I was so focused on watching her, I damn near came out of my skin when my cell phone buzzed. My reflexes had me grabbing for it, only for the fucking thing to fall between the seat and the console. It took effort to shove my hand in the narrow crevice, fumble for it, but I managed.
And it was still ringing when I retrieved it.
Thank God.
I took in the caller’s name, exhaled a relieved breath, and answered with a choppy, “Hey.”
“I got your message. You said it was urgent.”
“Thanks for calling me back,” I replied. “Would it be possible for me to stop by your office tomorrow?”
“It’ll have to be early. I have a day full of meetings.”
“The earlier the better,” I told him, remembering I had to take Braelyn to work. “Any chance you’ll be there before seven?”
“I will. My first meeting’s at six. Got a few minutes to spare at six thirty.”
“Perfect. I’ll be there at six thirty. See you then, Talon.”
The call disconnected.
Talon. No last name. Simply Talon. He was the one man I knew was capable of keeping my sister safe. He was also the one man I was hesitant to let my sister be around. Not because he was a bad guy. No, Talon was one of those men you could depend on in a crisis. However, he was a different breed, which was saying something considering my best friend, Zeke Lautner, was a ruthless Sadist who got off on inflicting pain.
I dropped the phone back into the center console and leaned my head back, staring through the restaurant window where my sister and the douche from the coffee shop continued to sit. It seemed to me the guy wasn’t ready for the night to be over, and there was no way he could miss Braelyn’s desire to leave. It was obvious by the way she’d turned in her chair as though getting ready to boost herself to her feet. She was just too sweet to follow through.
I hated that I was out here. I hated that I was intruding on my sister’s privacy. But in times like this, I found myself desperate. My sister meant the world to me, and keeping her safe was my priority. In fact, it had been my only goal since pretty much the day she was born. Being that I was eleven years older, by the time she took her first breath, I’d been up to speed on my family’s business, knew that my mother was a monster and my father the devil. Worse, I’d realized they were proud of who they were, living their lives to induce fear into many.
To hear my father tell the story, he was a direct descendent of the Capones, although I’d never found any evidence of that. Regardless, Frank Bianchi had built an empire by running drugs, guns, and women, as well as offering “protection” to those who unwillingly paid him to do so. Frank had no scruples whatsoever, but Marie was something else. She was a sadistic, sociopathic bitch. Somehow I’d managed to overlook her merciless actions, right up until she decided she would give my then nine-year-old sister to the man they were promoting to underboss: Jimmy “Kill Switch” Romano.
Nine fucking years old, for fuck’s sake. Just a fucking baby.
Ultimately, they’d left me no choice. In an effort to protect my sister from the asshole who had no qualms taking a child as a bride, I’d disappeared with her. Fifteen years ago, Salvatore and Teresa Bianchi, the children of Frank and Marie Bianchi, had ceased to exist, emerging as Ransom and Braelyn Bishop. At twenty, I’d become Braelyn’s guardian, and I’d done my level best to erase the violence of our past from her mind, to give her a life worth living. It hadn’t been easy raising a child when I’d had so little life experience myself, but I liked to think I’d done a relatively decent job.
For years my parents and their unscrupulous right-hand had looked high and low for us, and we’d been right under their noses all along. As the years went by, their efforts dwindled. We probably would’ve stayed safe if it weren’t for my need to help those I considered friends. Because of a favor I’d called in for Ian and Isaac Stokes, I’d managed to bring the heat down on me and my sister after all these years of hiding in plain sight.
Although it pissed me off beyond measure to be in the predicament I was in, I only had myself to blame. Yep. My do-gooder attitude had drawn attention to me when I would’ve been better off keeping on the DL.
Not that I was all that worried about my own well-being. I could hold my own, but if my parents did find me, I deserved whatever hell they wanted to rain down. However, my sister was a different matter. Braelyn did not deserve this, and now I had to find a way to fix what I’d started.
It would be ideal for me to disappear Braelyn for a little while, send her somewhere she’d be safe from the long reach of our family. Just long enough for me to redirect their efforts elsewhere, for those seeking me to believe I wasn’t as close as I was. Which meant I had to ask the one man on the planet I’d prefer not to be indebted to for a favor. A fucking huge favor.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow morning I would ask Talon for something that would have me indebted to him for life, because the man did not do anything for free.
But if it meant saving Braelyn, it would be worth it. No matter the cost.
TWO
Thursday, December 31, 2020
RANSOM
The following morning, at precisely 6:25 a.m., I was pacing the floor in Talon’s Chicago high-rise office, waiting for the man to extricate himself from a meeting.
I was here at the offices of Owned, Incorporated without being on the schedule—or so I’d been not-so-kindly informed by the woman at the reception desk. Never mind the fact Talon was expecting me. Evidently, if it wasn’t on the calendar, it never happened.
There for a second, I’d thought the receptionist/drill sergeant with the platinum wig and polyester suit was going to tackle me to the floor and drag me back to the elevator by my hair. At the very least, I’d figured she would call security. Thankfully, she’d made a call and gotten approval for me to be here. Or so I assumed since she’d left my hair in place and led the way to this lavish office, allowing me to wait in here without those beady eyes scrutinizing my every move.
Teach me to be early.
Then again, it was a wonder I’d waited this long. Ever since I woke up this morning—after four fitful hours of sleep—I’d been antsy, something I was not familiar with and didn’t much care for. What I wanted to do was storm the door of the room Talon was in and insist he speak to me now. Considering it truly was a matter of life or death, I figured he might listen to reason.
However, I was not that man. I did not let emotion rule my actions—not hastily, anyway. I hadn’t since the night I fled with my sister, and I damn sure did not intend to start now.
Thankfully, I only had to rap my fingertips on the upholstered arm of this overpriced chair for ten minutes before the door opened and Talon strolled in, looking right at home in his five-thousand-dollar bespoke suit and silk tie.
The man was an imposing figure. Topping out at six feet eight inches with a long, rangy body that was chiseled to perfection—not too skinny, not too bulky—jet-black hair sporting a two-hundred-dollar cut, styled with care and precision, Talon drew attention when he walked into a room. Hands down the best dressed man I knew, along with an angular, clean-shaven face and keen eyes the color of cold, hard steel, his presence was impossible to ignore.
No one knew much about Talon’s heritage because he didn’t share that sort of information, but I’d say there was likely some Cuban in there somewhere, if he wasn’t full-blood. How did I come to this conclusion? A few reasons. His skin color was on the lighter side of copper, his values and beliefs strong, and he had a preference for Café Cubano. And yes, I realized that was me stereotyping, something I despised. What I really based my guess on was that, every now and then, I’d detect a distinct accent, something he’d probably spent much of his life concealing.
Add in the deep baritone and his straightforward method of communication and one might find oneself intimidated.
For the record, I didn’t intimidate easily.
“I’ll preface this with an apology,�
� I said quickly, ensuring he knew I was not one to ask for impromptu meetings unless it was absolutely necessary. “I hate to impose, but … well, I need your help.”
Talon tucked his hands into the pockets of his charcoal slacks, regarded me closely. “I figured you’d have a long list of friends you’d prefer to go to for such a thing.”
“I consider you a friend, Talon.”
Those dark gray eyes leveled on my face, studied me before Talon finally gestured toward the chair across from his desk. “Please, have a seat.”
I unbuttoned my suit jacket, which I’d donned for this meeting specifically, then positioned myself in one of the leather chairs placed for guests.
Before sitting in his own chair, Talon lifted a hand, motioned by tapping his index finger in the air twice.
I was aware of a man moving toward us. He appeared beside Talon’s desk, standing tall and gallant despite the fact he was wearing only a pair of jeans and a thick metal collar around his neck. It was rare for anyone to catch a glimpse of the sexual slaves Talon kept, but I’d heard rumors about them.
“Would you like something to drink?” Talon offered.
“Whatever you’re having’s fine,” I answered, admiring the way the man stood, as though every fiber of his being was dedicated to fulfilling Talon’s every need.
Talon didn’t speak, simply nodded his head at the other man, who in turn gave a quick nod then reversed course.
“How can I assist?” Talon prompted, taking a seat and leaning back in his chair.
Dragging my attention back, I swallowed hard. “I need a favor.”
He said nothing, clearly waiting for me to elaborate.
“It’s a big one, Talon, one I’m hesitant to ask for, but … well, I can’t think of another way to handle this.”
“Handle what?”
“I have some things I need to take care of,” I explained. “Things I’ve put off far too long now. It’ll require I go off the grid for a while.”
“This have something to do with your family?”
I stared back at him, doing my best not to give anything away. Like Talon, I rarely shared details about myself with anyone. Need to know was my motto, and as far as I was concerned, there was rarely anyone—save for Zeke Lautner—who needed to know anything about me or my family.
Talon surprised me then, a cunning smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “We’ve been friends for years, have we not? And you’re aware of who I am and what it is I do. Surely you suspected I’d done a deep dive on you.”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about it. “And what, pray tell, did you uncover?”
“Probably more than you thought I would.”
“Really?”
“Not initially, no. But I’m nothing if not persistent. When I hit a brick wall, I decided to dig a little deeper.”
I frowned. “So you’re aware of my sister?”
“Braelyn? Yes.” He must’ve sensed my fury, because he added, “Don’t worry, your secrets are yours. I have no need to share them with anyone.”
Before I could form a reply, the shirtless man returned, delivering two mugs of coffee. He placed one in front of Talon, the other in front of me before resuming his position near the wall as he waited for Talon to assign him another task.
“I take it you’re not aware I’ve encountered your sister once before,” Talon said.
The admission shocked me, had me frowning. “What? When?”
“Halloween before last. TJ’s house. She came looking for you.”
She had? Why the hell had she not told me this?
“After attempting to contact you and failing, she mentioned Zeke. I tried him, got confirmation you were at Dichotomy, otherwise engaged. After I relayed this information to her, I had her escorted safely home. I figured she’d told you. Evidently, you were supposed to drive her home from yoga that night?”
He phrased the last part as a question, as though attempting to trigger the memory. Didn’t work.
I shook my head, at a loss. Who else knew about her?
“I told no one,” Talon added, as though he could read my thoughts. “Didn’t feel it was my place.” He studied me for a second. “What is it you need from me, Ransom?”
“I need you to hide my sister,” I blurted.
“Hide her?” His laugh was dark and laced with incredulity. “You really trust me with your sister, Ransom?”
Yes, I realized exactly what I was asking and to whom I was asking. Talon had a reputation, at least in our BDSM circle, known mostly for his lack of empathy toward submissives and his desire never to take one more than once. More interesting than that, I suspected that was a persona he’d developed for the club scene. Underneath the hardcore Master facade, I got the feeling there was something much, much darker.
But he wasn’t the only one who knew things.
“No,” I admitted. “I don’t fully trust anyone with Braelyn. But her safety is paramount, and right now, there’s no one I trust more to get her off the grid for a little while.”
“And how do you propose I do that?”
“Hire her. She’s on the verge of getting fired as it is. My fault, of course. I’ve made it nearly impossible for her to be punctual.”
Talon took a sip of his coffee, waited.
Figuring he wanted more details, I rambled on. “It won’t be difficult for me to delay her arrival this morning, which, according to her, will be the last straw.”
His dark eyebrows dipped low. “So they fire her and I hire her?”
“Yes.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t care.”
Talon continued to stare, so I decided to play my hand.
“I know a few things about you, too, Talon.”
He appeared amused. “Do you?”
I motioned toward the man standing near the wall. “I know you’ve got four sexual slaves you keep hidden away.”
“Seven,” Talon clarified. “I have seven. And to clarify, I prefer the term possessions. Your turn of phrase infers they were unwilling when they came to me.”
“Fine. Possessions. All of whom are men.”
“They are,” he confirmed, his smile returning. “And you believe, because I have seven male possessions at my beck and call, your sister will be safe with me?”
“She’s not exactly your type.”
Talon was now smirking. “Which only goes to show how little you actually do know about me.”
Because this was getting me nowhere, I worked to get us back on track.
“I know you’ve got a private island, Talon. A place where my sister can safely go until I make things right here.”
“So do Landon and Langston Moore.”
“They do, but…” I exhaled, realizing he’d cornered me, and I was forced to speak the truth. “You can ensure she stays where she is. My sister can be persuasive. I need someone who’ll keep her where she needs to be. Far from here.”
“Do you want me to hire her or kidnap her?” His smirk had returned. “I’m a bit confused.”
“I’d like you to hire her. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re in the process of making some changes within your organization. I think Braelyn would be a good fit.”
His face sobered. “Do you know what it is that I do here?”
Honestly, I had no idea. But based on the offices, the company was doing well for itself. That was all that mattered.
“I don’t. But she’s flexible. She’s a computer programmer. Surely her skills’ll fit in somewhere.”
“Fine.”
I stared, the word taking a moment to process. I’d come prepared to argue my case until Talon gave in. I certainly hadn’t expected him to do so quite so quickly.
“You understand my base of operations is on Sapphire Island,” he said easily.
“Not specifically, no. But yes, I’d heard you had a private island.” Which was the main reason I had come to him. Being that Talon’s private paradise was rumore
d to be one of the many Caribbean islands, it was the perfect place for my sister to go. No one would find her there.
“I will do this my way,” Talon tacked on, his stare intense, as though he was waiting for me to argue.
We both knew I was not in a position to do so.
I nodded. “The only request I have is that you don’t waste time. This is urgent, Talon.”
Talon’s molten stare remained level on my face. “And the only request I have is that you accompany her to the island.”
I immediately shook my head, sat up straight, and set the coffee mug on his desk. “I can’t do that. I’ve got things to take care of here.”
“You can handle them from there.”
The Dominant within me did not take kindly to demands, but I knew going up against Talon was futile. The man hadn’t amassed his enormous empire simply by granting people favors without some sort of compromise. For him to do this, I knew I would have to cave to at least some of his demands.
Before I could argue more, Talon held up his hand.
“It’s nonnegotiable, Ransom. Either you accompany your sister to Sapphire Island or you both remain here.”
Fuck.
I exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll accompany her, but I’d like Braelyn to believe this is her choice. My sister… Let’s just say she doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do.”
The smile that formed on Talon’s face had a chill slithering down my spine, and for the first time since I’d stepped into this office, I questioned whether or not I truly knew what I was doing.
“I know exactly how to handle it. I ask only that you be available to leave tomorrow evening.”
“I’d prefer tonight,” I declared. “My sister’s not safe here, Talon. And every minute that passes puts her more and more at risk.”
“I’ll be attending TJ’s New Year’s party tonight. Tomorrow’s the earliest I can offer,” he said simply. “You can accompany her on the flight out.”
I hastily nodded as I got to my feet. It would have to do.
Talon stood, stepping around the desk. “Might I suggest you stage this appropriately.”
Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) Page 3