I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my voice steady. "So, you want me to bow to the HOA and fuel their cars for free?"
"I want the drama gone," he said. "I don't care how."
He walked out without waiting for my response. The door slammed so hard a shelf of beef jerky shook.
I sat behind the counter and exhaled slowly. My hands were trembling, not from fear, but from a new fire building in my chest.
"This is insane," I whispered.
Tessa sat beside me on the little step behind the counter, sipping her coffee like this was all part of the Thursday routine. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "if Beverly wants war, maybe it's time we stop playing defense."
I looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Not pranks, not yelling, something smarter." She tapped her temple. "We expose her—everything. Her lies, her misuse of authority, her abuse of HOA power. We let the whole town see the truth."
I shook my head. "Beverly controls the HOA. She has a cult following."
Tessa grinned. "But I have something she doesn't."
"What's that?"
"A cousin who works in the mayor's office."
I blinked. "The mayor? As in the mayor of Cedar Ridge?"
She nodded. "And he owes me a favor."
Part of me knew this was madness. The other part, the part that had been humiliated, threatened, filmed, and nearly suspended, was ready to fight back.
Tessa leaned closer. "Tonight, we gather everything. Security camera footage, the 911 transcript, screenshots from HOA groups, and tomorrow—"
"What happens tomorrow?"