Jamie Begley - Tainted

“She didn’t answer,” Kaden said unnecessarily.

Sawyer’s mind went into panic mode for her friend’s safety. She started for the door only to be stopped by Kaden and Alec, who hurriedly finished his conversation.

“Listen to me, Sawyer,” Alec started.

“G—g—get out of m—my way!” Sawyer screamed, trying to get by the two men preventing her from leaving. When the dark haired man named Sin and the other men in the room also moved to block her path, she knew it was useless. “I can’t believe that you’re stopping me from getting help,” Sawyer said in frustration. “Your friend is in danger, too. Don’t you care?”

“Yes. That’s why we need to decide what to do before we make a move. Rushing and calling the police might get him killed,” Kaden tried to reason with her, but it was his next words that had her actually listening.

“It wasn’t the police who found you, Sawyer. It was me, and the fact that Alec was smart enough to realize something wasn’t right. Do you think that your disappearance was reported to the police? Did they come in rushing to save you? No. We are trying to protect them,” he pointed to the women huddled on the couch, “as well as you. We’re concerned for our friend’s safety as you are for Vida’s. We have resources that would be effective if you would just listen and give us an opportunity to get situated.”

Kaden’s hard voice brought her to the decision that she would listen for now, then find a way to call for help later. She would let them think she was giving in if it would give her time to get away.

“I’ve called in my security team, which would have already been here if R.J. hadn’t held them up downstairs in the lobby.”

“They had to be checked out,” R.J. said stubbornly.

“You dumb fuck, if you hadn’t done that, they would have been up here before Redman and his men showed up.” Alec took a deep breath. “A couple of my men were on the police force, another is a computer expert, and three of them are special ops. My team is able to deal with Redman and get Ax back, but I can’t keep getting diverted by you and the others.” He looked at Kaden.

“Do what you have to do. I trust your judgment,” Kaden told Alec.

“How am I not surprised?” Sawyer said sarcastically. “The p—problem is for some reason you guys are more concerned with keeping this quiet than getting p—professional help. Who are you anyway?” Sawyer studied the men in the room, not recognizing any of them. She didn’t think they were sports figures. The men in the room looked fit and muscular, but they weren’t wide or tall enough for basketball or football players.

The man sitting on the couch, who up to this point had remained silent, looked at her as if she were an alien. “We’re Mouth2Mouth. Haven’t you heard of us?” He pointed to Kaden. “That’s Kaden Cross.”

Sawyer searched her memory and could find no memory of the group or of Kaden’s name. That wasn’t unusual; her mother hadn’t let her listen to music while she was growing up, and even after she had finished high school, her mother had guilt tripped her into remaining home until she had been murdered one day coming home from work.

“I’m D-mon.” He pointed to the dark haired man leaning against the wall. “That’s Sin. R.J. is our tour manager. Ax was the one Redman took.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of you. I’m not into music much.” Sawyer could tell her lack of recognition didn’t hurt their egos when they were all studying her as if she would suddenly recognize them.

She saw Kaden’s mouth twitch in amusement at her last sentence. All the room stared at her in dismay. Even the other women looked at her in pity. She and Vida lived a quiet life; neither of them had been into partying. Vida spent all her free time studying, while her own time had been spent working to support her friend so she could finish her degree.

The door opened, and men began pouring into the room. Sawyer took a step back before she realized that these were the extra security that Alec had been talking about. He talked with them and Kaden while she took a seat on one of the empty chairs.

Her stomach grumbled and the women turned to stare at her. Blushing, she crossed her arms over her stomach, hoping to silence the embarrassing noise.

Kaden was watching her, and at her revealing movement, he turned his attention to Sin.

“Call and have some food and drinks sent up here.” Sin nodded, catching the cell phone that Kaden tossed toward him. The men talked for what seemed like forever to her tense nerves, but Sawyer reminded herself to be patient. She already had decided to ask who brought up the food for help.

Her plans were derailed when one of Alec’s men went to the door, wheeling in the trolley filled with food himself, leaving the server outside in the hallway.

As the women and men descended on the food cart, Sawyer’s stomach lurched at the aroma coming from it, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat while she was so worried about Vida and wanting to call for help.

Finally, when the men finished talking, Alec and his security team left with grim faces.

Sawyer watched as Kaden walked over to the food cart where he placed several sandwiches on a plate and grabbed a bottled water before walking over, handing it to her.

“Eat,” he ordered. She started to argue with him, but her grumbling stomach refused to cooperate. Embarrassed, she reached out and took the plate from his hand.

“So what have you and Alec decided?” Sawyer asked, before taking a bite of the thick sandwich.

Kaden sat down on the chair facing hers.

“Alec is going to find a safe place for the women to stay. Two of Alec’s security detail that used to be on the police force are going to get in touch with their ex-bosses and bring them in quietly so as not to alarm Redman and whoever his boss is. We’re going to hang tight until we hear back from Alec.”

“In other words, you’re not going to do a damn thing. None of this wait-and-see attitude is going to prevent them from going after my friend.” Sawyer had to force herself to take another bite. His words making her appetite dwindle.

“Alec is tracing the number you dialed and is going to keep trying it. If we don’t get in touch with her soon, then we’ll send one of our men to where she is to get her out of town.”

Sawyer ate the sandwich, enjoying the taste despite herself. The thick sandwich was filled with a flavorful meat that had her reaching for another one. After she finished it and drank half her bottled water, she sat, debating her next move.

Alec returned and asked the women to follow him after a quiet conversation with Kaden. The women meekly followed him out of the hotel room.

“Where is he taking them?” Sawyer asked, concerned for their safety.

Kaden returned his attention to her. ‘’He’s taking them to a private rehab home not far from here. They’ll be checked out and given help to get rid of the drugs Redman has kept in their systems.

Rehab houses were known for their discretion and silence dealing with wealthy clients. These women weren’t being given their freedom, but exchanging it for a more luxurious prison.

“Why aren’t you trying to send me with them?” she asked suspiciously.

“Because Redman wants you; he doesn’t want them.”

His words had what little color the food had given her disappearing again. Did that mean he had decided to give her back to Rick? The door had been unintentionally left open after the last woman had left the suite.

“I need to go to the restroom.” Nonchalantly, she rose to her feet.

“Fine.” Kaden was motioned to Sin’s and R.J.’s side after he’d dismissed her.

Sawyer turned toward the bathroom, and before anyone could react, she ran for the door. She saw the elevator door was closed, so seeing the exit sign and hearing running steps and yells from behind her, she went for the exit.