Surrender To Me

I cocked my head to the side, studying him. He looked sick at the thought that perhaps he could’ve been responsible. “Do you think the fire is somehow connected?”

Taking three large strides, he was by my side again. Taking my hand in his, he brushed his lips against my knuckles. “No, I don’t think so. My business hasn’t crossed over into my personal life.” Even as he said the words, I could see there was doubt there. He wasn’t sure about that.

“And if it has?”

“Fuck, I don’t know, Wren. What if it has?”

“It would mean that you’ve brought a shit-ton of attention to me.”

He spread his arms out wide. “This is my life. This is the shit that happens to me.”

I was starting to see that. What else was Bane keeping from me? “What else is happening with you and the club?”

My question caught him off guard because he just blinked at me. “What?”

“What else is happening? Dealers are getting killed. What else?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “Cox is fucking breathing down my neck about these hits, and I have no explanation for them. I don’t know who’s taking my guys out. I just know I’ve been left with a huge hole in my operation.” He turned his head to look at me. “Do you think the fire could have something to do with Hawk?”

I recoiled, physically jerking away even though it hurt. “Why would it have anything to do with him?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just speculating here.”

I thought about his question, ready to deny it, but then I remembered what Hawk had told me, that he’d gotten the money for Bane but hadn’t told me where he’d gotten it from. Could this have something to do with him? “Hawk had more money to pay you back. When I told him I’d settled the debt, he seemed upset. Like really upset. I didn’t know why he’d reacted that way, but maybe…”

“You need to speak to him.”

Numb. I felt so numb. I looked around for my phone, then remembered I must’ve lost it in the fire. “Here.” Bane handed me his phone, and I dialed Hawk’s number.

“Bane,” he answered half a dozen rings in.

“It’s me,” I replied, coughing a little to clear my ravaged throat.

“Wren? Why do you have Bane’s phone?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter why I have his phone. I need to know something, and you’re going to tell me.” When he remained quiet, I inhaled deeply and let it out. “Where did you get that money? The money you were going to pay Bane back with?”

“Fuck, I can’t say.”

“You can say, Hawk, because my apartment was set on fire, and I’m in the hospital, so if it has something to do with that, then you better tell me or so help me God, I will flay the skin from your body.”

“Jesus, fuck, Wren. Are you okay?”

“I’m still breathing. I haven’t seen the doctor yet, though. I’m sure they’ll have some more information for me.”

“When did this happen?”

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall opposite my bed. “Maybe around six last night?” “Oh shit, shit, shit,” he mumbled.

“What have you done, Hawk? Tell me you haven’t done anything stupid.”

“What hospital are you in? I’ll come to you.”

Putting my hand over the mouthpiece, I asked, “Which hospital am I in?”

“Cedars-Sinai.”

I relayed the information to my brother, hung up, and passed the phone back to Bane.

“What did he say?”

“He was shocked. He’s coming down here, although whether or not we’ll get any information out of him is a different story.”

“Ms. Montana, is now a good time?”

I looked up to see who’d spoken. A young man was standing in the doorway. “Ah, sure.”

With a confident nod, he strolled in. “Ms. Montana, my name’s Doctor Watts. I treated you in the ER.”

“Oh, hello.”

“Do you remember what happened to you last night?”

I flexed my hands into weak fists, the motion pulling at the skin under the bandages on my forearms. “I’d taken a shower, and when I went to leave the bathroom, the door handle was red-hot. I managed to get out and saw that my building was on fire. I soaked some towels to wrap around myself, so I could try and escape.” I sucked in a breath and looked at Bane, but his eyes were on the floor, and the muscle in his jaw was jumping with barely contained rage.

“The only place that wasn’t completely engulfed was the living room, so I went in that direction.

I…” I touched the side of my head where a throbbing suddenly made itself known.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“You fell and hit your head?” Doctor Watts provided gently.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “The path was clear. I couldn’t have tripped.”

“Being in a fire is scary stuff. There’s a lot of smoke, and the heat plays tricks on your mind.” “I must’ve blacked out when I fell.”

He nodded. “There are some minor burns to your forearms where the towel slipped off, but for the most part, your body was protected by the wet material. You have a bump on your head, too, which we’ve been monitoring but so far, so good.” “When can she get out of here?” Bane asked.

“This afternoon, I think. That’ll give us enough time to make sure she’s one hundred percent on her way to recovery.” Watts glanced back at me and smiled. “You’re very lucky. Ten other residents of your building were not.”

“People died? What happened to the building?”

“The fire ripped through it,” Bane told me. “It’s gone.”

I swallowed, mourning the loss of that shitty little apartment that I’d called home for a little over a decade.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll let the orderly know you can have some ice cream to help soothe that voice of yours.”

I touched the column of my throat as I watched him leave. I could’ve died in that fire. Ten people had died in that fire. I looked at Bane, who was studying me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was going through his head. Judging from his expression, they were murderous thoughts.

“How did I survive? How did I get out?”

“Andy pulled you out. He was in his car down on the street watching your building, remember?”

I did remember that. Thank Christ he was there. I shivered thinking about what could’ve happened if he wasn’t. I broke out in shivers-I was suffering from delayed shock or something. Bane’s arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against his chest. Burying my face in his neck, I breathed in his cologne and clung to him. The tears leaked from my eyes without permission, but I gave myself over to them. He held me like that for as long as I needed, finally letting me go but not letting go of my hand.

“Where is he now?”

“At home. He got treated for some first-degree burns on his arms and hands, but he’ll be just fine.”

I nodded, settling back into the pillows.

“Want to watch some TV?” Bane asked.

“Only if you come and lay beside me on the bed.” I patted the mattress, and Bane heaved himself onto it. The bed dipped under his weight, making me roll a little toward him. “Are you comfortable?” he asked after settling me against his chest.

“Very.” I yawned.

“Get some rest. I’ll wake you when Hawk gets here.”