Dealing with the Devil

by Black, Marina

  “I love you,” Lucy called after him, gratefully.

  Initially, Gabe was nervous about fatherhood. As her pregnancy advanced, he was terrified to sleep in the same bed and walked around as if the slightest touch could send her into labor or worse. It took a blowout fight and a trip to the doctor to put everything into perspective. Lucy had to say, once he became comfortable with her growing curves, the man had been insatiable up until the bitter end. After a harrowing twenty hour labor and some choice curse words, she delivered a beautiful eight pound, six ounce baby girl into the world: Amelia Louisa Archer. Gabe was smitten with his child from the moment he held her in his arms and that love had been unwavering ever since.

  Lucy rifled through the closet, attempting to hurry through her morning routine. It was an important day for their family and the Devil’s Own Motorcycle Club. As of last week, they had finished all of the renovations and had received licensure to open up Errol’s very first safe haven for people in need. The entire structure of the clubhouse had been taken down to the studs and rebuilt with twenty new beds, a large kitchen area, and a playground outside. They also had installed a state of the art alarm system and a team of bikers providing round the clock security. There was no safer place around. This afternoon marked the grand reopening and everyone had been invited…it was time to celebrate all they had achieved. Lucy couldn’t wait.

  Rifling through her closet, she paused as she found the vibrant dress she’d bought in Reno. It seemed like a lifetime since the horror with the Black Jacks. With everything going on these days, she hardly thought about it anymore. The dress was perfect for this occasion, and after months of hard work she nearly had her pre-baby figure back. It fit like a glove.

  A peal of laughter from the other room caused the smile on Lucy’s face to widen. Gabe was always making Amelia giggle; they were two peas in a pod. Lucy hurriedly pinned her curly hair out of her face before she rushed to join her family in the kitchen. Amelia’s chubby cheeks were rosy and pink as she kicked her dimpled legs. The baby hummed and sloppily accepted bites of rice cereal from Archie, slapping her palms against the highchair in a showy display of approval. Lucy chuckled as she tossed on her apron before bending down to give her daughter a kiss. “I’m just wondering if there is any cereal in the baby. It seems like you’re wearing most of it, dear,” Lucy teased.

  Chuckling appreciatively, Archie took a moment to admire his wife. Lucy was smart, beautiful, and in spite of everything, she loved him. How the hell had he gotten so lucky? He never pictured himself as the doting husband and father. Hell, he never believed anyone would want him to be…until Lucy. She made him better. Ever since they settled into a life together, Archie knew true happiness. “You look gorgeous, Luce.” He planned on showing her just how much he thought so tonight. Archie had decided not to mention he’d arranged for Anita to watch the baby after the party. Lucy needed a night off with her husband. They were long overdue…

  “You’re a charmer,” Lucy smiled. “You go get ready. I can finish up here.” Gingerly, she wiped the cereal from Amelia’s chin and plucked her from the highchair. Amelia cooed happily and snuggled into mommy’s shoulder. Lucy sang softly while she bathed Amelia and changed her into the soft pink dress she’d been saving for this occasion. By the time Lucy finished packing up the diaper bag, Amelia dozing in the car seat.

  Archie met them out front, smiling at the image of his two girls dressed in their Sunday best. It was a short ride to the clubhouse and there were already several bikes in the parking lot. Mort turned out to be quite the chef and happily offered to cater the event to drum up business for his new restaurant; he was currently manning the kitchens and bossing around their new crop of prospects. Kyle and Hunter finished putting the last of the balloons outside to mark the entrance while PJ hung the sign out front. By the late afternoon, most of the club was gathered, laughing, and ribbing each other while they worked.

  Lucy never expected the Devils to respond as well as they did to all the changes. Instead of drinking and debauchery, there were charity rides and community outreach programs. Big Mike had his hands full with managing the financials of everything, so much so that he’d taken Luis and Nathaniel on as apprentices. Grayson decided to go to college and get an advanced degree in social work so he could help with counseling. Even Beaver was starting to show his softer side; he couldn’t stop grinning as he gave tours of the place to anyone who asked (and some folks who didn’t). This endeavor had brought out the best in everyone, so far.

  Lucy caught sight of Danny moping around by the food table. Slipping over to him, she rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”

  Danny groaned. She already had that look in her eyes…the one that told him she was reading him like an open book. “Hey, Luce.” He dropped kiss to the top of her head. Maybe if he could distract her, he could avoid the lecture. “This is a great party. Nico said most of the local businesses have already donated to the shelter. You just missed the mayor, she was very impressed.”

  “That’s great news. So, why do you look like somebody kicked your dog?” Lucy’s expression softened. “I invited her, Danny, but you know how busy she is.” Danny tugged away from her and Lucy sighed. Danny hadn’t quite been himself ever since he’d started spending time with Cecelia. She came down when Amelia was born and had spent a few days here or there with her “Devil Family”—as she called it. Every time Cece went back home, Danny ended up in a funk that lasted until she inevitably showed up again. “Why don’t you just tell her you’re in love with her?”

  “I can’t be in love with her.” Danny shrugged Lucy off and stuffed another mini quiche into his mouth. “I’ve never even had sex with her. How the hell can you be in love with someone if you’re not screwing them sideways?” He grunted. “You know what? Don’t answer that.” Danny hurried away before Lucy could dig any deeper. Cecelia was a very difficult woman to understand. Usually he was the one saying it didn’t mean anything. Cecelia was different. He cared for her and it hurt when she rejected him.

  Lucy watched Danny retreat into the crowd. All she’d ever wanted was for her brother to find someone wonderful. Lucy loved Cecelia like a sister. Unfortunately, Danny had fallen for one of the most stubborn women on the face of the earth. Lucy just hoped their story would have as happy an ending as hers and Gabe’s did. In the meantime, there were more appetizers to be put out and she had several more donors to greet. Fixing Danny’s love life would have to wait another day.

  Archie remained focused on trying to fix a banner that kept falling. He handed Amelia over to Anita shortly after they walked in. Not that she minded. Anita was ecstatic as she scooped the baby up and cooed over her pink party attire. Archie signaled for Danny to help him get the banner rehung. Danny headed over, mumbling about women and Archie patted his shoulder. “I know what you mean…” Once they got everything back into place. Archie caught sight of Lucy flitting around the room like a queen and his heart swelled with pride. Thanks to Lucy, the Devil’s Own would have a legacy to be proud of and, somehow, it made him love her even more.

  As the afternoon wore on, more friends and familiar faces began to trickle into the party. Steve arrived with Julia and Bea in tow. Bea—having come off the night shift only a few hours ago, slipped toward the bedrooms to see if she could catch a nap before she went to mingle. Steve went to grab himself a soda. There was a long moment of awkwardness when Anita and Steve came face to face for the first time in eight years. “Anita! Oh…hi…”

  A blush bloomed over Anita’s cheeks as she cuddled baby Amelia closer. It didn’t seem fair to use the baby as a buffer, but Anita didn’t know what else to do. “Hey, Steve.” Anita swallowed hard. “It’s been a long time…you look good.”

  Steve’s heart leapt into his throat as he took a step closer. Suddenly all formalities went flying out the window. Everything he’d been holding back came flooding to the surface. “There’s so much I’ve been wanting to say to you since that night in DC. I can explain everythi
ng, I—”

  “Anita, who’s this?” Mort wiped his hands on his apron as he interrupted Steve’s nervous chattering. He was very much looking forward to taking a break and seeking out Anita for some alone time. What he found instead was Anita looking tense. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mortimer Lally…Anita’s boyfriend.”

  Anita’s head nearly spun as she stared between Steve and Mort. Her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment. Her ex-husband and boyfriend in the same room; it was about to get awkward in here. “Mort, this is Steve Ellis. He’s my ex-husband.” There was a long, deadly silence as she waited for Mort to react. Something akin to jealousy spread across Mort’s features but, thankfully, he kept his cool.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Mort’s arm wrapped around Anita’s waist protectively. He extended his free hand and shook Steve’s forcefully. “Thanks for all the work you did helping bring Lucy and the girls home.” He forced a grin. “We owe you one, for sure.”

  Steve returned the smile hesitantly. “I was just doing my job.” There was a short pause and he reached out, tugging Julia to his side. “This is Julia Amos…she’s, uh, my girlfriend too. I mean, not too…she’s just my girlfriend.”

  Julia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Uh, yes, girlfriend…right…” Well that was news to her. Steve was kind but he’d never given Jules the time of day. There was always some excuse as to why they couldn’t be more than friends. The moment Jules laid eyes on the blonde goddess before her, she realized exactly what was going on. “You must be Anita, right?” Jules suddenly felt inadequate. Anita was beautiful and voluptuous and successful. Julia was…not. She was a natural redhead with a tendency to freckle and who blushed at every turn; not to mention her figure had always decidedly boyish. Now that she’d seen Anita, Jules was positive there was no way she could ever compete.

  “It’s so good to meet you, Julia.” A sharp cry from the baby brought her attention back to the bundle in her arms. Anita was grateful for the distraction. “Looks like someone needs a diaper change. It was so nice seeing you two.” Anita hurried to the room she’d stashed Amelia’s diaper bag in. Although Anita didn’t want to admit it, seeing Steve dredged up feelings she had been pushing aside for a while now. Eight years of buried feelings came welling back to the surface. It was going to be a long night…

  Once Mort went back into the kitchen, Julia turned her dark glare toward Steve. “Girlfriend, huh?” Steve had the good sense to look sheepish but it wasn’t enough for Jules. “We’ll talk about this later. I just saw Candy sneak in, I’m going to say hello.” Brushing Steve off coolly, Jules sauntered over to the corner that Candy was hiding in. “Hey sis,” She leaned in and kissed Candy on the cheek. Beside Candy stood her son, who clearly did not want to be at this event. Julia nudged him playfully. “Hey Matty. What’s up, bud?”

  At fifteen years old, the last thing Matthew wanted to be doing was hang out with his mother. But after being stuck in the Black Jack compound for months and then coming home to find the mess he’d gotten into in her absence, his mom wasn’t letting him out of her sight. Matt rolled his eyes and tugged his phone out of his jacket pocket.

  Candy hugged Julia tightly, ignoring her son’s moody behavior. “This is a great turnout. Lucy’s done such a fantastic job of—”

  “Candy?” Marco’s voice seemed to carry over the entire room as he paused in from of her. He’d been silently praying she’d show up tonight. Honestly, it was the only reason he came. His heart leapt into his throat when laid eyes on the young man she was with. There had been rumors that Candy had a son but he’d never been able to bring himself to look into it. Now was as good a time as any. “Who’s this?”

  “Hey kiddo, let’s go check out the food table!” Jules announced and dragged Matthew away to grab a plate. She was strong but Matty was stronger, he put himself in front of Candy, his arms crossed over his chest. “Who are you?”

  Candy’s panic clawed at her. Fifteen years ago their relationship ended and she’d never found the courage to tell him she was pregnant. “Marco, this is my son Matthew,” Her throat was suddenly bone dry. “Matthew, this is an old friend of mine, Marco.” Shooting a desperate look at her sister, Candy silent begged Julia to get Matthew out of here. It took some maneuvering, but eventually she was able to drag the teenager away with promises of free food and sugary drinks.

  Marco was silent for a long moment as he watched Matthew walk away. When he finally found the courage to speak, there was a note of fear in his voice. “Candy—”

  “Marco…don’t.” Candy wished that things could be different but the past was the past. The lie she’d been telling for fifteen years rolled off her tongue with ease. “My husband and I were lucky enough to have a child before he went off to Afghanistan…” Candy was trembling.

  “Really?” Marco frowned markedly.

  Matthew had grabbed a couple things to eat but he couldn’t help but sense how his mother’s concern. Ignoring his Aunt Julia’s pleas to stay away, Matty stalked over to where Marco and Candy were talking. “Look, dude, I don’t know who you are but you’re upsetting my mom. I think you should take a lap.” He wrapped his arm tightly around Candy’s shoulders.

  “I’m sorry. Matthew, it was good to meet you.” Something didn’t feel right about this situation. The boy had his eyes… those sparkling, haunting, Caraway green eyes. Matthew had to be around fifteen years old, which meant Candy would’ve conceived around the time they were together. Even if the soldier she married had been with her in that timeframe, there was also an equal chance that kid could be his. Marco was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

  “Hey, Matty, how about you get us some punch?” Julia pasted a smile on her face until her nephew’s back was turned. Then, she rounded on Candy with murder in her eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Protecting my family,” Candy hissed. “I won’t go down this road again!”

  “It’s been fifteen years.” Julia whispered back, “Matthew never even met Anthony. After everything that’s happened, Matthew needs a father in his life. Don’t you think it’s time you told the truth?”

  Candy wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. “I need time to think about this. And if—and that is a very big if—I decide to tell them, I need to do it on my terms. I love you, Jules, but this isn’t your secret to tell.” Candy needed to get away…if only for a moment. “Excuse me.” She headed into the bathroom for a moment of privacy.

  The door to the clubhouse swung open again and, much to the surprise of everyone assembled, Narayan Bosko brought his wife and daughter Adela to the fundraiser. He drank punch, chatted about politics, and donated generously; he even offered the support of the Nightriders if their services were ever required. Tim Gunter was unable to make it personally but he sent along his nephew and several other club members to show his support. It seemed very odd that Los Santos—who had remained the closest after the takedown of the Black Jacks—were not present. At least not at first.

  It was well into the evening when Cecelia and Rogelio Santos slipped in through the back. Rogelio looked a little worse for the wear, arm in a cast and several lacerations on his face. Cece quietly informed everyone that her brother been in a motorcycle accident earlier in the week and wasn’t feeling his best. For once, she doted on her brother and made sure he got a seat near the food table; she’d even found a couple of Devil Eaters to keep Rog happy while she said her hellos.

  Danny didn’t even bother to play it cool when he realized Cece had arrived. He rushed over, grabbing her in a tight hug. Cecelia laughed and let it happen for half a minute before she shrugged him off. “I’m here now, pendejo, now the real party can begin!” Cece nudged Danny playfully before they went to grab a couple drinks.

  The sight of Danny and Cece cozied up in the corner made Lucy smile. It seemed that everything was working out after all. Lucy slid beside Gabe again; he draped his arm around her and she beamed. “I never thought I could be this h
appy…” Lucy murmured. “That’s all thanks to you.”

  “No, it’s thanks to you. This is all your doing.” Archie grinned. “I will never be able to make it up to you in a thousand lifetimes but I’m going to try. Lucy, you were right all along. You are exactly what this club needed…and what I needed.” Kissing her sweetly, he grasped her hand and began tugging her toward the door. “By the way, Anita is going to watch Amelia tonight.” He whispered into her ear, “I’ve got a big evening planned. A moonlit ride along the river, a hot meal that we eat without being interrupted, and…then I think we should get started on baby number two.”

  Lucy captured Gabe’s lips again. “There’s nothing in the world that would make me happier.” Hurrying out to the van, Lucy stopped to gaze at Gabriel standing in the soft glow of dusk. Somehow, despite the odds, all her dreams had come true. It might have taken a little gambling to get it done, but the results could not be argued with. “I love you, Gabriel.”

  Archie captured her lips once more, “I love you too, Lucy.” And with that, they headed toward the vibrant orange-red sunset. Happily ever after was right around the corner.

  The End