Chapter 7
The shop was already thick with the Iron Angels’ heavy presence, but the air seemed to grow even heavier still, shifting from tense standoff to something darker, predatory.
Just when the London investigator thought he might finally have the upper hand with legal documents, the front door rattled hard on its hinges once more.
Two more patched brothers stepped inside – Shadow and Bear.
They filled the frame instantly, looming large even among the rest of the crew.
Bear was pure solid muscle and hairy, his face set in cold stone, while Shadow moved with a quiet, deadly grace that seemed far too refined for his giant frame.
Between them, they hauled two men by the collars of their tailored coats as if they weighed nothing more than misbehaving pups.
My breath caught. I knew them. My father’s usual hired muscle – brutal, scarred men who always hid their ugliness behind expensive dark suits. Right now, those suits were torn and mud-stained, their faces drained with pure terror.
And walking silent as a shadow behind them was Death.
A cold shiver ran straight down my spine.
I’d heard whispers about him all over town: Rose’s cousin.
The quiet brother. The one who carried darkness like a second skin, who could vanish without a trace yet always seemed to see right through to whatever you tried hardest to hide.
Shadow and Bear moved as one, flinging the two London thugs face-first onto the linoleum right at the P.I.’s feet.
“Found these two loitering in a silver Mercedes down the lane,” Bear rumbled, his voice deep and rough as crushed stone.
“They were too busy playing on their phones to notice us coming,” Shadow added, scanning the room with a cold smirk. “Thought we’d invite ’em in for a proper welcome.”
The investigator stared down at his men crumpled on the floor, his polished composure finally shattering completely. He looked up at Reaper, then Death, then finally back to the quiet corner table, trembling visibly.
“Look,” he stammered, his clipped accent fraying fast into raw arrogance.
“This is a private family matter. You have no idea who you’re messing with.
Her father is an extremely powerful man in London.
He has resources. Connections. If you interfere, he’ll bring a storm down on this town that none of you will survive. ”
A low, dark sound rolled through the silence from the corner.
It was Rage laughing. Not a warm laugh – a mocking, humourless rumble.
He rose slow from his chair, unfolding like a predator uncoiling from rest. The thin napkin still twisted loose between his fingers, he stepped forward, heavy boots hitting the floorboards with a rhythm that sounded like a funeral march.
I’d heard locals say he was second in command, and now I understood exactly why he was called Enforcer.
Rage stopped right in front of the investigator, looming so tall the other man had to crane his neck just to meet his eyes. The sharp, metallic tang of rain and leather rolling off him felt like it was choking the words right out of the P.I.
“Bring a storm?” Rage murmured, his voice dropping to a whisper far more terrifying than any shout. He held up the photo of me, setting it down flat on the counter right between them. “Take a good look around, city boy. We are the storm.”
Death stepped up beside him, his dark eyes fixed on the investigator with terrifying stillness.
“And I’m the one who stays behind when the storm passes,” he said, his voice completely void of emotion.
“Tell your boss if he sends anyone else across our territory, they won’t be riding back to London in a Mercedes. They’ll be going back in pieces.”
The investigator swallowed hard, chest heaving as he stared first into Death’s eyes, then Rage’s. He knew. All his money, my father’s influence, all those high-society connections – none of it meant a single damn thing here, not against a full club of outlaws who played by no rules but their own.
“Understood,” he choked out, his voice cracking.
“Good,” Reaper barked from the centre of the room. “Now pick up your trash, get back in your car, and drive. If your face shows up in this county again, you’ll be dealing with me directly. And I promise you… you won’t like my style.”
Shadow and Bear grabbed the two thugs by the collars once more, dragging them toward the door.
The investigator scrambled for his briefcase and photo, but Reaper caught his arm before he could snatch up the picture.
The man flinched, terrified, before finally stumbling out after his men.
The door slammed shut, and the roar of the Mercedes engine echoed down the lane as they fled for their lives.
As the latch clicked home, the suffocating tension finally broke.
The brothers began to chuckle and murmur among themselves, drifting back toward their bikes. They gave me a respectful nod as they passed – no fuss, no fanfare, just like they’d handled a minor disruption. Reaper tucked the photo into his cut with a sharp look I knew meant he’d deal with it later.
I stayed frozen behind the counter, hands still gripping the edge, chest heaving as the adrenaline finally began to crash. I was safe. They’d kept me safe.
But Rage didn’t leave with the others. He stayed exactly where he was, right in front of my counter.
Glanced down at the empty spot where the photo had sat, then lifted those dark eyes straight to mine.
The cold Enforcer mask fell away, replaced by that intense, steady focus that always made my heart flip.
“You okay, Danika?” he rumbled, his voice softening into that rough, gravelly tone he only ever used for me.
A sudden, giddy rush of relief washed over me so strong I had to look down at my hands to steady myself. I nodded slowly, swallowing hard past the lump in my throat. “Yeah,” I whispered, breathless as I looked back up to him. “I’m okay. Thank you, Rage.”
He held my gaze for a long quiet moment, a faint, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Reached out, brushing his thumb light against the wooden counter right near my hand – a grounding little touch that sent a warm tingle right through me.
“Told you before, sweetheart,” he murmured, turning back toward his table. “You’ve got a fire in you. I ain’t letting nobody snuff it out. Least of all over a coffee.” He winked at me as he settled back into his seat, and this time I couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up out of me.