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Hawk barked a laugh. “Sometimes, Ace, I think you’re a damn genius.”

We made our way to the clubhouse. It was early evening, so the place was still quiet. A few clan members lingered in the common area, and Tammy was behind the bar again. I flipped the sign to closed.

“Something happening?” Tammy asked.

“We’re going to have some company,” I said. “Guys, would you mind waiting in the back room? We might need a little backup.”

Tank nodded and led the four other guys away from the pool table and into the back. Hawk and I took a seat at the bar, then called Forrest. One mention of Blakely flirting at the clubhouse, and Forrest ended the call with a furious huff.

Minutes later, the door burst open. Forrest was red-faced and scowling. He cast his eyes around the bar, only to find it empty. “Where is she?”

“Have a seat.” I gestured at the bar. Hawk and I were seated at the corner, so Forrest could sit across from us.

Of course, he didn’t listen. He took a few stomping steps closer and glowered at us. “Answer my question.”

“I’ve got some questions for you, first,” I said.

“This isn’t an interrogation.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Hawk said with a smirk. “It kind of is.”

I placed Hawk’s phone on the bar and pressed play on the video.

“Sheriff Forrest paid me a thousand dollars,”the girl in the video said.“And he said he’d get my old trespassing charge wiped off my record. All I had to do was break into the body shop and leave the drugs in the office… He promised me it’d be fine…”

“What the hell is this?” Forrest said.

“Why’d he ask you to do that?”Hawk asked in the video.

“He said the guy who owns the garage is a criminal, and this was just a way to get him behind bars quicker,”the girl said.“He said I just had to trust him.”

I stopped the video. “There’s more where that came from, Forrest. That nice girl connected us with some other people you’ve paid off. We’ve got a whole lot of interesting conversations on record now. A lot with paper trails, too.”

“How dare you?” Forrest’s face paled, and his voice quavered. “That’s official police business.”

“Seems so,” I said. “I’m sure the state police would be very interested in seeing these videos.”

“You can kiss your little sheriff position goodbye,” Hawk said.

“You’re both so full of shit,” Forrest snarled. “You think this is a slam dunk? This is nothing. You’re a pair of criminals. You think anyone will believe this shit? You could’ve paid off this girl yourself. You’re wasting my time!” He turned to storm out of the clubhouse and nearly walked directly into Tammy.

She blocked him from leaving with a hand to his chest. “The boss isn’t done talking to you.”

“Well,I’mdone talking.” Forrest whirled around and drew his gun. His hands shook as he pointed it at me.

I whistled. Tank and the enforcers stormed out of the back room and flanked me, all of them baring their fangs. Forrest’s aim danced shakily between the dragon shifters surrounding me, but no one flinched.

I felt my eyes flash gold as I scowled at Forrest. “You’ll be dead before you pull the trigger.”

Sweat beaded on Forrest’s forehead as he lowered his gun. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

“You really thought you could get away with this?” I stood up from the bar and strode forward, so I was standing eye to eye with him. He swayed backward, like he wanted to retreat, but managed to hold his ground. “You thought you could get away with working with Sean? That I wouldn’t find out?”

Forrest’s face paled even more.

I didn’t actually haveproofof Forrest and Sean working together. Not yet, at least. But Forrest didn’t need to know that.

“How stupid are you, really?” I continued. “You thought working with an insane man wouldbenefityou?”