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“Hello, Ace,” Sean said coldly.

I tasted smoke. “Where’s Harley? Where is she?”

“I’m with her now,” Sean said. “She’s a little out of it. You’ll have to chat later.”

My stomach turned. “What the fuck did you do to her?!”

“I’m in charge here, Ace,” Sean said. “I’ll offer you a deal. Just this once.”

“What kind of fuckingdeal?You think you can negotiate this? You think you’ll ever be a real alpha after stooping this low?”

“It’s a trade,” Sean said, as if I hadn’t spoken. Venom dripped from his voice. “Simple. I think you’ll be amenable to it. I’ll give you your woman back. Won’t touch a hair on her head.”

“For what?” I hissed. I gripped my phone so hard it nearly cracked.

“For Dylan.”

PART II

29

ACE

“What’s going to happen to Mom?” Dylan asked. He had his face buried in my chest, and his arms were wrapped around my waist, like he was afraid I’d leave him behind. “Where’d Uncle Sean take her? Why did he take her? Is she okay?”

I squeezed his shoulder. My dragon’s rage burned inside me. He was torn between the need to track down Harley, our fated mate, or staying exactly where he was and protecting our son Dylan from the world. I picked my son up and held him close. He threw his arms around my neck and started to cry so hard he was shaking. At nine years old, he was already an independent young dragon shifter, so the fact that he clung to me was a testament to the fear radiating off him.

I carried Dylan into the clubhouse. “Send the enforcers to the scene,” I barked at Hawk.

“Already on it, Ace,” he said. Tank and three other enforcers were pulling on their leather jackets as they headed toward the door. Hawk spoke into his phone, his eyes soft, then hung up. “Mia’s on her way.”

“Let me put you down,” I said to Dylan. When I tried to set him down, though, he only clung to me harder.

“I’ll go,” he said between sobs.

“Go where?” I asked.

“I know… I know I have to go with Uncle Sean.” Dylan’s voice was muffled in my shirt. “I heard on the phone, he said he’d… he’d trade, and I want Mom back, but I’m scared, Dad, I don’t want?—”

“Hey. Look at me.” I patted Dylan’s back, and he pulled away enough to look at me. His eyes were red, and his face blotchy. “You’re not going with Sean. Not now. Not ever. There’s notrade.I know it’s scary, but we’re getting your mom back, okay?”

My dragon was roaring at me to go find Harley, but Dylan needed me just as much right now.

“You’re very brave, though. You know that, right?”

Dylan nodded, though he looked a little unsure.

“The guys are on the way to the scene,” Hawk said. “What’s our next move?”

I knew what we had to do. We had to play this wisely. I couldn’t charge into Sean’s territory guns blazing—as much as I wanted to, that would end with Harley getting hurt. He wouldn’t hesitate to harm her as a way to hurtme.The mere thought of that happening made me exhale a thin stream of smoke.

We had to get rid of Sean. I couldn’t stand around and bide my time anymore. He was never going to change. He would only get worse. The fact that he was my brother had nothing to do with it anymore. He wasn’t family. He was a bomb waiting to go off.

And I wondered now if I had waited too long.

“Hawk!” Mia burst into the clubhouse, eyes wide and terrified, her blonde hair a frizzy halo around her head. “Is everyone okay? Where’s Dylan? Oh, thank God, there you are!”

Dylan wriggled a little, and I set him back down on his feet. “Auntie Mia!” He rushed over to Mia, and she scooped him into a crushing hug.