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HARLEY

T he door to Steph’s office closed with a definitive click .

“I’m worried about him,” I said to Mia.

It was mid-morning, and Hawk and Steph had just stepped into his office for yet another meeting. Steph had been gone nearly every night this week, and when he returned, he seemed more and more distant. No matter how I tried to share the load, I couldn’t quite reach him.

He had a lot on his mind. Part of me ached to have him claim me, though I knew now wasn’t the right time to ask. I wished I had done it earlier. I wished I was his claimed mate, like Mia was with Hawk, so I’d have a better read on his feelings.

At least then I would know how to support him the way he so easily supported me.

“I feel the same way about Hawk.” Mia sighed as she poured more coffee into our mugs. “I don’t know what the hell they’re going to do.”

I took the mug in both hands and let the warmth seep into me. Outside, Striker and Cassidy were watching Bella, Dylan, and Zoey play in the backyard. “Did you know about this guy before all this? This Thames guy?”

Mia’s eyebrows raised just a little, like she was surprised to hear me say his name. “Steph told you about it?”

“Not a whole lot. He definitely made it sound… complicated.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Mia said.

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you this,” Mia muttered. “Especially if Steph hasn’t.”

I rolled my eyes. “This might shock you, but Steph hasn’t had a lot of time to catch me up on the details. I feel like I only get a handful of minutes with him a day.”

“Fair point,” Mia said and took a sip of her coffee. “Well, if I were in your position, I’d want to know too.

“His name is Thames Walsh. He was known around Lakeview, even though he wasn’t part of the clan, and didn’t live in the town proper. He’s a trafficker.”

“Like Steph’s former gun guys?”

“Worse than that,” Mia said. “He trafficked in everything. Weapons. Drugs. People. Women.”

I set the coffee aside as bile rose in my throat. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Everyone in the clan was warned about him, and he was never present at any events. I heard he could be a real charmer. So, that was part of what he did. He liked his women…” She wrinkled her nose. “Unconscious.”

“Oh my god,” I whispered, stunned.

“I know,” she said. “Everyone was relieved when he skipped town. Or, really, when he was run off. Ace refused to work with him, and when Thames started to disrespect that order, he was out of here. I think to a different territory to the west. They had some kind of truce.”

“But now that Sean is working with Thames, things have changed.”

“Exactly. Ace and Hawk are trying to figure out what exactly Sean has offered Thames. It has to be something big to get him to risk nullifying the truce. Or maybe Thames has gathered enough power of his own that he thinks he has the strength to take on Lakeview.” She scoffed. “As if.”

“And once they figure out the offer Sean made?”

“Ace will try to beat it,” Mia said. “Convince him to back out of his deal with Sean.”

My stomach dropped. “So he’s going to deal with this guy? This trafficker ?”

“I don’t know,” Mia said. “I know he has to let Thames know he knows about the deal. Maybe that’ll be enough to get Thames to back off.

” She scowled. “I don’t like it, either.

I hate the thought of Hawk meeting with this scumbag like it’s a regular business deal.

I can always tell when they’re talking about him—I get all these knots in my stomach.

” She rubbed her palm over her heart like it hurt.

“From the bond?” I asked. “You can feel it?”

“His really strong emotions, yeah,” she said. “That makes me feel better about it. I know Hawk won’t do any real dealings with this guy, because I can feel how much he hates it.”

“I wish I had that with Steph. He’s so… distant. I don’t know what he needs.”

“It’s tough. It’s like a rock and a hard place.”

“I trust Steph,” I said. “But what kind of deal is he going to have to make? How many more people are going to suffer just to try to stay a step ahead of Sean?”

“We have no way of knowing that,” Mia said. “Hell, the guys are already scrambling to figure out what to do. There’s nothing you and I can do, not really. All we can do is support our mates and hope for the best.”

That wasn’t enough for me. I couldn’t just stand around and hope things would get better. Not when Steph was considering working with a trafficker .

Not when there was something I could actually do this time. I didn’t know if Steph would like it, but it seemed like we were running out of options. If Steph worked with this Thames guy, the clan might never recover from the guilt and the shame. He might never recover.

I wasn’t going to let that happen. It was my turn to protect my mate.

“I need to make a call,” I said to Mia.

“Huh?” She blinked at me. “Now?”

“I’ll be right back.” I climbed the stairs to my room without waiting for her answer. I closed the door, scrolled through my contacts, and tapped a familiar name.

By the time the call had ended, Mia, Hawk, and Bella were gone. Dylan and Striker were still outside, but Steph wasn’t with them. I went back upstairs and knocked gently on the office door. “Steph?”

“Come in.”

I pushed the door open. Steph was seated in his office chair and turned away from the computer to face the door. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He pushed his palms into his eyes, then sat back in the chair and offered me a small smile.

“Hey,” I said, closing the door behind me. “You and Hawk come up with a plan?”

“Not really, but we’ll figure something out.” There wasn’t much confidence in his voice. I knew he and Hawk were talking in circles, trying to find a way to intervene with Sean’s deal with Thames without working with Thames themselves. And yet, they were still coming up empty.

I stepped closer and raked one hand through Steph’s hair. He closed his eyes at the touch. Then, I climbed into his lap and leaned against his chest. Steph sighed and wrapped his arms around me. “I know I’ve been distant. I’m sorry.”

“I hate seeing you like this,” I said. “I hate feeling like there’s nothing I can do.”

“It’s not your fight, Harley.”

“Yes, it is,” I said gently. “It’s your fight, so it’s mine, too.”

I kissed him again, then stood up off of his lap and took both his hands in mine. “Come on. You need to lie down. You look terrible.”

He smiled as he stood up. “Is that all we’re doing?”

“I don’t know,” I teased. “Is it?” I squeezed his hands. “I miss you. I want to feel connected to you.”

“Harley…” Steph leaned down and kissed my neck. “Lead the way.”

We went to our bedroom, and I locked the door. Though the house was quiet with Dylan and Striker outside, I didn’t want anyone interrupting us, not when it felt like Steph had been away from me for so long.

I pushed him down onto the bed, then straddled him. His hands immediately fell to my hips. I slid my hands under the hem of his shirt and skated up the warm, smooth plane of his back.

Steph growled low in his chest and pressed his face into my neck. His lips were warm, soft, and the slight pressure of his teeth against my sensitive skin had me gasping in desire. I pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside, needing to get my hands all over that gorgeous, tattooed skin.

He pulled me close, so my clothed chest was flush to his bare one.

His grip on me tightened, and I rolled my hips in response.

He was already half-hard in his jeans, and I could feel him getting harder and harder.

It sent an intense flash of heat through me.

I loved feeling the effect I had on him.

Loved seeing the flash of his dragon in his eyes and feeling him loosen that iron control he kept on himself.

“You’re so gorgeous,” he growled as he tugged at my shirt. “Take this off.”

“Scoot back,” I demanded in response. With some wriggling, Steph made his way up the mattress, and I pushed him down until he was flat on his back.

Desire rolled through me as I looked down at him…

Desire and power. I liked having him under me like this.

I liked being the one in control. I rolled my hips again, and Steph groaned low in his chest.

I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head, then I reached behind my back, unhooked my bra, and tossed it aside. My full breasts spilled out, and I reached back and undid my hair, so it fell in waves over my shoulders.

Steph’s eyes burned gold as he looked up at me.

“What?” I said, playfully twirling a strand of hair around my finger. “What is it?”

He smirked. “You little tease.”

“Not today. I’m in a bit of a hurry.” I leaned down and kissed him hard on the mouth. “So let me drive.”

I wriggled out of my pants, then pulled off Steph’s, too—not my most graceful endeavor, but it was worth it once we were both finally naked.

I straddled his hips again, but this time without the layers of fabric between us.

I braced both hands on his chest and grinded my hips back, so the length of his hard cock slid over my slick pussy.

I was nearly throbbing with desire. Desperate for it.

Steph groaned again and dug his fingers into my thighs. His hardness pulsed against me—he wanted it just as badly as I did, but he was letting me set the pace.

“Feels perfect,” I moaned. “Feels so good already.”

“Harley,” he breathed. “Need you.”

“And I need you. Always.” I lifted my hips just enough to grasp his hardness by the base. Then it was easy, too easy, to guide the head of his cock to my pussy and slowly sink onto it.

I put my hands back on his chest and threw my head back as pleasure coursed through me.

“So good,” I breathed. “Perfect. A perfect fit.”

“Made for you,” Steph said.

I rolled my hips in smooth circles. The pressure felt incredible, and it was even better with Steph gazing at me like I was a goddess and he was my acolyte.