Page 14

Austin

The office buzzed with low laughter, the scent of whiskey, and leftover pizza. I sat at my desk, leaning back in my chair, listening as my brothers bullshitted with each other, their voices a comforting mix of deep chuckles and friendly jabs.

I’d come down to my office to get some work done and left Emmy in my room after our shower. My jeans tightened at the thought of seeing her all rosy and wet from the heat of the steam. I’d washed every inch of her.

I pushed those thoughts down. Getting hard in front of my men wouldn’t happen. She was being all domestic and fixing us dinner although I had no clue what I had in my kitchen for her to fix. I didn’t care what it was, I’d eat it and rave simply because she made it.

A loud round of laughter shook me back to the moment.

“You should’ve seen the kid,” Tank said, shaking his head with a smirk. “Noah damn near took out Brick with that wrench.”

The room erupted in laughter again.

Brick, perched on the far end of the couch, scowled and took a long swig of his beer. “Little shit’s got an arm on him, I’ll give him that. Plus he got the rusted nut off.”

“Good,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw. “Means he’s learning.”

Jax let out a low chuckle, shifting against the wall with his arms crossed. “Kid’s smart. Picks shit up quick. I had him looking at engine schematics today, and you know what he said?”

I arched a brow. “What?”

Jax grinned. “Said it was easier than his algebra homework. Don’t worry, I’m working with him on his algebra. Piece of cake.”

“Told you all, these kids aren’t just looking for a way out. They want something to fight for.”

Tank nodded, his usual scowl softening. “Yeah. Never thought I’d say this, but… maybe this whole thing ain’t a bad idea.”

Something tightened in my chest—a rare flicker of pride, of hope. My brothers were getting on board. It was working. I just hadn’t told Emmy yet.

I would. When the time was right.

“You keep getting all soft on us, Prez,” Deuce teased, kicking his feet up on the desk. “Next thing we know, you’ll be making us do charity runs and Santa drives.”

The room snickered, but I just shrugged. “Maybe.”

That shut them up.

The laughter died down, replaced by a heavier silence. I watched the shift, the way my brothers were starting to consider it, how the idea of going legit wasn’t as crazy as it once was. Maybe this really was the future of the Kings of Chaos.

My gaze flicked to the clock. Why was I still down here with these buffoons and not up there with her?

A strange feeling itched at the base of my skull. I sat up straighter, tilting my head to the side. Listening. Something wasn’t right.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, an old instinct kicking in—one I’d acquired from years in this life.

Jax must have noticed because he tilted his head. “Prez?”

The conversation drifted, but I wasn’t really listening anymore. Something was off. A feeling of dread took up residence in my gut, and the longer we sat there, the worse it got.

A knock came at the door.

A premonition. A warning. Before the door even opened, I knew something was wrong.

The door creaked, and Riot stepped inside. Or what was left of him.

He looked like hell warmed over—his face was bruised, his lip split, dried blood crusting at his temple. His hands trembled at his sides. His eyes were wild, darting between the men in the room before landing on me.

A dead man walking.

I pushed out of my chair slowly. “What the fuck happened to you?”

Riot gulped hard, but his voice still shook. “I fucked up.”

Jax snorted. “No shit.”

I ignored him. My fists clenched as I took a step forward. “Where is she?”

The room went silent.

Riot flinched, and that’s when I knew. My chest turned to stone, rage boiling beneath my skin.

“She’s gone,” Riot admitted, eyes on the floor.

I grabbed him by the collar, shoving him against the wall so hard the whole damn room shook. Riot didn't fight back.

“Where the fuck is she?” I barked, my heart slamming against my ribs.

He let out a sharp breath, eyes frantically searching for help like a man drowning.

“By now, she’s gone.” He coughed, wheezing, spitting blood.

Panic threatening to devour me whole.

“What did you do?” I growled, my hand wrapping around Riot’s throat.

“I… “

I slammed him against the wall again. “TELL ME.”

“I delivered her… to The Ghost.” Riot’s voice was flat, almost resigned.

A foreboding silence settled over the room.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” he choked out. “The Ghost—he told me he just wanted Emmy as collateral. That’s all. Just leverage to get Luke back in line.”

My grip tightened. “Luke?” My mind raced. “Luke’s alive?”

Riot hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. But not for long.”

I released him with a shove. “Start talking. Now.”

He rubbed his throat, sucking in a shaky breath. “I—” His voice cracked, and for the first time since I’d known him, I saw real grief in his eyes. “I owe money. Big money. To help my sister.”

The Ghost owned Riot.

He swiped a hand down his face, shaking his head. “The Ghost gave me an out. Odd jobs here and there—nothing big at first. But then he wanted me to kill someone. I wouldn’t.”

Silence.

I felt the shift before Riot even said the words.

“So he took my sister.”

His sister. Raven. I had never met her, but I knew she was the one thing Riot gave a damn about.

“Luke…” Riot paused, his head hanging. “He went after her. We fought over it—he wanted to help, but I wouldn’t let him. He wouldn’t back down, though. He went undercover with The Ghost to find her.” His voice cracked. “He was gonna bring her home.”

My breath stalled. Luke went in alone?

“He found her. In Mexico,” Riot rasped, his head hanging. “But before he could get her out, The Ghost realized what he was doing.” He looked up at me then, something lost and broken in his gaze. “Luke’s missing with Raven. The Ghost thinks he’ll resurface if he has Emmy. I swear, Prez, I just thought he was going to keep her until Luke showed.”

My heart was a hammer against my ribs. Jax cursed. Tank ran a hand down his face, looking sick.

But Riot wasn’t finished.

“When I figured out what The Ghost had planned for Emmy, I tried to get her back, and they beat the shit out of me and left me for dead.”

I felt my vision tunnel, rage boiling over into something primal. “Where is she?”

He hesitated, and I cocked my gun, the click echoing in the war room.

“I—I don’t know. I delivered her to a warehouse on State Street. The one that used to be a cola processing plant. She’s not there now. He’s putting her up for auction. But I didn’t know. I swear.”

I could have heard a pin drop… until I pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through Riot’s leg, his scream echoing off the walls as he collapsed onto the floor.

“Jax.” I didn’t even look as I reholstered my gun. “Get on this. I want every fucking piece of data, every connection, every rat with even a whisper of The Ghost’s name. I don’t care if we have to burn the city down—we find her.”

Jax nodded, already pulling out his laptop.

I crouched, grabbing Riot by the hair, forcing him to look up at me through pain-filled eyes.

“You pray to whatever goddamn higher power you believe in that I find her before she’s sold.”

His face drained of all color.

I hauled him to his feet, slamming him onto the table, teeth bared in fury. “If she’s hurt,” I snarled, “there’s no saving you.”

He nodded, the shame and understanding in his eyes. “I know.”

My hands trembled as I released him. My breath was harsh, my body thrumming with rage and something worse—fear.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to focus. Losing control wouldn’t help Emmy. The fury was there, simmering beneath my skin, but I shoved it down. I needed to think. Needed to act.

I turned to Jax, who was already hammering away at his keyboard. “I want eyes on the dark web. Auctions, private sales, anything that even hints at Emmy.”

Jax gave a nod. “I’m already scanning flagged forums and encrypted chatrooms. These bastards always leave a trail.”

I turned to Tank. “Get Riot out of my sight. Call Doc to patch him up. Even though he deserves to bleed out.”

Before Tank could grab him, Riot straightened. “I want to stay.”

My eyes snapped to him.

“I know how The Ghost operates,” he continued. “I know how he moves product, how he picks locations. I might be able to help.”

I stared him down, my fists curling at my sides. Riot had betrayed me, betrayed the club, but right now, Emmy was the only thing that mattered.

After a long pause, I gave a curt nod. “Fine. You stay. But if I get even a whiff of bullshit from you, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.”

Riot flinched but nodded. “Understood.”

I exhaled forcefully, rolling my shoulders back. My body itched for action, but we needed more intel before we moved.

Then a thought struck me.

“Jax. Check private airfields. Look for any small planes that have taken off in the last hour. If they’re moving her, they’ll want her gone before we can track her.”

Jax’s fingers flew across the keys. “Already on it.”

I paced the room like a caged animal. Every second Emmy was out there was another second of hell for her.

Images flooded my mind—her scared, tied up, helpless. Men’s hands on her.

I growled, shaking the thought away. No. I wouldn’t let that happen.

A beep sounded from Jax’s laptop.

“Got something.” His eyes were glued to the screen. “A private jet just left from a small airfield outside the city. No flight plan filed, no listed owner.”

My blood ran hot. That had to be her. “Where’s it headed?”

“Tracking now…” Jax muttered. “Looks like Mexico.”

I stilled. Mexico. That’s was supposedly where Luke and Raven were. Coincidence? I didn’t believe in them.

My mind worked fast, piecing it together. The Ghost had connections down there.

My gut screamed at me. That’s where they were taking her.

I turned to my men. “Rally the troops. We’re going to Mexico.”

Tank grinned, cracking his knuckles. “Been a while since we had an out-of-country job.”

Diesel smirked. “Good excuse to stock up on tequila.”

I ignored them, my mind already ten steps ahead. “We move fast, and we move deadly. I don’t care what it takes—we’re bringing Emmy home. Go pack your tac gear and meet back here in thirty. Tank, call the family and get us a plane. We sure as hell can’t travel commercial with all we’ll be packing.”

And by the family, I meant exactly that. The mafia, led by none other than The Devil. Demonte. We’d had dealings with them when my VP fell in love with a fucking real-life princess, and The Devil did too. We needed a favor.

The call was short, and we had a plane at our disposal. No questions asked.

I stood in my room, packing my gear, Emmy’s scent still strong. I’d needed a second. Just one second to breathe, to be alone with my thoughts before I locked them down for good.

My hands braced on the edge of my dresser, fingers curling into the wood. My reflection stared back at me in the mirror—a man on the brink. My jaw was clenched so tight it ached. My muscles were coiled, ready to strike, but beneath it all was fear that threatened to undermine my self-control.

It clawed at my chest, wrapping around my ribs like a vise. I hadn’t let myself feel it until now. Couldn’t. But standing here, away from my men, away from the war plans, it hit me like a punch to the gut.

What if we’re too late?

I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head. No. I couldn’t think like that. But the thoughts came anyway.

What if she was already suffering? What if she was crying out for me, waiting for me, and I wasn’t there? What if?—

My fist slammed into the mirror before I could stop myself. The glass shattered, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface. A sharp pain sliced through my knuckles, blood welling from the torn skin, but I barely felt it.

My breathing was ragged, my heart pounding I dropped my forehead against the broken glass, the cool surface grounding me. I couldn’t afford this. I couldn’t afford weakness, couldn’t afford doubt.

Emmy was out there, and she needed me.

Taking a deep breath, I let the pain from my knuckles center me. Let it remind me of who the hell I was. I wasn’t some scared man second-guessing himself.

I was Austin fucking King, President of the Kings of Chaos.

And Emmy was mine.

My head lifted, eyes locking on to my reflection. My own gaze stared back at me, dark and filled with nothing but rage. Determination. A promise.

We would find her. And when we did, The Ghost would pray for death before I was done with him.

Turning on my heel, I grabbed my gun, checked the magazine, and stormed out of the room.

Time for war.