Page 70 of Savage Loyalty

“Then who?” I demanded, my fists clenching at my sides.

He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze shifting past me as if piecing something together. “You think this is about the Reapers?” he asked finally, his tone skeptical.

“You tell me,” I replied, my voice like steel. “You’ve got enemies everywhere, Axel. And so do I. But Delilah’s caught in the middle of it all, and I’m not going to stand here and wait for you to figure it out. So unless you’ve got something useful to say, get the fuck out of my way.”

For a moment, neither of us moved, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The murmurs of the other Vipers in the room were like background noise, blending with the heavy silence between Axel and me.

“Wait,” Axel muttered, his gaze sharpening as something clicked in his mind. He stepped back and motioned for one of his men to come over. “You said the door was open. No sign of a fight?”

“None,” I said, my jaw tightening. “She’s just gone.”

The man Axel called over leaned in, speaking in hushed tones. I caught the words “last week” and “Iron Serpents.” My stomach turned, and I stepped closer, glaring at Axel. “What the hell’s going on?”

Axel turned back to me, his expression darker than I’d ever seen it. “We had intel a few days ago that the Serpents were sniffing around. Didn’t think they’d pull something like this, but…”

“You didn’t think it was important to tell me?” I snapped, my voice rising. “This is exactly the kind of shit that happens when your club keeps secrets.”

“Don’t fucking lecture me,” Axel shot back. “We didn’t know it was connected to her. Hell, we didn’t even know they’d make a move this bold. But if it’s the Serpents, they’re escalating. They’re desperate.”

My fists clenched, rage bubbling under the surface. “Desperate enough to take her. They know exactly who she is and who she’s connected to. This isn’t random.”

Axel nodded reluctantly, his jaw tight. “Agreed. But we’re not going in blind. Let me put my guys on this. If they’ve got her, we’ll find out where.”

“You’d better move fast,” I said, stepping closer, the tension between us ready to snap. “Because if they hurt her, I’ll burn them all down. And then you."

Axel’s expression didn’t falter. “You’re not the only one with something to lose here, Kane. She’s my sister.”

“Then start acting like it,” I growled before turning on my heel and storming out of the clubhouse.

As I rode away from the Vipers’ clubhouse, my mind raced. Axel’s reaction had been genuine—at least, I was pretty sure it was. But as I turned his words over in my mind, a sickening thought began to take shape. The Iron Serpents. They had motives, resources, and no reason to hold back. Their alliance with neither the Vipers nor the Reapers made them dangerous to both of us.

Delilah was out there, and if the Serpents had her, I’d burn their entire operation to the ground to get her back. But I wasn’t going to do it alone. This had to be handled smartly—strategically. And that started with my club.

By the time I pulled into the Crimson Reapers’ compound, the sun was just starting to rise, casting the place in long shadows. The gate creaked open as one of the prospects waved me through, his expression tightening when he saw the look on my face. Wordlessly, I parked my bike and headed straight for the clubhouse.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of grease, smoke, and tension. A few of the brothers looked up as I entered, their casual conversations dying off as they caught sight of me. They could tell something was wrong.

“Call church,” I ordered, my voice clipped. Chains, the club’s sergeant-at-arms, nodded and stood, moving to round everyone up. Within minutes, the table in the back room was full, the Reapers sitting in tense silence as they waited for me to speak.

I stood at the head of the table, gripping the back of my chair. “Delilah’s missing,” I began, my voice steady but cold. A ripple of murmurs ran through the group, but I raised a hand to silence them. “I went to her house this morning. The door was open, but she wasn’t there. No signs of a fight, but she’s gone. And I think I know who took her.”

Grim, our President, leaned forward, his sharp eyes locked on mine. “Who?”

“The Iron Serpents,” I said, the name landing like a bomb in the room.

Before Grim could respond, the roar of approaching engines cut through the tense atmosphere. Chains exchanged a glance with me, and we both stood. “Who the hell is that?” he muttered.

The group moved toward the front of the clubhouse as the sound grew louder. A line of Black Vipers rolled into the compound, their presence sparking immediate tension among the Reapers. Axel was at the front, his expression as stormy as the clouds overhead.

“What the fuck are they doing here?” Torch growled, his hand instinctively moving toward his weapon.

“Hold it,” I barked. “If Cruz is here, it’s not to start a fight. Not right now.”

The Vipers dismounted their bikes, their postures guarded but not overtly hostile. Axel strode forward, his gaze locking onto mine as he stopped a few feet away. “We need to talk,” he said flatly.

“You’re on our turf, Cruz,” Grim said, his tone icy. “You’d better have a damn good reason.”

Axel’s jaw tightened, but he held his ground. “The Serpents have Delilah. We have intel, but if we’re going after them, we’re going to need numbers. Whether you like it or not, this is our fight, too.”

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