Page 119 of Ridin’ Dirty

He practically shoved me away, causing me to lose my footing. I caught myself as he stuck his fingers in his mouth, whistled loudly, and headed for his hog. I was still trying to make sense of the last two minutes when Joker strutted out of the diner, giving me a long look as he trailed after Carmy.

I wasn’t sure what my face said, but I sure as hell knew I didn’t understand what was going on.

‘I can’t stop it this time.’

This time.

This time.

Did that mean he stopped it before?

“Hey.”

I was pulled from my thoughts at the sound of Rusty’s voice. I looked over just as he and Viv came out to join me on the sidewalk.

“You okay? What was that about?”

I shook my head, still at a loss for words, then gasped at the sound of two Harley’s barreling out of the parking lot. I turned to watch them go, my brother’s words still playing on a loop in my mind.

‘I can’t stop it this time.’

‘They don’t find her in the next twenty-four, they got a bounty hunter hired out to find her.’

“Lyla?” called Viv.

There was a part of me that desperately wanted to run for my car and peel out of there, intent on catching up with Carmy. I wanted to understand. I needed to know what he meant—whose side he was on. But, like the rest of life, it was too much all at once. I didn’t have time to chase after my brother. He’d delivered a message.

I looked from Rusty to Viv and back again, sure as soon as they heard what I was about to say, they’d call Nighthawk. With the president and his enforcer at odds, I wasn’t sure if Riley would get read in right away—but he deserved to know as much as anyone. After everything he did for Max, I was sure he would want to hear this.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and immediately brought up his contact information. Before either Viv or Rusty could question me, I initiated a call, putting it on speaker as it rang.

Riley answered after the second ring.

“Angel, you good?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m fine. Listen, I have you here on speaker with Viv and Rusty,” I began, my eyes now locked with Viv’s. “Carmy was just here. I don’t really understand why he told me, but he said they’re after Max. He said this whole thing started with her and they want it to end with her. He said if the Kings don’t find her in the next twenty-four hours, they’ve hired a bounty hunter.”

“Fuckin’ hell,” grumbled Rusty. He didn’t stay to listen to the rest, his phone out as he jogged to his hog on the far side of the parking lot.

“What else? What else did he say?” asked Viv, her voice steady but her eyes flashing with a fear I’d never seen before.

“Nothing. He said he couldn’t stop it this time and then he was gone.”

Now it was Viv who reached for her phone. I watched as she initiated a call of her own before bringing the device to her ear. The relief I saw wash across her face a second later said it all.

“Max, honey, who’s with you? Put him on the phone.”

“Baby? Baby—take me off speaker.”

It took me a second to register Riley’s demand, but I did what I was told, turning away slightly as I brought him to my ear.

“Okay.”

“What did he mean when he said he couldn’t stop it this time?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed, wishing my answer was different. “He was acting—I don’t know. He was acting like his normal self but not.”

“Listen, I gotta go. You sure you’re okay?”