Page 26 of In Darkness We Claim

My heart hammers against my ribs as I gasp for air, my thoughts a chaotic whirl as I try to keep up with him. The chilling death threats against him ring ominously in my ears, bringing with them the terrifying fear that I could be targeted too.

“What are you trying to say, Dad?” My voice cracks as tears fill my eyes, even though I’m fighting to keep them at bay.

“I’m saying, you need someone to help keep you safe. You’re right not to trust Ryan, after the way he treated you and then left…but Lawson… He has the power, the money, and the prestige to take care of you,” he explains, and my stomach drops.

“You think I should be his Prize?” I ask, exasperated.

He lets out a long groan, and it sounds like he’s hitting the phone. “I don’t like the idea of you being anyone’s Prize, buttercup. You’re worth so much more than that, but I hate to say that Lawson may be the only person who can keep you safe.”

“Being a Prize means giving up on the future you had planned for me. You know that, right?” I don’t know why I’m being so pissy with him, since it’s not exactly a future I was dead-set on, but I hate not having choices.

He lets out another long sigh, and guilt sits heavily in the pit of my stomach as I add to my dad’s stress levels. He’s going through so much as it is, and I’m only making it worse by being petulant.

“I know, Harper, and I’m so sorry. I hate that I’ve gotten us into this mess, and I don’t know how to get us out of it.” He sounds so broken and dejected, and my guilt worsens.

“It’s not your fault, Dad. We need to come up with a way of getting you out of there. I hate that I’m thinking about trivial things like boys when I should be focused on proving your innocence,” I tell him, frustration bleeding into every word.

“Maybe you can do both?” he replies, sounding brighter than he had just a second ago.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve always raised you to believe that women are second-class citizens when it comes to the Obsidian Order, but that’s not entirely true. That’s what the Order wants women to believe, to make themselves seem more powerful. The truth is, the right woman can wield a lot of power over a man, under the right circumstances.

“Although my marriage to your mother was arranged, we truly fell in love, and I would have done anything for her. Under the Order’s rules, she was beneath me and had to submit to me, but she was the one with the actual power.

“She knew exactly what to say or do to get her way, and she could twist me around her finger when she wanted something, making me her very powerful weapon. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I shake my head, then remember he can’t see me. “Not really.”

He lets out a sigh. “You have to submit to Lawson as his Prize, but once you learn all about him—what he loves, what he hates, what he craves—you’ll be able to twist him around your finger. You’ll be the one with the power. And you might be able to use Lawson and his connections to help me.”

I have what TV would describe as one of those lightbulb moments, where I almost feel stupid for not having thought of it before. Not only is Lawson highly ranked within the Crows, his entire family is part of the Order. His father is on the Obsidian Council, and that means he has knowledge that other members don’t have access to.

All I have to do is manipulate Lawson into helping me—after I give him my body and my virginity.

Oh, that doesn’t sound simple at all.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure how I’m going to do it, but I’ll do whatever I can to get you out of there, and we can deal with the fallout when it happens.”

“Harper, as much as I want you to help me, you need to remember: the reason I’m telling you to be Lawson’s Prize is so that he can protect you. Anything he can do to help me is nothing more than an added bonus. Your safety is my priority. Do you understand?”

I let out a long sigh, and despite never normally doing it, I lie to my dad. “I understand. I won’t do anything that puts me at risk.”

He pauses, and I wonder if he can hear the lie. “That’s all I ask, buttercup. Being a Prize isn’t easy, and I’m sorry you’re in this position.”

Letting out a short laugh, I sound way more sarcastic than I intended. “Dad, it’s just sex, how hard can it be?”

Dad lets out a long groan before he huffs at me. “Obsidian men aren’t like normal men, Harper. They’ve been raised to think they’re better than everyone else, that they can control whoever they choose. They rarely know how to love, and they certainly don’t fall for their Prize. They see her as property, something to use and nothing more. Don’t go into this thinking it will be easy, or that Lawson will care for you, because he won’t.”

Nausea ripples through my stomach as Dad’s harsh words hit me hard, making me uneasy. He’s not telling me anything I didn’t already know about Obsidian men, but now I have a face and a name to go with the information. I’m picturing Lawson being the one using and abusing me for his own pleasure, and if I’m being honest, I don’t know how to feel.

“I know, Dad. It will be nothing more than an arrangement—no feelings.” I’m not sure if I’m saying the words for him or myself.

“Buttercup, I want you to promise me that when you tell him you’ll be his Prize, you make it clear to him that me being in prison won’t stop me from killing him if he hurts you. Okay?”

I can’t help but laugh at his overprotective threat, even though I’m sure he’s very serious.

“I’ll tell him, Dad.”