Chapter Eight
Viper stood just inside the doorway of King’s office, shoving his hands deep in his jeans pockets. For a moment, he watched the smoke from King’s cigar curl through the air like a warning.
“Close the door,” King ordered..
Viper did as told, the click of the latch sounding louder than it should’ve. He’d been through enough of these talks to know the tone already. Something was wrong, definitely wrong. The clubhouse was quiet today, but the tension under the silence ran thick.
King leaned back in his chair, the leather groaning under his weight. He fixed his cold and sharp gaze on Viper. “You know why you’re here,” King began.
Viper didn’t answer. He just crossed his arms, waiting. King always liked to circle his prey before taking a bite.
King tapped ash into a tray shaped like a bullet casing. “Word on the street says the Blood Vultures and Iron Serpents are asking questions. Offering cash. Big cash,” King said.
Viper’s jaw tightened. He didn’t ask who they were after, because he already knew.
King studied him for a beat, his stare weighing heavy. “They’re looking for that girl you’ve been keeping in your room,” King said.
“Mara.” Viper reminded him.
“Yeah. Mara.” King flicked the end of his cigar, the ember glowing red. “And they’re not just curious, Viper. They’ve put a bounty on her. Ten grand, maybe more. Every lowlife and prospect in the tri-state’s gonna start sniffing around.”
Viper clenched his jaw. “You sure it’s not just talk?”
“Wish I was,” King said. “I got it from Rooster, over in Nomads. He heard it from one of the Vultures himself. She’s wanted alive. That kind of phrasing means they want to make an example out of her.”
Viper didn’t move, but something in him went cold. The air in the room seemed to press tighter. Alive. That meant questions, torture probably.
King let the silence stretch, the faint hum of a bike revving outside filtering through the walls. Then he sighed and leaned forward, elbows braced on the scarred wood desk.
“She’s a problem, brother. A liability,” King told him.
Viper’s head snapped up. “She’s under my protection,” Viper reminded him.
“I know,” King said evenly. “And that’s exactly why I’m talking to you before anyone else does. You think the rest of the club’s gonna like that we’ve got a target painted on our backs for some woman who doesn’t belong to us.”
Viper grounded his teeth together. “So what? You want me to hand her over?” Viper demanded.
King met his stare without flinching. “I want you to think, Viper. You’re my VP for a reason. You’ve got a level head when the rest of these bastards don’t. But this,” He gestured vaguely. “This looks personal. And personal gets people killed.”
Viper looked away. “She’s not just some stray. You don’t know what kind of fear she’s lived with her entire life.”
“You think I don’t get that? But you bringing her in here put us all in the crosshairs. You’re the one who taught me that loyalty to the club comes first. Remember?” King said.
That hit hard, sharper than King probably intended. Viper took a step back, dragging a hand over his face. “This isn’t the same,” Viper said.
“Bullshit.”
The word cracked like a whip. King rose to his feet, coming around the desk.
“You’re losing perspective, brother. You’ve been off since the day you brought her in. You barely sleep, you skip runs, you spend your time hovering around that girl like you’re her goddamn shadow.”
Viper’s temper spiked. “You think I don’t know what this looks like? I didn’t ask for this. She got dragged into something she didn’t deserve,” Viper argued.
“And neither did we,” King shot back. “You can’t save everyone. You try, and you’ll get the rest of us buried beside you.”
The words hit too close to home. Viper stared down at the floorboards, his reflection fractured in the grain. He’d told himself the same thing a hundred times since that day in the motel parking lot. Walk away. She’s trouble. Don’t make her yours.
Still, every time he tried, he saw her scared and defiant face. She refused to break. Every time she looked at him like he was the only safe place in her storm, something inside him twisted tighter.
King sighed again, softer this time. “Look, I know you’ve got a thing about protecting people who can’t protect themselves. It’s part of what makes you a good VP. But there’s a line, Viper. I’m not sure you can see it right now.”
“You saying I’m compromised?” Viper demanded.
“I’m saying you’re too close.”
The room went quiet again. The sound of the ticking clock filled the space between them.
“I can keep her safe. I’ll handle whatever heat comes down,” Viper finally said.
King shook his head. “You can’t handle both MCs if they decide to roll up here. We’re not ready for that. You wanna protect her? Fine. But you do it without dragging the club into it. You keep her hidden, low-profile. You make sure no one talks.”
“I already have,” Viper said.
King studied him for a long moment, then exhaled. “So you’re staking your rep on her. Your VP patch.”
“If that’s what it takes,” Viper said.
“You’re really willing to risk that over some woman you barely know?” King asked.
Viper didn’t answer right away. He thought of her laugh, the way she’d started to trust him, even if it scared her. The way she looked when she was training with him, fierce and stubborn, pushing through every bruise like she refused to be weak again.
He thought of the kiss. The way she’d whispered his name like it meant something when they were in bed together.
“She’s not just some woman,” Viper finally admitted.
King’s eyes narrowed. “Then what is she?”
Viper hesitated. “Mine,” Viper said. The word came out before he could stop it, rough-edged, raw. It startled even him.
King’s brows lifted. “Yours.”
“Yeah,” Viper said. “At least until this is over.”
King barked a humorless laugh. “You realize what you just said, right? Are you ready to claim her like that and live with consequences if things don’t pan out the way you imagine?”
Viper let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “My loyalty’s still to the club, but I can’t just throw her to the wolves. Not when I know what they’ll do to her.”
King stared at him a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then he grunted and turned back toward his desk. “You’re making this harder than it has to be.”
“Story of my life,” Viper muttered.
King didn’t laugh. He sat, reaching for the whiskey bottle. “Fine. You want to protect her? Do it. But if this blows back on us, if we lose men, then it’s on you. You understand me?”
“I do.”
King poured himself a glass, took a slow sip, then set it down with a thud. “Then get the hell out of my office. And Viper?”
He paused at the door.
“Don’t let your dick make decisions your brain can’t clean up.”
Viper smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Noted.”
When he stepped out of King’s office, the smirk faded. The hallway felt colder, the air heavier. He moved through the clubhouse, past the low rumble of laughter and the clinking of bottles from the common room, ignoring the curious glances thrown his way.
Everyone knew. Maybe King was right—perhaps he was really losing his edge. Because every line Viper had lived by, every rule he’d carved into himself over the years, was starting to blur around one small, stubborn woman with wide eyes that saw too much.
He was halfway down the hall when he heard the light footsteps. Not the heavy boots of a brother or the swagger of a prospect. Mara.
He froze, instinct prickling along his spine. She’d been there when a prospect told Viper that King wanted to see him in his office. She probably sensed how worried he was and followed him. Which probably meant she’d heard his conversation with King.
Damn it. He turned sharply and strode for his room. Well, it was practically their room, now. The door was cracked open, light spilling into the hall. Inside, he could hear movement, drawers opening and closing, the sound of a zipper tugged too hard.
Viper’s gut tightened.
He shoved the door open. “Mara,” Viper said.
She froze by the small dresser, a duffel bag half-packed on the bed. Her hands trembled as she stuffed a few more clothes inside. When she turned toward him, her expression was a mix of guilt and determination.
“Don’t,” he warned.. “Don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you’re doing.”
Mara swallowed hard. “You don’t have to make this harder, Viper,” she whispered.
“I’m not the one making it harder.” He took a step forward, eyes narrowing. “You are.”
She drew herself up. “I heard everything,” she said, voice shaking.
He went still.
“I didn’t mean to,” she continued quickly, her gaze darting away. “I was waiting outside because one of the mechanics said King wanted to talk to me about this month’s payroll. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but...”
“But you did.”
Mara lifted her chin, a familiar spark of defiance flashing through her eyes. “Yeah. I did, and I heard enough to know I shouldn’t be here. You’re risking everything for me, Viper. Your position, your club, your life.”
He stepped closer. “You’re not walking out of here,” Viper said, each word tight with control.
She shook her head. “I have to. I won’t be the reason your brothers turn on you. I won’t have you fighting two MCs because of me. It’s better if I just left,” Mara said, voice rising.
“Mara, stop,” he ordered.
She did, if only because of the steel in his tone.
He closed the distance between them in two strides, catching her wrist with his hand before she could zip the bag. “You’re not leaving,” Viper repeated .
Her eyes shimmered with tears. Mara looked angry and scared all at once.
“Why not? I’m not worth this, Viper. I never was. You’ve done enough. You’ve saved me more than once, and I can’t keep relying on you forever,” Mara said.
“Don’t.” He gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth,” Mara said, voice hitching.
“No. You don’t get to decide what you’re worth to me,” he said.
She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. “Viper...”
“I meant what I told King,” he cut in. “Every damn word. You’re mine now, and I protect what’s mine.”
Before she could argue, he kissed her. It was hard and searing, the kind of kiss that burned through logic and fear and everything that had kept him chained for years.
Mara froze for half a heartbeat, then melted against him, the fight leaving her in a rush. She placed her hands over his chest, clutching his cut. Mara pulled him closer instead of pushing him away. They deepened the kiss and it was raw and desperate.
When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. Both of them were breathing hard.
“You don’t get to run from me,” he murmured. “Not after this and not after everything we’ve been through.”
“Viper ... you don’t know what you’re doing,” Mara said, voice trembling.
He gave a rough, humorless laugh. “Trust me, sweetheart, I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ll admit that it scares the hell out of me.”
She stared up at him, tears welling again. “Why? Why would you risk everything for me?”
“Because somewhere between saving your ass and trying not to lose my goddamn mind around you,” he said, brushing a thumb along her jaw, “I stopped thinking about what I should do and started thinking about what I want to do.”
Her breath caught. “And what’s that?”
“Keep you right where you belong,” Viper told her.
Her eyes widened. “With you?”
He didn’t answer in words. Viper slid his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closer until their lips almost brushed again. “You already know the answer.”
For a moment, they just stood there, with Mara pressed against the edge of the bed and him looming over her. The duffel bag lay half-packed on the mattress, forgotten.
Then Viper reached out, grabbed the zipper. He yanked it shut, not to finish packing, but to close it.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Viper repeated for the last time.
Mara searched his face. “You’re serious.”
“Dead serious.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed for me,” Mara finally whispered.
“You’re underestimating me, sweetheart. I don’t die easy,” Viper told her.
He leaned in, brushing a kiss against her temple. “Now unpack that bag. You’re not running from me again,” he ordered.
Mara hesitated, then exhaled shakily. Slowly, she pulled the zipper open, her movements small and uncertain.
Viper stayed close, watching her. He’d made his choice. She might still believe she wasn’t worth it, but to Viper, there was no question anymore.
He’d already chosen her and if anyone wanted to take her away from him now, then they’d have to go through him first.