Chapter 10: The Traitor's Confession

EMILIA POV

The desert highway trembled beneath the roar of nearly thirty motorcycles.

Dust clouds stretched behind the Iron Serpents as they raced toward the western border of their territory.

Ryan Thompson had been family for fifteen years.

He had celebrated birthdays with us.

He had stood beside my father through every club war.

Now we were chasing him like a criminal.

I rode behind Ghost, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Neither of us spoke.

The GPS signal blinked on the small tracker attached to Marco's handlebars.

"He's slowing down," Marco called through the radio.

"Old Miller Canyon."

Ghost frowned.

"Dead end."

"He's meeting someone."

Within minutes, the canyon came into view.

Ryan's motorcycle stood abandoned near an old warehouse built into the cliffs.

"Weapons ready," Marco ordered.

"Move carefully."

Everyone dismounted.

Ghost instinctively reached for my hand.

"Stay beside me."

"Always," I whispered.

We entered the warehouse quietly.

The building was empty except for scattered crates and broken machinery.

"Ryan!" Marco shouted.

"Come out!"

Silence.

Then footsteps echoed from the upper level.

"I knew you'd find me."

Ryan stepped into view.

He looked exhausted.

His leather vest was stained with blood.

Not his own.

"Why?" Marco demanded.

"Tell me this isn't true."

Ryan smiled sadly.

"I wish I could."

"Fifteen years," Marco continued.

"Dad trusted you."

"I trusted you."

"You watched Emilia grow up."

"How could you betray us?"

Ryan closed his eyes.

"Because I never had a choice."

"Everyone has a choice," Ghost replied coldly.

"Not when your daughter has a gun pointed at her head."

The room fell silent.

"What?" I whispered.

Ryan reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a faded photograph.

It showed a young girl tied to a chair.

"The Reapers kidnapped my daughter fourteen years ago."

"They promised she'd live if I gave them information."

"Every shipment."

"Every meeting."

"Every weakness."

"You could've told Dad," Marco said quietly.

"Vincent would've helped."

"No."

"The Reapers proved they were serious."

"They mailed me one of my little girl's fingers."

No one spoke.

Even Ghost lowered his weapon slightly.

"I spent fourteen years hoping I'd save her," Ryan continued.

"Every delivery."

"Every betrayal."

"Every lie."

"For nothing."

"She died three years ago."

Tears rolled down Ryan's face.

"They lied from the beginning."

"Then why keep helping them?" I asked.

"Because once you're drowning..."

"You forget how to swim."

Marco looked completely shattered.

"You should've trusted us."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

Suddenly a loud explosion shook the warehouse.

"Incoming!" Ghost shouted.

The back wall exploded inward.

Black SUVs crashed through the debris.

"Black Wolves!"

Gunfire erupted instantly.

Ryan turned toward Marco.

"They're here for Emilia!"

"Get her out!"

"What about you?" Marco shouted.

"I'll hold them off."

"No!"

"Go!" Ryan roared.

"This is the first honest thing I've done in fourteen years."

Ryan picked up an assault rifle and charged toward the attackers.

Ghost grabbed my wrist.

"Move!"

Bullets tore through the warehouse.

Marco reluctantly followed us toward a side exit.

Ryan stood alone in the center of the building, firing continuously.

"For Vincent!" he shouted.

"For the Iron Serpents!"

A barrage of bullets answered him.

Ryan collapsed to the floor.

Marco stopped running.

"Ryan!"

Ghost physically dragged him outside.

"He's gone!"

"We have to leave now!"

The club barely escaped before another explosion brought half the warehouse crashing down.

Everyone regrouped behind the motorcycles.

"Is everyone here?" Marco asked.

"Almost," one member replied.

"Ryan didn't make it."

Silence.

Marco removed his gloves slowly.

"He betrayed us..."

"But in the end..."

"He came home."

Ghost looked toward the burning warehouse.

"The Black Wolves knew exactly where Ryan would be."

"Meaning they were watching him too."

"Which means..."

"Someone else is still feeding them information," Marco finished.

My heart dropped.

"Another traitor?"

Ghost nodded grimly.

"Ryan wasn't the mastermind."

"He was just another pawn."

Before anyone could respond, Ghost's phone vibrated.

He answered immediately.

His expression changed.

"What happened?" Marco asked.

"The clubhouse..."

Ghost lowered the phone slowly.

"It was attacked while we were gone."

"Mama C is missing."

"And the attackers left a message."

"What message?" I whispered.

Ghost looked directly into my eyes.

"Bring Emilia Romano to Black Wolf territory..."

"Or the old woman dies."

The war had become personal.

And for the first time...

I realized the enemy wasn't trying to destroy the Iron Serpents.

They were trying to force me into their hands.