“You and the girls are safe here and always will be. I amnotMichael Santobello and never will be.”

“Thank God.” She presses her lips against mine and I pull her in closer and kiss her like a man kisses his woman. Possessive, desperate and loving,mixed with lust and promises of a bright future.

Her eyes sparkle when I pull away and she groans. “I wish–”

I place my finger on her lips. “We have forever, darlin’. I won’t be long.”

She nods, anxiety replacing the happiness from earlier but also realizing this is the last tick off the list, enabling us to crumple the past into a ball and toss it into oblivion, while we reach for a fresh piece of paper and script a new one.

I meetthe guys out the front and they wear their bandanas covering their faces.

We are going to war.

They accept that and are up for it. It’s been a long time coming and has taken one brave woman to slay the beast and capture another one.

I am her beast and my claws are sharp and as my trusty blade and gun nestle against my side, I prepare myself to clean up the vermin and prepare to live life how I always imagined it.

We head straightto the lion’s den. The place Emilio rented as soon as he realized Michael was dead. There must be forty of us riding today, patched members and prospects who are hoping to earn their patch. We are a force of reckoning with retribution fueling our mission.

We graze the perimeter of the building and Razor fires a few shots into the air, causing the lights to flood the lot and men to pour from the exits.

I call out. “Emilio D’Angelo.”

A loud voice shouts, “Hold your fire!”

As he ventures into the light, he is covered by his men, and I take that as my cue to shift off my bike and head across to meet him.

We face off like two generals in the middle of mayhem, and his cunning smile has my trigger finger itching.

“Well, well, I’m honored.” He laughs softly. “I heard you preferred to hide from trouble by drinking yourself into oblivion after Michael stole your woman.”

He shakes his head. “It’s a shame I’m about to do the same. Where is she?”

“Not coming.”

His expression turns to anger.

“You know the price.”

“Do you?”

I stand with my legs apart and my fists clenched as I throw a dark warning into my voice.

“Today, Clara married me. She is taken.”

The blood drains from his face as he struggles to keep up and I say casually, “Her businesses are now mine. Her daughters are now mine.Sheis now mine. There is nothing left for you here because if you step foot in any one of my premises and even ask for small change, it will be the last thing you do. Do I make myself clear?”

Emilio snarls, “You think I’m scared of you, a small town MC club with a drunk for a president? Michael always considered you an easy target. It’s why he chose to ruin you in the first place. He always said you were unable to compete with him and apparently, only you believe you can.”

He waves to his men. “One word from me and you’re dead. That’s the power I hold. Your slip of a marriage contract will be burned along with your precious clubhouse unless you bring me Clara and annul your sham of a marriage. You have two hours.”

I call out loud so his men can hear.

“You have no power here, Emilio. Michael pulled your strings and everyone knew it. Without money from the businesses, you have nothing. I will always have vacancies for any of your men who want to stay in town and work for me, but I must insist that you pack your fucking bags and leave on the next bus out of here, otherwise you leave in a box.”

“Are you seriously threatening me?”

Emilio laughs out loud. “You’re a fucking joke, Atom, and you always have been.”