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The night wraps around us like a shroud as we walk back to our bikes. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready to snap, but the heaviness in my chest isn’t just from the adrenaline. Those kids, their faces shadowed with fear, are seared into my mind, lighting a fire in my soul. They deserve freedom. Soon, we’ll give it to them.

We reach our bikes, and the rest of the group falls into place without a word. But I feel a storm brewing, an urgency that wasn’t there before. I’m sure others saw the kids, and none of them want to waste a single second. The fact that none of them rushed toward the warehouse when the kids came out is a testament to their loyalty and training. I know I can count on these men when the time is right.

“Mount up,” I whisper, swinging my leg over the bike. The others follow suit, their movements fluid and silent.

The engines purr to life, a low rumble that vibrates through the stillness of the night. We peel away from the warehouse district with our lights off. Distance grows between us and the warehouse, but the images don’t fade. My mind races faster than the wheels beneath me, piecing together fragments of a plan that could either save those kids or send us all to an early grave. I need Fang, Bones, and the other club leaders to run through this with me. We can’t leave an opening for the cartel to gain the upper hand.

Back at the inn, I kill the engine and swing off my bike. The others follow, forming a loose circle in the pool area. Their gazes rest on me, trusting that I’ll know what to do next.

“Alright,” I start, my voice a low rasp. “You did well tonight. Real good. But this is just the beginning.” I lock eyes with each member of the crew, seeing the same fire reflected back at me. “We know what we’re up against now. We got kids to save and a cartel to bring down.”

A few nods ripple through the group—silent acknowledgments of the stakes.

“Next step, we plan. Every move has to be calculated. We strike smart, not hard.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “And this… this stays with us. Not a word outside this circle. Understood?”

“Understood,” they echo back in a chorus of agreement.

“Get some rest. We’ve got a war to wage, and you need to be on your A game.”

As soon as I dismiss the others, Vapor and Tank roar up on their bikes. Fang, Bones, and Diablo hang back with me.

“Church,” Vapor says, jerking his chin toward our meeting room.

I file in behind him along with the others. We take seats in a circle in the center of the room. Vapor calls Church to order and I give him a rundown of everything we saw.

“It’s definitely the place,” I finish.

“Good. Glad to hear Isabella’s friend didn’t set us up,” Vapor says.

“We can trust Maria and her husband Pedro. Isabella says they want out.”

“Not a problem. If they stay loyal to Isabella, then we’ll help them start new lives in another state. If they want to go back to Mexico, we can make that happen too.”

“I’ll let Isabella know.”

“Vasquez thinks he can use this city as his playground. He thinks he can prey on the innocent right under our noses.” Vapor’s voice slices through the silence. “But he doesn’t know who he’s messing with. Doesn’t know what we’re capable of. We ruined shit for him at Lulu’s, but that was only the beginning. It’s time he found out what we can really do. First we get the kids to safety, then we go in for their moms.”

A murmur of agreement rises. The same fire burning through their veins lives in mine.

“If we go for the kids first, Juan will know and he could hide the women,” Fang says, always thinking of the worst-case scenario.

“That’s why I didn’t want to go in tonight,” I say.

“This needs to be a tightly orchestrated attack,” Bones says.

“How urgent is the rescue?” Tank asks.

“Well, they’re being forced to work, but they’re not being beaten as far as we know. The ones I saw looked like they ate well enough.” I stroke my beard, considering the various implications of waiting too long to get them.

“Get one of the prospects to put a pot of coffee on,” Vapor says to Tank, who hurries out to grab one of the guys. “I want us to hash this shit out tonight. We hit them tomorrow at midnight.”

“We can’t. Isabella says the women get off work at nine p.m. We have to hit the textile warehouse at the same time,” I say.

“Okay. What do we know about the drug warehouse place?” Bones asks.

“Isabella can tell us everything about it. She worked there so she knows it inside and out.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “I’ll get her?”

“Yeah. But we need more space. Fang, did you get the blueprints for either of the warehouses?” Vapor asks.