He hung up, and my chest tightened.
Remi was already grabbing her jacket from a chair near the wall. “I’m going.”
“You sure?” one of the guys asked her.
She turned, expression unreadable. “I’m not hiding. Not anymore. If they were wrong and they are actually after Ava, they will have to go through me.”
Four stepped forward again, pulling her in for a tight hug. “If you need us... You know how to find us. Doors are always open to you.”
A few other men nodded. One called, “Especially if you’re ever interested in being someone’s ol’ lady.”
She stepped out of Four's arms with a half-smile. “That’ll be the day.” Then softer, as she looked around at them all. “Thank you. For showing me something, I needed to see with my own eyes... That some of the good guys are still out here.”
We walked out together, urgency quickening every step.
The tires screeched against loose gravel as I tore out of the clubhouse lot, Jack beside me, Remi in the back. None of us spoke.
We didn’t have time to.
My phone buzzed in my lap, motion alert, trail cam trigger. Then another. And another. The whole west perimeter was lighting up like a fucking Christmas tree.
“Gray, come on,” I muttered, hitting the redial button. “Pick up. Pick up... damn it.”
Still no answer.
I tossed the phone onto the dashboard and hit the secure line for Kane.
He answered on the third ring, voice clipped and already in motion. “Talk to me.”
“We’ve got hits on the hunting cams, west side,” I said. “But we can’t get a visual. Gray’s not responding.”
“Hold.” I heard typing. Keys clacking. A muffled curse. Then: “Just scraped two public traffic cams ten miles out, trucks, three of them. Ones got a custom plate flagged in our system: VOSS01.”
Remi sucked in a breath beside me. Jack swore.
Kane continued, “One box truck. Two dark pickups. Too many bodies to ID in the back, but they’re armed. And headed directly for the cabin.”
“How far out?” I demanded.
“Ten minutes if they’re hauling ass. Less if they’ve already peeled off the main road.”
My knuckles went white on the wheel. “Can you redirect?”
“I’m trying. Already pinged Gray’s back channels. Nothing yet. You’re closest we've got.”
“I know,” I said. “We’re on route. If we don’t make it in time...”
“You will,” Kane said firmly. “But Harlan... don’t hesitate.”
The call cut.
Remi’s voice was quiet but steady. “If she touches Ava...”
“She won’t,” I said.
But I didn’t believe it.
I floored the gas, heart hammering as we tore around a bend. Trees blurred past. The sky bled orange and purple through the windshield, like the world itself knew we were racing the sun to stop something we might already be too late to stop.
