Chapter Four: Selling Your Soul
Mia
I lived in the perfect home with all the trimmings tucked behind the main showground where all the carnivals were held. Three comfortable bedrooms. One of them I converted into a study nook, and the other two were main bedrooms. My open kitchen with its marble benchtop was one of my favorite places to be. I had a sprawling living room set with a huge bookcase for my law books, and a collection of other books I enjoyed reading when I had the time. A coffee table full of magazines, a plush rug to wiggle my toes in when I got home from work.
I had all I needed.
Often, I had the luxury to work from home and I would gaze out the window to enjoy the lights from the Ferris wheel at night. I loved it. I could hear the joyful laughter of people enjoying themselves along with the carnival music playing on repeat in the background. I could taste the cotton candy melting on my tongue right now. My eyes roamed over the field as I looked up from my computer.
I’d been so many times in my youth that I couldn’t be bothered to go now. I just enjoyed the lights and atmosphere from my home. My car got me where I needed to go with no issues. A reliable vehicle is all I wanted. I was toying with the idea of an upgrade, but considering the turn of events with my mother in the last few years, that changed everything. As I glanced over at the manila case files on my desk, I couldn’t say I was short of work either.
As I sat in my study with my hands cupped around my coffee, ready to start the day, I counted myself lucky. I had nothing to complain about. I’d pulled myself up by the bootstraps and gone to school for my law degree, following it through.
“I’m so proud of you. You’ve always been smart.” My mother touched my face on the day of my graduation as I stood in front of her with my cap and gown.
The happiest day of my life. All the study cram sessions, all the caffeine and sleepless nights paid off in the end. I’d made it. I hugged her tightly that day. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Mama. Thank you for supporting me.”
She’d rubbed my back in response.
I knew my law career would be just as it should be.That was the wholehearted truth. She talked me off the ledge when I wanted to quit, when classes were getting too hard and the assignments were overwhelming. She consoled me and listened as I talked about the stupidity of arrogant professors who got on top of me. I would call her in the middle of the night sometimes. I got sick from eating copious amounts of chocolate as I dreamt cases in my sleep before taking the bar exam. That had been when Mama was walking around and able-bodied. To see her now, incapacitated with a droop on one side of her face, made me cry every time.
Every. Single. Time.
I loved my Mama and I wanted her to be okay. Tears started to spring in my eyes, and I wiped them away hastily. I sipped my lukewarm coffee and fired up my computer, ready to embrace the piles of paperwork in front of me.
If I were being honest with myself, I was lonely. Because of the situation with my mother, I wasn’t going on dates or anything. The flirting with Numbers was the most excitement I’d experienced in the last couple of months, and that was just plain sad. Numbers made me smile, and most of the time when I was dealing with a client, I was pretty serious. Before that, I’d met a couple of guys for drinks, but they were as boring as a brown paper bag and just made me more depressed about my love life.
I ran my eyes over my study. Everything looked good, in its place and I was anchored in my daily routines. I sighed with a heavy heart and got to work. Once I got started, all of the concerns I had would fade away.
By mid-morning I was doing pretty well and had shaken off the momentary blues that clouded my vision. I made a few important calls to the courthouse and was in my groove when my cell phone buzzing startled me.
I picked it up, frowning as I didn’t recognize the number. I answered tentatively, “Hello, Mia speaking.”
“Hello, Mia. My name’s Doc and I need your help on a few things. Can I come and see you? How does this work?” the man on the other end of the line said aggressively.
“Sorry, let’s start from the top. Doc who?” I asked in a sharp tone as I set him on speaker.
“Doc Hendrikson from the Devil Riders.”
My back tightened up as the hairs on my forearms rose.
Why the hell were they calling me? Is this some sort of sick game? Another biker gang member ringing me? What’s going on in Holbeck?
I swallowed a gulp of my coffee and set it down. I had no gun. No defense. If I went to see this man, I would be exposed. I shook my head at the phone. No way, buddy.
Think quick, Mia. Do you even want to go and see this guy? Why would you?
“No. I’m not taking on any more clients currently.” I put my foot down. I had no reason to go see this man, whatsoever.
“It will be worth your while financially, trust me. I also have some information that you may not want released. Things I know about you, Mia,” he hissed in a deep voice.
My heart started to hammer in my chest as I ran through the mental directory of what he may know. Rip. I grimaced. My past was rearing its ugly head and coming back to haunt me.
“I strongly suggest you come meet with me and see what I have to offer,” he stated.
My chest was tightening, as my fingers wanted to hang up the call and forget it ever existed. “Okay, we can meet publicly. There’s a diner off Claremont Street, Bernie’s Diner,” I explained. There was no way in hell I would let a Devil Rider in my home. I defended men and women who I knew to be criminals in my heart, and there was no chance of me bringing them into my house.
“I know the one. How does two o’clock sound? You’ll see the patches and know it’s me,” he said in a gruff voice.