Chapter 17 BEAR
BEAR
“It was a pleasure getting to know you, Bear.” Lucifer shook my hand as I loaded up my saddlebags.
“And we look forward to returning the hospitality someday. The intel from Demon has been very insightful.”
“About that,” Lucifer began with a grin.
Fuck. I should have known I couldn’t get away this easily.
“Demon spent a lot of hours compiling that information. In the spirit of our new alliance, I’m feeling a little bereft.”
“Bereft?” What the hell was he talking about? That information was in return for luring Balthazar out.
Lucifer raised his eyebrows. “Yeah. Bereft. That doesn’t seem like a good way to start our new relationship.”
I sighed. I hated playing politics. I was the enforcer. My job was to bang heads. Not wheel and deal. My mouth formed a thin line as I forced out the words. “Well, we’d hate to leave the Diablos feeling bereft. How can we help you, other than helping you get that president patch, I mean?”
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, but I didn’t care. I’d done my part. Now it was time to get home and talk to Lexie. We’d texted a couple more times. She was warming back up to me, especially after that fancy mixer was delivered. But it wasn’t the same as putting my arms around her. Or my cock inside her.
“I’d like to send someone with you. Let him get to know your club, be our, uh, on-site representative. Like an exchange program, but without the exchange part.”
“You want to cast off one of your brothers into our club? That’s a big no. We’re already taking care of one problem for you. We don’t need to take on any others.”
I straddled my bike and reached for the key when Lucifer grabbed my shoulder. His sleazy smile was gone, and for the first time since I met him, he let down his guard.
“I wouldn’t ask if we had any other choice. See the kid over there?” He jerked his head toward the surly teenager that had been stomping around all week. I hadn’t spoken to him, just figured he was a brother’s kid who’d been suspended from school.
“He yours?” I asked.
Lucifer shook his head. “Fuck no. He was Balthazar’s.
His mother was a club whore. She showed up about two years ago, dropped him at the front door and left.
No one has heard from her since. I don’t think there was a lot of love between him and his father, but I don’t want to worry about some sixteen-year-old stabbing me in my sleep, ya know? ”
“And you want to send him with me? He’s a minor. I am not going to jail for”—I paused, thinking—“whatever the hell I’d go to jail for.” Kidnapping? Trafficking? I didn’t need to find out.
Lucifer smirked. “Don’t worry about that shit. I mean, someone will need to be listed as his guardian, but once you figure out who that is, let me know. I’ll make sure Balthazar signs the paperwork before anyone knows he’s missing.”
“I don’t know. I should check with Mav—”
Lucifer leaned in, lowering his voice so that only I could hear.
“I’ve still got some snakes in the henhouse, you feel me?
Some shit will be going down that no sixteen-year-old needs to be in the middle of.
His dad’s idea of parenting was to leave him at the clubhouse all day, and who knows what kind of shit he dealt with under his mom.
This is a chance for him to have a fresh start.
And from what I’ve heard about your club, I’m thinking he can finally get some kind of positive role model shit. ”
I took a deep breath, and my thoughts jumped to Lexie. She’d mentioned growing up in foster care. I didn’t know the full story of her parents, only that they weren’t able to raise her. She didn’t deserve to be passed from family to family, and neither did this kid.
“Does he have a bike?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course.” Lucifer pointed to a motorcycle that wouldn’t make it fifty miles, let alone 500.
Although, if the bike did survive the trip, where would the kid stay? If Mav didn’t want him, maybe Stitch and Poison would take him in. Or maybe old Larry. He owned the property adjacent to ours and was getting on in years. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a problem after all.
Lucifer motioned him over, and I noticed he was already carrying his backpack. Fuck me, what if I’d told Lucifer no? The kid made his way to us, then stood with his head down.
“I’m, uh, sorry about your dad.” The kid didn’t seem broken up, but what did I know about teenage emotions?
“Whatever.” His foot swirled in the gravel, making circles while we stood.
All right, so I’d skip the pleasantries. “Are you sure you want to do this, kid? Move to a new state and start over with a bunch of people you’ve never met?”
He shrugged. “Nothing better to do.”
I sighed. “What’s your name?”
“Michael,” he mumbled.
“Michael? Like the angel?” My eyes darted at Lucifer who threw his hands up. That name was a bit out of sync for this crowd.
The kid huffed, finally raising his head. “Turns out my bitch of a mother had a sense of humor.”
Damn, this kid had an attitude. I could see why Lucifer was itching to pass him off. I took another deep breath.
“Or maybe she knew you were meant to be a Reaper. I’m Gabriel.”
His eyes widened, and I saw a flash of interest before he masked it beneath his teenage indifference. Maybe Lucifer was doing the kid a favor by sending him away. A fresh beginning away from his parents’ legacy might be exactly what he needed.
“Michael, are you okay to ride for ten hours, or do we need to stop halfway for a hotel?”
“Please.” He rolled his eyes. “I can ride twice as long as you can on your old, fat ass.”
Lucifer exhaled and smacked the back of the kid’s head. “Our ally club is being generous enough to sponsor you for a couple years. While you’re with them, you will show respect. If not, as enforcer, Bear here will be the one to string you up in their torture shed.”
“Let’s just go,” he mumbled and walked over to his shitty bike. He shoved his bag into the saddlebag. Unfortunately, the saddlebag fell off and crashed onto the gravel.
I looked around the parking lot, an idea taking shape until I found what I needed. A black Cadillac Escalade with red flames painted on the sides.
“That Caddie belong to Balthazar?” I asked Lucifer.
He chuckled. “How did you guess?”
“So that means it belongs to Michael now.”
Michael scoffed. “I don’t want to drive that ugly ass piece of—”
“Enough!” I shouted. “Yeah, the flames are a bit much, but that is a nice fucking vehicle that will survive the ten-hour drive. You can get it painted when we get home. Or fuck, sell it and use the money to buy a new bike. Either way, you’re leaving that piece of shit here. ” I pointed to his rusty bike.
Michael sighed and crossed his hands over his chest.
Lucifer shrugged. “Works for me. Keys are in the glove box.”
“All right, kid, let’s hit the road. I’ve got a woman I need to see.”