Page 77 of Ink's Devil

Get lost and stay lost, I hope. Seeing her face just reminds me Ink’s not here.

“Mace? Get your ass in church. Thunder?” As Demon’s eyes go around the room, he only has to name a few people before everyone stops what they’re doing and heads his way.

Cad’s the last into our meeting room, and when he enters, I notice every seat bar one is filled. Not surprising, everyone’s staying close, eager to offer whatever they can to help, even if it’s no more than giving each other support. My rage rises again as I stare down the table at the empty space where Ink should be sitting.

“Don’t need to tell you why we’re here,” Demon starts. I notice, like most of us, he looks drawn, running on adrenaline and too little sleep. His eyes, like mine, survey the occupants of the seats around the table before he continues, “Only one topic on the agenda today. But before we get to discussing his situation, I’ve something to kick off with. I know how you’re going to react to this, so no point delaying the inevitable. Ink’s gotten word to me via Sykes.” He pauses, clears his throat, making me suspect it’s something I don’t want to hear.

Is Ink going to plead guilty?Surely not.

When Demon finally opens his mouth to enlighten us, what comes out is quite possibly worse.

“Okay, let me get this out in the open. Ink wants to claim Beth.”

Loud exclamations and snorts of derision go around the table with a loud ‘Fuck no’ from me. The commotion is such, Demon has to bang the gavel and call two or three times for silence. When we’ve calmed sufficiently, he points toward Hellfire who’s indicating there’s something he wants to get off his chest.

“Ink and Beth weren’t heading that way,” Hell observes. “Least not from what I saw. What the fuck’s changed?”

I look down at my hands, wanting to keep my mouth shut, yet in fairness to my brother know I have to speak up. “There was more to them than just fuckin’. Ink told me I’d better get used to seeing her in the mornings,” I admit. “Before… Well, he didn’t mention anything about claiming as such. And why the fuck now? After what she’s done to him?”

Demon shrugs. “Obvious, isn’t it? Do I need to remind anyone claimin’ an ol’ lady puts them under our protection? By claimin’ Beth as his old lady, he’s making her part of the club. Bringing her into it as we abide by our rules and regulations. One of which is, I need to stress, if a brother goes inside, we look after his ol’ lady.”

“You suggestin’ prison rights?” Liz perks up. “Don’t mind taking over.”

If Thunder hadn’t reached over and clouted him hard around the head, I would have done it myself and used more force. As it is, Liz reels and puts a hand to his skull, ruefully rubbing it. But his cocky grin has been replaced by a look of regret.

“Too fuckin’ soon, Bro,” Judge tells him.

I turn my attention back to the prez. “No. Just… No. That shit ain’t happening, Prez. She’s already got one of us locked up. We’re now in possession of eight kilos of H which we shouldn’t have. We don’t know who the rightful owners are, but knowing we have it, Beth now holds information that could bring down this fuckin’ club. I’d prefer her six feet under where she can’t talk. No way in hell is she getting my vote.”

I get murmurs of agreement from quite a few directions, coupled with growls of ‘I’m not fuckin’ voting her in.’

“Sparky,” Demon says, tiredly, as I notice the road captain trying to get Prez’s attention.

Unusual for the normally mild-mannered man, when he’s given permission to speak, Sparky’s hand slams down on the table causing all eyes to go to him.

“Can I fuckin’ remind you that our brother is currently sitting in a jail cell looking at thirty years or more behind bars? I say the very least we should be doing is making his mind easier. And if to do that means taking his woman under our wing, maybe we shouldn’t dismiss it.”

“But Sparks, we don’t know how the bitch is tied up in this. Bring her inside the club, who knows what she could infect us with.”

“You trust Ink?” Now Sparky’s got the floor, he’s not giving it up. “Think he doesn’t know when something’s right or not? He’s sacrificed his freedom because of her, which shows how much she means to him, and how important to him it is that she’s taken care of by the club.”

“Sparky’s got a good point,” Demon says sharply after banging the gavel to get us to quiet down once again. “Never expected Ink would claim anyone, but his actions last night showed this woman clearly means one fuckin’ lot to him.” He pauses. “I agree, if she’s up to her neck in drugs coming into Pueblo, we can’t vote her in. Yet I, for one, am inclined to believe what she’s saying is the truth. But we’re not bringing her into the club. As far as she knows, Ink’s cut all ties with her. He doesn’t want any contact with her.”

“Let me get this right. He’s claimin’ a woman and not telling her shit?”

Demon grimaces, but just raises his chin in reply.

Guess it makes it easier that I’ll not have to watch her living it up while her man, which Ink now is, is inside. “You say you believe her, Prez? Why?” I don’t.

“She was too fuckin’ gullible if she believed her brother,” Bomber sneers.

“Not gullible, Bomber,” Beef refutes, “too innocent. We look for a hidden motive behind everything ‘cause we’re suspicious bastards and we have to be. Wouldn’t survive otherwise. But Ink’s girl has lived a sheltered life.”

“With that father?” Thunder sounds incredulous.

“She doesn’t have anything to do with her father. Hasn’t seen him since he walked out when she was what, nine?” Pyro rolls his eyes.

“Got a suggestion.” Hellfire’s voice booms from the end of the table. “We give her the protection that Ink wants, but we don’t vote her in until we’ve caught up with Connor and hear what he has to say. If he’s still breathing that is.”

---