Page 124 of Ink's Devil

“I got out, Prez.” I’m angry that they blamed Beth and didn’t believe her reasons. If I, the injured party, could forgive her, they should have done.

“For fuck’s sake, Ink. How could you for one minute think we’d leave Beth with that monster? Don’t forget, we’ve got the Mexican Horse in our stable, and it’s more than just her at stake. We’re fuckin’ heading for a war and need to win it.” Thunder lets me have it.

I purse my lips, partly to stop myself saying anything else. I’d been so focused on Beth, I hadn’t thought of the ramifications. This isn’t just Beth. It’s us, our old ladies, and Demon must be thinking of his kid.

“It’s not just a rescue mission,” Prez explains slowly, his eyes focused on my face. “We’ve got to hit him hard, so he doesn’t come after us. We’ve got to take him out.”

“There’s one thing in our favour which buys us some time,” Beef butts in. “If he’s thinking of making a profit by selling his daughter, he’ll want to keep her unmarked.”

He’s right, but just the thought of her being smuggled over the border and sold turns my stomach.

Having given me one last stern look, Demon at last says the words I want to hear, “Right, Brothers. How are we going to do this?”

“I like Pal’s idea of using the drone.” Sparky raises his fingers to get our attention. “Means we can see what we’re dealing with.”

I keep my mouth shut about the drone that’s still a mystery to me, not wanting anymore delays.

“Agreed,” Demon says fast. “How are you fixed, Ro?”

“Prez, I’ve got enough C4 to blow that fuckin’ place to smithereens. Grenades, rocket launcher, you name it, I can get my hands on it.”

“That’s my fuckin’ ol’ lady in there,” I snarl.

Prez sends a fiery look my way. “I think we’re only too well aware of that, Brother.” His glare stays on me until I lower my eyes.

“His compound is guarded. We’re talking about a business worth millions.” The VP seems to be musing aloud. “Not sure how successful we’d be if we tried to attack. We couldn’t ensure Beth wouldn’t be right in the firing line, or that he’d shoot her himself.”

“Our ace is that neither she, nor he, knows she’s important to us.”

“In which case, Prez,” Wills speaks up, “he might think we’re sitting on our hands and laughing, with his cool million sitting in the bank. What’s to stop him coming for us and taking it?”

If that’s the way Phil’s thinking of playing it, Beth has no value as an exchange. The chills that assailed me earlier return with a vengeance. “We’ve got to move fast, Prez,” I plead.

“Bring the fight here, to the compound.”

Everyone looks at Bomber as though he’s gone mad.

Demon groans. “We’ve not long fixed the place up after the Mafia hit.” His head drops into his hands, then he looks up. “But fuck me, I think you’ve got the makings of a good suggestion.” His fingers rap on the table. “I don’t want the fight here, but if we’re going to meet Phil, we’ll do it on our home ground. I’ll call him, tell him we’ve got his shit and want the girl back.”

“Think he’ll bring her?” Sounds too fucking easy to me.

Prez focuses on me. “Hear me out, Ink. We’ll attack this two ways. One, the bulk of us will remain here to protect the compound. If Phil brings your ol’ lady, all to the good. If he doesn’t…”

Despite his warning, I open my mouth.

“Shut the fuck up!” Demon roars before I get a word out. Then, when he sees I’m sulking but silent, he continues, “We’ll act like we don’t give a damn about her, just didn’t want a fight we couldn’t win.” Now he has to glare at everyone else who are contradicting him. “Christ! Will you let me fuckin’ finish?” His eyes seem to grow darker. “Bringing him here draws his attention away from his compound. Ink, Pal and…” he looks around, “Cad will go to Denver. If, as Connor has suggested, he might have other plans for Beth and leaves her there, well, you’ll be in place to launch a surprise attack and get Beth out.”

My sulk disappears, and I grin. I like that plan.

“Prefer Ink here,” says Mace.

Pyro shakes his head, and points to me. “Apart from me, Ink is the best with explosives. He needs to go to Denver if I’m staying here. Phil’s bound to bring his best men with him, that’s what I’d do, but he won’t leave his base unguarded. Best way to rescue a hostage is to cause a distraction. My go-to would be an incendiary bomb at the opposite side of the building from where Beth’s being held.”

“How the fuck will we know where she is?” Christ, there’s a fuckload of holes in his plan.

Pal says flatly, as if he’s explaining to a kid, “We’ll know that from the drone.”

Oh.That part now falls into place. But something else worries me. “Hang on, what are you thinking, Prez? You’re seriously going to give him his H? I thought we wanted that shit destroyed, not sold.”

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