Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 170(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Blitz wandered over, shaking his head. “Why the hell would anyone bet against Nitro?”
I smiled as I watched them. Their easy back-and-forth made it clear how tight they were.
My gaze drifted to the old ladies. Rev had Delaney tucked against his side, one hand resting protectively on her small baby bump.
“You need to eat more, baby.” Blitz returned to Aubrey’s side and tried to feed her another bite of brisket. “You’re eating for two.”
Aubrey rolled her eyes but accepted the bite anyway. “Barely. This kid is the size of a peanut right now, Canyon. Relax.”
Ryot appeared at my side a moment later. His arm slid around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “You good?”
I nodded, leaning into him. “Yeah. I’m great.”
He stayed close the rest of the night, making sure I was included in every conversation. Watching him with his brothers, seeing how devoted the men were to their women, and feeling the way Ryot kept me close…it all solidified something deep inside me.
I had to trust that he would believe me.
The party was winding down when Jax walked up to Ryot and leaned in close, whispering something in his ear that I couldn’t hear.
Ryot’s expression shifted instantly. The easy, relaxed smile he’d been wearing all night disappeared, replaced by a frown. He listened for a moment, then nodded once.
He turned to me, his hand still resting on my lower back. “I have to handle something real quick. Club business. Wait for me? Should only take a few minutes.”
I nodded. “Of course. I’ll be here.”
Jax glanced at me as they turned to walk away. It was brief, but there was something unreadable in his expression. There was no hint of his friendliness from earlier. It made my stomach twist into a knot. Then they were gone, disappearing into the clubhouse.
I let out a slow breath and wrapped my arms around myself. It was probably nothing. Club business had pulled him away from me before. Ryot had never made me feel excluded from his life, but there were parts of it he couldn’t share.
He’d still looked at me the same before he left with Jax. I just hoped that wouldn’t change once he knew the truth.
12
GAUGE
Ifollowed Jax down the narrow hallway toward his office, my shoulders tight with tension and unease. The look he'd given me was replaying in my mind, unreadable but loaded enough that my instincts were already screaming warnings.
When we stepped inside, I wasn’t surprised to see Kane and Edge already waiting, their expressions carefully neutral in a way that immediately put me on guard. Jax closed the door behind us and moved around his desk, sinking onto the chair and reaching for his keyboard with practiced efficiency. He glanced up at me, hesitation flickering in his gaze before he spoke. “Got a ping tonight. On Riley’s name.”
A cold weight dropped into the pit of my stomach as I held Jax’s gaze. He kept tabs on every person connected to the Redline Kings, from brothers to prospects, employees, and even regular contractors. If anyone’s name showed up in police records, news reports, or any databases we monitored, Jax always knew about it before anyone else did. We relied on him to stay ahead of trouble, so we could handle shit before it ever had a chance to become a real problem.
“What kind of ping?” Every muscle in my body had gone rigid with apprehension. “What came up?”
Kane stepped forward, his gaze unflinching as he met my gaze. “An arrest warrant. Issued tonight.”
The silence that followed his words felt deafening. I stared back at Kane, processing the information rapidly, my mind racing through every moment I’d spent with Riley over the past several weeks. It didn't make sense—nothing about her lined up with the idea of someone who deserved a warrant.
She was secretive, guarded, and clearly scared of something, but I knew her well enough by now to know exactly what kind of person she was underneath all those layers of caution. Riley wasn’t a criminal, and every instinct I possessed was screaming that whatever was going on, she was innocent. I trusted my gut without hesitation. And I trusted her, even if I still didn’t know exactly what had sent her running.
Edge watched me closely, clearly sensing the tension that had settled heavily over me. “Look, Gauge. I like Riley. She’s good people. And talented as fuck. But this is a warrant. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Kane nodded. “We’re not saying she did anything wrong. But we need answers. We can’t have something blowing up on us later because we didn’t handle it now.”
“I know,” I agreed, my voice tight as I struggled to hold on to my temper. “But I’m telling you right now—whatever this is, Riley isn’t guilty. Something else is going on here. She’s scared, but not from guilt. I’d bet my life on it.”