Switch mutters something vicious under his breath.
“He shot at me,” I continue. “I moved to block Bri. She grabbed the gun when it went loose. She was shaking, but she didn’t freeze.” My throat tightens. “He lunged at her,” I say. “And she fired.”
Bella sobs quietly.
“She was just trying to make sure he didn’t shoot me, they fought over the gun and then it went off.” I press my hand flatagainst my bandaged gut, memory slamming back in full color. “I took the round,” I say. “I went down hard after that. The last thing I remember is her screaming and him coming up behind her.” I shake my head slowly. “I didn’t see him take her. I didn’t see where they went. I blacked out.”
Silence stretches, thick and brutal. I look at all of them, fire burning through the pain, through the exhaustion, through the fear that’s been clawing at my spine since I woke up.
Silence stretches, thick and brutal.
No one moves. No one speaks. It’s the kind of quiet that only exists right before something explodes.
I let my gaze drag around the room. Hawk by the window, jaw set. Switch still braced near the door, knuckles white. Bella folded in on herself, breaking in quiet pieces. Brooke pressed into Rev’s side, his arm tight around her shoulders like he’s the only thing keeping her upright.
Then there’s Mason.
He’s standing near the wall, arms crossed, face carved from stone. Dagger’s beside him, one hand resting casually on the back of a chair, eyes sharp, already ten steps ahead of the rest of us.
I look straight at them.
“They didn’t just want to hurt us,” I say, my voice low and steady even though everything inside me is screaming. “He talked like he already owned her. Like taking an Iron Reapers woman was the whole fucking point.”
Mason’s eyes harden.
“They wanted to prove they could take what’s ours,” I continue. “Not just Bri. Everything. This isn’t retaliation for one bad deal or some territory bullshit. These people want to destroy us. They want to make sure the Iron Reapers are never in charge again.”
Switch mutters something vicious under his breath.
“And it’s working,” Dagger says quietly.
I nod once. “They shot up Perdition. Blew up the clubhouse. Hit us where we live. Where our families are.” My chest tightens. “And then they took Bri.”
Bella lets out another broken sob, and Rev swears under his breath, rage rolling off him in waves.
Mason finally uncrosses his arms. “They declared war.”
“Yeah,” I say. “And they did it loud.”
Dagger steps forward, resting his hands on the foot of the bed, eyes locked on mine. “You’re sure it was the same operation?”
“I’m sure,” I say without hesitation. “Warehouse. Third floor. Back corner. Same guy. Same calm. Same confidence. He knew we were watching them. Knew how long. Knew where.” My jaw tightens. “He said Perdition was leverage. Pressure. He wanted you to react, Mason.”
Mason’s mouth twitches, not quite a smile. More like a promise.
“They don’t get to decide when I react,” he says calmly.
I swallow hard, then push through the pain and sit a little straighter. “They’re organized. Funded. And patient. This wasn’t a heat-of-the-moment hit. This was planned. Timed. Executed.”
Dagger nods. “And they’re not local.”
“No,” I agree. “But they’re embedded enough to think they can run us out.”
Hawk scoffs. “That’s cute.”
I glance at Bella, then back to Mason. “They’re using Bri as leverage now. Not just against me. Against the whole club. Against every old lady in this room.”
Brooke stiffens at that.
