Chapter 5
Five
Hawk
The auction had wrapped up almost an hour ago, and since then, the bar had transformed into a full-blown party.
Music blasted through the speakers, glasses clinked constantly, and drunken laughter rolled across the packed room in waves.
The moment the last basket was auctioned off, the charity event had shifted into something wild and reckless, which was typically how these things went.
Tonight’s benefit was for one of our sister chapters.
One of their brothers’ old ladies had been diagnosed with cancer a few months back, and the mounting medical bills were piling up faster than anyone could handle.
Hospitals didn’t care about loyalty or family—they just wanted their money.
So, we did what we always did: the club stepped in.
Baskets donated from local businesses, raffles, auctions, cash donations.
By the end of the night, we’d raised way more than anyone expected.
That was something people outside this life never understood. We might be outlaws, but when one of our own was hurting, every chapter showed up.
I leaned back in my chair, swirling the whiskey in my glass while the noise of the party roared around me.
My table was filled with my officers. Riot sat across from me, his chair tipped back on two legs as he lazily spun a poker chip across the table with one finger.
Diesel was halfway through a basket of bar food that looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp since noon.
Knox and Ranger were caught up in a pointless argument, while Ghost scrolled through something on his phone.
But I wasn’t focused on any of that. My attention kept drifting across the bar, back to the same booth. Emma.
She sat tucked into the corner of the booth beside her friend, small and quiet, almost like she was trying to fade into the background of the raucous room. Impossible, really, because I’d noticed her the second she walked in. And once I noticed something, I didn’t stop watching it.
Her friend, though? That girl was starting to get under my skin. Maya. I hadn’t caught her name until earlier when they signed in at the raffle table, but once I heard it, I didn’t forget it. The longer the night went on, the more irritated I became with her.
She kept snapping at Emma, rolling her eyes every time Emma spoke, cutting her off halfway through sentences like whatever Emma had to say didn’t matter.
Each time Emma tried to join the conversation, Maya brushed her off or made some snide little comment that made Emma shrink even further into herself.
And Emma just… took it. She didn’t argue or snap back.
Instead, she nodded quietly, forcing a small laugh as if trying to smooth over the tension.
I felt my jaw tighten.
Across the table, Riot snorted under his breath. “Jesus Christ.”
“What?” I asked, barely glancing at them.
“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?”
Ranger glanced toward the front door. “She stepped outside a few minutes ago. Said she needed air.”
My stomach tightened. “How long?”
“Five… maybe ten minutes.”
I didn’t say another word. I turned and headed straight for the door, each step landing harder than the last. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it.
I shoved the door open so hard it slammed against the outside wall. Cool night air rushed into my lungs. The gravel parking lot stretched out before me, motorcycles lined up in rows, dark fields beyond the lot. Empty. No Emma.
I scanned the area again. Nothing.
“Fuck.”
I stepped back inside the bar, my eyes immediately finding Maya.
She was shoved into the corner near the bar with one of my prospects, her mouth locked onto his while his hands roamed like they’d known each other for years.
I watched them for a moment before looking away. Emma definitely wasn’t with her.
That made the tight feeling in my gut twist harder.
I walked straight back to my table. The guys immediately saw something was off. Riot sat up straighter. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s gone.”
“Gone where?” Diesel asked, his brow furrowing.
“Outside.”
Knox frowned. “And?”
“She’s not there.”
The table went silent. Ranger slowly pushed his chair back and stood. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Yeah. I was.
The road out here was dark and isolated, ten miles from town. Exactly the kind of place something bad could happen if someone was alone. I grabbed my cut from the back of the chair and pulled it on. “We’re leaving.”
Diesel immediately pushed his chair back. Riot drained the rest of his beer. “You want everyone?”
“No.”
I adjusted the cut over my shoulders. “Just officers.”
Ghost stood up, Knox cracked his neck, and Ranger was already moving toward the door. Within seconds, we were outside. The night air had cooled even more since earlier, and engines roared to life as we climbed onto our bikes. I swung onto mine and pulled my helmet on.
Riot rolled up beside me. “You think she walked?”
“She doesn’t have a car.”
Diesel frowned from the other side. “And the bar’s ten miles from town.”
Exactly.
My stomach twisted again. I kicked the bike into gear. “Let’s move.”
Our engines thundered as we peeled out of the gravel lot and onto the empty country road. Headlights sliced through the darkness as we sped down the road, wind tearing past my helmet. We spread out slightly as we rode, scanning the road ahead and the fields on both sides.
Minutes passed before Ranger’s voice crackled through the comms. “Up ahead.”
My pulse spiked. A small figure walked along the side of the road, arms wrapped tightly around herself, head down.
I slowed, and the others slowed with me.
As we rode past her, the headlights illuminated her face.
Tears streaked down her cheeks, mascara smeared everywhere, and she clutched her arm tightly against her chest. Even from the bike, I could see the swelling in her wrist.
Rage surged through me instantly.
We rode another fifty yards before I turned the bike hard and circled back. The others followed me, pulling up in front of her and shutting off the engines. She immediately started backing away, terrified and shaking.
Boots hit the gravel as I stepped off my bike, slowly pulling my helmet off. “Easy there,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
Her eyes were wide with fear, and she kept backing away. “We’re not gonna hurt you.”
When I stepped out of the headlights and saw her clearly, my jaw tightened. Her face was a mess—tears, smeared mascara, and pure fear. The way she cradled her wrist told me everything I needed to know.
Something inside my chest snapped. “What the fuck happened to you?”