Chapter Twenty-One
Ravage
The weight of Karlyn’s revelation sat heavy on my chest, a physical ache mirroring the phantom pain in my side.
Steele. His name was a poison in my mind, a venom I’d been forced to swallow when I’d seen the state she was in.
Fury had done us all a favor. But the festering remnants of Satan’s Angels, that putrid stain on the world, still lingered.
They were a disease that needed to be eradicated, a threat Karlyn could never truly escape as long as they drew breath.
The thought of her living the rest of her life in fear, the shadows of her past constantly nipping at her heels, was a torment I couldn’t bear.
My gut churned with an overwhelming urge for retribution, a cold, hard certainty that a clean sweep was the only path to true peace for her.
It wasn’t just about eliminating a threat; it was about ensuring Karlyn could finally breathe, could finally shed the weight of her past and embrace the future we were fighting for.
The whispers of her trauma, the echoes of her mother’s complicity, demanded justice—a brutal, absolute justice that would leave no room for doubt.
The Brotherhood, the Golden Skulls, even my own rage—they were all tools in this coming war, and I would wield them with ruthless efficiency until every last member of Satan’s Angels paid the price.
There would be no halfway measures, no half-hearted purges.
This was a cleansing, a scorched-earth campaign to ensure that the shadows of her past could never again touch her.
The hunt had begun, and it would not end until the last vestige of that vile club was extinguished, until Karlyn could finally sleep without the ghosts of her tormentors haunting her dreams. My resolve hardened, a diamond forged in the fires of her suffering, and I knew, with a chilling certainty, that I would be the instrument of their annihilation.
Curled close to me, my arms tightened around her as she slept restlessly, her mind no doubt warring with the memories of her past. There was nothing I could do but hold her while she slept, listening to her whimpers that tore at my heart.
Seeing Karlyn like this made me think of my sister Mandy.
It had been so long since I had last spoken to her.
I wondered if she was doing okay. Was she happy?
I was thankful she was away from this life, away at college learning to become a doctor.
She was out, and I intended for her to stay that way.
My sister would have a normal life away from all the lies, bullets, and death.
I didn’t want her anywhere near a biker or anyone associated with the underworld.
Reaching for my phone, I dialed my sister’s number. Needing to hear her voice.
She picked up on the first ring. “I was just thinking about you.” Her sweet, tender voice wrapped around me like a blanket.
“Likewise, sis. I miss you,” I admitted, my words tasting like the truth they were.
The weight of the world pressed down on me, a constant burden, but hearing her voice, her genuine joy for life, was a balm to my scarred soul.
“Is everything all right?” I asked, needing to know she was truly okay, that she was safe, far from the violence that had become my constant companion.
“Everything is perfect, Jackson. I’m studying for my upcoming finals, and I’m thinking of joining a sorority. It’s all so surreal, but amazing,” she chirped, her voice full of an innocence I’d long since lost. “What about you?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” I replied, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
“Just wanted to check in with you. Needed to hear your voice.” There was so much I wanted to tell her, but I couldn’t.
I couldn’t drag her into this mess, not into the war that was brewing.
She deserved her peace, her chance at a normal life, a life far removed from the darkness that had claimed me.
“You’re still coming to graduation, right?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of worry I’d grown accustomed to, and when I didn’t reply, she asked, “Jackson, are you alright?”
“Yeah, just tired.” I said, my voice rough with emotion.
“I will be there. Just... stay safe, okay? Keep your head down, focus on your studies.” I knew she wouldn’t listen, that she’d worry, but it was the best I could do.
I’d protect her from a distance, a silent guardian in her oblivious peace.
And if anyone dared to tarnish that purity, they would face the full, unadulterated wrath of Ravage, a monster they would never see coming.
“I love you, big brother.”
“Love you too, sis,” I muttered as my phone beeped, alerting me to an incoming call. Seeing who it was, I groaned. “Baby, I need to go. Duty calls.”
“Night, Jackson.”
“Sweet dreams, baby girl.”
Connecting the new call, I growled, “What?”
“Need you back in Diamond Creek.”
“What the fuck for?”
“To track a killer.”
We pulled into the compound early the next morning to find the clubhouse in uproar as the local sheriff, Declan O’Rourke, squared off to King.
“She needs to be put in protective custody, King!” Declan yelled furiously at his brother.
“You did not see what that sick son of a bitch did! We still can’t find the rest of the body! ”
King groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t disagree, Dec, but I’m telling you now, he won’t allow her out of his sight.”
“It’s not his choice!”
“Won’t allow what?” I asked as I walked over to them.
King smirked. “Go ahead, Dec. Tell Ravage what you want to do with his woman.”
I snarled, glaring at the sheriff, who flipped King the one-finger bird before looking at me. “It’s for her own safety. The killer left a note. He wants Karlyn.”
A low growl vibrated in my chest. The sheriff, Declan O’Rourke, a man worn down by the horrors he’d witnessed, met my gaze, his own eyes a mixture of fear and a grim determination I understood all too well.
“He can want in one hand and shit in the other,” I spat, the words as cold and sharp as the steel of my machete.
This wasn’t a negotiation; it was a declaration.
Karlyn was mine to protect, and no one—not some crazy killer, not the sheriff—would pry her from my grasp.
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Ravage,” Declan snapped, his voice raw.
“I’ve got body parts popping up all over town.
Whoever this asshole is, he means business.
” His gaze flickered to Karlyn, who stood talking to Grace by the bar, Indigo and Eros flanking her like shadows, their vigilance a silent testament to the constant threat that hung over her.
I watched her, my protective instincts a raging inferno, a primal need to shield her from the encroaching darkness that was both exhilarating and terrifying. She was my anchor, my sanctuary, and the thought of anyone—any-fucking-one—even daring to lay a hand on her sent a chilling rage through me.
“She’s with Grace,” I stated, my voice calm, controlled, but carrying an undertone of steel that promised consequences. “Indigo and Eros are watching her. She’s safe. And she’s not going anywhere with you.”
My eyes met Declan’s, a silent challenge passing between us.
I was the monster they feared, the one who dealt in brutal justice, but Karlyn was my weakness, my redemption, and I would burn this town to the ground before I let her slip through my fingers.
Declan sighed. “Fine, but she needs to stay in the clubhouse. In the meantime, I looked into you. You are among the best trackers in the country. The FBI has called on you many times. I need this fucker gone, and fast. I can’t have him killing anyone else. Will you help me?”
“Not sure how much help I’ll be. I track kids. Not psychopaths,” I said just as I heard Karlyn giggle. Turning, I watched her laugh at something Grace said, and muttered, “But if this fucker is after my woman, I’ll take a look at the scene.”
“Scenes. There are multiple scenes.”
Nodding, I whispered, “King?”
“She won’t leave my sight. I’ll shackle her to me if I have to.”
Nodding, I walked over to my woman. “Baby, I need to go help the sheriff with something. Stay with Indigo and Eros.”
“Is everything okay?”
Quickly kissing her, I whispered, “No, but it will be soon.” Looking at my brothers, I added, “She doesn’t leave your sight. If anything goes wrong, get her the fuck out of here and disappear. I’ll find you.”
Both men nodded but said nothing.
I followed the sheriff back into town, parking in front of the local bookstore. Ryder and Blade, brothers in the Silver Shadows, walked out of the store to greet us as Declan groaned. “I don’t want you involved in this shit. Your job is to protect my daughter and grandson.”
“Don’t tell me how to handle my wife and kid,” Blade sneered. “They are at the clubhouse and safe.”
Declan opened his mouth to reply, but I cut in, “Bitch later. Where is the first crime scene?”
“Around back,” Ryder stated. “We can get to it faster by going through the bookstore.”
“No,” I said, swinging my leg off my bike. “Unless the killer was in there, I won’t go. I need to see all the access points that were available to him.”
“This way then,” Declan said as he walked off, turning the corner of the building. Following him, I looked around the town of Diamond Creek. It was small. Smaller than Purgatory, but like most small towns, it had all the amenities.
The alley behind the bookstore had two points of entrance. “Sheriff, stay,” I ordered as I slowly made my way down the alley, scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary.
“I’m not a fucking dog, Ravage,” the sheriff snapped, handing me a pair of gloves and evidence bags. “I know how to proceed with a crime scene.”
“If you did, then you wouldn’t need me,” I simply said, putting the gloves on and ignoring the sheriff’s retort as I focused on the ground, searching for anything out of place—footprints, a dropped item, a glint of something metallic.
The silence was heavy, broken only by the distant hum of traffic and the soft crunch of gravel beneath my boots.
Every detail mattered; out here, even the smallest clue could unravel the whole mess.
Crouching low, I examined a set of faint scuff marks near a dumpster. The ground was disturbed, as if someone had struggled or tried to hurry through the narrow passage. My instincts prickled; something felt off, the air thick with tension and the metallic scent of fear lingering in the shadows.
As I moved deeper into the alley, something caught my eye near a rusted dumpster—a torn scrap of fabric snagged on its edge, fluttering gently in the breeze.
Kneeling, I inspected it, noticing a stain that looked suspiciously like blood.
The scent of fresh earth mixed with the faint metallic tang in the air, making my senses sharpen.
Nearby, scattered cigarette butts suggested someone had lingered here recently, possibly watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Continuing on, I followed the disturbed ground out of the alley, coming to a stop before turning right, only to halt at the main street that ran through Diamond Creek.
Walking out into traffic, cars slammed on their brakes, horns blaring as I bent down and touched a small drop on the asphalt.
Rubbing the thick substance between my fingers, I narrowed my eyes as I hurried across the street, ducking behind The Bake Shoppe, where I instantly saw more disturbed ground.
Picking up the scrap, I turned it over in my gloved hand, careful not to disturb any possible evidence.
The stain was fresh, not yet dried, and the fabric itself seemed to have come from a jacket or heavy shirt—something that would blend in on a chilly night like this.
I bagged it for later analysis, my mind racing through possible scenarios.
Whoever left this behind was either in a hurry or wounded, and the proximity to the dumpster suggested it wasn’t accidental.
Scanning the alley once more, I noted a partial shoe print pressed into a patch of dirt, the tread unique enough to stand out.
I snapped a photo with my phone, marking the spot for the forensics team.
There was a story here, written in subtle signs and overlooked details, and I was determined to read every line.
The back door to the bakery opened, and I heard the sheriff shout, “Trudy, it’s just us. Stay inside, please.”
The woman nodded before I heard the door shut, and I moved further down the alley that led to an open field. Knowing the killer used this as his point of entry into the town, I proceeded forward, my eyes scanning the area for more clues.
Moving slowly into the open field, my breath caught as sunlight glistened on a line of trampled grass leading toward the tree line.
Each step revealed more—the faint imprint of a boot heel, a torn edge of a paper receipt half-buried in the dirt.
I kneeled, brushing aside debris to reveal a single, fresh drop of blood glistening on a blade of grass.
“Sheriff!” I shouted as the man walked up behind me. “Did you or your deputies come out this far?”
“No. We were too busy securing the crime scenes in town.”
“What body parts were found?”
“Simon found a leg, Trudy found an arm, and Ryder found the head.”
Nodding, I stood and headed deeper into the brush when I came to a complete stop. “Sheriff, you’re going to need to get your forensics people out here. I found the rest of her body.”
The sheriff rushed over as I held my hand out to stop him from entering the crime scene. The second Declan saw what I was looking at, he turned and cursed, “FUCK!”
“Declan, whoever did this isn’t going to stop. He enjoyed it. Reveled in it. He also raped her.”
“What?” Dec spun around, glaring at me as I stared at the remnants of the body.
“She’s naked and face down. He violated her before he tore her apart. This isn’t the first time he’s done it either. Call over to the Rapid City PD. I believe they are dealing with something similar.”
“Do you know who this is?”
“Yeah.” I sighed and admitted, “I believe it’s Karlyn’s dad. Karl Ingalls Sr.”
Looking over the surrounding area, I stilled when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I whispered, “He’s watching us.”
The sheriff didn’t move. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah.” I smirked, my eyes narrowing toward the horizon. “Fucker is looking at us right now. He’s out there waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“Death.”