Page 39 of Emmy's Ride

Austin had never been a man who spoke lightly. When he said something, he meant it. But this—this was his whole world. How could he even consider…

My head spun.

He leaned in, brushing his lips over mine in a slow, lingering kiss before stepping back. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice softer now, but still firm. “You’re coming back with me.”

This time, I didn’t argue.

The drive back to the compound was heavy with unspoken words. I stared out the window, my mind a tangle of emotions, while Austin gripped the wheel, his knuckles taut.

When we pulled up to the clubhouse, he cut the engine but didn’t move right away. He turned to me, reaching out to tilt my chin up.

“You’re mine, Emmy,” he murmured, brushing his lips against mine. “You always have been. And you always will be.”

Then he kissed me, deep and consuming, a promise in every stroke of his tongue. By the time he pulled back, I was breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He opened the door and helped me out, leading me toward his room without another word.

I knew I was in trouble.

Because hope—that dangerous, soul-consuming hope I had been trying so hard to ignore—was threatening to take hold once again.

Austin

I sat at the head of the table in the Kings’ war room, fingers steepled, eyes locked on the stack of intel that had just been dumped in front of me. The Ghost. The damn bastard had been a whisper in the shadows for too long, but now? Now, we had confirmation he was pulling strings, manipulating our world in ways that couldn’t be ignored.

Why? What was his purpose? His endgame? Yeah, the Kings had done shit to people. Bad shit. Some was deserved, and some was probably in a gray area. Not since my father’s reign had there been a gross misuse of power. It was possible someonecould be seeking revenge for something my old man did back in the day.

Another question that was worrying me was if Luke’s disappearance and The Ghost were in some way tied together. Was Luke working with the devil?

Tank leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his broad chest. “This ain’t just some rival crew making moves, Prez. The Ghost is tying up loose ends, and I don’t think we wanna be on that list.”

I exhaled through my nose, the reality of the situation hitting me in the face. “What’s the angle?”

“Money. Power. Same as always,” Diesel muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. “Only difference is, this son of a bitch plays a long game. I’d say he’s been setting up moves for years, and we just now started seeing the ripples.”

Jax, sitting to my right, tapped the table. “The underground fights? That wasn’t just some random lead. Ghost’s name came up more than once. Word is, he’s using them as a front—laundering money, maybe something bigger.”

I already knew it wasn’t just about the fights. It was about Luke. Emmy’s goddamn brother was tangled up in all this, and that meant she was too.

As if the thought summoned her, my phone buzzed with a message.

We need to talk. I found something.

I stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. “We’re done here for now. Keep digging. Find out what The Ghost’s endgame is.”

Tank frowned. “What about Emmy? She’s gonna keep poking the bear.”

My expression darkened. “She doesn’t have a damn choice, or I’ll lock her up.”

The drive to Emmy’s office gave me time to think, and I didn’t like where my thoughts were going. It wasn’t like Luke to go behind his brothers’ backs and work with a snake. That led me to think there was more to his disappearance.

When I got to the office, I dismissed Eagle, the brother I’d assigned to be Emmy’s keeper for the day. I’d take over now.

Emmy was pacing when I walked into her office. The moment she saw me, she thrust a file into my hands, eyes blazing.

“Here,” she said, voice tight. “It’s about Luke.”

I took the file but didn’t open it. “You should leave this alone, Em.”

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