Surrender To Me

BANE

I DIALED Andy’s number and put the call on speaker. He hadn’t texted me to let me know he’d dropped Wren off at my apartment, and the guy was notorious for following orders to the letter.

Hanging up, I tried again, but it simply went to voice mail. Fuck, where the hell was he?

“Everything all right, boss?” Dagger asked as he strolled into my office.

“Yes. No. Fuck.” I ran my hands through my hair. “I don’t know. I can’t get a hold of Andy.”

“What was he supposed to be doing?”

“Dropping Wren off, but that was an hour ago.”

Dagger pressed his lips together in a tight line. “I’ll follow it up.” He turned to leave, but I stopped him.

“What happened with Cox? Did she speak to you?”

He peered at me over his shoulder. “No, boss,” he replied, leaving me in the room alone with nothing but my fear. If something happened to Wren, I didn’t know what I’d do. But this was the risk of getting attached to one woman. They could be used as a weapon against you.

Standing, I began to pace, running my fingers through my hair as a new reality settled over me- one where Wren could be hurt.

Digging into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and dialed Hawk’s number. It had almost rung out when he finally picked up.

“Bane,” he said softly.

“Have you heard from Wren?”

“No. Why?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, stopping myself from screaming until I was hoarse. “If you hear from her, let me know.”

“H-How is she? Is she staying with you?”

“She’s fine.” I hung up and contemplated throwing the damn phone across the other side of the room. I refrained from the outburst, though. I needed the damn thing to keep in contact with Dagger. When the phone rang, I punched the green phone icon and put the device to my ear. “Bane Rivera,” a man said. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the man who’s been picking your dealers off one by one. I’m also the one who sent that fucking pitbull of a bitch, Cox, after you.”

My hands balled into fists. There was only one man who had that kind of power. “Sanderson,” I growled. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to talk about that little piece you’re currently fucking. She’s got a fucking nice mouth, doesn’t she?”

My shoulders tensed at the mention of Wren. “What do you want?”

“I want you to get the fuck out of the drug trade in No Man’s Land.”

I bit back a laugh. “Why would I want to do that? You might be killing my guys, but you forget that those fuckers are easily replaced.”

“True, but I have a feeling replacing the woman isn’t.”

I paused, all the air evacuating out of my lungs. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. Replacing her is going to be hard, although maybe not so much for you. You have all those women at your disposal. Surely, having one gone won’t make much of a difference.”

“Where is she?” The words were ripped forcefully from my mouth. I didn’t want to ask the question. I didn’t fucking want to know that he had her, my Little Bird.

“She’s safe… for now. But her well-being does hinge on your cooperation.”

My anger surfaced quickly, the switch of my self-control getting fucking flipped. Picking up the empty tumbler from my desk, I threw it at the wall and watched as the crystal shattered.

“Where the fuck is she?”

“I’m going to text you an address. You are to meet me there tomorrow at nine in the morning. And don’t try to go there now. I’m holding her somewhere else until our meeting.”

I clenched my jaw. “I want proof of life.”

He was silent for a moment, then there was a beep. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I opened the picture that had come through and barked out a curse. Wren was sitting on a chair, a blindfold over her eyes, her wrists and ankles attached to cuffs. Blood was spattered over her shirt, neck, and face. There was blood running from her nose and somewhere near her hairline. She was slumped over, her shoulders and head rolled forward like she was unconscious. Putting the phone back to my ear, I snarled, “If you harm another hair on her head, I will end you.”

Sanderson chuckled. “Whether or not I harm her again is completely up to you, Rivera. You know what I want. If you want your bitch back, you will give me what I want.” There was a click, the line going dead. I clutched at the phone, resisting the urge to throw it against the wall as well. Fuck!

Sanderson wanted me out, but I wasn’t getting out of No Man’s Land. I clawed my way up in the business. I wasn’t going to let some punk-ass bitch like Sanderson dictate what I could and couldn’t do. But I also couldn’t let him take his fucking rage out on Wren. I unlocked my phone once more, navigating through my call log until I found the number I needed and hit call.