Page 15 of Victorious: Part I

“Atlas?”Alpha’s tone shifts, becoming more serious. “He’s dead, Montana. We made sure of that.”

“I know. But whatever he was building, it didn’t die with him. These women, they’ve got some kinda organization, a hierarchy. They’ve been targeting my mom and her allies.”

There’s a pause on the other end. “You think this is connected to Atlas’ drug lab we raided in the asylum?”

“I don’t know. But it’s too coordinated to be a coincidence. Mom says there’s been talk about some big move coming, something that’s going tochange everything. And with all these marked women suddenly being transferred in—”

“It means someone’s pulling strings,” Alpha finishes. “Setting pieces on the board.”

“Yeah, but for what?” I kick-start my bike. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Alpha.”

“Get back to the clubhouse,” he states, his voice hardening. “We need to talk to the others, figure out what the hell is going on.”

“What about my mom? She’s obviously in danger.”

“I’ll call the warden as soon as we get off the call, see what kind of protection we can arrange. But discreetly. We don’t want to show our hand until we know what we’re dealing with.”

The tension through my body eases, but only slightly. “All right, I’m on my way,” I tell him, ending the call.

As I pull out of the prison parking lot, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re standing on the edge of something dark. The victory over Governor Marshall suddenly feels hollow, overshadowed by this new, unknown threat.

I thought shit with Atlas was done.

I thought my mother was safe, even though it’s a hell hole.

For fuck’s sake, I thought the club having a win over the Governor meant we could sit back for just twenty-four motherfucking hours and breathe.

I guess life just doesn’t work that way.

Twisting the throttle, I hammer down, pushing my bike faster. The wind whips against my face as I race back to the clubhouse, my mind filled with questions. Atlas’s prison network, the marked women, my mom’s warning—it’s all connected somehow, pieces of a puzzle I can’t quite decipher yet.

The road stretches ahead of me, the urgency building with each mile. I’ve never been one to back down from a fight, but this time, the enemy is in the shadows, moving invisible pieces on this chessboard in a game we don’t even know we’re playing, and my mom is caught in the middle of it.

Whatever’s coming, we need to be ready.

But how do you prepare for a war when you don’t even know who the fuck you’re fighting or their next move, especially when the pieces on the board are invisible?

You can’t.

That’s the answer.

And it is fucking terrifying!

Chapter Four

HAVEN

Consciousness returns in waves, each one slamming into me harder than the last. My eyelids feel like they’re glued shut, requiring herculean effort to pry them open. The harsh industrial lights above send shards of pain straight into my skull.

I’m still on the concrete floor of the meat packing facility, my muscles slow and unresponsive. The metallic scent of blood—Livvy’s blood—fills my nostrils, causing bile to rise in my throat.

Blinking away the blurriness, the room slowly comes into focus. Movement to my right draws my attention. Javier Rojas is pacing, sweeping his arms dramatically as he boasts into a cell phone dramatically. His designer shoes click against the concrete with each step, leaving bloody footprints in their wake.

“Si, si, the delivery has been made,” he chimes, his voice beaming with satisfaction. “By now, Alpha should have received our little…message.”

My stomach drops at his words, reality flooding back—Nighthawk hacking at Livvy’s finger. My eyes clench together as the memory of her screams pierce through me again, causing an uncontrolled shudder.

A soft whimper pulls my attention to the metal table beside me. Livvy lies there, paler than before, her breath coming in shallow gasps, blood dripping to the floor, each drop a reminder that I need to act—and fast.

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