Steel (Devil's Fury MC 5) Read online

  I knew Coral would be excited to have her own bed, and to see all the things Steel had bought for her, but I also wanted her with me for tonight. I got up and put my plate in the sink, then went into the living room and lifted Coral into my arms. With one last glance at the man who left me so confused I was nearly dizzy, I went into the bedroom and eased Coral onto the bed before locking the door. We’d sleep in here tonight, and tomorrow I’d assess things better. He’d been right when he said I needed to rest.

  I smoothed Coral’s hair from her face and smiled at my sleeping angel. She was the best thing to ever happen to me. “Sleep, my sweet girl. Maybe Steel is as amazing as he seems. For your sake, I hope so. I could really use the help he’s offering, but I’m too damn scared to take it.”

  I’d trusted her father, and look where it got me. He’d signed his rights away, and still his parents made my life a living hell. I didn’t think it would ever end. Even being in another town, there was still a chance they would come for me. If they did, I didn’t know what I’d do. There wasn’t enough money for me to run this time. I’d be stuck here, with no way to fight back.

  It would have been nice to know Coral’s dad had ties with criminal elements before I’d slept with him. I never would have gone on a date much less let him get any closer to me. Because of my poor judgment, we’d been on the defensive for six years. Would it ever end? Or would his family keep coming after me until they managed to bury me?

  “Whatever it takes, I’ll keep you safe,” I murmured to my daughter. She was my life, my everything, and I’d do anything to keep those monsters away from her.

  Even trust a man I didn’t really know.

  Chapter Four

  Steel

  It hadn’t surprised me when Rachel had locked the bedroom door. I should have gotten some sleep while everyone else rested, but there was too much to do. Wouldn’t be the first time I’d stayed up for more than twenty-four hours, and I doubted it would be the last. I did know one thing. It was time to learn more about my houseguests so I could better protect them. I’d thought I was only saving Rachel from herself, but I had a feeling there was more going on. Since Rachel’s purse was still in the living room, I pulled out her license and snapped a picture before texting it to Outlaw along with a short message. See what you can find on her. I need to know everything.

  The girl on the license looked younger but no less haunted. Rachel Williams. According her date of birth, she was twenty-three. I’d known she was young, but having a six-year-old, I’d thought she was closer to twenty-five or twenty-six. Didn’t matter. Either way, she was entirely too young for an old bastard like me. It looked like she’d traveled here from Alabama, not too far from the Dixie Reapers. If Outlaw couldn’t find anything, maybe Wire would be able to.

  While it wouldn’t be the first time one of us brought a woman home to keep her safe, Rachel was a complete unknown. It had worked out well for Outlaw, when he’d claimed Elena, but I knew sooner or later we’d try to save the wrong woman. Rachel might seem sweet and down on her luck, but it could just as easily be a ruse. Although, if she was attempting to gather intel on a club, I’d have thought she’d go to the Reapers since they’d been closer to her hometown. Our club might have enemies, but none were in Alabama that I knew of.

  “Who exactly are you, Rachel Williams, and what are you running from?” I muttered. I put her license back and went to make breakfast. It had been a while since I’d had company and even longer since I’d been around kids, but I had a feeling little Coral would wake up hungry. Even if I didn’t know quite what to make of her mom yet, I knew without a doubt that little girl was innocent.

  I made pancakes and sausage links while I thought about their situation. It was clear Coral’s dad wasn’t in the picture, and from what little I’d heard, I wondered if he might be dangerous. Would he track them here? Assuming Rachel hadn’t been sent here on purpose. As much as I wanted to wrap those two in cotton and keep them safe, I kept reminding myself Rachel might not be as innocent as she appeared.

  Once the food was ready, I set everything in the center of the table and pulled down plates from the cabinet. I placed a fork and butter knife next to each setting, then grabbed some glasses. The fridge might be getting bare, but I did have juice and milk in there. I set out the butter and syrup, then went to check on the girls. Before I’d even reached the spare room, the door opened and a sleepy Coral stumbled out, rubbing her eyes and yawning widely.

  “Morning, sunshine,” I said.

  She blinked at me and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. When she emerged again, she seemed a little more awake. I noticed she hadn’t shut the bedroom door and I peered inside, seeing that Rachel was still sleeping soundly. I wasn’t sure if I should wake her, or leave her be. It was clear she’d been exhausted when she passed out last night.

  “Should we let your mom sleep?” I asked. “There’s breakfast on the table.”

  Coral’s eyes lit up. “I’ll get her.”

  She practically ran back to the bedroom and I decided to head to the kitchen. I didn’t know what sort of mood Rachel would be in today, and having me hover in the hallway might bother her. Yes, it was my damn house, but until I knew what was going on with those two, I didn’t want to run them out of here.

  My phone chimed with an incoming text and I saw it was from Outlaw. Rachel Williams, age 23. Single mom to Coral Williams. It’s Coral’s dad we need to worry about.

  What the hell did that mean? I responded to his message: Who’s the dad?

  Patrick Mulligan. His parents are Cait and Sean Mulligan. They have ties with the Irish mob. Court docs show he signed away his rights.

  Shit. That put a new light on things. I didn’t see Rachel working with someone like the Mulligans, not with Coral caught in the middle. If there was one thing I’d discerned right away, it was how much she loved her daughter. Anyone mixed up with the Irish mob was on borrowed time. I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to use Coral in any way necessary, which might explain why Rachel was in the middle of nowhere, so far from home, and didn’t know a damn soul in this town. She’d been on the run.

  My phone went off again. What are you going to do?

  Fuck if I knew, but I wasn’t about to leave them defenseless. What if the Mulligans knew exactly where Rachel was hiding? If they came for either of them, she wouldn’t stand a chance. Those people would snatch Coral and run, and Rachel would be lucky if they didn’t do worse, like sell the pair of them. Although with Coral being of Mulligan blood, my money was on them using her to sweeten a deal by offering her hand in marriage when she came of age. Wasn’t unheard of in crime families. Hell, corporate types did the same damn thing, even if they wanted to put a fancier spin on it.

  I finally sent a message back: No damn clue. But they need protection.

  Coral and Rachel came into the kitchen, each taking a seat. Rachel twisted her hands in her lap and had a haunted look in her eyes. The pink pajamas she wore were cute, even though they were a bit threadbare. I wondered if she was ready to come clean about why she was in Blackwood Falls, or where she’d come from. Had she decided to trust me yet? She’d likely change her mind if she knew I’d taken a picture of her license and had her investigated. Couldn’t be too careful, though. Just because she was pretty and looked sweet didn’t mean shit. People with no morals, and no heart, didn’t care if a woman or kid got caught in the crossfire. But I sure the fuck did.

  “Hope the two of you are hungry,” I said, adding pancakes and sausage to each of their plates. I let them add the butter and syrup on their own, but it had been obvious Rachel wasn’t going to help herself.

  “All this is for us?” Coral asked softly.

  I forked a few pancakes onto my plate and added some sausage links. “Well, it’s for me too, but yes, Coral. You can have as much as you want. I’ll need to get some groceries before we make lunch, but there won’t be a food shortage around here.”

  I held Rachel’s gaze, and I s
aw the exact moment she decided to let me help. She smiled down at her daughter, tucking Coral’s hair behind her ear. “Sweetheart, Mr. Steel bought you some things last night. You’ll have your own bed to sleep in tonight, and there are some toys and clothes in there too. The room next to where we slept last night.”

  Coral practically bounced in her chair, and I could tell she wanted to bolt from the kitchen and go look for herself, but I knew she needed to eat first. I gave her as stern a look as I could muster in the face of such cuteness, and she settled back down.

  “Eat your breakfast, then you can see your room,” I said.

  It wasn’t until I’d uttered the words I realized I wasn’t her parent. Yes, they were in my house, but I wasn’t sure her mother wanted me to give orders to her kid. A quick glance at Rachel told me she hadn’t minded in the least. If anything, she still looked a bit dazed. I wanted to kick the ass of every person who had let her down over the years, starting with Coral’s sperm donor. I couldn’t even think of the man as her father because it was clear he’d never acted as such. How could he not want his own child?

  “It’s really a room just for me?” Coral asked.

  I nodded. I had no clue how long they’d be here, but I wanted the little girl to feel welcome. More than that, I wanted her to feel safe, and like she belonged somewhere. The few conversations I’d had with her, I could tell the life they’d led had been a bit stressful on her, especially of late. I might not have a magic wand to fix everything right away, but I’d do what I could.

  Coral ate so fast I worried she’d make herself sick, but I could tell she was excited. When she finished her food, Rachel excused her from the table. I remained behind, hoping Rachel would open up and talk to me a bit. Even though I’d learned about her circumstances from Outlaw, I wanted to hear it from her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “For everything. No one’s cared what happened to us in a while. I’m sorry if I seemed suspicious before. I’ve learned no one does stuff without wanting something in return, but you’ve proven there really are good people in the world still.”

  I held up a hand. “I’m not a saint, Rachel. No, I don’t want anything in return for helping you, but don’t make me out to be something I’m not. I drink, I cuss more than I should, and I have blood on my hands -- both from serving my country and from protecting my family. I will do whatever it takes to keep you and that little girl safe, but don’t put me on a pedestal.”

  She gave a nod. Standing, she gathered her dishes and mine, then moved to the kitchen sink and started rinsing them. I couldn’t remember a time someone had loaded the dishwasher for me, or cleared the table. Having lived alone since I’d left home, it was a little strange having someone else in the house. Not in a bad way, though.

  She sat across from me when she’d finished, her hands clasped on the table. The way her gaze darted around the room and her fingers trembled, I could tell something was bothering her. I didn’t push. If she wanted to say something, she would when she was good and ready. While I waited, I got up and made a pot of coffee. I took down a mug and wondered if Rachel wanted a cup.

  “Want coffee?” I asked.

  She gave a slight nod, so I pulled down a second mug. After the coffeemaker finished brewing, I poured two cups, then placed them on the table. If she wanted milk or sugar, she didn’t say. I sat down and sipped mine, waiting patiently for her to gather her courage. When she finally spoke, I was glad I hadn’t pushed. I could tell it was difficult for her.

  “When I was in high school, I thought I was head over heels in love with one of the football players. His name was Patrick Mulligan, and he seemed charming. Didn’t hurt he was popular,” she said, a faint smile on her lips. “Until I found out I was pregnant with Coral. That’s the day I realized I’d been dating a monster. I should have known before that, since he wanted to keep our relationship a secret. He tried to make it sound romantic, like he wanted me all to himself.”

  My hands tightened on my cup. I wanted to reach for her, or ask if he’d hurt her, but I held back. If I did anything at this moment, it could stop her from telling me her story, and I needed to hear it firsthand.

  “He became hateful, calling me names, telling me to get rid of the baby. Even threatened me and my family,” she said. “When I told him I was keeping Coral, he signed a document giving up his rights to her. It meant I wouldn’t get child support, and neither Coral nor I would have contact with him again, except for what was required at school until we graduated. My family let me live with them until I received my diploma, and then I was on my own.”

  “Your family threw you out?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “Yes. They were ashamed of me. It didn’t help that I couldn’t tell them who the father was. It had been part of Patrick’s agreement, which I’d also had to sign. Something his family lawyer had drawn up. I upheld my end, never contacting him or his parents, never asking for anything, and I never breathed a word of who Coral’s father was, but it wasn’t enough.” She took a breath, her hands trembling as she sipped her coffee. “Little things happened over the years. I always chalked them up to bad luck, but lately I started to worry my daughter might be in danger. Something fell off a building and nearly hit me. A car nearly ran me over. It seemed to escalate with each incident.”

  “Why did you think she was in danger?” I asked.

  “I started to see not only Patrick but his family when I’d go somewhere with Coral, and his mother tried to pick her up from daycare shortly before we left. I don’t know why they suddenly are showing an interest in her, but they haven’t approached me, which makes me think…”

  “They’re up to no good?”

  She nodded. “The Mulligans are a powerful family where I come from. While I was dating Patrick, I didn’t realize just how rotten they all were. I know this sounds completely crazy, and like something off TV, but I think they have ties with the mob.”

  “That’s because they do,” I said. Her gaze lifted to mine and I saw the stark terror. “The Mulligan family is part of the Irish mob, Rachel. And before you ask, no, neither my club nor I have any dealings with them.”

  “How do you know about them?” she asked.

  And here’s where it got sticky. If I admitted I’d snooped in her purse, then she could possibly run from me. But keeping it from her made me no different from anyone else she’d known and trusted.

  “While you were asleep, I looked at your identification. And before you get all irate and shit, just know while you were unsure about me, I was just as uncertain about you. Wouldn’t be the first time a pretty woman was used to lure in a man for nefarious purposes. I had to make sure you really did need my help and you weren’t bait.”

  It took a moment, but her body finally relaxed. “Fine. I can understand why you’d be concerned. But how did you tie my name to the Mulligan family?”

  “One of my brothers in the club is a hacker. He traced your name and Coral’s, then found the document on file showing Patrick Mulligan had given away his rights to his daughter. From there, it was easy enough to figure out exactly who Patrick was, or more accurately, who his family is. And, girl, you are in a world of trouble.”

  She gulped the rest of her coffee and held out the mug. I got up to refill it, then waited for her to process what I’d told her. It was clear she knew her ex was bad news, but I wasn’t sure she had a grasp on what exactly the man, and his family, was capable of. I didn’t think they necessarily cared about Rachel, but they definitely wanted Coral. While I had my suspicions as to why, it wasn’t anything I knew for certain. The last thing I wanted to do was scare Rachel more, but she needed to know what she was up against.

  “Crime families tend to use children to barter deals. They most likely want Coral to offer her hand in marriage, when she’s of age, to another family in the Irish mob. As for you, I doubt they give a rat’s ass about you, unless you get in their way.”

  “And then?” she asked.

  “They’ll
make you disappear, either by killing you and hiding the body, or they’ll sell you. I’m not trying to scare the shit out of you, but I want you to understand the amount of caution you need to use if you’re out and about. It won’t be a matter of if they find you but when they find you.”

  Rachel paled and swayed a bit, but I saw the moment she braced herself for whatever might come her way. Her spine straightened and a look of determination entered her eyes. I’d known she was strong, but I hoped she was strong enough. If the Mulligans truly wanted Coral, I knew they’d stop at nothing to get her. Changing their location wasn’t enough. Hell, even changing their names wouldn’t stop those people.

  “I know I’m a stranger, Rachel, but I want you and Coral to stay here for a while. At least until you’re on your feet and can afford a place in a safe area. You can keep the room you slept in last night, and we’ll get the other one fixed up for Coral. The only thing I ask is that you tell my club as much as you can about your time with Patrick Mulligan, and anything that’s happened since, and not the glossed-over version you already gave me.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because we can’t keep you safe if we don’t know everything. You can’t run from the Mulligans, Rachel. The only way to get away from this situation is to stop it for good. We need to find out if they’ll consider something in trade for Coral. Even though they don’t have a legal leg to stand on, these people don’t play by the rules. They’ll take her and never look back, so we need to give them something they want more than her.”

  “I don’t have anything,” she said softly.

  “You let my club worry about it when the time comes. If you want to keep working at the diner, someone here will drop you off and pick you up. I don’t think Rick will mind you taking another day or two off. I know he’s shorthanded, but he doesn’t want you passing out at work either.”