OWNED BY THE BIKER KING

Chapter 11

The rain had already started pouring relentlessly by the time Ryder left the iron gates of the estate behind.

The exact moment his black SUV disappeared into the dark, winding roads, the warmth that had lingered around him from Elena's presence completely vanished. And just like that—the real Ryder Kane returned. Cold. Sharp. Lethal.

One tattooed hand rested lazily against the steering wheel while neon city lights bled across his dark, obsidian eyes. His mind wasn’t focused on the slick, rain-drenched road ahead. It was entirely consumed by Elena.

Something about her still deeply bothered him. The raw terror in her eyes that night at Hell’s Throttle wasn’t an act. And neither were the faint, fading bruises on her wrists that she had tried so hard to hide beneath the oversized sleeves of his shirt.

Ryder’s jaw tightened, a sharp muscle ticking aggressively in his cheek. That absolute bastard. The mere thought of another hand laying a finger on her was enough to darken his mood into something predatory.

A while later, Ryder’s vehicle finally came to a halt outside Hell’s Throttle. The buzzing neon sign flickered violently above the entrance, casting eerie puddles of red and blue light across the wet asphalt—exactly like the night he had first found her.

The moment his heavy boots stepped inside the establishment, the chaotic atmosphere of the bar instantly shifted. The loud music seemed to dim in an instant. Several hardened bikers straightened their posture, while others lowered their voices to a tense whisper.

Respect. Fear. Both seemed to follow Ryder Kane like a shadow wherever he walked.

He completely ignored the room, his icy gaze fixed straight ahead as he cut through the crowd toward the private VIP suite at the back. Inside, a few of his most trusted enforcers were already waiting around a low wooden table.

The moment the heavy door opened, one of them immediately stood up, tensing. “Boss.”

Ryder didn't say a word. He slowly peeled his leather gloves off, throwing them carelessly onto the table before sinking into the dark leather couch. He leaned back, his eyes cutting through the dim, smoky air.

“Tell me everything.”

The room instantly became suffocatingly tense. One of his men hesitated, clearing his throat carefully before finding the courage to speak. “The police raid that night, Boss... someone definitely tipped them off from the inside. It was a setup.”

Ryder's expression remained unreadable, frozen like stone. “I had already figured that out. Tell me something I don't know.”

A heavy silence followed. The men exchanged glances before Ryder slowly lifted his lethal gaze back toward them. “Who was handling the illegal transaction under my roof that night?”

“...Zack’s people,” the man answered, his voice dropping.

The temperature in the room instantly plummeted. Ryder’s jaw tightened. Of course. Zack again.

The enforcer continued nervously, “Zack’s crew were the ones smuggling the high-grade narcotics through our back doors. And when Zack himself showed up right before the flashing lights appeared...” His expression darkened. “It wasn’t a coincidence, Boss.”

“He came there with a purpose,” another man added carefully, leaning forward. “He didn’t just want a piece of our territory. He wanted to cause enough chaos to flush you out.”

Images from that rainy night flashed through Ryder's mind. Zack had orchestrated the entire circus. A dangerous, brooding silence filled the room before Ryder let out a quiet, humorless laugh that sent shivers down his men's spines.

“That pathetic bastard...” His dark eyes hardened into solid ice. Zack wasn’t just playing street games anymore. He was actively hunting him.

Ryder leaned back against the leather, shifting gears seamlessly as his thoughts drifted back to the girl sleeping in his bed. “What about the girl's ex-boyfriend? What did you find on him?”

“We’re still digging into his corporate assets, Boss,” the tech specialist answered, pulling out a thick manila folder and placing it carefully on the table. “But from what we’ve uncovered so far... the guy isn't just an ordinary, wealthy businessman.”

Ryder reached out, slowly flipping open the file. Inside were high-resolution surveillance photographs, heavy bank transaction sheets, and lists of names. Illegal names. Black market figures. His eyes narrowed instantly.

“He’s deeply embedded with some very dangerous people,” the man continued in a low whisper. “We’re talking black market smuggling, high-stakes illegal gambling rings, and offshore money laundering. He owns half the politicians in his city.”

The room fell into absolute silence.

Ryder let out a bitter, dark chuckle. No wonder Elena had looked so fundamentally terrified when she stepped off that bus. That man wasn’t just an abusive, controlling prick. He was a powerful monster with a global reach.

“Boss,” one of his top enforcers spoke carefully again. “We also intercepted a communication grid. He’s been tearing the upper states apart looking for her ever since she slipped away from his estate.”

Ryder’s fist clenched against his knee. “How close is he?”

“He’s burning through every underground connection he has. He’s put a massive bounty out for any lead on her location.” Another photograph was slid across the table—a crisp, terrifyingly candid photo of Elena taken just days before she fled. “This guy is completely desperate. And he's ruthless.”

Ryder stared down at the photograph of Elena’s smiling, unbroken face from her past life. Slowly... his fingers tightened around the edge of the file, ripping the paper slightly. A lethal look flashed in his obsidian eyes.

Now, he understood the gravity of the situation. Elena’s ex-boyfriend wasn’t going to just give up. He was a predator tracking his escaped prey. And somehow... that thought alone made Ryder want to find the man and snap his bones piece by piece.

After the briefing ended, Ryder dismissed his men with a sharp nod. They quietly filed out, leaving him alone with the shadows.

Silence slowly reclaimed the room. Ryder sat motionless, one hand resting lazily against his jaw while distant city lights flickered outside the rain-streaked windows. His mind refused to leave Elena. He thought about the haunting fear in her eyes, and the way her body trembled whenever someone raised their voice too suddenly in her presence.

Ryder exhaled a slow, heavy breath. That bastard had systematically broken her.

Suddenly—

His personal burner phone vibrated violently against the wooden table, the buzzing sound echoing sharply.

An unknown, encrypted number flashed on the screen.

Ryder’s expression immediately darkened. Slowly, deliberately, he picked up the device and pressed it to his ear.

“...Who the hell is this?” Ryder demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous octave.

Silence stretched over the line for a few agonizing seconds.

Then—a low, smooth, and chillingly calm chuckle echoed softly from the speaker. Ryder’s eyes hardened into lethal slits, his entire body locking into a defensive stance.

“Stay away from her, Kane.”

The voice on the other end sounded impossibly composed. Unbothered. Almost amused.

The atmosphere inside the room turned suffocatingly volatile. Ryder slowly stood up, his towering frame casting a massive shadow against the wall. “Who the f**k are you?” he spat out coldly.

Another quiet, mocking laugh rattled through the receiver, cutting through the static of the storm outside.

Then—

“Too late.”

Click.

The line disconnected instantly, leaving only the dull, empty drone of the dial tone.

Silence. Cold, heavy, and absolute.

For the first time, a flicker of genuine, dark unease crossed Ryder’s face. He slowly lowered the phone, his knuckles turning white.

Because somehow, against all odds—someone else knew exactly where Elena was hiding. And they were already inside his territory.

To Be Continued