Page 59 of Cinder (MC Fables #2)

L ars

I push my Harley harder than I’ve ever pushed her. I tear through the darkness toward the Moretti estate, my heart beating like a war drum against my ribs. My nerves of steel are buckling beneath the emotion ripping at my insides.

Love . I’ve fought against it my whole life. Because I know it is more powerful and more destructive than anything else in this world. I’ve done everything I can to avoid it. From fucking randoms, to indulging in two, three, four at a time.

But life has changed. And it was her that changed it.

Ella.

I know without a doubt I am in love with her.

I don’t give a fuck that she lied .

I know the worlds we live in.

Mafia. MC. You do what you gotta do to survive.

It’s not like she had a choice. She was forced into a corner by her psychopathic, sniveling, crybaby of a brother.

And I’m going to rain down fire and brimstone on his head if he has harmed her.

I grip the handlebars tighter and don’t allow those thoughts to linger in my head. Because a world without Ella is a world I don’t want to be in.

When I arrive at the Moretti estate, a guard stops me at the security gate.

“Tell that piece of shit to come and face me,” I demand.

Before the guard can reply, his phone rings. He puts it on speaker.

“Lars Andersson, I take it?” the voice on the other end says. It’s Luca Moretti, and he sounds like he’s having fun. “Your reputation precedes you. Apparently, you’re some hot shot enforcer I should be afraid of.”

“Why don’t you open these gates and find out.”

He thinks for a moment and then chuckles. “I think this is going to be fun.”

A loud buzz breaks into the predawn light and the gates start to open.

Revving my bike, I pull away from the guard post and roar up the long driveway to the front door of the mansion .

Bounding up the front steps, I come to an abrupt halt when the door opens a crack, and I see Ella’s beautiful face.

Her eyes are red and her cheeks are tearstained.

“Baby…”

“Lars, you shouldn’t have come,” she says softly.

I move toward the door, but before I reach it, a man in a suit that is slightly too tight steps in front of Ella.

“Not so quick, buddy,” he says with a smug smile. He makes a show of tugging on the end of his shirt sleeves. Making me wait. Showing me who’s boss.

“I’m guessing you’re Luca,” I say.

He grins and it’s like looking into the face of a rattlesnake.

“I have to say, I am impressed, Mr. Andersson. What you’re doing takes balls.”

“And what you’re doing is fucking bad for your health. Let Ella go.”

His smile vanishes and his thin, cruel lips curl up in a snarl. “I have twenty crosshairs pointed at you right now.”

“And I have an entire army of bikers itching to wipe the smug smile off your ugly face. If I die, they will burn this house and everything you have to the fucking ground.”

“Then I suggest you walk away while you still can.”

“Not without Ella.”

“Then we are at an impasse.” The obnoxious fuck grins at me and my hand itches to unload my gun into his face .

But I don’t know what is on the other side of this door. I imagine it’s a lot of firepower and I can’t risk Ella getting caught up in it.

Luca looks at Ella with amusement tugging at his lips. “Get rid of him.”

And the coward steps away from the door so I can’t see him.

I hear Ella hitch a breath. Our eyes connect, and I see the fear in them.

“Ella, you can come with me right now.”

She shakes her head. “Viktor and his men are here. They have Lucretia.”

She steps away from the door, and I use the business end of my gun to push it open wider so I can see what is on the other side. Viktor is standing only a yard away, one hand holding Lucretia’s hair, the other pointing a gun at her side.

“Please,” Ella whispers. Her eyes drop to the floor. “You need to leave, or they will kill you.”

“I’m going to get you out of here.”

Her lashes lift and I see the tears in her beautiful blue eyes. “It’s too late for me.”

“Don’t you say that, you hear me. Because I will not stop until you and your sister are safe.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” she says softly.

“I don’t care about that. I understand why you did. None of it matters, okay. Come with me. You don’t have to stay here. ”

Luca clears his throat. “That’s all very chivalrous and romantic.

But you’re not the one calling the shots here.

The only reason you’re not dead right now is because I’m not in the mood to fight the MC today.

But tomorrow, it might be a different story, so I suggest you take the chance to ride away while you can. Alone .”

“Please go,” Ella begs. Her voice softly pleading. Her eyes violently begging me to walk away.

I’ve never been the guy to walk away when I could stand and fight.

But I know the best way to fight this is with backup. Unloading my clip into Luca’s face will probably get us both killed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Luca reappears at the door looking impatient.

“You’ve heard my sister. It’s too late for her.

Save yourself. They’ll kill you. Blah blah blah.

I’m bored, so if we could move this along, please.

” He pulls out a gun and points it at my face.

“Or I might just put an end to it myself.”

I don’t flinch. I don’t hesitate. I don’t show him a second of fear. Because I don’t feel any fear for myself. Even with a gun pointed in my face.

I stare at him with a dead expression. “Pull that trigger and my club will find you, cut you into tiny pieces, and sink you to the bottom of the ocean. But don’t worry, the authorities will find your head. With your cock shoved down your throat.”

Luca’s expression changes in an instant, and he turns into a child who’s had his toy taken from him .

“You will show me the respect I deserve,” he screams. “Now get the fuck off my doorstep before I kill you.”

Across the foyer, Viktor clears his throat, and it’s enough to calm Luca’s tantrum before it escalates any further.

Luca glares at his sister. “Get rid of him, or so help me God, I will kill everyone.”

I look at Ella. My hands are tied.

“Please,” she begs. “You have to go.”

And without waiting for a response, she closes the door.

Every inch of me wants to stay and fight, and I have to force myself down the front steps and over to my bike. Because if I didn’t go, and Ella and her sister got hurt in whatever happened next, I would never forgive myself.

No, right now, I have to play my hand the correct way, and that means riding away from here to regroup with the Knights and figure out how I’m going to save the girl I’m in love with.

It kills me, but I climb on my bike and tear out of the Moretti estate at breakneck speed, vowing to bring hell to Luca and Viktor’s doorsteps for what they have done.