Page 31 of Mason

We dance, bodies in sync, and it's like we're the only two people in the world. The music throbs through us, a visceral heartbeat that echoes the wild thumping of my own.

His grip tightens, and he pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. "I've been a fool," he confesses, and I see the torment etched into the lines of his face. "I've messed up, Carlie. More times than I can count. But you... you see right through me."

The intensity in his gaze pins me, more forceful than any physical restraint. This is Mason laid bare, the man behind the myth, vulnerable and reaching out for something to hold onto.

"Every mistake, every fight—it was me pushin' away what I didn't think I deserved. But you..." His thumb traces the line of my jaw, a touch so tender it's a stark contrast to the power in his arms. "You're everything good in this screwed-up world. And I love you. God help me, I love you."

My heart stutters, hope flaring bright and hot. "Mason..."

"Say you'll stay, Carlie. Stay and be my old lady." Regret sharpens his words, carving them deep into the moment. "I swear on my life, I won't let you down again. Not you."

His declaration, rough and heartfelt, crashes over me like a wave. In his eyes, I see the future—a road stretched out before us, full of twists and turns, but traveled together. Fear and excitement tangle inside me, but one thing's crystal clear, this man, this reckless, beautiful soul, is mine.

"Mason—" My voice cracks, emotion choking me. I swallow hard, steeling myself to speak the words that might just set us both free. "I—"

The breath catches in my throat, a tangled mess of nerves and raw emotion. His confession hangs heavy between us, and I find the nerve to lay it all out.

"Mason," I start, my voice barely above a whisper, but it's enough to drown out the music. "I've been a storm of doubts, a whirlwind of second-guesses. But you... you're my anchor in the chaos." My fingers tighten around his, anchoring myself to this moment, this truth. "I love you, with every broken piece of me."

His eyes, those pools of night, widen just a fraction. It's like he can't believe the words spilling from my lips, like they're the missing parts to his soul's jigsaw puzzle.

"Despite the madness, the danger, I'm here. With you. For you." The world fades, leaving only the two of us, standing in the eye of our own personal hurricane. "I'm not going anywhere, Mason. You're stuck with me."

A strangled sound escapes his lips, halfway between a laugh and a sob. He pulls me close, so close there's no beginning or end to where we stand. "Damn, Carlie," he breathes against my hair, his voice shaking. "You're gonna be the death of me or the reason I keep breathing. Either way, I'm all in."

His arms wrap around me, a steel band of protection and warmth. I bury my face into the leather that clings to his broad chest, inhaling his scent. "Together, Carlie. Always."

"Always," I echo, sealing the vow with a kiss.

SEVENTEEN

MASON

"Brothers,"I begin, "We ride not just for revenge, but for the very soul of our family."

Heads nod, eyes fierce with reflected firelight. Mason locks gazes with each member of the Iron Reapers, seeing the hard lines of determination etched into their faces.

"Tonight, we end this feud with Walker and his snakes. We didn’t start this war, but we’re going to fucking finish it!” I roar. "Ride Hard!” I shout.

"Ride free!" they shout back, voices merging into a single battle cry that shatters the silence.

Without another word, I walk over to my bike and mount it. The Iron Reapers mount up behind me, engines snarling like wild animals, ready to hunt. We’re an army, covered in leather and ink, and tonight we’re taking back what’s ours. Jackson is our town, our territory. It’s time they got it through their thick skulls and left.

I kick the stand back and rev the throttle, feeling the vibrations pulse through me like pure adrenaline. I catch Dagger’s eye, and he gives me a nod, his face unreadable but steady.

“Let’s ride,” I say, and we’re off, tearing down the road toward the Vipers clubhouse. The roar of our engines fills the air, loud enough to declare war. My mind’s locked in, heart pounding against my chest like it’s trying to break free. Tonight, we ride as more than just a brotherhood—we’re family, forged in fire and blood. And family doesn’t break, no matter what waits ahead.

The sound of the engines die down to a low growl as we get closer. The clubhouse is up ahead, and there’s no going back.

“Split up,” I shout over the rumble of my bike, eyeing the crumbling warehouse ahead. The place stinks of decay and desperation. “Hawk, Tank, take the north side. Rev, Sledge, cover the south. Keep it tight—no one gets out.”

“Got it, Pres,” they grunt back, peeling off with the kind of precision only years of doing this shit can bring. This ain’t their first rodeo, and sure as hell won’t be their last.

I cut the engine, letting the silence hit me like a verdict already passed. Dagger pulls up next to me, his eyes hard as steel. We don’t need words. We’ve been through too much for that. A single nod says it all—it’s go-time.

“We take the front,” I say, thumbing the safety off my gun. The metal’s cold, like the promise I made to end this tonight.

Dagger checks his piece, the moonlight glinting off the barrel. “Time to finish this, brother.”

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