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Jesse

T he moon hangs over us in the sky, our only light on this God-forsaken property as we wait for Viper's signal to move in. Each team has their job. Every detail laid out with contingencies should something go wrong. No matter what happens here tonight, Raven and Kat will be leaving with us, and Scar's crew will be wiped from the face of the planet.

There is no alternative.

We scoped the place out, learned the guards' routes and shifts, and compared that intel with what our captive told us. We knew the fucker may have lied about everything, so we took his words with a grain of salt, but so far, everything lines up.

Once Reaper took over the interrogation, Martin, aka Antonio Martinez, former Bastards prospect, now patched member, played ball. He gave up everything he knew after pissing himself when Reaper took the first chunk out of his skin. He threatened to skin the fucker alive if he didn't tell us what we wanted to know, and I could see in his eyes it wasn't a bluff.

Something in him snapped when Archie told us the Bastards took Rae. For a while, I thought he'd go rogue and burn the planet down to get her back. He had that look in his eyes back at the clubhouse. Had it back in the interrogation room. Still has it now as we wait for the signal.

Everyone else thinks it's out of guilt or loyalty to the Sons, but I know better. Reaper is violently protective of what's his, always has been. The club, our city, his spot as enforcer, and now, Raven. She's his, and she was taken by our enemy under his watch. The moment that reality set in, I could see the change in him.

Under the surface, underneath the pain and anger, a violent storm is brewing. A storm so dark and dangerous it could destroy everything in its path. Even if all else fails tonight, I know he won't. He'd take on Lucifer himself to get Rae back, no doubt about that.

I check the time. If everything is running smoothly, Viper, Bear, and Hammer will be pulling up any second now.

Right on cue, I hear three motors edging closer through the fog. Here we go.

Scar's boys turn as Viper pulls into view. Using his distraction and the fog to our advantage, we start moving in, staying hidden behind piles of scrap and old wooden crates. Each team moves one at a time, getting into place while we wait for Viper's next signal. We only have one shot to get this right—to get in undetected and find the girls. Every move has to be perfect.

Our allies from the Devils are ready. We're ready. Now, we need one last piece to fall into place.

"Send out your boss," Viper demands as he and the others get off their bikes, moving closer to the punk watching the front gate.

The POS scoffs back a reply. "Scar's busy. He doesn't have time for snakes. Get lost."

I can't see through the fog, but I'd bet anything Viper is spearing this douchebag with his eyes right now. If Raven wasn't inside, this prick would already have a bullet in his brain. "He's meeting me one way or another. Tell your limp-dick boss to get his ass out here now."

A rumble of irritation can be heard from Scar's guys as Viper stands his ground. "I've got something he'll want to see." He holds up the bag I saved from the bar fire, taunting the Bastards with it.

The prick guard shouts to someone near him, "Get Prez. Tell him Daddy's here to try and save his little girl," he adds tauntingly. Laughter echoes from Scar's morons as Reaper lets out a quiet, deadly growl beside me. The Bastard prick has no idea, but he marked himself for death.

Minutes pass as we wait for Scar to show. When he finally does, everyone goes still. "Hello, Elias." Scar's voice is low and icy and a deadly calm surrounds him like he has no care in the world. Like he doesn't have our girl locked up somewhere inside and an abbreviated lifespan.

"Scar," Viper's words cut through the air like venom in a vein.

"You know, I wondered what it would take for you to come talk to me. After all these years as the Sons' leader, you've grown too high and mighty for old friends."

Viper stays quiet, staring down his former brother as the rest of us wait. He has to keep his cool if we want this to work how we planned.

Scar laughs at his silence. "Imagine my surprise when I found out about your little secret, or should I say secrets. "

Bear and Hammer shift behind Viper, readying for a fight if our plan goes to shit—if Prez can't keep his cool and jumps the gun before it's time. With every word out of Scar's mouth, it seems more and more likely. "Pretty little things, your girls. The redhead especially, but the dark-haired one . . . "

I tense at his mention of Raven, feeling Reaper do the same next to me. Scar whistles as he keeps running his mouth. "Now, she's feisty. Angry little spitfire that one. Likes to fight." Bile rises in my throat. "Makes it that much more fun . . . when they fight back."

It takes all I have not to vomit. What he's insinuating—I pray to every god that exists that it's just a bluff, that he said it to get under Viper's skin. Rae is a fighter. If they tried anything, I know she'd go down swinging, but we all hoped we'd get to her in time. That we'd save her before—

A dangerous growl sounds from my right. Reaper is shaking now, angrier than I've ever seen him. Scar's words are working, but I have to tell myself that all they are are lies. All lies. We have to stick to the plan. I put a firm hand on Reaper's arm, drawing his attention. When he meets my eye, I shake my head. Don't do anything rash, brother. We'll get her back.

I plead with him to have patience, silently sending my message. If he acts on his emotions right now, the plan will go up in smoke. Viper and the others have Scar's attention, which is what we need. When Viper makes the big play, that's when we'll move.

Viper speaks, voice seething as he addresses Scar. "Give. Her. Back."

An eerie silence follows as Scar pretends to contemplate his answer. "Hmmm. Nah, don't think I will. Me and my boys are having too much fun with her."

Viper's dangerous growl sounds as he steps closer. "If you don't bring my kid out here now," he holds up the tattered bag. "Everything in this bag goes to the feds."

Scar scoffs. "What do I care? They've been after me for years and haven't been able to make anything stick. I doubt that bag of tricks will change that."

"Oh, it will," Viper promises. "I have everything, Scar. Right here." He taps the bag as he continues, "Every bank statement, recorded conversation, photo, written plan . . . I have everything the feds need to lock you up and throw away the key. All right here. Every detail of your most heinous crimes is in this bag leading back decades. I even have your journal—ya know, the one you logged all your sick thoughts in about the shit you did. So many confessions in one place.

"Every crime you've ever committed, going all the way back to Colorado, is right. In. Here. Maybe the Lobos would like to see it," he adds, making Scar sneer. "Or the Angels, or Dante and his boys. I'm sure any one of them would love to get their hands on you once they find out you're the rat who sold them out. See, I've got proof of that too. "

Viper knew Scar's secrets. Knew every crew he betrayed and blackmailed over the years. Still kept in contact with some of them to this day. He'd been playing the long game with his bag of tricks for years, ever since Scar went rogue. Prez knew one day that bag might be the only thing in his arsenal to put down the rabid fucker. He saved it till now, pulling his ace to save one of our own and finally take down the biggest threat to our existence.

"You're lying!" Scar fumes.

"Am I?"

"You wouldn't be stupid enough to bring all that here. What's to stop me from killing you and your boys and burning it all up?"

"You could, but I have backups. Everything is already copied and ready to send to the feds should anything happen to me."

A moment passes, then another before Scar says anything, but the tension in the air grows thick, stifling. Scar starts to pace, mumbling to himself as we watch, waiting for our cue. Any second now, and it will be time. The team closest to Viper, Bear, and Hammer are ready. We all are. We just need Scar to make his move.

Viper knows him better than anyone. He knows his sordid inner workings, what makes him tick. He called it long before Scar's decision was made. He told us what to do the second his former friend made his move because he knew what would happen.

He knew Scar's choice long before Scar did. We know what to do and where this conversation will lead. It's inevitable.

When Scar stops moving and grows deathly still, we know it's almost time. His laugh echoes through the lot, growing more sadistic the longer it rings out. No one moves. No one says a word until Scar turns to Viper and says, "We always knew it would come to this, brother. I wish I could say I was sorry, but we both know that's a lie."

Faster than a striking cobra, Scar grabs his gun, aims it at Viper, and pulls the trigger.