the locals? “I’m going to play some blackjack and see what I can find out.”