walk away

Knox POV

The highway was black and empty ahead of us. Twenty-something bikes belonging to my crew thundered behind me in formation.

The salt air we had been accustomed to was gone. Now it was just road and wind and the same thought that wouldn’t leave me alone.

Tiana.

I shouldn’t have known her name this well.

It was just one night…One reckless, filthy and perfect night. She had taken everything I gave her and even asked for more.

Then what did she do? She left cash on the table like I was some high-end whore she could tip and walk away from.

Most women stayed and begged but she had ghosted the President of the Royal Riders without a second glance.

That alone should have been enough to put her out of my mind.

Instead, every mile closer to the city only made the memory of that filthy night more vivid in my mind.

From the way her legs locked around my waist, the broken sound she made when I ruined her the way she asked…how we moaned as we came together. God! I was loosing it.

“You good, Prez?” Bolt’s voice crackled through the intercom.

“I’m fine.” I replied because what the fuck was I supposed to say? That my dick was getting hard thinking about a corporate princess who used and dumped me?

He didn’t push. He never did when I used that tone.

After hours of riding, we rolled into the industrial edge of the city just after dusk.

This was the temporary clubhouse the Chairman had secured for the team.

It had enough space for the bikes and the men.

The engines died one by one as brothers climbed out to stretch their legs.

Zero was the first to speak to me after we dismounted.

“ Are you still thinking about the little bird who flew the coop, or are we finally hunting Ice?” He teased me.

I shot him a look that shut the rest of the comments down. He only smirked… the bastard.

We filed inside.

The place smelled…like an abandoned place does.

Tables had already been dragged into the center with laptops open and maps pinned.

The air inside was heavy with tension. We were closing on something that had been on the run for two years or should I say someone.

I called church the second the last man was inside.

“Find somewhere to sit.” I called out loud.

Chairs scraped as members moved to get themselves comfortable.

I stayed standing at the head of the table, arms crossed and staring at the single photograph projected onto the far wall.

It was a back view, a dark hoodie and a black backpack.

There was no face and no distinguishing marks…just a figure walking away from a camera like they already knew someone would be looking.

“That’s the best we’ve got?” M

I asked, my voice coming out low.

Cipher, our computer guru, leaned forward, fingers still flying across his keyboard even while he spoke.

“That’s the only clean frame in the last seventy-two hours. Every other angle gets wiped within seconds, not even minutes.” He announced.

“Whether it's traffic cams, private security or even some of the municipal feed…Ice is scrubbing them faster than I can pull the data. I’ve never seen anyone move this clean.” He added.

For Cipher to say that, it means we are against someone more…elusive and skills. It's no wonder it took us two years to get a clue. Royal Riders have always prided themselves in being hunters z successful hunters. It feels like Ice is out to discredit that.

Bolt exhaled through his nose. “If Ice is making moves again, something is about to happen. Aside from revenge, he has to be stopped.” He declared. That was the plan.

Murmurs of agreement rolled around the table. We all agreed on that.

Zero tilted his chair back. “So the person is both a killer and a hacker at the same time?” He asked with a frown.

Cipher nodded. “Exactly. The body count from two years ago was surgical. The digital footprint is even cleaner. Whoever this is, they don’t leave mistakes. They leave bodies and empty servers.” He continued to explain in his weird way we have come to get used to.

I stared at the grainy image.

There was nothing that could be made out of it.

Frustration sat heavy in my chest. After two years of chasing ghosts, the only face we still didn’t have was the one that mattered.

“Any new location pings?” I asked.

“Last confirmed was this side of the city, twelve hours ago. Then the trail went cold again. He’s here. I can feel it. But he’s ghosting every system the second he touches it.” Cipher’s jaw tightened. “It’s like hunting smoke with a flashlight.”

I nodded slowly, forcing my focus to stay on the mission and on the man who had cost the club blood and time and sleep.

But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting to that dark haired siren with a sharp tongue and the way she had looked at me in that bar like she wanted to burn the world down and then asked me to ruin her instead.

I had never been this distracted on a job.

In my line of work, women came and went. They were soft places to land between runs, nothing more. Tiana had been different in a way I didn’t like admitting, even to myself. She had taken what she wanted and left me with the scent of her on my sheets and a restlessness I couldn’t shake.

Bolt’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Chairman wants results within the week. He is impatient like we are.” He announced.

“I know.” I replied with a sigh. Everyone wanted that man found.

“We need a face, Knox. Or a real trail. We need something for the hunt. South Carolina is big with many faces. Anyone could be that bastard. We need a way to single him out.” Zero pointed out.

I dragged a hand down my face. “Keep digging, expand the radius. Check every camera within twenty miles of that last ping. If Ice is here, he’s moving for a reason. I want to know what that reason is before the next body drops.” I instructed.

Cipher was already nodding, fingers moving again.

“ I'm on it.” He replied.

The rest of the meeting was short. Assignments were handed out before I reminded them that they needed to move with caution. Afterall, this was a new city.

After everyone filed out, Bolt remained.

He studied me for a long second. “You’re off.” He pointed out, his expression serious.

“I’m fine.” I replied.

“Bullshit. You’ve been somewhere else since we left the coast. That woman got under your skin that bad?”

I didn’t answer right away. I didn't want my brother's seeing me as weak because of a woman…a random stranger I fucked for the night.

“She walked out, left money like I was a service she could pay for and forget. Most women don’t do that.” I said in a small voice.

Bolt’s mouth twitched. “Most women aren’t stupid enough to ghost the president of this club either. But…she didn't know who you were.” He explained.

“I know that but still…” I ran my hands on my face.

Bolt didn't say anything, he waited.

I exhaled. “I need her name run quietly.” I revealed.

“Whatever she left behind in that coastal town…hotel records, flights, anything. I want to know who the fuck she is.” I added.

Bolt raised a brow. “ Is this personal or club business?”

“Both,” I admitted even when I knew it was more personal than club related.

“I can’t have her rattling around in my head while we’re this close to Ice. I need it shut down.”

Bolt nodded in understanding. “I’ll have Cipher put a quiet dig on it so that no one else needs to know.” He offered.

I nodded and Bolt left. I stayed standing in the empty room, staring at the projected image of a faceless figure in a hoodie.

Ice was here…somewhere in this city. Moving around freely and preparing for whatever came next.

Then there was Tiana, that sassy Princess living rent free in my head.

I wanted them both found.

First Ice then the woman who thought she could leave the President of the Royal Riders with nothing but crumpled bills and a ghost of her scent.

I would find them both and neither of them was going to walk away from me again.