Page 2 of Viper's Salvation
I move to the window, straining to see through the bars. Men are running across the grounds, grabbing weapons. Something's happening.
Then I hear it. The distant rumble of motorcycles. Many of them, growing louder by the second. My heart leaps into my throat. Could it be...?
The door bursts open, and Mike is there, face tight with rage.
"Away from the window!" he barks, crossing the room in two strides and yanking me backward by my hair.
"What's happening?" I gasp, stumbling as he drags me toward the door.
"Shut up," he snarls, pulling a gun from his waistband. "Your sister has brought trouble to our door."
Kelly is alive. The thought blazes through me like wildfire, giving me strength I didn't know I still possessed.
The motorcycle engines grow louder, the rumble becoming a roar that seems to shake the very foundation of the compound. Mike curses, shoving me ahead of him down the hallway.
"Move!" he orders, pressing the gun against my spine.
But all I can think is: Kelly is alive. She's found help. And they're coming for the Vultures MC. For me.
Chapter 2 - Viper
The rising sun glints off my handlebars as our convoy of motorcycles thunders down the narrow back road. I'm riding third in formation, right behind Reaper and Blade.
Ace is at my left, Ghost and Wilder are behind me, and our three prospects—Hawk, Dice and Knight—stayed behind to protect the clubhouse.
The girl, Kelly, clings tightly to Blade's back, her face half-hidden against his cut but her eyes wide and alert. She's the only reason we know where we're going.
Three days of searching for Charles's compound with nothing to show for it, and then this girl literally stumbles into our path. The runaway bride with inside information. Sometimes the universe throws you a bone.
"Half mile ahead," Reaper's voice crackles through my helmet comms. "Remember the plan. Quick, clean, and thorough. No survivors."
I check my weapons one last time. Glock secured at my hip, knife in my boot, and the assault rifle strapped to my back. We're not taking chances with these bastards, not after what they did to our clubhouse. Not after what they've done to women like Kelly.
The compound comes into view as we round a bend: a collection of weathered buildings surrounded by a chain-link fence. Nothing fancy, deliberately nondescript. If Kelly hadn't guided us here, we might have passed it a dozen times without a second glance. Smart move by the Vultures MC, hiding in plain sight.
But their subtlety ends now.
We kill our engines simultaneously about a quarter mile out, coasting to a stop behind a screen of trees. Stealth is ouradvantage for the initial approach. Ghost and Wilder take point, slipping ahead to neutralize the perimeter guards while the rest of us prepare.
"Stay with me," Blade tells Kelly as they dismount. "Don't leave my side."
She nods, her face tight with determination. "My sister should be in the main building. Second floor, east wing. That's where they keep the girls."
Reaper checks his watch. "Ghost and Wilder should have cleared the gate by now. We move in thirty seconds."
I pull my rifle forward, checking the chamber. My hands are steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This is what we do. This is who we are. The Outlaw Order might operate outside the law, but we have our own code of justice.
And today, justice comes with blood.
"Remember," I say to Kelly, keeping my voice low, "once we're inside, stay down and stay behind us. Your sister might not recognize you right away if she's been through hell. Let us secure the room before you approach her."
Kelly's eyes meet mine, fierce despite the fear I can see lurking there. "She'll know me. We've been all each other has our whole lives."
I nod, respecting her certainty. Family bonds can survive almost anything.
Reaper gives the signal, and we move out, advancing quickly toward the compound. Ghost appears at the gate, waving us forward. Two bodies lay at his feet.
"Perimeter clear," he reports as we reach him. "They had two men on the gate, both down. No alarms triggered."
