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HARLEY

“ I ’m dying in here,” Cassidy muttered from where she was slumped over the dining room table. “If I have to pull one more weed, I’m gonna blow my top.”

I rolled my eyes fondly. It was mid-morning, and Cassidy and I were on our second cup of coffee.

I’d had a restful night’s sleep, all curled up in Steph’s arms. It’d been nice to just sleep after exchanging a few lazy, passionate kisses in the safe haven of his bed.

He’d been leaving the house nearly every night for the past few nights, and I was relieved to fall asleep next to him and wake up with him still there.

Initially, I’d been worried about calling Suri for help, but Steph had assured me it was the right choice, and this morning, all my doubts had melted away.

First, because Suri had responded to my heartfelt text of thanks with a goofy selfie of him giving a thumbs-up.

Second, Steph was like a different man. I’d almost say he had a pep in his step as he moved around the kitchen making breakfast, and it wasn’t only from having slept peacefully.

We’d been dealing with Sean for so long, I’d forgotten he could look so carefree.

I liked this look on him. I wanted to see it more often.

But the danger wasn’t gone. Thames was handled, but Sean was still out there.

“Sean’s unpredictable,” Steph said as he scrambled eggs in a pan. “We still have to be careful.”

“I didn’t say we wouldn’t be careful,” Cassidy said. “I just really need to see, like, other people. Humans. I need to walk around a grocery store. Buy a latte. Anything!”

Steph glanced at me, and I shrugged. “We’re both feeling a little like trapped hens.”

“And the fox is still out roaming,” Steph said. “But with Thames out, it’s not quite as dangerous. I think it’s fine for you two to go out during the day, as long as you’ve got enforcers with you. Striker?”

Striker looked up from where he was lounging on the couch and thumbing through a paperback on the couch. As usual, his attention was more on Cassidy than on the book. “I’m happy to go wherever I’m needed.”

“Excellent!” Cassidy jumped to her feet with renewed energy. She was acting more like my son than my adult best friend, and I was totally charmed by it. “I’m getting dressed. We need to go get a coffee and then a pedicure, Harley, like yesterday. I’m going to change.”

She hurried upstairs.

When Steph finished cooking breakfast, Striker set his book down and joined us in the kitchen.

“So,” I said to Striker as I took a bite of toast, “when are you going to tell her?”

He sighed. “There’s been a lot going on.”

“Understatement,” Steph said with a half-smile. “At this point, though, you’re using that as an excuse.”

“I agree,” I said. “She obviously knows something is going on.”

“I know, but it can wait,” Striker said. “We need to deal with Sean and make sure the whole clan is safe before I tell Cassidy she’s my fated mate.”

“What the fuck ?” Cassidy screeched.

The three of us whipped around. Cassidy was standing on the staircase, dressed in jeans and a low-cut tank top instead of her pajamas, her hair tied up in a bun atop her head, and her jaw dropped open in shock. She brandished her forefinger at Striker. “Repeat what you just said.”

“Uh-oh,” I whispered.

Steph and I both took a step back.

Cassidy stormed into the kitchen and stood right in front of Striker with her arms crossed over her chest. She was a head shorter than him and probably only half his weight, yet he still stared wide-eyed down at her like she was the most ferocious thing he’d ever seen.

“Um,” he said.

“Tell me.” Cassidy jabbed her finger into his chest. “Right now.”

“Well, uh,” Striker stammered. “So, for dragons, there’s a certain kind of bond?—”

“I know about mating bonds!” Cassidy gestured at me. “She’s my best friend.”

Striker’s ears turned red. “Well, then you know there’s sort of a… sensation. A feeling, when a dragon meets his fated mate. And, um, well, that’s what I feel. I just know. You’re my fated mate.”

“How long have you known?” Cassidy demanded.

“Since the first moment I saw you,” Striker said. His expression softened, and his voice took on an almost nostalgic quality. “When you barged into the clubhouse and started chewing Ace out.”

“So that’s why you’ve been watching me like a creep this whole time.” She rolled her eyes. “Instead of telling me exactly what was going on, you decided to just lurk and stare.”

“Well, I am an enforcer, so the lurking is my job.”

“Nice try,” Cassidy said. “We’re not done talking about this, but right now, I need a latte and a pedicure more than ever.” She turned to stomp back up the stairs, then paused, and brandished her forefinger at me. “You’re not off the hook either. You knew about this!”

I raised my hands in surrender. “We’ll talk about it over pedis. They’re on me. And the coffee.”

“It’s a start,” Cassidy huffed as she went back upstairs.

“Huh,” Striker said. “That went better than I expected.”

I snorted. If there was anyone who could handle my firecracker of a best friend, it was Striker. I grinned. “Well, that was exciting, but it looks like I need to get ready to head.”

Steph wound his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Be careful out there.”

“You know I always am,” I said, and sealed the promise with a kiss.

I caught Striker watching and knew he was imagining sharing a similar moment with Cassidy.

“Call me if anything happens,” Steph said to Striker. “I’ll be there.”

“I know you will,” Striker said with a salute.

There was still a lot of danger out there, but it was easy to feel safe with Steph and his clan watching my back.

After I got dressed, Cassidy and I went on our way.

Rome drove us into town, and Striker followed on his bike.

The nail salon was on the main strip of downtown.

I bought coffees for all four of us, then Cassidy and I ambled into the salon.

Rome stayed posted out front, just like he had when I met with Blakely, but to my surprise, Striker followed us in.

“You getting your toes done, too?” I asked with an eyebrow quirked.

Striker snorted. “Maybe next time. I’m just here to keep an eye on things, not interrupt girl time.”

“That could be a good punishment,” Cassidy said. “Full mani-pedi? Maybe an eyebrow threading? See what us girls really go through.”

“If that’s what you want,” Striker said with his dark eyes fixed on Cassidy.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her lips parted as she locked eyes with Striker. A second later she snapped out of it, then huffed and turned on her heel. “We’ll see,” she said as she marched toward the pedicure chairs at the back of the salon.

We dunked our bare feet in the warm foot baths, and the nail technicians came over with their rolling cart of supplies.

I sipped my coffee and sank deeper into the cushy massage chair with a happy sigh.

It’d been way too long since I’d had a proper day of pampering, especially with my best friend—even if she was in a mood.

It was a little funny to see her obviously pissed at me and Striker while still sneaking glances at the man leaning against the front door.

“I can’t believe this,” she huffed.

“What part?”

“I came up here for you and Dylan, not to get all wrapped up with a dragon of my own.”

I smirked. “Oh, so he’s your dragon now?”

She blushed again and tossed a napkin at me. “You know what I mean.”

“I really am sorry, though,” I said. “I thought about telling you, but….”

“But it’s not your business,” Cassidy said. “I know. Striker should’ve told me ages ago, not because I happened to overhear him talking about how he’d tell me eventually.”

“Yeah, I’m with you there,” I said. “He was probably planning something romantic. Waiting for all this bullshit to blow over.”

“God, imagine if I was getting ready to head back to Atlanta and he dropped that on me… I would’ve killed him!”

I giggled at the image of Striker putting together some dramatic airport confession, and Cassidy immediately chewing him out for the theatrics of it. She liked a romantic gesture, but it needed to be on her terms. Cassidy was a woman who knew what she wanted.

“So what now?”

“I don’t know!” Cassidy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared down at her toes. “This is a crazy situation. I mean, you of all people know how pathetic my dating life has been in Atlanta, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to throw myself at the first dragon who says I’m his?—”

“Sorry to interrupt.”

Cassidy snapped her mouth shut, and we whipped our heads around toward the man who had interrupted us. He was standing with his arms over his uniformed chest, gun on one hip and radio on the other. Forrest. The corrupt Lakeview sheriff.

“I said hold it ,” Striker barked. He was just a pace behind Forrest. “What the hell do you want with them?”

“Can you give us a moment?” Forrest asked the salon employees.

The two employees glanced up at me and Cassidy. I sighed and nodded. “Sorry about this,” I said. “I promise we’ll tip extra.”

They glanced at each other, then sighed and stepped away.

“What the hell is this about, Forrest?” Striker snapped.

Forrest glared at him. “It’s not a crime for me to speak to visitors in this town I’m paid to serve and protect.”

“Yeah, I don’t think for a second you do any of that.”

“Harley,” Forrest said, “Can I speak to you privately?”

“Not a chance,” Striker said. His voice was so deep it sounded more like a dragon’s growl. I glanced over at Cassidy and saw her mouth was a little slack again. She wiggled a little in her massage chair.

Yeah, despite what she said to me, she was seriously into Striker.

“That’s not your decision,” Forrest said to Striker. “Harley can make her own decisions.”

“You’re not getting her alone,” Striker snarled. “Not after what you’ve done.”

“What exactly are you implying?” Forrest snapped. His hand rested right on the butt of his gun as he glowered at Striker.