CHAPTER4
1788 Words
The garage door rose another inch.
Ryder's hand disappeared beneath his jacket.
I tightened my grip on the wrench.
Three motorcycles waited outside.
Their engines growled low against the silence, headlights cutting through the darkness.
The riders didn't move.
They simply stared into the garage.
I looked at Ryder.
He wasn't looking at them anymore.
He was looking at me.
“Stay behind me.”
I almost laughed.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“You don't get to order me around.”
His jaw flexed.
“This isn't the time.”
“Then tell me what's happening.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“When you're not standing three feet away from men who might put a bullet through your head.”
That shut me up.
Not because I was frightened.
Because of the way he'd said it.
There was no arrogance in his voice.
Only urgency.
The garage door stopped halfway.
One of the riders stepped forward.
“Lena Hart.”
My blood froze.
Ryder immediately moved in front of me.
The man laughed.
“That's right. We know you're there.”
Ryder's shoulders went rigid.
“How do you know her name?”
The rider tilted his head.
“We know a lot about the Hart family.”
I glanced at Ryder.
His expression had gone completely blank.
“What do you want?”
The rider's attention shifted to him.
“You're Kane.”
Ryder didn't answer.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“Neither should you.”
A second rider stepped forward.
“You've been asking questions in our town.”
Our town.
The words caught my attention.
Ryder's eyes narrowed.
“Then you know exactly why I'm here.”
The man smiled.
“We know exactly why you're here.”
He reached inside his jacket.
Ryder pulled his gun.
“Don't.”
The rider stopped.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then he slowly removed his hand.
No gun.
A phone.
He tossed it onto the concrete.
It slid to Ryder's boots.
“Tell her to answer it.”
I stared at the phone.
My heart began pounding.
Ryder bent down and picked it up.
The screen was already lit.
One incoming call.
UNKNOWN.
Ryder looked at me.
“Don't answer.”
I stepped forward.
“That's my brother.”
“You don't know that.”
“I know.”
“Lena.”
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Give it to me.”
He held it tighter.
The riders watched us.
I stepped closer.
“You don't get to decide whether I hear my brother's voice.”
Ryder's eyes locked onto mine.
“You're right.”
He handed me the phone.
Our fingers touched.
Just for a second.
But something strange happened.
A spark.
A tiny, ridiculous spark in the middle of a terrifying night.
I pulled my hand away.
Ryder did too.
Neither of us mentioned it.
I answered.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
“Daniel?”
Static.
Then breathing.
My entire body went cold.
“Daniel?”
A voice finally came through.
Not my brother's.
A man's.
“Hello, little Serpent.”
I gripped the phone.
“Where is my brother?”
A low chuckle.
“Still asking the wrong question.”
“What does that mean?”
“You should be asking why your father is so eager to start a war.”
My eyes moved toward Ryder.
He was watching me carefully.
“What do you want?”
“Your brother knows something.”
“What?”
“Something your father would kill to keep buried.”
My stomach twisted.
“Put Daniel on the phone.”
A pause.
Then a sound.
A muffled groan.
“Lena?”
My heart shattered.
“Daniel!”
“Don't—”
The line went dead.
“Daniel!”
I stared at the phone.
“No.”
I tried calling back.
Nothing.
I looked at the riders.
“Where is he?”
Nobody answered.
I lunged toward the nearest one.
Ryder caught me around the waist before I could reach the garage entrance.
“Let me go!”
“Lena!”
“LET ME GO!”
I fought against him.
The rider laughed.
“That's exactly what we wanted.”
Ryder shoved me behind him.
“Get out.”
The rider's smile disappeared.
“We're not here to fight you.”
“Then leave.”
“We came to deliver a message.”
“You delivered it.”
“No.”
He pointed toward me.
“We wanted her to hear it.”
I felt Ryder's body tense.
The rider continued.
“Tell your father the boy stays alive as long as the Serpents stay home.”
“What does that mean?”
“You'll find out.”
The three men turned.
They climbed onto their motorcycles.
Ryder watched them carefully.
Then one rider looked back.
“And Kane?”
Ryder raised his chin.
“Tell your father the Vultures are next.”
The motorcycles roared.
They disappeared into the night.
I stood frozen.
Ryder lowered his gun.
Then he turned toward me.
“You heard them.”
I nodded.
“Your brother is alive.”
“For now.”
His eyes hardened.
“They're using him.”
I swallowed.
“You knew this would happen.”
“No.”
“You knew those men.”
“I knew of them.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You've been investigating them.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Daniel was investigating them.”
“Yes.”
“You knew they were dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I didn't know you existed until today.”
I stared at him.
“You're lying.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“You looked at me earlier like you already knew who I was.”
Silence.
That tiny pause told me everything.
“You knew.”
Ryder looked away.
“I knew your name.”
“How?”
“Everyone knows your father's daughter.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
He looked back at me.
“I've heard stories.”
“What kind?”
His eyes lingered on my face.
“The kind that made me think you'd be different.”
I frowned.
“Different from what?”
“From him.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
I folded my arms.
“And what exactly did you expect?”
“Someone spoiled.”
I scoffed.
“I'm standing in a garage holding a wrench because my brother was kidnapped.”
“I noticed.”
“Then stop looking at me like I'm helpless.”
“I don't.”
“You just told me to stand behind you.”
“Because I didn't want you getting shot.”
“Why?”
The question slipped out.
Ryder went quiet.
I expected an easy answer.
He didn't give me one.
Instead, he looked toward the road where the three motorcycles had disappeared.
“Because Daniel isn't the only person they're interested in.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who else?”
His eyes came back to mine.
“You.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“That's not good enough.”
“I know.”
He walked toward the garage door.
I followed him.
“Where are you going?”
“To find out.”
“You're leaving?”
“I'm going back to my town.”
“Why?”
“Because those men came here for a reason.”
He stopped.
“And I need to know what they know.”
I grabbed his arm.
He turned.
For a second, neither of us moved.
His eyes dropped to my hand around his arm.
Then slowly returned to my face.
“Don't go.”
The words surprised both of us.
I released him immediately.
“I mean…”
I swallowed.
“I need answers.”
“You'll get them.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“That isn't good enough.”
Ryder stepped closer.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“Then come with me.”
I stared at him.
“To your clubhouse?”
“To my town.”
My pulse jumped.
“That would get me killed.”
“Probably.”
I blinked.
He almost smiled.
“I'm joking.”
“You're terrible at jokes.”
“So I've been told.”
For the first time since Daniel disappeared, I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then reality returned.
“My father will never allow it.”
“Then don't tell him.”
I stared at Ryder.
“You want me to sneak into enemy territory with you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His eyes held mine.
“Because the people who took your brother are from the neighboring town.”
My breath caught.
“And if we're right…”
He looked toward the darkness.
“They're not trying to steal your brother.”
“Then what are they trying to do?”
Ryder's voice dropped.
“Start a war between our clubs.”
I stared at him.
The Iron Serpents.
The Black Vultures.
Two clubs that had hated each other for years.
Two clubs already preparing to destroy each other.
And somewhere in the neighboring town—
a third club was watching.
Waiting.
Ryder walked toward his motorcycle.
I followed.
“You're serious about me coming with you?”
He put on his helmet.
“Very.”
I looked back toward my house.
My father was inside.
Probably planning how to attack Ryder's club.
He had no idea that the real enemy was somewhere else.
And I had no idea whether I could trust the man standing in front of me.
But Daniel was alive.
And Ryder might be the only person who could help me find him.
I climbed onto the motorcycle behind him.
Ryder looked over his shoulder.
“You've ridden before?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on.”
“I don't need to.”
“You will.”
The engine roared beneath us.
I wrapped my arms around his waist.
His body went rigid.
Mine did too.
Neither of us said a word.
Then Ryder accelerated into the night.
And as the lights of my home disappeared behind us, I realized something terrifying.
I had just crossed the line my father had spent my entire life warning me never to cross.
I was riding into Black Vulture territory with Ryder Kane.
The enemy.
The man I was supposed to hate.
And somehow—
I already felt safer with him than I had felt all night.
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