Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“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.
ACE
“So, who was she?” I asked Hawk as soon as he walked into my office. I was overlooking the garage, making sure we were on track to hit our profit targets for the quarter. It’d been a transition getting out of gun-running and going clean, but it looked like we’d still be a profitable business.
Hawk hadn’t been out on business orders. Rome’s younger brother out in San Francisco had finally gotten back to us about the security video. He’d cleaned it up, cross-referenced it with some video from a nearby gas station, and sent us photos we could actually see.
“Forrest is a real scumbag,” Hawk said as he dropped into the chair across from me. “She’s just a teenager. A runaway from Canada trying to make her way to New York City to ‘make it big’.”
“Jesus,” I said. “What did Forrest do?”
“Offered her a fat stack of cash to sneak in and plant the drugs,” Hawk said. “I’ve got her explanation on tape. She said she’d talk again if we asked.”
“Good work,” I said. “We might need that.”
“You’re sure this is the right plan of action?” Hawk asked.
I nodded. “Once Sean is cut off from Forrest, he won’t have any other options,” I said. “Forrest was his last-ditch effort. Sean will only have the guys he can afford to pay-and we know that’s not very many, if he even has any at all.”
“Thames may have scared all his muscle off.”
“I hope so,” I said. “That might be enough to get him to challenge me.”
Hawk rubbed his hand over his forehead. “So, it’s finally come to this.”
“We both knew it would.” It hurt me to have to do it like this-to chip away at Sean from the outside-but I knew it was the only way to break his ego. I had to force him to challenge me, so we could end this fight with honor. I sighed. “Let’s head back to the clubhouse. I’ll call Forrest.”
“How are you going to get him to show up?” Hawk asked.
“That part’s easy,” I said. “I’ll just tell him Blakely’s causing a scene at the clubhouse, trying to get on a dragon’s dick again. He’ll be right over.”
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.
