Semua Bab Steel and Sin: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Ashley watched Nolan from across the room. He hadn’t said much since sunrise… only barking orders and checking the compound like he expected another attack.Ace and Jax were fixing the generator wiring. Cole worked on the remaining bikes outside.“You can’t keep everyone burnt out, Nolan. We need a plan,” Ashley said.He snapped his head up. “We had a plan. Someone inside blew it.”Before she could answer, the door slammed open. Barker stumbled in, face pale, breathing fast.“Boss… you need to hear this,” he said.“What now?”“Delgado’s men hit the Reapers safehouse at dawn,” Barker said. “They took a kid. Ten years old, and left a message.” He handed Nolan a bloodstained envelope.Nolan opened it and read. He didn’t smile.“What does it say?” Ace asked.Nolan’s voice dropped. “They want a trade. Our weapons from the La Boca run... or the boy dies by sundown.”Jax cursed. “But that shipment burned.”“He doesn’t know that,” Ashley said. “He thinks we still have it.”“So what, we tell h

It wasn't long before gunfire shattered the night. The first bullet blew through the garage window, glass raining down. Nolan was already yelling before the echo faded. “Positions! Move!” Ashley ducked behind a truck. Outside, engines roared… too many to count. Ace swore. “They came here.” Jax racked his shotgun. “Iron Fangs.” Nolan spoke through the noise. “Not just them. See those lights? Delgado sent his men too.” Ashley caught a glimpse through the smoke… black leather, red fangs painted on helmets. Iron Fangs, all right—and they weren’t here to bargain. They were here to avenge their dead leader, Dave. Delgado had bought their rage and pointed it straight at the Vipers. The compound exploded into chaos. Steel Vipers stormed from the hall, firing into the dark. Ashley crawled toward the toolbox, grabbed another clip, and tossed it to Ace. “We can’t hold them for long!” “We’re not holding,” Ace said, slamming the clip into his rifle. “We’re buying time.” A blast shook t

The fight was over, but the silence after felt worse.Ashley sat beside Cole, pressing gauze against his wound while Ace tore through what was left of the med kit. Jax paced near the door, checking outside every few seconds like he was waiting for the next hit.Nolan stood alone outside, staring at what used to be his home. He hadn’t said a word since Ramirez left—not to her or anyone.Ashley wiped her hands on her jeans and stood. Her legs felt shaky as she walked toward him.“Nolan,” she said softly.He didn’t turn. “You should be inside.”“I have heard that one before,” she said, stopping beside him. “You didn’t mean it then either.”He exhaled slowly. “You shouldn’t have gone out there. You could have been killed.”“Yeah, but if I didn’t, Ramirez would have taken all of you in.”“Maybe that would have been easier.”Ashley frowned. “You don’t mean that.”He finally turned, eyes dark with exhaustion. “You think I don’t? Look around, Ash. Half of my men are gone. Cole is bleeding out

By first light the clubhouse looked wrecked… burnt patches, and exhausted men. Rifles lay half-cleaned on tables. Nobody had slept.Ashley moved quietly among them to check on Cole. He was still out cold, his arm wrapped in strips of Nolan’s shirt. His breathing was shallow, but steady. Ace had finally stopped pacing and sat by the fire with a nearly finished cigarette. Jax had dozed off.Nolan stood outside with his phone in hand, staring at a blank screen. No signal. The generator was dead. So was any feeling of safety.Footsteps approached. It was Rocco coming back from patrol, his vest half unzipped, and a frown on his face.“The perimeter is clear,” he muttered. “You checked the north side?” Nolan asked without looking up.“Twice.”“Check again.”Rocco’s jaw flexed. “You don’t trust my sweep?”“I don’t trust silence,” Nolan said flatly.Ashley watched from a few steps away, a prickle of unease running down her spine. Rocco’s eyes looked colder, and calculating. It wasn’t the ang

Even with Torres’s deal in place, the Vipers temporary hideout felt tense. The men worked in silence… fixing bikes, cleaning guns, and patching wounds. No one really believed the peace Ace claimed he’d bought.Ashley sat on Nolan’s truck, watching sparks fly from the welding torch. Cole was inside getting stitched up, Jax paced near the fence, spinning his knife, and Ace stood with Nolan, talking quietly about their next move.Then there was Jett.He sat off to the side with his old laptop, the glow from the screen making the dark circles under his eyes worse. He hadn’t slept since Barker died. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he muttered to himself.Ashley walked over. “You haven’t looked up in an hour.”“Can’t,” Jett said without glancing up. “I have been watching the network since Ace talked to Torres. Someone is tapping into our frequency again. It’s faint, but it’s there.”Ashley’s chest tightened. “Rocco?”“Maybe. Or someone pretending to be him.” He finally looked up. “E