Chapter 32
32
REIGN
Hell it’s a goddamn spectacle.
Someone whistles sharply, and a chant starts: “Reign! Reign! Reign!”
It’s like fuel to a fire I can’t control. My knuckles crack against Owen’s jaw, the impact reverberating up my arm. Blood sprays across the pavement, and the crowd surges closer, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.
Owen’s men try to push through the bodies, but the Demons step in, creating a wall of leather and muscle that holds them at bay. Revel’s voice booms above the chaos, sharp and commanding. “You don’t fucking move unless you want a war!”
The crowd shifts, the tension thick enough to choke on. Phones flash, capturing every second, and the voices blur into a frenzied chant for blood. I can barely see Owen’s face anymore through the red haze clouding my vision, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except making him pay for the filth that came out of his mouth.
And then, in the chaos, I catch movement—one of Owen’s guys reaching into his jacket. The guy steps forward, fumbling at his waistband, and my blood runs cold as the glint of metal catches the light.
“Gun!” someone screams from the crowd, and everything explodes into chaos.
Before Owen’s guy can even raise the weapon, Revel moves like a shadow, faster than I’ve ever seen. He’s on him in a heartbeat, his hand snapping out to knock the gun aside with a brutal swipe of his arm. The weapon clatters to the ground, spinning out of reach, but Revel doesn’t stop there.
In one fluid motion, he yanks his own piece from his waistband and shoves it into the guy’s mouth, forcing his head back against the asphalt. The crowd gasps, a wave of stunned silence rippling through the chaos. Revel’s knee drives into the guy’s chest, pinning him in place like a predator toying with prey.
“Back the fuck off,” Revel snarls, his voice low and lethal, each word a dagger slicing through the thick tension in the air. The cold gleam of the barrel pressing into the guy’s lips sends a chill down my spine, and it’s clear the bastard feels it too. His eyes widen in panic, muffled grunts escaping around the steel shoved in his mouth.
Owen’s crew shifts uneasily, their bravado faltering as they watch one of their own completely immobilized. Revel’s grip is unyielding, his expression carved from stone, and for a moment, even the crowd seems to hold its collective breath, waiting to see what happens next.
“I suggest you think real hard about your next move,” Revel growls, his tone so cold it could freeze the air. “Because I don’t miss, and I don’t give second chances.”
The guy beneath him trembles, his hands twitching like he’s contemplating reaching for the discarded gun, but one sharp look from Revel freezes him in place.
“Good choice,” Revel mutters, the venom in his voice enough to make even the boldest onlooker take a step back. The raw dominance radiating from him sends an unmistakable message: You don’t fuck with the Speed Demons.
Owen’s men hesitate, their eyes darting between their leader and Revel, who remains a statue of cold, controlled fury. The gun in his hand doesn’t waver, pressed against the trembling guy beneath him, a silent promise of what’s to come if anyone steps out of line. The crowd edges closer, a chaotic blend of morbid curiosity and adrenaline, their shouts and screams an oppressive backdrop to the mounting tension.
I lunge toward Owen again, the rage inside me boiling over, but Talon grabs me, his hands gripping my shoulders like a vice. “Reign, don’t! He’s not fucking worth it!”
But Owen smirks, blood dripping down his split lip as he tilts his head. He swipes his mouth with the back of his hand, the red smear only making him look more unhinged. “Keep going, Matthews. Every punch you throw makes it worse for her. You know that, right?” His voice is a venomous purr, low and taunting. “And when we find her? She’ll pay. Every. Single. Inch.”
The words hit like a sledgehammer, the implications twisting in my gut, but before I can throw myself at him again, the sharp wail of sirens pierces the air. The crowd ripples with panic, blue and red lights flashing in the distance.
“Cops!” someone yells, and the strip erupts into chaos.
Engines roar to life, cars and bikes screeching as everyone scrambles to escape. The press of bodies grows frantic, a crush of movement as people shove and scatter in every direction.
Revel’s knee lifts from the guy’s chest as he shoves him aside with brutal force. He grabs the discarded gun, his expression grim as he chucks it into the bushes. “Move!” he barks, his voice slicing through the noise. He grips my arm, pulling me toward the bike. “We need to go, now.”
Owen stumbles back, his men dragging him toward their bikes as the chaos swirls around us. He doesn’t miss the chance for a parting shot, his bloody grin stretching wide as his voice carries above the din. “This isn’t over, Matthews! You better pray we don’t find her first. Because when we do? She’ll be mine, every fucking inch of her.”
The words ignite something inside me, a fire so consuming it blinds me. My fists clench, my body surging forward on instinct, but Revel blocks my path, shoving me toward the bike with enough force to break my focus.
“Reign, let it go!” he snaps, his voice sharp. “Get on the damn bike before we all end up in cuffs.”
I force myself to breathe, to focus. The engine roars to life beneath me as I swing onto the seat, the vibrations grounding me just enough to keep my head from splitting apart completely. I flip my visor down, the world narrowing to the chaos in front of me.
“Let’s roll!” Talon shouts, and the Demons scatter like smoke, moving with purpose and precision.
Draygon and Thorne’s cars peel out, tires screeching as they vanish into the maze of fleeing vehicles. Cece and Bex are right behind them, Cece’s car disappearing into the darkness. The rest of us hit the throttle, bikes roaring as we weave through the chaos, cutting through the crowd and leaving the flashing lights behind.
Revel pulls up beside me, his visor down as he jerks his head forward. No words are exchanged; none are needed. Together, we rip through the night, the roar of our bikes a steady drumbeat in the chaos.
The city blurs around us, streaks of color and shadow blending into one. My chest is tight, my thoughts tangled between fury and fear. Owen’s words loop in my head, twisting the knife deeper with every repetition. The need to protect her—to find her—drives me harder than the fear of what’s behind us.
I don’t stop. I can’t. Not until I know she’s safe.
The garage is too quiet. The kind of silence that seeps into your bones and weighs you down, amplifying every thought, every fear. The hum of our engines has barely faded, but the tension in the air is suffocating. I yank off my helmet and toss it onto the nearest workbench with more force than necessary, my movements restless as I pace like a caged animal.
My knuckles are raw, blood crusted around the edges, but I barely feel it. All I can think about is Owen—his bullshit threats, the way he spat her name like it was some kind of weapon, and that smug-as-fuck smirk when he swore he’d find her. Promised to do worse.
Like hell he will.
“Reign,” Revel’s voice slices through the haze, sharp and steady. He hasn’t moved from his spot leaning against his bike, arms crossed, watching me like I’m a bomb seconds away from detonating. “You gonna tell me what the hell that was?”
I stop pacing, turning to face Revel, my fists clenched at my sides, my knuckles raw and aching. “What do you think it was?” My voice comes out low, tight, barely holding back the storm threatening to consume me. “They were talking about Lena like she’s... like she’s nothing. Like they could just fucking take her.”
Revel straightens, stepping closer, his movements deliberate and calm, but his eyes burn with the same fire that’s raging in my chest. “And you think beating Owen into the ground is going to change that? You think a few hits are going to scare off guys like him?”
“It’s a start,” I snap, the words bitter and defensive.
Revel exhales sharply, his tone steady but laced with frustration. “No, it’s not. All you’ve done is piss him off more. You heard what he said. They’re not stopping. Not until they find her. And if they do?—”
“They won’t,” I cut him off, my voice hard and unyielding. I can’t let them.
“Why not?” His eyes narrow, his voice sharp. “Because you think they’re scared of you? Guys like Owen don’t back down, Reign. They don’t stop because you throw a punch. They dig in, make shit worse, for her and for all of us.”
His words cut deep, but I shove the feeling aside, my anger refusing to let me back down. “What the hell do you want me to do then? Just sit here and hope they don’t find her?”
“No.” Revel’s voice drops, calm and firm. “I want you to pull your head out of your ass and fucking find her. She’s let you in, I fucking know she has. There’s somewhere she’d go. Somewhere she’d feel safe. You fucking find it, and you bring her back. But you do it smart. Not like this.”
The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air. I drag a hand over my face, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “She’s not going to give up that bike,” I say finally, quieter now. “You know that, right? It’s all she has left of Cruz.”
Revel nods, his tone softening slightly. “Yeah, I know, and I don’t want her to. But that doesn’t mean she has to do this alone. We’ll figure out how to handle Owen, together, and not with our fucking fists you idiot.”
“What I don’t get,” Revel continues, his gaze narrowing, “is why the hell pink slips were even in play. Lena wouldn’t have raced if she knew. No way.”
“That’s because they didn’t fucking tell her,” I say, bitterness lacing my voice. “They knew what Cruz’s bike was worth, knew she wouldn’t know any better since it’s her first race. Thought they could scare her into folding and handing it over after she lost.” A humorless smirk tugs at my lips. “Guess they didn’t count on her having bigger balls than most of Owen’s men, and taking off instead.”
Revel’s lips twitch with the hint of a smile, but it’s gone as quickly as it came. “Yeah, that girls got more guts than sense sometimes.”
“That makes two of us,” I mutter, the smirk fading as the weight of the situation crashes back down.
The silence stretches, the only sound the faint creak of metal around us. Finally, I look at him, the frustration in my chest giving way to clarity. “Shit, I know where she is.”
Revel’s sharp gaze snaps to mine. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” I say, grabbing my helmet. “I’m sure.”
He watches me, his expression unreadable, but there’s a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “You going alone?”
I nod, my grip tightening on the helmet. “Trust me. I’ll bring her back.”
For a moment, he doesn’t say anything, just steps back and crosses his arms. “You better. Because if you don’t?—”
“I will,” I cut him off, my voice steady. “I’ve got this.”
Revel doesn’t push further, his silence heavy with unspoken words. As I swing onto my bike, I catch one last look from him, his expression a mix of concern and resolve.
The engine roars beneath me, and I flip my visor down, the world narrowing to the stretch of road ahead. I know where she is, and I know what I have to do.
I tear out of the garage, the cold night air biting against my skin. The road stretches dark and uncertain, but there’s no hesitation. I’m going to bring her back. Whatever it takes.