Page 123 of Ink's Devil

My curiosity had been satisfied one thing at least, how Beth had come into possession of drugs, though I had been horrified to learn Connor had left such a large amount of heroin in Beth and Patsy’s home. I’d wanted to kill him myself at that point.

The door is opened and then shut as Beef joins us. He chucks a diagram on the table. “Right,” he starts as he sits. “House is in a fuckin’ gated compound. Armed guards on the gate. Man’s got his own private fuckin’ army. Twenty guards on rotation, at least ten there at any time. Phil’s fanatical about his safety. He’s been threatened more than once.”

“Connor have any suggestions?”

Beef nods. “Yes, actually. He’s willing to come back from the dead and exchange himself for Beth.”

“Give the H back to Phil?”

Now Beef’s head moves side to side as he again answers the prez, “That’s where his plan falls apart. The smack is his get-out-of-jail card. He loses that? Agent Caruso will throw the book at him.”

“If he’s still alive to feel the pages hit. Reckon he won’t last long if Phil gets his hands on him,” Bomber observes. “Kid must know what’s likely to happen to him.”

I’m still trying to get my head around the fact Connor’s breathing. But I point out, “Connor put Beth in a fuckin’ dangerous situation on Saturday, where’s this new brotherly concern coming from?”

Beef gives me a measured look. “I’ve spent a bit of time with Connor. He didn’t have any idea SWAT was waiting, and why would he? He had no notion he was sending her into danger. But it’s something else when it comes to Phil. Connor got wind daddy dearest traffics people over the border, immigrants in, others out. Seems a girl like Beth might make him money. Connor’s adamant we have to get her back, and if he has to sacrifice himself, that’s what he’ll do.”

I inhale sharply.

“Pretty girls go missing from Denver, find themselves over the border and sold,” Beef’s eyes have gone dark as he finishes.

I can barely think through the rage that floods my mind, so I restrict myself to, “Phil’s got to die.”

“I hear you, Ink. Man like that is a waste of air.” Thunder nods.

Bomber spells it out, “If we don’t hit him hard, Ink may never get his old lady back, whether or not he’s thinking of putting a ring on her finger.”

Just the thought I might not have a chance to explore a relationship with Beth is enough to give me chills. I’m getting her back. At least it sounds like I’ll have my brothers by my side when I do it.

Prez bangs the table. “The more I hear about Phil the less I like him breathing. So how do we do this? Ideas?”

“He contacted you about the drugs, Prez?”

Demon shakes his head. “It appears he’s leaving the ball in our court. Maybe trying to figure out what sway Patsy has over us.”

“How are you going to play it?”

Prez looks around. “Depends on what we come up with, VP. Timing might be vital to cause a distraction, so I won’t be rushing to pick up the phone. Don’t want to show our hand too early. If he thinks Beth means something to us, he may up the ante and demand more.”

“More?” I’m seething at the delay.

“He could want us to work for him or step back and let him take over our locations for his dealing at the least,” Mace enlightens me, clearly having given this some thought.

Right now, I’d sell my soul to have her back. To hell with the implications. “He’ll think we don’t give a damn about Beth.” On my part, I want Demon to call him this very moment and threaten the wrath of the Devils should Phil harm a hair on her head.

Mace stares across the table at me. “Tip our hand she means something to us then he may up the stakes. He won’t harm the ace he’s holding, not until he knows what we’re going to do.”

“Beth will be expecting us to rush to her rescue.” I hate to think what she’s going through now.

But Mace contradicts, his eyes filling with guilt. “Nah, Brother. She’ll have doubts. We didn’t believe her fuckin’ story about Connor, all we knew was what she did put you behind bars. We blamed her, she was only too aware of that.”

“You voted her in as my ol’ lady…”

But Prez is shaking his head. “Sorry, Brother. Agreed to give her protection, such that we could, but that vote’s in abeyance until we saw how things worked out. Couldn’t let you put your patch on a woman no one could trust.”

My stare roams the table, my eyes widening. “So, she’s left hanging thinking no one gives a fuckin’ damn about her?” It’s my turn for my head to move side to side. “She doesn’t fuckin’ know I’m free, and you haven’t done the one thing I asked for.”

Prez bangs the gavel loudly, the flare in his eyes shows he’s fast losing patience with me. “What was done was done for fuckin’ good reasons, Ink. I’ll be the first to admit that I had my concerns about Beth. But we now know she was pressured into doing what she did. Even if we didn’t, I assure you that we do give a fuckin’ damn. Women shouldn’t be used as pawns.”

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