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My phone beeped again, this time with a new text. Sean had sent me a single, grainy picture of a dimly lit room with stained floors and a curtained window. In the center of the room was a rickety chair. And on the chair, arms and legs bound, was my mate.

Harley.

My fangs dropped as my dragon roared with rage inside me. I gripped my phone so tightly I heard the case crack. “Sean,” I growled in a voice that was more dragon than man, “Where is she?”

“We’ll get to that,” Sean said with delight. “Aren’t you wondering why your little ex-girlfriend didn’t show up to your date?”

“You set this up,” I growled. “You used her as bait.”

“For you, yes,” Sean said. “And it worked pretty fucking well, huh? I wasn’t sure if it would, but you are one gullible dragon.” Sean laughed. “Blakely told me you would be. Said you’d always had a soft spot for her. She’s obsessed with you, for some reason. She showed up at my compound asking for my help to get rid of Harley after Forrest ran off like a little bitch. I was about to blow her off, but she’s full of good ideas, the little tramp.”

“Let Harley go. Now.” There was so much rage burning inside of me I was quivering. My dragon was right beneath the surface, begging me to shift and find him and tear him to pieces.

“We’re not at my compound anymore,” Sean said. “So don’t get any ideas. She’s hiding away in one of my safe houses. Andyou know, she’s such a pretty morsel, I wouldn’t want to have to hurt her.”

“If you eventouchher, I’ll fucking destroy you,” I snarled. “They won’t even recognize your body when I’m done.”

“You can try.” From the sound of Sean’s voice, his fangs had dropped too. His dragon was always right at the surface, eager to come forward. So close to taking control. To becoming feral. “Meet me tonight. Alone.”

“Gladly.”

“Alone,” Sean reiterated. “If not, I’ll kill her.”

The call disconnected. I called Striker again, and he picked up immediately. “Ace, this is bad.”

“Sean has Harley. He sent me proof.”

“I’m taking Miss Founty to the hospital now,” Striker said.

“What?”

“Cassidy said Harley went to her Mom’s. Apparently Miss Founty said she was ready for rehab, but it was a trick to get Harley at the house alone.”

“That’s fucking low.” Sean was a scumbag, but using Harley’s mother as bait was a new level. “Is she okay?”

“Banged up,” Striker said. “Some head trauma. She’s passed out now. She’ll be okay but definitely needs to be checked out.”

“Meet me at the clubhouse when you’re done.” I hopped onto my bike and revved the engine. “We’re ending this tonight.”

I rushed back to the clubhouse and summoned my inner circle to meet me there. It took barely half an hour for everyone to arrive. I’d made it clear how serious this was, and the atmosphere was subdued as everyone sat around the couches and at the bar.

“Ace, I’m sorry,” Rome said as he ran inside with Cassidy and Dylan. “You entrusted me with their safety, and I?—”

“She played us both!” Cassidy interjected furiously. “She said she called Hawk, which was obviously a lie?—”

“But I still should’ve been keeping a closer eye?—”

“You were outside with Dylan! She went before you came back inside on purpose!”

“Cassidy,” I said. “Please.”

Cassidy scowled. She scooted to Striker’s side and tucked herself against him. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, like she’d been crying. She was angry because she was scared. Just like the rest of us.

I was scared, too. But as the alpha of this clan, I couldn’t show it.

“Rome,” I said to my young enforcer, “It’s true that I trusted you to escort Harley, and you failed.”

The kid stared down at his feet, and his hands trembled.