Page 32 of King's Claim
Viper and Rage flanked King as they moved in, boots crunching gravel.Two Serpents lounged at the front door, smoking, half-drunk.They barely had time to blink before King’s men were on them.
One went down with a blade in his gut, the other’s skull cracked against the brick wall.No hesitation and no wasted time.
King shoved the door open.The smell of beer, sweat, and smoke hit him first.Then the shouts, laughter, pool balls clacking.The Serpents hadn’t noticed yet, too busy drowning in their own filth.
King stepped inside, pistol raised.“Devil’s Crown.”
The room froze.For one long heartbeat, silence hung heavy.Then chaos erupted.A chair flew.A bottle shattered.A gunshot rang out, the bullet whining past King’s ear.
“Get down!”Viper barked, diving behind a pool table.
King’s MC brothers spread out, unleashing hell.King moved like a storm, every motion precise, fueled by rage.A Serpent lunged at him with a broken bottle.
King slammed his elbow into the man’s face, sending teeth flying, then drove his knife into his ribs.Another came at him with a bat.
King blocked the swing with his forearm, pain sparking, then put a bullet between the man’s eyes.The clubhouse exploded into carnage.Fists, blades, gunfire.
Men screamed, bodies crashed against tables, beer and blood slicking the floor.King only saw one face.Riker.
The bastard was across the room, dragging Lena by the arm.Her hair was mussed, her face bruised, eyes wide with terror, but she was alive.
“King!”she cried, her voice hoarse.
Riker yanked her closer, pressing a pistol to her temple.
“Back the fuck off!”he bellowed over the chaos.“Or I’ll blow her head off right here!”
King’s blood turned molten.Every instinct screamed to rush forward, to tear the bastard apart, but he forced himself still.His gun stayed leveled, steady as stone.
“Let her go,” King said, voice flat and dangerous.
Riker sneered, spit flying.“You think you run this town?You think you can take what’s mine?”He dug the gun harder against Lena’s skin.
She winced, but her eyes locked on King’s, desperate and trusting.
“She’s not yours,” King growled.“She was never yours.And if you hurt her—”
“What?”Riker cut him off with a laugh.“You’ll kill me?You’ll do it anyway.”He jerked Lena toward the back door, trying to shield himself with her.“You want her back?Come and take her.”
King’s patience snapped.He surged forward, faster than Riker expected.Riker moved his gun towards King.Riker fired, the bullet grazing King’s shoulder, but King didn’t stop.
He slammed into Riker with bone-crunching force, knocking Lena free.She stumbled aside, collapsing against a table as Rage dragged her to cover.
Riker and King hit the floor hard.The pistol skittered away, lost under the chaos.They grappled, fists flying, raw hatred spilling out in every blow.
Riker slammed a punch into King’s jaw, splitting his lip.King answered with a headbutt, blood spraying.They rolled, trading hits, neither giving ground.
“You’re nothing!”Riker spat, shoving King’s face into the floorboards.“A washed-up old man hiding behind his patch!”
King roared, twisting, driving his knee into Riker’s gut.He flipped them, straddling the bastard, and slammed his fist into his face again and again until bone cracked under his knuckles.
“Die, you bastard,” King snarled, each word punctuated with another blow.
Riker spat blood in his face, laughing even through broken teeth.“She’ll never look at you like anything but a monster.”
King’s rage burned white-hot.He drew his knife and plunged it into Riker’s chest.The Serpent’s laugh turned into a choking gasp.His eyes went wide, then glassy, his body sagging lifeless beneath King.
Silence pressed in for a moment, the sounds of battle fading as the Serpents realized their leader was gone.Those still standing faltered, some dropping weapons, others bolting for the doors.King’s MC brothers pressed the advantage, driving them out like rats scattering from fire.
