Page 103 of Baby for the Bikers

The north entrance is a standoff when we arrive. Six Vipers with guns trained on Teller’s men, who have them surrounded in turn. At the center stands a bald giant—the same one from the diner—holding a terrified teenage girl in front of him like a shield. Behind them, a black SUV idles, ready for escape.

No sign of Cypher himself. Wounded or not, the snake knows when to slither away.

Rowan steps forward, putting herself between both sides. “Stop!” Her voice carries across the lot, authority ringing in every syllable. “Let her go, Scratch. This isn’t her fight.”

The bald man—Scratch, apparently—hesitates. “Leona?”

“It’s over,” she continues, taking another step forward. “Dad’s wounded. The warehouse is falling. Cut your losses.”

Scratch’s grip on the girl tightens. “Boss says no one leaves until he does.”

“Boss is lying in his own blood upstairs,” Rowan counters. “And half your crew is already down.”

I scan rooftops and shadows as they talk, spotting Ryder on the warehouse’s north corner, rifle ready. Our eyes meet briefly. He has the shot if needed.

The girl—Penny—stares at Rowan with wide eyes. “Leo?” she whispers. “They said you were dead.”

“Not yet,” Rowan says softly. “Let her go, Scratch. Or I swear to god, I’ll put a bullet in your knee like I did to my father.”

Scratch’s eyes widen at that. “You shot Cypher?”

“And I’ll shoot you too if you don’t release my sister in the next five seconds.”

I’ve never seen this side of Rowan—cold and commanding. It’s like watching a different woman step into her skin.

Four Vipers exchange nervous glances. Their loyalty is fracturing without Cypher’s direct presence.

“You heard her,” I add, stepping up beside Rowan. “It’s over. Walk away now, everyone lives.”

“Teller won’t let us just leave,” one Viper argues.

“He will if I tell him to,” I counter. “One-time offer. Take it or join your friends inside.”

Another explosion punctuates my words, the warehouse’s west wall partially collapsing. The distraction is all we need.

Ryder’s shot takes out the back tire of the SUV, eliminating their escape. Simultaneously, Maddox rushes Scratch from the blind side, tackling him away from Penny. I grab the girl, pulling her clear of the fighting as Teller’s men surge forward.

The remaining Vipers, seeing their advantage lost, drop their weapons one by one.

“You okay?” I ask Penny, keeping her behind me as the Black Wolves secure the surrendering men.

She nods, shell-shocked but unharmed. “Where’s my dad?”

Before I can answer, a shot rings out from the tree line beyond the lot. I spin, pushing Penny down.

Cypher emerges from the shadows, limping but upright, gun raised. Blood soaks his pant leg where Rowan shot him, but determination burns in his eyes.

“Leona!” he shouts. “Get in the truck. Now!”

For a heartbeat, the entire scene freezes. Rowan stands in the open.

“No.” The word is simple but definitive. “It’s over, Dad.”

“It’s never over,” he snarls, adjusting his aim toward me. “Not while they live.”

“Drop it, Cypher.” Rose’s voice cuts through the tension as she steps from the shadows behind him, gun pressed to the back of his head. “Game’s done.”

Cypher stiffens but doesn’t lower his weapon. “FBI bitch. Should’ve known you’d show up.”

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