Page 116 of Ink's Devil

“He had instructions to call us—”

Beef shrugs. Guess Dirt’s going to have to come up with an explanation for us. Can’t see him getting his patch unless it’s good.

Demon turns and smashes his fist against the wall. It’s not hard to know what he’s thinking. Satan’s Devils have been pulled into this mess. Our brother Ink asked for one thing and one thing only, to protect Beth. Now she’s been kidnapped, and if we give up the drugs to save her, there goes our leverage to get Ink released.

“Thunder? Get Rusty.” Prez eyes are full of concern for Patsy. She’s a complete mess, doubled over and crying unconsolably, now having given into that breakdown I’d been certain was coming.

Demon taps his VP on his shoulder, and when he stands up, takes his place on the chair in front of Beth’s mother. “Patsy,” he starts, his voice quiet. Then it sharpens when he repeats her name. The third time gets her looking up. “Will you listen very carefully to what I have to say?”

She makes a visible effort to pull herself together. Beef’s produced some tissues from somewhere, and he passes them to her. After blowing her nose loudly and mopping at her tears, she raises her eyes to Demon. “I’ll do anything. I can’t lose both my children in one day. Look, I don’t know what you took the drugs for. I know they’re worth a lot. Maybe I can buy them back off you? I’ll sell my house, do anything…”

“Fuck woman!” Demon roars. “I don’t want your money. We didn’t take the drugs to sell them. What the hell do you think we are?”

“I don’t know,” wails Patsy. “I just know Phil’s got my daughter, and I want her back. The fastest way is to give him what he wants.” Her eyes close then open again. “He’s a psychopath, with no emotion. He’d hurt her without a second thought.”

“And what happens then?” Demon challenges. “We give the drugs back. Do you think he’ll simply let Beth come home? You know too much, what’s to stop you going to the cops? He hasn’t been busted for drug dealing, he’ll want to keep it that way. I know you don’t want to hear this, but it won’t stop with a simple exchange.”

I’m immediately on Demon’s wavelength. Giving into Phil’s demands won’t solve anything. Beth and Patsy know far too much, I doubt Beth would be coming home. And Patsy? Well, she might be controlled over threats to her daughter, or more likely, she’ll meet with a fatal accident of some sort. Even we’ll not be safe. If we roll over and give Phil his H back, he could try and turn us into his bitches, threaten to take us down unless we work for him. Now it’s my turn to smash my fist against the wall.Fuck. What a mess. Ink, I’m so fucking sorry. I failed you in the one thing you asked.

“We go to Denver. Face him head on,” I suggest.

“What’s the size of his organisation, Patsy? Anything you know could help.” Demon’s voice and my proposal have Patsy straightening her spine.

She, in turn, ignores Demon and addresses me, “You’d get her back?”

“Patsy,” Demon shoots me a threatening look as he gets her attention again. “We’ll do everything we possibly can to bring her home but racing off blindly isn’t going to help anyone. Tell us everything you know.”

“Thank you,” she says, but I notice she’s trembling. “I don’t know much at all. His brother-in-law, Alder, used to be his business partner years back. He said he had a falling out with him, but I don’t believe that’s the truth. He said it was Alder who’d hurt Connor. Oh my God, Connor,” she wails his name as her double loss comes back to her.

I hold my breath, wondering whether Prez will ease her mind and tell her, her son is alive. In the state she’s in now, I don’t know if that will make anything better or worse, or whether she’d be able to deal with the knowledge rationally. She could rush out and shout his survival to the world, which would cause his death.

“I’m sorry about your son.” Demon sounds genuinely sympathetic, and he probably is because he’s keeping back information she should know. “But I promise you this. We will get Beth back.”

She might not know the reason, but Prez has just made a vow. One we’ll keep. For Ink.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ink

Iraise a questioning eyebrow at Sykes seated beside me. He gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Neither he nor I have any idea why the detectives want to talk to me this morning. More of the same, I expect. A repeat of the same line of questioning, wanting to trip me up so the prosecutor can build a strong case.

I’d spent the night trying to come to terms with the idea I wouldn’t ever have my freedom again, would never watch the pavement rushing past under my wheels, or feel the wind in my face as I rode.

I thought I’d accepted that the first night but must still have had a kernel of hope. It hadn’t come as a surprise that bail had been denied. Anyone who wears a cut of an outlaw MC can expect no mercy once they’re in the clutches of the law. But for my sanity I’d held onto the notion that I could have some time to ride my bike, and to give Beth a fucking she’d remember forever before I went inside for the best part of my life. That I wasn’t even going to be able to say goodbye properly had hit me hard.

I’m a hardened biker, a veteran, but last night I’d had to wipe tears from my eyes. If I’d deserved such a punishment, maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to accept.I’m doing it for Beth.

Does she deserve it?

Yeah. She does. I might not know the ins and outs of it, but she wouldn’t have been there that night without good reason. I’d already known it in my gut. Demon’s message via Sykes had only confirmed it. I’d feel worse if I was the one on the outside, and she was locked up.

Have I really claimed her as my old lady? Seems like I have. A small smile curves my lips as I dream about a future I’ll never have with the tall woman who it seems I’ve become fonder of while we’ve been apart. Outside, I’d never have allowed myself to think of a wife and a family. Now I no longer have a chance, that’s all that I want, along with my bike and club, of course. Like I know the Satan’s Devils are the brothers I want to ride with, the only woman I want by my side is Beth.

But I can’t have her.

She thinks I hate her.Was I wrong to shut her out? Yes, because I miss her. No, because cutting her out of my life might keep her safe. Might. The rucksack and her connection to it has been going around and around my head.

My smile which had already slipped disappears completely as the door opens, and two men step inside. Detectives Barker and Hastings.

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