Page 88 of Emmy's Ride

The Ghost’s men were everywhere now. I fired, dropping two cartel thugs as they burst through a doorway.

The jungle was close. We just had to reach it.

From behind me, an explosion rocked the building. Heat and dust filled the air as part of the compound collapsed. I turnedjust in time to see The Ghost disappearing into the smoke. Son of a bitch. But there was no time to chase him.

“We’re getting out of here,” I swore.

And then we ran.

The night was a blur of gunshots and shadows, the jungle swallowing our retreat like a beast with its jaws stretched wide. The compound was in chaos behind us, the distant echoes of shouts and shots fired bouncing through the trees. But I had no time to think about The Ghost slipping through my fingers—not when Luke was barely standing, not when Raven was clinging to Riot like she was afraid to breathe without him.

Jax’s voice crackled in my earpiece. “Austin, where the hell are you? We’ve got movement—southwest, closing fast.”

“We’re coming,” I growled, tightening my grip on Luke. “Be ready.”

We stumbled through the thick underbrush, guided by the small lights Jax had set up to mark our path. My heart was a hammer in my chest, every second stretching too long, every sound a possible ambush. Finally… a clearing.

Jax stood by the trucks, rifle raised, eyes sharp. And, beside him, Emmy.

I barely had time to register the look on her face before there was movement. The man I’d seen on the live feed with Emmy. Javier.

The bastard stepped out of the jungle like a goddamn apparition, flanked by three of his men. His grin was a disgusting, cruel thing, his dark eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

“Hello,querida,” he said with a smug grin. “If it isn’t the best mouth I’ve ever had suck my dick.”

My rifle was already up. So were Tank’s and Riot’s. Javier wasn’t fazed.

“You got your boy,” Javier continued, nodding toward Luke. “But you’re leaving a hell of a mess behind. You really think The Ghost is gonna let you walk away?”

I took a step forward, ready to end this. I hadn’t even begun to squeeze the trigger when there was a flash of motion beside me.

Emmy reached for my Glock. Before I could stop her, she yanked the weapon from my belt, stepped forward, and fired.

The shot was deafening.

Javier’s body jerked back, his expression frozen in shock. Then he crumpled, his blood soaking the jungle floor. My guys quickly took care of the rest of the men. And then… silence.

I seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

Emmy stood stock-still, her hands steady but her eyes… her eyes were blank. Emotionless. Her fingers trembled, but she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t react. I wondered if she’d checked out and wasn’t really there.

I moved fast, prying the gun from her fingers, tucking it back into my holster. “Emmy.”

Nothing. Not even a blink.

“Emmy,” I tried again softening my tone trying to get through the layers of confusion gripping her brain.

Still nothing.

Her breathing was shallow, her chest rising and falling like she wasn’t even aware of it. Like she was somewhere else entirely. She was in shock.

I swallowed hard, pressing my hands to her cheeks. Forcing her eyes to mine. “Baby, we gotta go.”

She blinked, but her expression didn’t change.

Jax looked between us, worry flashing in his eyes. “Austin, we don’t have time for this.”

He was right. The jungle wasn’t safe. The Ghost’s men would be coming.

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