Kraken
We head west toward the small private airfield on the edge of the Glades.
They’ve got Tia and Gunny there. My blood turns to fire.
I don’t waste time asking questions. I bark orders and we roll out heavy.
Every brother who can ride joins us. Engines thunder through the Miami streets like judgment coming for the men who dared touch what’s mine.
The ride feels endless and too fast at the same time.
Wind whips against my face cutting like knives.
The highway blurs under my tires. The smell of exhaust and hot asphalt fills my lungs.
My hands grip the bars until my knuckles scream white.
Tia. My woman. Taken because she got too close to their dirty money with her data work.
Gunny beaten and used as bait. They’ll all die screaming for this.
Mace rides on my left. Ghost on my right.
The rest of the crew stretches out behind us.
No one speaks. No one needs to. We all know what this is.
War. The final stand. I picture Tia's face. Her smile when she saw Kevin on the nightstand. The way she moaned my name when I buried myself inside her. The trust in her eyes when she asked me to hold her. I love her. The feeling burns hotter than the rage. She’s mine.
My light in this dark world. And they took her.
We kill the engines a mile out and go in on foot.
The small airfield sits quiet under the moon.
Runways stretch empty. One hangar glows with light near the far end.
Hangar five. We move through the tall grass like shadows.
Boots sink into soft earth. Crickets scream in the night.
The air smells thick with mangrove rot and jet fuel.
My gun feels alive in my hands. Brothers spread out wide. Flanking positions. No mercy tonight.
Gunfire erupts the second we breach the fence line.
Cartel guards spot us. Bullets whine past my head and chew into the dirt.
I drop low and return fire. A guard drops with a spray of blood.
Mace takes out two more with precise shots.
Ghost moves like death itself. Silent. Deadly.
He slits one throat before the man can even scream.
We push forward hard. Explosions of gunfire light up the night.
Shell casings rain onto the concrete. The hangar doors stand partially open.
Light spills out in harsh yellow beams. I charge straight for them.
A bullet grazes my arm. Hot pain flares but I ignore it.
Nothing stops me now. Brothers pour in behind me.
Shouts echo inside the massive space. Crates stack high.
Planes sit silent in the back. Guards scramble for cover.
I spot them in the center. Tia tied to a chair.
Her face pale but fierce. Gunny beside her.
Bloodied but alive. Relief crashes through me so hard my knees almost buckle.
Then rage takes over again. Cartel soldiers swarm toward them.
I roar and open fire. The pistol bucks in my hands.
Men drop. Blood sprays across the concrete floor.
The air fills with the metallic stink of it.
Smoke burns my eyes. My ears ring from the constant gunfire.
"Get to them," I shout at Mace and Ghost. "I cover."
I lay down suppressing fire. Bullets chew into metal crates near the guards.
Sparks fly. One Cartel bastard tries to flank.
I pivot and put three rounds in his chest. He flies backward like a rag doll.
Another rushes me with a knife. I slam the butt of my gun into his face.
Bone crunches. He drops. I stomp his throat until he stops moving.
Mace reaches Tia first. He cuts her ties with a quick slash.
She scrambles up and runs straight toward me.
Gunny gets freed next. He limps but stays on his feet.
Brothers form a protective wall around them.
I keep firing. Empty the magazine. Reload in one smooth motion.
The hangar echoes with screams and gunfire and the wet impact of bullets hitting flesh.
A big Cartel leader steps out from behind a crate.
Victor Ruiz. The man Finn named. He raises a pistol toward Tia.
Time slows. I roar and charge. Bullets fly past me.
One burns across my side. Pain explodes but I don’t stop.
I tackle him hard. We crash to the ground.
His gun skitters away. I punch him in the face.
Once. Twice. Blood sprays from his nose.
He fights back wild. Nails rake my arm. I headbutt him. His skull cracks against the concrete.
"You took her," I snarl. My voice sounds inhuman. "You touched what’s mine."
I wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze.
His eyes bulge. Veins pop in his forehead.
He claws at my wrists but I don’t let go.
The world narrows to his face turning purple.
To the life leaving his eyes. For Tia. For Gunny.
For every brother we lost because of these animals.
I squeeze until something snaps in his neck.
His body goes limp. I drop him and stand.
The hangar falls quieter. Last pockets of resistance get wiped out. Brothers move through the space checking bodies. The air hangs thick with gun smoke and blood. My side burns where the bullet grazed me. Blood soaks my shirt warm and sticky. I don’t care. I turn and find her.
Tia runs straight into my arms, crashing against my chest. Her arms lock around my neck as sobs shake her body.
I pull her close and hold on with everything I have, terrified that if I loosen my grip for even a second, she'll slip away.
I might be holding her too tightly, but I can't make myself let go.
"I got you, baby," I rasp. My voice cracks. "I got you. No one touches you again. Ever."
Gunny limps over. His face looks like raw meat but his eyes stay sharp. He claps a hand on my shoulder. "You kept your word, son. Thank you."
I nod at him. Words feel too small. Tia pulls back just enough to look up at me. Tears streak her dirty face but she smiles. That smile that owns me completely. "You came."
"Always," I promise. I kiss her hard. Tasting salt and fear and relief. She melts into me. Her hands fist in my cut. The world fades for a moment.
Mace approaches. "Hangar’s clear, Prez. Twenty-three down. We lost three of our own. The rest are loading up. We need to move before more Cartel show."
I nod but keep Tia pressed to my side. "Burn it. Send a message. The Royal Bastards own these streets. Anyone touches what’s ours dies screaming."
Brothers move fast. Gasoline gets poured. Flames lick up the walls. Heat builds fast. Smoke climbs toward the roof. We walk out into the night air. Tia stays glued to my side. Her hand grips mine tight. Gunny walks on her other side. The three of us. Family now. Blood bought and paid for.
We mount up. Tia climbs behind me. Her arms wrap around my waist like they were made for it.
The engine roars. We ride out under the stars.
Flames light the sky behind us. Sirens wail in the distance but we’re already gone.
Wind whips past. Tia's warmth presses against my back.
The pain in my side throbs but it feels distant.
I have her. I have Gunny. The war is not over but this battle is won.
We ride toward the Miami compound. Brothers surround us. A wall of leather and steel. Tia squeezes me tighter. I reach back and rest my hand on her thigh.
The road stretches ahead. Dawn creeps over the horizon painting the sky orange and pink. New day. New beginning. I’ll heal. We’ll heal. And I’ll spend every day showing Tia exactly what it means to be loved by a man like me. Forever.
The club waits. The future waits. But right now with her arms around me and the wind in our faces nothing else matters. She’s back where she belongs. With me. Always with me.