“Don’t underestimate him,” Griff warns, “it’s become more now. He is thirsty for power and he’ll do just about anything to get it, including using his daughter as a bargaining chip. The Syndicate don’t like the way he’s running things, it brings too much attention but more than that, he’s distracted, deviating from the plan and they are prepared to take out anything and everything that stands in their way. Including Wren. Without her, Marcus has no bargaining chip.”
His eyes bounce to me and then back to Lex, swallowing visibly.
“What does he plan to use her for?” Lex asks.
Griff shrugs his shoulders, “Whatever it is, it’s against the Syndicate and what they are working towards.”
Lex
“Where do your loyalties lie, Griffin?” I settle back on the couch, holding onto the one thing grounding me right now.
I fucking knew there was something more to Valentine’s need to get his daughter back.
He frowns when one of the girls working the club offers him a scotch, I nod when he looks to me for approval. Good.
He takes the drink and sips it, seeming to relax a little.
“I asked you a question,” I press, “Where are your loyalties?”
With a swallow he looks to Wren and sighs as if he holds the world on his shoulders, “With Wren.”
With Wren is with me.
“Why?” I ask.
He chews the side of his lip, his eyes touching every inch of her body and then settling on the hand I have on her thigh. The jealous beast inside me rears its ugly head. I know exactly why. It’s obvious in the way he looks at her, with a softness onlyI’mallowed to look at her with.
She is mine.
“The reason why will get me killed.”
“Son of a bitch,” Ryker hisses.
“Look,” Griffin raises his hands, “I’m not here to start anything, I’m here to keep her alive.”
“Griffin,” Wren has been quiet this entire time though she’s been less than relaxed. She’s nervous, fidgeting under my palm, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She cares for him deeply, hurting him will hurt her so I don’t do that. I don’t hurt him as much as I want to.
He shakes his head, “You need to fix this,” he points at me, “you started this mess, youfixit.”
Wren settles her hand on mine to stop me from beating the ever-loving shit out of him.
“I want you to get more information,” I say through gritted teeth, “You pretend you’re so far up Marcus’ ass but you report to me now, do you understand?”
“Ha,” Griffin scoffs, “I don’t owe you shit.”
“Then I have no use for you,” I reach into the pocket, my fingers curling around the butt of the Glock I have stashed there. It has a silencer but too many eyes to really get away with it.
“Don’t!” Wren grabs me, pleading, begging me.
Griffin isn’t scared, he doesn’t flinch under my venomous glare. “I will do it but not for you, remember that.”
Silence falls between us, the music that thumps through the club pounding through my veins. Wren’s hand squeezes mine atop her thigh.
“Please,” she whispers in my ear, soft enough that only I hear.
Finally breaking away from the stare down with Griffin, I turn to her, taking in the wide eyes, glistening a little with unshed tears and the nervous way she gnaws on her bottom lip. With the hand not holding her leg, I reach up and gently pry her lip from between her teeth, smoothing my finger over the red, swollen skin to soothe the sting left behind.
“For you, little bird,” I whisper against her mouth.