TRAITOR

  Iron Vultures MC #1

  Himera Ink

  Copyright © 2025 by Himera Ink

  Published by Himera Ink

  Contact: inkashesink@gmail.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This work may not be used, in whole or in part, for the training, development, or fine-tuning of artificial intelligence systems (AI), language models, or machine learning algorithms without the express written permission of the author and copyright holder.

  Book cover:

  Graphic design & concept: Himera Ink

  Artwork by: Alan Syah

  For permissions or inquiries, please contact: inkashesink@gmail.com

  Disclaimer

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

  This book contains fictional depictions of violence, torture, murder, poison, and other criminal or illegal activities for dramatic purposes only. These depictions are not meant to be instructional or to be used as real-life advice, guidance, or reference.

  The author does not condone or promote any harmful behavior described in this book. Any methods portrayed — particularly involving harm, coercion, or illegal acts — should under no circumstances be imitated, replicated, or attempted.

  Reader discretion is advised.

  Note from the author

  Hi! Hello!

  If you stopped at this page, then you’re probably curious about me.

  The author!

  Which is honestly surreal because… who would want to know stuff about me?

  At the start of 2025, I wasn’t even an author.

  I wrote silly stories just for myself. I kept them hidden — even from my closest friends. Even from my family. *whisper* Even from my husband. *end of whisper*

  Then, at the end of one fateful day in February, I was overwhelmed with my day job. Fed up. I just wanted to pour a piece of myself — a real one — into the void. That’s how the first chapters of this book landed into the world.

  And — to my surprise — people read them. Wanted more. That’s how, from a barely-there draft, this story turned into a full book.

  My first book.

  And I’m proud of it. Prouder than I’ve ever been in my entire life. So proud, I actually cried like a little baby when I typed the last words of the epilogue.

  In the end, I decided to grab life by the balls and twist them painfully. Which means I chose to embrace this amazing writing journey and truly call myself an author. And start publishing for real. While also keeping my day job. Because I need to eat, unfortunately.

  This book is the first one in the Iron Vultures MC series. But it is a standalone! Each book will deal with a different couple.

  So… What can you expect from Traitor?

  Heartbreak, angst, rage, murder, chaos, dark humor and love.

  But mostly, deep betrayal, over-the-top revenge, grovel and a hero who doesn’t know when to give up — until he does.

  While it may make you laugh at times, this is not a soft story.

  It’s blood and grit and broken teeth.

  It’s love forged in fire — ugly, brutal, and dark.

  It’s the kind of story where healing doesn’t come with flowers. It comes with scars. With trust earned through spilled blood.

  WARNING: This book is not for readers who like clean-cut romance.

  It’s messy, dark, and it will probably leave you with a “what the fuck did I just read” feeling by the end. But it does have a HEA. Because real life sucks enough.

  My heroine doesn’t like being the bigger person.

  You’ve probably read the phrase “a heroine who gives as good as she gets” a thousand times before. Well, Ely really does. Wound by wound. Word by word.

  From my experience, the anger of women has long been avoided in fiction — except for a few notable exceptions. We’re expected to be gentle. Forgiving. Fight in the shadows.

  But women are human. And we get angry. It’s just the truth.

  Ely is the embodiment of the anger of every woman who’s ever been told to “get over it.”

  And my hero? He doesn’t shy away from accepting whatever revenge Ely wants — no matter how brutal — just because he thinks it’ll make him look less like a man.

  He will make you rage. It’ll take him a long time to realize what the heroine truly needs from him.

  But if he weren’t stubborn?

  He’d never get a second chance.

  Please be aware that it’s just me behind this whole mess. No one else.

  I don’t have editors, publishers, or a team of professionals helping with edits or checking for spelling errors, typos, or continuity.

  It’s just little ol’ me.

  And yes, I’m terrified I missed a plot hole… or worse: completely messed up the timeline.

  I honestly have no idea how to end this.

  Is this a Preface? An Author’s Note? A ramble from a very overwhelmed writer?

  The answer is yes. Probably.

  What I do know is this: I’m still in shock that I’m typing these words right now in preparation for actually — truly — publishing my first book.

  In the end, I just want to say a HUGE “thank you” to author Bakul Sharma, who wrote the blurb for the print version of this book and also guided me through this painful self-publishing journey. Girl, I’m sorry, but I definitely chose the lazy road!

  Bakul Sharma is an amazing author, and if you get the chance, check out her Squad Six Series. It’s action-packed and full of idiot alpha males running wild everywhere!

  Happy reading!

  And if you don’t like this book, don’t come at me with a pitchfork! Your weapon is your review.

  I’m always happy to receive messages and talk to readers. You can contact me at inkashesink@gmail.com. Or on social media, where I'm known as simply himeraink.

  —The Author — Reigning Queen of the Macarena (if you know, you know!)

  "Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet."

  This is my favorite quote.

  Because it means nothing.

  Because it can mean anything.

  Because it can mean everything.

  They’re filler words — used by designers to fill text boxes on materials they work on when they don’t have the final copy.

  And yet, they hold possibility.

  Following just one path in life and refusing to try anything new means putting limits on what you can do.

  But you can do anything. And you can do everything.

  It takes work. Sweat. Tears. Strength you might feel you don’t have.

  But if you can dream it — if you can think it — then it can be yours.

  !

  No, don’t be silly.

  I’m not talking about dreaming a million dollars and money falling from the sky into your lap.

  But if a million dollars is your dream?

  You shouldn’t stop working for it just because the world says it’s hard to get.

  Dream.

  Learn.

  Work.

  And reach for it.

  WARNING!

  This book is not for readers who prefer light romance or morally clear-cut characters. This is a dark romance. Traitor explores moral grayness (blackness, too), obsession, pain, and redemption in a world where love is both a weapon and a salvation. You should proceed with caution if you are sensitive to any of the below topics.

  Graphic violence — Includes detailed depictions of physical violence.

  SA — References to past sexual violence, captivity, and trauma.

  Betrayal & psychological trauma — Heavy themes of emotional and psychological manipulation, betrayal by loved ones, and PTSD.

  Revenge & vigilante justice — Characters engage in acts of retribution, including torture and murder, as a form of justice.

  Male humiliation — Scenes that involve physical and psychological humiliation of main male characters, including acts of revenge.

  Mental health struggles — Depictions of trauma responses, dissociation, rage, grief, self-loathing, and emotional breakdowns.

  Strong language & Dark humor — Extensive use of profanity, crude jokes, and dark, sarcastic humor.

  Heavy substance use — Characters engage in excessive drinking as a coping mechanism.

  Explicit sexual content — There's sex. Explicit sex.

  Depictions of cult & religious fanaticism — Includes mentions of cult-like beliefs, extremist ideologies, and ritualistic violence.

  Suicidal ideation & Self-destruction — Mentions of characters struggling with self-worth, guilt, and the weight of their actions.

&

nbsp; If these don't turn you away, have fun!

  Glossary

  Brother – A member who has earned the right to wear the full set of club patches and is officially accepted into the club.

  Cage – A car. Anything that’s not a bike.

  Chapter/Charter – A specific location or branch of the MC. Big clubs have multiple Chapters across different cities or states.

  Church – A mandatory club meeting. Decisions are made here, votes are cast, and issues are laid bare.

  Club Business – Any situation involving loyalty, deals, threats, or money. Not to be discussed with outsiders, not even with the women closely associated with the club.

  Club Girl – A woman who is free to sleep with multiple members of the MC. She’s not tied to any one biker and holds no official position.

  Clubhouse – The main hangout or base of operations for the MC.

  Cut – The leather vest worn by members, usually with patches identifying the MC’s name, territory, and position.

  Enforcer – A member who handles violent club business.

  MC (Motorcycle Club) – A brotherhood of bikers who live by their own rules. Organized in a hierarchy with strict codes of loyalty and respect.

  Nomad – A club member who isn’t tied to one Chapter and often moves from one place to another, doing the club’s dirty work or helping out wherever needed.

  Ol’ Lady – The official girlfriend, fiancée, or wife of a biker.

  Ol’ Man – The biker who has an Ol’ Lady.

  Patch / Colors – The club insignia.

  Patch In – The ceremony or process of officially becoming a full member of the club.

  President – The head of the club. He makes the big calls and carries the weight of the club on his shoulders.

  Prospect – A man who’s trying to earn his patch and be voted into the club. He does grunt work, takes orders from full-patch members, and is constantly being tested.

  Rat – A snitch. The worst thing you can be in MC culture. Often handled with extreme force.

  Road Captain – The member in charge of planning rides and ensuring safety during club runs.

  Run – A planned ride or road trip, usually for club business or a meet-up with another chapter.

  SAA (Sergeant at Arms) – Handles discipline and club security.

  VP (Vice President) – Second in command. Often the President’s closest ally.

  I dedicate this to my husband.

  Maybe one day I’ll finally let him read this book.

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Haunted

  2. Bones

  3. Snake

  4. Loyal

  5. Devil

  6. Hell

  7. Dead

  8. Abandoned

  9. Ghost

  10. Scarred

  11. Life

  12. Fallout

  13. Reckoning

  14. Breaking

  15. Trap

  16. Served

  17. Fury

  18. Surrender

  19. Marked

  20. Vampire

  21. Invasion

  22. Luca

  23. Ballerina

  24. Plums

  25. Belladonna

  26. Paint

  27. Death

  28. Funeral

  29. Panic

  30. History

  31. Silk

  32. Wings

  Dates

  33. Home

  34. Judge

  35. Slick

  36. Nemesis

  37. Future

  Epilogue #1

  Epilogue #2

  Bonus Scene #1

  Bonus Scene #2

  Next in the series

  Prologue

  Ely

  The moment they drag me into the tattoo chair, I know my life is over.

  Bones stands in front of me, arms crossed, his face carved from ice as he watches the brothers restrain me. Tank, Joker, and Reaper, three men I once called friends, now hold me down like a rabid animal while the club's tattoo artist preps the machine.

  The cold steel presses against my back, the weight of Tank's hands pinning my shoulders down. My body fights against him, but it's no use. Joker grips my wrist, slamming it onto the armrest, his fingers biting into my skin like a vice. My other hand is trapped beneath Reaper's knee, immobilized.

  They are too strong. Too many.

  This is happening.

  Oh, God, this is happening.

  I thrash. Scream. Beg.

  "Bones, please," I cry, my voice shaking. "I didn't do anything! You know me. You know I'd never—"

  "Shut her up," Bones orders.

  Tank slaps a rough, calloused hand over my mouth, muffling my sobs. My legs kick helplessly against the brothers' grips. A sharp buzz fills the room, the unmistakable sound of the tattoo gun coming to life. The air thickens with the acrid scent of ink and antiseptic, but it's overpowered by the sweat on my skin, the sharp tang of fear in my breath.

  "Do it," Bones says.

  His voice is dead. Cold. Final.

  The needle meets my skin, and the pain is instant. A searing burn rips through my forearm as the artist drags ink into my flesh, over and over, the vibrations rattling my bones. I arch against the chair, agony tearing through me, but no one stops.

  My body jerks, my legs kicking, but Reaper's knee drives harder into my thigh, pinning me in place. Tank's grip tightens on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my flesh. I don't care. I don't fucking care. I can't let this happen.

  The buzzing doesn't stop. The needle keeps dragging across my arm, digging, slicing.

  I feel every stroke, every letter as it's seared into my skin.

  T

  R

  A

  I

  T

  O

  R

  Each letter burns into me, scorching deep into my soul.

  A broken whimper escapes my lips as the tattoo gun keeps going. My body trembles violently, my arm throbbing beneath the weight of the fresh, bleeding ink.

  The word brands me, marks me, and the truth of it hurts deeper than the ink itself.

  They don't believe me.

  Bones doesn't believe me.

  A choked sob escapes my throat, muffled beneath Tank's hand. Tears blur my vision, but I keep looking at the man who once promised to protect me.

  I find nothing in his eyes.

  Not the man who pulled me into his bed eight months ago. Not the man who whispered in my ear that I was his, that he'd never let anything happen to me. Not the man who made me his Ol' Lady, who pressed his lips to my forehead in the dark, who kissed me with a hunger that once convinced me I was safe.

  That man is dead.

  Or maybe he was never real at all.

  The buzzing stops, and I barely register it. My body is shaking, my pulse a ragged mess beneath my skin.

  "Let her up," Bones says.

  Tank rips his hand away from my mouth, and I gulp in air like I've been drowning. The moment my arms are freed, I yank away and stumble to my feet, my legs weak, my body betraying me.

  I force myself to look at him.

  The man who did this to me.

  His expression is pure stone. His leather cut hangs from his shoulders like a second skin, patches glinting in the dim light. Iron Vultures MC – President.