RAINING HELL-To Load Read online

  “All right, man. Don’t sweat it. We’ll figure it out,” Luca sighed, feeling the anger drain from his body. It was nearly impossible to stay mad at his kid brother. Whatever happened while he was in prison, Luca knew that his brother didn’t have bad intentions at heart, he just made bad decisions. “I want you to head over to Sunshine’s and ask her to find us some appliances. Bella’s social worker will be swinging by tonight and I can’t have her seeing tumbleweeds rolling across my damn living room.”

  Luca’s phone alarm vibrated in his pocket. He stood up, swiped it away, then cautioned a look back at Bella who was sitting on the floor contentedly eating her granola bar.

  “Give me your keys.” Luca extended a hand toward his brother without taking his eyes off his daughter.

  “You got that thing at McLaughlin’s trucking?” Aiden fished his bike keys out of his stained, stale beer smelling jeans and slapped them into Luca’s hand.

  Luca had made a lot of contacts while in prison and of the many offers he received to put his unique skill set to use, Luca turned them all down. He didn’t want another job that would land him right back in the same small cage for the rest of his life. Everything for Luca changed when Ronnie McLaughlin got busted on a possession charge and became Luca’s new bunkmate for a few months. Luca took care of the kid and kept him out of trouble during his short stint in prison. After Ronnie’s short sentence was over his father and CEO of McLaughlin’s trucking personally came to visit Luca and offered him a job as thanks.

  “Yeah.” Luca turned back to his brother and pulled his mouth to the side of his face. “You want me to ask him if there’re other openings available?”

  “Nah, man. I don’t want to sink anything you got going.” Aiden was quick to throw up a hand and wave the notion away. “I’ll be all right. I just need to get my shit together is all.”

  Luca nodded gravely, but said nothing for several long moments.

  “You’re watching Bella while I’m gone. I don’t know if they’re going to have me start today or just fill out paperwork, but I’ll text you.” Luca grabbed Bella, picking her up and bringing her over to her uncle. He went to put her down on the couch next to Aiden, but got one whiff of him and swung his daughter around, placing her gently on the floor several feet away. Bella giggled at the abrupt swinging motion.

  “I gotta drive the mom tank?” Aiden whined, absently scratching at his inner arm before catching himself and stopping.

  “Yeah, but not until you get your skunky ass in the shower.” Luca tossed Aiden the keys to the minivan that Bowie’s wife, Sunshine let him borrow last night. “I don’t want my daughter standing to close to you and catching gonorrhea.”

  “Hey! For the record that’s one of the few STDs I’ve never gotten.” Aiden got up and headed toward the shower.

  Luca kissed Bella’s forehead and told her he’d be back later tonight, then headed off to take the first step down the path of a new, law-abiding life.

  “What do you mean there’s a problem with my paperwork?” Luca shuffled uncomfortably in his plastic chair opposite the site’s foreman in the mobile McLaughlin office that was basically a retrofitted storage container box. Just outside dump trucks unloaded shipments of rocks and sand in the development of what was rapidly becoming an epidemic of condominiums.

  A lot had changed in the six years he’d been gone. Luca hardly recognized Santa Fe these days.

  “I-uh don’t know what to tell you, bud. Your name was in the system yesterday, but it’s not anymore.” The portly, clean shaven man wiped the sweat from his face and neck. Despite the air-conditioner being on full blast it only took the edge off the baking summer heat and did nothing to cool the rising temperature Luca felt inside his core.

  “There’s got to be some mistake. Just call Mr. McLaughlin.” Luca exhaled through a strained smile, desperately trying not to come off as hostile. “He’ll sort all this out. He and I have an agreement.”

  “I’ll call the boss, but there’s nothing else I can do for you.” The man shrugged with an apologetic disinterest. It was clear from the stack of paperwork on his desk and the incessant ringing of his cell phone that he had too much work to do to waste time with Luca.

  Luca steadied himself and left.

  On his way back to his bike, Luca easily spotted the expensive new black Mercedes-Benz SUV that had pulled in while he was inside the container box. It stood out not only because it was way out of the price range of anyone working here, but also because it gleamed—polished so clean that it could only belong to someone in charge.

  Having nothing to lose Luca walked over and knocked on the window. The smartly dressed man behind the tinted glass rolled down his window and regarded Luca with the resignation of inevitability. He knew this meeting was always going to happen.

  “Hello, Luca.” Mr. McLaughlin offered the hint of a greeting smile, but couldn’t sustain it and it faded like pollen in the breeze.

  “Roger.” Luca crossed his arms, frowning. “I thought you offered me a job.”

  “I did.” Roger nodded slightly before continuing. “But things have unfortunately changed.”

  “So what you’re telling me —and please correct me if I’m wrong— is that you’re full of shit then?” Luca struggled a losing battle to keep the anger from his face.

  “Listen. I appreciate what you did for Ronnie. I do, but—”

  “But not enough to hire a dangerous ex-con into your company.” Luca interrupted, watching the man’s eyes shimmer with a growing fear.

  “That’s not it!” Roger swallowed, putting his hands up defensively. “Don’t…”

  Roger’s words trailed off, but the implication was as clear as day. They were the only two people in the parking lot. Luca could easily rip Roger right out of his fancy SUV and beat him to death before anyone could stop him. Roger knew this. And so did Luca.

  These preconceived notions and snap judgments were something he was going to have to get used to. Anyone that knew Luca went to prison was going to automatically assume the worst of him. In their eyes, he would always be a criminal first and everything else second.

  What was that going to do to Bella growing up?

  It was amazing how quickly his thoughts turned back to her. She really was all that mattered.

  “I’m not that guy anymore, and you won’t be the one to put me back in prison.” Luca snorted disdainfully at Roger McLaughlin, uncrossed his arms and started walking away. There was nothing else he could do here except find a reason to get arrested and that wasn’t going to help him keep Bella.

  “Wait.” Roger stepped out of his Benz and chased after Luca. “Ronnie told me everything you did for him and… Well I had every intention of hiring you, I did. I just...”

  Luca narrowed his eyes at the man, reading his apologetic body language. He was telling the truth. What happened then? Then something Luca talked about with Bowie the previous night hit him and it was all too clear. Roger had been threatened.

  “Adam Peterson.” Luca growled. It wasn’t a question, but Roger treated it like one and nodded slowly.

  Chapter Four

  Luca stopped abruptly in front of the clubhouse and stomped inside. He was for want of better word pissed. His morning was officially in the shitter. He’d gone to the employment office and had been told he was literary unemployable. They blamed it on his ex-convict status but Luca knew better. He knew no one in this shitty town would go against Sheriff Adam Peterson to hire him. He had too many people running scared. He was known all over town as being a bully.

  Luca sat down at the bar and nodded at the prospect for a beer. There weren’t any old ladies or kids around the club today so the girls were present and accounted for.

  As he sipped his beer, he looked around and counted seven of them. They were there to service the brothers when they needed a good fuck. That was their job and they were very good at it or so it seemed.

  He was sipping his beer when he felt Bowie take the seat behind him.
Luca’s heart sped up a bit until he caught the scent of the other man and he relaxed. He turned his head and nodded at his President.

  “What are you doing back so soon?” Bowie wanted to know. “Or don’t I even need to ask?”

  Luca snorted.

  “That fucking son of a bitch.” Bowie took a drink. “How is that sweet little girl of yours doing this morning?”

  Luca nodded. “She’s good. Sleeps like her mother though, all over the fuckin bed.”

  Bowie chuckled. “Where is she by the way?”

  “I left her with Aiden but I have a feeling that’s not going to work out too well.” He ran his fingers down his face. A realization budded in Luca’s mind. “Wait. You haven’t seen him today?”

  “Nope. Aside from drop-ins like yourself to blow off steam, church isn’t in session for a few more days.” Bowie shrugged. Church. That’s what the MC called their weekly meeting. It’d been far too long since Luca heard that word.

  “Goddamnit, Aiden,” Luca grumbled to himself as he rubbed his hand back over his face. When he looked up he saw Bowie’s puzzlement and elaborate, “I sent him over to here to get some furniture in the house before the Social worker comes this afternoon.”

  Bowie turned and stared at Luca. “What the fuck you mean? Gotta get some furniture in the house? Your house was furnished good enough when you left.”

  Luca nodded. “Apparently Aiden ran into money problems paying the mortgage and taxes and shit and had to pawn most of my shit to keep up.”

  Bowie slammed his bottle down on the bar. “That’s bullshit.” He growled.

  “What do you mean?” Luca frowned.

  “The club paid the fuckin mortgage and taxes every year on your house. We owed you for taking the rap for Doc. Aiden didn’t have anything left to pay.”

  Luca felt a hollowness inside his soul. “Then what the hell did he pawn all my shit for?”

  Bowie snorted. “I been meaning to talk to you about him. He’s been doing some of the drug runs over the years and I think he’s been using what he’s supposed to be selling.”

  “What?” Luca asked low. His voice had a certain fury in it that Bowie recognized. He’d heard that growl before but never from Luca. That growl belonged to Luca’s dad and he heard it often enough back when his friend was still alive. It usually came out when Rowdy was about to lose his shit and somebody was gonna get a beat down.

  Bowie swallowed hard. Then his eyes hardened and he raised his glass to his lips and swallowed the rest of his beer. “What time is the busy body gonna be there?”

  Luca didn’t trust himself to say anything so he just shrugged.

  Bowie slapped him on the back and told him, “Don’t you worry about furniture. We got your back. We’ll get you set up.”

  Luca nodded. “Need a working stove and fridge too.”

  Bowie growled but didn’t say a word.

  Luca got up and headed toward the door. “I gotta stop and pick up something to eat. All Bella got for breakfast this morning was a fuckin granola bar.”

  Bowie got up and followed him to the door. “If you need someone to watch Bella you can bring her over to Sunshine. She’s love to watch your little girl.”

  Luca stopped just inside the door. “Is Aiden still working the drug routes?”

  “Hell no.” Bowie scowled. “He hasn’t been running routes for a couple of months now. He fucked up the last trip so bad we didn’t get any money for our product. Really pissed off a lot of the guys.”

  “That must be why he needed the money.” Luca stated.

  Bowie snorted. “He needed the money to support his habit.”

  Luca stopped. “He’s still using?”

  Bowie nodded.

  “Fucking hell.” He rushed out the door. He rushed over to his bike and flung his leg over the seat. Racing away from the clubhouse, he broke the speed limits to get back to his house. If Aiden wasn’t watching Bella, he was going to kill his brother. What he did on his own time was his business but Luca trusted him to watch over his daughter and that’s what he better be doing.

  Twenty minutes later, Luca slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop as he pulled into the dooryard and rushed to his front door. Throwing it open, he found Bella sitting on the floor and there was no sign of Aiden. He knelt beside his little girl and checked her over. She didn’t seem to be injured or overly afraid. That was disconcerting. He had to wonder if Frannie left her on her own before.

  He got up and began looking for Aiden. His footsteps echoed through the house as he hunted down his brother. He found him out in the backyard. He was passed out on a lounge chair.

  Luca kicked the chair and Aiden woke up with a start.

  “What the fuck are you doing out here when Bella is inside the house?” he growled. “You’re supposed to be watching her, not sleeping on the job.”

  Aiden woke up disoriented. “What the hell are you doing back here so soon?” he mumbled.

  “Peterson is making sure I don’t get hired in this fuckin town,” Luca grumbled. He glared at his brother. “That doesn’t answer my question. Why aren’t you keeping an eye on Bella?”

  Aiden ran his hand over his head. He still looked lost. “Well fuck, I was tired ok? She ain’t my kid.”

  “You little fucker.” Luca growled. He reached for Aiden’s sleeve and ripped it open. He could see the fresh track marks on his brother’s arm. He looked at Aiden but Aiden wouldn’t look back. “Jesus Christ, Aiden, what the fucking hell are you doing?”

  Aiden crumbled in front of him. He shook his head as tears ran down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry. I messed up big time I know. When you left, I was all alone. I couldn’t handle being alone. I mean Christ you’ve always been there for me. Then suddenly you weren’t.”

  “That’s no excuse and you know it.” Luca sneered. “Is that was the money you got for all my shit went to? Your habit?”

  Aiden hung his head. He began to mumble something then Luca grabbed his lower jaw and raised his head to meet his own glare. “Don’t you dare tell me you’re sorry. It’s time to clean up your act and get your head back on straight. Until you get your shit together I can’t be around you, do you understand that?”

  “What?” Aiden looked lost for a moment. “But we’re brothers’ man.”

  “Yeah, we are and always will be but there’s a little girl in there that needs me more than you do right now,” Luca told him. “She’s just a kid damn it and she’s my kid. I won’t lose her to the system where she’s got nobody. This is a fight you have to do on your own. You got hooked on your own and you have to get clean on your own. That social worker is looking for any excuse to take Bella away from me and put her into a foster home and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let that happen.”

  Luca glared at his brother. “Do you hear me Aiden? I have to find a job to take care of us and I have to keep my nose clean. This isn’t just you and me anymore. We’re grown men, we can take care of ourselves, but she’s not grown yet. She’s still a baby and she needs me and by Christ, I’m going to be there for her! Dad wasn’t a good role model for us so I’m not sure of what I’m doing with her but I want everything we never had for her. I need to make this right. She’s my blood.”

  “I’m your blood too, brother,” Aiden insisted angrily. “And I’ve been your blood for a hell of lot longer.”

  “I know and I’m sorry, but you got into this mess on your own you can get yourself out of it. I’ll be there for you as much as I can but you have to want to get better before this will work. I can’t do it for you.”

  Aiden nodded slowly. “Ok, I’m ready to try.”

  “You’d better be more than just ready to try, you have to do this. It isn’t going to be easy but you can do this if you want it bad enough.”

  They both heard vehicles in the front yard and both came around the side of the house to see who it was.

  Bowie and some of the other brothers greeted them in a truck loaded down with furniture
and appliances.

  A couple more cars pulled in. Sunshine and a couple other wives got out hauling in box after box of clothing and food. Sunshine came up to Luca and smiled. “We thought your little girl could use some clothes and stuff to play with.”

  Luca smiled at her. “Thanks, I would have been lost with figuring out that sort of stuff.”

  “Hey, you would have gotten the hang of it sooner or later,” Sunshine told him. “Just think of yourself and go a much smaller size.”

  Luca threw his head back and laughed out loud. “Yeah right like that would actually work. I appreciate the effort even if it was a lie.”

  Sunshine laid her head on his shoulder. “Oh Luca, you’ll do just fine.”

  When they turned to walk inside the house, they found all the guys frozen. Luca pushed his way through the lineup and found Bella all curled up in the corner crying her eyes out. She was cringing away from the guys like she was terrified or something.

  “What the hell is going on here?” he asked them.

  “Damned if we know,” Bowie stated in a low voice. “One minute she was playing, then she looked up at all of us and ran for the corner. I swear we didn’t do anything to her.”

  “I know that,” Luca assured them all. He walked slowly toward his daughter and knelt down beside her. She moved away from him and closed her eyes whimpering.

  “Hey sweetheart,” he said softly. “Are you ok? These guys aren’t going to hurt you. I won’t let them. You’re safe here.”

  Bella shook her head as if she didn’t believe him. She wouldn’t look at him. Her eyes were haunted by memories she couldn’t speak about.

  Luca gathered her into his arms and he felt her tiny arms wrap around his neck as he held her close to him. Luca had to wonder what hell this tiny girl had lived through already. He didn't know what he was going to do. If Peterson had his way, Luca knew he would never get a job to support him and Bella. Whatever he did, he had to protect Bella. He wasn’t sure when she’d come to mean so much to him as he’d only met her yesterday but she snuck into his heart at some point over night.