I raise my weapon, but they're already peeling out, tires squealing as they accelerate away from the compound. I fire anyway, catching one Eagle in the back. He slumps forward but stays on his bike as they disappear into the night.
"Rage!" King's voice behind me. "Report."
"Vulture's gone," I say, lowering my weapon. "Escaped with three Eagles on bikes. I winged one, but they got away."
King joins me at the garage entrance, surveying the empty driveway beyond. "He won't get far. Not with those injuries. We'll find him."
I nod, though the escape leaves a bitter taste. Vulture was the prize, the head of the snake. Without him, the Eagles might scatter, regroup elsewhere, continue to be a problem.
The radio crackles again. Shadow's voice: "Compound secure. Eagles in full retreat. We've got six prisoners, dozen or more dead. No casualties on our side, few injuries."
Relief floods through me. We held. We won. Most importantly, everyone survived—my brothers, the women in the safe room, Eli.
"Let's check the perimeter, make sure there are no more surprises," King says. "Then we get the women and children out of the safe room."
As we move through the clubhouse, assessing damage and checking on injured brothers, I find my thoughts returning to Claire. She's safe. Luna would have alerted us if there had been any threat to the safe room, but I need to see her, need to confirm with my own eyes that she's unharmed.
Need to tell her that Tommy is dead. That particular demon, at least, can never hurt her again.
Whether that brings her peace or just more trauma remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: she's free of him now. Forever.
As for Vulture... that's a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, we've won the battle, even if the war isn't quite over. Tonight, we'll tend our wounds, count our blessings, hold our loved ones close.
Tonight, we've proven once again why you don't fuck with the Savage Riders in our own territory.
And if Vulture is stupid enough to come back for round two, we'll be waiting.
Chapter 9 - Claire
"That's my daddy's special knock!" Eli announces, his small arms still wrapped around my waist in an unexpected hug that began minutes ago when Luna told us the fighting was over.
Four distinct knocks sound on the safe room door, the all-clear signal we've been waiting for. Luna moves to the security panel, checking the camera feed before unlocking the heavy door.
It swings open to reveal Rage and Beast, both covered in sweat and grime, small spatters of what can only be blood marking their clothes. But they're standing, whole, alive.
Eli releases me and launches himself at his father. "Dad!"
Rage drops to one knee, catching his son mid-air and pulling him into a fierce embrace. "Hey, buddy," he says, his voice rough with emotion. "You okay?"
"We heard thunder," Eli reports seriously. "Anna was scared but I wasn't. I knew you'd come back."
"Always," Rage promises, pressing a kiss to the top of his son's head.
Beast is similarly accosted by Jenny, who throws herself into his massive arms with enough force to make even him stagger slightly. His wounded arm doesn't seem to bother him as he lifts her off her feet.
Amelia rushes forward with Anna, meeting Tank in the hallway beyond. Their reunion is quieter but no less intense, Tank enfolding both of them in his arms, his usually stoic face softening as Anna plants sleepy kisses on his cheek.
I hang back, unsure of my place in this tableau of families reunited. These people have known each other a while, faceddangers side by side. I'm the newcomer, the complication, perhaps even the catalyst for tonight's violence.
But then Rage looks up from Eli, his green eyes finding mine across the room. Something in his expression makes my heart stutter—relief, recognition, a warmth that seems to cut through the chaos of the night.
He whispers something to Eli, who nods and runs to Luna, already chattering about how brave he was during the "thunderstorm." Rage stands and approaches me, his movements slightly stiff, betraying exhaustion or perhaps hidden injuries.
"You're okay?" he asks, stopping just short of touching me.
I nod, suddenly fighting unexpected tears. "We're fine. Protected, like you promised." I search his face, noting the small cut above his eyebrow, the bruise forming along his jaw. "You're hurt."
He dismisses this with a small shake of his head. "Nothing serious. Just scrapes."
