Page 39 of Brandishing Betrayals (Devil’s Psychos MC #2)

Marcos

“ I spent the night at Kara’s,” I told Jason and Nico the following morning when I saw them at the clubhouse.

They both looked up from the car they were working on in the clubhouse’s attached automotive shop.

It was a new business endeavor that the Devil’s Psycho’s were starting, as the club needed to make more money—legal money—that we couldn’t get from our different dealings with running drugs, guns, or other illegal activities.

“I went to see Maya last night,” I continued when I had both their attention.

Nico looked relieved while Jason schooled his face into his usual stone-cold mask.

“I had to know for sure, one way or another. She denied Hillcrest threatening her and said she was fucking him.”

Nico’s head tilted back in disbelief, while Stone rolled his eyes. “I’m not surprised.”

“She was clearly trying to cover up. If he went to her parent’s house Sunday, then he’s growing suspicious of our involvement. He probably scared her to make sure she wouldn’t say anything.” Nico’s defense of her was admirable, but I didn’t know what to think anymore.

“Or she’s a lying whore,” Jason deadpanned.

“It was dark, so I couldn’t see her face clearly, but I kissed her and practically begged her to tell me the truth. I told her we would protect her and Luke if she was in danger and she just got angry. She denied any danger and said she was gladly fucking him.” [update previous scene].

Nico sighed and threw down his wrench. “I don’t fucking get what her deal is. Why won’t she just trust us?”

“Because she lied to you Nic,” Jason said softly, gently. “She was worked up, and in the moment, so she said what you wanted to hear. You want her to be lying so badly, that even when she keeps repeating the same thing over and over, you’re looking for looking for something that isn’t there.”

Nic shook his head vehemently. “No. I don’t believe that. You weren’t there; you didn’t see her. I’m telling you man. She was terrified.”

I sighed softly. “Either way. We don’t know.

What I do know, is that I’m not on Luke’s birth certificate as his father.

If anything were to happen to Maya, I would not get custody of my son—not easily at least. That’s not acceptable to me.

So I talked to my sister about it and she hooked me up with one of her lawyer friends that practice family law—”

“Marcos, no,” Nico snapped, shaking his head.

“I have to Nic!” My voice rose. “The lawyer is going to file a Petition to Establish Paternity. Maya can either voluntarily agree to a paternity test, or the court will order her to appear for testing. I need to make it legal that Luke is my son.”

Jason hummed in agreement.

Nico stared at me with a loss for words. “You’re not going for custody?”

“I need to establish paternity first. Custody maybe after, if Maya keeps up this bullshit charade with Hillcrest.” I ran a hand over my buzzed head.

“Fucking hell, Marcos,” Nic shook his head and paced away from the car. “You’re gonna rip out her fucking heart.”

“Like she did to us?” Stone shot back. “Like she keeps doing? You didn’t see her Sunday! How she pressed against him—”

“No! I was with her Saturday night when she sobbed in my arms when I questioned her about Hillcrest! I saw the fear in her eyes! You weren’t there when she confessed her love for us, before she clamped down on my cock!”

I let out a heavy breath.

“Point made. Heat of the moment,” Stone said.

“Motherfucker” Nico shoved at Stone.

“Hey, hey, hey!” I shouted, pushing between Jason and Nico. “Come on! This isn’t us! We don’t fight over pussy!”

“Maya isn’t just pussy, and you fucking know it!” Nico growled, pushing at me.

I allowed it, my back pressed against Jason’s chest, until Jason backed off and walked a few steps away.

“Marcos, I’m telling you man, Maya is being threatened! I believe that with everything I have.”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded slowly. “I hear you, Nic. I do. But there’s nothing I can do about that—”

“So we kill Hillcrest!” Nico shot back. “Something we should have months ago! When Las Serpientes kidnapped your god damned sister! When they killed our fucking President! We’ve let them get away with everything for too damn long!”

I nodded, feeling every bit of Nico’s rage. “I know, Nic, I know! I talked to Kara about that too. I told her the club is getting restless and seeking retribution. She said that she needs her father to accept a guilty plea deal. The board for the firm—”

“Fuck the board!” Nico shouted. “Since when do we give a shit about a bunch of corporate monkeys?!”

“Since my baby sister—the one YOU vowed to protect—asked us to!” I yelled, getting into Nico’s face. He wasn’t listening anymore and I needed him to.

Nic stepped away, breathing hard.

“Kara needs a guilty plea agreement signed, so the board will transfer the firm to her. Without the plea agreement, it goes to trial, which could take months if not years. With the plea agreement we can finish this maybe next week!” Marcos yelled.

“And he won’t sign?” Stone asked, his voice calm.

“No. And Johnny said they can’t ask the Bratva, because there’s friction there after Mac reached out to the Seratelli’s. The Knights need things smoothed over with the mafia and to back out of that agreement before things can be smoothed over with the Bratva.”

“So we need a sit down with the Seratelli’s,” Stone deadpanned.

“Yep.”

“FUCK!” Nico yelled. He turned to the work bench full of tools and shoved everything off of it in a fit of rage.

I gave him a minute to rage. Nico already knew what was expected of him; how much now rode on his back.

When he caught his breath, his back tense, he hung his head as he clung to the side of the tool bench.

“I’ll call my mom. She never got back to me after I went to see her. Leo was not open to talking the last time I saw him. She said she would try, for Maya, but the family was upset with me. She’s been asking him for the last three weeks to talk to me and he’s refused every time.”

I nodded, knowing this already. “We need you to try again.”

Nico

I didn’t end up calling my mother, instead I called my cousin directly. I half expected to be sent to voicemail, so I’m caught off guard when Leo’s gruff voice answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Leo, can we talk please?”

Leo’s heavy sigh is audible through the phone. “I answered, didn’t I?”

I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth; my cousin could be a real asshole sometimes. “Can we please talk in person?”

“The restaurant, Thursday night, 8 pm. Come alone.”

“I was hoping we could set up a meeting with the club.”

“No. You will come alone. You will answer to the family first, before I will agree to any sit down with your little bike club.”

“I appreciate i—”

Leonardo hung up the phone before I could finish speaking. Shaking my head, I grabbed a pre-rolled joint and walked out into the clubhouse. I found Marcos and Jason in the president’s office, both men kicked back on opposite couches, each smoking their own joints.

I sighed heavily and lit up my own as I took the chair in front of the desk and turned it toward the couches. I sucked back hard on the joint as I sat down and kicked my feet up. “He answered. He agreed to a meeting Thursday night at 8. I’m to come alone.”

“Fuck,” Stone grunted.

“Yep,” I said and blew out the smoke from my joint. “He said I had to answer to the family first, before he would agree to any sit down with the MC.”

Marcos nodded slowly. “And you think he’s going to demand retribution Thursday night?”

“Definitely. You guys should probably be on stand-by across the street. I don’t think I’ll be walking out of there.” I puffed on my joint.

Marcos grunted and rubbed a hand over his head.

It was fucked up. I prayed to God that I lived through it. We needed the Family’s support when it came to both Vince Carmichael and Dax Hillcrest.