Page 61 of Ink's Devil

“Let me go!” I demand, knowing there’s only one thing for me to do. “I’ll go to the cops, hand myself in. Tell them it was me and not Ink…”

But Demon shakes his head, and snarls, “Not until we know what the fuck’s going on, and whether that would make things better or worse. Right now, I don’t give a fuck if you rot behind bars, but I need to know what’s best for Ink.”

“Just talk, Beth.” Beef steps into my line of sight, his words are unthreatening, his tone and expression are not. “Don’t like hurting bitches, none of us do. But a brother of ours has been arrested, and from where I’m standing, that’s all down to you. You’ve got no choice but to tell us fuckin’ everything.”

Chapter Eighteen

Beth

They seem to think they’re going to need to use force to get me to speak to them. But why should I hold anything back?

My eyes water with tears I can’t wipe away. Ink’s in trouble, there’s no denying it’s my fault. Mine, as I was persuaded by Connor to be some sort of drug mule for him. I’ve been a fool from start to finish.

Had Connor been lying about everything? Had anything he’d said been the truth? Was he really injured, being tortured and under threat of death? Or did he play on my sympathy? Did he involve me as he thought it would be too dangerous to deliver the drugs himself? Had he set me up, knowing there were going to be cops there tonight? Preferring to see his innocent sister arrested, rather than risk doing time himself?Could he hate me that much?If so, why?What have I ever done to hurt him?

Or had he been totally honest? In which case, now that it’s all gone south, my failure could mean whoever’s holding him will kill him anyway. I should have refused to help. Connor would get what he deserved for living the life that he does, and Ink would be free to live his.I made the wrong choice.But, the devil on my shoulder whispers,How could I have stood back and done nothing?

Another thunder of footsteps comes down the stairs.

“Brought her purse in. Bitch received a call today close to midnight. Cad’s analysing her phone now.”

“Who?” Demon snaps my way. “Who were you fuckin’ talking to?”

“Connor—” I respond, but don’t have a chance to add more.

“A fuckin’ man,” Mace snarls, interrupting me. “Always a man at the bottom of it. And here I was thinking you were cosying up to Ink. Knew he was a fuckin’ fool to fall for a bitch.” He directs his words to me, and his look of disgust has me reeling and spitting out the explanation fast.

“Connor’s my brother, not a boyfriend.”

My explanation doesn’t help in the slightest, as the enforcer just scoffs. “You in this together? You got a nice supply chain going on between you?”

“No,” I cry out. “It’s not like that!”

Beef looms over me, but his eyes flick to meet those of his prez. “Seems we’ve got to the bottom of who’s bringing drugs into Pueblo. A family fuckin’ business at that. Is that why you’ve been cosying up to our brother?”

My eyes can’t open any wider. “No,” I cry out.

“Then what the fuck is it?” the VP snarls.

I’m scared. My mouth doesn’t seem to work, my brain can’t find the words. These men are terrifying.

Mace steps closer. “I’m the fuckin’ enforcer, darlin’. Prez gives me the signal, and it will be gloves off. You get what I’m putting out here? Start fuckin’ talking.”

The threat is obvious. I don’t need his pointed glance toward the implements laid out on the workbench. As if a dam’s opened, it all starts tumbling out. “My brother lives in Denver with Phil, our father…” my voice trails off. That’s not the right place to begin. I try again. “My brother left packages in mom’s house, in his old bedroom. I wasn’t aware he left them, not until tonight.”

Beef snorts loudly.

“I didn’t have a clue. Not until tonight.” Poor Mom is still in the dark.She’ll be devastated and scared when she finds out.

Demon pinches his nose, then shakes his head, he pushes Mace to one side. “Right. I’ll ask you questions. And I’ll warn you, I know when someone’s lying to me. One word that’s not truth and I’ll take the leash off Mace.” The glance he exchanges with the enforcer isn’t comforting.

I nod, having nothing to gain by lying.

“You and your brother got an operation going?”

Emphatically, I shake my head. “No. I’d never go near drugs.”

“Think you did tonight,” Demon reminds me. “You said no for yourself. Your brother?”

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