All Chapters of Claimed by the Mafia Biker: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

My hands were still shaking when I locked the door.I stared at that note like it might bite me. Like if I blinked too long, the paper would vanish—and I’d wake up to find this nightmare had already started.But it was real.The warning was real.And someone had been close enough to this house to slip it under my door without me hearing a thing.You should’ve run farther.Not stay away, or we’re coming.That was personal, it was more like someone who knew me or someone who wanted me to panic.And it was working.I walked to Isla’s room and pushed the door open slowly.She was still asleep, tangled in the sheets with her favorite stuffed bunny pressed under her arm.I stood there watching her, praying to a God I hadn’t spoken to in years.Don’t let her wake up and see the fear in my eyes.Don’t let this be the night everything burns.My fingers gripped the doorframe until they ached.I needed to think.I needed to move.I needed Cruz.But he was out there chasing ghosts and death, and

The second we pulled into that old motel lot, I knew something was off because everywhere was just too quiet.Cruz killed the engine, his back tensing beneath my hands. “Stay here.”I didn’t argue.He silently stepped off the bike slowly, like the place held its breath.I glanced down at Isla in my arms, still asleep and unaware.Cruz turned back to me. “We’ll stay here tonight until I figure out our next move.”“Is this one of your safe houses?”“Not exactly. But it’s off the grid.”I narrowed my eyes. “So, it’s a maybe-safe house.”“It’s all we’ve got right now, Nova.”He wasn’t wrong, but I still hated every second of it.We got the room key from a dropbox behind the office — no one in sight. He opened the door first, stepped in, and swept the place with a glance before nodding for me to follow.It smelled like dust and old wood with a bedspread from the ’90s and one lamp flickering in the corner.I laid Isla down gently on the bed and stood back, with my heart pounding even thoug

“Cruz…” My voice trembled as I clutched the crushed photo in my hand. “Who else knows about this place?”His jaw flexed, but he didn’t answer.“Don’t you dare shut me out right now,” I snapped. “If someone left this here, it means they’ve been inside. Closely watching us.”Cruz’s eyes darkened. “Blade. He’s the only one besides me.”I froze. “You think he’d betray you?”“No,” Cruz growled, though the hesitation in his voice betrayed him. “Blade’s my brother.”I stepped closer, forcing him to look at me. “Then who, Cruz? Because it sure wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Isla either.”He swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair like he was seconds from exploding.“Talk to me,” I whispered, softer this time. “Don’t go shutting down.”His gaze snapped to mine. “What do you want me to say? That I don’t know who to trust anymore? That every time I turn around, someone I thought was solid is either gone or bleeding?”I swallowed. “That’s exactly what I want you to say. I’d rather hear

The crack of gunfire tore through the woods. I dropped to the ground with Isla in my arms, my ears ringing, and my chest pounding so hard.“Stay down!” Cruz roared.I pressed my body over Isla, shielding her tiny frame while dirt and splinters rained around us. My hands were shaking, but I refused to let go.Cruz crouched in front of us, with his gun spitting fire, each shot was deliberate and controlled; he didn't waste bullets. He aimed to kill.“Cruz!” I screamed, with my cracked voice, but I didn’t even know what I was begging for—help, hope, or a miracle.“Keep your head down, damn it!” he barked, his body moving like a shield in front of me.Figures darted between the trees, and shadows with flashing muzzles. My heart thudded with each shot that whizzed past.One of them broke cover, sprinting toward us with a knife glinting in his hand.Cruz turned his gun, but before he could fire, another shadow slammed into the attacker from the side. Both men went down, rolling, grunting, b

“Don’t touch her!” Cruz’s voice ripped through the darkness.My body froze. Isla whimpered against my chest, her tiny hand fisting my shirt.Two men had Cruz pinned to the ground, his wrists yanked behind him with metal cuffs. He was thrashing, teeth bared, his veins straining in the dim light.“Cruz!” I tried to move forward, but one shoved me back against the wall.“Stay where you are,” the man growled. His grip was iron, and his eyes cold.Cruz snapped his head up, his glare a promise of murder. “If you lay one finger on them, I’ll tear you apart.”The man holding me smirked. “Big words for someone in chains.”Cruz lunged, but they shoved his face into the floorboards. The sound made my chest tighten.I bent down slightly, whispering to Isla, “It’s okay, baby, Mommy’s here. Don’t look, don’t look.”But she was crying now, sensing everything.“Stop it!” I shouted. “She’s just a baby—don’t you dare scare her!”“Shut her up,” one of them barked.Cruz’s head snapped up again, his voice