My gut twisted. I had too many fires to put out, and no idea which one would burn me first.
We boarded the small plane, and as soon as we were in the air, I got the call from Cole. He had already arranged for a private jet to be waiting in the U.S. The transition would be seamless—land, get Luke to the hospital, and get the hell home, but nothing about this felt like a victory.
By the time we landed on U.S. soil, the ambulance was already waiting. The second the plane doors opened, EMTs rushed forward, loading Luke onto a stretcher.
I stepped off last, my boots hitting the pavement with a heavy thud.
Cole was waiting. The detective gave me a onceover, eyes sharp. “You look like shit.”
“Feels about right,” I muttered.
We watched as the medics secured Luke in the ambulance.
“He’s under police protection,” Cole said. “Not custody. You have my word.”
I gave a tight nod.
“Tank’s staying with him,” I said. “He won’t be alone.”
Cole sighed, running a hand over his jaw. “We need to talk soon.”
I knew what he meant. The deal we’d made—deliver The Ghost. But now wasn’t the time. “Not today.”
Cole studied me for a moment, then nodded his agreement.
Riot stepped up next to me his arm slung protectively around Raven, who was struggling to hold herself together.
“This is where we part ways,” he said.
I met his gaze. “You sure?”
“I need to get her home. To Montana. She needs time to heal.”
I glanced at Raven, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes, her face pale.
“You haven’t seen the last of me, though,” Riot added. “If you’ll still have me after what I did.”
I didn’t hesitate. “You were protecting your sister. You’ll always have a place, brother.”
He gave me a jerky nod, gripping my forearm. “Thank you. For everything.”
I held on tight for just a second before letting go. Riot turned, leading Raven away.
Tank climbed into the ambulance, giving me a final look before they drove off, and I exhaled, feeling the weight of everything settle deep in my chest.
“Time to go home,” Jax said, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
I turned to find Emmy standing by the jet, still hugging herself, still quiet. She hadn’t even asked about Luke. She should have been pushing to stay with him. That told me how off she was in the head.
Home.
Yeah. It was time.
Without another word, I led my crew on to the plane.
Emmy
The roar of the private jet’s engines dulled to a whine as we touched down on home soil, but I was too numb to care. Floating. Existing. Everything felt removed, like I was watching my life happen from the outside.