Page 55 of Claimed By The Club
Jen’s eyes widen a fraction, mockery curling her lips. “You barely know how to shoot.”
Knox tries to angle his gun again, but I squeeze the trigger. The recoil knocks me back a step. The bullet catches Jen’s leg rather than her torso, a startled scream tearing from her. She collapses, weapon clattering. My heart hammers, shock numbing my limbs. I shot her. I never wanted it this way, but everything is chaos.
Knox roars, enraged. He rushes me, knocking the gun from my grip. Pain explodes as I crash onto the gravel, the air punched from my lungs. He towers over me, fury etched across his features, fist raised like he’ll smash me. My mind reels. Marian is down, Jen is screaming, and I’m about to be pummeled.
A sudden roar of engines and pounding footsteps flood my senses. I hear Viper’s voice shouting my name, Ghost’s snarl of rage, Frost’s commanding bark. Knox spins, but too late—he’s tackled by Ghost, slammed to the ground with unstoppable force. Viper rushes to me, eyes wild. “Sierra!”
He helps me sit up, checking for injuries. Frost kneels at my other side, scanning me from head to toe, chest heaving with suppressed panic. “Are you hurt?”
My words stumble out. “I’m—okay. Marian—Jen?—”
Viper pivots, calling for help. Members scramble around Jen’s prone form, disarming her, checking the bullet wound in her leg. Marian groans, but she’s conscious, still clutching her side. Frost signals someone to call an ambulance. Ghost wrestles a still-struggling Knox until he’s pinned.
A shuddering exhale leaves me. The men are here. I’m alive. The realization slams into me like a freight train, tears burning my eyes as I cling to Viper. He cradles my face. “You’re safe now.”
I let out a shaky sob, relief and horror tangling in my chest. “Marian’s hurt,” I manage, guilt surging. “She came to help me.”
Frost tears himself away from me to check on Marian, pressing a hand to her wound. “Hold on,” he tells her, voice tight. “We got you.” She nods, wincing. Blood coats her shirt, but her gaze remains fierce.
Knox is subdued under Ghost’s knee, cursing in a broken voice about money and deals. Jen lies on the ground, panting from the gunshot, eyes wild with pain and fury. She tries to reach for her weapon, but a couple of club members drag it out of reach. The surreal scene is lit by harsh sunlight, dust floating in the heated air.
I grip Viper’s shoulder, trembling. He pulls me upright, half-carrying me away from the carnage. Every nerve in my body screams from the intensity of it all—shootouts, betrayals, near-death experiences. My vision blurs at the edges.
Frost and Ghost converge on me, practically forming a protective wall. We stand there, a knot of raw emotion. Ghost’s ash-blond hair is streaked with sweat, eyes scanning my face for injuries. Frost’s breath is ragged, anger and relief mixing in his expression. Viper’s arm remains clamped around my waist. We’re a tangle of hearts battered by violence, yet somehow still standing.
I choke out, “She—Jen—Knox—tried to kill me. Marian saved me. I—” My voice breaks. “I shot Jen.”
Frost’s jaw flexes. “You did what you had to.” His tone gentles as he cups my cheek, wiping away tears. Ghost rests a palm settles on my shoulders in silent support. Viper presses his forehead to mine, voice low, “We got you, Sierra.”
The swirl of everything—gunfire, betrayal, heartbreak—tightens my throat. I realize how close I came to dying, how close I came to killing. The men sense it, each anchoring me in their own way. The moment unravels my fear, letting me cling to them for stability.
Without warning, I surge forward, pressing a shaky kiss to Viper’s mouth. Grief and gratitude blend into an overwhelming need for contact. He kisses me back, gentle but fierce, breath hitching. When I pull away, tears slip down my cheeks. I turn to Ghost, adrenaline still singing, and he doesn’t hesitate. His lips meet mine in a brief, intense exchange that banishes doubt. Finally, Frost steps in, arms folding me against him, mouth claiming me in a desperate, wordless promise. The brutality around us fades for a heartbeat, replaced by a vow that we stand together, no matter how broken the world becomes.
Shouts from the other club members jar us back to reality. An ambulance siren wails in the distance, heading toward the battered depot. Knox is hauled to his feet, hands zip-tied, spitting curses as Ghost grips him. Jen, still wounded, is forced to remain on the ground, clutching her bleeding leg. Someone calls out that Marian’s stable but needs immediate care. The men direct paramedics to load her on a stretcher as soon as they arrive.
Through my tears, I watch them hoist Marian. Her eyes latch on mine. I mouth, “Thank you,” raw gratitude pouring out. She gives a small nod, lips curving in a pained but defiant smile. She saved me. She bled for me. I’ll never forget that.
Frost, Ghost, and Viper hover around me, occasionally glancing at Jen and Knox. Two members keep them under guard. The Reapers’ involvement might fade now that their main funnel is exposed, but we can’t be sure. My ex-partner’s final attempt to exploit me failed, but the cost is a friend wounded and my soul heavy from crossing lines I never wanted to approach.
Paramedics storm the scene, taking charge of Marian and Jen’s injuries. The men direct them, and soon sirens fade, leaving us with the hush of victory tinged with heartbreak. I wipe my face, chest hollow. “Is it over?” I whisper, gazing at Frost.
He lifts his chin. “Jen’s going into custody, same as Knox. We’ll see if she stands trial or if the Reapers come for her. But as far as I’m concerned, she won’t threaten you again.”
Ghost nods, voice solemn. “She lost. Even if she gets out, we’ll be ready.”
Viper draws me closer, pressing a lingering kiss to my temple. “You’re not alone anymore,” he mutters, breath warm against my hair. “We’re in this together.”
I cling to them, tears streaming anew. For so long, I’ve carried the weight of Jen’s betrayal, the Reapers’ threats, the fear that no matter what, I’d be forced to run or lose everything. Now, for the first time, I feel a shred of hope—hope that we’ve closed this chapter.
Around us, the club secures the perimeter, ensuring no stray Reapers lurk. Members gather, some battered and bruised from prior fights, but wearing grim satisfaction at hearing Knox’s confession streamed live. We stand in the desert light, battered but not broken, a living testament to the unorthodox alliance we’ve forged.
I meet Frost’s gaze, sorrow and relief mingling in his eyes. “Thank you,” I whisper, voice trembling with emotion.
He shakes his head, looping an arm around my side. “You saved yourself, Sierra. We just had your back.”
Ghost’s quiet presence flanks me on one side, Viper on the other, Frost guiding me forward. We step away from the chaos—Knox cursing as he’s pushed into a squad car, Jen loaded onto a stretcher for her wound. Each breath I take stings, but it also tastes like freedom from the nightmares that shadowed me since I fled my city life.
It’s not a perfect victory: Marian’s hurt, bullets were fired, old friendships are buried under betrayal. But for now, I have these men beside me, living proof that found family can be stronger than blood ties or business partnerships. I exhale,letting that knowledge bolster me. Because tomorrow, we’ll face the fallout—club politics, legal repercussions, emotional scars. Yet I’m determined that together, we can face whatever storms come, forging a bond as unbreakable as the desert we call home.
