Page 4 of Viper's Salvation
"I'm Viper," I tell her, surprised by the gentleness in my own voice. "Outlaw Order MC. Your sister found us after she escaped."
Understanding dawns in her eyes.
"The bikers from Pine Haven." She glances at her sister. "You made it all the way to them? And you trust them?"
Kelly nods. "They've been looking for this place. To end the Vultures MC. You can trust them."
An explosion rocks the building, reminding us all that we're in the middle of a war zone. Blade's hand goes to his comm.
"That's Ghost," he reports. "They found the weapons cache and decided to speed things along."
"We need to get the girls out," I say, turning to Amy. "Are there any other women being held here?"
She shakes her head. "They moved everyone else yesterday. I'm the only one left because..." Her voice falters. "Because Charles wanted to deal with me personally."
I want him dead, want to be the one to end him, not just for the club but for what he's done to this woman who somehow, impossibly, has gotten under my skin in the span of minutes.
"Let's go," I say, moving to lead the way back down the corridor. "Stay close."
"Charles is here," she says urgently. "In the building with the red door across the compound. If you leave now, he'll just disappear again."
I exchange a look with Blade. We can't let Charles escape, not when we're this close.
"I'll get the girls out," Blade says, making the decision. "You radio Reaper about Charles's location. Link up with them."
I nod, keying my comm to update Reaper as Blade shepherds the sisters toward the stairwell. And then they're gone, hurrying down the stairs with Blade. I shake off the strange feelingsettling over me and focus on the mission. Charles is the priority now.
I key my comm again. "Reaper, it's Viper. Target is in the building with the red door. I'm heading there now."
"Copy that," Reaper's voice crackles back. "Wilder and I are engaged on the north side. Meet you there."
I move to the window, checking the quickest route across the compound. The Vultures MC are scattered, some fighting, others fleeing. The tide has turned decisively in our favor.
As I prepare to head out, my thoughts drift briefly back to Amy. Her courage, her quick thinking, the way her eyes held mine. I push the distraction aside. There will be time to sort through these unexpected feelings later.
Right now, I have a man to kill.
Chapter 3 - Amy
"Keep your head down!" Blade shouts as he hustles Kelly and me across the compound.
I run as best I can, ignoring the sharp pain in my ribs and the throbbing in my face. Gunfire erupts from our left, and Blade shoves us behind a rusty dumpster, returning fire. I pull Kelly close, shielding her with my body despite her protests.
"I'm fine, Amy," she insists, trying to check my injuries. "You're the one who's hurt."
"I’m fine." I gasp, attempting a smile that pulls painfully at my split lip.
A door bursts open to our right, and a man with a shaved head charges out, firing wildly. Blade pushes us further behind the dumpster and meets the attack head-on. The other man is huge. At least six-foot-four and built like a tank, but Blade moves like water, ducking under a wild swing and delivering three precise blows to the man's ribs and kidney.
I watch, transfixed, as they grapple. The other man manages to knock Blade's gun away, and for a moment, I fear the worst. But Blade simply smiles and draws a wicked-looking knife from his boot. The blade catches the sunlight as he slashes forward, opening a deep gash across the man's forearm.
The man howls in pain but doesn't retreat. Instead, he barrels forward, trying to use his size advantage. It's a mistake. Blade sidesteps at the last moment, driving his knife deep into the man’s side before ripping it upward. The man's scream cuts off abruptly as Blade's hand clamps over his mouth, holding him up for a moment before letting the body crumple to the ground.
Blade retrieves his gun, wiping the knife on the dead man's jacket before returning it to his boot. The entire fight lasted less than thirty seconds.
"We need to move," he says calmly, as if he hasn't just killed a man. "Stay close."
For a moment, the chaos around us fades, and I simply drink in the sight of my sister—alive, unharmed, and somehow fiercer than I remember. Kelly has always been the softer one between us, more trusting, more willing to see the good in people. It’s different now.
