Chapter 54

On the third night, as I lay there, the sound of a bike grew closer, and I held my breath, listening for any signs of trouble. The door didn't open, but the sound grew louder until it was right outside the window.

I jumped to my feet, my heart in my throat. Peering through the dirty pane, I saw Rook's bike, and I threw the door open, letting the night air wash over me.

He climbed off his bike, his eyes searching the darkness before he saw me. "Mar," he said, his voice rough with emotion.

I rushed over to him, and he wrapped me in his arms, holding me tightly. "I missed you," he murmured into my hair.

I stepped back, my eyes searching his face. "What happened?"

"We've found out who the real rat is," he said, his voice laced with anger.

"Who?" I gasped.

"Not now," he said, his hand on my arm, steering me back inside. "We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up."

The drama unfolded quickly after that. We packed up what little I had left and left the safe house behind, the engine of Rook’s bike roaring to life as we sped away from the place that had been my temporary refuge.

As we rode into the night, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. The Raven’s were in chaos, and we were on the run from both the cops and the traitor.

~~

After riding all night, we arrived at a small, secluded cabin, and Rook led me inside. The place was stocked with supplies, and he had even brought a few of my personal belongings from my apartment.

"We'll be safe here for a while," he said, his eyes dark and tired.

I nodded, knowing that this was just the beginning of a battle that would test us all.

The tension between us was thick, the air crackling with the weight of what we were about to do. "You need to know everything," Rook said, his voice low.

"Tell me," I urged, my heart racing.

He took a deep breath. "It's one of the patched members," he revealed. "Someone we never would've suspected."

I knew the betrayal cut deep for Rook. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to lure him out," Rook said, his eyes hard. "And when we do, we're going to make him talk."

I could feel the rage in him, the need for justice, and I knew that I had to be strong for him. "I'm with you," I said, my voice steady.

He nodded, his eyes meeting mine. "I know."

And with that, we set our plan into motion, the wheels turning as we prepared to face the traitor and bring him to account for his treachery. 

The next day, we waited, the silence in the cabin almost deafening. We had set a trap, and now we just had to wait for the rat to take the bait. Rook had gone over the plan a hundred times, making sure I knew what to do if things went south.

As the sun began to set, the tension in the cabin grew. Rook paced back and forth, his hand resting on the gun tucked into his waistband. He kept looking at the clock, the minutes ticking by like hours.

"They'll come," I said, trying to ease his nerves.

He nodded, but the worry lines on his forehead remained. "They have to," he murmured.

Suddenly, the quiet was shattered by the sound of tires on gravel. We both froze, our eyes locked on the door. The sound grew louder, and then stopped.

Rook moved to the window, peering outside. "It's them," he confirmed, his voice tight.

I took a deep breath and nodded, my heart hammering in my chest. This was it. The moment of truth.

The door flew open, and the traitor, a man named Snake, stumbled in, his hands bound behind his back. The look on his face was one of pure terror as he saw Rook standing there, a gun in his hand.

"Rook, please," he begged, his eyes darting around the room.

"Start talking," Rook said, his voice cold and hard.

Snake's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he stuttered.

Rook stepped closer, his hand tightening on the gun. "Don't play games with me," he warned.

Snake's eyes grew wide. "Okay, okay," he gasped. "It was for the money. They promised me enough to set me up for life."

"Who?" I demanded.

He swallowed hard. "The Sons of Morning Star.” "They've been watching us, waiting for the right moment to take us down."

His words hit me like a punch in the gut. My brother was doing this? Why?

"How long?" Rook ground out.

"Months," Snake said, his voice shaking. "They said if I didn't cooperate, they'd go after my family."

I could see the rage building in Rook's eyes, the betrayal he felt. This was a man who had been his brother, someone he had trusted with his life.

"Where are they now?" he asked, his voice steady.

Snake's eyes darted about, and he licked his lips nervously. "They're... they're waiting for my signal."

Rook's fist connected with Snake's face, the sound echoing through the cabin. "You're not going anywhere," he growled.

Snake spit out a mouthful of blood. "You can't trust anyone," he sneered. "Not even each other."

The words hung in the air, a challenge.

Rook pulled out his phone and began to dial. "We're going to end this," he said, his voice like steel. "And when we do, you're going to pay for what you've done."

As the call connected, the sound of motorcycles grew louder outside, the rival club closing in. 

Rook’s voice was calm and deadly over the phone. "You members are surrounded," he said into the receiver. "You can either call them off, or we'll bring the fight to you."

Through the window, I could see the headlights of the bikes, circling like vultures waiting for their prey. My heart hammered in my chest, but I couldn’t let fear take over.

"You're bluffing," Snake sneered, his voice shaking.

Rook smirked, his grip on the gun not wavering. "Am I?" he asked, cocking the hammer. "You're the one who's about to be a dead man walking."

The silence on the other end of the line was telling. They were buying time, trying to figure out their next move.

With a nod to me, Rook turned his back on Snake, his eyes focused on the door. I knew what he was telling me without words—it was time to go.

"Rook," I whispered, my voice tight.

He met my gaze, his eyes full of regret. "I'll find you," he promised, "But right now, you have to go."