“They got her.”Viper’s voice came out like gravel.“The Vultures.Black van.Benny saw it happen.”
For a second, King just stared at him, eyes narrowing.“You sure?”
“Benny wouldn’t call unless he was,” Viper said impatiently.
The room went dead silent.
“Where?”King demanded.
“Dyer and Main.”
King’s jaw tightened.“That’s close to their line.Fuckers are getting bold.”
Viper clenched his fists.“They took Mara, King.”His voice cracked with fury, his composure shredding.“They took my woman.”
“I know,” King answered.
“No, you don’t!”He slammed a fist against a nearby table.“She was just walking to get lunch!They fucking waited for her.This was planned.”
King didn’t flinch at the outburst.Instead, he stepped closer, placing a steady hand on Viper’s shoulder.“Then we plan better.”
Viper’s chest heaved, but he forced himself to breathe, to focus.King’s calm cut through the storm enough for his mind to start working again.
“Vultures’ HQ,” he said after a beat, his voice low and lethal.“They’ll take her there, to her old man.”
King nodded grimly.“Then that’s where we go.”
He turned to the others.“Rook, Diesel, Hammer, you’re with me.Get your gear.We’re not going in blind,” Viper ordered.
The brothers moved instantly.Viper headed to his room.He grabbed his cut from the chair, shrugging into it.Then he grabbed his favorite knives, his sawed-off shotgun.The world had gone sharp around the edges.Everything narrowed to one goal.Find her and get her back.
King’s voice cut through the noise.“You think the Serpents are in on this?”
“Wouldn’t put it past them,” Viper growled the words out.
King’s look was grim.“You’ve been a target since you brought her in.You know that.”
Viper’s gut twisted.He knew.He’d felt it coming for weeks.He should’ve protected her.A sick, searing guilt burned through him as he shoved extra ammo into his vest.
“Viper,” King said quietly.“Listen to me.”
He turned, jaw tight.
“When we get there, you don’t go off half-cocked.You wait for my signal.We do this clean.”
“If they’ve hurt her—” Viper began.
“Then you’ll get your chance.”King’s eyes were flint.“But not until we’ve got her out alive.You hear me?”
Viper nodded once.“Yeah.I hear you.”
The garage filled with the roar of engines as bikes were wheeled out.Rook tossed Viper his helmet.
“Let’s ride,” Viper said, voice flat with purpose.
They tore down the road in formation.Cars pulled over as they passed, the Devil’s Crown colors unmistakable.
The wind hit his face like knives, but he didn’t feel it.His mind was back on Mara.The way she smiled shyly when he teased her, the soft sound of her laugh when she thought no one heard.The text she’d sent just hours ago.
