LOGINEMILIA POV
I answered on speaker, already knowing who it would be. "Hello, Emilia." Kane's smooth voice filled the cabin. "I trust you found my letter." "Where is she?" I demanded, skipping any pretense of civility. "Carmen is safe," Kane said. "For now. Though I must say, she's not taking her accommodations well. Strong woman, your Carmen. Reminds me of Sarah in some ways." "If you hurt her, " "You'll what?" Kane interrupted, amusement in his voice. "StormEMILIA POVI'd stayed at the clubhouse.Axel had insisted.Said I'd be safer there.Said the cemetery operation was too dangerous.So I stayed.With Carmen. Sandra. Six other brothers.Everyone else went with Axel and Marco.Leaving us with minimal protection."I don't like this," Carmen said. "Everyone gone. Feels wrong.""Axel knows what he's doing," I replied."Does he?" Carmen challenged. "Because Victoria's been ahead of us every time. What if this is another trap?""Then we deal with it," I said.But I was worried too.Something felt off.Ten PM came and went.No word from Axel.Eleven PM. Still nothing."Try calling," Carmen suggested.I did.No answer.I tried Bull. No answer.Tried three other brothers. No answer."Something's wrong," I said."Maybe they're just busy," Sandra suggested. "In position. Can't answer.""Maybe," I agreed.But my gut s
AXEL POVWe arrived at the clubhouse at eleven PM.Team One was already there.With the rescued hostages.Carmen stood in the main room.Bruised. Exhausted. But alive."Carmen," I said.She turned. Saw me. Ran over.Hugged me tight."You saved us," Carmen said. "Victoria had us for hours. Said she was going to kill us one by one. But you saved us.""We got lucky," I admitted."I'll take lucky," Carmen replied.She pulled back. Looked around."Where's Tank?" she asked.My stomach dropped."Carmen," I started."Where is he?" Carmen pressed. Her smile fading."He didn't make it," I said quietly. "Victoria killed him. During the rescue."Carmen's face crumbled."No," she breathed. "Not Tank.""I'm sorry," I said.Carmen sat down hard.Started crying.Tank had been with the club for fifteen years.One of the originals.One of the best.And now
EMILIA POVWe had ten hours.Ten hours until midnight.Ten hours to find Carmen and the others.Ten hours to end Victoria."We need a plan," Bull said."We have a plan," Axel replied. "Draw Victoria out. Kill her.""That's not a plan," Bull countered. "That's a wish.""Then help me make it better," Axel shot back.They argued while I sat there.Thinking.Processing everything.Tank was dead.Marco might die in surgery.Carmen was Victoria's hostage.Seven people would die unless we stopped this.And it was all because of me.Because I'd fallen in love with Axel.Because I'd chosen this life.Because every decision I'd made led here.My phone rang.Hospital.I answered."Is this Emilia Romano?" a voice asked."Yes," I confirmed."Your brother Marco came through surgery. He's alive. Critical but stable. You can see him in an hour.""Thank you," I said.
AXEL POVWe reached the County General in fifteen minutes.Bull pulled up to the emergency entrance.Honked repeatedly.Medical staff rushed out.Saw Marco."Gunshot wounds!" I shouted. "Multiple. Four days old. He's septic!"They loaded Marco onto a gurney.Rushed him inside.Em tried to follow.A nurse stopped her."Family only beyond this point," the nurse said."I'm his sister," Em replied."Then come with me," the nurse said. "But your friends stay here."Em disappeared through doors.Bull and I stayed in the waiting room.Both covered in blood.Both exhausted."Tank's dead," Bull said quietly."I know," I replied."Victoria killed him," Bull continued. "Right in front of us. And we couldn't stop it.""I know," I repeated."What do we do now?" Bull asked."We'll finish this," I said. "We find Victoria. We kill her. We end this permanently.""How?" Bull challen
EMILIA POVI heard the explosions.Felt the building shake.Heard gunfire."They're here," I said.Victoria's face appeared in the doorway.Smiling."Yes they are," she said. "Right on schedule."She'd been expecting them.Had planned for this.Tank had led them into a trap.The door exploded inward.Smoke filled the room.Through it, I saw Axel.Alive.Here.Fighting toward me."Axel!" I screamed.He saw me.Started running.Then Victoria's guards poured in.From everywhere.Hidden passages. Side doors.At least thirty.Surrounding Axel's team."Drop your weapons!" Victoria ordered.Axel's team was outnumbered three to one.No cover.No advantage.Bull looked at Axel.Axel nodded.They lowered their weapons.Guards rushed in.Confiscated everything.Forced Axel's team to their knees.Victoria walked into the r
AXEL POVDay four of searching.Nothing.Every lead was dead.Every location was empty.Every hope was fading."We're missing something," Bull said. "Victoria's moving supplies somewhere. Food. Medical equipment. She has to be.""So we track the supplies," I replied."Already tried," Bull said. "She's using multiple suppliers. Multiple delivery companies. All legitimate. No way to trace which deliveries are hers."Tank looked up from his laptop."I have an idea," he said."Wha
AXEL POVThe phone rang again. Insistent. Demanding.Marco's eyes went to the screen, reading Volkov's name. "You going to answer that?"
AXEL POVThe clubhouse door had opened.Em stood in the doorway, wrapped in my leather jacket, her face pale in the dim light.Her eyes were wide wit
EMILIA POVThe ride back to the clubhouse was silent.Tank drove ahead on his bike, creating a protective buffer. Axel and I followed on his Harley, my arms wrapped tight around his waist, my fac
AXEL POV The clubhouse war room was packed.Every member of the Iron Serpents who wasn't on watch duty crowded around the table where Marco had spread out Kane's latest message.It wasn't a letter this time.It was a video."When did this come in?" I asked, my arm still around Em's waist. I hadn't







