Page 10

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 someone could 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.”

Her nostrils flared. “Like hell I will.”

I gritted my teeth. “I mean it, Emmy. If Luke was caught up in something illegal, then?—”

“Then what?” she snapped. “I pretend he doesn’t exist? I stop looking for him? He’s my brother, Austin.”

I knew damn well there was no talking her down when she got like this. “What did you find?”

Her lips pressed into a tight line, but she nodded toward the file. “Bank records. Luke’s account had a sudden influx of cash in the months before he disappeared. Large deposits, way beyond what he made from the gym.”

I opened the folder and didn’t like what I saw. It was an in-depth dig into Luke’s finances. “Where the hell did you get all this?”

“I know a guy. Okay, so I didn’t know him until my friend Maya introduced me. He did some work for her when her father disappeared. I asked him to find out what he could on Luke. Just look at it, Austin.”

I flipped through the statements, my gut twisting. “Where’d the money come from?”

“That’s the problem. It was routed through multiple accounts, offshore. Completely untraceable.”

My grip tightened on the paper. “Which means someone was paying him off.”

She crossed her arms. “Or setting him up.”

I looked at her, my frustration warring with my need to protect her. “I don’t want you anywhere near this, Emmy.”

“That’s not your call.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” I growled. “You’re under my protection, whether you like it or not.”

She shook her head, something breaking in her expression. “That’s just it, Austin. I don’t want to be protected. I want the truth.”

Damn her obstinate ass.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “And what happens if the truth isn’t what you want to hear?”

She didn’t back down. “Then I’ll deal with it.”

I cursed under my breath. There was no telling what else she’d been nosing around. And the worst part? I didn’t know if I could keep her safe from what she might find. That locked room was looking better and better.

Back at the compound, after I’d sat for the rest of the day in a stiff ass chair in Emmy’s waiting room, I escaped outside to the deck we’d built in the back, connected to the bar, beer in hand, my mind a storm of thoughts.

Emmy. Grit. The Ghost. The club. And back to Emmy.

Every part of my life was at a crossroads, and I wasn’t sure which way to go.

The club had been my whole world since the day I patched in. It was blood, loyalty, and survival. But now… now there was something else creeping in. A need for more.

The kids at Emmy’s office hadn’t left my thoughts since I met them. The way they carried themselves, the wariness in their eyes? I recognized it. Because, once upon a time, that had been me.

Tank dropped into the chair beside me. “You’re thinkin’ too loud.”

I huffed. “You ever think about what’s next?”

He raised a brow. “Next?”

“For the club,” I clarified. “For us.”

He took a slow sip of his beer. “Didn’t think we were the kinda guys who planned for the future.”

I was silent for a moment, then said, “Maybe we should be.”

Tank squinted at me, brow creasing. “What are you gettin’ at?”

“What if we went legit?”

Crickets.

Then Tank let out a low whistle. “Shit. You’re serious.”

“Dead serious.”

He studied me, then leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “And what the hell would we do l egitimately ?”

I glanced at the clubhouse, at the brothers who had given their lives to something bigger than themselves. Then I thought of Emmy. Of those kids.

“We help people.”

He blinked. “Come again?”

“We’ve got money, resources, people who know this town. What if we stopped running from the law and started changing things?”

He barked a laugh. “You wanna turn the Kings into a goddamn charity?”

I shook my head. “I wanna turn it into something real. Something we own without looking over our shoulders.” I took a slow breath. “Something that would make Emmy stay.”

Tank went quiet again.

I hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud, but it was the damn truth. If I wanted Emmy—really wanted her—I had to be the kind of man she could have. And that meant changing everything. Yet I had to be true to myself and the KOC.

Tank scratched his jaw. “You talk to the others?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, you got my vote. But you know this ain’t gonna be easy.”

I smirked. “Never is.”

We clinked our bottles together. It wasn’t a plan. Not yet. But it was a start.

The clubhouse doors burst open, and Bear stormed out, eyes blazing with fury. Diesel and Jax weren’t far behind, their expressions just as grim.

I straightened, setting my bottle down hard on the table. “What?”

“Trouble.”

No shit. “Spit it out.”

Jax set his phone on the table in front of me. “This.”

I snatched it up, finding a local news article. The headline hit me like a punch to the gut.

LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER FOUND DEAD—EVIDENCE POINTS TO KINGS OF CHAOS MC

My stomach tightened as I skimmed the article, searching for the name.

Paul Jeffries.

I knew that name. Jeffries owned a small trucking company that had done business with the Kings before. He wasn’t dirty, at least not the way some of our other contacts were. But now he was dead, and the papers were saying one of his men had seen a guy in a Kings’ cut leaving the scene.

“Who’s the King they’re blaming?” I growled.

“Crow.,” Bear answered.

My blood ran cold. Crow had been with the Kings for years. A loyal brother. There was no way in hell he’d be stupid enough—or reckless enough—to kill a man like Jeffries.

“This is The Ghost,” I muttered, gripping the phone tight.

Jax nodded. “He’s setting us up.”

Diesel leaned on the table. “We gotta do something before the cops start knockin’ on doors. Crow’s already holed up in his place, but if the feds come lookin’, he’s screwed.”

I was already working through the angles. If The Ghost was behind this, it wasn’t just about pinning a murder on one of our own—this was about control. Manipulation. Mind games.

And I was fucking tired of being played.

“We need proof,” I said, tossing the paper onto the table. “We find out how The Ghost pulled this off and clear Crow’s name before this turns into something bigger.”

Tank cracked his knuckles. “And if we find the bastard who’s actually responsible?”

“Then we send our own goddamn message.”

The air rumbled with agreement. The Kings weren’t the kind of men to take this kind of hit lying down.

But even as I planned my next move, another thought crept in—one I didn’t like.

Luke—Grit—was mixed up in something bigger than either Emmy or I had realized. And if The Ghost was moving pieces on the board this aggressively, then she was closer to danger than she even knew.

I had to keep her safe even if she hated me for it. Even if it meant keeping secrets.

I strode toward the door. “We’re gonna find out who did this. And when we do?” My gaze darkened. “We burn The Ghost to the fucking ground.”

I pulled into the back lot of a run-down diner just outside town. The neon sign flickered weakly, casting a dim glow over the cracked pavement. It was late, the kind of late when only truckers and insomniacs wandered in for coffee that tasted like burnt tar.

I scanned the lot. A nondescript sedan was parked near the dumpsters, the engine idling. Smart. The last thing a cop needed was to be seen meeting with a KOC.

I swung off my bike, my boots crunching against gravel as I approached the car. I knocked once on the driver’s side window.

The glass rolled down just enough for me to see Detective Ryan Cole’s face. My old friend looked tired, lines of fatigue carved into his features. Cole had been a friend before he’d ever worn the badge. We’d grown up together, running the same streets, causing the same kind of trouble. But while I ended up an outlaw, Cole chose a different path. Still, some bonds ran too deep to break.

“Get in,” Cole muttered, glancing around as if making sure we weren’t being watched.

I didn’t hesitate, sliding into the passenger seat. The car smelled like stale coffee and cheap air freshener, but I barely noticed. My focus was on Cole.

He blew out an irritated breath, shaking his head. “You’re lucky I still answer when you call.”

I snorted. “You’re lucky I call first. Tell me what you got.”

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, glancing out the windshield before speaking. “It’s bad, man. Paul Jeffries was shot once, execution-style. Clean, professional.” He paused. “But the evidence? It’s messy. Too messy.”

I frowned. “Messy how?”

Cole shifted in his seat. “There’s security footage of a guy leaving the scene. Face hidden, but he’s wearing a Kings’ cut. Here’s the thing, though. Whoever set this up wanted the cops to see it. They didn’t even try to destroy the security camera footage.”

“And they’re pinning it on Crow.”

Cole nodded. “A witness, Jeffries' own guy, claims he saw Crow arguing with Jeffries the day before. Said it got heated.”

He sighed. “Look, man, I don’t believe it. I know Crow. He ain’t the type to pull something like this, but the department is under pressure. Jeffries had friends. If they push for an arrest, Crow’s gonna be the first in cuffs.”

I ran a hand down my face, frustration building. “This is a fucking setup.”

Cole nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Someone wanted this to land on your club.” He turned to face me fully. “But that’s not the worst part.”

My gut clenched. “What?”

He hesitated. “The feds are sniffing around. They’ve been keeping tabs on your club for a while now, but this murder? It’s got their full attention. If they find any dirt—any real dirt—on the Kings, they’ll use it.”

This was exactly what I didn’t need. “So what do I do?”

Cole leveled me with a serious look. “Find out who really killed Jeffries. Fast. Because if you don’t, Crow’s going down for it. And if the feds start digging too deep, they might not stop at just him.”

My fists flexed on my thighs. The Kings didn’t operate clean, but we weren’t murderers. At least not without cause. And if The Ghost thought he could frame one of my brothers and get away with it, he was about to learn just how wrong he was.

“What do you know about The Ghost?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

Cole tensed. His fingers gripped the steering wheel harder, his whole body going rigid. That reaction told me everything.

“You do know him,” I said, watching Cole carefully.

The detective exhaled noisily. “I don’t know him. But I know of him.” His voice was strained, like he wasn’t sure if he should be talking about this. “You don’t hear that name unless someone’s already in deep.”

He turned his head slightly, fixing me with a pointed stare. “And if you’re asking, that means you are.”

I leaned back, crossing my arms. “I’ve been in deep since the day I patched in. But this is different. He seems to have a vendetta against the Kings. I think he framed Crow for Jeffries' murder. Planted evidence, set him up to take the fall. And is possibly the reason one of my guys disappeared.”

“Yeah. That sounds like him.”

“What do you know?”

“Nothing solid. Nothing I could ever prove. But The Ghost? He’s a puppet master. He’s got people in his pocket—cops, politicians, criminals. Hell, he could be the president for all I know. He doesn’t pull the trigger himself. He makes sure someone else does, then he disappears. Leaves no trail, no witnesses. Just rumors. If anyone gets close to making him, he just vanishes without a trace.”

“Like a fucking ghost. But everyone’s got a weakness.”

Cole glanced at me. “Yeah? Well, if you find his, let me know.”

I smirked, but there was no humor in it. “Good. That means when I take him down, it’ll be worth it.”

He sighed. “Jesus. Just don’t make me arrest your ass when this is over.”

I glanced over and grinned. “You won’t have to.”

Because when I was done, The Ghost wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

"Let me ask you something. Theoretically, of course. What would you think if the Kings weren’t into dumb shit? How hard would it be to get on the good side of the law?"

He chuckled, then when he saw the seriousness in my eyes, he exhaled a slow breath, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "You're actually thinking about taking the Kings legit?"

"Yeah. Thinking about it real hard."

"Damn. Never thought I’d see the day."

I didn’t take offense. The Kings of Chaos had been running on the wrong side of the law for as long as I could remember. It was in our blood. But now, having just learned how deep The Ghost’s influence ran, how many people suffered in the shadows because of men like him, I knew change was coming. And fast.

Cole stared at me for what felt like minutes. "It’d be a hell of a transition. You’d be walking a fine line. Some of your guys might not go for it."

I nodded. "I know. But I think it’s time. I’ve been watching these kids at Emmy’s office—hell, just talking to a few of them got me thinking. If they don’t have a home, don’t have school, don’t have anyone to turn to, then what’s left? The streets? Gangs? Getting caught up with the wrong people?" My jaw tightened. "If the Kings could be something else—something good—we could change that."

His expression darkened. "Emmy, huh. Good to hear she’s back. I always thought you two would end up together. Tell her I said hi."

“I’m not telling her shit from you.”

Cole chuckled, then sobered. “If you’re serious about this, you need to be ready for pushback. Not just from your own guys, but from people who profit off things staying the way they are. Hell, even The Ghost may be affected. You know, the trickle-down theory. Try cutting off his market. See how quick he comes knocking."

I didn’t flinch. "Let him."

He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. "You always did have a death wish." Then, after a pause, he sighed. "But if you actually pull this off, it could be something good. A better future and not only for the KOC.

I met his gaze. "That’s the plan."

Cole nodded, clapping me on the shoulder. "Then I hope you’re ready for a war, brother. Because changing the game? That’s not gonna come easy."

I smirked and opened the car door. "Nothing worth it ever does."

As I rode back to the clubhouse, the wheels in my head were already turning. This wasn’t just a pipe dream anymore. This was happening.

And no one—especially not The Ghost—was going to stop me.

I slipped into the clubhouse just past two in the morning, exhaustion settling into my bones. My meeting with Cole had given me more questions than answers, and my brain wouldn't stop turning over every word, every unspoken implication. But none of that mattered right now.

Right now, all I wanted was her.

I eased the bedroom door open and stepped inside, closing it softly behind me. The room was dark, but I could see the faint outline of Emmy lying in bed. She wasn’t asleep. I could feel it.

Silently, I stripped off my clothes, tossing them onto a chair before sliding under the covers. The moment my body sank into the mattress, she rolled over. Without hesitation, I pulled her into my arms, tucking her against my chest.

She sighed, snuggling in closer. “You’re late.”

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah.”

She tilted her head, looking up at me, shadows playing across her face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. Not yet. “What are you doing awake?”

Her fingers tightened on my side. “I didn’t know where you were.”

My heart clenched. Emmy had always been stubborn, always guarded her emotions like a fortress, but moments like this—when she let herself be vulnerable, when she admitted she needed me—those were the ones that destroyed me.

I tipped her chin up, brushing my lips against hers. “I’m here now.”

She nodded, but her eyes still held worry. “I couldn’t sleep until I knew you were safe.”

Something broke loose inside me at those words. My Emmy, strong and independent, cared more about my safety than her own. I kissed her softly, lingering, letting myself drown in the feel of her, in the warmth of her lips.

Her hands slid up my chest, over my shoulders, pulling me closer. I deepened the kiss, slow and unhurried, pouring everything I felt into it. This wasn’t about need or desperation. This was about love. About holding on to the one thing that made sense in a world that was spinning out of control.

I rolled her onto her back, settling between her legs, my body covering hers like a shield. My hands moved over her, relearning every inch, every curve, every soft sigh she made. Emmy arched into me, her nails raking lightly down my back, whispering words I couldn’t make out.

We made love slowly, tenderly, savoring every touch, every moment. No rush, no urgency—just us. Just this.

After, I held her close, our bodies tangled together, her head resting on my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I love you,” I murmured, the words slipping out like a vow.

Emmy didn’t speak right away. Instead, she tightened her grip on me, pressing her lips against my skin. Then, so soft I almost didn’t hear it, she whispered, “I love you too.”

I closed my eyes, my arms tightening around her.

For tonight, that was enough.