Page 21 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 20

VIper

G ears snarled, murmuring profanities under his breath as his boots scuffed concrete floor of the Serpents’ bar. He had been pacing back and forth like a caged animal for the last half hour.

My gaze tracked his movements. His jaw was clenched so tight I half expected his teeth to shatter. Every muscle in his body screamed frustration, the tension rolling off him in waves thick enough to choke on. Much like the haze of smoke clinging to the air inside the clubhouse.

"That was a shit show of epic proportions," he barked.

I didn’t respond, just grunted in agreement, lips curling into a hard sneer as I threw back another shot of whiskey. The burn was a welcome distraction, scalding its way down my throat, settling deep in my gut.

How had everything gone sideways? Somehow the Hounds got to our shipment first and it went up in flames. I knew it was only a matter of time before they retaliated, but I hadn't thought they would get to our contact in Stonehill.

We needed those medical supplies. Those under club protection needed them, and we’d failed. Again. The weight of it settled in my gut like lead.

I had to tell Doc… I groaned in frustration. Doc was determined to make sure the rescued omegas didn't suffer anymore. I agreed with him. They'd been through enough shit already and soon the detox from Heat would begin.

According to Doc, the pain would be unbearable.

I was sick and tired of these strays, the vermin of Sterling, harming innocents. The Hounds delt in skin. They would soon replace the omegas they’d lost in the storage locker that had claimed at least a dozen other captives—I'd promised those who survived safety. I swore I would provide a way out of this nightmare, and now we’d lost the only opportunity to get them off Heat safely.

And now we had nothing.

My stomach coiled into knots as blue eyes rimmed in coal flickered across my mind.

Candice.

My omega, whether she wanted to admit it or not. I wanted to protect her at all costs. Protect her from ever experiencing the horrors of detoxing from Heat. Every instinct in me screamed to claim her, to ensure not a single strand of raven hair was harmed.

Fuck, we could have saved Sterling City from this nightmare. We failed. I fucking failed, and it was eating at my soul. I let a chance slip through my goddamn fingers because I trusted someone I shouldn’t have.

And I didn't know who had betrayed us all.

The knot of worry tightened in my chest, intensifying with each passing moment. Each spiraling thought.

A Serpent's oath meant everything–honor, protection, loyalty. For my city, for my club, but most importantly, for her. The knife in my gut twisted deeper.

Her scent lingered in my mind—floral, intoxicating. Her heat was coming soon, and I wanted desperately to be there for her, any way she wanted me. But right now, I couldn’t even do that. I couldn’t leave my club vulnerable in my absence, and there was no way in hell I could convince her to spend her heat here.

How had everything literally blown up in my face?

First, the shipment of Heat had killed Chaos and several omegas. Now, we’d lost the one thing that could undo the damage, the antidote that could help the four omegas we managed to rescue from that epic failure.

My blood boiled like molten lava, churning with frustration. I was torn between my responsibilities—to the club, to the omegas under my protection, to my girl.

Fuck.

Candice might be safe for now, tucked away at the Den, but that could change in an instant. Her scent was getting stronger, her heat closing in. And if someone targeted her during that time…

One of my many enemies?

I slammed the empty glass down, the sharp clatter echoing through the room, loud enough to draw attention. I didn’t give two fucks. Let them stare. Let them see the failure written across my face.

At least no lives were lost this time.

"Could’ve gone worse," I muttered, though the words tasted like shit in my mouth. I didn’t believe it. Gears didn’t believe it. Hell, at this point, what was going right?

Absolutely-fucking-nothing.

Gears stopped dead, green eyes locking onto me with a look that could’ve frozen flames. "Worse?" he hissed. "We lost the entire fucking shipment, Viper. We had a chance to develop an antidote, and we lost it. That ain’t just ‘worse.’ That’s a fucking travesty."

He wasn’t wrong, and I could feel the weight of it settle deeper in my chest, like a lead weight. Lenny, the beta bartender who’d been practically raised in the club, slid another drink my way.

The innocence in his eyes. The trust he had in me to protect him, pulled a frustrated growl past my lips. I grabbed the glass, draining it in one motion. But it wasn't enough. It never would be.

Not if a rat remained hidden in the shadows.

Every second I spent in this damn bar felt like I was wasting time I should have been spending with Candice. I wanted to be by her side. But I couldn’t. Not until I sorted out the mess in this club. Not until I made sure whoever was betraying us was handled. The last thing I needed was someone close to me putting her life in danger.

I was supposed to have all the answers, but right now, I felt like I was drowning.

"I know we fucked up, Gears." My voice came out low, a growl boiling beneath the surface. But I needed to remain level. It was why I was president. Why my father had never wanted to lead the Serpents and voted me in, when the club was created ten years ago.

"No, Viper, you fucked up. You didn’t prepare us for this," Gears snapped, throwing his hands up before resuming his frantic pacing. "The Hounds had us by the damn balls! We were set up from the start, and you know it. Hell, the whole club’s gonna know it by morning."

"Or now, with how fucking loud you’re yelling," I growled, my teeth gritted. His voice was loud enough to wake the dead, and I didn’t have the patience for his theatrics tonight.

Not when I knew my omega was this close to having a heat, and I wasn’t there to soothe her. That my enemies would soon be hers, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

"We got a mole, Viper. Someone in this fucking room sold us out. Again. The first time I lost my son. And now? We lost a way to protect our club, and until we figure out who the fuck is responsible, this is on you as president." Gears jabbed his finger in my direction, his words landing like a slap.

I swallowed the urge to hit back, to lash out, but the betrayal was festering in me like poison. Someone in this room was feeding the Hounds information, putting Candice in danger, putting everyone at risk. I couldn’t afford to lose anyone else. Couldn’t afford to lose her.

The knot of protectiveness inside me tightened even more. The thought of Candice falling into the wrong hands, of someone hurting her… it clawed at me, gnawed at my control. She wasn’t just an omega I felt obligated to protect. She was mine, and I’d die before I let anything happen to her.

Losing Chaos had already taken a piece of me I couldn’t get back, and now this? The Hounds wanted to tear us down, destroy us piece by fucking piece, and someone from the inside was feeding them the ammo.

I glanced at Lenny, one of the many kids we’d taken in over the years. He came here when he was seventeen. His mother was one of the Hound's many victims. Lenny was pouring drinks, pretending not to hear, but I caught the quick glance he threw our way.

Gears slammed his fist on the bar, leaning in so close I could smell the smoke on his breath. "They want a fight, Viper, and they’re pushing us. You gonna sit here and keep drinking like a damn coward, or are you gonna do something about it? Or do I have to?"

I shot him a look that could cut through steel. "Get the fuck out of my face, Gears," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "I don’t care if you’re my VP, or my old man’s best friend. You will show me some goddamn respect."

Gears didn’t back down. "I’ll show you respect when you prove you can protect the people in this club."

The room went deathly quiet. Every head turned. He was pushing me, and I knew why. I knew the loss of his son was making him see red. But he needed to remember who was in charge.

Slowly, I stood, bringing us eye level, the tension between us crackling like a live wire. My voice dropped to a deadly calm. "Back. The fuck. Off. Now."

Gears held my gaze, his eyes dark with frustration and something close to rage. The kind of rage that made a man dangerous if left unchecked. The entire room felt the weight of it, the tension palpable as the rest of the guys sat frozen, watching the standoff. A few murmurs floated in the background, but no one moved. No one dared.

He took a step closer, shoulders squared, his breath coming out in harsh exhales, but I didn’t flinch. Didn’t give him the satisfaction. Gears wasn’t just mad—he was hurt.

We all were. This wasn’t just a fuck-up; it was betrayal. A gut punch from someone on the inside, and that wound cut deep, deeper than he’d admit. But his anger wouldn’t get us anywhere. Mine barely kept me standing as it was. Just the thought that someone in my club betraying me put everyone at risk.

Including Candice and I would kill anyone who hurt her.