Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 88

CHAPTER 54 2

CHAPTER 54-2

speak with Derek and Cole. No drama. No confrontation. Just eyes open.” Jace said and I managed a small smile.

“I appreciate that.” I said and he smiled back.

“So does the rest of the club.” He said leaning forward and kissing me.

After Jace left to speak with Derek and Cole, I remained upstairs for a while, watching Diesel sleep

on the living room rug. His steady breathing somehow made the apartment feel calmer but my thoughts refused to settle.

I kept replaying Tyler’s warning. Charlotte had always manipulated people. That wasn’t new but

meeting strangers in abandoned industrial areas was. I hated how easily those two ideas fit

together.

The next morning Lawson Customs opened exactly on time. Customers arrived with rattling

engines, worn tires and mysterious noises that somehow only appeared “every now and then.” Ben immediately became buried beneath a stack of repair orders, while Mia reorganized the schedule after two emergency breakdowns arrived before ten o’clock.

On the surface, everything looked completely normal. Underneath, I noticed small changes. Derek rode past the garage twice before lunch and Cole stopped for coffee but never actually finished it

because he spent most of the time watching traffic through the café window.

Hunter wandered in carrying a box of donuts and somehow managed to stay almost an hour

without giving anyone a believable reason.

Nobody mentioned Charlotte or the surveillance and the entire club behaved as though nothing

had changed. It was subtle and professional. Exactly the way Jace had promised.

Late that afternoon Emma stopped by with fresh muffins she claimed she had accidentally baked

too many of.

“I somehow made three dozen.” She said and I looked inside the container.

“You accidentally made enough for a football team.” I said and she laughed.

“I’ve never been good at small batches.” She said.

We carried two mugs of coffee upstairs to my apartment while Diesel happily accepted one of the dog biscuits Emma had tucked into her handbag and she smiled as she scratched behind his ears.

“I think he’s settled in.” She said.

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HAPTER 54 2

“I think he believes he owns the place.” I said.

“He probably does.” She said.

For a few minutes we talked about ordinary things. The festival, the engine competition and Ben’s

latest attempt at fixing something without reading the instructions first.

Eventually the conversation slowed and Emma studied me over the rim of her coffee mug.

“You’re thinking about Charlotte.” She said and I sighed.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked.

“Only because I’ve been doing the same thing.” She said and I stared out the window toward the

garage.

“I feel guilty.” I said.

“For what?” She asked.

“For letting the club keep an eye on her. She’s still my sister.” I said as I rubbed my thumb around

the edge of the mug.

Emma remained quiet for a moment before answering.

“Biologically?” She asked.

“Yes.” I said.

“In every other way?” She asked and I looked back at her. She didn’t sound cruel. She sounded sad.

“You’ve spent months telling me what your childhood was like. You’ve told me how often she lied.

How often she blamed you. How often she watched other people hurt you without stepping in.”

She added and I nodded.

Each sentence landed gently, but none of them missed their mark so Emma reached across the

table and rested her hand over mine.

“Family protects each other, Paige. They don’t spend years tearing each other down. She stopped acting like family a long time ago.” She said.

The words settled heavily between us because they were true. Not comfortable or easy. Simply true and a long breath escaped my lungs.

“I think I’ve been holding onto who I wished she was.” I said and Emma smiled softly.

“Most people do. You aren’t spying on your sister. You’re trying to protect innocent people.” She said as she squeezed my hand before standing.

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CHAPTER 54 2

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