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“You’re sick , Mom,” I said. “You don’t need me to help you. You need doctors. This isn’t something you should have to do alone.”

Mom set the wine glass down and stared into it like she was lost in thought. I didn’t dare hope that this impulsive intervention would work, but maybe I’d given her something to think about.

Maybe, finally, we could start moving in the right direction.

“Listen, there’s been some weird stuff going on, and you getting drugged is part of it. So if Sheriff Forrest comes around, don’t talk to him.”

“What?” Mom asked. “But he’s the police.”

“I know, but we can’t trust anyone right now. Just blow him off and call me, okay? Promise me.”

“I will,” Mom grumbled. “I never liked that guy, anyway.”

“Hey!” Rome’s voice shouted outside. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I stood up, immediately on high alert. I left Mom on the couch and hurried to the front door, peeked out the peephole, then swung it open.

Rome was holding one hand out, blocking Forrest from approaching the front porch. The police cruiser was parked right next to Rome’s bike, and the two men were glaring at each other.

“You’re not welcome here,” Rome said coolly.

“Welcome has nothing to do with it,” Forrest snapped back. “I’m doing my job. Lakeview is my town, and I can speak to the citizens as I desire. Get out of my way, or you’ll be in danger of assaulting an officer.”

“You know that’s not how things work within the clan,” Rome snarled. “You can’t push any of us around.”

Forrest looked over Rome’s shoulder and smirked at me. “Well, Harley isn’t a member of your clan. She’s not a dragon.”

“She’s Ace’s,” Rome shot back. “That makes her family.”

“I’m just looking to have a conversation,” Forrest said. “Harley, want to call off your attack dog, here?”

Rome glanced at me. I stepped out onto the front porch and pulled the door closed behind me. Sighing, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want, Forrest?”

“A private conversation,” Forrest said.

“I wasn’t willing to do it before, what do you think has changed now?” How stupid did Forrest think I was? Did he really believe I had no idea he was working with Sean and Blakely both?

“Fine,” Forrest scoffed. “I assume you know Ace and I have some history.”

“Obviously.”

“Ace blames me for sending him to prison. But as I assume you also know, I was just doing my job. It was Ace’s behavior that got him sent to prison.”

He watched me for my reaction, but I remained impassive. Honestly, I didn’t give a damn about Forrest’s interpretation of how things went. That chapter of Ace’s life was closed. I was ready to move on from that, and I knew Ace was, too.

“You can never trust a criminal to truly change their ways,” Forrest continued.

“I don’t know what Ace has told you, but you can’t take a man like that at his word.

He leads a dangerous life, Harley. He always has.

And eventually, there’s going to be consequences.

I don’t want to see you, or your son hurt because of Ace’s choices. ”

What a crock of shit. He was trying to drive me out of Lakeview, probably because Blakely had asked. He thought getting rid of me was another great way to get under Ace’s skin. If he thought running me out of Lakeview would be that easy, he was dumber than I thought.

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine right where I am.”

Forrest’s expression soured. “You’d be a fool to stick around now, Harley. It’s only going to get more dangerous.”

“What exactly does that mean?” I asked.

Rome mirrored my posture, arms crossed over his chest, and glared at Forrest. “Yeah, Sheriff . Is that a threat?”

“It’s a fact. You know Ace has multiple targets on his back.”

“Oh yeah?” Rome pressed. “What would you know about that?”

“Well–Well that’s—” Forrest stammered as his ears flushed red. “That’s police business.”

Yeah, I don’t think so.

“But,” Forrest continued, regaining his composure, “we’re still looking for the culprits of the drive-by shooting. They’re still out there, and we don’t know what they’re planning next. I don’t want you and your son to get involved with this, Harley.”

Don’t believe that, either. I scowled at him. “Well, that doesn’t matter, because it’s my decision.”

“You heard the lady,” Rome said. He stepped in right in front of Forrest, blocking me from his line of sight. “You’ve said your piece. Anything else I can help you with?”

Forrest met his gaze. “That’s all. Just doing my duty to serve and protect.” He took a step back and looked over at me again. “Stay safe out there, Harley.”

“Don’t need your help for that,” I called as he walked back to his cruiser.

“Who was that?” Mom asked as I walked back into the house.

“Forrest,” I said. “I’ve got to get back to Ace’s house, but there will still be some enforcers around keeping you safe, okay?”

“What did Forrest want?” Mom asked.

“He’s just trying to get under my skin.” I frowned. “Don’t talk to him. I’m going to get all this sorted out. Just… Just think about what I said, okay?”

“Mm.” Mom picked up her wine glass and swirled the liquid contemplatively. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

Rome followed me home, then returned to Mom’s place to keep an eye out, just in case Forrest went back to try to talk to her.

“Hey,” I said as I stepped inside the house. I ruffled Dylan’s hair as I walked past him where he was playing his VR game. “Where’s Steph?” I asked Cassidy.

She nodded toward the stairs, and I flashed her a smile as I went upstairs.

I found Steph in his office, frowning at a stack of papers spread over his desk.

He looked handsome. He always did, even in his grease-stained garage clothes, but I especially liked the little furrow he got in his brow when he was scouring the body shop’s paperwork.

When he looked up and saw me slip into the office, the concentration slid off his face and morphed into a smile. Gold flashed in his eyes.

God, I loved the way he looked at me.

“Hey,” Steph said. “How’s your mom doing?”

“Not great, but not nearly as bad as she’s been in the past.”

“Is that good?”

Was it? Mom had always had her ups and downs with her drinking, and I’d heard her proclaim she was going to sober up before. Something felt a little different this time, though. “Yeah,” I said with a small nod. “I think so. Also, we had another visitor show up.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who?”

As I told Steph about Forrest’s appearance, the gold burned deeper and brighter in his dark eyes. I could nearly feel his dragon’s rage building.

“What a sack of shit,” he growled. “Showing up at Liz’s house is…”

“Insane.”

“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.