Chloe
"They're inside!" Gabriel shouted.
"We're not all making it through," Elena said quietly.
"No." Vengeance shook his head. "We're leaving together."
She smiled sadly. "You sound just like Savage." The walls trembled again, and this time, the explosion was much closer. A section of ceiling collapsed behind them.
"They're breaching the bunker!" Gabriel yelled.
“Run,” Elena shouted. The tunnel stretched beneath several city blocks. Old brick, ancient sewer lines, and emergency lighting barely illuminated the narrow passage. They had almost reached the exit when Gabriel stopped so suddenly that Vengeance nearly ran into him.
"They beat us out,” he breathed. At the end of the tunnel stood men in black tactical gear. There had to be over a dozen of them.
"Drop your weapons,” one of them shouted.
Elena slowly exhaled. "We're trapped." Chloe looked behind them, hearing more footsteps and voices. They were surrounded. Vengeance slowly lowered his rifle, and Chloe did too. The men surrounded them, and within moments, their wrists were zip-tied behind their backs.
The commander smiled at them as though they were his prizes, and Vengeance looked about ready to commit murder. “The Senator will be pleased."
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Vengeance spat.
The man just laughed in his face, and rightly so, because all he could do was make empty threats.
Chloe looked back at him as they loaded her and his mother into one of the waiting SUV’s.
She wasn’t sure how they were going to get out of the latest mess they were in, but from the look in Vengeance’s eyes, he already had a plan.
Chloe found herself kneeling on the concrete floor of an abandoned shipping warehouse overlooking Lake Michigan.
Rain hammered the broken skylights overhead, and floodlights illuminated the center of the room.
Elena knelt beside her, and across from them was Vengeance.
He was bruised, bleeding, and still glaring at every man in the building.
The massive warehouse doors rolled open, and a convoy entered of black SUVs and luxury sedans. Dante stepped out wearing a perfect suit and a smile as though none of this bothered him. He looked directly at Elena. "You broke my heart."
She laughed. "You don't have one."
He sighed dramatically. "Twenty-six years of devotion to a dead woman, and that’s how you talk to me? I almost admired your dedication, though.”
"You murdered children,” she spat.
"I built an empire,” he said.
"You built hell,” she said.
His smile disappeared. "I gave you everything."
"No, you took everything from me.”
He walked closer. "You even turned my son against me."
"No.” Elena looked proudly at Vengeance. "You accomplished that yourself." The crack of Dante's hand echoed through the warehouse as he struck her across the face.
Chloe lunged at him, and two guards slammed her back to her knees. "Don't touch her!" Vengeance roared.
Dante looked almost amused. "You sound protective." He crouched in front of Chloe. "So this is the girl." She glared at him. "I remember you, Chloe." She sat quietly and let him talk. "My son loves you." She refused to answer. "You know—” He smiled. "Love is a weakness."
"No." Vengeance's voice cut through the room. "It was your weakness, and you never loved me."
Dante slowly stood. "What did you say?"
"You couldn't understand why people kept betraying you,” Vengeance said, looking toward Elena. "She did." He looked toward Chloe. “And she will too.”
Vengeance smiled. "You've never inspired loyalty."
"You've only ever inspired fear,” Vengeance spat.
Dante's jaw tightened. "You sound like Savage."
"Thank you,” he breathed, “I’ll take that as a compliment.
He was a hundred times the man that you ever were.
” Dante pulled back his hand, as though he was going to punch Vengeance, and Chloe screamed for him to stop.
A loud engine echoed outside, followed by what sounded like dozens more, and Dante froze.
She was sure that they were motorcycles—hundreds of them.
The unmistakable thunder rolled through the docks, and Chloe wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.
Dante frowned. "What is that?"
A smile slowly spread across Elena's face.
"They're here." The warehouse doors exploded inward as motorcycles poured through the smoke.
The Royal Bastards filled the warehouse, and Bowie rode at the front.
Dallas clung to the back of his bike, firing at the members of the Black Veil before the motorcycle had even stopped.
"Royal Bastards!" Bowie roared. "Kill every son of a bitch wearing a snake patch!
" The warehouse erupted into chaos. Gunfire shattered glass as men fell screaming to the floor.
Motorcycles crashed through barricades, and Vengeance tackled the guard holding him.
Chloe threw herself sideways, knocking another off balance.
Someone sliced the zip ties from her wrists, and she looked up to find her mother—Dallas.
"You okay?" her mom asked.
"I'm good now,” Chloe said.
Dallas shoved a pistol into her hands. "Good, then use this and stay behind me."
"Not happening,” Chloe breathed, “but I’ll fight beside you, Mom.”
Dallas grinned at her. "That's my girl."
The battle spread across the warehouse floor. RoadKill and several Royal Bastards pinned the mercenaries near the loading docks. When Chloe thought for sure that they were outnumbered, more bikes rolled into the warehouse.
“Dragons,” Vengeance shouted over the gunfire.
“We’ve got you, brother,” one of the Dragons shouted.
She had heard that a lot of their members were no longer loyal to Dante and what he had done to their club, and now she believed the rumors.
They were there to help Vengeance, and with their numbers, she knew that they might just get out of the warehouse alive.
Dragon members fought beside Royal Bastards like brothers. Years of blood feuds vanished beneath a common enemy. Chloe fired twice and watched a man fall, then another. She reached Vengeance just as he disarmed another attacker.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I am now,” she admitted. He kissed her quickly before returning to the fight. She laughed despite everything because only Vengeance would kiss her in the middle of a gun battle.
She looked across the room, and it felt like her entire world stopped.
Dante had Bowie in his sights. His pistol rose, and time felt like it slowed down around her.
Chloe opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
She was too far away to help her dad, and all she could do was stand there and watch Dante take another father from her.
“Vengeance,” she screamed. He stopped and looked across the room, but he was too far away to help Bowie. Dante fired his gun, and Chloe held her breath. Elena dove across the room and stepped directly between Bowie and Dante. The round slammed into Elena's chest.
"No!" Vengeance screamed. She staggered as Dante fired again. The second shot tore through her shoulder. Bowie tackled Dante before he could shoot again, and the pistol skidded across the floor. Vengeance ran across the room and caught Elena before she hit the concrete. Blood soaked his hands.
"So much blood—” she breathed.
"Mom,” Vengeance whispered. It was the first time Chloe had ever heard him call her that. Tears filled Elena's eyes.
"I wondered—” She struggled for air. "If I'd ever hear you say it again."
"You aren't dying on me, you hear me?” Vengeance shouted.
She smiled weakly. "You've always been too stubborn for your own good, son."
"I'm getting you out of here,” he insisted.
"No." She reached up and touched his face. "I've missed twenty-six years with you, but I’m afraid that heaven can’t wait.”
His shoulders shook. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" she asked.
"For hating you,” he said.
She smiled at him. "I never stopped loving you." A tear slipped down her cheek as Chloe knelt beside her. She looked at Chloe. "Thank you.” Her breathing grew shallow. “For giving my son back his heart."
Chloe couldn't stop crying. "I love him."
"I know." Elena smiled. "So did Savage." Her eyes found Bowie. "Finish it,” she whispered.
Bowie nodded once. "I will."
She looked back at Vengeance. "Lead—" Her voice barely existed now. "Don't follow." She let out a shaky breath, and then she was gone. Silence swallowed the warehouse as Vengeance rested his forehead against hers.
An engine roared to life, and everyone looked up from where Elena’s body lay on the concrete floor.
Dante had reached another SUV. Bowie stood and fired twice.
The bullets shattered the rear window but missed him.
The vehicle crashed through the loading doors and disappeared into the Chicago streets.
RoadKill cursed loudly. "He got away!"
Bowie stared after the fleeing taillights. "No." His voice became ice. "He just made the biggest mistake of his life."
Vengeance slowly stood, Elena's blood still covering his hands. He looked toward the city lights where Dante had vanished. For twenty-six years, Dante had taken everything from him—his childhood, his family, and his mother. Now, there was only one debt left to collect, and this time, Chloe knew he’d collect because Vengeance wasn't going after him as a frightened little boy—he was going after Dante as a son determined to finish the war.