Page 9 of Gunner (Iron Sentinels MC #3)

D awn sat on the edge of Gunner’s bed, absently twisting a loose thread on her jeans as the distant rumble of motorcycles echoed outside. She knew Gunner was busy, caught up in club business, handling whatever business dealings the Iron Sentinels had going on, while also trying to track down Jesse.

She hated this. Hated feeling like a liability, like dead weight slowing him down when she knew damn well he had bigger things to worry about. The last thing she wanted was to be another burden on his already heavy shoulders.

Sighing, she stood and stretched. Maybe she could help.

Maybe if she got out of this room, got some air, she’d be able to think clearer.

She made it to the door before she hesitated.

Gunner had been adamant that she stay put.

He didn’t trust anyone in the clubhouse to watch over her the way he would, and he’d made her promise—swear—that she wouldn’t step outside unless he was with her.

But he wasn’t here now and she was sick of hiding.

With one last glance at the empty room, she slipped out into the dimly lit hallway, ignoring the way a few passing bikers gave her lingering looks.

Most of them had kept their distance, clearly aware that she was under Gunner’s protection.

She doubted any of them would be stupid enough to mess with her.

The clubhouse doors loomed ahead, and she pushed them open, stepping outside into the cool night air. The lot was mostly empty, save for a few parked bikes and the faint glow of a cigarette from one of the club members standing watch by the gate.

Dawn took a deep breath, letting the tension in her shoulders ease just a little. The night was quiet, the roar of engines long gone as the Sentinels handled whatever business they were wrapped up in.

Maybe she should go back inside. Maybe Gunner had been right. She had just turned back toward the door when a cold hand clamped around her wrist. Her breath hitched. Before she could scream, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back against a solid chest.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” a familiar, taunting voice whispered in her ear.

Jesse.

Ice flooded her veins. She thrashed, kicking back with everything she had, but Jesse was ready. He tightened his grip, dragging her toward a dark-colored van parked just beyond reach of the clubhouse lights.

No. No. No. She wasn’t going to let this happen. Dawn twisted in his grip, bringing her elbow up and slamming it into his ribs. Jesse grunted, momentarily loosening his hold, and she took her chance, spinning around, aiming a knee right between his legs.

She missed by an inch. Jesse snarled, recovering fast, and backhanded her so hard stars exploded in her vision.

Pain burst across her cheek, but she barely had time to register it before he was shoving her forward, forcing her toward the van.

The door was already open, the back lined with rope and duct tape.

A scream clawed up her throat, but Jesse’s hand slammed over her mouth before she could get it out.

“You never learn, do you?” he sneered. “You should’ve stayed where you belonged. But you had to be difficult.”

Dawn bit down on his palm, hard enough to taste blood.

“Fuck!” Jesse yanked his hand away, and she used that split-second to twist free, bolting toward the clubhouse.

She didn’t make it three steps before he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back. A sharp cry ripped from her throat as she hit the pavement hard, her knees scraping against the rough ground.

Jesse loomed over her, shaking out his injured hand, eyes burning with fury. “You want to fight me, baby? Fine.” He crouched down, his breath hot against her face. “But you will learn your lesson.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She swung at him, her nails catching his cheek, drawing blood. Jesse hissed, then grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head.

“You’re really gonna make me work for this, huh?” he growled, his grip tightening until she winced.

Terror pulsed through Dawn’s veins. Gunner. She needed Gunner but he wasn’t here and she was on her own. Jesse’s breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. He grinned down at her, his sick satisfaction making her stomach churn.

“You thought you could just leave me hanging?” His voice was smooth, mocking. “Thought you could hide behind your little biker boyfriend and I wouldn’t come for you?”

Dawn bucked against him, twisting, kicking, anything to get free. His laughter was cruel.

“You never learn, do you?” He tightened his grip on her wrists.

She fought harder, adrenaline flooding her system, but Jesse was stronger. His knee pressed against her thigh, his hand clamping over her mouth again, muffling her scream.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, a frantic drumbeat of panic.

No. She wasn’t going to let this happen. Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, she turned her head and bit down on his palm as hard as she could.

Jesse roared in pain, jerking his hand away. She took her chance, her fingers clawing at the pavement as she tried to scramble backward, but she barely made it a few inches before he struck.

The slap came fast and hard, snapping her head to the side. White-hot pain exploded across her face. She gasped, the world spinning, and in that moment of disorientation, Jesse’s fist slammed into her stomach. Air rushed from her lungs in a choked gasp.

Her body folded inward as agony speared through her ribs. She heard her own breath hitch, a strangled sound that barely reached her ears over the ringing in her skull. Dawn tried to move, tried to fight back, but her body wouldn’t listen. Her limbs felt sluggish, her vision blurring at the edges.

Then—darkness. The world tilted, and she felt herself being lifted, her body limp in Jesse’s grasp. She tried to hold on, tried to stay conscious, but the blackness swallowed her whole. And she saw and heard nothing else.

****

T he vibration of Gunner’s phone against his hip sent a jolt of unease through him. He didn’t recognize the number, but something in his gut told him to answer. He swiped the screen and brought the phone to his ear.

A slow, mocking chuckle greeted him. “Miss me, asshole?”

Gunner’s entire body went rigid. Jesse.

His knuckles went white as he gripped the phone tighter. The clubhouse noise faded into the background, his focus narrowing to the sick bastard on the other end of the line.

“Where is she?” Gunner’s voice was low, deadly.

Jesse hummed like he was thinking it over, like he wasn’t keeping the one person Gunner cared about more than anything in the world hostage. “She’s right here with me. Poor thing put up a fight, but you know how women are—so damn fragile. You should’ve seen the way she...”

Gunner moved before he even realized it, shoving back from the table and knocking over his chair. The clubhouse fell silent as every Iron Sentinel turned to look at him.

Jesse laughed again, slow and taunting. “Bet you’re real fucking pissed, huh?”

“I swear to God, if you touch her—”

“What?” Jesse sneered. “You’ll kill me?”

“Yeah,” Gunner growled. “I fucking will.”

Silence.

Then Jesse exhaled a dramatic sigh. “You Iron Sentinels think you own this town, don’t you? Think you can take what you want, keep what belongs to me?”

“She was never yours,” Gunner stated.

“Well, she is now. If you want her back, you’ll have to come get her. But don’t worry, I’ll take real good care of her until then.”

The line went dead. Gunner’s vision blurred with rage. His pulse pounded, his breath coming in ragged bursts as he forced himself to stay still, to think.

Dawn was out there, with that bastard

A chair scraped against the floor, and Beast was suddenly at his side. “What the fuck was that?”

Gunner’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. “Jesse has Dawn.”

A heavy silence settled over the room before Beast swore under his breath. “That son of a bitch.”

“I need everyone,” Gunner said, his voice sharp with urgency. “We’re getting her back. Now.”

No one questioned him. One look at Gunner’s face and every Iron Sentinels member knew this wasn’t just about club business—this was personal. And when something was personal, they didn’t hesitate. They moved.

Within seconds, the entire MC was in motion.

Chairs scraped against the floor as men shot to their feet, voices sharp and urgent as they called for weapons.

Someone shoved a shotgun into Beast’s hands.

Another brother passed a pistol to Ruger.

Tires screeched in the distance as a few of the younger prospects scrambled to their bikes, ready to ride at a moment’s notice.

Gunner stood in the center of it all, pulse hammering, rage simmering just beneath his skin. He forced himself to breathe, to think, to focus. Losing his head wouldn’t help Dawn and would only slow him down.

But every second that passed, every wasted moment felt like a goddamn eternity.

The tracking took time—too much fucking time.

Gunner paced like a caged animal, hands twitching at his sides.

He wanted to move. He wanted to act. Sitting around while Jesse had his hands on Dawn made him feel fucking useless.

“Where the hell is he?” he snapped.

Ruger, their resident hacker, barely looked up from his laptop, fingers flying over the keys. “Working on it.”

“Work faster,” Gunner demanded.

Beast stepped in. “We’ll find him,” Beast reassured him.

Gunner clenched his jaw. That wasn’t good enough.

Jesse could be doing anything to her right now. Hurting her. Scaring her. And Gunner was just standing here, waiting for a goddamn address. He shoved a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. Then—

“I got him,” Ruger announced, voice tight with focus.

Gunner was at his side in an instant, heart pounding.

Ruger tapped the screen. “Bastard’s holed up in an abandoned warehouse at the edge of town.”

A flicker of hope, sharp and deadly, ignited in Gunner’s chest. Gunner didn’t wait. He turned on his heel, already heading for his bike. “Then that’s where we end this.”

The Sentinels followed without hesitation. Engines roared to life, the deep, thunderous growl of Harleys filling the night air. Tires spun, kicking up gravel. The sound was a warning. A promise.

Jesse thought he could take Dawn. He thought he could get away with it. He was fucking wrong because Gunner was coming for him. And he wouldn’t stop until Jesse was six feet under.

****

T he warehouse reeked of oil and rot, a damp, suffocating stench that clung to the air like decay. The flickering overhead lights buzzed, casting jagged shadows across rusted metal beams and cracked concrete floors.

Gunner moved like a predator, his gun firm in his grip, every muscle in his body coiled tight, ready to strike. His pulse pounded in his ears, but his focus was razor-sharp.

He could hear his brothers spreading out behind him, securing exits, ensuring there was no escape. But none of it mattered. All he cared about was Dawn.

A voice cut through the silence, lazy and taunting.

“You got here faster than I thought, Gunner.”

Jesse.

Gunner rounded the corner, his breath stalling in his chest.

Dawn.

She was tied to a chair, her wrists bound with thick rope, her cheek darkened by a fresh bruise. A thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of her lip. Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, her eyes wide with something between fear and defiance.

Gunner’s vision blurred with rage. Jesse stood behind her, one hand fisting her hair, the other pressing a gleaming knife to her throat. His smirk was lazy, confident, like he thought he had the upper hand.

“Not so tough now, are you?” Jesse sneered, digging the blade in just enough to make Dawn flinch. A crimson bead welled against her skin.

Gunner’s grip on his gun tightened, his finger feathering the trigger. His voice was low, deadly. “Let her go.”

Jesse tsked, shaking his head. “Now, where’s the fun in that? You took something from me, Gunner. I’m just here to take it back.” Jesse curled his fingers tighter in Dawn’s hair, yanking her head back. “Maybe I’ll carve my name into her first. Make sure she never forgets who she belongs to.”

White-hot fury detonated in Gunner’s chest.

“Last warning,” he ground out, shifting his stance, lining up his shot. “Let. Her. Go.”

Jesse chuckled. “Nah.”

He pressed the knife deeper—

Bang . The gunshot shattered the air. Jesse’s eyes widened, his smirk faltering.

For a moment, he swayed on his feet, as if his body hadn’t caught up to the fact that there was now a hole in his skull. Then, like a marionette with its strings cut, he crumpled. The knife clattered to the floor beside him, the handle slick with blood.

Gunner was on Dawn in an instant, holstering his gun as he dropped to his knees in front of her. His hands shook as he reached for the knots, ripping at them, desperate to get her free.

“Baby, are you okay?” His voice was rough, thick with emotion.

Dawn nodded, but her eyes glistened, her breaths coming in shallow, unsteady gasps. The moment her hands were free, she sagged forward, and Gunner caught her, pulling her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her like he could shield her from everything, even the memories of tonight.

His fingers threaded into her hair, his lips pressing against the top of her head. “It’s over,” he murmured, voice fierce with promise. “He’s never touching you again.”

And he meant it.

Jesse was gone and Dawn was finally safe.