He’d promised her a surprise tonight.Instead, she’d been taken.He twisted the throttle harder.
When they hit the outskirts of town, King raised a hand, signaling the group to slow.The road here turned to dirt, flanked by chain-link fencing and old warehouses.Vulture territory.
Viper could already see movement ahead.Bikes were parked in a haphazard line, a few men smoking outside a cinderblock building with a rusted-out sign.
Their nest.King pulled over behind an old storage yard, out of sight.The brothers cut their engines, the sudden silence heavy.
“All right,” King said, crouching beside the bikes.“We don’t know how many are inside, but we’ll assume a full crew.Rook and Diesel, you circle to the back.Hammer, you’re with me on entry.Viper—”
“I’m going in front,” Viper interrupted.
King’s glare was sharp.“You’ll wait for the signal,” King said.
Viper didn’t argue this time, but the promise in his eyes was clear.If he saw her, nothing would stop him.
Chapter Ten
They moved out, weaponsdrawn, boots quiet on the gravel.The building loomed ahead, its windows dark.Faint laughter drifted through a cracked door, along with the smell of beer and smoke.
Viper’s pulse thundered in his ears.
He caught sight of something near the back door.It was flash of fabric, pale against the concrete.For a split second, his heart leapt.Damn it.It wasn’t her, just a rag.
King gestured to the others, and they took their positions.Three breaths.Two.One.
King kicked the door in.The sound of the blast echoed like thunder.The world exploded into chaos.
Yelling, gunfire, the crash of tables.The Vultures scrambled, grabbing for weapons, but the Devil’s Crown moved fast.They were a single machine honed by loyalty and fury.
Viper was already through the smoke before King could stop him.He cut through the first man in his way with a clean, brutal strike from his gun’s butt, sending him sprawling.Another came at him with a blade, but Viper ducked and slammed him into the wall.
“Where is she,” he roared, voice raw.“Mara!”
No answer.Only more shouts.
He kicked open doors, one after another, his chest tightening with every empty room.
