CLAIMED BY THE VIPER

The Hunt Begins

I felt it before I saw it. A cold knot of dread that settled in my chest like a stone, heavy and immovable. Something was wrong. I had been riding for less than ten minutes when the feeling hit me, a primal instinct that had kept me alive through three years of danger and deception.

I turned the bike around and raced back toward the cabin, my heart pounding against my ribs. The forest blurred past me, the trees merging into a dark green smear as I pushed the engine to its limit.

When I reached the cabin, I knew I was too late.

The door was hanging open, splintered at the hinges. The windows were dark, the fire in the stove cold. And there was no sign of her.

"Elena!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty cabin. "Elena!"

Silence.

I searched the cabin frantically, my eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. The bed was rumpled, the blankets still warm from where we had been lying together just hours before. A single shoe lay on the floor, discarded in the chaos. Her shoe.

I picked it up, my fingers trembling, and pressed it to my chest.

They had taken her. Spider. It had to be Spider. He had been circling for weeks, waiting for the moment to strike. And now he had her.

The rage hit me like a wave, hot and blinding. I wanted to destroy something, to tear the world apart with my bare hands until I found her.

But I couldn't. I had to think. I had to be smart. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Cross, my voice flat and cold. "I need your help. Spider took her. He took Elena."

Cross was silent for a moment, and I could hear him processing the information. "Do you know where he took her?"

"The clubhouse. He wouldn't take her anywhere else. He wants to use her as leverage, to force me to reveal what I know."

"Then we move now," Cross said. "I'll mobilize the team. We'll hit the clubhouse tonight."

"No," I said, the word sharp and final. "I go in first. I find her. I get her out. Then you move in."

"That's suicide, Ravage. You can't take on the entire club by yourself."

"I'm not asking for permission," I said. "I'm telling you what's going to happen. You give me two hours. Two hours to get her out. If I'm not back by then, you move in. But you don't do anything until I'm clear."

Cross was silent for a long moment, and I could hear the reluctance in his voice when he finally spoke. "Two hours. That's all you get."

"Two hours," I agreed. And I hung up.

The ride back to the clubhouse was the longest of my life.

The familiar roads passed beneath me in a blur, the headlight cutting through the darkness like a blade. I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead, my mind focused on the mission. I couldn't afford to think about what Spider might be doing to her. I couldn't afford to let my fear cloud my judgment.

I had to be cold. I had to be ruthless. I had to be the monster they all believed I was.

I arrived at the clubhouse just after midnight, the compound dark and silent. The men were asleep, their revelry finally exhausted. I slipped through the back entrance and made my way through the shadows, my movements silent and practiced.

The common room was empty, the bar dark. I moved through the hallway toward the rooms in the back, my hand resting on the knife hidden in my boot.

I found her in Spider's room, tied to a chair in the center of the space. Her face was bruised, her lip split, her eyes swollen from crying. But she was alive. She was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Elena," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening when she saw me. "Dante," she breathed, relief flooding her features. "I knew you'd come."

I crossed to her and knelt in front of her, my hands working to free her from the ropes. "Are you hurt? Did he touch you?"

"He hit me a few times," she said, her voice trembling. "But I'm okay. I'm okay now that you're here."

"I'm going to get you out," I said, my voice fierce. "I'm going to get you out of here, and then I'm going to destroy him."

"Ravage."

The voice came from behind me, cold and sharp, and I knew without turning that Spider was standing in the doorway.

I rose slowly, positioning myself between him and Elena. "Spider."

"The prodigal enforcer returns," Spider said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I was starting to think you'd abandoned your little pet."

"Let her go," I said, my voice flat and cold. "This is between you and me."

Spider laughed, the sound grating and cruel. "Oh, I don't think so. She's the reason you've gone soft. She's the reason you've been sneaking around, meeting with the feds. She's the reason you're going to die tonight."

He reached for the gun at his hip, but I was faster. I lunged forward, knocking the weapon from his hand and slamming him against the wall.

"You should have stayed away from her," I snarled. "You should have listened to my warning."

Spider's eyes widened, fear flickering behind the bravado. "You're making a mistake, Ravage. Bishop is going to kill you for this."

"Bishop is going to be in prison by the end of the night," I said. "And you're going to be dead."

I pulled out my knife and pressed it against his throat, the blade cold and sharp against his skin. "Now tell me where the rest of the men are."

"Common room," Spider gasped. "They're all in the common room."

"Good," I said, and I pulled the knife away.

Spider slumped against the wall, relief flooding his features. And then I brought my fist down against his face, and he crumpled to the floor.

I turned to Elena and freed her from the ropes, pulling her to her feet. "We need to go. Now."

She nodded, her eyes wide and frightened, and I led her out of the room and down the hallway. The clubhouse was quiet, the men still unaware of the danger that was about to descend upon them.

But as we reached the back entrance, I heard footsteps behind us. Spider. He had recovered faster than I had expected.

"Ravage!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. "You're not going anywhere!"

I shoved Elena through the door. "Go. Get to the bike. I'll be right behind you."

"Dante, no”

"Go!" I shouted, my voice fierce. And she ran.

I turned to face Spider, my knife in my hand, the rage burning through my veins. "You should have stayed down."

Spider laughed, a wild, desperate sound. "You're going to die tonight, Ravage. And that little b***h of yours is going to watch."

He lunged at me, his fist connecting with my jaw, and I staggered backward. I recovered quickly, slashing at him with my knife, the blade tearing through his jacket.

He was strong, but he was sloppy. His movements were fueled by rage, not precision. I had trained for years. I had survived things he could never imagine.

I feinted left and struck right, the blade sinking into his shoulder. He screamed, the sound muffled by the noise of the clubhouse, and I pulled the knife free and drove my knee into his stomach.

He collapsed to the ground, clutching his wound, his eyes wild with pain and fear.

"This is for my brother," I said, my voice cold and flat. "And this is for Elena."

I raised the knife, ready to end it, ready to finally put Spider down for good.

But Elena's voice stopped me.

"Dante, don't."

I turned to look at her, standing in the doorway, her face pale and frightened. "He deserves to die," I said. "He's a monster."

"Yes," she agreed. "But you're not. Don't let him make you a monster too."

I looked down at Spider, his eyes wide with fear, the blood pooling beneath his shoulder. He was pathetic. A coward and a bully who had never had to face the consequences of his actions.

And he wasn't worth losing myself for.

I pulled the knife away and stepped back, my chest heaving with exertion. "Get out," I said, my voice flat and cold. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

Spider scrambled to his feet, clutching his wound, and ran down the hallway, disappearing into the darkness.

I turned to Elena and crossed to her, pulling her into my arms. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I should have protected you."

"You're here now," she whispered. "That's all that matters."

I held her tight, burying my face in her hair. And then I pulled away, my eyes fixed on hers.

"Let's go," I said. "Let's get out of this place."

We ran through the night, the sounds of the clubhouse fading behind us. And when we finally reached the bike, I swung onto it and pulled her up behind me.

The engine roared to life, and we sped off into the darkness, leaving the Iron Vipers behind for good.