November’s Ride with Viper (Mustang Mountain Riders #11)

10. Viper

CHAPTER 10

VIPER

I moved through the woods, trying my best to stay silent. With Scar on my left and Atlas on my right, the MC had surrounded the area we’d targeted and was closing in. After Marlowe and I saw the light in the woods, I called for some backup. Ashley still had that drone she’d used when we fought the Savage Bones a few months ago and sent it up to get a look at the site from overhead.

Seemed the few remaining assholes who hadn’t been killed or run off were operating from a remote headquarters deep in the woods. If Marlowe hadn’t caught the flicker of their fire from across the lake, we might not have ever found them.

But we had. And now they were going to pay for what they’d done. No matter what justice we dished out, it wouldn’t make up for the way they’d terrorized our town for the past year.

Atlas let out a low whistle and signaled that he was taking the lead. I hung back, covering his six. The drone had picked up footage of a couple of trucks and a few tents. Seemed like no matter how many of those fuckers we took out, the Savage Bones multiplied and kept crawling out from under the rocks where they hid.

Tonight we’d put an end to all of that.

At least Marlowe was safe. I’d left her back at the clubhouse with the other women and kids. She’d grumbled and complained about not coming with me, but I couldn’t concentrate if I knew she was nearby. Though Atlas had called for all hands on deck out here in the woods, he’d left Priest and Jackson behind to look after the clubhouse. We couldn’t be too careful when the Savage Bones were involved.

Atlas inched closer, his weapon drawn. The voices grew louder. They were laughing about something, but still too low to make out the words. Never one to practice patience, Scar moved ahead. I scanned the woods, and the hair on the back of my neck bristled. Something wasn’t right.

The dark form of Miles came into view on the other side of the camp. Their fire had died down, but my eyes had already adjusted to the dim light enough to see that several of my MC brothers formed a perimeter around the area.

“What the fuck is this?” Atlas growled and rushed into the small clearing. The men continued to talk, even when Atlas stood in the center and turned in a slow circle.

My gut clenched. There was no one there. The Savage Bones had set us up. Miles picked something up from one of the chairs.

“Looks like they recorded themselves talking to draw us in.” He pushed a button on the side of the small recorder and a crushing silence spread through the woods.

“If they’re not here, then where the fuck are they?” Crank asked.

The clubhouse. We all must have reached the same conclusion at the exact same time, because everyone turned to head back to our vehicles.

“Thunder, see if you can make contact with Jackson or Priest,” Atlas yelled.

“On it.” Thunder dropped back slightly while the rest of us crashed through the dense brush.

If anything happened to her… I’d never forgive myself. I was the one who told her she’d be safe at the clubhouse. She’d wanted to come with me, but I hadn’t wanted to put her in danger. The same anguish and despair coursing through my veins showed up in the drawn faces of my MC brothers as we reached the pull-off where we’d left our cars.

“We don’t know what we’re in for when we get there,” Atlas warned. “I didn’t get them enough credit. Malice was the brains behind their operation. With him gone, I figured it would be easy to crush the rest of them. Fuck. We need a plan.”

“I got a hold of Jackson.” Thunder caught up to us. “He said the grounds of the clubhouse have been breached. They drove right through the front gates. He and Priest got almost everyone to the outbuilding at the back of the property and are holding them off for now. They’re going to be out of ammunition before we get back.”

Atlas’s eyes turned dark and hard. “Thunder and Juice, I want you to cut through the woods and see if you can get people out of there while we distract them from the front. Take them past the treeline and find a spot to hunker down until this is over.”

“You got it, boss,” Thunder said as he and Juice took off like the devil himself was on their tail. The rest of us waited for an assignment.

“With no one protecting the clubhouse, they’ll have access to any weapons Jackson and Priest left behind,” Bear said. “I’ve got some extra hardware in the safe at my place. I can run by and get it before I meet you back there.”

At Atlas’s nod, he headed toward home.

“Everyone else, arm up.” Atlas looked around the circle, letting his gaze rest on each man in turn. “Once we confirm everyone is safe, we’re going to go in with guns blazing. This fucking ends tonight.”

Damn, we should have taken them all out when we had the chance. The Mustang Mountain Riders had always believed in violence as a last resort. We usually stayed on the right side of the law, but this was different. Defending our families and homes was our top priority, and there’d been little help from the law, especially once Sheriff Cade had been compromised.

“If you’re not up for doing what has to be done, drop your cut and leave now.” Atlas’s lips curved up into a sad smile. “I know there are lines some of you never thought you’d have to cross. There’s no shame in respecting your boundaries, brothers.”

No one moved, and I didn’t expect them to. Even the newer guys had pledged their souls to the family we’d created. As for me, I’d stand with my MC brothers, and I wouldn’t rest until each one of them, and the people they loved, were safe. Knowing they’d do the same for me was the only thing that gave me hope. We were stronger together than we’d ever be apart. Just like me and Marlowe.

Satisfied no one was going to bail, Atlas got in his truck and led the way back to the clubhouse. Not knowing what was waiting for us at the end of the line had everyone on alert. All I could think about was Marlowe. If any one of them touched a single hair on her head, I’d repay them with an agony a thousand times worse than they could imagine. I didn’t have limits when it came to her.

The sound of gunfire got louder the closer we got to the clubhouse. I had no doubt Jackson and Priest were doing their best to hold the Savage Bones at bay, but they were outnumbered. Sure, a few of the women probably knew how to fire a gun and around here, a lot of them would be better at it than the men. Still, if they’d been focused on getting everyone out, they probably didn’t have a chance to grab a ton of ammo. We needed Bear to come through with the arsenal he kept for hunting in his safe at home.

Headlights bounced off the building as the line of trucks and SUVs followed each other onto the property. A fire burned at the edge of the compound, and flashes of gunfire exploded by the outbuilding where Jackson and Priest had led everyone to take cover.

I grabbed the handgun from my glove compartment and the shotgun from the back of my truck before making my way over to where Atlas had pulled in. He’d angled his truck like a shield to give us protection while we got into place. Once we headed toward the outbuilding, we’d be exposed. I didn’t care what happened to me as long as Marlowe was safe, and I’d be willing to bet my life that the rest of the Riders felt the same way about the women they loved.

Thunder’s number lit up the screen of Atlas’s phone. Hoping he had good news to share, I held my breath as Atlas answered.

“What have you got for me?” Atlas barked into the phone.

“We got most of the women and children out. There are just a few still trapped inside the clubhouse,” Thunder said.

He didn’t have to say her name. I knew Marlowe was one of them. I could feel her fear in the pit of my stomach. “I’m going in.” I didn’t wait for Atlas to give me the go ahead, just slung the shotgun over my shoulder and headed toward the clubhouse.

Shane caught up to me before I reached the door. Poor guy probably hadn’t expected to be drafted into our fight when he came back to town. “How do you know your girl was inside?”

“I can feel it. Who’s with her?” I wanted to know who to look out for. Even though I knew the layout of the clubhouse like the back of my hand, I couldn’t afford any mistakes.

“Thunder said she’s with Sammy and her son. They got separated from the rest of the group, and he thinks they’re on the second floor. Juice is going out of his mind and is trying to get to the clubhouse. No one knows if any of the Savage Bones are inside.” Shane pulled a gun out of the back of his waistband.

“You don’t have to do this, man. This isn’t your fight.” One look at the hard set of his jaw let me know he wasn’t about to back down.

“It became my fight as soon as I set foot in Mustang Mountain. Now let’s do this.”