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“And desperate,” Steph said. “Thames has probably spread the word that the Vahdat clan contacted him. There isn’t a shifter on the continent that would risk working with Sean now. Forrest is probably realizing he’s picked the wrong side, and now he’s trying anything to get a leg up on us.”

“Is that why Forrest keeps trying to get me alone?” I asked, shivering at the thought.

“Exactly. You’re his best target now because he thinks you’re the best way to get to me. Same thing Blakely thinks. No wonder they’ve partnered up.” He stood up and paced the width of his office. His dragon was too restless to stay seated. “It’s you or Dylan. Getting rid of you two is the only path Sean sees toward becoming the alpha. I know he’s spiraling.”

“Hey.” I caught Steph’s wrist and interrupted his pacing. I pulled him close to me and wound my arms around his neck. This close, his gold eyes burned into mine. His fangs had emerged, too.

His anger was intimidating, terrifying—but not to me. Not like this. Not when I knew it was because he was so desperate to keep me safe.

“We’ll be okay,” I said. “We’ve made it this far.”

“I have to make Sean issue the challenge. It can’t wait any longer. I don’t care if Forrest and Blakely go down with him. We can’t keep biding our time. I can’t keep letting them play with your life… Or Dylan’s life.”

“Whatever it takes.” I nodded in understanding. I tipped his head down and pressed our foreheads together, then took a few deep breaths until Steph’s breathing matched mine. Just like Steph, I’d do anything to keep our son safe. No matter the consequences.

“You should stay here,” Steph said. “I know I said it’d be okay to go out?—”

“You don’t have to explain,” I said with a small smile. “I agree. It’s not worth the risk. Not until all of this is over.”

“Sean is at his breaking point,” Steph said. “I can feel it. I just need to push him over the edge.”

“Whatever it takes,” I said. “I’m with you, Steph.”

He kissed me, and it burned with his ferocity and determination.

Steph would do whatever it took to keep us safe. I just hoped he wouldn’t lose himself in the process.

47

ACE

“So, who was she?” I asked Hawk as soon as he walked into my office. I was overlooking the garage, making sure we were on track to hit our profit targets for the quarter. It’d been a transition getting out of gun-running and going clean, but it looked like we’d still be a profitable business.

Hawk hadn’t been out on business orders. Rome’s younger brother out in San Francisco had finally gotten back to us about the security video. He’d cleaned it up, cross-referenced it with some video from a nearby gas station, and sent us photos we could actually see.

“Forrest is a real scumbag,” Hawk said as he dropped into the chair across from me. “She’s just a teenager. A runaway from Canada trying to make her way to New York City to ‘make it big’.”

“Jesus,” I said. “What did Forrest do?”

“Offered her a fat stack of cash to sneak in and plant the drugs,” Hawk said. “I’ve got her explanation on tape. She said she’d talk again if we asked.”

“Good work,” I said. “We might need that.”

“You’re sure this is the right plan of action?” Hawk asked.

I nodded. “Once Sean is cut off from Forrest, he won’t have any other options,” I said. “Forrest was his last-ditch effort. Sean will only have the guys he can afford to pay—and we know that’s not very many, if he even has any at all.”

“Thames may have scared all his muscle off.”

“I hope so,” I said. “That might be enough to get him to challenge me.”

Hawk rubbed his hand over his forehead. “So, it’s finally come to this.”

“We both knew it would.” It hurt me to have to do it like this—to chip away at Sean from the outside—but I knew it was the only way to break his ego. I had to force him to challenge me, so we could end this fight with honor. I sighed. “Let’s head back to the clubhouse. I’ll call Forrest.”

“How are you going to get him to show up?” Hawk asked.

“That part’s easy,” I said. “I’ll just tell him Blakely’s causing a scene at the clubhouse, trying to get on a dragon’s dick again. He’ll be right over.”