Ruthless Hold (Back Down Devil MC #9)(63)

“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 f*cker never had balls. I’ve been watching him for years f*ck 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, *. Don’t f*ck 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 f*cking 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 f*cking 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 motherf*cker couldn’t even wake me up the right way.”

“How so?”

“He put a knife to my neck when I was mid dream, f*cking some tight *. 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 f*cking kid!” Ripper yelled. “That fat motherf*cker 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?”

“You’re going to put your ass on the line for what?”

“Look at my f*cking face, man. I want to see them suffer. Those two bitches need to die. Okay? Then I ride off and go where I belong. Outlaw. If I have to ask for something, I want protection. I want to be able to make one phone call and know my ass is covered.”

“Always something,” Ripper said. “Don’t f*ck with me on this. I will kill you.”

Trev slowly rose up. He opened his arms. “Search me. Shoot me. I don’t give a f*ck, Ripper. I’m trying to do right here. By the MC.”

That was the first part of truth Trev had said since getting to the charter.

“I want to do this today,” Ripper said.

“Today? Damn, brother.”

“Why wait?”

“What about your side deal? They need any attention?”

“You like this deal,” Ripper said. “Finally, someone shows interest. I’m actually meeting up with an associate in about three hours. Just to shake hands on a couple things. I can’t tell you what because I don’t f*cking trust you. But I will let you shadow the run.”

“Are you going to shoot me and call it ambush?” Trev asked.

Ripper laughed. “You sick f*cker. Don’t piss me off and you won’t end up like Giovanni.”

Trev smiled. “That’s a bold move, Ripper. Knocking off one of your own.”

“He was weak. Stupid Italian boy. I only patched him thinking his family could assist. They’re too straight, long out of the game. But the O’Nuall family… they didn’t like Giovanni…”