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The plan was always simple on paper. Too simple, Kaz thought, but there was something about simplicity that kept his mind sharp, focused. It was the complexity of execution that kept him alive. And with Pekka Rollins breathing down his neck like a wolf to prey, Kaz knew better than to trust anything that seemed too easy. He couldn't afford to. Not when it came to someone like Pekka, not when it came to their lives.

The Crow Club was quieter than usual that night. Perhaps it was because of the weight of the task ahead, perhaps because each of them knew that once they set this plan in motion, there was no turning back. Even the usual clatter of glasses, the rattle of dice, and the hum of hushed conversation seemed to dampen in the air, as if the room itself understood the gravity of the moment.

Kaz sat at the head of the table, his fingers drumming against the wood, the rhythm tapping out a song of danger and desire. His face was impassive, but there was a sharpness to his eyes, a fire burning deep within him that no one dared to extinguish.

Ella stood by his side, her presence almost a whisper in the storm. He had gotten used to the quiet comfort of her company over the last few weeks, the way she seemed to understand him without words. But there was no time for comfort now. No time for anything except the task at hand.

"You know what this means, right?" Kaz's voice was low, a thread of tension running through it. He was talking to the group, to the Crows, but his eyes never left Ella. "Pekka Rollins isn't just a criminal. He's an empire unto himself. One wrong move, and we don't just take him down. We take down everything that holds this city together."

Inej, ever the silent shadow, nodded from the far end of the table. "We all know the risks," she said, her voice steady, unwavering. "But it's a risk we've all been willing to take from the moment we joined you, Kaz."

Jesper adjusted the grip on his pistols, eyes flicking from Kaz to Ella and back again. He was always the more reckless one, always the first to jump into the fray, but even he understood the stakes. "I don't like the idea of playing into Pekka's hands, but there's no denying it—he's got the power to burn this city down if we don't take him out first."

Kaz nodded once, his gaze finally shifting to Ella. She was silent, as always, but there was a weight in her presence, a quiet understanding that only the two of them shared. The others didn't know everything. They didn't understand what it meant to be caught in the web of betrayal and revenge like Kaz and Ella did. But they were all in this together. They had to be. Because if Pekka Rollins succeeded, there would be nothing left of Ketterdam but ashes.

Ella's eyes met his, and for a brief moment, Kaz saw something in them—a quiet fire, a strength he didn't always expect from her. It was a strength he had come to rely on, whether he liked it or not.

"I'm in," she said, her voice soft but firm. "We all are."

Kaz couldn't suppress a slight smirk. Even now, when danger was as close as a whisper, the Crows were willing to risk it all. He had always respected that about them, but this time, it felt different. This time, they were more than just a team. They were family.

⸻

The plan was simple, yes. Pekka Rollins had built his empire through fear and manipulation, using his control over the Dregs to control everything in Ketterdam. Kaz knew Pekka's weaknesses. He knew the ways to break down his empire, piece by piece. It wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't be fast, but if anyone could bring down Pekka Rollins, it was Kaz Brekker.

First, they needed to cripple his resources. Pekka had a vast network of spies, informants, and enforcers, and Kaz knew that without those, Pekka would be nothing. Inej would take care of the spies, slipping through the shadows to gather information and send them off one by one. Jesper would handle the enforcers, using his guns and his sharp wit to keep the muscle at bay. And Nina... Nina would be the perfect tool to disrupt Pekka's financial backing, pulling strings that Kaz had already set in motion, throwing Pekka's coin into chaos.

And then, of course, there was Kaz. His role was to be the mastermind, pulling all the strings from behind the scenes, manipulating the game from the shadows like a puppet master, while keeping his hands clean. He would not fight Pekka directly—no, he would let the others handle that. But in the end, Kaz would make sure Pekka was brought to his knees, broken and bleeding, just as he deserved.

⸻

They needed her powers. Kaz wasn't blind to the way Ella's ability had grown, how she had learned to manipulate the feelings of those around her with an almost terrifying precision. He had seen it in action when she had calmed him during moments of rage, her influence slipping beneath his skin, weaving through his emotions like a subtle thread. He didn't like it, but he couldn't deny that it worked.

Ella had become more than just an ally in the eyes of the Crows. She was essential.

Her power would be the key to this plan.

Kaz knew Pekka Rollins had a temper—a violent, destructive temper that could be manipulated. His emotions were a mask, just like Kaz's own, but Ella could see beneath it, could influence it in ways no one else could. If Kaz could find a way to make Pekka's anger turn inward, to make him distrust everyone around him, then the empire he had built so carefully would crumble.

Ella had agreed to this part of the plan, but Kaz had seen the unease in her eyes. She had always been the one to keep her powers in check, to never use them recklessly. Kaz wasn't sure if it was because she feared the consequences of her actions or because she feared what would happen to her own heart if she let herself feel too much. Either way, this mission would push her limits, and Kaz wasn't sure if he had the right to ask her to sacrifice that part of herself for him.

⸻

The night before they set everything into motion, Kaz found himself standing alone in the alley behind the Crow Club. The cold air bit at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill that had settled in his chest. He knew the stakes. He knew what would happen if this failed. But there was something more than just the weight of his empire on the line.

There was Ella.

Ella, who had become so much more than just an ally, who had started to take up space in his thoughts and his life in ways that terrified him. Kaz wasn't sure how it had happened, how she had slipped through the cracks of his heart, but there she was. And he couldn't shake the feeling that, with every step they took closer to Pekka, he was dragging her deeper into the darkness with him.

"You ready?" he asked, his voice softer than he intended. His tone was cool, detached, but beneath it was something more—a question that he couldn't quite put into words.

Ella stood in the shadows, her figure barely visible in the darkness. But even in the dark, Kaz could feel her presence, could feel the pull of her emotions pressing against his skin like a heavy weight. She didn't answer right away, instead letting the silence stretch between them, as though she was weighing her own thoughts.

"I don't know if I'm ready," she said finally, her voice low but steady. "But I'll do it. For you. For the Crows. We have to do this."

Kaz felt a tightness in his chest, a mix of gratitude and something more, something he couldn't name. It was dangerous to care, to trust someone so completely. He knew that. But the way Ella stood there, unwavering, ready to face the storm with him... it made something inside him crack open.

"Good," he said, his voice steady. "Then let's finish this."

⸻

The plan was set. The pieces were moving into place. There was no turning back now. All Kaz had to do was execute it with the precision he was known for.

But there was a part of him that feared the cost. He could feel it—every decision he made, every move he took, would cost him something. And the more he looked at Ella, the more he felt that cost weighing heavier on him than he ever expected. Because this time, the stakes weren't just about money, power, or revenge. This time, it was about them.

And Kaz wasn't sure if he was ready to lose her.

But he had no choice.

The game had already begun.