Page 28 of Out to Find Freedom

I heard the rev of an engine flying up the road. It came to a screeching halt out the front of the neighbour’s house.

Emmie: Go inside. Don’t worry about me.

Ryan: Emmie. I can’t do that.

A woman climbed out of the car and headed for the front door at a swift pace.

Emmie: Please, please go inside. I have to hide my phone.Don’t text. PLEASE.

Fuck.

Motherfucking hell.It felt wrong. I wanted to storm the place, but I didn’t. Instead, with a burning gut, I spun and stalked back inside. I paced just inside the closed door, phone gripped in hand. I wanted to text, to call, but her plea kept rolling in my mind. I had to fucking wait until I knew that fucker Lenny and his woman were either out or asleep.

I was never good at waiting.

Pressing a name in my contacts, I lifted my phone to my ear. Violet answered after the third ring with a laugh. “I told you to have the damn afternoon off.”

“You need to come here.”

“What’s going on?” Any trace of humour she’d held in her voice vanished.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m on my way. Do you need me to call in Butch?”

“I’ll do it.” It’d give me something to do.

“Right. See you soon,” she said, then hung up.

I pressed Butch’s name. He answered with “Hey, I was just about to call you. My guy at the airport in Melbourne rang. That manager, Jarrod Daltron, just landed. Got home early it seems. It’ll take him at least an hour and a half to get back here. You want me to come with you when you question him?”

“You’re gonna have to do it. I’ve got something goin’ on.”

“You good?”

I blew out a breath. “I don’t fuckin’ know what to think of it. Got Vi coming over. You head here after you see that guy. I’ll send through what I have on the case for you to have a quick look over.”

“Right. On it.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure you don’t need me earlier? The manager can wait until tomorrow.”

“No. Get that done for me. Then come here.”

“Will do. Later,” he said, then disconnected without a reply from me.

It’d take Vi at least half an hour to get to my place since she lived out of town in her soon-to-be husband’s house. Fuck, what was I gonna do with my time?

One thing I could do…. I pressed another name on the phone. A new connection the firm had, who came to us when Mally had her shit go down. We had others in the police force, but no one like Lan Davis. He did things differently than the others. He’d had the Hawks MC’s backs behind the line of duty.

“Lan Davis.”

“Lan. Warden here. I work with—”

“Ryan Warden, works for Violet Marcus, Talon’s sister. Know who you are. What can I do for you?”

“I’m not sure yet. This is what I do know.” I told him everything I could about Emmie. He listened silently. “What do you think?” I asked at the end.

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