The docks were on fire behind them. Sirens wailed in the distance—too late, as usual.
Jax sat on his bike, helmet still on, breathing hard. His hands were covered in blood that wasn’t his. The explosion still stayed in his mind, and the scream that came after wouldn’t stop echoing.It wasn’t supposed to go this way.“Move!” Nolan barked, waving the rest of the crew toward the trucks. “Grab what we came for and disappear before the feds show up!”Ace jumped off his bike, yelling something about the shipment. Cole cursed, kicking a box open. But Jax didn’t move.Because the woman who’d screamed wasn’t one of them.She’d just been in the wrong place… maybe a dock worker, maybe someone’s wife… caught between fire and the kind of men who didn’t miss sleep over collateral damage. Except Jax wasn’t built that way, not anymore.“Jax!” Nolan’s voice cut through the ringing in his head. “Let’s go!”He finally blinked, jawRain had washed away most of the blood from the yard, but not the memory of it. Ashley stood by the window, staring at the wreckage beyond the fence. Delgado’s men were gone, but it didn’t feel like victory—just a short break before the next fight. Cole was outside, still limping but wearing his new patch with pride. Every time she looked at him, her chest tightened with pride, fear, and a pull she couldn’t shake off. She caught herself watching him too long—the way he adjusted his vest, the bloodstains that refused to wash off his hands. He caught her looking and gave her that boyish grin, like nothing could hurt him. It made her heart ache more than she cared to admit. She turned away quickly, pretending to study the layout. Nolan walked in slowly. His bandages were gone, replaced by a clean shirt, but the fever still hadn’t fully left his eyes. “You shouldn’t be up,” Ashley said, not looking at him. He ignored her. “We need information. Delgado wouldn’t send that many t
Cole wiped his hands on a rag and stared at the half-taken-apart rifle on the table. He’d fixed it three times already, but it still didn’t feel right. Jax’s voice from last night kept replaying in his head… “You keep trying to fix something, Cole. Maybe it is not the gun that is broken.” Cole had laughed then, but he hadn’t really slept since. Jax was gone before sunrise. Ace was out tracking Delgado’s men. Nolan was supposed to be resting, though everyone knew he was listening in from his room. And Ashley… she was the only one who still seemed steady. Every time Cole looked up, she was there, walking across the yard, When Barker came running from the gate, chest heaving, Cole already knew it wasn’t good. “Trucks are coming in!” Barker shouted, out of breath. “No plates, but moving fast!” Cole jumped up instantly. “How many?” “Three, maybe four.” Ace’s voice burst from the earpiece. “East side—move now!” Cole didn’t stop to think. He grabbed his vest, slung his rifle, and
Ashley stepped outside for air. Water dripped from the roof, forming muddy puddles between the bikes. She crossed her arms, exhausted, but the tightness in her chest wouldn’t ease. Nolan was barely okay. From inside, she heard shouting. Ashley turned. Jax and Ace were face to face, ready to explode. Cole paced near the bar, unsure whether to step in. “I told you we should have struck first!” Jax yelled, slamming his fist on the table. “But no—you wanted to wait. To play it safe. And now Nolan is bleeding out in the back room!” Ace didn’t flinch. “If we’d charged in like you wanted, half this club would be dead. You think anger wins wars?” “I think your waiting gets people killed,” Jax shot back. “While you plan, Alvarez’s men get closer. They already know where we are.” Ace’s jaw tightened. His voice dropped. “Maybe they know because someone’s been leaving clues.”
The rain hadn’t stopped. A single light shone above the table where Ashley was working to stop Nolan from bleeding out.He sat slumped on the edge of a cot, his jacket discarded, shirt peeled away to reveal the angry wound seared into his side. The bullet had gone through, but the flesh around it looked exposed. His skin was hot under her hands, like he had a fever.“Don’t move,” she said, her voice shaking.Nolan grunted. “You have been saying that for an hour.”“Because you keep moving,” she shot back, pressing the cloth harder. Blood seeped again, soaking through the bandage. She swore under her breath. “You need stitches.”“What I need is a drink.”She glared up at him. “You are not funny.”“I wasn’t trying to be.”He leaned back against the wall, sweat running down his face. Lightning flashed outside, lighting him up for a second. He looked worn out, like someone who’
On reaching Eastfield docks, Nolan signaled with two fingers. The convoy broke formation. Jax and Cole covered the left through a row of rusting containers, Ace moved right with a rifle slung across his chest. Nolan took point as always.Ashley crouched in the back of the truck. She shouldn’t be here—but Nolan hadn’t exactly given her a choice. “You stay close to the truck, you don’t move until I say,” he’d told her.But she’d seen the look in his eyes before he slid on his helmet. He wasn’t planning to walk away clean.The rain was relentless, drowning out every other sound. Lightning flashed over the water, illuminating the silhouettes of cargo towers. “Visuals?” Nolan’s voice came over the earpiece.“Pier Nine clear,” Ace replied. “No movement yet.”Cole’s voice came next. “Got heat signatures near the cargo office—five, maybe six. Armed.”“Delgado’s men,” Jax muttered. “Smells like an ambush.”Nolan’s tone was flat. “Then let’s ruin their night.”They advanced. Boots hitting pudd
At the Vipers warehouse, Ace leaned over a table, scrolling through a cracked tablet. His face was tense, caught somewhere between frustration and disbelief.“Tell me I’m wrong,” he muttered.Nolan didn’t look up. He was pacing, jaw clenched. “You are not. Delgado’s route at East Field. The same area Ramirez was seen two nights ago.”Cole kicked a wooden box shut. “So now the detective is running with cartel trucks?”Jax let out a dry laugh. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Guy has been in everyone’s business since day one.”Ashley crossed her arms, uneasy. She’d seen Ramirez before. Just hearing his name again made her stomach twist.“Where’d the signal come from?” she asked.Ace turned the screen. “Jett picked it up from a scrambled police channel. Doesn’t trace back to the station. It is moving near Eastfield docks.”“Delgado’s turf,” Nolan said.“Yep. And Ramirez’s