Chapter 8 Titan
TITAN
Idrain my fourth beer and crush the can in my fist.
“Anyone else think this is the worst fucking idea in club history?” I toss the crushed aluminum toward the trash and miss by three feet. “Because I think this is the worst fucking idea in club history.”
Ghost sits at the cabin’s kitchen table, cleaning his rifle for the third time in an hour. He doesn’t look up. “You’ve mentioned it.”
“Just making sure we’re all on the same page.” I grab another beer from the fridge. “Our girl’s about to marry a psychopath, and we’re sitting here drinking like it’s a normal Saturday.”
“What do you want us to do?” Ghost’s hands caress the weapon. “Storm the ceremony? Start a war?”
“Yes.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Your face is stupid.”
Ash walks in from the back room, where he’s been pacing for the last two hours. His jaw is so tight I’m surprised his teeth haven’t cracked. “She’s not our girl anymore.”
“Bullshit.” I pop the beer tab. “One night doesn’t erase years of—”
“One night that she said meant nothing.” Ash’s voice could cut steel. “Her words, not mine. ‘It was just fun, Ash. You have no claim on me.’”
“She was scared—”
“She was clear.”
Ghost finally looks up. “Are we doing this again? Because we’ve had this conversation six times today and it always ends the same way.”
“Yeah, with us sitting here like cowards while Bonnie gets handed over to Marcus Stone.” I take a long drink. The beer tastes like piss, but at least it’s cold. “Real productive.”
“We’re not cowards.” Ash moves to the window and stares out at nothing. “We’re realistic. Iron made his choice. Bonnie accepted it. We have to respect that.”
“Respect?” I laugh. “Pathetic.”
My phone rings before anyone can answer. I pull it out and check the screen. Pedro.
“Yeah?”
“Titan, man, you’re not going to believe—” Pedro’s breathing hard like he’s been running. “Bonnie just dove through a fucking window. In her wedding dress. She’s running.”
My blood turns to ice. “Say that again.”
“She broke a window and climbed through. Lost her shoes, tore her dress to shit, just took off toward the back of the compound. They’re going crazy looking for her.”
Ash is at my side before I can blink. “What’s happening?”
I put the phone on speaker. “Pedro, start from the beginning.”
“I was—uh—behind the storage shed with Jake when Bonnie came running past in her wedding dress. Like, full bridal gear, man. She looked terrified. Next thing I know, alarms are going off and Savage Legion is swarming everywhere.”
Ghost stands up from the table. His rifle is already assembled.
“Where is she now?” I ask.
“No clue. She went through the fence by the old gap. After that—” Pedro pauses. “Titan, they’re hunting her. Like, full manhunt. Bikes, trucks, the whole deal.”
“Get back inside. Don’t let anyone know you saw her.” I hang up and look at Ash and Ghost. “Bonnie ran.”
Ash’s phone buzzes. He pulls it out, reads whatever’s on the screen, and his face goes white. “Jackal,” he says. “Iron got arrested. Someone snitched. He told Bonnie to run.”
“Well, she’s running.” I move toward my room. “And Savage Legion is on her ass.”
“We need weapons.” Ghost is right behind me. “Body armor. Extra ammunition.”
“We need to move fast.” Ash heads for his own gear. “She’s got a head start, but not much of one.”
I grab my leather vest with the sergeant at arms patch and shrug it on. My gun goes in the shoulder holster, a backup piece at my ankle, and a knife on my belt.
“What’s the plan?” Ash asks.
“We storm the compound, guns blazing, and pull her out.” The words come out fast and sure because it’s the only plan that makes sense to me.
“That’s suicide.” Ghost loads magazines with smooth, practiced movements. “They outnumber us ten to one. We’d be dead before we made it through the gate.”
“So what’s your brilliant idea?”
“We don’t know where she is,” Ghost says. “Could be in the woods, could be on the road, could be anywhere between here and the compound. We need intel before we charge in like idiots.”
“He’s right.” Ash straps on his own vest. “Jackal told her to run, which means she’s not sitting still waiting to be caught. If we’re lucky, she made it out of the compound before they locked it down.”
“And if we’re not lucky?” I ask.
“Then we go in anyway.” Ash’s voice drops. “But we do it smart.”
“Smart how?”
“We head toward the clubhouse first,” Ash says. “See what the situation is. If Savage Legion is still there, we know she’s trapped. If they’re gone, it means they’re out searching. That tells us she got away.”
Ghost nods. “And if they’re searching, they’ll be spread thin. Easier for us to find her before they do.”
I don’t like it. Every instinct I have screams to get on my bike and ride straight for that compound. But Ghost and Ash are right—charging in blind is how you get killed.
“Fine.” I grab my helmet. “But if we waste time with reconnaissance and she gets caught because of it, I’m blaming both of you.”
“Noted.” Ash heads for the door.
We pile out to where our bikes sit waiting. The afternoon sun beats down, too bright and cheerful for what’s about to happen. I throw my leg over my Road King and fire up the engine.
Ash pulls up beside me. Ghost flanks my other side.
“Stay together,” Ash says. “Radio silence until we know what we’re dealing with.”
We ride.
The cabin disappears behind us as we hit the main road. Trees blur past. Wind whips at my vest. My mind won’t stop racing through worst-case scenarios—Bonnie caught, Bonnie hurt, Bonnie dead in a ditch somewhere because we weren’t fast enough.
No. Can’t think like that. She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s been training with all of us for years. If anyone can survive being hunted by Savage Legion, it’s her.
The clubhouse appears ahead. We slow down as we approach, taking in the scene.
The parking lot is half-empty. Most of the Savage Legion bikes are gone. The few Ruthless Devils members standing around look confused and worried. No sign of Iron, which makes sense if he’s in federal custody.
We pull up and kill our engines. Danny rushes over immediately.
“Thank God you’re here.” He looks terrified. “Everything’s gone to shit. Iron’s arrested, Bonnie ran, Savage Legion is tearing up the countryside looking for her—”
“Start from the beginning.” Ash’s voice carries authority now. With Iron gone, he’s acting president whether he wants to be or not. “What happened with Iron?”
“Feds grabbed him in Phoenix this morning. He was at that meeting with the Tucson chapter, coordinating supply routes. They were waiting at his hotel.”
“What charges?” Ash asks.
“Don’t know yet. RICO maybe? They had warrants, evidence, the whole deal. Someone fed them information.”
Ash’s jaw tightens. “Did you call Martinez?” Our club lawyer.
“First thing. He’s driving to Phoenix now but says it doesn’t look good. Whatever they have, it’s solid enough for federal charges.”
“Shit.” Ash runs a hand through his hair. “Anyone talk to the feds here?”
“No one’s been to the compound yet,” Danny says. “But they will. You know they will.”
“What about Bonnie?” I ask.
“The ceremony was supposed to start an hour ago. Bonnie never showed. They found a broken window in the hallway, and she was just—gone. Marcus lost his mind. Took his whole crew out to search.”
“How long ago?” Ghost asks.
“Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.”
“Which direction?” I’m already calculating routes, escape paths, and places a scared girl in a wedding dress might run.
“North, we think. But nobody knows for sure.”
Ash turns to the handful of Ruthless Devils members standing around.
“Listen up. Savage Legion might come back looking for trouble. I need you to lock down the compound. Nobody in or out without my say-so. Arm up, cover all entrances, and if Marcus Stone shows his face here, you call me immediately. Understood?”
A chorus of “Yes, VP” echoes back.
“What about us?” Danny asks.
“You stay here and keep everyone calm.” Ash looks at Ghost and me. “We’re going to find her.”
We mount up again. My heart pounds against my ribs as I start the engine.
Bonnie’s out there somewhere. Alone, scared, running from men who want to drag her back and make her pay for the embarrassment of being a runaway bride.
Not on my watch.