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“Do we know if it’s anyone in particular he’s spilling our secrets to?” I ask, my brain ticking away as I formulate a plan.

“Women… It’s always fucking women. I’m under the impression he’s bragging to get between their legs,” he snarls, looking disgusted once again.

I let out a humourless laugh. “Dickhead. A true Crow could get between a woman’s legs easily without having to brag.”

“Exactly,” Xander agrees. “He deserves his punishment for that alone.”

“I have an idea for a plan, but I’d like your permission to divulge my assignment to another Crow, if possible,” I tell him, crossing my fingers as he stares at me, assessing me.

“I’m assuming you mean Bram?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“What’s your plan?”

“I want to use my Prize and her best friend as bait. They’re both good-looking girls, and if I put them in the Pledge’s way, I’m almost certain he’ll make a move on them. Bram can monitor the girls to make sure they’re safe at all times, and I can focus on getting the evidence before taking care of the Pledge.”

Xander is silent for a moment, most likely mulling my plan over in his head, before he slowly nods. “I think that would work. The only complication would be if he recognises your Prize. No decent Pledge would dare make a move on another Pledge’s Prize, let alone the High Crow.”

“I think he’s more than proved he’s not a decent Pledge. Besides, that’s why I plan to take Wren with us. She’s not a Prize, so he’d have no reason not to make a move on her,” I say, ignoring the way my chest tightens at the thought of some arsehole hitting on Harper.

I think this plan will be the perfect opportunity for me to push Harper out of her comfort zone. I want to teach her to be more confident, whilst also testing her loyalty to me at the same time. But whenever I think of another man hitting on her, it drives me fucking insane, and I’m quickly regretting my idea.

Unfortunately, Xander gives it the stamp of approval, and there’s no going back once an assignment has been handed out.

Once Xander dismisses me, I rush straight to Bram’s room, not even bothering to knock before I throw his door open and stride in. He’s lying on the bed, reading a book, and I’m too wound up to even make a sarcastic comment about how much of a geek he is.

Bram places the book on his bedside table and swings his legs off the bed, sitting up on the edge. “It’s a good job I’m not in here fucking Lianne,” he says, referencing the Prize he reluctantly accepted to please his father.

He may not have selected her, but she’s not bad looking, and Bram has no problems fucking her in a way that makes his feelings about the situation well known.

I wave him away, ignoring his comment as I launch into the story of my morning from hell. When I’ve finally got everything out, including the meeting with my father, I flop down into the comfy armchair in the middle of the room with a loud sigh.

Bram is glaring at me, shaking his head in frustration. “Why the hell did you say we’d use Wren? She’s not part of our world, and it should stay that way.”

I choose not to explore why my friend is so furious, as I don’t have time for any more drama, and focus on pointing out the obvious. “If Harper plans on keeping Wren in her life, then she’s part of this world whether she likes it or not. Besides, Wren gives Harper confidence, and that’s exactly what she needs if she’s going to survive being my Prize.”

Bram looks like he wants to argue, but he knows I’m right, which is why he lets out an annoyed huff as he falls backward onto the bed, running his fingers through his curls in frustration. “I don’t like this. So much could go wrong. Can’t we just torture the guy into confessing?” he asks, sounding hopeful and bloodthirsty in one sentence.

“No, this is the plan. It’s the only way to secure the proof we need. Then you can go all bloodthirsty on him,” I tell him, which makes Bram smile.

“Oh, I’ll definitely enjoy it. The thought of a fellow Crow betraying us makes me fucking murderous.”

I nod in agreement. We’re supposed to be brothers, united under a shared cause as we all fight to become members of the Obsidian Order. We believe in the Crows, and the Order, and it boils my blood that someone doesn’t take this role seriously, and that they have no problem betraying us for a bit of pussy.

“Me, too. But we’ll make things right,” I say confidently, knowing the rat won’t be around much longer.

Bram lets out a little laugh as he replies, “Yeah, but first you have to tell Harper that you’re using her as bait. Good luck with that.”

His laughter only coaxes a heavy groan from my throat at the mere thought. I quickly pull my phone from my pocket, opening the app that feels like it’s been burning a hole in my pocket all day.

The screen glows faintly as I swipe across the smooth glass, searching each page. A sense of relief washes over me like a cool wave against my skin as my eyes land on Harper, covered by a soft mound of blankets on her plush dorm chair, her faint snores filling the otherwise quiet room.

She has no idea I installed multiple secret cameras in her dorm room, as well as in other buildings she visits often. I want to be able to see how she’s doing at any time when we’re apart.

As I was installing them, I told myself I was doing it as a way of protecting what’s mine, but now I’m not so sure. She’s only been apart from me for half a day, and I’m getting withdrawal symptoms. Harper Westmore is my drug, and being able to watch her on the secret cameras gives me access to her whenever I need it.

I’m very aware that makes me sound like an obsessive, possessive arsehole, but I really don’t fucking care. Since I can’t keep her with me at all times, this is the next best thing.