Pan's Salvation (Dueling Devils 5)

threatening. Their heads were cleanly shaven and a tattoo curled its way around their necks, a symbol of their loyalty to their organization.

He closed the door behind him them and stopped near the entrance.

“Did you bring what you were supposed to?” The bulky man on the left asked.

“Yeah, I got it,” Pan said. He walked over to the bed and placed the suitcase on the top of the comforter.

“Open it,” The man on the right ordered.

He unzipped it and stepped back. The neat bundles of white product stood out against the black interior. Pan stepped even further back and the man on the right moved forward, taking the bags out as his partner set up a scale.

They took their time carefully measuring. “It looks like it’s all there. Lucky for both of you,”

One of them said.

“And my sister?” Lark whispered.

“You were late. So…you understand why we can’t let her go.”

“What? That wasn’t my fault.”

The man shrugged. “You got a problem with that, you best take it up with the boss man.”

“No. No this was not part of the deal!” Lark screamed.

“You’d best get your bitch in check before I do it for you.” The man growled low.

Pan grabbed her arm and snatched her up against him.

“Let me go.”

“Shut your fucking mouth!” He barked.

She jumped. Her eyes damn ne

ar bulged out of her skull.

The wounded expression in her brown eyes made him feel lower than a snake. He leaned in and whispered, “There’s nothing we can do right now.”

“I’m not leaving here without, Robin.” She shook his hand free. “Take me to her.”

Her words set him off like a bomb. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He gave her a few hard shakes. “I don’t give a shit what she says. She’s leaving with me.”

The man shrugged. “We got what we came here for. This shit’s between the two of you.” He snapped his fingers. “Let’s go, Hector.” He smirked at Lark. “I’ll tell the boss you’ll be contacting him soon.”

Pan clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her to his body, pinning her arms with his own. She wiggled and he gripped her tighter. She cried out. He ignored her protest as the men gathered their things and left. The door closed behind him and she fought with renewed strength.

He walked over to the wall and pressed her body against it. “Calm the fuck down. You aren’t going anywhere and we both know it. You think I risked my ass coming down here for you, just to hand deliver you? What happens when he has everything he wants and you have no leverage?

You stop to think about that?” He removed his hand.

“Why do you care?”

“I wish I fucking knew. Cause you’ve been nothing but grief.”

“So, let me go. Please just let me go. I can’t leave her here with him—doing God knows

what. I–I just can’t.” Her shoulders heaved. Broken sobs filled the silence in the room.