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I carry her over to Bram’s car, thanking Wren as she opens the backseat for me. I climb in with Harper still in my arms, settling her on my knee as I use my shoulder to support her head. Once she’s settled, almost like you would cradle a baby, while making sure their head doesn’t roll back, I use my free hand to rub against her sternum again. I press hard as I repeat her name, begging her to open her eyes.

Wren slides into the front passenger seat, her piercing gaze still on us, but I don’t pay her any attention, focusing all my energy on Harper. She seems to be drifting in and out, though her eyes remain closed, but her breathing remains steady, which soothes me just a little. I place my hand on her cheek, stroking it with my thumb as I hold her close, letting her know she’s safe with me.

I’m distantly aware of the boot opening and closing before Bram climbs into the driver’s seat. “I drugged him and threw him in the boot. Give him a taste of his own medicine,” he chuckles.

“What did the doc say?”

Bram lets out a sigh as he starts the engine. “He’s going to meet us at your place, but he says there’s not a lot he can do. It’s important to try to keep her awake, and when she’s lucid enough, give her plenty of fluids.”

“Should we try to make her vomit?” Wren asks, unable to keep the fear out of her unsteady voice.

Bram shakes his head as he quickly says, “No. That’s the worst thing you could do. It’s already in her system, so it’s too late for her to throw it back up. And if she is sick when she’s not fully conscious, she could choke.”

“Fuck,” I snap, not liking our options at all.

Still, I turn my attention back to Harper, doing everything I can to get her to wake up. After a few minutes, her lashes flutter again, and my chest aches when she finally opens her pretty blue eyes and they stay that way.

“Hey, sweetheart. Keep your eyes open for me, Harper. Let me see those beautiful eyes of yours,” I tell her as I gently stroke her cheek with my thumb.

Her lips lift into a small smile as she begins to speak, her voice barely above a whisper, “You think I’m beautiful?”

I let out a short laugh as I gently swipe a strand of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. “You have no idea.”

Although her eyes remain hazy, making her seem almost drunk, she’s a little more coherent as she swallows anxiously. “I’m sorry.”

Tears fill her eyes, and when the first ones fall, I softly wipe them away. “It’s okay. Don’t think about it now, just focus on staying awake.”

She gives me a brief nod, her lip quivering as she asks, “Did you…get him?”

Anger thrums through me at the fear that’s written on her face, my nerve endings prickling with electricity as I struggle to push down my raging emotions. I’m fucking furious that the arsehole Pledge dared to touch what’s mine, but Harper broke my rules, and as a result, she put herself in danger—and that’s not something I’m going to forget.

I’m going to take her back to the cottage I keep hidden away just off-campus, where she can have the space she needs to heal and recover, away from prying eyes. But once she’s well, I will hand out a punishment so severe she will never consider breaking one of my rules ever again.

Bram pulls into the driveway at the back of the cottage, after putting in the security code to get him onto the property. He’s the only other person who knows this place exists. Even my family doesn’t know I own it. They think I blew the money on random shit, when really I was saving to buy a place of my own, somewhere to act as a haven when I need it most.

I don’t come here often, but when I need to decompress, or have time away from Crowhurst House, this is where I come. Although Bram knows about it, this is the first time he’s ever been here, as he knows how much I value my privacy when I’m here.

When he parks the car, he doesn’t even attempt to get out; he just turns to look at me over his shoulder. “Are you okay getting her inside? Doc should be here to check on her soon. I’ll take Wren home and then sort out the shithead in the boot.”

Before I can respond, Wren cuts in with a high-pitched, frantic-sounding voice. “What? I’m not leaving Harper. Where the hell even are we? I’m not going anywhere without her.”

Bram reaches over and places a hand on her thigh, silencing her. “This is Lawson’s house. Nobody knows about it, so it’s the ideal place for Harper to chill out and recover. She’s just going to be sleeping it off, but when she’s well enough, she will call you.”

“I’m not leaving her,” she states, jutting out her chin defiantly.

“You don’t have a fucking choice,” I snap, not even flinching when she turns her fierce glare on me. “She’s my Prize. Which means she’s mine to take care of. I promise, she’ll be safe here, but the fewer people who know about it, the better.”

“Don’t argue, little fighter. Red will be safe here,” Bram says before she can challenge me.

She lets out a loud huff, not at all happy, but as she crosses her arms like a petulant teenager whilst staying quiet, I know we’ve won this round. Though I have a feeling, this is one battle she will not let me forget.

“Can you give the doc the code so he can let himself in? I’m going to get her settled in the bedroom,” I tell Bram, who nods in reply.

I lift Harper into my arms once more and carry her into my cottage. It’s not big or fancy, but there’s something distinctly homely that I think Harper might quite like. I’ll be sure to give her the tour once she’s recovered.

As I carry her to my bedroom, watching her lashes flutter as she tries and fails to take in the environment around her, I’m filled with a maelstrom of emotions.

Part of me is so unbelievably relieved that she’s safe, that I got to her before he could hurt her. Then there’s a murderous part of me that is consumed by my need to get revenge on the arsehole for daring to touch what’s mine.