THE DEVIL’S BRIDE

by April Lust

  “I don’t know,” I say, running my hands through my hair. “I mean, it doesn’t matter what she thinks about me. This is about her safety.”

  Robin giggles. My head snaps up and I stare at her.

  “What?” Robin shrugs. “Don’t be rude, Landon,” she says. “It’s just that it’s so obvious. You love her. You have to tell her.”

  “Are you blind?” I roll my eyes. “I can’t tell her. I can’t even get close, or Steel’s gonna kick my ass.” I shake my head sadly. “I wanna talk to her, but I don’t know what to say.”

  Blade sighs. “You gotta do it, man,” he says.

  “What?” I narrow my eyes. “Dude, of all people, I’d have thought you’d be one of the ones telling me to respect Steel and stay away from Vivian.”

  Blade nods wisely. “Yeah, until today, you’d be right,” he says. “But you need to be honest with her, man. That’s the only way you’re gonna work through this. She has to know everything. I don’t think it’s right for Steel to keep her in the dark like she’s a kid. She’s not a kid. She’s a smart woman, and she deserves to know what’s going on.”

  I stare at Blade, feeling a whole level of newfound respect for my best friend. We stand up and I pull Blade into a big hug, slapping his back loudly.

  “You can do this, man,” Blade says. “Just trust me.”

  I lick my lips. Thinking about seeing Vivian is making me nervous and anxious, like a love struck teenager. I don’t know what’s wrong with me–I haven’t felt this way ever, at least not since grade school. And this is different. I’ve been in puppy love before, I’d had crushes and infatuations. Hell, I’ve even obsessed over certain girls in the past. But nothing comes close to what I feel for Vivian.

  I feel the love for her in my veins, in my blood. In my bones. I feel the love for her as deeply as I feel my allegiance towards Blacktop Chaos.

  “You’ll be fine,” Robin says. She leans in and gives me a big hug, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hug her back, practically lifting her off the ground. I know Blade doesn’t mind. I know he’s proud of his old lady.

  “You’re one of the smartest women around,” I tell Robin as I pull my jacket on. “Thanks for your help.”

  Robin nods. “Duh,” she says. “If you talk to Vivian, tell her everything is going to be okay. Don’t scare her, but tell her that you have a handle on it.”

  I agree. We hug again, then I walk back out to my bike and climb on.

  The drive to the hideout seems to take forever. My mind is running, speeding along with thoughts of what Vivian will say when I tell her that I love her. I desperately want to see her, but part of me is afraid that she won’t even want to talk to me.

  And then there’s the whole issue of Steel.

  When I pull up to the hideout, it looks ominously dark. I can tell the lights in the living room are on, but the bedroom looks dark. Steel’s bike is parked out front, along with a strange car that I don’t recognize. Frowning, I park my bike as quietly as I can and walk up to the front door.

  This is it, I think, readying my fist to knock. This is the moment where I tell her how I really feel. Fucking hell, why am I so fucking nervous?

  If anyone had told me six months ago that I’d be standing on a front porch, as nervous as a kid waiting for his prom date, I’d have laughed them out of the room.

  Taking a deep breath, I tuck my blonde hair behind my ears and try to compose my face into a respectful mask. I knock on the door–three times, in the rhythm of Blacktop Chaos’s signal. Loud footsteps sound from inside. Steel pulls the door open.

  When he sees me, his face falls. He tries to slam the door but I stick my boot in the door, blocking Steel from shutting me out.

  “Steel, I need to talk to you,” I say quickly. “I need to see Vivian. This is urgent.”

  Steel shakes his head from side to side, looking angry. “No,” he says. “Get the fuck out of here, Lockhart, or I’m going to make you regret it.” He steps out into the porch. I see that he’s holding a gun. A shiver of fear runs through me but I know that I can’t back down. It’s now or never, and if I don’t do something, I’ll lose Vivian forever.

  “I have information about the men who want to hurt Vivian,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning away from Steel. I try to remember everything I’ve ever learned about defensive body language. I know the way I’m standing probably intimidates Steel, and that’s the last thing I want to do. However, years of being a biker have taught me I always need to be defensive.

  “I don’t care,” Steel says. He spits on the ground, leaning over. “I don’t give a shit. You’ve got ten seconds to get out of here,” he says. He cocks his gun and aims it right at my chest. “You think you can do that?”

  “Come on, Steel,” I say, wringing my hands in front of me. “Man, you know it’s not like this. I’m not trying to hurt your daughter. I love Vivian,” I say, spitting the words out as loudly as I can. “I love her, and if we don’t do something, those Helldog assholes are gonna kidnap her.”

  Steel stares at me coldly. “I think I can find a way to keep my own daughter safe,” he says. “You’re wasting time, Lockhart. Get the fuck out of here.” Steel lifts the gun and points it towards my eye.

  “Vivian!” I scream, running off the porch, towards my bike. “Vivian, I love you!”

  There’s a loud shout from the inside of the house. It chills me to the bone–I know it’s her. It’s Vivian, and she knows that I’m outside.

  “Vivian!” I scream loudly. “You’re in danger!”

  Vivian’s only response is a muffled, unintelligible cry that pierces my heart like the tip of an arrow. Her scream sends shivers down my spine.

  I know that I’m powerless to do anything here. If I really want to save her, if I really want to help, I’m going to need to enlist Blade, Robin, and everyone we know. Vivian’s in trouble, and if she gets hurt, it’s on me. I don’t care what Steel thinks of me. I don’t give a damn about my reputation, or about patching back in to Blacktop Chaos.

  All I care about is saving the woman I love.

  Chapter 19

  Vivian

  Lindsay and I are sitting on the bed, talking, when we hear the roar of a motorcycle outside. It fills my heart with hope. Has Landon come back? Is he going to rescue me? Is he coming for me like he promised he would?

  “Oh my god, Linds, he’s back,” I whisper, running to the window and peering outside. Outside is as dark as pitch. The stars and moon are obscured by a thick blanket of fog that makes the sky look matte black. I shiver, even though it’s not exactly cold outside. It never really gets cold in Texas, but I feel like I’ve just walked into a deep freezer. My blood is pulsing and my heart is pounding. If Landon’s outside, that must mean everything is over.

  “Shit!” Lindsay leaps up from the bed and runs over to the window. She peers outside. “I can’t see anything, Viv,” she says. “You sure he’s here?”

  “I’m sure he is,” I say quickly, rubbing my arms with my hands in attempt to ward off the goose bumps that have broken out all over my skin. “I know he is. I just know it!”

  “Viv, shh,” Lindsay says. “All we heard was a bike.” She glances over her shoulder. “It could be anyone!”

  Just as Lindsay finishes speaking, we both hear a loud knock on the door. I’ve heard that knock before–it’s the Blacktop Chaos secret signal. Another shiver of anticipation runs through my body. At the thought of seeing Landon again, I feel wide awake. My hands and feet are tingling, and my nipples are stiff and swollen inside of my bra. I can even feel a damp wetness inside my panties, just from the thought of him pulling me into his arms and kissing me.

  That’s when I hear my dad speaking to whoever is standing outside.

  “I know it’s Landon,” I say in excitement. “My dad wouldn’t talk to another member of the MC like that unless he was really mad at them. Landon must have come to rescue me!”

  Lindsay looks at me and bites her lip. “Viv,
that doesn’t sound so good,” she says softly. “Your dad, he sounds really pissed.”

  “I know,” I say. As quietly as I can, I walk to the door of the bedroom and press my ear against the wood. Dad has always been quiet and soft-spoken—the kind of guy who doesn’t make much noise. And even in his anger, I can tell that he’s not raising his voice. Somehow, that just fills me with even more dread. I wish that he’d break and start screaming at Landon, anything to tell me what was really going on.

  That’s when I hear my name being yelled loudly.

  “Vivian!” Landon yells. “Vivian, I love you!”

  Lindsay turns to me and raises her eyebrows. “Wow, it’s like Romeo and Juliet,” she says, tossing her long hair over one shoulder. “At least, kind of.”

  I blush madly. My cheeks hurt from smiling. “I knew he’d come,” I babble excitedly to Lindsay. “I knew he’d come back for me. This must mean everything’s over and taken care of!”

  Lindsay nods. She pulls me into a hug and then we grab hands, dancing around the floor of the bedroom. It feels too good to be true, like I’m living in the middle of a romantic comedy.

  “Oh my god,” Lindsay whispers. “You guys are totally in love!”

  That’s when I hear my dad’s voice. He’s yelling now, and it sounds like he’s running all over the porch outside. I shudder.

  “Dad, come on,” I say under my breath. “Let him in! You know he’s a good guy!”

  Whatever strangeness I’d felt in my heart, whatever apprehension I’d felt about Landon after hearing my dad call him a murderer has vanished. I no longer care. I realize that in my heart, I know Landon’s a good man and that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

  “Vivian!” Landon screams again. “You’re in danger!”

  I turn to Lindsay with my mouth hanging open. “What did he say?” I ask quietly. “Did you hear that?”

  Lindsay’s staring at me, her eyes wide. As we listen, rapid footsteps circle the house. Then I hear a motorcycle roar to life.

  “No,” I cry loudly. “No!”

  “Hold on,” Lindsay says. She reaches for my shoulder and squeezes me, smiling sadly. “He might not be leaving, Viv. Maybe he’s just moving his bike.”

  “Landon!” I scream, putting my face close to the window of the bedroom. Looking outside, I can’t even make out any shapes in the yard of the hideout. Everything’s dark and shadowed, like it’s through a weird filter.

  “Landon!” I scream again.

  Seconds later, the bedroom door bursts open. Dad rushes in, holding a little ugly gun clutched in his hand. His eyes are wild with anger and his hair is standing up straight on his head.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Dad demands. “What the hell, Vivian?”

  Lindsay squeaks in anger, stepping backwards until she falls onto the bed. Dad comes closer, shaking his head in rage.

  “Vivian, what the fuck did you scream for?” Dad asks. He waves the gun in the air before shoving it in his pocket. “Why are you trusting that asshole?”

  “Dad, he was coming to warn me,” I spit loudly. “You heard him yourself. He said that I’m in danger!”

  “Vivian, Vivian, god, don’t be so stupid!” Dad groans loudly. “Why are you trusting him? How the hell do you know that he hasn’t taken up with the bad guys, that he’s not out to grab you for himself?” Dad shakes his head sadly. “Vivian, please!”

  “Dad, he wouldn’t do that!” I say loudly. I’m crying again–I’ve been crying so often lately that I must be dehydrated–and the tears streaming down my cheeks are making it hard to see.

  “Vivian, you don’t know anything,” Dad thunders loudly. He turns to Lindsay, shaking his head. “Lindsay, you’d better go,” he says. “Come on, out with you.”

  To my shock, Lindsay stands there with her arms crossed over her chest. “No,” she says. “I’m not leaving. I’m staying with Vivian. She’s obviously upset, and she needs help.”

  Dad glares at both of us. Finally, he stomps over to the bedroom door.

  “You don’t even think about leaving this bedroom,” Dad growls. “You hear me?”

  I stare at him, suddenly hating him. “Yeah,” I mumble. “I hear you.”

  With a loud slam of the door, Dad’s gone. I glare angrily at the closed door for a moment. I’m so mad that I feel like spitting.

  “He has no right to keep me here like this,” I say loudly, striding over to the bed and sitting down. “Absolutely no right at all. I’m an adult, for fuck’s sake!”

  Lindsay nods. “You think maybe that he was right, though?” She tilts her head to the side. “About Landon?”

  “What?” My jaw drops and my eyes narrow into a squint. “Are you kidding me, Linds?”

  “Well, I mean,..” Lindsay trails off. “I don’t want to say it, but I don’t know, Viv. What if Landon is helping the bad guys now? What if he’s really angry about your dad and somehow wants to take revenge on the club?”

  I tilt my chin into the air and cross my arms. “He loves me,” I say defiantly. “He loves me and I know he loves me and that’s it.”

  Lindsay grins. “I was just fucking with you,” she says. “I wanted to make sure you believed him.”

  I roll my eyes. “Well, fat lot of good that did,” I grumble. “Dad’s not even letting me out of the room.”

  “Well,” Lindsay says slyly. Her eyes take on a feline glint. “Why not go find him yourself?”

  I burst out laughing. “Are you crazy? My dad would kill me,” I say. “He’d murder me, Lindsay. He’d string me up for everyone to see.” It’s easy to forget in my anger that until now, my dad has always been my biggest champion. But I’m so angry with him for refusing to take Landon seriously that I can’t even see straight.

  Lindsay shrugs. “Well, you could always leave,” she says, pointing to the window. “This is easy to open. And we’re only a few feet above the ground. If you know where to find Landon, just go find him.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  Lindsay grins wickedly. “Try me,” she says. “Go on, Viv.” She hands me the backpack. “Just put some clothes and water in here and you’ll be fine. It’s not cold outside. And you know where to find Landon?”

  I frown, thinking of where to look for him. Big Hill isn’t exactly huge, but I know there are a lot of hiding places for men like Landon. Still, I know in my heart that I have to try. This could be my last chance to see Landon and run away with him, especially if my dad stays angry.

  “Okay,” I say. “I’ll do it.”

  Ten minutes later, I say a fake goodbye to Lindsay. The plan is for her to drive out into the woods a couple of miles, and then I’ll meet her at her car. She’s going to drive me into town and help me start looking for Landon. But first, she has to get away from the house so my dad won’t suspect anything.

  My dad falls for everything, hook, line, and sinker. He stands by the doorway, apologizing to Lindsay for being so angry. She looks appropriately deferential. When she leaves, she pulls me into a close hug.

  “See you soon,” Lindsay whispers in on ear.

  I nod. “See you later,” I say loudly.

  But as soon as Lindsay leaves, my dad turns to me. “Viv, I’m sorry I was so angry,” he says. “But you need to understand how serious this is. Your life is at stake, princess. I can’t just let you speak to anyone who you think you know, honey. That’s not how this game works.”

  I’m tempted to snap back and tell him that I know Landon Lockhart better than he ever will, but I take a deep breath and wait for my prideful anger to fade.

  “Why not sit with me and watch some TV?” Dad offers. “I can make pasta. I know it’s all we’ve been eating, but you must be hungry.”

  I am, but I don’t want to take the chance of missing Lindsay.

  “I should really be studying,” I say, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t want to fall behind, you know.”

  Dad nods. “I get that, sweetheart,” he
says. “But can’t you hang out with your old man for just a little bit?”

  I smile. Whenever I hear “old man” or “old lady” now, I automatically think of Robin. It’s funny to realize how much I’ve changed in just the past few days. It’s like the Vivian Grayson of previous times has ceased to exist.

  “Okay,” I say, trying not to sound suspicious. “Just a little bit.”

  Dad puts on a football game and we sit together on one of the couches. He’s nursing a beer and I keep hoping that he’ll drink more, but he sets the bottle down on the table and after that, he doesn’t get up again. Occasionally, we comment on the plays happening and the mascot fucking around over on the sidelines, but for the most part, we sit in awkward silence. I wish I could tell Dad everything I was feeling for Landon, but I know he won’t understand.