The alley behind Ryder’s bookstore was a crime scene painted in shadows and dread. The single flickering streetlight cast long, distorted figures that seemed to writhe with a life of their own. Ryder, usually a man of gruff composure, looked ashen, his eyes wide with a horror that mirrored my own. A mangled head, barely recognizable, lay sprawled on the grimy concrete, a grotesque testament to the savagery that had unfolded. The stench of death was thick, cloying, and beneath it,the faint, unmistakable reek of something chemical, something familiar from a nightmare I’d tried to bury deep.
“Ryder,” I greeted the man with a firm handshake.
“Fucker left a note,” Ryder said without preamble. “Taped it to my back fucking door.”
Nodding, I walked over to see the note.
GIVE ME KARLYN INGALLS
Frowning, I looked at Ryder. “Who the fuck is Karlyn Ingalls?”
“She’s the old lady of a Golden Skull.”
“Thought they all left when Massacre left.”
“They did, but he showed up the other day. Well, that’s what Blade told me. Haven’t been around the club lately, with the new baby and all.”
“This Golden Skull have a name?”
Ryder shrugged. “It’s Ravage. King’s little brother.”
“FUCK!” I roared, reaching for my phone and dialing King.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ravage
The weight of Karlyn’s revelation sat heavy on my chest, a physical ache mirroring the phantom pain in my side. Steele. His name was a poison in my mind, a venom I’d been forced to swallow when I’d seen the state she was in. Fury had done us all a favor. But the festering remnants of Satan’s Angels, that putrid stain on the world, still lingered. They were a disease that needed to be eradicated, a threat Karlyn could never truly escape as long as they drew breath. The thought of her living the rest of her life in fear, the shadows of her past constantly nipping at her heels, was a torment I couldn’t bear.
My gut churned with an overwhelming urge for retribution, a cold, hard certainty that a clean sweep was the only path to true peace for her. It wasn’t just about eliminating a threat; it was about ensuring Karlyn could finally breathe, could finally shed the weight of her past and embrace the future we were fighting for. The whispers of her trauma, the echoes of her mother’s complicity, demanded justice—a brutal, absolute justice that would leave no room for doubt. The Brotherhood, the Golden Skulls, even my own rage—they were all tools in this coming war, and I would wield them with ruthless efficiency until every last member of Satan’s Angels paid the price.
There would be no halfway measures, no half-hearted purges. This was a cleansing, a scorched-earth campaign to ensure that the shadows of her past could never again touch her. The hunt had begun, and it would not end until the lastvestige of that vile club was extinguished, until Karlyn could finally sleep without the ghosts of her tormentors haunting her dreams. My resolve hardened, a diamond forged in the fires of her suffering, and I knew, with a chilling certainty, that I would be the instrument of their annihilation.
Curled close to me, my arms tightened around her as she slept restlessly, her mind no doubt warring with the memories of her past. There was nothing I could do but hold her while she slept, listening to her whimpers that tore at my heart. Seeing Karlyn like this made me think of my sister Mandy. It had been so long since I had last spoken to her. I wondered if she was doing okay. Was she happy? I was thankful she was away from this life, away at college learning to become a doctor. She was out, and I intended for her to stay that way. My sister would have a normal life away from all the lies, bullets, and death. I didn’t want her anywhere near a biker or anyone associated with the underworld.
Reaching for my phone, I dialed my sister’s number. Needing to hear her voice.
She picked up on the first ring. “I was just thinking about you.” Her sweet, tender voice wrapped around me like a blanket.
“Likewise, sis. I miss you,” I admitted, my words tasting like the truth they were. The weight of the world pressed down on me, a constant burden, but hearing her voice, her genuine joy for life, was a balm to my scarred soul. “Is everything all right?” I asked, needing to know she was truly okay, that she was safe, far from the violence that had become my constant companion.
“Everything is perfect, Jackson. I’m studying for my upcoming finals, and I’m thinking of joining a sorority. It’s all so surreal, but amazing,” she chirped, her voice full of an innocence I’d long since lost. “What about you?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” I replied, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. “Just wanted to check in with you. Needed to hear yourvoice.” There was so much I wanted to tell her, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t drag her into this mess, not into the war that was brewing. She deserved her peace, her chance at a normal life, a life far removed from the darkness that had claimed me.
“You’re still coming to graduation, right?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of worry I’d grown accustomed to, and when I didn’t reply, she asked, “Jackson, are you alright?”
“Yeah, just tired.” I said, my voice rough with emotion. “I will be there. Just... stay safe, okay? Keep your head down, focus on your studies.” I knew she wouldn’t listen, that she’d worry, but it was the best I could do. I’d protect her from a distance, a silent guardian in her oblivious peace. And if anyone dared to tarnish that purity, they would face the full, unadulterated wrath of Ravage, a monster they would never see coming.
“I love you, big brother.”
“Love you too, sis,” I muttered as my phone beeped, alerting me to an incoming call. Seeing who it was, I groaned. “Baby, I need to go. Duty calls.”
“Night, Jackson.”
“Sweet dreams, baby girl.”
Connecting the new call, I growled, “What?”
