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“Jesus,” I said, then raked my hands through my hair as the adrenaline drained away. “Someone should’ve told me.”

“She texted,” Hawk said with a small smile. “You’ve been knocked out on the couch.”

Fair enough. I rubbed my forehead. I hated that I wasn’t with Dylan right now, but Mia was a good aunt for taking him back to a place where he felt more comfortable and safe. I gave Hawk a grateful nod, and he squeezed my shoulder.

We’d get through this somehow. We’d do it together.

I gestured for him to come downstairs with me. It was probably best that Dylan wouldn’t be here to hear me discuss exactly what I was going to do to Sean.

Downstairs, Striker slid each of us a cup of coffee. “Looks like you need this,” he said. He was a barrel-chested enforcer, and his chestnut hair had silver streaks through it, despite the fact that he wasn’t much older than me. This morning, he was wearing a plain white shirt with an apron over it, left behind from the Night Shift Distillery event. He slid the two mugs of coffee across the bar to me and Hawk.

“I need real sleep,” I said, “but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Not until I find Harley.”

Striker nodded in agreement. “We’re with you every step of the way, Ace. The guys should be here in a few minutes.”

“Good. We need to get our plan in order and move as quickly as we can.”

The door slammed open. “Where the fuck is that bastard?” a loud, high-pitched voice shouted.

It was a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time, but as soon as I turned around, I recognized its owner. Cassidy stormed inside like she was a pissed-off mother, and I was the teenager who had thrown a house party. She was small and slight, withlong jet-black hair and blunt, bleached bangs. She was wearing a hoodie and loose jeans, and her bag was over her shoulder—she’d clearly come directly from the airport. And she waspissed.

“What the hell happened?” Cassidy barked as she stomped up to the bar. “And where the hell is my nephew?”

Striker placed his hands flat on the bar. His eyes widened as he stared at Cassidy, though she wasn’t paying him a lick of attention. I could sense his dragon rising up behind his eyes.

I recognized that feeling, and I knew it all too well. It was the same feeling I’d had when I first saw Harley.

“How the hell could you let her do that?” Cassidy demanded. “You just let her leave? Run off on her own? Youknewyou had a psychotic-ass brother out there looking for her, for you. Youknewit was dangerous, and you just let hergo?”

“I know,” I said.

Cassidy was right. I had no leg to stand on. No way to explain what had happened. The truth was simple—I’d fucked up, and Harley was paying the price.

Cassidy glowered at me, waiting for me to argue.

“I’m sorry.”

She heaved a sigh. “I don’t need your apologies. I need to know what your plan is to get her back.”

“The guys are coming here to have that exact discussion.”

“The guys?” Cassidy echoed. “Tell me, now. I’d rather not be here when the place is full of dragons.”

“I expect you will be,” Striker said in a low voice. “They’ll be here any minute.”

Cassidy glanced over at him, and Striker’s pupils dilated. Cassidy’s gaze flickered over his face, curious and a little surprised, then she turned back to me. “Just tell me.”

“Damn.” Hawk snickered. “You’d make a good alpha, girl.”

Cassidy didn’t laugh. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glower at me. Striker poured her a cup of coffeeand slid it over the bar, and she accepted it without looking at him. That was enough to make Striker smile, though.

“We all know what Sean wants,” I said. “He wants this clan. He wants the territory. He wants to be the alpha. He’s made that crystal clear, and he’s been getting more and more confident. Ballsy. But I never thought—” I cringed and cut myself off. It didn’t matter what I had thought. The only thing that mattered was that I had thoughtwrong.

Cassidy’s fierce expression made it clear she thought the same.

“I’m the Lakeview alpha, and my heir is a threat to his plans. He wants me to trade Dylan for Harley.”

“You can’t?—”