“You’ve been staring at that girl all night,” he said, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Diesel chuckled beside him. “Not all night. Only since the raffle started.”
Knox tipped his beer back, smirking. “Boss has a type.”
I slowly turned my head toward them, three amused faces staring back at me. “Keep talking,” I said flatly.
They grinned wider.
Riot lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, Prez. Just pointing out you’ve been watching her like she’s about to disappear.”
Ghost finally glanced up from his phone. “He’s not wrong.”
Ignoring them, I looked back toward the booth. Emma had shifted slightly away from Maya while her friend flirted openly with one of the prospects who had wandered over. The prospect was clearly more interested in Maya, and she was clearly enjoying the attention. Emma stared down at the table, alone even while sitting next to someone.
My fingers tightened around the whiskey glass.
“She doesn’t belong here,” Ranger said quietly beside me.
I glanced over at him. Ranger noticed things most people didn’t. He’d been watching too.
“No,” I agreed.
Riot leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms on the table. “So what’s the play here, boss?”
“There is no play.”
He grinned. “Sure there isn’t.”
I finished my whiskey and set the empty glass down before standing. “Going to take a piss.”
“Very romantic,” Riot laughed.
I ignored him. As I stepped away from the table, I pointed subtly toward the booth where Emma sat. “Keep an eye on her.”
Riot raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because I said so.”
He smirked. “Yeah, alright.”
I pushed my way through the crowded bar toward the hallway near the bathrooms. Bodies pressed in from every direction, but they moved aside when they saw the cut on my back. They always did.
The bathroom was empty when I stepped inside. Good. I washed my hands and splashed cold water over my face, letting the chill clear my head for a moment. Tonight had gone well—better than expected. The sister chapter would have more than enough to help their brother’s old lady through treatment. That was what mattered.
But something had been bothering me all night. A feeling sitting low in my gut, the kind that didn’t just go away. And I’d learned a long time ago not to ignore instincts like that.
I dried my hands and stepped back out into the hallway. The music hit me instantly again. The bar had gotten even louder, more people filling the space since the auction ended. The party had fully taken over.
My eyes immediately scanned the room—straight to the booth. Empty.
I stopped dead in my tracks. The seat Emma had occupied was vacant. My gaze sharpened, and I walked back toward my table.
Riot was halfway through a beer when I reached them. “Where the fuck is she?”
He blinked up at me, confused. “What?”
“The girl,” I said, my voice dropping lower. “Where is she?”
