Tainted

Chapter Twenty-two

Sawyer stood looking out the hotel window, becoming more and more impatient as the day progressed and no one told her when she would be able to see Vida. The men had all disappeared this morning before she woke, and when she had tried to leave the hotel room, Alec had been standing outside her door.

“Where’s everyone at?” Sawyer had questioned Alec.

“The band is interviewing new tour managers since they have a three-day layover.”

“Oh.” Kaden hadn’t mentioned that the band would be hiring someone to replace R.J. Did that mean that he would be returning to the band fulltime?

Sawyer shoved her hands into her pockets. “I want to see Vida.”

“When the arrangements have been made, you’ll be the first to know,” Alec replied.

Sawyer started to get angry at his evasiveness; finding herself confined once again didn’t help her attitude.

“But I don’t wantto wait.”

“Kaden said that if you started to get difficult for me to call Ax.” The amusement shining from his eyes had her biting back her next remark. She went back into the hotel room, slamming the door behind her.

Controlling herself from picking something up and throwing it, Sawyer took deep breaths until she calmed her temper. She spent the rest of the morning on the e-reader Kaden had given her.

After what felt like hours, she was unable to sit still any longer, so Sawyer got up and went to the window, gazing out blindly. When they had arrived at the hotel last night, they each had redressed in the limo before Kaden had unlocked the door. As soon as the driver opened the door, Sawyer had taken off, jumping over Ax before he had time to move out of the way. She almost landed on her head. Only Alec standing nearby had saved her from a nasty fall. He had set her on her feet, searching her face. Her telltale blush had been hard to hide.

His eyes went over her shoulders, giving an imperceptible nod before leading her away. They crowded into the private elevator with D-mon and Sin in a good mood that they had the next three days off, joking with each other. The elevator opened, leading them to two suites. She held her hand out for one of the keys and he didn’t hesitate in handing her the key before moving out of the way. She unlocked the door and went inside; about to lock the door behind her until she remembered what had happened the last time she had locked the door.

Searching through the two bedrooms, she found her suitcase had already been sent up. Finding a nightgown, she went into the bathroom and lowered the lid of the toilet where she had sat down to take a few deep breaths. Using her years of speech therapy, she was finally able to get her breathing back under control.

She showered and then slipped on her nightgown before going back into the bedroom. A trolley had been rolled in with several trays, and her empty stomach immediately had drawn her to the appetizing aromas permeating the room.

“Sawyer.” Her feet stopped. She hadn’t noticed Kaden in the chair in the shadows by the window.

“K—Kaden I—I really don’t want to talk to you right n—now.”

He stood to his feet, taking her in his arms as her head dropped to his chest.

“I—I can’t believe I did those t—things. I—I’m just like those women who let Sin and D-mon—”

Kaden picked her up, carrying her to the chair before sitting down with her on his lap.

“You’re nothing like those women, Sawyer. I saw that the first time I stared into your eyes. When you’ve lived the type of life I’ve led, you see who’s real and who’s not.

“You stutter when you get upset, you tug your hair when you’re worried, and you’re generous and kind. That’s why you reacted that way in the limo; not because you take sex lightly. You knew that you’d scared the shit out of both us. You are aware that Ax cares about you. He would steal you from me in a second if he didn’t know I would kill him.”

Sawyer relaxed against him, unconsciously twirling her hair between her fingers.

“Feel better?”

“Yes. I don’t want to kill you anymore. I’ll settle for castrating you if it happens again.”

“That’s an easy fix; just behave, Sawyer. Take your safety as seriously as we do and quit fighting our protecting you. Your friend, Vida, obviously listened to Colton.”

“I promise I’ll be more careful, Kaden.”

When Sawyer heard the door opening, she turned, expecting Kaden; however, Vida stood in the doorway, grinning at her.

“Vida!”

“Sawyer!”

Both friends ran into each other’s arms, crying, and neither could talk for several minutes.

“Thank God, you’re safe. I’ve been so worried about you.” Vida looked her friend over carefully before hugging her close again.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Sawyer couldn’t stop crying as she stared at Vida, noticing the changes in her. They were as close as sisters and Sawyer saw that the unhappy memories that had always filled her eyes had been replaced with happiness.

They sat down on the couch, still holding each other’s hand. It was a habit they’d had since children when her mother would take them for walks in the park, making them hold onto each other’s hands. It had been traumatic the first few times they had went to the park after Callie’s death, each of them kept unconsciously searching for their missing friend’s hand.

“Are you all right?” Vida questioned her, lowering her voice.

Sawyer glanced up,seeing the room of the suite was filled to capacity. Kaden, the band, Alec—with two of his security guards who were wearing FBI vests—Colton—who still looked the same as when he had tattooed her—the bikers—Ice, Max and several others, wearing Predators’ jackets.

“I’m fine, but have you counted to see who has the biggest entourage?” Sawyer joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Vida laughed, brushing away her tears. “I don’t have to. I do. There’s more outside the door and downstairs.”

Sawyer smiled gratefully at the men for making sure Vida was safe.

“How did you get away from Rick?” Vida asked.

“Kaden rented me then wouldn’t give me back,” Sawyer answered, going on to tell her about her second kidnapping and how King had rescued her.

“He must have sent Ashley to warn me. She’s the reason I knew how to find you.”

“Why didn’t he just call and tell you himself?”

“No one has heard from him since the night the FBI raided the recording studio. He might have been afraid the police would arrest him.”

Sawyer shook her head. “King is too smart for the police to catch.” She ignored the frosty gazes of the FBI agents. “I think he’s gone after Digger.”

Vida nodded her head in agreement. “I agree. I hope he finds him. Digger is evil and deserves everything that King does to him. He killed a FBI agent that was a friend of mine.”

Sawyer didn’t tell her that wasn’t the worst of the sins that hell was waiting to make Digger pay for. She prayed every night for the women that Digger had kidnapped.

“Sawyer, do you know why Digger wants us?”

“He’s trying to find a connection between King and us.”

“But there isn’t one,” Vida protested then, seeing the look in Sawyer’s eyes, she asked, “Is there?”

“No, Vida, there’s no connection between King and us,” then she added softly, “but there was between him and Callie.”

“No, Sawyer, there wasn’t.” Vida stood up, jerking her hand away from her friend.

“King was Callie’s father,” Sawyer told her.

“No!” Vida started crying and Sawyer joined her. Discussing Callie was bringing back all the heartache they had never been able to leave behind.

“How could he just stand back and not do anything?” Vida cried.

“I don’t know, Vida. I really don’t. I know she was born during the time of his sister’s death. Maybe he thought he was protecting her. Instead, he left her in the hands of pure evil. Brenda makes Digger look like a choirboy. I told Digger about Callie, that she was a friend of ours, but I didn’t tell him that King was her father. I told him there wasn’t a connection that I knew about. I don’t think he believed me, though. His hatred of King has gone too far. He can’t back down now without taking King down, and he thinks King would try to save us.”

Vida and Sawyer both sat quietly, thinking.

“He would, wouldn’t he, Sawyer? He’d sacrifice himself for us.”

“Yes. He believes he owes us for saving Callie that day. King always pays his debts,” Sawyer answered.

“This is such a mess. What are we going to do now? King and Digger are both missing.” Vida and Sawyer stared at each other, unsure of what their next step should be. They’d always had a plan of action since they were kids.

“I can answer that question.” Kaden stepped forward, walking to the couch and sitting down beside Sawyer. “We have the hotel secure; you two can stay here until the band has to be at their next concert. Then, you two need to be moved to a safe house.”

Sawyer started to protest then remembered her promise about taking her safety more seriously. “Where?”

“I have a remote cabin that you both could stay in with Alec’s security guards. As soon as the tour is over, I can join you and we can decide where to go next.”

Vida and Sawyer both looked at each other as Colton walked over, sitting down next to Vida. “It’s a good idea, Vida. If you go back to Queen City, Digger won’t stop. If he’s finally made a move toward King, he won’t back down until one of them is dead. Digger’s operation is exposed; he has nothing to lose.”

Sawyer saw Vida’s nod of agreement. “Then I guess we’re all going to Kaden’s cabin.”

Looking at Kaden and the band, then at the rough appearance of the Predators, Sawyer thought the next few days were going to be interesting.