His Angel

Chapter Fifty-Four

She got out of the bathroom, pushing down the long sundress, her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She walked back to the front of the RV, to watch Lanky Man turn and look her up and down

"Well, don't you look prudish" She let out a laugh, holding out the small jar

"Would you mind? I can't exactly cover what I can't see" She referred to the tattoo on her nape

"No problem Darling" he responded, taking the small jar from between her fingers. She sat down on the passenger seat, turning to face away from him as he pushed up his armrest, leaning the distance between them while unscrewing the cap of the jar. She gripped her tied hair, pulling it over to the side of her shoulder so it wouldn't get in his way of covering her skin with the thick foundation.

"Interesting..." he spoke, and she glanced at him slightly

"What's interesting?" she asked

"Well, I've been a Hell's Heaven brand, but I haven't seen this one before" he responded, dipping his fingers into the foundation to start sliding it across her skin, concealing the ink underneath.

"What do you mean?" She found herself curious, wondering why hers would be different than anyone else's.

"You haven't passed initiation, have you?"

"Initiation?" she inquired. She had heard them talking about initiation in the pool, although she had been too drunk to think of asking what it meant.

"It's like a rite of passage, it can happen as early as 14, where they prove their loyalty" Lanky Guy explained

"Not to my knowledge, I don't think so" she responded. Nothing reflecting that came to mind

"Well...There's only one other way that someone gains protection from HH other than initiation" he spoke, wiping the last of the foundation on a towel that hung near the cup holder. She turned to face him, with curious eyes.

"What is it?" she spoke, watching as he shut the small jar between his fingers

"Family ties" he responded

"Family?" She didn't understand what he meant, she wasn't anyone's family, certainly not Maxwells'.

"Yes, his last name is marked just above the dagger-" Lanky Guy responded, tossing the small jar onto the dash of the RV "That signifies that you are his family, a Lucas, at least in the eyes of Hell's Heaven politics" she could hardly believe it, leaning back in the passenger seat. She was his family? She felt the heat rise within her cheeks, covering them with her palms in a failed effort to hide her embarrassment.

The door suddenly slammed open, startling them both. They both turned, watching Spike jam his way up the steps with a huff, looking irritable and falling back against the small couch, arms crossed against his chest, obviously in another tantrum.

"Here" she jumped, startled with the sight of Maxwell suddenly standing beside her next to the seat. He held out Zuni, and she smiled, taking the delicate dog into her arms.

"Thank you" he did nothing but nod with an emotionless expression, before walking to the back of the RV to sit down by the back table. She didn't expect anything else from him, she just turned away, settling back in the seat to mentally prepare for the moments ahead. After Lanky Guy corralled the girls, they were on their way, heading towards the border. She tried to remember everything that Max and Spike had told her a few days ago, even the dumb crap about the pensions. She pressed the earpiece into place, closing her eyes.

The next time she opened her eyes, it was to the sudden honking of a vehicle. She realized they were already in the lineup to get through the border crossings with the other cars. She jumped in the seat, turning back to find Maxwell and Spike, only for the two to be nowhere in sight. They must have already been behind the false wall. She inwardly cursed, her stomach twisting at the sight of the patrol guards in their uniforms. She watched, wide-eyed as one of them came out holding a leash of a dog with a vest, circling around the vehicle ahead at the checkpoint.