Devil's Girl: Dust Bowl Devils MC (16 page)

He changed out of his wet clothes behind his closet door, emerging in sweatpants and a white undershirt. Any other time I would have jumped on him looking like that. My gaze lingered as it was.

"Go ahead and lie down for a bit," he said, "I'm gonna see what I can find in the kitchen."

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

"I'm making you something anyway. Even if you don't eat it. We’ve got to get some water into you, too."

I bit my lip.
Don't be a baby
. More than anything I didn't want to be left alone. "I'll be fast," he promised. Then he slipped out of the room.

He's right
, I told myself,
You need to eat now, before you're too sick to do anything
. I knew that was coming.

"I still can't believe I'm here," I said when he returned. He'd made BLTs and hot coffee and encouraged me to eat. I took a few bites for his sake, then polished off the sandwich when I realized I was starving.

"You're here." He squeezed my hand to prove it. "Tell me what else I can do. Still hungry? Thirsty?"

I shook my head. "I'm so tired."

He grimaced. "Is it safe for you to sleep?"

"It should be now," I said. "I mean, it is if..."

"If what?"

I bit my lip. "If you stay with me."
Please, please stay
.

"Of course. As long as you want."

I crawled onto the bed with him with a grateful sigh. He laid on his back and pulled me close so I was draped across his chest. "Thank you," I whispered. "This feels so goddamn good I could die."

He rested his chin on my head and stroked my back with a soothing touch. "Sleep," he whispered, "I'll watch you. Sleep." I drifted right off, warm and safe in his arms. It still felt like a dream.

◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙

It was dark. My stomach was in a knot. It was warm - no, I was overheating, sweating, in somebody else's bed, and I wasn't in it alone. My whole body jerked upright as if electrically shocked to life, tensing and preparing for whatever hell was in store next.

The figure next to me in the bed stirred. "Ivy?" It was Theo. It wasn't a dream. I was home. "You okay?"

I touched the sweat on my forehead. Everything ached when I moved. A familiar feeling - it happened when Viper withheld the drugs. "No."

He sat up. "What is it?"

I didn't answer. I didn't want him to know.
Who can help?
This was a biker club. I’d never sought then out before but drugs should be easy to find.

Jester
. He was high every time I was with him. "Think everyone's back yet? Bill wanted to talk."

He shrugged and rubbed his eyes. He must have dozed off for a while himself. "I can find out."

Wait, what the fuck am I thinking?
"Yes. No. I don't know." I rubbed my arms.

"Talk to me." He drew me close and kissed my forehead.

I blew out a breath.
He's going to figure it out fast if he hasn't already
. "I need a hit," I whispered.

He cursed under his breath.

I forced myself to meet his eyes. "Don't let me."

"It gets ugly," he said. "No matter what you do, which way you go... You sure you want to go cold turkey?"

"Yes." I made myself say it though doubts invaded my mind. What would it matter if I gave in? What difference would it make? Could I ever hope to move on from what happened?
The drug will get its claws in deeper, but at least I won’t have to feel like this.

"That look on your face," he said, "Whatever you're thinking, stop it.What would Dawn think? When Bill suggested halting our attempts to contact you, she threatened to sell herself into that club. She was ready to join you there, to work together to get back out.

And Irish. When we found one of the men that did the kidnapping, Irish shot and killed him. He killed a man out of despair for you."

He paused and took a breath. "This was my fault. I brought this down on you. I'll do whatever you want, Ivy. I'll get you whatever you need. Just... try to fight. Okay? I know that look." He shook his head. "Don't give in to that."

His speech shocked me and touched me deeply.
Irish... he has to be okay
. My resolve hardened. "I want to go cold turkey. You'll help me?"

"Anything."

"Then I can't stay here. I want to go home."

◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙

Bill caught us passing through the bar. I found the clothes that Nella brought for me and quickly changed while he spoke quietly with Theo. Part of me was hoping to put Bill off. The other part wanted to get our chat over with.

Some of the club was present, scowling into mugs of beer, exhaustion evident on their faces. Bars, his bandage already dirty. Gunner, both eyes black and blue, a broken nose bandaged. He raised his glass when he caught my eye. Mort and Anchor occupied stools as well.

"Calling an informal meeting," Bill told them, "And breaking tradition. Ivy will be joining us at the table."

"Can't we just talk out here?" I was never allowed in there. No one who didn't wear the colors was allowed. The thought made me vaguely uncomfortable.

"Nope." Bill walked into the back, leaving us no choice but to follow.

I took a seat next to Theo at the big dark wooden table. I'd had peeks at it, but never up close like this. The club colors were carved deep in the center - the horned devil’s skull, surrounded by a dust cloud with death’s scythe in the background. I traced the bit closest to me lightly.
How old is this?
It exuded club history. How many men had surrounded it through the years? I felt lucky to be there.

Theo squeezed my knee as the door closed and the men sat down.

"All right, Ivy. We need to know everything you can tell us about Viper."

The sound of his name made bile rise in my throat. "First," I said, "Have you heard anything about Irish? And where's Jester?"

Bill was trying to be as kind as he was capable , but I could read the impatience on his face. Still, he answered my questions. "Both alive. Both hospitalized. Jester got himself shot. They operated. Moron will probably have a limp the rest of his idiot life." The name-calling only told me that he was worried for his son. "As for Irish, he's out of danger but they don't know how much mobility he'll have in that arm yet." I covered my mouth.
Poor fucking Irish
. "They're going to live," he said, his voice a touch softer. "The rest can be dealt with." He sat back and waited for me to begin.

I told them everything I could remember. It was hard to keep the information I’d gathered in my head, but I’d tried. I told them how I’d deliberately tried to get close to Viper though I left out the gory details.

Mostly I focused on how he was creating a rift in the club; how some of the Eagles were with him, and some thought he was just plain psychotic. The Eagle’s president was away - Bill slammed a fist on the table at that fact, but indicated that I should continue.

“So, I didn’t gather whether or not the Eagle’s themselves are involved in the girl snatching that’s been going on, but, well, there’s definitely a lot of shady trading. And Viper’s scared. He’s obsessed with killing Theo but he knows he needs to run.”

“Maybe he’ll get careless,” Mort said.

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t count on that.”

Bill finally spoke. “That settles it. We ride.”

Fists banged the table. I jumped. “You ride? Where?”

“Their president is the key. Who knows how much he’s aware of. I
do
know he wouldn’t want his strip club treated like a fucking rape camp and run into the ground. Theo. Your prisoner. We need to find their president’s location as soon as possible.”

Theo nodded. “I’m on it.”

“Gunner, I want your ugly face with me. And Anchor. Mort, you hold down the fort. Stay on top of security. I’m giving you the authority to spend club funds as you see fit while I’m gone.”

“On it,” he said, scratching his beard.

“Bars, replace your fucking bike and get your ass out to that strip joint. Stay at the motel and watch the road. I want to know if there’s any big club movements while we’re away.”

“What about their shipments?” Bars asked. “With us scattering like this, their trucks will be getting through.”

Bill shook his head. “The maniac’s using explosives. We have to let them go.” They all stood. Bill pointed at Theo. “You get that info, and then you take care of her, got it? I wouldn’t put it past that fuck to try to get her back out of spite.” He snorted. “Hell, maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll try. Then you can snap his damn neck.” They filed out, leaving me alone with Theo.

“Where’d you hide your prisoner?” I asked.

His grin was grim. “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Where?”

“Your truck.”

Dawn had driven my truck after the bikers as they prepared their ambush. When she led Irish to safety and happened upon me, Theo found the truck empty. He bound his prisoner and after loading him up into the truck under gunfire, drove it off and left it in the woods, then returned on foot for his bike and came looking for me.

It had all just taken too long. The club was gone by the time he reached the road.

“So, he’s in the woods somewhere.” I followed Theo outside under the watchful eye of the hired security guard. Mort followed - he’d sit with me at home until Theo could return.

“That’s right. Hopefully getting eaten up by nothing bigger than the mosquitoes.” Theo swung a leg over his bike, and I climbed on behind him. We took off with Mort following. I was feeling sick - like I had the flu - but it wasn’t as awful as I was afraid it would be.
Yet.

I paced my apartment after Theo dropped me off. Mort sat on my couch and flipped through the television and channels and watched me go, wearing down a path in the old carpet.

“It’s making me tired just watching you,” he said. “Sit down for a minute.” I didn’t hear him at first. I was so wrapped up inside my own head. Above all I felt bereft. I wanted Theo there with me.
He promised. He swore it and he meant it and now he’s not here.
“Dammit, girly, sit your ass down!”

I dropped onto the couch with a huff.

“Now I want you to listen. No one told me this back when I needed to hear it, so I’m telling you now, ‘cause I’m a nice guy.” He smirked. I tried to smile back. “You’re just detoxing. You’re not going to die. It’s gonna feel like a bad flu and its not gonna let you sleep, but you’re gonna get through it.”

I sighed and put my head in my hands. “I’m just scared,” I admitted.

“I know. It’s like the world’s ending, right?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

“That’ll pass, too. Might take longer. But you were only on the stuff for what… two weeks? Little more?”

“I honestly have no idea how long I was there.” I tucked my feet under myself, sitting in a ball. “I don’t know. I don’t think that this… world ending feeling will pass. I’ve seen some shit, Mort. Done some shit…” I trailed off.

“Well.” His voice was gruff, obviously uncomfortable. Like a good friend, though, he didn’t back away. “Afraid I don’t have much advice there. But I’ll tell you, Theo was like a man possessed by demons. By the Devil we wear itself. Want to know what advice the old president gave me?”

I cracked a small smile. “Sure.”

“Long time ago,” he went on. “Back when I ‘saw some shit,’ as you phrased it. He said the best way to get over something was to get under someone.” He scratched his beard. “Come to think of it, that might be godawful advice. I can’t tell. Works at least temporarily, though.”

I snorted. “Thanks, I think.”

“I’d advise you to get on under me if I didn’t think Theo would wring my neck.”

“Ah,” I said, “There’s the Mort I know.”

“Well.” He passed me the remote. “Find something that ain’t about rich old ladies.”

◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙

Crassness aside, Mort’s advice did help, although not in the way he thought.