Chapter Twelve
Breaker
The roar of an approaching engine shattered the quiet afternoon, drawing my attention to the front gates as I stepped outside the clubhouse. I squinted against the sun as a sense of unease crawled beneath my skin.
A sleek black Cadillac rolled to a stop at the compound gate, kicking up dust. The club members eyed the unfamiliar vehicle warily, hands drifting to concealed weapons. My jaw clenched as I strode toward the intruder, prepared for anything.
The driver’s door swung open and a man emerged, his polished loafers crunching on gravel. He straightened his tailored suit jacket, surveying the compound with cold, assessing eyes. I sized him up -- early fifties, salt-and-pepper hair, a face that belonged on a billboard. But there was something off about his practiced smile.
He moved with the confident ease of a predator in his natural habitat. I tensed, shifting my weight forward. Every instinct screamed danger.
“Can I help you?” I called out, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.
The man flashed a perfect row of white teeth. “You must be the infamous Breaker. A pleasure.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You seem to have me at a disadvantage. You are?”
“Robert Murray.” He inclined his head slightly. “Juniper’s uncle.”
Ice flooded my veins at the name that fell so casually from his lips. Juniper. The woman who’d turned my world upside down, who I’d vowed to protect. How did this snake find her? And how the fuck did he know my name? With the way he was dressed, and his expensive car, it was clear he had help from some well-off people.
He’d only been out of prison about a week. Yet he looked like he’d never been locked up, and he’d managed to track down Juniper. My face betrayed nothing as I stepped closer, putting myself between Robert and the compound -- between him and Juniper.
“What business do you have here?” Each word was laced with threat, a warning to choose his next move carefully.
Robert’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes hardened to flint. “I’m here for my niece, of course. It’s time she came home, where she belongs.”
I met his steely gaze head-on, my resolve unwavering. Like hell I’d let him anywhere near Juniper. Not without a fight.
Behind me, I heard the crunch of boots on gravel as my brothers flanked me, an unspoken show of force. Robert’s face tightened almost imperceptibly.
Game on, you bastard. Juniper is family. And family is everything .
“How did you find her?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous. The unspoken question hung in the air between us -- what did you do to her?
Robert’s smirk turned sly, like a fox cornering its prey. “Now, now, Breaker. That’s not really your concern, is it? I’m simply here to retrieve what’s mine.”
Fury ignited in my chest, white-hot and all-consuming. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. “She’s not a possession, you sick fuck. Juniper is her own person. And she sure as hell isn’t yours.”
Robert tutted, shaking his head as if scolding a disobedient child. “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. Juniper belongs to me. And I always collect on my debts.”
I took a menacing step forward, ready to wipe that smug look off his face with my bare hands. But a firm hand on my shoulder held me back. Fox.
“Easy, brother,” he murmured, his voice steady and sure. “This piece of shit isn’t worth it.”
I exhaled harshly through my nose, reining in the rage that threatened to consume me. Fox was right. We had to play this smart.
Turning back to Robert, I leveled him with a cold stare. “Juniper isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Something dark and ugly flickered across Robert’s face, there and gone in an instant. It was so fast I might have wondered if I’d imagined it.
“Is that so?” His voice was silky smooth, but I could hear the undercurrent of malice.
“Juniper wants nothing to do with you. She’s under the protection of the Hades Abyss now. My protection.”
Robert’s lips curled into a sneer. “Your protection? And just who the hell are you?”
“I’m her husband.” The words left my mouth before I could second-guess them, a declaration that rang through the air like a gunshot. “Juniper is my wife, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the fuck away from her.”
For a moment, Robert looked stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief. But the shock quickly gave way to a simmering rage, his face twisting into an ugly mask of hatred. “You think you can keep her from me? She belongs to me, not some punk-ass biker.”
I clenched my fists, the urge to beat him to a pulp nearly overwhelming. But I knew I couldn’t make a move, not yet. I didn’t know if Surge had things in place. With this fucker being newly released and on parole, people would be looking for him. If I made him disappear without having a solid plan first, things could go sideways for the club. The car he’d ridden up in was new enough, it probably had some sort of tracking ability, like On-Star. People would know he’d been here the day he vanished. We needed to play this smart, to bide our time until we could take him down for good without putting the club at risk.
“You’re wrong,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “Juniper belongs to no one but herself. And she’s chosen to be here, with her real family. The ones who will love and protect her, no matter what.”
Robert let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Love and protect her? You have no idea who you’re dealing with, boy. I will burn your little club to the ground to get what I want. And when I’m done, Juniper will be mine once more.”
He took a step back, his eyes flicking between me and Fox, a promise of retribution burning in their depths. “This isn’t over. I will be back, and when I am, you’ll all pay for your insolence.”
With that, he spun on his heel and stalked back to his car, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. I watched him go, my heart pounding in my chest, a mix of adrenaline and fear coursing through my veins.
The roar of Robert’s engine faded into the distance, but the tension in the air remained thick and heavy. I clenched my fists at my sides.
Fox came to stand beside me, his hand clasping my shoulder in a show of solidarity. “We’ll be ready for him,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “He’s not getting anywhere near Juniper, not while we’re still breathing.”
I nodded, my jaw clenched tight. “Damn right. We need to call a meeting, get everyone on the same page. It’s time to go to war.”
As we walked back into the clubhouse, my thoughts turned to Juniper, to the way her eyes had shone with trust and affection when she looked at me. I’d never had anyone look at me that way before. Until Juniper, I hadn’t truly felt needed, or special. She made me want to be a better man, to be someone who deserved to have her in my life. No matter what we faced, I would fight for Juniper, with every ounce of strength and courage I possessed. Until the very end.
“For now, we’ll discuss things with those who are here,” Fox said. “I’m not officially calling Church. Not yet.”
As Fox outlined the situation, I found myself pacing the room like a caged animal, my thoughts consumed by one singular focus: protecting Juniper.
“We need to fortify the compound,” I said, my voice rough with barely contained rage. “Increase patrols, double the watch. Robert Murray isn’t going to just let this go. I know we’ve already put plans into place to do all those things, but we haven’t checked off everything on the list. It needs to be done, and waiting isn’t an option. Now that he’s shown up here, it’s only a matter of time before he tries to get his hands on her.”
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, each man ready and willing to do whatever it took to keep our family safe.
But even as we made our plans, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Robert’s parting words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of the storm that was brewing on the horizon.
I thought of Juniper, her gentle smile and kind heart, and my resolve hardened into an unbreakable shield. I would move heaven and earth to keep her safe, to shelter her from the darkness that threatened to consume us all.
Because in the end, that’s what family did. We stood together, united against any foe, ready to fight and bleed and die for the ones we loved.
And I loved Juniper, with every fiber of my being. Even if I hadn’t found the courage to tell her yet, or even admit to myself before now, I knew it with a certainty that shook me to my core.
I would protect her, no matter the cost. And God help anyone who tried to stand in my way.
“This is just the beginning,” Fox said.
I nodded, my fists clenched at my sides. “He’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. Men like him never back down, and they don’t play fair.”
Fox turned to me. “We won’t let that happen, brother. The club stands united, and we’ll do whatever it takes to keep Juniper safe. Like you told that asshole, she’s family.”
I met his gaze, a flicker of gratitude sparking in my chest, the knowledge that I wasn’t facing this battle alone. “I know, but it’s not just about protecting her anymore. It’s about sending a message, loud and clear, that nobody messes with the Hades Abyss.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Fox’s mouth, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “Damn straight. We’ll show Murray what happens when you cross the wrong people. Him and anyone backing him.”
This was more than just a fight for survival. It was a fight for family, for love, for the very heart and soul of the Hades Abyss. And I would be damned if I let anyone, especially a snake like Robert Murray, tear that away from us.
The rumble of approaching motorcycles pulled me from my thoughts, and I opened the clubhouse doors to see four more of our brothers rolling into the compound, their faces etched with a mix of concern and determination. They dismounted their bikes and came inside.
I cleared my throat, my voice carrying over the low murmur of the crowd. “Robert Murray, Juniper’s uncle, just paid us a visit. And it’s clear he wasn’t here for a family reunion.”
A ripple of unease passed through the group, a few muttered curses and growls of anger punctuating the air. I held up a hand, silencing them. “He’s made his intentions clear. He wants Juniper, and he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. But we’re not going to let that happen.”
I paused, letting my words sink in, watching as the weight of the situation settled on their shoulders. “Fox and I have been talking. Things are moving faster than we’d anticipated. From now on, we’re on high alert. Double the patrols, keep a close eye on the perimeter. And if Murray shows his face around here again, we’ll be ready for him.”
Fox stepped forward, his presence a reassuring force at my side. “Breaker’s right. This is our home, our family. And we’ll defend it with everything we’ve got. Murray thinks he can take what’s ours, but he’s about to learn the hard way what happens when you cross the Hades Abyss.”
A chorus of cheers and shouts of agreement erupted from the crowd, a palpable energy crackling in the air. I felt a swell of pride in my chest, a fierce love for these men who were willing to stand by my side, to fight for what was right.
As the group dispersed, I felt a hand clap my shoulder. I turned to see Fox, his expression a mix of understanding and determination. “We’ve got this, brother. Juniper’s one of us now, and we take care of our own.”
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. “I know. I just… I can’t lose her, Fox. She nearly died the day I found her, would have if I hadn’t brought her here. I felt led by some… force, for lack of a better word, to go down that alley. Juniper was meant to be mine.”
“You won’t,” he said, his voice firm with conviction. “We’ll make sure of that. Together.”
As I watched him walk away, I felt a renewed sense of purpose, a fire burning in my veins. I knew the road ahead would be fraught with danger, that we were stepping into a world of shadows and secrets, but I was ready to face whatever lay in store. Robert Murray could throw whatever he wanted at us. We’d take him on no matter the risk.
Because this was more than just a fight for survival. It was a fight for love, for the chance at a future I never thought I deserved. No matter the cost, I would make sure that future was with Juniper.
I stormed into the house, my fists clenched tight and jaw set like stone. The confrontation with Robert Murray played on a vicious loop in my head -- his smug threats, the way he seemed so sure he could rip Juniper away from me. Over my dead fucking body.
Juniper looked up from where she sat curled up on the couch, a book forgotten in her lap as her wide eyes took me in. I could only imagine how I appeared in that moment, a thundercloud of barely contained rage. Concern pinched her brow.
“Teller? What’s wrong?”
I scraped a hand over my face, struggling to find the words. To tell her that the monster from her past had slithered out from whatever rock he’d been hiding under. That he wanted to sink his claws into her again and drag her back to a life of fear and pain.
“It’s your uncle,” I ground out. “He found you, Juniper. He knows you’re here, with me. With the club.”
The color drained from her face and the book slid from her trembling fingers, landing on the floor with a dull thud that seemed to echo like a gunshot in the suffocating silence.
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head as if she could will it not to be true. “He can’t… I thought I was safe here.”
Tears welled in her eyes, magnifying the terror and anguish that suddenly haunted their depths. It ripped me apart to see her like this, to watch that fragile sense of peace and belonging she’d found here shatter in an instant.
I crossed the room in two long strides and dropped to my knees in front of her, gathering her small, shaking hands in my own.
“Listen to me, darlin’. That piece of shit is never going to touch you again, you hear me? I won’t let him.”
My voice was hard as steel even as I gentled my grip, rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles with my thumbs. She had to know that I meant every word. That I’d fight for her, kill for her, burn the whole Goddamn world down to keep her safe.
I pulled her into my arms as she crumpled forward, clinging to me like I was the only thing keeping her from flying apart at the seams. And hell, maybe I was. She buried her face against my neck, her tears scalding my skin as harsh sobs wracked her delicate frame.
“Shh, I got you,” I murmured into her hair, rubbing her back in slow, calming strokes. “I got you, Juni. He’ll have to go through me and the whole damn club to get to you. You’re mine. And I protect what’s mine.”
I held her like that, rocking gently until her weeping quieted to hiccupping breaths and sniffles. The need to shield her, to absorb all her pain and fear into myself was a living thing inside my chest, wild and fierce. I knew I’d do anything to keep her out of that bastard’s clutches. Even if it meant I had to put him in the ground myself.
Juniper drew back just far enough to look at me, her eyes red-rimmed and luminous. Gratitude and affection mingled with the lingering edges of despair.
“What are we going to do, Teller?” she whispered brokenly.
I leaned in, catching a stray tear with my lips before resting my forehead against hers. My eyes locked onto her own, trying to pour every ounce of resolve and devotion I felt into that one look.
“We’re going to fight, darlin’. And we’re sure as hell going to win. I promise you that.”
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me,” she whispered, fresh tears welling up in those stormy gray eyes. “Especially not you. And the thought of him getting his hands on those precious kids…”
My heart clenched at the raw emotion in her voice. “I’m not going anywhere, darlin’. I’m in this fight, right by your side. And just as fiercely as I’ll protect you, those kids’ parents will be doing the same for them.”
Juniper’s arms tightened around me, her slender frame molding against my body as if she were trying to anchor herself to me. I could feel the rapid beat of her heart, the way her breath hitched with each wave of emotion.
I let my mind wander to the challenges that lay ahead. Robert Murray was a formidable enemy, a man with resources and a ruthless determination to get what he wanted. But I had something he didn’t -- the unwavering loyalty of my brothers, the strength of the Hades Abyss MC. He might have some wealthy men backing him, but I didn’t doubt they’d cut him loose if they thought for one moment they might go down with him.
“You really think we can do this? That we can take on a man like my uncle and win?” she asked.
“I don’t think, darlin’,” I replied, a fierce grin spreading across my face. “I know. Because when the Hades Abyss MC sets their mind to something, heaven and hell can’t stand in our way.”
And as I drew Juniper back into my arms, feeling the steady thrum of her heartbeat against my chest, I knew that this was just the beginning. A storm was coming, a battle that would test the very limits of our strength and resolve.
But with Juniper by my side and the roar of our bikes beneath us, I had no doubt that we would weather the tempest and emerge victorious. For in the end, that’s what the Hades Abyss MC did best.
We fought. We loved. And we never, ever surrendered.
I leaned in, my forehead resting against hers, our breaths mingling in the scant space between us. “You’re not alone anymore. You never will be again. I promise you that.”
And with those words, I sealed my vow with a kiss, pouring every ounce of my devotion, my protection, and my love into the press of my lips against hers. The world fell away, and there was only us, two souls bound together by a bond that no force on earth could break.
As we parted, I saw a newfound strength in Juniper’s eyes. She nodded, her small hands gripping mine tightly as if drawing courage from my touch.
I stood and put my arms around her breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. The road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but with Juniper by my side and the club at our backs, I knew we could face anything. We had each other, and that was all that mattered.
“We’ll get through this together,” I murmured, my lips brushing against her temple. “One day at a time, one battle at a time. And when the dust settles, we’ll still be standing, stronger than ever.”
Juniper lifted her head, her gaze locking with mine. In that moment, I saw the depth of her trust, the unwavering faith she had in me and in us. “Together,” she echoed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
And as we stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, I felt a sense of peace wash over me, a certainty that no matter what the future held, we would face it head-on, united in our love and our determination to protect what was ours.
The shadows of the past might still haunt us, and the threats of the present might still loom large, but in that moment, none of it mattered. We had found each other, two broken souls made whole by the power of our connection, and that was a bond that nothing and no one could ever break.