Page 19
Thankfully, my best friend is always willing to bring him down a peg or two. “And what actually is your ranking?” Bram asks loudly, smiling when all eyes in the room turn toward him, and Ryan’s lips tip into a scowl.
“They can see the ranking board,” Ryan responds through gritted teeth, which only makes Bram laugh.
“I’m just wondering if any part of this speech mentions how my boy, Lawson, here has been kicking your arse for the top spot since day one.”
Now all eyes are on me, and I do my best to appear disinterested. Ryan lets out a very undignified sound that almost resembles a snort mixed with a growl. “We still have a whole fucking year to go. I was just telling these first-years that if you work hard and keep proving yourself, it will pay off. Your status or who your father is doesn’t play a part in it. It’s all about whose name is there on the final day.”
I bite my lip at his thinly-veiled mention of my father, an obvious attempt to rile me that I make sure doesn’t work, focusing on my position instead.
“That’s true, but we both know my name isn’t going anywhere,” I drawl before taking a mouthful of my beer.
“We’ll see about that,” Ryan snaps, quickly turning his attention back to the audience. “As you can see, whilst the other Crows are your brothers, they will always be your competition. There will be times when you need to work together, but never forget they are also your rivals.”
“How can you be brothers and rivals?” a first-year Pledge standing closest to Ryan asks.
“You’ll find that there are some Crows you’ll become closer to than others. They’re the ones you’ll see as your brothers, the ones you’ll call when you need someone. But there will be other Crows that you’ll never trust, as you’ll always see them as not worthy of the ring they wear. That distinction is something you’ll have to work out for yourself, and quickly, or you will put yourself in danger by trusting the wrong person,” Ryan replies, his gaze narrowing on me when he mentions the ring I wear proudly.
Silence fills the room as all the first-year Pledges assess each other, trying to see who will become a friend or a foe. Sienna breaks the silence by clapping her hands together as she lets out a high-pitched squeal. “Let me grab you all some drinks, so you have something to toast with when they announce the final initiation ranking.”
She presses a kiss to Ryan’s cheek, leaving behind a bright-red lipstick mark that she quickly wipes away before she strides out of the room, swaying her hips in her ridiculously high heels. A lot of eyes in the room follow her arse as she leaves, since the short red dress she’s wearing leaves nothing to the imagination.
The first-year Pledge who asked Ryan a question early steps closer to him and slaps him on his arm as he lets out a wolf whistle. “Bro, she’s fucking gorgeous. You’ve got yourself a good one there. Is she going to be your Prize?”
Though I wasn’t paying much attention before, that question piques my interest, and I lean closer to hear Ryan’s response.
“No, I’m going to keep her as my girlfriend… I have another plan for who I want as my Prize.”
“Who?” the kid asks.
“Harper Westmore.” His words slice into my very core, creating a visceral pain that makes my heart throb. The sound of her name uttered from his lips ignites a fire within me, and my whole body trembles with a furious rage.
Even with Harper’s new rock-bottom status, and lack of social standing, she would never be anyone’s Prize. She’s too fucking pure for that. Hell, she was keeping herself a virgin so she could be an Order Wife…there’s no way she’d choose to be a Prize.
“Isn’t she the bitch you were Betrothed to? Whose father betrayed the Order?”
Ryan nods. “That’s the one.”
“Why would you want a traitor’s daughter as your Prize?” another first-year asks.
Ryan shrugs, but there’s a glint in his eyes that suggests he’s planning something. “No better way to punish her than to make her my whore. Once she’s my Prize, she’ll have to obey me. So if I decide to let everyone in this room ride a train on her, she’ll do as she’s told with her legs open wide. The stuck-up bitch may even learn to love it.”
I’m not even aware that I’ve squashed the red plastic cup in my hand until I’m covered in beer. A hot, furious hum buzzes through my veins, making my skin prickle, and Bram’s sharp gaze feels like tiny needles as he assesses my barely-contained fury.
Before I can say anything, my mouthy best friend beats me to it. “I think you’re forgetting one very important fact, Sheehan…a Prize must gift herself willingly. What makes you think a girl like Harper would ever hand herself over to you?”
Ryan scowls at Bram, his hands tightening into fists as a slight flush spreads over his cheeks. Clearly, he doesn’t enjoy being embarrassed in front of his admirers.
“She’s desperate, and I’ll make her an offer she can’t refuse,” Ryan states confidently.
Bram lets out a maniacal laugh as he slowly, deliberately looks Ryan up and down. “Nobody is that desperate.”
Ryan takes an aggressive step towards Bram, who squares his shoulders, more than happy to fight. That’s when Ryan unclenches his fists and backs down—good fucking decision.
I wasn’t kidding when I said Bram likes to fight. He’s a bare-knuckle fighter, known for the illegal cage fights he regularly enters—and wins.
My best friend is crazy, and he’s not afraid to fight dirty to win, which most people wouldn’t guess from looking at him, as he’s typically the voice of reason in a verbal debate. His unpredictability is why Ryan has backed down so quickly, and it’s the most sensible thing he’s ever done.
“Come the Gifting Ceremony, you’ll see how desperate the bitch really is,” Ryan states before he turns away and heads in the direction Sienna went.
