Page 41 of Rage

Grim Sinners and Devil Souls, packed shoulder to shoulder.Two clubs, united by a common enemy.Peterson.

My jaw clenches at the thought of that bastard.Images of Meadow, bruised and bleeding, flash through my mind.My fists curl at my sides, itching to connect with Peterson’s face.

I make my way to my dad, feeling the weight of every gaze.Judging.Assessing.Waiting to see how I’ll handle this shitstorm.

Liam steps forward, his eyes hard as steel.“All right, let’s cut the bullshit.We’ve got a situation, and it needs dealing with.Now.”

Murmurs ripple through the crowd.I notice Meadow’s grandfather, his face etched with barely contained rage.The old man’s hand rests on his hip, inches from where I know he keeps his piece.

“Peterson’s still out there,” I say, my voice low but carrying in the sudden silence.“And he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants.”

“Which is what, exactly?”Lane’s father snaps, his tone sharp enough to draw blood.

I meet his gaze, unflinching.“Revenge.On Meadow, on anyone who spoke out against him.He’s got nothing left to lose.”

“Then we take him out,” one of the Devil Souls members says.“Simple as that.”

The room erupts.Voices overlap, each man trying to outshout the other.I stand silent, my mind racing.All I can think about is Meadow upstairs, vulnerable and alone.The need to get back to her, to feel her warm and safe in my arms, claws at my insides.

“Enough!”Meadow’s grandfather’s voice booms over the chaos, silencing everyone.He turns to me, his eyes piercing.“You.You were there tonight.What do you suggest?”

I feel the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders.“We need to draw him out.Set a trap.But we use me as bait, not Meadow.”

A hush falls over the room, and I can feel my dad’s eyes on me.

“Explain,” Liam demands, his voice gruff but interest piqued.

“Peterson’s obsessed with Meadow, yeah.But he’s also furious that I interfered tonight.If we leak information about my whereabouts, make him think he can get to me…”

“He’ll come running,” Lane finishes, nodding slowly.“It could work.”

“It’s risky,” my dad warns, but I can see the wheels turning in his head.

I stand tall, meeting each gaze in turn.“I don’t care about the risk.All I care about is keeping Meadow safe and ending this nightmare once and for all.”

The room falls silent as they consider my words.The tension is palpable, like a rubber band stretched to its breaking point.Any moment now, it’ll snap.

The silence stretches on, heavy with unspoken thoughts and simmering tension.I can practically see the gears turning in everyone’s minds as they weigh the risks and potential rewards of my plan.

Finally, Liam speaks up.“It’s a solid plan.Risky as hell, but solid.”His eyes lock on to mine, sharp and assessing.“You sure you’re up for this, kid?”

I meet his gaze unflinchingly.“I’d die for her,” I say, my voice low but carrying in the quiet room.“This?This is nothing.”

A ripple of murmurs runs through the crowd.I catch sight of my dad, a flicker of pride in his eyes before he masks it with his usual stoic expression.

Meadow’s grandfather steps forward, his presence commanding attention.“All right,” he says, his tone brooking no argument.“We do this.But we do it smart.No cowboy shit, you hear me?”His eyes sweep the room, landing on each face in turn.“This bastard hurt one of our own.We end him.For good.”

A chorus of agreement rumbles through the clubhouse.The air shifts, charged with a new energy.Purpose.Determination.

Lane’s father clears his throat.“We’ll need eyes on every possible angle.Surveillance, intel, the works.”

“Leave that to us,” one of the Devil Souls calls out.“We’ve got contacts in places your Boy Scouts wouldn’t dream of.”

Before anyone can bristle at the jab, I cut in.“Good.We’ll need all hands on deck for this.Devil Souls, Grim Sinners—we work together on this one.For Meadow.”

“For Meadow,” the room echoes, a united front forged in the face of a common enemy.

As the group breaks into smaller clusters, discussing logistics and strategy, I feel a hand on my shoulder.I turn to find my dad, his face a mix of concern and pride.

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