Kraken
We hit the road again after that hot stop on the side road.
Tia sits tight behind me on the Harley. Her arms wrap firm around my waist and her body presses close.
The vibration of the engine hums between us.
Tampa lies ahead but I take my time on the route.
No sense rushing when every mile puts more distance between us and the trouble brewing down in the Keys.
The wind whips past carrying salt and heat.
Tia shifts every so often and I feel her thighs squeeze me tighter.
My cock still twitches at the memory of bending her over the bike and fucking her senseless.
My phone vibrates hard in my pocket. I slow down and pull off onto a wide shoulder near a stretch of empty road.
Palm trees sway overhead. The ocean glints blue to our left.
I kill the engine and help Tia off first. She pulls her helmet off and shakes out her hair.
Her eyes look curious but calm. I yank my phone out and see Mace’s name on the screen.
I answer fast. “Talk.”
Mace’s voice comes through tight. “Prez. We got a problem. A big one.”
I step away from the bike a few feet. Tia stays close. Her hand rests on my arm like she already senses the shift. “What happened?”
“Gunny got taken. Las Olas Boulevard in Ft Lauderdale. Middle of the fucking day. Witnesses saw a black van. Cartel tags all over it. They grabbed him clean. No shots fired but he didn’t go quietly.”
Rage boils up hot and fast in my chest. My free hand curls into a fist. Gunny. The man who brought his daughter to me for protection. Taken like some fucking pawn. “How do you know it’s the Cartel?”
“Because Finn was spotted two blocks away right before it went down. Possibly the same crew that hit our shipment. They’re making moves and they’re being loud about it.”
I pace a short line on the gravel. My boots crunch loud. Tia watches me with wide eyes. Worry already creases her forehead. I force my voice steady for her sake but inside I want to put my fist through something. “Status on the club?”
“We’re locked down tight in Miami. No other hits yet. But this feels coordinated. They’re coming at us from multiple sides. Word is they’re waiting for you up in Tampa.”
I rub a hand down my face. “We’re heading back. Get eyes on every known Cartel spot. I want Finn breathing when I find him. He has answers and I’m going to rip them out.”
“Understood Prez. Stay safe.”
I end the call and shove the phone back in my pocket. Anger simmers thick in my veins. Gunny taken. My club under pressure. And Tia standing right here looking at me with those big trusting eyes. I turn to her and pull her against my chest. My arms wrap around her tight.
“What is it?” she asks. Her voice shakes just a little. “Kraken talk to me.”
I rest my chin on top of her head and breathe her in. “They took your dad. Cartel grabbed him in Ft Lauderdale. Finn was seen nearby. It’s definitely them.”
She stiffens in my arms. A small sound escapes her. Worry rolls off her in waves. “Is he okay? We have to do something. We have to go back.”
I hold her tighter. My hand strokes down her back trying to calm her even as my own blood burns. “We’re heading back. Right now. The club is solid in Miami but this changes things. I’m getting you somewhere safe and then I’m going after him.”
She pulls back enough to look up at me. Tears shine in her eyes but she blinks them away fast. “He’s all I have left Kraken. Please. I know you’ll find him. I trust you.”
Those words hit me square in the chest. I cup her face and kiss her hard. “He’s family now. I protect what’s mine. That includes Gunny. That includes you. No one takes from me and lives.”
I help her back onto the bike. She climbs on and wraps around me even tighter than before.
I start the engine. The Harley roars to life beneath us.
I pull back onto the road and open the throttle.
We head south now. Back toward the danger.
Back toward war. The wind whips harder but Tia holds on like she was born for this. My woman. My responsibility.
Every mile south feeds the rage building inside me. Finn. The Cartel. They made the mistake of touching what belongs to me. I’ll paint the streets red to get Gunny back. And I’ll keep Tia safe while I do it. No matter the cost.
The road stretches long ahead. Tia’s warmth against my back keeps me grounded. I ride faster.