Page 13

Juniper

The shattering of glass jolted me from my restless slumber. Smoke wafted through the open window as angry shouts pierced the night. I stumbled out of bed, my heart pounding against my ribcage.

Peering out into the darkness, I saw flickering flames illuminate the Hades Abyss compound. Shadowy figures raced back and forth, hurling what looked like Molotov cocktails over the fence. The club members sprang into action, some grabbing weapons while others rushed to douse the spreading flames.

“Lock it down! Nobody gets in or out!” Fox’s commanding voice boomed over the chaos.

My gaze darted anxiously, searching for any sign of Breaker amidst the mayhem. Instead, I spotted Yankee and Fangs standing guard near the house, their postures tense and alert.

A cold sweat prickled my skin as another fiery explosion rocked the night, far too close for comfort. I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable in the thin nightgown.

The acrid stench of smoke grew stronger, making my eyes water and throat burn. Panicked thoughts raced through my mind. What if the flames reached the house? Where was Breaker? Was he out there risking his life to defend the club?

As I scanned the area once more, a shadow detached from the darkness, moving with calculated stealth. My breath caught in my throat. It couldn’t be…

But even in the chaos, I recognized the gaunt face and predatory gleam in those cold eyes. Uncle Robert. He was slinking closer to the house, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.

My pulse thundered in my ears. Icy fear clawed at my insides. He really had found me. After all this time, he’d finally tracked me down. And now, with the club under attack, I was more defenseless than ever.

“No, no, no…” I whispered, backing away from the window on shaking legs. Tears blurred my vision as I glanced around wildly, desperate for a way to escape, to hide, to do something.

But deep down, I knew it was futile. There was nowhere to run. My worst nightmare was unfolding before my eyes, and all I could do was watch helplessly as it consumed me.

I banged on the window frantically, trying to catch Yankee’s attention. Even though I didn’t think he’d hear me over the noise outside, I knew I had to try.

“Yankee! Watch out!” I screamed, my voice drowned out by the chaos outside. But it was too late.

Uncle Robert approached with calculated movements, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He moved like a snake, slithering closer to Fangs and Yankee, who were unaware of the looming threat.

In a swift motion, Uncle Robert grabbed a brick from off the ground. Before I could shout another warning, he swung it at Fangs’ head with brutal force. Even from inside, I could hear the sickening thud, and Fangs crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Yankee whirled around, reaching for his weapon, but Uncle Robert was faster. With a vicious punch to the temple, he rendered Yankee unconscious as well, his body falling alongside Fangs’.

I stood frozen, my hands pressed against the window, tears streaming down my face. This couldn’t be happening. The two men who were supposed to protect me lay motionless on the ground, and my uncle now had a clear path to reach me.

Uncle Robert’s gaze locked with mine through the window, a triumphant sneer twisting his features. I saw him mouth the words “ You can’t hide” .

He stepped over the unconscious bodies of Fangs and Yankee, making his way toward the house. Each step he took closer felt like a tightening noose around my neck. I backed away from the window, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

“Please, someone help me,” I whispered, my voice trembling. But with the club under attack and my protectors unconscious, I knew I was on my own.

I glanced around the room, my mind racing for a way out, a place to hide, anything to escape the impending horror. But deep down, I knew there was nowhere to run. Uncle Robert was coming for me, and this time, there was no one left to save me from his clutches.

* * *

Breaker

The moment I heard the commotion, I knew something was wrong. The smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails were just a distraction, a calculated move to draw us away from something, and I knew what. Juniper! My heart raced as I sprinted back toward the house, a sinking feeling in my gut telling me that my wife was in danger.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I muttered under my breath, pushing my body to its limits. The dread that filled my mind was all-consuming, urging me to move faster, to get to her before it was too late.

As I approached the house, my worst fears were confirmed. Yankee and Fangs lay unconscious on the ground, and there was no sign of Juniper. The front door had been smashed open, hanging crookedly on its hinges. I couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense I had failed her, that I should have been there to protect her.

I ran through the busted open door, my eyes frantically scanning the room for any sign of Juniper or her uncle. The eerie silence that greeted me only heightened my anxiety. He couldn’t have been that far ahead of me, could he?

“Juniper!” I called out, my voice raw with desperation. “Where are you?”

A muffled cry from the back of the house caught my attention, and I ran in that direction. My heart pounded in my ears as I followed the sound, praying that I wasn’t too late.

I reached the bedroom door and tried the handle, but it was locked. Without hesitation, I slammed my shoulder against the wood, using all my strength to break it down. The door splintered and gave way, revealing a scene that made my blood run cold.

Juniper was pressed against the far wall, her eyes wide with terror as her uncle loomed over her. Thankfully, it didn’t look like he’d had time to hurt her.

“Get away from her, you bastard!”

Robert Murray turned to face me, a sinister grin on his face. “Well, well, if it isn’t the knight in shining armor. You’re too late, boy. Juniper is coming with me.”

I lunged forward, my rage boiling over as I prepared to fight for Juniper’s safety. But Robert was quick, dodging my attack and pulling out a knife. The blade glinted menacingly in the dim light, a clear threat that he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

“Breaker, please be careful,” Juniper whimpered, her voice trembling with fear.

I circled Robert, my eyes never leaving his, waiting for an opening. I knew I had to be smart, to find a way to disarm him and get Juniper to safety. Without using my gun. I didn’t want to risk Juniper darting into the path of a bullet, or worse, her uncle deciding to use her as a shield.

As we faced off, I silently vowed to do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant putting my own life on the line. Juniper’s safety was all that mattered, and I wouldn’t rest until she was out of her uncle’s clutches and back in the protective arms of the Hades Abyss MC. My arms.

“You have a choice,” Robert Murray said. “You can either quietly let me leave with Juniper, or I can kill you and carry her out over your dead body.”

“No! Please… don’t hurt him,” Juniper begged.

“I’ve got this, Juni,” I assured her, although I had to admit I wasn’t feeling as confident as I tried to sound. This could go sideways in the blink of an eye.

“How sweet. Looks like she’s found someone to care about, and you even return her affection. It’s nauseating.”

“You’re a monster,” I said. “What the hell would you know about love and affection?”

He smiled. “Not a damn thing. But I do like some excitement. And power.”

My gut twisted. “Power?”

He closed his eye briefly, a look of bliss crossing his features. “It’s so thrilling when they plead and scream, doing their best to fight their way to freedom, only to settle down and accept their fate once I’ve had my way with them.”

I nearly threw up from the picture he painted. If I could, I would rid the earth of every rotten bastard like this one. All they did was cause pain and suffering. I doubted they had souls, but if Robert Murray had one, I’d make sure he had a one-way ticket to hell.

“Have you fucked my little niece yet? I never could bring myself to do it. Not with her. Even I have my standards, and family is a no-go. But I do have a friend who is very eager to meet her. Oh, the things he wants to do with her.” Robert sighed, and I had to hold on with everything I had not to launch myself at him. I knew that’s what he wanted, to provoke me into acting without thinking. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

I heard Juniper whimper and made the mistake of glancing at her. I wanted to reassure both her and myself that she was fine, but it was the wrong thing to do. Robert Murray lunged at me, and I threw my arm up to block him. The knife sliced through my long-sleeved shirt and I hissed at the sting of pain as he drew blood. He didn’t give me even a second to catch my bearings before he was after me again, his knife stabbing at me over and over. I kept dancing out of the way, but when I realized he was herding me closer to Juniper, I forced myself to stay still.

The evil smile he cast my way said enough. I’d been playing into his hands even though I’d tried not to. Without a moment of hesitation, I drew my gun. Before I even got a chance to fire off a shot, the asshole made a motion to something over my shoulder. Just as my finger was squeezing the trigger on my gun, I heard an explosion of glass, Juniper’s scream, and then felt fire through my right shoulder. I glanced down in disbelief as the realization I’d been shot hit me.

“You knew I wasn’t alone,” Robert said. “And now you’ll pay the price.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond before I felt his knife sink into my gut. The world started turning hazy, and no matter how hard I fought to stay conscious, it was a losing battle. The last thing I heard was Juniper screaming my name.

* * *

Juniper

“No! Not Breaker.” I fell to my knees and tried crawling to him, but my uncle snatched me by my hair and dragged me back to my feet.

“This is your fault, Juniper. If you’d come with me earlier, your husband wouldn’t be dying right now.”

Tears blurred my vision and it felt like my heart had been shattered. He was right. This was all my fault. Fangs, Yankee, Breaker… they’d been hurt, and would possibly die, all because I’d stayed here. How many others out there were wounded or dead?

“Now come along like a good girl,” my uncle said.

I followed him, not sure what else I could do. As I stumbled from the house, I realized things had quieted down outside. I didn’t see any of the Hades Abyss members, except for those on the ground. Not only were Fangs and Yankee still down outside the house, but I saw three other bodies on our way to the fence line.

My uncle had cut the fence, and now he dragged me through the opening. When we reached the road, he shoved me into the back seat of his car. I noticed he set the child lock on the door before closing it, and I knew he’d done the same for the other side. He’d not leave something like that to chance.

I felt numb as we pulled away.

Closing my eyes, I let the tears fall silently, as I prayed harder than I ever had in my entire life. Please. Please let Breaker and the others be okay. Don’t let them die .

Even if I never saw them again, I wanted them to live. Maybe then I’d feel a little less guilty.

* * *

Breaker

I groaned as I slowly swam back to consciousness. Then it hit me. Robert Murray had Juniper! I jolted upright, then nearly passed out from the pain. I felt a hand on my shoulder and tensed.

“Easy, brother.”

“Rocket?” I asked, my vision still swimming.

“Yeah, it’s me. Let’s get you over to the clubhouse. Dread is already there patching up some of our other brothers, but I think you got hit the worst. Where’s Juniper?”

“Gone.” My throat felt like sandpaper. “He took her.”

“We’ll get her back,” Rocket promised.

He helped me stand and led me outside. I saw one of the Prospects, Leo, waiting with a club truck. Rocket opened the rear door and I shook my head, then regretted it as I nearly landed on my ass.

“No. I’ll bleed all over the place.”

Rocket snorted. “Like any of us give a fuck about that! Get your ass in the truck.”

I let him help me inside, then he jumped into the front seat, and Leo drove us back to the clubhouse. Even though I could tell he was being careful, I felt every dip and bump in the road. By the time we pulled up, I was trying hard not to puke everywhere.

Rocket helped me from the truck and we went inside. The moment Dread saw me, he stopped what he was doing and started barking orders.

“I need the bar top. Someone go to my house and get more supplies.”

I ended up lying on my back on the bar after they removed my cut, then Dread cut my shirt off me. He let out a low whistle as he prodded at the knife wound. If I’d had more energy, I’d have punched him.

“Doesn’t look good, but we’ll get you on your feet again in no time.”

“Not soon enough,” I mumbled.

I drifted in and out of consciousness as he cleaned and stitched the wound on my lower abdomen, then did the same to my shoulder. Someone rolled me to my side, and he worked on the entry wound from the bullet.

“At least it was a clean through and through,” he said. “In a good spot too. No long-term damage.”

Once he’d finished patching me up, and gave me something for the pain, Dread helped me to my feet. I groaned and swayed for a moment, but he held me steady.

“Church,” I said. “I need to get to…”

My knees buckled and I nearly went down. Rocket rushed forward and helped catch me.

“Brother, the only place you’re going is bed,” Rocket said.

“No. Have to find Juniper.”

My words were starting to slur. What the fuck had he given me? I glared at Dread -- or tried to. I couldn’t tell if I succeeded. Everything started to spin, and I knew I was going to pass out in a moment.

“Right now, you’re going to sleep this off,” Dread said. “Someone haul his ass over to one of the beds here. When he wakes up, he can talk to Fox.”

I did my best to protest, but it was only a moment later, everything went dark.

* * *

When I woke up for the second time, I was ready to hit someone. Preferably Dread. I saw someone leaning in the doorway and squinted as the room slowly came into focus. “What time is it?”

“You’ve been asleep about four hours,” Yankee said. He came closer and I saw the bruising on his temple. “Fucker sucker punched me. Hit Fangs with a damn brick. He needed stitches and has a bitch of a headache, but he’s upright. We both fared better than you.”

“Anyone else in bad shape?” I asked.

“You got the worst of it. The rest of us can ride when we need to. Fox is waiting for you in Church. He’s already doing his best to track down Juniper.”

“Thanks,” I said, pushing to my feet. I winced as the room swam, then slowly made my way down the hall and entered Church.

Fox looked up from the maps spread across the table. “You okay?”

“Been better. Listen, I think what happened was a setup. Robert Murray used the chaos as a distraction to get to Juniper.”

“We’ve already figured that much out while you were sleeping. Any ideas how he got in?”

I shook my head. “Did anyone spot anything on the cameras before the shit hit the fan?”

“Surge,” Fox barked.

I turned as our club hacker came into the room, looking worn the fuck out. “They somehow managed to reposition the cameras when we weren’t monitoring the ones in a particular area. We didn’t catch it. The bastard cut the fence in that spot.”

Fox’s jaw clenched. “Start pulling surveillance footage from around town. Look for any sign of Robert or Juniper.”

Surge nodded, then held up his laptop. “On it, boss.”

Fox turned back to me, his gaze intense. “Breaker, I need you to focus. Think. Did you see or hear anything that could give us a lead? Any clues about where he might have taken her?”

I closed my eyes, trying to push past the panic and guilt that threatened to overwhelm me.

“No,” I admitted, my voice strained. “And if it’s been four hours since I went to sleep, then he’s had even longer to put distance between here and wherever he’s going.”

Fox nodded, his mind already working on a plan. “Bear, Knox,” he called out, his voice carrying through the clubhouse, “gather the brothers. Once Surge has a direction for us, we need to hit the streets and find Juniper.”

We would find Juniper, and God help Robert Murray when we did. I wasn’t going to let the fucker live.

“Let’s bring your girl home,” Fox said, his voice low and fierce.

I nodded, my resolve strengthening with each passing second. We’re coming for you, Juniper. Hold on just a little longer .

While I waited, I went back to the main room and took a seat at the bar. Beer wasn’t the best idea right now, so I grabbed a soda. I needed something for my parched throat, and a way to keep my mind off things. I sipped the drink and tried not to think of all the things that monster could be doing to Juniper right now. He’d talked about a friend who wanted her. Was she already in someone else’s hands?

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and red, my phone buzzed with a message from Fox. Surge found something. Get back in here .

I entered Church and saw the glow of computer screens casting an eerie light over his face as his fingers flew across the keyboard with a sense of urgency. Lines of code and video feeds flashed across the monitor, his eyes darting from one to the next as he searched for any sign of Juniper. Surge’s brow furrowed in concentration, his jaw clenched as he worked against the clock. He had always been the club’s secret weapon, his technical skills a great asset.

“I thought you’d found something?” I asked.

“Hang on. Still tracking,” he mumbled.

As he scanned through the footage from the town’s surveillance cameras, his eyes narrowed, focusing on a grainy image. It was a car, speeding down a side street. In fact, it looked just like the one Robert Murray had driven here when he’d demanded we hand over Juniper.

Surge zoomed in on the image, his fingers trembling slightly as he worked to enhance the footage. The picture sharpened, and there was no mistaking it. Robert Murray was behind the wheel.

“This is definitely Robert Murray and the getaway car,” Surge said. “But once the vehicle leaves town, there aren’t any cameras for miles. Best I can do is hope the State Troopers have something set up to scan license plates of speeders. I’ll keep working on it, but for now at least we know which direction they took. It’s a start.”

Surge’s fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes locked on the screen as he continued to do his best to locate my missing wife.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered under my breath, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides. “We have to find her.”

Seconds felt like hours as we waited, the silence broken only by the occasional curse from Surge as he hit another dead end. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched with each failed search.

“There!” Surge’s voice cut through the room like a knife, and I was at his side in an instant. “I found the car about fifteen miles down the highway. It got flagged for speeding. I’ll search the towns within a twenty-mile radius and see if I can catch sight of them on any camera feeds.”

My heart leaped in my chest. We were getting closer! As soon as I knew where she was, I would go and bring my wife home. But I’d need backup, but I didn’t intend to let Robert Murray walk away. That bastard had hurt someone for the last time. It would be tricky, since he was out on parole. We’d just have to make it look like he skipped town, or even left the country.

“Damn,” Surge muttered. “Found the vehicle. But it looks like he abandoned it. I’ll have to call Wire for help. Maybe he can use facial recognition software to hit a wider range and spot her. We won’t stop until she’s back home.”

“Thanks, Surge,” I said. I walked out, needing to get some air.

My Juni was out there somewhere, alone and afraid, at the mercy of a monster. And I had failed her. I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. This wasn’t over. I hadn’t failed her yet. I’d find her, no matter what it took.

Or I would die trying.