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“But it’s also true that Harley evaded you on purpose,” I said. “She’s smart. And fast. So, while you won’t be off the hook entirely, I’m not removing you as an enforcer. We’ll return to this once we’ve dealt with Sean.”

“Sir,” Rome said with a firm nod of his head. He stepped back into the group, still cowed, but looking a little relieved. I didn’t have enough energy to be pissed at him right now, though he likely wouldn’t have stood a chance against Harley. If she didn’t want to be followed, she wouldn’t be. Simple as that.

“Now,” I said to the group, “tonight, one way or another, an alpha is going to die.”

Gasps sounded through the room. I briskly caught the enforcers up on what happened: Blakely’s call, the setup, and the demands Sean had made.

“We should’ve gotten rid of that girl ages ago,” Hawk snarled. “We were way too soft on her.”

“What’s done is done,” I said. I agreed with him, though. I tried to push her out, make her leave of her own accord, but she never did. Every attempt I made to ice her out only made her more fixated on worming her way back in. I should’ve donewhat I did to Forrest. Should’ve forced her to start a new life somewhere else, somewhere far away from all of us.

Hawk was right. I’d been too soft on her. I pitied her, and this was how she repaid me.

“Sean demanded I meet him alone,” I said.

A chorus of complaints and scoffs rang out in response. I held my hand up and the hullabaloo ceased. “Obviously, I won’t be adhering to that, but he needs to believe I am. So, I’m going to take a small crew of enforcers. Hawk, Striker, Tank, and Rome will all be with me.”

Rome looked up with wide eyes.

“Yes, you,” I said to Rome. “Time to make up for your mistakes, yeah?”

“I will,” he said firmly.

“The enforcers will stay far away, out of both sight and scent-range. Hawk has the best ears, so he’ll stay shifted in order to hear my call if I need reinforcement.”

“Got it,” Hawk said.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” I said, “but if this is a trap?—”

“Which it probably is,” Striker interjected.

“—then we need to be ready. Everyone good with that?”

“Good,” the enforcers said in unison.

“Hawk, I need to speak with you.” I pulled my brother away from the crowd and out onto the back porch of the clubhouse.

Hawk braced both hands on the porch railing and looked out over the lake. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“Are you ready to hear it?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” I stood next to him. The lake was beautiful and still. I wondered if he was thinking about that day on the boat, too. The day Sean had pushed me into the water. I sighed. “You know what tonight means.”

“I know.”

“I want you there with the enforcers, Hawk, but I need to know you’re ready to see this through. You know I have to end this. I have to be the one to kill Sean.”

Hawk twitched as a shudder ran through him.

“Will you be able to let me finish the job?” I asked. “I need to know you won’t try to stop me. I know he’s still our brother.”

“He’s not,” Hawk said, with a sudden steely determination in his voice. “That’s the truth. He’s not. I thought—I thought he was. But he tried to kill you when we were just kids, Ace. It was always a lie.”

I squeezed his shoulder. “He fooled all of us.”

“And that still hurts,” Hawk said. “There’s no other choice. He’s our enemy. He’s threatened this clan too many times. It’s time to put an end to this for good. I just wish…” He trailed off, looking out at the lake.