Page 4 of King’s Reckoning (Blind Jacks MC #5)

Glass crunched under Rowan's boots as she helped clear debris from the clubhouse floor. The Devils' attack had left the main room looking like a war zone—broken windows, bullet-riddled walls, overturned furniture everywhere. But it was the invisible damage that worried her most—the cracks in the club's security, the questions about what lay beneath their feet.

"That section's done,"

Reed called from across the room. He'd stripped down to a white T-shirt in the heat, and Rowan forced herself not to stare at the way the fabric clung to his shoulders.

"Let's check the structural damage next."

They'd been working together since dawn, the pretense of prospect and Road Captain wearing thin with each passing hour. Every so often their hands would brush, or their eyes would meet, and that dangerous electricity would crackle between them.

"Watch your step,"

he warned as she picked her way through the rubble.

"Floor's not stable here."

As if to prove his point, the floorboard under Rowan's foot shifted. She stumbled, and Reed's arm shot out to steady her. His hand was warm on her waist, fingers splayed against her ribs.

"Careful, prospect,"

he murmured, not letting go.

"Wouldn't want you falling."

"Too late for that,"

she said softly, then caught herself. This wasn't why she was here. She couldn't afford distractions, no matter how tempting.

Reed's eyes darkened, but before he could respond, King's voice cut through the tension.

"Need you both in the chapel. Now."

The club's meeting room had survived the attack mostly intact. Dr. Beasley was there, along with Darkness and several other high-ranking members. The ancient laptop she'd salvaged from her lab was open on the table, displaying ground-penetrating radar images.

"Show them,"

King ordered.

Beasley nodded, pulling up new scans.

"These structures under the clubhouse, they're not random. They form a pattern, a kind of network spanning the entire property. And they're old. Centuries old."

"Native burial ground?"

Darkness suggested.

"No."

Beasley shook her head, her Czech accent becoming more pronounced with excitement.

"This is something else. Look at the construction. These are man-made chambers, carefully engineered. And they're still intact."

"Which is why Blackwood wants the land,"

Reed said.

"Whatever's down there is valuable enough to start a war over."

"Not just Blackwood."

King's eyes found Rowan's.

"Your mother knew about this. Knew enough that she kept you away for twenty-five years. Question is, what else did she tell you?"

Rowan felt the weight of every gaze in the room.

"She told me the club was built on sacred ground. That there were things buried here that needed to be protected."

She hesitated.

"And that when the time came, I'd know what to do."

"And has that time come?"

Reed's voice was neutral, but his eyes were intense.

Before Rowan could answer, the chapel door burst open. A prospect stood there, breathing hard.

"Sergeant! You need to see this."

They followed him out to the garage, where a sleek black SUV was pulling in. The woman who stepped out was the last person Rowan expected to see.

"Barbara,"

Ace said, moving forward to greet his wife. The archaeology professor looked worried.

"They raided my office,"

she said without preamble.

"Blackwood's men. They were looking for Elena Matthews' research."

Rowan's heart stopped.

"What research?"

Barbara pulled out a weathered leather journal.

"This was in my departmental safe. Your mother left it there twenty-five years ago, with instructions that it only be opened if certain conditions were met."

She looked at King.

"The Devils attacking your club was one of those conditions."

King took the journal with hands that shook slightly. "Elena,"

he breathed, running his fingers over the cover.

"Always ten steps ahead."

"There's more,"

Barbara said.

"The journal mentions something called 'The Archive'—some kind of historical record that predates the club. According to Elena's notes, it was split into pieces and buried with key members over the years."

"The lock boxes,"

Reed realized.

"That's what the Devils were looking for."

"Not just the Devils."

Barbara glanced at her husband.

"Blackwood's company is just a front. There are other interested parties, powerful people who've been searching for The Archive for generations."

"And now they're closing in,"

Rowan said, the pieces falling into place.

"That's why my mother sent me here. Not just to find my father, but to help protect whatever's buried under this club."

"The question is,"

Reed said quietly.

"can we trust you to do that?"

Rowan met his gaze steadily.

"I guess you'll have to decide that for yourself."

"We don't have time for trust issues,"

King cut in.

"Barbara, what else can you tell us about The Archive?"

"Not here,"

she said, looking around.

"Elena was very specific about that. We need to go somewhere safer. Somewhere they won't think to look."

"I know a place,"

Rowan said. All eyes turned to her.

"My mother's old cabin. The one place she said would always be safe."

King's expression hardened.

"I remember that cabin. Built it for her myself."

"Then you know how remote it is,"

Rowan said.

"How defensible."

Reed stepped forward.

"I'll take a team, sweep it first."

"No."

King's voice was firm.

"Rowan and I will go. Just us."

He looked at his daughter.

"Time to find out what other secrets Elena left behind."

Rowan felt the weight of the moment. This was it, what her mother had prepared her for all these years. But as she caught Reed's concerned look, she wondered if she was really ready for what they'd find.

Some secrets, after all, were better left buried.

***

The ride to Elena's cabin was tense, both bikes cutting through the early afternoon heat. Rowan led the way, each mile bringing back memories of weekends spent there with her mother. Elena had insisted Rowan know every back road, every alternate route. Now she understood why.

The cabin sat nestled against a rocky hillside, weathered wood blending into the landscape. Nothing had changed—her mother had made sure of that, maintaining this safe house even after her death. Rowan pulled up beside the covered generator, King stopping behind her.

"She kept it up,"

he said quietly, looking at the well-maintained structure.

"All these years."

"She kept a lot of things,"

Rowan replied, dismounting. She pulled out the key her mother had given her on her eighteenth birthday.

"Including this place's secrets."

The interior was exactly as she remembered—sparse but comfortable, everything meticulously organized. Elena's touch was everywhere, from the precise arrangement of supplies to the hidden gun safe behind the bookshelf.

"Command center's in the basement,"

Rowan said, heading for the hidden door under the area rug.

"Mom called it her 'panic room', but it's more than that."

King followed her down the narrow stairs, his presence filling the confined space. The basement was larger than the cabin above suggested, carved partly into the hillside. One wall was covered in monitors, another in maps and documents.

"Elena's research center,"

Rowan explained, powering up the systems.

"Everything she learned about The Archive, about what's buried under the club—it's all here."

"She was always thorough,"

King said, studying a map marked with strange symbols.

"Even back then. It's what drew me to her first—that brilliant mind, always working."

Rowan glanced at him.

"Is that why you left? Because she knew too much?"

"I left to protect her."

His voice was rough.

"At least, that's what I told myself. Truth is, I was scared. Scared of what she'd discovered, scared of what it meant for the club."

He met Rowan's eyes.

"Scared of being a father."

Before Rowan could respond, one of the monitors flickered to life. Elena's face filled the screen, younger than Rowan remembered, but with the same determined expression.

"If you're watching this,"

the recording said.

"then things have gone exactly as I feared. The Archive has been found, and now they're coming for it."

She leaned closer to the camera.

"Rowan, baby, if you're there, everything I taught you was for this moment. And Marcus..."

Her voice softened.

"I hope you're there too. Our daughter's going to need you for what comes next."

King's hand gripped the back of Rowan's chair.

"When did she make this?"

"Just before she died,"

Rowan said, throat tight.

"She knew something was coming. Knew they'd eventually track down The Archive."

"Who are 'they', Elena?"

King asked the screen.

"What the hell did you find?"

The recording continued as if answering him.

"The Archive isn't just historical records. It's proof—proof of something that would rewrite history, change everything we think we know about this land, about power itself."

Elena's eyes were intense.

"That's why they split it up, buried it with trusted members. Each piece by itself means nothing, but together—"

Suddenly, the monitors went dark. Emergency lights kicked on as a proximity alarm blared.

"Someone's here,"

Rowan said, checking the security feeds.

"Multiple vehicles coming up the access road."

"Devils?"

King asked, already drawing his weapon.

"Worse."

Rowan's blood ran cold as she recognized the tactical gear, the professional formation.

"Blackwood's mercenaries. And they're not here to negotiate."

"How many?"

King was already moving to defensive positions, years of experience taking over.

"I count twelve on the feeds. Professional kit, military formation."

Rowan activated the cabin's defense protocols—another of Elena's carefully planned contingencies. Metal shutters slid over the windows upstairs.

"Mom built this place to withstand a siege."

"Smart woman."

King checked his ammunition.

"But we're still outnumbered."

"Maybe not."

Rowan pulled up a hidden panel, revealing an impressive weapons cache.

"Mom believed in being prepared."

King's eyebrows rose at the arsenal.

"She always did think of everything."

Pride tinged his voice.

"Guess that's where you get it from."

An explosion rocked the cabin above them. On the monitors, Rowan watched mercenaries breaching the front door.

"They're not even trying to be subtle now,"

she muttered, grabbing a rifle and extra magazines.

"We need to—"

Her phone buzzed. A text from Reed. Cavalry's 5 minutes out. Hold position.

"Backup's coming,"

she told King.

"We just need to survive until then."

"Survive?"

He checked the rifle she'd handed him with practiced ease.

"Baby girl, we're going to do more than survive. We're going to show these bastards why you don't mess with family."

The words hit Rowan like a physical blow. Family. After twenty-five years of absence, here they were—father and daughter, fighting side by side. Just like Elena had prepared her for.

Heavy boots thundered on the floor above. Rowan could hear them sweeping the cabin, room by room. It wouldn't take them long to find the basement entrance.

"Two ways out,"

she said, indicating the tunnel that led to a hidden exit in the hillside.

"Mom's escape route."

"Elena's backup plan for her backup plan,"

King said with grim admiration.

"But we're not running."

"No,"

Rowan agreed, moving to cover the stairs.

"We're not."

The rug above them was ripped away. Light spilled down as the hidden door was discovered. Rowan steadied her breathing, sighting down her rifle. Beside her, King was a solid presence, radiating deadly calm.

The first mercenary never made it past the third step. Rowan's shot took him in the chest, his body armor absorbing the impact but sending him stumbling back. King's follow-up caught a second man in the leg as he tried to provide covering fire.

Grenades bounced down the stairs—flashbangs. Rowan and King turned away as they detonated, the confined space amplifying the effect. Even partially protected, Rowan's ears rang.

Through the chaos, she heard engines approaching—lots of them. The backup Reed had promised, arriving right on time.

Gunfire erupted above as the mercenaries found themselves caught between two forces. Rowan recognized Reed's voice barking orders, heard the distinctive sound of Darkness's shotgun.

"Now,"

King said, and they moved up the stairs as one, catching the remaining mercenaries in a crossfire.

The fight was brutal but brief. The mercenaries were good, but they weren't prepared for the combined fury of the Blind Jacks MC. Within minutes, it was over.

Rowan emerged from the basement to find Reed securing the last of the survivors. His eyes found hers immediately, relief visible for a moment before his professional mask slipped back into place.

"Area's clear,"

he reported to King.

"Darkness has men sweeping the perimeter. No sign of Blackwood."

"He wouldn't get his hands dirty,"

Rowan said, checking the captured mercenaries.

"Not when he can hire others to do it."

"Speaking of which..."

Reed produced a satellite phone from one of the men.

"They were reporting to someone. Regular updates on their progress."

King took the phone, studying it.

"We can trace this. Find out who's really behind all this."

"Already on it,"

Ace said, joining them with Barbara.

"My wife's good with technology."

Barbara was already connecting the phone to her laptop.

"Give me an hour. I'll have names, locations, everything."

"Good."

King turned to Rowan.

"Meanwhile, you and I need to finish watching your mother's message. Time to find out what's really buried under our club."

Reed stepped forward.

"I should—"

"No."

King's voice was firm but not unkind.

"This is family business. For now."

Rowan caught Reed's expression a mix of concern and something else. Something that made her heart beat faster despite everything that had happened.

"I'll fill you in later,"

she promised softly as she passed him.

His hand caught her arm, gentle despite his strength.

"Be careful. Family secrets have a way of biting back."

She nodded, following King back to the basement command center. As they descended the stairs, she heard Reed giving orders above—securing the scene, arranging cleanup, protecting the club's interests. Just like a Road Captain should.

But it was King who held her attention now. Her father, the man she'd spent twenty-five years wondering about, sat down to finish watching her mother's final message. Whatever came next would change everything.

Rowan took a deep breath and pressed play.

Elena's face filled the screen again, her expression more urgent now.

"The Archive isn't just papers and old maps. It's proof of something older than our history books, something powerful enough to change everything. That's why they split it up, buried it with trusted members who would take the secret to their graves."

She leaned closer to the camera.

"But someone found out. They've been watching, waiting, gathering their resources. And now they're ready to move."

Her eyes seemed to bore into Rowan's.

"Baby, everything in that journal…it's your inheritance. Your legacy. Just like being King's daughter."

King's hand found Rowan's shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Marcus,"

Elena continued, her voice softening.

"I know you'll blame yourself for leaving. Don't. What I discovered...it would have put both of you in danger. So I made a choice. I kept our daughter safe, taught her everything she'd need to know. And I protected The Archive the only way I knew how: by making sure the pieces stayed buried until the right time."

She took a deep breath.

"That time is now. The journal will lead you to each piece, but be careful. Trust no one outside the family. The people looking for The Archive...they have resources, influence. They've infiltrated governments, corporations, even other MCs."

"The Devils,"

Rowan realized.

"They're being used."

"Probably don't even know it,"

King agreed.

Elena's final words were direct.

"The first piece is with Flash. He knew. He knew what might happen. That's why he made sure to be buried with his part of The Archive. Find it, and it will lead you to the others. But hurry. Once they realize you're looking, they'll stop at nothing to get there first."

The screen went dark, leaving them in deathly silence.

"She knew,"

King said finally.

"Knew all along what would happen."

"She prepared me for it,"

Rowan said.

"Every lesson, every skill she taught me. It was all for this moment."

She looked at her father.

"But she wanted us both here. Together."

King studied her face, and Rowan imagined he was seeing her mother, with some of himself reflecting back.

"Your mother was the smartest person I ever knew. If she thought we needed to work together on this..."

"Then that's what we'll do,"

Rowan finished.

They emerged from the basement to find the cabin's main room transformed into a temporary command center. Reed was coordinating with Darkness, setting up security perimeters. Barbara had three laptops running traces on the satellite phone. Ace was studying Elena's journal with intense concentration.

"We need to move Flash's grave,"

King announced.

"Tonight. Before they realize what we're after."

Without missing a beat, Reed straightened.

"I'll handle security."

"I'll need access to proper excavation equipment,"

Barbara added.

"This needs to be done carefully."

"And I need to be there,"

Rowan said firmly. When King started to object, she added.

"Mom's instructions were clear. Both of us need to be present."

King nodded slowly.

"Together then."

He turned to the assembled brothers.

"Whatever's buried under our club, whatever Elena discovered…it's worth killing for. That makes it worth dying to protect. You all in?"

The response was unanimous. These were more than just club members, Rowan realized. They were family. Her family.

As they began plotting and planning the night’s mission, Reed pulled her aside.

"You okay?"

His voice was low, meant just for her.

Rowan thought about everything that had happened—finding her father, fighting alongside him, discovering her mother's legacy.

"Ask me again tomorrow,"

she said honestly.

His hand found hers, squeezing briefly.

"Tomorrow then."

She watched him walk away, already issuing orders for the night ahead. So much had changed in just a few days. She'd come looking for answers about her father, but she'd found so much more. Family, a purpose, maybe even something with Reed that she hadn't dared to hope for.

"Focus,"

she told herself firmly. There would be time for those thoughts later. Right now, they had a grave to dig up and secrets to uncover.

Her mother had prepared her for this moment. Now it was time to prove she was ready.