Page 46 of Devil's Due

“Who’s after you, Stevie? What do you know?”

Her lips press together. “I don’t want to say. Suffice to tell you, I saw something I shouldn’t.”

Demon shakes his head. “Is this from before you went blind?”

Stevie gives a short laugh. “No, sorry. The use of my word was confusing. I have ways of identifying people without using my eyes.”

Demon’s staring at me. “Have you got any suggestions how we handle this, Beef?”

Instead of answering, I stare at Stevie. Now the adrenaline rush of getting away from the fire has died down, and my anger, then sorrow at seeing the end between me and Sally, welcome, but the admittance of failure all the same, I’ve started to think more rationally. There are some questions I want answered.

“Leaving aside the hows and whys of your situation. Who knows you’ve come to Pueblo?”

“My handler. Who he’s told, I don’t know.”

“Who’s he with? FBI or cops?”

“Er, FBI.”

My eyes meet Demon’s again. A federal case is more serious. “They usually play it close to their chests. Only people who know are those that need to.”

“I know,” she says, adamantly. “That’s why I thought I was safe. I haven’t done anything to draw attention to myself. I’m not stupid. It’s my life after all. I looked into everything before I accepted leaving my old life behind. The US Marshals providing witness protection haven’t lost anyone,ever. Unless the person slipped up themselves.”

“Have you?” Demon asks.

A vigorous shake of her head. “Absolutely not.”

I lean back, my hands clasped behind my head. For a moment I stare at the ceiling above. It doesn’t provide inspiration. I start speaking my thoughts aloud. “Most people in Wit Sec are criminals. Only a very small proportion are innocents. You sure you’re not involved in something you shouldn’t be?” Changing my viewpoint, I bring my eyes down to stare at her. “Babe, whatever you’ve done we don’t give a damn. Wouldn’t call us criminals, but we live outside the citizen world as much as we can.”

“Beef!” she cries out in frustration. “I’vedone nothing wrong. I’ve been caught up in something that I’d give anything to have avoided. I should have been safe here. No one should have been able to find me. I’ve got a new life, and I’ve done everything I can to protect it. I assure you, the very last thing I want to do is die.”

That’s where I do believe her.

Demon is staring at me. I’ve brought a woman onto the compound, involved my brothers, when I don’t a clue what’s going on. I’ve been seen around her wearing my cut, it’s almost a certainty that someone, somewhere, suspects where she is. If I was in Demon’s shoes, hell, even wearing mine, I’d want to know what we’re up against.

“Come clean, Stevie,” I instruct her, using the tone which would have had Sally shaking.

Maybe it’s because she can’t see my fierce expression, but Stevie, unlike Sally, doesn’t comply. Instead she suggests again, “Take me to a motel. I’ll wait it out there until I can collect Max, then I’ll contact my handler—”

“No,” I interrupt. The thought of abandoning any woman in her situation wouldn’t sit well on my shoulders. But her? I’ve got a vision in my mind of her innocently opening the door to someone who says they’re a motel employee, then of her lying dead or bleeding out on the floor. “If you’re going anywhere, you won’t be alone.”

Demon has remained quiet for a while. He now steps back into the conversation. “Beef wears a cut. Clearly shows which club he belongs to. Chances are whoever is after you knows exactly where you are. Might be too dangerous you staying here. Nah, hear me out. You’ve got challenges, shall we say? Don’t want to play on them or make you out to be less of a woman than you obviously are, but things which we take for granted, you struggle with. Only a fool would ignore that. So, I think you’re in danger staying here, and as you won’t tell us who’s coming for you, I can’t rule out collateral damage to the club.” His eyes meet mine briefly. Only a couple of months back and they had to rebuild. If she could see she’d be able to tell that for herself. Be a few years yet before the new brickwork starts merging in with the old. “But a motel isn’t a good option, and I’d have concerns about you going alone.”

There are two things I’m reading loud and clear. One, is Demon’s got an idea, and two is I’ll be the one going with her. I haven’t got a problem with that, though I’ll have to run it past Drummer. He sent me here for a reason after all, and I haven’t had much of a chance to sit down with Demon and discuss it except for our one brief chat.

Demon doesn’t disappoint me. “You need somewhere to hole up until your dog is back on his feet. Club’s got a cabin up in the woods. Less than an hour’s drive from here. Hellfire used it when we were kids and had had enough of the city. Club members use it from time to time. Might need a bit of cleaning, but hey, that’s what prospects are for. You can stay up there with Beef.”

“Max…”

“We’ll keep an eye on him for you. Soon as he’s fixed, bring him to you. You’ll be off the radar and safe there until you can talk to your handler and get yourself moved on.”

“No records linking the cabin to us?” I sit forward, interested in his proposal.

“Nah. Club’s owned it almost from the start, but never been our name or any one of the members on the deeds. Be hard as fuck to trace. From forty years ago more likely to be paper records covered in dust.”

I can imagine the various purposes it was probably used for. Back forty years this particular club wasn’t part of the Satan’s Devils, and Blackie, the first prez, was into things we no longer touch. Probably more than one member needing to keep his head low from time to time.

“It’s a nice place once it’s clean and tidy. Got water and electric. Remember it well from when I was a kid. Jeannie and Bomber have used it from time to time as well.”

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