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“I just want to get back to Dylan,” she said. “I just want him to be safe.”

“He’s safe. This won’t happen again. I promise.”

Harley didn’t look convinced in the slightest, and I couldn’t blame her. All I could do was try to be better—and try to keep my promises.

I got out of the back seat and behind the steering wheel, nodding at Hawk. He climbed into the truck with Tank, and Rome revved his bike. I led the caravan as we headed away from Sean’s compound. Harley leaned against the door and looked out the window as we drove.

“You’re not going to like what I have to say,” I said.

She caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. “There’s not much you could say that Iwouldlike.”

“Sean won’t stop targeting you. If you leave Lakeview, he’ll only see it as a better opportunity to get to you because the clan and I won’t be around to defend you.” It was the truth, but I also needed a chance to fix things between us. To make her understand what had happened—or, more accurately,nothappened—between me and Blakely. I needed to prove to her that her home was here in Lakeview. I’d gotten so close to having her at my side forever, and I wasn’t going to let her slip away now.

“Right,” Harley said sarcastically. “Because we’ve been so safe in Lakeview so far.”

My heart ached, but again, I couldn’t argue that she was wrong. “I’m going to fix this.”

“You keep saying that.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. There was no anger in her voice now, just resignation. “If Dylan wants to stay, we’ll stay, but only because this has been traumatic for him. More than it has for me, probably. If he wants to leave, though, we’re out of here.”

“That’s fair,” I said.

“And if we stay,” she continued, “I’m sleeping in one of the guest rooms. And we’re only staying until this shit with yourbrother is sorted out. If there’s even a whisper of a threat against Dylan, I’m catching the first plane back to Atlanta.”

“That’s fair, too.” I kept my eyes on the road as I drove us back to my house. I was confident they wouldn’t be leaving, at least not tonight. Dylan needed us both.

“Is Dylan okay?” she asked.

“He was shaken up, but he’s strong, and he knows you’re strong, too. He knew you’d be okay.”

“Good,” Harley said.

“And his aunt’s been helping him.”

“Mia?”

“No.” I smiled. “Dylan asked for Cassidy, and she flew up here the same day.”

Harley sat up straight, her eyes wide. “Cassidy’s here?”

“Yeah. She’s been taking good care of Dylan.”

“Jeez.” Harley rubbed her hand over her forehead. “I owe her big time.”

“Plus… Mm. Don’t tell her I told you this.”

“Told me what?” Her gaze homed in on mine in the rearview mirror again.

“Well, you remember how I told you what it felt like when I first saw you? When my dragon knew we were fated mates?”

Her gaze cut to the side. “Yeah, I remember.”

God, I kept screwing this up. She still thought I had cheated on her. That was too much to explain right now. She needed to recover, see our son, and hug her best friend. Then I’d talk to her about us. “Well,” I continued, “Striker had the same reaction when he saw Cassidy.”

“Seriously?” Harley tipped her head back with a groan. “We’re never going to be rid of you dragons.”

“Probably not. You’re stuck with us.”

When we pulled up at my house, I’d never been happier to see the enormous glass windows and the gleaming lake. It seemed Harley felt the same. She burst out of the Cadillac.