Page 80 of Owned

“You brought him a story about a meeting that might not even take place,” I shot back as I pushed past him. Bastian didn’t move and my shoulder struck his hard enough to send him staggering back a few steps. “If itdoesn’thappen, Lucian’s not going to think twice about putting your head on a spike in the garden.”

“It’strue.” Bastian’s voice held a dangerous edge, but I couldn’t be bothered to turn around and look at him.

Lucian had us scrambling all over Messana to find the traitors he was convinced were operating in the darker shadows of the city.

Bastian had been the only one to bring information we hadn’t heard before.

And he’d been infuriatingly smug about it.

“It’s happening soon,” Bastian said.

Of course it was.“And what else did your little rat tell you?” I asked.

“I’m not going to tell you if you’re going to be an asshole about it,” Bastian snarled. “Besides, I have more information to give Lucian. He’s not going to like it, but I’m not going to waste it onyou.”

I turned and grabbed hold of Bastian’s shirt.

It was only at that moment that I noticed it was smudged with blood and the material of his sleeves was scorched.

“Hey—”

“You’d better not be planning anything stupid,” I said through gritted teeth.

Bastian’s pale eyes narrowed. “Define stupid…”

Until that moment, the chance that Bastian could use our father’s paranoia to set his own plans in motion had only been a shadow of a threat in the back of my mind.

But now.

He was capable of anything.

And he was powerful enough to be a challenge.

“Calm down, big brother,” Bastian said with a laugh that had more than a hint of an edge to it. “I want the same thing you do.”

I didn’t trust him.

“Do you?”

“Of course,” he replied. “We’re in this together—” He glanced at Valen. “Even him.”

The little bastard was dangerous and I couldn’t underestimate him

Especially now.

But at least his schemes seemed to be working in my favor.

For now.

“And what exactly is it you think I want?”

Bastian met my gaze, and the smirk on his lips was almost savage.

“You really think I’m dumb enough to say it out loud?” He paused and drew in a dramatic breath, as though he were about to shout at the top of his lungs.

“You’re a fucking comedian,” Valen muttered.

I released my grip on Bastian’s shirt, and he didn’t bother to hold back his laughter as I strode down the hallway.

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