Page 78 of Vengeance

Dante looked almost amused. "You sound protective." He crouched in front of Chloe. "So this is the girl." She glared at him. "I remember you, Chloe." She sat quietly and let him talk. "My son loves you." She refused to answer. "You know—” He smiled. "Love is a weakness."

"No." Vengeance's voice cut through the room. "It was your weakness, and you never loved me."

Dante slowly stood. "What did you say?"

"You couldn't understand why people kept betraying you,” Vengeance said, looking toward Elena. "She did." He looked toward Chloe. “And she will too.”

Vengeance smiled. "You've never inspired loyalty."

"You've only ever inspired fear,” Vengeance spat.

Dante's jaw tightened. "You sound like Savage."

"Thank you,” he breathed, “I’ll take that as a compliment. He was a hundred times the man that you ever were.” Dante pulled back his hand, as though he was going to punch Vengeance, and Chloe screamed for him to stop. A loud engine echoed outside, followed by what sounded like dozens more, and Dante froze. She was sure that they were motorcycles—hundreds of them. The unmistakable thunder rolled through the docks, and Chloe wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.

Dante frowned. "What is that?"

A smile slowly spread across Elena's face. "They're here." The warehouse doors exploded inward as motorcycles poured through the smoke. The Royal Bastards filled the warehouse, and Bowie rode at the front. Dallas clung to the back of his bike, firing at the members of the Black Veil before the motorcycle had even stopped.

"Royal Bastards!" Bowie roared. "Kill every son of a bitch wearing a snake patch!" The warehouse erupted into chaos. Gunfire shattered glass as men fell screaming to the floor. Motorcycles crashed through barricades, and Vengeance tackled the guard holding him. Chloe threw herself sideways, knocking another off balance. Someone sliced the zip ties from her wrists, and she looked up to find her mother—Dallas.

"You okay?" her mom asked.

"I'm good now,” Chloe said.

Dallas shoved a pistol into her hands. "Good, then use this and stay behind me."

"Not happening,” Chloe breathed, “but I’ll fight beside you, Mom.”

Dallas grinned at her. "That's my girl."

The battle spread across the warehouse floor. RoadKill and several Royal Bastards pinned the mercenaries near the loading docks. When Chloe thought for sure that they were outnumbered, more bikes rolled into the warehouse.

“Dragons,” Vengeance shouted over the gunfire.

“We’ve got you, brother,” one of the Dragons shouted. She had heard that a lot of their members were no longer loyal to Dante and what he had done to their club, and now she believed the rumors. They were there to help Vengeance, and with their numbers, she knew that they might just get out of the warehouse alive.

Dragon members fought beside Royal Bastards like brothers. Years of blood feuds vanished beneath a common enemy. Chloe fired twice and watched a man fall, then another. She reached Vengeance just as he disarmed another attacker.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I am now,” she admitted. He kissed her quickly before returning to the fight. She laughed despite everything because only Vengeance would kiss her in the middle of a gun battle.

She looked across the room, and it felt like her entire world stopped. Dante had Bowie in his sights. His pistol rose, and time felt like it slowed down around her. Chloe opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was too far away to help her dad, and all she could do was stand there and watch Dante take another father from her.

“Vengeance,” she screamed. He stopped and looked across the room, but he was too far away to help Bowie. Dante fired his gun, and Chloe held her breath. Elena dove across the room and stepped directly between Bowie and Dante. The round slammed into Elena's chest.

"No!" Vengeance screamed. She staggered as Dante fired again. The second shot tore through her shoulder. Bowie tackled Dante before he could shoot again, and the pistol skidded across the floor. Vengeance ran across the room and caught Elena before she hit the concrete. Blood soaked his hands.

"So much blood—” she breathed.

"Mom,” Vengeance whispered. It was the first time Chloe had ever heard him call her that. Tears filled Elena's eyes.

"I wondered—” She struggled for air. "If I'd ever hear you say it again."

"You aren't dying on me, you hear me?” Vengeance shouted.

She smiled weakly. "You've always been too stubborn for your own good, son."