Devin

 

Devin dialed Evangeline’s phone number on his cell phone as he paced the floor of his kitchen. All his dogs were following his every move, and he was looking at them with nervous eyes. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to them. They were his life and soul. He had spent years rescuing them, and they depended on him. He loved them more than life itself, and they were devoted to him.

 

Evangeline’s phone was switched off.

 

“Shit!” he screamed and flung his phone at the wall, where it cracked and fell to the floor. His dogs looked at him with worry, a few of them whining. They knew that he was upset about something. He invited them over and sat down on the floor. His dogs surrounded him - they licked his face, jumped on his shoulders - and he petted them, huddling with them like they were all one big pack. No, he could not let anything happen to his dogs.

 

Eventually, Devin stood up and walked up to his bedroom. He didn’t know why he was so afraid. He had never been afraid before. He wondered if he was afraid for the first time because he was concerned about those other than himself. For the first time in his life, he was responsible for other people’s lives. Camille and his dogs. Did he have to choose? He had no other choice. Jimmy Figueroa had made it very clear to him that he could have it only one way. And he had to do it to prove his loyalty to the biker code.

 

Devin locked himself in his bathroom, away from his dogs who were still following him around. His face was completely bruised; the top of his left jaw had taken on a purple hue. His lip was swollen and cut, and he had a black eye too. His limbs ached, his joints creaked, and his shoulders felt like they had been carrying a mountain. He was happy to be back home and safe, but he wasn’t happy about the next steps he had to take.

 

Devin screamed at himself in the mirror as he slowly slipped his T-shirt off. They had punched and kicked him when he was unconscious too because he realized that there were bruises on the sides of his torso as well. He glared at himself in the mirror, with his nostrils flaring.

 

“Fucking bitch,” he muttered, thinking about Evangeline. And now he couldn’t even call her since he had broken his phone a few minutes ago. He couldn’t even call Camille. Although he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to speak to her. What would he say? How would he explain all this? How could he explain to her what he had to do next?

 

Devin punched his mirror and bruised his knuckles. But the pain from the punch seemed to calm him down; it reminded him that he needed to get going. He needed to set the ball rolling. The Choppers were watching him. They’d be following him. He needed to do this to keep his dogs and himself safe. Nothing else mattered.

 

Camille mattered. He thought this as he put his T-shirt back on. He didn’t even know where she was. He didn’t know what she might be thinking. He didn’t think that anything had happened to her, but he was convinced that she hated him now. She would even more after what he was about to do. But the code was the code. He had to do what he had to do. And hopefully, she would understand.

 

As for Evangeline, he would have to deal with her in his own time. He had to solve the problem with The Choppers first. She has another thing coming, he told himself as he grabbed the keys for his Harley off the rack by the front door.

 

When he stepped out of the house, he thought he heard the rumble of bikes. The Choppers were watching him. They were making sure that he went forward with his proof of loyalty to bikers. They had to see it with their own eyes. He didn’t blame them. In reality, he didn’t even blame Figueroa. He knew the power that Evangeline had over people’s minds. She could convince someone of anything. She’d once had Devin under her control for so long that he was eating out of her hand until he finally snapped back to reality. Figueroa was in the same position. Devin needed proof to be able to show Figueroa that she was duping him.

 

Devin got on his bike and put on his helmet. His shoulders ached from the strain of clutching his gears. But there was no time to waste.

 

It was nearly six in the evening, which meant that the bookstore would be closed. Shayna and Camille would have gone home by now, which would give him the perfect opportunity to execute the plan. He didn’t want to have to do it, he didn’t see the point of doing it either; but if that was the proof of loyalty that Figueroa wanted, then that was what Devin had to deliver. And he was going to do it himself. If he were going to be responsible for Camille’s ruin, then he would own the responsibility, not get some other guy to do it for him.

 

His only hope was that this wouldn’t mean that he’d lose Camille forever.

 

As Devin rode his bike towards the comic bookstore, he wondered if all this was for the best. The events of the past two days had only proven his worst fears - that his life wasn’t meant to be shared. He couldn’t have another liability. He couldn’t have a family or other people he loved and cared for, as it would only make them easy targets for his enemies.

 

Devin was approaching the bookstore with a heavy heart, but he was resolute. There was no other choice. There was no way he could back out of the deal now.

 

***

 

When Devin parked his bike outside the store, he noticed that the lights were still on. He took off his helmet and walked towards the front door. Now he could see clearly into the store. Evangeline was pushing Camille down on the floor and it seemed like Camille’s hand was handcuffed to the desk’s leg.

 

Camille was screaming something at Evangeline, and to his horror, Evangeline was laughing. Then he saw the syringe in Evangeline’s hand. She was going to do something. She was going to poison Camille. Devin gnawed his teeth. He wanted to punch through the glass of the door and unlock it, grab Evangeline by the neck and strangle her to death.

 

But Devin breathed in quickly to calm himself. The situation needed to be handled with care. One wrong move could mean pushing Evangeline over the edge. Camille was under her control now, her hands were cuffed, and Evangeline could do something rash and put Camille in danger. Devin needed to think straight.

 

He ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair and breathed in deeply. When he released his breath, he knocked on the front door in quick successions. He saw both the women turn to look towards the door. Camille screamed, crying out for help. She looked relieved to see him there. Evangeline on the other hand, looked like she had been caught red-handed. She gripped Camille’s shoulder and stuck out the syringe in the air.

 

Devin knocked on the door again, and this time he even forced a smile on his face. He was directing Evangeline with calm eyes to come over and open the door for him. She looked undecided. She clearly didn’t trust Devin’s intentions, but she also seemed to be confused by Devin’s calm reaction.

 

Eventually, when he knocked again, Evangeline approached the door, leaving Camille wriggling on the floor. Devin didn’t dare to look at Camille again; he didn’t want Evangeline to think that he was interested in her at all. He had seen the look on Camille’s face - her beautiful eyes screaming out for help. He would have given his soul to stop her from screaming, but this was the only way to keep her safe. He was going to play Evangeline’s game. He had no other choice.

 

Evangeline unlocked the door, staring right at Devin. He kept the smile pasted on his face. She opened the door, and he stepped in calmly like he was in no rush.

 

“Help me, Devin. She’s crazy!” Camille screamed, but he ignored her and instead smiled at Evangeline.

 

“Oh, darling, what have they done to you?!” Evangeline touched Devin’s face lightly. He grabbed her hand, and she gasped, but he only kissed it, pecking her long cold fingers.

 

“I’m fine, Evangeline. I’m all right now,” he said, and she threw herself at him. Devin hugged her tightly and stroked her hair. It also gave him the opportunity to catch Camille’s gaze who was staring at them with her mouth open. She couldn’t speak any more; she obviously couldn’t believe what was happening. This was not what she had expected. She had expected him to save her. He tried to tell her with his eyes that he would do everything in his power to protect her, but she was giving up now. He could see her growing weak and losing her trust in him.

 

“I’m so sorry I had to do all this Devin. I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Evangeline cooed in his ear, and Devin slowly peeled her off of him and held her at arm’s length, smiling at her.

 

“I know how much you love me. I know now that you did all this for me,” he said, and Evangeline fluttered her eyelids at him.

 

“Nobody can love you as much as me. I wish you’d seen that sooner,” she said, and she flung herself on him again, wrapping her arms around his neck.

 

“I know that now, Evangeline. You don’t have to apologize.” He tried to slowly wrestle the syringe out of her hands. Evangeline furrowed her brows and cocked her head to one side.

 

“I think I’ll keep this with me for now, just for precaution.”

 

Devin smiled at her. “You don’t trust me?” he asked, and she kissed him on his cheek, where the purple bruise was.

 

“I don’t trust her,” she said, tilting her head back towards Camille who was still hunched over on the floor. Camille had stopped screaming, but she was panting out of exhaustion and fright. She had no idea what Devin had planned and seemed to be falling for his act just like Evangeline was.

 

“Who cares about her?”

 

Evangeline rolled her eyes. “You seemed to.”

 

Devin laughed, pulling her closer to him. “I wanted to make you jealous. And it worked,” he said, and Evangeline threw her head back and laughed. Devin laughed with her, and she kissed him again. Evangeline was falling for it. She was so wrapped up in her own head, in her own world, that she couldn’t see what was going on. Devin wondered if she was high again and if that was what was making her act so crazily. Because holding a person hostage and trying to poison them was a new low, even for Evangeline.

 

“You’re a very naughty boy. I like it,” she said seductively and licked her lips. “Shall we go back to your place? I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed your body.” She grabbed his hand and placed it on her right breast. Devin gulped but repressed it quickly, and used his thumb to feel her erect nipple. He remembered her body well but was now repulsed by it. He didn’t want to touch her or kiss her, but that was the only way he could convince her that he didn’t care about Camille anymore.

 

***

 

“As good as ever,” Evangeline breathed into Devin’s ear as he held her by the waist. They had just finished kissing again, and Devin felt like he was prepared to strangle her to death. He didn’t have to look at Camille to know that she was terrified and confused by what was going on. She had grown quiet and was just sitting hunched on the floor with her wrists still handcuffed to the leg of the desk. She was whimpering softly, but Evangeline seemed to have forgotten about her.

 

Evangeline, however, was still holding on to the syringe tightly. Devin wondered if he could overpower her and wrestle it out of her hands, but he wasn’t sure if that would be successful. And if Evangeline managed to get away from him, then it would blow up his plan, and it would mean that she would lose all her trust in him and surely do something drastic. The only possible solution was to play along and do what Evangeline wanted him to do. And carry out Figueroa’s plan.

 

“Should we head back to your place?” she asked him again, and he smiled. He had to do everything in his power to make sure that his body didn’t shake with rage. He hated Evangeline more than ever now.

 

“The Choppers are watching my house,” Devin said, just to keep the conversation going. Evangeline shrugged her shoulders and smiled, running her long pale fingers through her silky curtain of hair. Her other hand continued to hold the syringe up in the air, as a sort of warning for Camille it seemed. She had let her defenses down as far as Devin was concerned; she was convinced now that he had come back to her for good.

 

“Wouldn’t Figueroa lose his shit if he finds out that you came back home with me?” Devin asked, and Evangeline laughed one of her loud screechy laughs.

 

“Yeah, he is obsessed with me. He’ll lose his mind.” Evangeline licked her lips. In her mind, she was probably enjoying watching the two men fight over her. She didn’t care if she started a club war, as long as she got what she wanted. And what she wanted now was Devin. “But you’re not afraid of him, are you Devin?” she asked, and he laughed.

 

“No, I’m not afraid of him. And if I have to fight The Choppers just so I can have you, I’m willing to do it,” he said, taking a few quiet steps towards Evangeline. From the corner of his eye, he could see the syringe in her hands, but he knew this wasn’t the right moment to do it. Evangeline licked her lips again; she was satisfied with his response.

 

“Then let’s go back home, to our home. I miss your house. I miss being with you,” she continued and placed a hand on the center of Devin’s chest. He could feel her cold palm on his body through the fabric of his shirt, and he felt goosebumps on the back of his neck. Never had he loved Camille more. Long ago, when he was stupid, he thought he loved Evangeline too; but now it was clear as day that Camille was the woman for him, and there she was on the floor before him, sitting with her hands tied. He hated Evangeline; he could kill her.

 

“I’ve missed you too,” he lied, and Evangeline looked up at him admiringly.

 

“Tell me what you’ve missed about me,” she urged him, and Devin pretended to think. The longer he could distract her and keep her there, the better it was. Ideally, he would be able to take her away and give Camille a chance to call for help or escape. But he knew nobody was coming, not until the morning at least, and she couldn’t reach a phone. Besides, he couldn't leave her here handcuffed all night, giving Figueroa the opportunity to set his men on her.

 

“I’ve missed your body, Evangeline. Your sexy body,” he said and grabbed her butt with both his hands. He jerked her close to him, and she giggled, enjoying all the attention he was showering on her. But the syringe was still tightly held in her hand, she wasn’t about to let that go. He squeezed her butt, and she licked her lips. He could see that her eyes had glazed over with her desire for him. She wanted him to fuck her.

 

“That’s what I wanted to hear. I’ve waited so long to hear that.” She brought her lips close to his face. He didn’t want to have to kiss her again, but she kissed him. Evangeline forced her tongue into Devin’s mouth, and he had no other choice but to reciprocate. He didn’t even want to imagine how Camille was feeling, but he was doing this all for her. She had to know that!

 

“Let’s just get out of here and leave that bitch here. Or we could finish her off so that she doesn’t end up talking,” Evangeline said when Devin gently pulled himself away from her. He stroked the side of her cheek and tried to smile. Finish Camille off? That was Evangeline’s plan all along. She wanted Camille dead. And if Devin didn’t act carefully, Evangeline would eventually make sure that Camille was dead.

 

“I think I have a plan,” Devin said, and Evangeline’s eyes lit up. She smiled and then giggled like a child. Devin smiled too.

 

“I can kill two birds with one stone,” he added while Evangeline watched him intently. “Figueroa wants me to do something to prove my loyalty to the biker code. That could also take care of her.” He pointed to Camille. At that moment when he looked at Camille, he saw the fear in her eyes and he wanted to cry out. But he continued. Evangeline was hanging onto his every word, and he needed to be calm to carry on with the plan. That was the only way to save Camille.

 

“What do they want you to do?” Evangeline asked, and Devin turned to her with wide, crazed eyes.

 

“They want me to burn down this place,” he replied quietly. Evangeline clapped her hands and laughed.

 

“The bookstore?”

 

Devin nodded.

 

“So you want to burn it down with her in it?” Evangeline asked, giggling uncontrollably now. Very soon she was going to forget about the syringe, Devin thought, but she was still holding on to it.

 

Devin nodded in response and Evangeline clapped her hands again with delight. To her, this was proof that Devin was indeed back in her life for good.

 

***

 

Camille screamed when she heard that while Evangeline continued to laugh. Devin tried to smile, but he couldn’t.

 

“Let’s do it, Devin. Set fire to this place!” Evangeline laughed deliriously. Devin was convinced now that Evangeline was high on drugs, which might make it easy for him to operate. But he still couldn’t be sure; she still had the syringe in her hands. Camille continued to scream

 

“Shut up bitch!” Evangeline yelled at her, but Camille didn’t shut up. She was fighting for her life again.

 

“How are we going to do this?” Evangeline asked sweetly, turning to Devin.

 

He thrust his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a Zippo. “I came prepared,” he said laughing and Evangeline was pleased again.

 

He threw a nervous look at Camille who was screaming with a red face. She was banging her back against the desk, trying to wriggle free, break the desk, and do anything to get out of the place. But her hands were handcuffed; any struggle was futile.

 

“Hurry up, Devin, I want to get out of here,” Evangeline whined, and Devin turned to her again, forcing a smile on his face.

 

“Let’s start with that poster there,” he said, pointing at the comic book poster taped to the wall behind the desk. Camille craned her neck to look up at the poster too. She knew what that meant. The fire would start with a poster, then they’d set fire to the books, and once that happened, it would be very easy for the fire to spread.

 

Evangeline licked her lips in excitement and Devin walked over to the desk. He was even closer to Camille now, and a whiff of her vanilla scent overwhelmed him for a few moments. He could sense her fear; it was in the air between them.

 

“Please don’t do it, Devin. I promise I won’t tell anyone if you just let me go. Please, Devin!” Camille was begging now as she looked up at him. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her lips and eyes were swollen from all the crying. Devin was sure that she’d faint from exhaustion soon if he didn’t act fast.

 

“Shut up, bitch! I told you to shut the fuck up!” Evangeline had walked up behind him and was also staring down at her now. Camille cried again, hanging her head low. She was giving up. She knew there was no escape. Her bookstore was going to be burned down, and she was going to be burned down with it.

 

Devin flipped the Zippo open and threw a look at Evangeline. He could see the excitement in her eyes; she wanted him to do it right away. Devin stepped around Camille and moved closer to the poster on the wall.

 

“Do it, Devin. Just do it. Forget about her,” Evangeline squealed, and Devin held up the lighter to the edge of the poster. He needed to do this. He hadn’t lied. This is what Figueroa and The Choppers wanted him to do as proof that he was loyal to the biker code, above everything else. They hadn’t asked him to kill Camille, though. They only wanted him to burn down the store to prove that he didn’t sympathize with a girl he had just met. That his loyalty to the gangs surpassed all his loyalty to any woman.

 

“Devin!” Evangeline screamed, trying to urge him on. He brought the lighter up closer to the poster so that now the flame licked the edge of it. It caught fire immediately, and Evangeline squealed again with excitement. Camille screamed too.

 

Devin turned to look at Evangeline who was laughing loudly. The flame of the burning poster was reflected in her eyes as her shoulders shook. He had finally proved to her that he didn’t care about Camille.

 

Devin laughed too and took a few quick steps towards Evangeline. She hadn’t noticed, but he had also slid off a mask from one of the shelves when he walked towards her.

 

Evangeline was enjoying herself and wanted to kiss Devin again. He came up to her and brought his face close to her, but instead of kissing her lips, in one quick motion he slid the mask on over her head.

 

“What are you doing?!” Evangeline shouted. The poster crackled as it burned behind them while Camille continued to scream. The mask was a big comic hero mask, and Evangeline was disoriented by what Devin had just done.

 

He forced the mask down, and Evangeline’s hands clawed at it, but Devin held it down.

 

“Devin! What the hell? Stop joking around!” She struggled to get the mask off, and then Devin saw what he needed to see. The syringe fell out of Evangeline’s hand and onto the ground. Devin used his feet to kick it out of their way, and it slid across the floor to a corner underneath one of the bookshelves, way out of everyone’s reach.

 

“Devin!” Evangeline had obviously heard the sound of him kicking the syringe away. Devin had managed to get her to bring her guard down so that he could trick her into dropping her defenses.

 

With one hand Devin kept the mask on her head, and as she struggled, with his other hand, he twisted her arm around to her back. The poster was still burning; it would be safe there, burning on the wall behind them, isolated.

 

“Where’s the key?!” he thundered, right up to her face. He knew she couldn’t see well through the mask, it covered all her face and was stifling her breathing. He kept her arm twisted behind her back, pinning her to his body. Even though Evangeline knew he was stronger than her, that she couldn’t possibly escape now, she still struggled.

 

“Where’s the key to the handcuffs Evangeline?” he asked and twisted her arm even more. Evangeline yelped in pain. Her rage had finally turned to fright, which was what Devin needed.

 

Camille had stopped screaming now, which made him feel better, but he still needed to set her free.

 

“I’ll never tell you. She can rot there for all I care,” Evangeline spat, her voice a little muffled by the mask now. She had stopped struggling, and Devin felt her shoulders relax.

 

Now he used both hands to hold her wrists tightly behind her back. He was still twisting her arms, which he knew was painful for her. A few more minutes and he knew she would break.

 

“You’re going to tell me where the keys are,” he growled right in her ear and dragged her by the arms towards the desk where Camille was. Evangeline continued to scream. She still wasn’t willing to divulge the information.

 

Devin yanked her down to the ground next to Camille. Still holding her hands together with one hand, he reached into his pockets where he had put some plastic tags earlier. These were impossible to get out of. He wrapped two around Evangeline’s hands and stood back from her. She still had the mask on her head so he couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was crying.

 

He got out some more plastic tags and started tying her feet together as well.

 

“I told you I came prepared,” he said to Evangeline.

 

When he turned to Camille, he noticed that she still looked fearful, but also a little relieved too.

 

“Where’s the key, Evangeline? Make it easy for me, or I swear I’ll burn this place down with you in it.”

 

“It’s in my bra, okay? It’s in my bra!” Evangeline yelled when she sensed Devin stand up and hover over her.

 

He breathed in deeply and reached for her breasts. He slipped his hand into the top of her jumpsuit and in between her cleavage to reach for the bottom of her wire. He found the key.

 

“You’re crazy, Evangeline,” he said and turned to Camille, who was whimpering again. It looked like she was feeling a mixture of emotions – most likely rage, fright, and relief.

 

Devin didn’t waste any time to get her free. He unlocked her handcuffs and unexpectedly, Camille threw her arms around him and started crying again.

 

Devin stroked Camille’s head and held her close.

 

“I’m so sorry I put you through this Camille, it’ll be alright now, I promise,” he told her softly.

 

She was crying on his shoulder, and her body shook. Devin finally had her in his arms and was relieved. Camille was safe, Evangeline was tied up, and he could now breathe.

 

“Let me go!” Evangeline screamed, interrupting them. Devin didn’t turn to her and instead continued to stroke Camille’s head. She remained in his arms, still shaking from the experience.

 

“Devin, I was so scared. I thought you were going to kill me. I thought she was going to kill me.”

 

Devin gently kissed her cheeks. “I would never allow that to happen. I had to do this. I had to play along with her to make sure that I could get you out of here safely,” he said, and she pulled away from him but still clutched his arms. Camille nodded and wiped her cheeks. He could see where the handcuffs had bruised her wrists and he wanted to punch the wall. How could he have allowed this to happen? He had come so close to losing her. How could he have put her in this much danger?

 

“I know that now, but I thought it was all over,” Camille said and finally smiled. “Are you still going to have to burn this place down?”

 

He heard the strain in her voice. This was her life’s work, her investment, and her only source of income. He looked into her eyes and shook his head. “I’ll figure something out. No, I won’t burn this place down. Don’t worry,” he replied and stroked her cheek.

 

Evangeline screamed again. Camille was free and looking at her with disgust.

 

“So, what are we going to do about her?” Camille asked, turning to face Devin again.

 

He grinned at her and nodded. “I have an idea.”