Page 142 of Savage Surrender

“Emmett is dead.” Then he chuckles. “The bastard got taken out by peanuts.”

William turns toward Alexander. Vincent’s gun lowers from Ezra’s head, but only by an inch.

“And Bianca Quinn is his successor.”

30

OWEN

More men will come for her.

Montgomery is dead, Bianca has something they want, and I’m on the floor with my hands and feet tied behind me while my father decides how to take it.

The rope bites deeper when I pull. My wrists are wet. Blood or sweat. Doesn’t matter. It isn’t helping.

“Successor to what?” William asks.

Alexander closes the case on the worktable before he answers. “The clinics. Research entities. The foundation. His attorney said the continuity documents were already executed and on file.”

“Why would he leave her in charge?”

They turn toward one another and start stripping pieces off her. Signatures. Companies. Whatever the fuck Montgomery built out of her blood.

My father nudges the gun harder beneath my chin until the back of my head touches concrete.

“You boys never see the simple answer.” His eyes stay on William and Alexander. “Put her back in a collar. She signed for Montgomery. She’ll sign for us.”

The collar closes around her throat in my head.

No.

They won’t lay a single hand on her.

Vincent glances toward the contractors near the roll-up door. “Go. Hundred grand to whoever brings her to me.”

William turns. “All of them?”

“They’re tied. Alex brought tranqs. We’re good.”

One of the men has the balls to ask whether the offer is per person or for the team, and Vincent tells him to get the fuck out before he cuts it in half. Engines start one after another, making the walls rattle.

Every engine is another group moving toward Bianca, Freddie, and Megan.

William catches Alexander by the arm and steers him toward the narrow room boxed into the back wall. “We need to know what he put in place and how it affects us.”

Alexander glances at the four of us on the floor. “They aren’t going anywhere.”

The door pulls shut behind them.

I throw myself at my father as soon as they’re out of sight. Which is hard to do when your ankles and wrists are tied.

My shoulder hits his knees. He goes down with one hand in my hair, and the gun cracks against the concrete beside my ear. Pain blows through my shoulder when I land, hot enough to wipe out the room, but I get my teeth around his ankle and bite.

Vincent jerks his leg, trying to shake me off. I bite harder.

He’s already wheezing when he gives up and wraps his hands around my neck.

Ezra has one hand free.