Devil's Seed

by Brook Wilder

  Tex got to his feet slowly, careful to keep his body between Lori and the other man as they stepped a yard or so away. Tex didn’t want to be any further apart from her than he had to.

  “Is she okay?” Preston asked after a minute, nodding in Lori’s direction.

  Tex inhaled sharply before answering.

  “She will be.”

  “I thought so. She’s a tough one. Strong.”

  Preston nodded his head in approval, but Tex didn’t give a shit what the man thought, not anymore.

  Suddenly, Preston’s eyes narrowed as he focused on Tex.

  “Listen, you caused a hell of a shit storm with that stunt you pulled.”

  “I didn’t do anything you…”

  But Preston held up a hand, already forestalling Tex’s angry answer.

  “Just, let me finish before you chew my head off alright?”

  He waited for Tex’s reluctant nod before finally going on.

  “You caused us a lot of trouble. But it wasn’t just you. This shit has been brewing for years. You were just the last straw, so to speak. You were the one who blew it all to the surface, but… You didn’t deserve what happened. Neither of you did.”

  Tex gave the man a studied look, and then nodded in respect.

  “Thanks. I’m still out of the gang. You know that, right? I can’t go back now.”

  “I would think a hell of a lot less of you if you did. Especially as things are now.”

  Tex gave Preston a questioning look and he just shook his head.

  “Gears may be dealt with, but there are still… problems that have to be fixed.”

  The second in command of the Devil’s Martyrs looked behind him. But, instead of glancing over at the Grim Riders like Tex expected, his look of anger was directed at his own gang. Or one man specifically. Capone.

  “Are things resolved now? Between the Devil’s and the Riders?” Tex asked, quietly observing the clearing.

  The gangs were still standing separate and tense, but there were no more guns being waved around or threats being tossed back and forth.

  Preston surprised Tex by giving him an honest answer. Certainly, more honest than he would have expected.

  “No, not really. But we have come to a truce of sorts. Neither gang will go after either you or Lori. And if they do, they’ll answer to me, Devil or Rider, I don’t care. You have my word on that.”

  “I appreciate that,” Tex managed, shocked despite himself.

  To have this man vouch for their safety was as good as having Solomon openly siding with them. It made them virtually untouchable.

  Tex glanced again over at the gangs. There were still obvious signs that the rivalry between them was still very prevalent. But, for now, everyone was at peace. For the moment at least, and that was all Tex cared about.

  Preston walked back towards Capone, his back stiffening as the president said something to him. But Tex ignored it. Gang drama wasn’t his problem anymore. No, his only worry now was Lori.

  While he’d been talking to the Devil’s Martyrs’ second-in-command, Lori had been helped up and was sitting in the back of the open van being seen to by Marco, who looked like he knew what he was doing with that stethoscope.

  Tex saw Solomon watching on nervously, leaning against the side of the limo. He walked over towards the other man. They both stood there in silence for a long moment, as they tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

  Behind him, the gangs were shaking on the truce they had come to, however temporary that would be. All he could do was shake his head.

  “I can never thank you enough,” Tex finally said, keeping his voice low and hushed, not quite looking at Solomon as he crossed his arms over his chest and glanced over in Lori’s direction.

  But Solomon didn’t say a word. Instead, he reached over into the limo through the open window and drew out a package. Tex’s eyes widened when he saw what it was. It was the same brown bag that had the brick of cocaine in it. The same one that Robbie had given them.

  “Consider it a baby shower gift,” Solomon said cryptically, but there was a glint of humor in his dark gaze as he walked around the limo and disappeared inside it, leaving Tex shaking his head.

  Chapter 28

  “Take a deep breath.”

  “Is this really necessary?” Lori growled, rolling her eyes up at the stone-faced man holding the stethoscope to her back. Marco just gave her a stern look.

  “Deep breath. Now.”

  Lori rolled her eyes again, but this time she did what the big man ordered and drew in a big inhale. Slowly, she let the breath out of her lungs and a little bit of the tension went with it.

  When she let herself think of just how close she’d come to dying, how close she’d come to losing her baby, it made her start to shake all over again. But she didn’t let her thoughts dwell there. Instead, she focused on Marco, who was busy examining her to make sure she really was okay after the shooting.

  “I told you, I’m fine,” Lori told him for what felt like the hundredth time as she sat in the back of the open van. He just shook his head.

  “You were shot.”

  “I was wearing a bullet proof vest.”

  “You were still shot.”

  He was implacable and all she could do was go along with him as he had her twist and turn, prodding along her ribcage where the vest had stopped the bullet. She took in a shuddering breath before turning to him with a sideways glance. “Are you sure you were trained as a medic?”

  “I can show you my certification later. But now, let me see where the bullet hit.”

  Reluctantly, Lori turned, and lifted the hem of her shirt enough to see where a bruise was already starting to rise. He poked it and she winced.

  “Hey! I’m a person not a slab of beef.”

  All of a sudden, she was rocked back as Marco lifted her in a big bear hug. Lori was so surprised that she didn’t know what to do about the uncharacteristic show of emotion. After a long moment, the big man set her down again and she patted him on the shoulder.

  “See? I’m fine. Just like I told you.”

  “I concur that you and the baby are both healthy.” Marco looked at her then and there was real concern in his gaze. “I was worried. We all were.”

  Marco? Lori thought in surprise, showing emotion? Today really was a day for firsts. First shootout. First gang war. And now this. But she just gave him another comforting pat as he turned to pack up his emergency medical kit.

  As Marco packed up, Lori looked over his shoulder at the clearing. Both gangs had already scattered but she could see two people caught up in a passionate kiss in the middle of the field. One was a giant of a man and the other was a feisty brunette.

  She glanced sideways at Marco, about to ask him to go check on Carrie to make sure she was alright after getting hit by the pistol, but neither Carrie nor Porky looked like they would appreciate any interruptions at the moment. She would give them their time.

  There was one person missing from her field of vision and Lori’s heart skipped a beat before her gaze finally landed on the one person she needed most in the whole world. With a jolt, she jumped to her feet and nothing, not even Tex’s look of surprise or Marco’s stern warning, stopped her from running towards him and jumping into his arms.

  She was finally home.

  Chapter 29

  Tex couldn’t stop the sound of joy that fell from his lips as Lori launched herself into his arms. She knew he would always catch her, trusted him to always catch her, and even if she didn’t know it yet, he promised her silently that he always would.

  He swung her around in his embrace, reveling in the bright, warm, alive feeling of just holding her close to his body. Of having her pressed so tight against him that he could feel her heart beating against his chest and the swell of her belly where their baby lay growing inside her.

  “What is that?” Lori asked, and he glanced at her in confusion.

  He followed her gaze to the bag
he had dropped. Tex hadn’t even noticed that he’d stopped holding the thing until Lori pointed it out.

  He just shrugged.

  “It’s from Solomon.”

  “The drugs?” Lori asked, looking at him worriedly as she recognized the paper bag. “I don’t think… Tex, I want out of this life for good. For us. For the baby. No more drugs. No more violence. No more gangs. It’s how it has to be if we want a good life for our child.”

  Tex nodded, kneeling down in the dust to pick up the bag and nearly dropped it again when he saw what lay inside. Bills. Stacks of bills. There must have been at least a hundred-thousand dollars there, maybe more.

  His hand was shaking as he reached up and showed it to Lori.

  “I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about any of that anymore.”

  “Oh my god! Tex, that’s… that’s a fortune,” Lori gasped, her wide eyes filling with tears.

  Tex pulled her close to him, because he had to. Because he couldn’t go another minute without feeling her whole and alive next to him.

  “What do you say we get out of here, sweetheart?” Tex asked, pulling the brochure out of his back pocket.

  It was crumpled beyond readability, but the snow-capped peaks were still visible, and the rolling hills covered in pine trees and evergreens, with the little house sitting proudly in the middle of it.

  “I would love nothing more,” Lori said, swiping at the tears and alternating between laughing and crying. She threw her arms around him. “But there’s one thing we need to do first.”

  Tex looked on curiously, hating that she pulled away. He couldn’t help wondering what she would going to do next. He never did really know with her. She was as unpredictable as she was beautiful, and strong, and clever, and witty.

  He had been so focused on Lori that he hadn’t realized that both of the gangs had dispersed, and Gears’ body had disappeared. But Porky and Carrie were walking towards them, both of them grinning from ear to ear, with Porky’s arm around her and looking like he was never going to stop holding her again.

  Tex knew exactly what the other man was feeling.

  When they drew close, Lori threw her arms around both of them and, when she stepped back, her expression was serious. She took Carrie’s hands in hers.

  “I’m so sorry, Carrie. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never thought you would get hurt.”

  “I’m fine. Honestly. You were the one who got shot at,” Carrie said, and they embraced again. “Besides, muscle-man over there checked me out and said I might have a mild concussion, but as long as I don’t go to sleep for the next night I’ll be fine.” She slid Porky a sly smile loaded with innuendo. “I can think of a few things to keep me occupied.”

  Porky threw his head back and laughed, but the next instant he was hugging Carrie close again.

  “Don’t ever do that again, okay?” Porky said, worry still edging his voice and his eyes.

  Carrie just snorted.

  “What, get taken by an unstable biker and then clocked in the side of the head with a pistol? Yeah, it’s officially crossed off my bucket-list.” Carrie grinned, bouncing back from whatever life threw her way just as she always did. “No thanks. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.”

  “Or any time at all. Not with me to look after you,” Porky said, then tilted her face up to meet his. “I love you, Carrie.”

  “I love you too, you big lug.”

  Lori and Tex both shared a grin as the couple kissed, but then Lori grew serious again when she turned back to Carrie.

  “I have one more favor to ask you,” she said.

  Porky’s brows furrowed. The last ‘favor’ had nearly gotten Carrie killed. But Carrie immediately stepped forward.

  “Of course. Anything you need. Just name it.”

  Lori shot one devilish look towards Tex and all he could do was shake his head, wondering what the hell she was planning now.

  “Will you be my maid of honor?”

  Carrie shrieked at Lori’s question, throwing her arms around the blonde as they both hugged.

  “Oh my god. Of course. When’s the wedding? When’s the big day? When are you getting hitched?”

  The questions came out rapid fire but Tex just stood there, stunned. He cleared his throat.

  “Uh, sweetheart, aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “Oh, right.”

  She blushed, but she was still grinning mischievously as she turned towards him and took his hands, and then to his horror got slowly down on one knee. Staring down at her, and seeing the love shining in her eyes, he knew he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

  “Tex, will you marry me?”

  Tex rolled his eyes over at Carrie who was sniffling and Porky who was trying and failing to bite back his laughter. But when he looked back at Lori his expression was all seriousness.

  “Lori, I would be honored to marry you,” he said.

  He pulled her up until they were standing toe-to-toe and he cupped her cheeks in his hands.

  “I love you more than words could ever say. I love you more than I ever thought possible. You’ve changed me, you’ve changed my whole life, and I never want to go back to the person I was, because I’m so much better with you. I love you, Lori, and I’m going to keep on loving you and our baby for the rest of my life.”

  She leaned up and kissed him, so sweet and so heady that it made him feel drunk on the taste of her. A taste he could savor for a life time. No, a he didn’t think even a lifetime would be enough. Not for him.

  “I love you too, Tex. I never thought I would, but I finally found my family. I finally found my home. Where I truly belong. With you.”

  Epilogue

  Lori stood at the kitchen window as she washed up the last of the dishes. A tiny pink princess bowl and matching spoon. She smiled. It was the only ones that Carrie would eat out of. And Tex, the big softie that he was, always gave in to her. He couldn’t deny their daughter anything, and Lori wouldn’t have it any other way.

  She washed another bowl, the T.V. making noise in the background. The news was on, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Her focus was on the window above the sink that looked out over the most beautiful landscape.

  There was a mountain range in the distance and Lori could make out the snow-capped peaks poking through the clouds that blew through the bright blue sky overhead. There was still some snow left on the ground outside as well, but there were tufts of grass trying to make their way up and evergreens that were dusted with a layer so fine it was glistening gossamer on the pine needles.

  It was heaven there. Pure paradise. Sometimes Lori still couldn’t believe how much their lives had changed in the last year alone. No more gang life. No more Gears. No more violence or living in fear, day in and day out.

  With the money from Solomon, they had finally been able to leave town, and leave the gang life behind them completely. Tex had done everything he had promised her and more.

  She and Tex had gotten married the very next day at a little chapel in Texas, with Carrie and Porky and even Solomon and Marco showing up, as well as Robbie and few other friends who had helped them get through the darkest time of their lives.

  And then they’d taken the cash and driven straight to Colorado, that little, crumpled brochure clutched in her hands, until they’d finally seen the sign: Mountain View Springs.

  It had been everything she’d ever imagined and more, and she’d even gotten her white Christmas. Full of pristine sparkling snow and stars that shone with their own twinkling light overheard in the big open Colorado sky.

  After they’d moved, Tex had gotten a job with a local construction company and he’d been legit ever since. She’d asked him once if he missed his old life, riding with the Devils, but he’d just smiled and kissed her and said not in a million years.

  Just a few months after they’d settled into their new home, their baby girl had been born and they had named her Carrie Grace, a
fter her friend and the woman who had risked her life to help Lori out when no one else would.

  They were slowly building their life back up, slowly figuring out how to move forward. But they had each other now. They were a family, and she had finally gotten her happy ending. She was happier than she could ever have imagined.

  The last she had heard from Carrie was that she and Porky had gotten out of the life too. They had eloped and moved out of town together, and Lori couldn’t be happier for them. They deserved happiness, and it was obvious that they were in love. They’d found their perfect match. Just like she had in Tex.