Page 97 of Baby for the Bikers

I fight my way toward the side door, desperate to reach her before she walks into this bloodbath. But three Vipers block my path, guns raised. I duck behind a freezer as bullets punch into the metal.

“Maddox! Where’s Ryder?” Brick’s voice crackles through my earpiece—the comms we started wearing after Cerberus warned us about Cypher.

“Pinned down in the kitchen,” I respond, checking my clip. Five rounds left. “Three hostiles between me and the side door. Rowan’s here.”

“What?” Brick’s shock mirrors my own. “How?—”

“She just pulled up. Heading for the side entrance.”

“Keep her out of this!”

Easier said than done. I peer around the freezer, looking for an opening. The Vipers are advancing, moving between tables.

A crash from the side door draws their attention. Rowan bursts in, but she’s not alone. Two Death’s Head members tail her, grabbing for her. She spins, driving her elbow into one’s throat and her knee into the other’s groin.

The Vipers hesitate, clearly not expecting Cypher’s daughter in the middle of this mess. I use their confusion, popping up and taking down two with quick shots. The third turns, but not fast enough. Rowan’s already on him, a knife appearing in her hand from nowhere.

She’s fast. The blade flashes once, and the Viper drops, clutching his thigh where she’s severed his femoral artery.

“Maddox!” She rushes to me, blood spattered across her face. “Where’s my father?—”

“With Brick,” I pull her behind the freezer as more gunfire erupts from the dining area. “What the fuck are you doing here? You were supposed to stay home!”

“I couldn’t.” Her eyes are desperate. “He’ll kill you all. This is my fault.”

“We can handle ourselves.”

“You don’t understand?—”

Whatever she’s about to say vanishes in a scream as a hulking Viper grabs her from behind, yanking her backward. I lunge for her, but another Death’s Head member rushes me, swinging a bat at my head.

“Maddox!” Rowan’s scream tears through the chaos as the Viper drags her toward the front door. I try to aim but can’t get a clear shot with her struggling in his arms.

“Brick!” I shout into the comm. “They’ve got Rowan! Front door!”

I smash my pistol into the Death’s Head member’s face, feeling bone give way beneath the blow. By the time I reach the door, the Viper is loading Rowan into a black SUV, her struggles useless against his size.

“Maddox!” she screams again as the door slams.

The SUV peels out, two motorcycles flanking it. I sprint to my bike, kick-starting it without thinking twice. No way am I losing her.

“They’ve taken her,” I relay to Brick, gunning the engine. “Black SUV, heading east with two escorts. I’m in pursuit.”

“Copy.” Brick’s voice is deadly calm. “Teller’s on his way with backup. Death’s Head is retreating.”

“What about Cypher?”

“Gone. Took advantage of the chaos. Ryder’s tracking him.”

The SUV weaves through traffic, heading toward the old warehouse district. I follow at a distance, using side streets and alleys to keep them in sight without being spotted. Thewarehouse district is Cypher’s mistake—our home turf. Tank used those buildings for storage, for training, for planning. We know every access point, every blind spot.

They stop at the abandoned paper mill, the largest warehouse in the district. Perfect defensible position, with clear sightlines in all directions. They’re setting up for a siege. They don’t realize they’re already surrounded.

I park my bike behind a derelict office building, climbing to the roof for a better view. Six Vipers patrol the perimeter. Two more guard the main entrance where they took Rowan. I count at least ten bikes parked beside the SUV.

“Found them,” I report. “Old paper mill. I count at least fourteen hostiles.”

“Hold position,” Brick orders. “Teller’s bringing fifteen men. Ryder’s two minutes out with the equipment.”

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