RUTHLESS HOLD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (33 page)

“
He
was ambushed.
”

“
Yeah,
right.
”

“
What
do you think happened?
”
Trev asked.

“
I
think Ripper took him out. I got to Giovanni finally. He went to tell Ripper he
was out of whatever the side shit was. They argued. They even tangled up and
Giovanni punched Ripper right in the mouth. A day later? They were on a ride
and Giovanni never came back.
”

“
Fuck.
”

“
Yeah.
”

“
Who
is Ripper meeting?
”

“
Nobody
good. I
’
ve tried to keep
the table calm about it all. This is bad. You up here
…
he
’
s
going to rat you right out.
”

“
Not
when I have Jenn and Eden in my hand.
”

“
Jenn
…”

“
Yeah.
She showed up beaten up.
”

“
Motherfucker,
”
Jasper said.
“
I swore to her I
’
d kill him if he ever touched
her again.
”

Trev saw the look in Jasper
’
s eyes.
“
No way. Tell me you were
…”

Jasper nodded.
“
It was a few times. Okay? We
both have been living with Ripper
’
s
regime for years.
”

“
Christ,
”
Trev said.
“
You
’
re fucking the President
’
s old lady?
”

Jasper grinned.
“
She loves young, thick cock.
”

“
What
’
s her pussy made out of?
”
Trev asked.
“
Whiskey?
”

“
No,
but it
’
s damn good.
”

“
Good
to know,
”
Trev said.
“
You ride with me and you
’
ll get through this, brother.
Okay? Miller and the guys are waiting for me. I need the truth from Ripper and
then we move forward.
”

“
You
’
re talking reaper, aren
’
t you?
”

“
What
would you do?
”

Jasper stood up and looked down at
Trev.
“
I
’
d do the same fucking thing,
Trev. I
’
d fucking kill him
too. I just hope you can pull this off the right way. He
’
s been talking to some crews. There
’
s some bad shit coming our way.
You better do it right the first time or else this entire MC will implode.
”

“
No
pressure then,
”
Trev said.

“
It
’
s not a joke. Giovanni was my
best friend. Jenn was a special woman to me. The second he saw that woman with
you, the rage got worse. He
’
s
been on a killing spree since you left. What he did to that guy you fought -
Rocky - was sick. He literally gutted him. Took days to do it. He
’
s not fucking around.
”

“
Neither
am I,
”
Trev said.
“
I have too much to lose to fuck
around.
”

“
Good.
”
Jasper was to the door and
opened it. Ripper was standing there, his eyes beady like a snake.
“
Hey, Prez. I woke his ass up for
you. We good out here?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Ripper said.
“
They took the whore away. No
records of her ever existing.
”

“
Sorry
we have to eat that debt.
”

“
Fuck
it,
”
Ripper said.
“
We
’
ll
make it up elsewhere.
”
He
patted Jasper on the back. Then he pointed at Trev.
“
You, outlaw man, let
’
s
have a little chat.
”

Trev climbed off the cot Ripper had
given him. He had to keep himself under complete composure now. Each step
through the bar, Trev waited for a bullet to get him. He waited for someone to
bash his head in with a pipe. Then he
’
d
wake up, tied to a chair, and end up tortured by Ripper.

Instead of that, Ripper invited
Trev to the table. He even had the balls to point to Giovanni
’
s chair and give it to Trev.

“
Good
to see that filled,
”
Ripper
said.

“
No,
brother, I
’
m not patching
in anywhere, ever again.
”

Ripper laughed.
“
You don
’
t fit in, huh?
”

“
You
don
’
t know what I
’
ve seen.
”

“
Try
me, Trev.
”

“
Why
don
’
t you start,
”
Trev said.
“
What
’
s going on up here? You guys look strong and in
position to move forward. I
’
m
sorry about Giovanni though.
”

“
Fuck
him. He was weak.
”

“
He
was a table member.
”

“
He
threw a knife in my back.
”

“
Damn.
I
’
m sorry to hear that.
”

“
I
’
m not. He got his.
”

“
The
ambush. Any idea who it was?
”

Ripper smiled.
“
I know exactly who it was. But
we
’
re here to talk about
you.
”

“
Right,
”
Trev said.
“
It
’
s
simple. I didn
’
t realize
the truth about Eden when I had her with me up here. I
’
m sorry for that, Ripper. That was a complete
disrespect to you and your club. If I knew then
…
I would have given her to you. You could have cut her fucking throat.
”

“
Screw
that,
”
Ripper said.
“
You see her? I would have ripped
that pussy to pieces. Then I
’
d
go to her ass. Then I
’
d go
to her mouth.
”

Trev felt the fire raging inside
his body. Nobody talked about Eden like that.

“
You
look pissed,
”
Ripper said.

“
I
am,
”
Trev said.
“
I know who she is now. And her
mother is with her.
”

Ripper leaned forward, eyes wide.
“
What?
”

“
She
came to Miller for safety. Right into his goddamn arms, Ripper. He
’
s harboring both of them. That
’
s when I lost my shit.
”

“
What
happened?
”

“
I
sat at the table and told them no fucking way in hell I was getting behind it.
They could all eat shit and die. It was pretty clear
…
Eden needs to die. Christ, the same for Jenn.
Right? I can
’
t believe you
stuck it out with her, Ripper. You
’
re
a better man than me.
”

“
It
was better to keep her alive,
”
Ripper said. He showed his fists.
“
Make
her suffer for years instead of a few minutes. But now? She needs to die.
”

“
I
agree,
”
Trev said.
“
They didn
’
t. We fought about it.
”
Trev pointed to his face.
“
Then they did this to me.
”

“
Jesus
Christ. They jumped you?
”

Trev nodded.
“
Beat me senseless. Thought I was
dead. Stripped my cut and took it. I
’
m
surprised they didn
’
t kill
me. I guess Miller doesn
’
t
have the balls.
”

Ripper chuckled.
“
That fucker never had balls. I
’
ve been watching him for years
fuck shit up for this MC. Want to know something?
”

“
What?
”

“
I
’
ve got a deal brewing that could
change everything. From Canada down to Tijuana. Along the west coast, brother,
we
’
ll own it all.
”

“
Nice.
Another crew?
”

“
Bigger.
More powerful.
”

“
What
’
s more powerful?
”

“
Come
on, asshole. Don
’
t fuck
with me.
”

“
I
’
m afraid to say it,
”
Trev said with a grin.
“
That
’
s pretty hefty. Dealing with the Irish mafia and
their guns.
”

Ripper nodded.
“
That
’
s where Giovanni went wrong. He got spooked. Tried
to talk to Jasper once but he
’
s
all club. Which is good. I have an idea on how to run this. I
’
ll make Jasper President of the
guys. Whoever survives your table
…”

“
Correction,
”
Trev said.
“
I have no fucking table. I
’
m outlaw.
”

“
Right,
right. Whoever survives what I do down there, they
’
ll be under Jasper
’
s
watch. I
’
ll oversee Jasper.
Then we pay it all up. We
’
ll
control every gang, crew, MC, every little fucking punk looking for a gun to
knock off a store
…”

Ripper
’
s eyes were wide and sick.

“
I
love it,
”
Trev said.
“
Want my thoughts?
”

“
No.
”

“
Okay.
Just, I
’
ve seen this stuff
before. I ran
The Lost Men
, Ripper. I commanded authority there and I
ran it tight.
”

“
What
’
s your advice?
”

“
You
’
ve got to start the right way.
Eden and Jenn. Leave your crew up here and go down into Frelen. I
’
ll go with you. I know the
streets. I know the police. I know how to navigate around that lot. We do it.
”

“
No,
no, too risky.
”

“
You
trust Jasper? That motherfucker couldn
’
t
even wake me up the right way.
”

“
How
so?
”

“
He
put a knife to my neck when I was mid dream, fucking some tight pussy. I woke
up and grabbed his wrist. He looked ready to cry his eyes out. I could have
taken that knife and slit his throat.
”

“
Jesus.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Trev said.
“
That
’
s your number two? Fuck, Ripper, no wonder you
’
re struggling up here.
”

Ripper pounded a hand to the table
and stood up.
“
Who says I
’
m struggling? Miller?
”

Trev saw the opportunity and ran
with it.
“
Exactly. He
thinks he
’
d wipe you out
without even trying. He thinks he has leverage with Eden and Jenn. He
’
s going to use Jenn to get you.
Have her call you, sweet talk you, whatever it takes. Hell, he
’
ll even have Eden call and play
the daughter.
”

“
I
know she
’
s not my fucking
kid!
”
Ripper yelled.
“
That fat motherfucker was riding
inside Jenn for years. And then Miller patched him in? After what he did?
”

Miller didn
’
t know
…

“
Exactly,
”
Trev said again, playing into
Ripper
’
s anger.

“
Fine,
”
Ripper said.
“
This is how we
’
re going to do it.
”

“
Talk
to me.
”

Ripper put his hands to the table.
“
What do you want out of it?
”

“
What
do you mean?
”