The Devil’s Viking (The Road Devils MC #3)

Chapter Twenty-two

Five days later

Viking walked into Satan’s, looked around to see if Elle was there. He spotted her in the kitchen, helping Rebel with the lunch rush, and he smiled.

Every time he saw her lately, safe and busy and beautiful, he smiled. She was home.

Wolf, Scars and Ice were standing at the top of the hallway deep in discussion; when they saw Viking, they waved him over.

“Hey, man,” Wolf greeted him. “We were just talkin’ about the twins and Briley.”

“Have they got Cheryl set up in New York?”

“Yep. She’s always wanted to live there, apparently, so this gave her the perfect opportunity to start again in her dream city. Seems the woman is in advertisin’ and that’s a great place to get a job in the field.”

“And I’m guessing that the money you gave her didn’t hurt in finding a decent place to live?” Viking teased Wolf. “A few new outfits, a car, a full fridge?”

“Yeah, well.” Wolf looked a bit embarrassed. “Everyone needs a hand up sometimes, ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.”

Viking and Scars grinned at Wolf’s gruff reply. The man was an absolute badass tank in so many ways, but he had an incredible heart. Wolf never refused to help people if he could, and the second he heard that Cheryl needed some start-up cash, he’d told Jo to send the transfer over and to balance the books as needed by taking the money from Wolf’s own savings.

“Anyway,” Scars said. “Briley’s not sure what she wants to do yet. She didn’t want to make any decisions before she got Cheryl safe and all settled.”

“I told the twins to take her anywhere she wanted,” Wolf said. “Her house sold already so in a few weeks’ time, she’ll have a nice chunk of change to start a whole new life not in law enforcement. The guys will get her to her new home, check everythin’ out, make sure she’s OK. I figure they’ll be back in a month or so.”

“Any word from King about Utah?” Viking asked Ice, who’d been standing there his usual remote and silent self this whole time. “Anyone in the Salt Lake PD wanting to ask us any questions yet about the drama at the Garden of Satan?”

“King’s man is more concerned about chasing the remaining cult members down than finding the person or persons who blew the mess wide apart.” Ice shrugged. “King told his buddy Denton about the center in New Mexico so they’re working on the assumption that they’ve all taken off back there to lay low and regroup. Denton thinks the cult is vulnerable right now – no Gideon means no leader, so there’s a power vacuum. This is the best time to swoop on in and bust the whole group wide open.”

“So this Denton guy thinks that it’s pretty much over?” Scars asked him.

“He thinks so, but Elle doesn’t and frankly, I’ll take her word on this matter over anyone else’s. She knows the personalities involved, and if she says it’s not over, then I believe her.”

Viking nodded. “Agreed.”

“What did she say?” Scars asked. “Who is she worried about?”

“Some pompous asshole named Michael who managed to creep away from the compound,” Viking said. “He was one of Gideon’s true believers, you know, one of those weak losers who has no values or character of his own, so he latches on to a stronger personality.”

“But Gideon’s gone,” Scars said, puzzled. “Wouldn’t this Michael idiot just crumple up like a wet paper bag without his golden Messiah? Blow away in the wind and never be seen or heard from again?”

“Denton says yes, Elle says no.”

“What’s she thinkin’?” Wolf asked. “That this Michael prick will go lookin’ for a replacement Gideon?”

“No,” Ice said heavily. “Right before Gideon got his chest blown wide open, apparently he made Michael Right-Guardian. It means he’s literally Gideon’s right hand, the one who makes sure that the Master’s will is carried out by everyone. Elle told me that this guy is an absolute lunatic, worse than Gideon is some ways.”

“How the hell can he be worse ?” Scars asked, aghast. “There is no worse.”

“George Bennington was a monster because he figured out how to use people’s weaknesses and bad experiences against them,” Ice said. “He exploited them to get what he wanted: money, power, sex. He never really believed what he was selling, everything he said were just tools for him to get his heart’s desires served up to him on a platter. But this Michael guy, he actually believes in Gideon as his Master. Like, really really believes the teachings and the words and the rules. Elle thinks that the shiny and new Right-Guardian will make it his life’s mission to resurrect the Master by keeping the Garden going, but now everyone will have to worship Gideon as a God that will return when the group is worthy.”

“Oh, my God,” Scars said. “Maybe Briley should have bypassed the two-by-four and shot this asshole’s chest open too.”

“The worst part is that this Michael knows about us,” Viking said. “He was one of the ones who grabbed up Elle from our parking lot, so Elle thinks that after he rebuilds the cult, he’ll turn his attention back to us.”

“Assumin’ that Denton and his fed buddies don’t bust up the cult first,” Wolf said. “So for the first time in my whole damn life, I’m rootin’ for law enforcement.”

“But until then, we’re back on high alert, huh?” Viking said. “On the lookout for guys who come down on moonbeams and worship a dead guy?”

“ Back on high alert?” Scars said. “You mean still . You mean like always . You mean we never stopped .”

“Yeah.” Wolf sighed. “This whole gettin’ out of the one-percenter life ain’t goin’ so great, is it?”

They all nodded, then shook their heads; just then, Elle came over to the group. She paused when she saw their grim faces.

“Hiiiiii,” she said. “Everything OK?”

“Yeah, baby.” Viking gave her a reassuring smile. “Just talking about how we have to keep an eye out for Michael and the gang.”

“It will take a while for him to rebuild the Garden,” Elle said. “Briley told me that the Walton cops took in almost all the women, and arrested all the Guardians except four. Michael is starting from almost nothing, so he’s got some work to do before he can mount any kind of attack, and that’s assuming that he even can . He doesn’t have one one-millionth of Gideon’s charisma, so it’s a long shot and remember, Gideon built things up over fifteen years and across two states. I have my doubts that Michael is up to it, at least not on a large scale.”

“Briley said?” Wolf asked, interested in that part of the conversation. “When did you talk to her?”

“About ten minutes ago,” she said cheerfully. “She called me from the van.”

“She say anythin’ about the boys?” Wolf said. “About how they’re doin’?”

“Just that they’re devastatingly charming and perfect gentlemen.”

“Oh, dear Lord,” Scars groaned. “We all know what that means.”

“What does it mean?”

“That those two are workin’ their magic on that poor woman,” Wolf said. “She ain’t got a prayer.”

Elle stared at him in utter confusion for a few seconds, then realization dawned as she recalled some conversations that she’d overheard about the twins. “You mean that they want to – that both of them together –”

“Yep,” Wolf said wryly as Scars and Viking laughed, and Ice rolled his eyes. “That is indeed what I mean, sweetheart. I hope Briley brought her gun.”

“Ah.” Elle blinked. “Well… it would spice up the road trip, that’s for sure.”

“No doubt.” Viking kissed the top of her shining head. “Anyway, baby, what’s up? You working right now?”

“Nope. I’m on my lunch break and I wanted to see if you’d like to come over to Blue Dragon with me. Zoe called this morning and told me that the sketch is ready.”

“So soon? You only just talked to her yesterday,” Viking said. “Damn, that woman moves fast.”

“She was working on it all last night,” Scars told them. “Kept throwing balled-up pieces of paper on the kitchen floor for Keira to chuck at me, kept muttering that it wasn’t right yet. I guess she got there in the end.”

“OK, so let’s go,” Viking said, taking Elle’s tiny hand in his huge one. “I’m dying to see what Zoe came up with.”

The other men watched them walk away, then all looked at each other again.

“Ice?” Wolf said.

“I know, boss,” Ice responded. “I’m already on my way.”

He walked out of the bar, headed home to pack. Wolf and Scars exchanged long, hard looks.

“Hard to imagine our man Ice in the desert,” Scars commented. “You think he’ll melt?”

“Nah.” Wolf paused, hoped that he was right, then reminded himself that he’d never bet against Ice Johansson in anything involving life and death, or danger and chaos. “Nothin’ will take that man down, and I mean nothin ’.”

**

Zoe looked up as Viking and Elle entered the tattoo parlour. “Hi!” she chirped. “You guys doing OK?”

“You know it, sweet thing,” Viking said, waving at Saint and Arrow who were both working on clients. “All good.”

“I’m really excited,” Elle said breathlessly. “I know that I told you what I was thinking, but I have no clue how on earth it would work with that horrible thing on my back.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, it was a bit of a challenge.” Zoe picked up her sketchbook, flipped the pages, handed Elle the book. “But I think I might have it – or at least, I hope I’m close to what you want.”

Elle looked at the page and froze when she saw the picture that Zoe had drawn.

“What?” Zoe said, alarmed at the look on Elle’s face. “Do you hate it?”

“N – no.” Elle was tearing up; in her hand she held the very image that had only been in her mind’s eye, and to her that seemed like a little miracle. “No, Zoe. I love it. It’s perfect.”

“Oh thank God.” Zoe sighed. “I’m so glad.”

Wordless, Elle held the sketchbook out to Viking who took it with his heart in his mouth. He knew how important this tattoo was to Elle and when he looked down, he knew that once again, Zoe’s staggering artistic ability, and her decency and compassion as a woman and a human being had all come through. In spades.

The pink lily was lush and vibrant; Viking could almost catch the scent of its delicate petals as they unfurled. The leaves were a cool, dark green, the pollen was a warm gold. He looked hard, he really searched, but that awful, ugly word that Gideon had inked into Elle’s slim back was hidden, replaced by something breathtakingly lovely. Zoe had so cleverly used the lines and curves of the letters to draw the petals and the leaves, and somehow she had completely covered over, erased, destroyed the word.

Like Gideon, like Elle’s enslavement, like her lack of choice, it was just gone.

“Zee,” he said, stunned. “It’s amazing. It’s the best thing you’ve ever done.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think.” He took Elle’s hand, turned it over, gently kissed her palm. “When do you want to get started on this, Elle? It’s going to take three sessions, I figure.”

With an effort, Elle tore her eyes away from the lily. “I need to save up some money first.”

“Nah, baby. This is my gift.”

She looked up at him, her purple eyes a clear violet today. “Viking… thank you. But I want – I mean, I need to pay for this myself. It’s – it’s important to me that I do this.” She bit her plump lower lip. “Can you understand? Are you mad?”

“Of course I do, and of course I’m not.” He kissed her on that sweet little mouth, loving how she responded to him. “You’re your own woman, baby, and this is your body, your decision. You call the shots.”

“So that’s settled!” Zoe said, delighted. “So should we book the first session for tomorrow after work? I’m happy to stay after hours and get it started for you.”

“Oh, no,” Elle said. “We can’t start tomorrow. It’ll take me a while to get the whole amount put away to pay everything up-front.”

“You sure?” Zoe asked her. “I mean, we can do the tattoo over a few weeks and you can pay in instalments.”

“I can?”

“Of course you can.” Zoe smiled at her. “Let’s get that thing on your back covered up as soon as possible, Elle. You shouldn’t be carrying anything from that old life into this new one that you’re building for yourself… should you?”

“No,” Elle said firmly. “No, I should not.”