Page 53 of Ink's Devil

Love you, Sis.

When was the last time Connor expressed such emotion for me? It must be years.What if that was his final message? What if, even if I try to help him, he ends up dead?

I stand, putting back on my warm sweater, wondering whether whoever it is will stop hurting him now he’s enlisted my help. Or will they kill him anyway?

No. I can’t think that.

I slip my phone into my pocket, then immediately pull it back out. Despite what Connor said this is too big. I need help. I’ll go to the police… I don’t place a call. What the hell do I know about this sort of situation? Connor might be right, and I’ll only be making things worse, or my little brother might be rescued but immediately arrested. I’m convinced he’s caught up in something illegal.

Prison might be better than being dead.

But people are killed in prison, aren’t they? And if he’s not quite irredeemable yet, he probably would be after being locked up with criminals. Connor would never forgive me.

Ink. Ink’s club might be able to help him. But what am I to Ink? Have I got the type of relationship where I could presume on his help? He offered to help if Connor came around, but could I really involve him in this?

Why should he lift a finger to help him, or draw his club into a fight which isn’t theirs? What if the club agreed to help find Connor and rescue him? What if Pyro stepped up and he was hurt or killed? While everyone says it wasn’t down to me that Mel lost her baby, if I hadn’t told her Skull was alive, would that have prevented events turning out as they had? Even if she had found out later, just a few more months and she’d have been holding a living, healthy baby.

I owe it to her not to involve them in my brother’s shady business. I’ll do nothing to hurt her again.

I can’t find my car key. I start emptying my purse, my hands shaking as I look for it again, my mind racing.

No cops, I can’t risk it. I can’t risk involving Ink’s club. I can’t tell Mom, she’d not want me putting myself in danger. I’m sure she’d choose me over her errant son. I pull back my shoulders. What choice have I got?

What if Connor’s lying to get me to do something?

It hadn’t occurred to me while I’d been speaking to him, but now he’s no longer on the line, doubts are entering my head.

Would Connor put me in that position? He coughed, yes. He sounded hoarse and husky. Could be he’s just got a cold and is going to pass an unpleasant task off onto his sister. He’d pressed enough of my buttons to do whatever he wants.

Damn this niggling voice inside that says,I can’t trust him.

One thing I know, I can’t be responsible for the death of my brother. I’ll do what he wants, then somehow I’ll find him, get him to a hospital if he needs one. If he doesn’t, he just might by the time I’ve finished with him.

Got my key. I listen carefully, there’s no movement from Mom’s room, but it is past midnight, she’ll be asleep. As I tiptoe to my brother’s old room, my mind is still whirring as again and again I run over my brother’s words. I’d taken everything at face value. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s fed me a line which I’ve swallowed.

Say you broke it, Beth. Mom will go easy on you.She hadn’t. I’d been grounded for a weekend that had turned into a week when I tried to shift the blame onto my brother and he hadn’t backed me up.Just say I’m already in bed, I’ll be back soon.He hadn’t been, he’d stayed at a friend’s all night and I was in the wrong because being older, I should have known better.

He’s also no stranger to embellishing the truth when it got him the result he’d wanted. AnI’ve been sick, Momaccompanied bymy stomach hurts so badhad gotten him off school coincidentally, when he hadn’t done the assigned homework.

Christ, I hate this. Hate being sucked down into the world of secrets. This is completely outside of everything I’ve ever known.

Take two packages and deliver them at one am in the morning.What could go wrong?

Chapter Sixteen

Ink

“Change of plan,”

I’ve barely stomped in and had my chance to take my seat before Demon starts speaking. Not entirely unexpectedly, Prez has gathered all those who are going to stake up Tits Up tonight, together.

Sounded quite simple to me. Allocate each of us to watching certain areas, and we were done. I’m still seething that I won’t be able to see Beth tonight, and for once not because I’ll miss wetting my dick. The more I’ve been thinking about her, the more I want to get her view of where she could see us going. No point in me making plans in my head if she’s only going to be turning me down. I’m also angry at myself. This isn’t me. I’d give my life for my brothers, and today all that’s being asked is to give them some time. Not the first occasion my own plans have had to be put on the back burner for the club, but it’s the first time I’ve been rankled because of a bitch. I make a concerted effort to calm myself down.

I see Mace looking at me warily. I throw a chin lift back and a shrug. He narrows his eyes, then turns his attention to the VP who’s just cleared his throat to speak.

“I was picked up by the cops earlier today.”

Murmurs of surprise go around.

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