Relief washed over me so strongly I had to grip the counter. “Thank you.”
But Kane wasn’t finished. “One thing, though. When they went to arrest him, Shawn wasn’t there. My contact says there’s evidence he’s in the wind.”
“So he just gets to disappear?” I frowned, annoyance flaring. “After everything he did?”
Kane murmured, “Guy’s like that rarely escape justice for long. In one form or another.”
After he hung up, I turned to Ryot, still frowning. “That was awfully cryptic, don’t you think?”
“Don’t worry about it. Kane’s always impossible to read.” Ryot chuckled as he plated the eggs. “Only Edge and Savannah can usually figure out what he’s thinking.”
“It still sucks that Shawn was able to run off before he could be arrested,” I muttered.
“Shawn has the police and the guys he owed money to searching for him,” he reminded me. “And with how much of a jackass he is, it’s likely that there are others who want him hunted down.”
“I guess so.”
“Don’t let him spoil your appetite.”
Before he could remind me I was eating for two, I rolled my eyes and mumbled, “I won’t. That bacon smells too good.”
He guided me toward the table, pulling out my chair before setting breakfast down in front of me. As he sat down, his phone buzzed with a text. He glanced at it, then tucked it away.
“Got some club business I’ll need to handle later tonight. Shouldn’t take long.”
I nodded, content to let him have his secrets when it came to the club. After everything we’d been through, I trusted him completely. And I knew he’d always have the other Kings looking out for him.
“Love you,” he murmured against my lips.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, smiling. “So much.”
For the first time in longer than I could remember, the future felt full of possibility. With Ryot by my side, and our little one growing inside me, I knew we could face anything together.
19
GAUGE
Later that night, I parked my Harley outside The Pit, the familiar rumble of the engine fading into heavy silence as I stepped off the bike and strode purposely toward the back entrance. Every muscle in my body was coiled with anticipation and the kind of intensity I usually reserved for club business that didn’t end in pleasant conversations.
My boots echoed against the concrete as I moved quickly through the empty garage, heading toward the hidden stairway that led to a part of The Pit few people ever even knew existed. The stairs descended into relative darkness, my hand sliding along the reinforced concrete wall as I went down two full levels, through industrial-grade steel doors built to contain anything that happened beyond them.
I stepped into the open waiting area, the harsh fluorescent lights overhead casting a stark glow across tiled floors designed specifically for easy cleaning. A couple of metal tables and sturdy chairs stood to the side for when situations called for a wait, and a small stainless-steel counter ran along one wall, complete with a sink and industrial-grade disinfectants. We kept it stocked forwashing away whatever got on us when things got messy down here—and they often did.
To the right were two bathrooms, each equipped with a shower and cabinets stocked with clean sweats in case our clothes ended up too stained or ruined by whatever went on behind the reinforced doors. It was a place few outsiders ever saw and even fewer ever walked out of.
There were cells lining one of the back hallways, heavy doors with advanced locking systems rivaling federal security facilities. Soundproofed walls ensured that no scream, threat, or confession would ever carry beyond the concrete confines of this isolated level. No cell phones worked down here, no cameras recorded our movements, and no external surveillance penetrated these walls.
It was a place specifically created for situations that required secrecy and containment—interrogations, holding dangerous individuals, or when someone needed to permanently disappear. Those few outside the club who knew of its existence never spoke about it, their silence ensured by fear and respect that ran far deeper than mere threats.
I moved quickly past the open area, heading toward the cells. My pulse was steady, but adrenaline surged hot and heavy through my veins, every nerve ending fully alert and ready for what waited for me. Edge stood just outside the cell, his arms folded across his chest and his expression unreadable when he looked up and met my gaze.
“Got your text.” My voice echoed slightly off the unforgiving walls. “Shawn’s in there?”
Edge inclined his head toward the door. “Yeah, picked him up late last night.”
I stepped closer, my eyes locked onto the solid steel door, already picturing Shawn sitting behind it, likely terrified and fully aware of the gravity of what was coming next.
A pulse of satisfaction shot through me at the thought of finally dealing with the asshole who’d put fear into Riley’s eyes and nearly destroyed her life. This was personal. Tied irrevocably to the woman who slept in my bed, carried my child, and owned me completely. Nothing could stop me from exacting justice for every sleepless night she'd spent looking over her shoulder, afraid of shadows.
