Page 44 of Throttle All the Way

Aiyana stepped closer to Bulldog, her voice dropping, though her fiery tone remained intact. “Look, I know you’re worried about me. But I can handle myself, and you know it. You don’t get to wrap me in bubble wrap because you’re scared, Bulldog. I’m in this with you—whether you like it or not.”

For a moment, the tension hung heavy, Bulldog’s chest rising and falling as he stared her down. Then, with a deep, reluctant exhale, he muttered, “Damn it, woman, you’re gonna give me a stroke.”

Aiyana grinned, stepping back with a satisfied tilt of her chin. “Guess you’d better start taking better care of yourself then, old man.”

Bulldog let out a low growl but turned back to the room. “Fine. You stay. But you follow my orders to the letter. Got it?”

“Crystal clear,” Aiyana said sweetly, though the glint in her eyes suggested she’d be doing whatever she damn well pleased.

Bulldog muttered under his breath before raising his voice to the others.Jaw tightening, his fists clenching. The tension in the room thickened like a storm cloud. “Goddamn it,” he growled. “All right. Church. Now.”

He slammed his fist on the bar, and the sound echoed like a gunshot. Members dropped what they were doing, leaving beers and card games abandoned as they filed into the back room. Bulldog led the way, his presence commanding. Aiyana and Ifollowed, her steps purposeful despite the glares thrown her way.

The Church room was dim, lit by a single overhead light that cast shadows over the table and the patched brothers surrounding it. Bulldog took his seat at the head, his eyes scanning the room like a wolf sizing up his pack.

“All right,” Bulldog said, his voice cutting through the tension. “Cipher, spill it. Everything.”

I laid it out for them. The call, Volkov’s taunts, the sound of Mila’s breathing. Every detail that could be a clue to her location. The room stayed silent as I spoke, every man present focused, their anger simmering just beneath the surface.

When I finished, Bulldog leaned back in his chair, his face like granite. “These Russian pricks have been a thorn in our side for years,” he said. “And now this fucker’s crossed a line he’s not walking back from. We’re gonna end him. Tonight.”

“We’ll need a plan,” Guardian said, his voice calm but firm. “He’ll have backup. Guys like Volkov don’t work alone.”

“And Mila?” Grim added, his eyes dark. “If we go in guns blazing, we could get her killed.”

“Which is why we’re not going in blind,” Bulldog snapped. He looked to Aiyana and Ray, his expression still sour but begrudgingly respectful. “Detectives, you’re here. Make yourself useful. What can you pull on Volkov? Properties, connections, anything that might tell us where he’s holed up.”

Aiyana smirked, pulling out her phone. “Already working on it.”

“Good,” Bulldog said. “Grim, Guardian, Saddle—get the weapons ready. We’ll need a clean loadout—nothing traceable. Cipher, you’re with me. We’ll go over the layout of Volkov’s known hideouts and figure out where he’s most likely keeping Mila.”

He paused, his eyes sweeping the room. “This isn’t just about Mila. Volkov’s the last of his line, and when he’s gone, that’s it. We take him out tonight, and we take our lives back. No more looking over our shoulders. No more wondering when the next hit’s coming.”

The men nodded, their expressions grim and determined. The air was electric, the promise of violence hanging heavy. Bulldog’s gaze landed on me. “You ready for this, Cipher? You ready to do what it takes?”

I met his eyes, my jaw set. “Whatever it takes.”

“Good,” he said. He looked around the room, his voice rising. “Get to it. We roll out in an hour.”

The room erupted into motion, men scattering to prepare. Aiyana lingered by my side, her expression unreadable.

“You sure about this?” she asked quietly.

I nodded. “This isn’t about the badge anymore. This is about family. And I’m not letting Volkov take another one of mine.”

She placed a hand on my arm, her grip firm. “Then let’s finish it.”

CIPHER

The tension in the room was a living thing as Bulldog and some of the brothers crowded around the surveillance footage I’d come across. All I needed was a computer and some time and I was able to hack into Port Townsend’s feed. Seemed like Councilman Lingdale had eyes everywhere, especially using high tech drones in the sky. After hacking one of the drones, I was able to get feed of Volkov’s black SUV snaking from the Inn and heading through the outskirts of Port Townsend. He thought he was untouchable, hiding out in some forgotten corner of nowhere. What he didn’t count on was Bulldog’s connections or the ruthless efficiency of the Royal Bastards MC’s greatest hacker.

“That’s nearing the water, looks like old farmland,” Hart muttered, pointing at the screen. The drone I’d managed to hack into showed a sprawling property, overgrown with weeds and surrounded by rusting fencing. The barn looked like it hadn’t seen a day of honest work in decades, but the fresh tire tracks leading up to it told us everything we needed to know.

“That’s the motherfucker,” Bulldog growled, slamming a fist on the table. “Mount up. We’re burning this place to the ground.”

I grabbed my jacket, the weight of my sidearm a comforting presence at my hip. Aiyana was already strapping on her vest, her expression set like stone. Bulldog caught sight of her and bristled immediately.

“You’re staying here,” he barked, stepping in her path.

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