My pulse kicks up, and it has nothing to do with the bike.
We emerge onto a scenic overlook, a small parking area carved into the hillside with a stone wall separating pavement from the drop beyond. Shaw pulls to a stop and kills the engine. Sudden quiet feels overwhelming after the constant rumble. The ocean spreads out below us, gray-blue and endless.
I climb off carefully, legs unsteady, and remove the helmet. Shaw swings off with practiced ease and secures both helmets before turning to face me.
"Thought we were going to Pete's facility," I say, not bothering to hide suspicion.
"We are." Shaw moves toward the wall. "But I wanted to talk first. Away from witnesses and evidence."
Away from anything that might hold him accountable if this goes wrong. Smart tactical move. Isolate the investigator, control the environment, manage the narrative.
I join him at the wall anyway. The view is stunning—Pacific Northwest beauty that commands premium prices. Wind carries salt and pine, gulls crying somewhere below.
"Talk about what?" I ask, though I'm fairly certain I know.
"Your theory." Shaw leans against the wall, arms crossed. "You said the previous fires involved owners with expansion plans and financial stress. You've been assuming fraud. But I saw something shift at Sullivan's warehouse. What changed?"
Direct. No pretense. Shaw doesn't waste time with small talk when he wants information.
"Nothing changed," I say, meeting his gaze. "The pattern still holds. Financial stress, expansion plans, convenient fires, insurance payouts. Sullivan fits the pattern too—I ran a quick background check this morning. He'd been trying to finance a warehouse expansion for months, couldn't secure loans, was facing cash flow problems. Same profile as the others."
"So you still think we're running fraud."
"I think someone is running fraud. Whether it's the Brotherhood or someone using you as cover, the pattern is too consistent to ignore."
Shaw turns to face me fully, controlled anger in his posture. "You really can't let it go. Someone is burning down my brothers' businesses, and you're still convinced we're doing it to ourselves."
"I'm convinced the evidence points to fraud. Whether your brothers are willing participants or being used by someone in the club, I don't know yet." I hold his gaze. "But four fires with identical financial patterns and Brotherhood connections isn't coincidence."
"Someone is using us as cover. Approaching business owners, implying Brotherhood connections, then burning them out when they refuse partnership."
"Or someone within the Brotherhood is running exactly that operation and you're protecting them."
"I'm not protecting criminals. I'm protecting innocent people from false accusations." His voice drops lower, harder. "You want to know about the Brotherhood? We built something thatmatters—legitimate business, skilled work, family for people who need it. That's what these patches represent."
"Noble story." I keep my voice level. "But noble motivations don't preclude criminal activity. I've investigated plenty of organizations with compelling origin stories who turned out to be running sophisticated fraud."
"So nothing I say will convince you."
"Evidence will convince me. Not stories." I pull out my tablet. "You want to prove the Brotherhood is innocent? Give me access. Financial records for every member whose business burned. Communication logs. Business documentation. Everything that proves expansion plans were legitimate and not preparation for fraud."
"That's what I'm offering. Full cooperation. Access to victims, financial records, everything you need to see we're not criminals."
"Why?" I study him carefully. "Why give me access if you're guilty? Why not stonewall, refuse cooperation, make my investigation difficult?"
"Because I want you to see the truth." Shaw moves closer. "Because when you realize we're innocent, you'll help us find who's actually responsible instead of wasting time investigating the wrong people."
"Or you're trying to control my investigation by feeding me only what makes you look innocent."
"Or I'm trying to solve this case before someone else gets hurt." He holds my gaze. "Your choice, Mira. Work with me and get access to everything, or keep fighting me and waste time while the arsonist plans the next fire."
It's manipulation. Strategic positioning designed to make refusing look unreasonable. But he's not wrong about the tactical advantage—I'll learn more with access than without it.
"Fine." I don't soften my tone. "But understand something: if I find evidence of fraud, I'm reporting it. Your cooperation doesn't buy immunity."
"Fair enough." Shaw extends his hand. "Partners?"
I take his hand, grip firm. "Temporary alliance. Not partners."
