Page 82 of Rook
Stone took his seat at the head of the table. Rook dropped into the chair to his right — VP position. Grim, Ledger, Havoc, Fish, and the rest of the patched members filled in around them. Fish didn’t say a word, just watched Rook with that steady, unreadable gaze that always seemed to see more than anyone else in the room.
Stone didn’t waste time. “Reapers crossed a line,” he said. “And they did it on purpose.”
Rook’s jaw flexed. “They didn’t just cross a line. They pushed into our county and went straight for her door. That’s not random. That’s a message.”
Stone nodded. “Exactly.”
Ledger slid a stack of printed photos onto the table. “We pulled the camera footage from thebakery. Two Reapers. Masks. Hoodies. But we got their bikes.”
He tapped the images; two grainy shots of motorcycles parked in the alley.
“Plates are fake,” Ledger continued. “But the bikes aren’t. One’s a custom build out of Birmingham. The other’s registered to a known Reaper associate.”
Grim cracked his knuckles. “So we hunt.”
Stone held up a hand. “We don’t go in blind.”
Rook leaned forward. “Then let’s get eyes on their clubhouse.”
Havoc grinned. “I volunteer.”
Stone shook his head. “Too obvious. They know our faces.”
Ledger cleared his throat. “I’ve been tracking their movement patterns. They’ve been circling the county line for weeks. Small hits. Testing boundaries. But yesterday? That was a message.”
Rook’s voice dropped. “It was a threat.”
Stone met his eyes. “At you.”
Rook didn’t flinch. “Through her.”
The room went quiet.
Grim spoke first. “They think she’s a weakness.”
Rook’s hands curled into fists. “She’s not.”
Fish finally spoke, voice low but certain. “Then we make sure they learn that fast.”
Ledger tapped the map projected on the wall. “We’ve identified three Reaper hangouts. One bar. One warehouse. One abandoned mill they’ve been using for meets.”
Havoc leaned back. “So we hit all three.”
Stone shook his head. “Not yet. We need intel. We need leverage. We need to know why they’re pushing into our territory now.”
Rook’s voice was low, dangerous. “Because they saw me with her.”
Stone didn’t deny it.
“They’re trying to get under your skin,” he said. “Trying to make you reckless.”
Rook’s jaw tightened. “It’s working.”
Havoc smirked. “Good. Reckless Rook is fun.”
Stone shot him a look. “We’re not burning down half the county.”
Havoc muttered, “Yet.”
