Cupid's Arrow (Devils Rejects MC 4)

My hand moves to my stomach. I think she was a girl.

Chapter Nineteen

—Cupid

“Are you ready?” I ask Mandy for the tenth time.

“Does this shirt look okay?”

“Goddamn. Does it matter? We’re going to Hades’ for like ten minutes.” I roll my eyes and she stomps her foot.

“I just want to look good for you. I feel fat and ugly.”

I know it’s her hormones, but she’ll not get any sympathy or pity compliments from me. “You look fine.”

“Okay.” She leans up and kisses my cheek and I want to puke. I detest the sight of her…the touch of her. How I ever had sex with her is beyond me now. I don’t know what the fuck I am doing. I need to find MaryAnn and take everything I said back. If I could do it all over again, I would. I would tell her the truth of it all, but I can’t.

We make it to Hades’ house and the look Sara gives me when she sees Mandy get out of the car says it all. She thinks I’m garbage. I don’t blame her. Hades probably hasn’t told her dick about what is really going down.

“Mandy, I hear congratulations are in order,” Hades greets her and pulls her into a hug and introduces her to his wife.

Sara plays hostess and invites her inside. I stay out under the carport with my Prez and he lights up a joint as we sit on the center blocks stacked up by the backyard. “Listen, I watched for her to come through the clubhouse doors all day and she never showed. But I have surveillance of her talking to Zo Zo in the parking lot early this morning. They exchanged a hug and a few words. What was said I don’t know. Where she went after I don’t know. What I can tell you is that I have tried Zo Zo on his cell all afternoon. No response. I tried the garage, and no one is picking up. Even had Sara try to call and text MaryAnn’s phone. I think he’s the rat. I called the clubhouse and sent a prospect to check out his room. Fucker has a bunch of pictures of MaryAnn and you in one of his drawers.”

“Fuck. I’m going to his house before he does something stupid.” I start to get up, but Hades stops me.

“I sent Reaper, Terror, and Cocky. Just waiting for them to report back to me. You’re too close to this. Can’t have you going in hotheaded and doing something dumb. We still need to deal with Mandy. Can’t have her running to the cops. We need that evidence she has. Boogeyman is checking her parents house. Don’t worry he’s just breaking in and searching the house for the video. Take her home and work her over. Do whatever you have to. I’m s

ure MaryAnn will be fine. Zo Zo probably has a crush and got jealous. How he got hooked up with Mandy remains to be seen. Find out. I will call you as soon as I know something.”

I don’t like it. I fucking hate it, but I follow his orders against my gut telling me MaryAnn is in trouble. “As soon as you hear, you call me.”

He nods, and I fetch Mandy to drive her back home. The whole drive, I can’t concentrate. Sweat is beading across the back of my neck and chills are fanning up and down my spine. I have a sick feeling I can’t shake. Something’s wrong. I can feel it in my bones.

“What’s wrong?” Mandy’s hand lands on my forearm as we stop at a red light. We can keep going or I can turn right to go to the other side of town where that bastard Zo Zo lives.

I can’t pretend. I can’t fucking do this even if it costs me everything, I need to get my woman back. My life…the club…none of it fucking matters if I don’t have her. “What’s wrong?” I snort and shake my head.

“You really love her, don’t you? In the real way. Not in the way that you and I have lied to ourselves.”

“Yeah, Mandy. I love her more than I ever even thought about loving you.” She nods appearing thoughtful. The light changes to green but I don’t go.

“Okay then.” She takes a deep breath. “Okay then.” She sucks in another breath as a tear falls. “I hope you know that I’m sorry for my part in things.”

“You’ve been lying to me. That stops now. No more games. No more threats. MaryAnn is in danger. I need you to be honest with me. Did Zo Zo give you that information and put you up to blackmailing me into putting MaryAnn out.”

A car horn blows behind us and I look at Mandy. Her head is in her hands and I jerk her left hand away.

“Answer me, Goddamn you. Answer me,” I growl.

The car behind us moves to pass us.

“Yes. Alright. Is that what you want to hear. He threatened me. Said he’d burn down the farm and kill my folks.”

I make the turn and start speeding toward Zo Zo’s hoping MaryAnn understands. “The baby, that a lie too?”

“No,” she cries and sniffles. “I was never going to tell you. I was going to put him up for adoption. I was going to go to my mom’s sister’s in upstate New York. She works at a hospital where they handle stuff like that.” I want to be angry with her but part of me understands. Mandy wasn’t meant for this life.

I don’t say anything more. There isn’t anything to say to her right now that will help things. If I speak to her it will only serve to hurt her, but I don’t think I can hurt Mandy any more than she has hurt herself. I want to hate her, but I can’t. Despite the lies and all that we have done to each other in the past there was a part of me who did think I could love her.