Page 77 of Emmy's Ride

We hadn’t spoken in weeks, but I knew my old friend didn’t call without a damn good reason. I answered with a gruff, “Now’s not the time, Cole.”

He didn’t waste a second. “I know where you’re going. And I know why.”

Of course, Cole knew. The man always had his ear to the ground. “If you’re calling to talk me out of it, don’t bother.”

He exhaled, the sound full of frustration. “I wouldn’t waste my breath on that. You’re already in the air, which means nothing short of hell itself is stopping you. But listen to me, brother—there’s a way to play this smart.”

I pushed to my feet, pacing the length of the cabin as the others glanced my way. My men knew better than to interrupt, but their curiosity was palpable. “I don’t have time for a lecture,” I muttered.

“This isn’t a lecture,” he shot back. “It’s an opportunity.”

I didn’t speak, but I didn’t hang up either.

“The Ghost has been on our radar for years,” Cole continued. “He slips through our fingers every damn time. The feds want him bad, but they can’t touch him outside U.S. borders. Me? I’m not a fed. I can work outside the lines, just like you.”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “Since when do cops work outside the lines?”

“Since they have friends willing to get their hands dirty.”

That had me pausing.

Cole took advantage of the silence and pressed on. “You want Emmy back. I get it. But while you’re at it, bring The Ghost in. Alive. We nail his ass to the wall, and in return, we help your club transition into what you’re trying to build. No more whispers of outlaw ties, no more roadblocks when it comes to going clean. You get official cooperation, a working relationship with the department for jobs that toe the legal line but don’t cross it.”

I rolled my shoulders, glancing at Jax, who was still focused on the laptop, tracking flights and movement on the dark web.

I had to admit, it wasn’t a bad deal.

“You’re asking me to keep that bastard breathing,” I muttered. The thought of The Ghost still walking, still alive after what he’d done to Emmy made my blood boil.

“I’m asking you to think about your future,” Cole corrected. “I know you, Austin. I know the kind of man you’re trying to be. Revenge is easy, but this? This is playing the long game. Take him out now and, yeah, you get your vengeance. But bring him in? That’s a legacy move. That changes everything.”

I exhaled slowly, gripping the back of a seat, my mind spinning.

“I’m not saying it’s an easy choice,” Cole added. “But it’s the smart one.”

Smart didn’t always mean satisfying. But for Emmy—for my club—maybe it was worth considering.

“I’ll think about it,” I said at last.

“That’s all I ask. And one more thing. Crow is off the hook for the murder. There was an eyewitness who marked him off the list. We’re still looking for the killer.”

The call ended, but the conversation lingered. At least something was going our way. Getting Crow cleared could have been dicey. I stared out the window, the darkness stretching endlessly before me. I had a war to fight, a woman to save—but now I also had a decision to make.

“Bad news?” Jax asked.

I slipped the phone back in my pocket. “Depends on how you look at it.”

Could I let that fucking bastard live? That was the real question.

The villa loomed in the distance, bathed in the eerie glow of floodlights. I crouched low, hidden within the thick brush at the perimeter of the property. My earpiece crackled as Tank’s voice came through.

“Perimeter guards are in position. Three-man rotation on the east side, two at the south tunnel entrance. Cameras are still live.”

My jaw clenched. “Jax?”

“Almost there. Give me fifteen seconds.”

I gripped my suppressed pistol in one hand and my knife in the other, my heart hammering. My mind kept replaying the last thing I saw on that live feed—her tear-streaked face, the forced pleasure, the humiliation.

---