“Forrest will walk from his hotel to Garret’s Bar which is halfway to the function he is about to supposedly attend. Stop there and wait for our instructions once we know Chester is on the move in the city. Depending on where Chester heads, that is the direction we will get Forrest to start walking, putting him in direct line to run into Chester on the street out in the open. We need people to see this and be a witness, besides all of us who will be around him and filming it. Hopefully some dumbass on the street will take their phone out and film it and we can get the police to use that so we don’t have to enter into this at all.” He stops and looks directly at me.

“And you,” he says, pointing his finger at me with conviction. “Don’t do anything stupid or stray from this plan. We are here to keep you safe and alive, but if you screw me over on this, I will beat the shit out of you myself, or worse, still put a call in to Harper and fly her to Chicago so I can watch the fireworks.”

I can’t help but laugh at his threat because it’s exactly what would happen.

“Understood, and I’m man enough to say in this room that I am more scared of Harper than I am of you.” I hear chuckles from all the men around me.

“Me too, just saying. And that’s how I know how much she means to you.” Ashton gives me a look of understanding, like he knows what that same kind of love feels like.

“And my last instruction is for you to provoke him with your words, but don’t you dare lay a hand on him until it’s necessary. We need him to get a few good strikes on you so we can claim self-defense. But this is non-negotiable—if he pulls out a gun or any kind of weapon, you immediately pull back and let us handle it. Because let me assure you, if you love Harper like you say you do, do not, I repeat, do not let her live a life of hell knowing the two most important men in her life were killed by the same man, and one of them was doing it to protect her.” Ashton’s glare and words hit me hard. I hadn’t looked at it like that. “Understood?” His stance and the way his hands are in balled-up fists beside him show me how serious he is right now.