20. Sawyer
Chapter 20
Sawyer
The roll of tape screeched as I cut off a strip for the print-out sign. Nonprofits didn’t have the extra funds to pay for an actual sign that said they were closed off of the schedule; instead, they relied on printer paper. Library Closed, I had typed. Then, because Fiona would have wanted something more, I added, Be back soon!
The part-timer who was supposed to be on the clock had called in sick. Then I had called the library to have Erica find someone to cover the shift, but no one had answered the phone. And when I tried Erica’s cell, she hadn’t picked up either. I made a mental note to finally get around to looking up her background. I had done that with the other part-timers, but hadn’t had Erica’s information when they hired her. And honestly, I never imagined I’d get involved in this dump heap.
In the end, no one picked up their phones. Not even Fiona. I drove myself to the library, shaking my head as I saw that there were no cars in the parking lot.
I had to take care of this dump by myself .
I was the genius who had convinced myself that buying a library was part of breaking Fiona. When it hadn’t broken her. It was a waste of money. There was no reward to dangle in front of Fiona.
In the end, I was the one reaching for her.
None of it mattered, anyway. Once I got in touch with Fiona, I’d sign over the papers and she’d be the owner of New Host Library, the one responsible for letting this place shine, or burning it to the ground. She had finally lost the game, saying those words that I had longed to hear. But she had shot the gun, willing to sacrifice herself for her library. As if she wanted her dream career more than anything, even me.
Or had she pulled the trigger to save me, somehow?
That must have been why I wanted to get out of this place. If that was the case, I truly didn’t deserve her.
I scanned the building. Three empty desks in the staff room. My windowed office. The tall aisles of books. The computer room. At least she would finally have her library.
And what did I get out of all of this?
I knew the literal answer: Hatchcom Focus’s men and contracts. A family business that would continue to obliterate the competition. A brother and employees that were loyal to me. And a woman who hated me, even if she had gotten what she wanted.
None of it was worth it.
I went to her desk. A hot pink sticky note hung on the bottom of the monitor: Maisie? and another that read, BooksAll, then NHLPierce, the username and password for the library’s system. I took out my red and silver dice, placing them underneath her monitor, a symbol of my defeat. My attorney would bring her the documents of ownership. That would be the easiest way to deal with this .
Did she realize she had won the library? Or was she too furious to accept her victory?
I stopped at the back door, my fingers on the light switch. I turned it off, then glanced at the rest of the building again. The dice on her desk loomed like red embers of a dying fire. My fingers twitched in my pocket, itching for them.
I could go to Fiona. Apologize. Say that I was stupid. That she didn’t deserve any of this. That I was a cruel bastard for doing this to her. And she might never accept my apology.
My jaw clenched. Fuck it. It wasn’t about her acceptance. It was about making this right.
In the SUV, I drove to her apartment by myself again, both eager to see her, and dreading it. I hated admitting I was wrong. It was a loss. Defeat. Surrender. And perhaps I was surrendering to Fiona. She was stronger than I had expected. And it wasn’t her fault that she had failed to see who I was. I had made sure that she wouldn’t, because I wanted her to fall in love with me, like I had fallen for her. To make her just as weak as she had made me.
And that wasn’t right.
I cruised through the open gate to the parking spaces outside of her building, but her car wasn’t there. I dialed Fiona anyway, holding my breath. It went straight to voicemail.
I drove over to the satellite campus, circling the parking lot twice before deciding she wasn’t there either. I even went to that stupid nightclub, but the owner said he hadn’t seen her.
As a last resort, I dialed Maisie.
“What?” she snapped.
“Where’s your sister?” I asked .
“I doubt she wants to talk to you.”
“I need to see her.”
“Well, good luck with that,” she said. “If you weren’t my brother-in-law, I’d make sure you knew exactly what?—”
I cut her off: “She’s not at her apartment. Not at the library. Not at the college. You dropped her off last night?”
Maisie paused, noticing my tension. “Yeah,” she said hesitantly. “It was pretty late. I don’t know where she would have gone. You said you checked the college?”
“Yeah. She didn’t mention anything to you?”
She cleared her throat. “No.”
“Can you call her?” I asked. There was a better chance that Fiona would pick up the phone for her sister.
“I’ll call you back,” Maisie said.
I sat in the front seat, focusing on the nightclub. The seconds ticked by, making my head spin.
Finally, my phone vibrated.
“Yeah?” I said.
“Didn’t answer,” Maisie said.
I sighed. “All right. If you get a hold of her, call me.”
“Same to you.”
We both hung up. My chest tightened, trying to consider the possibilities. I had been watching Fiona for five years; it wasn’t like her to run off like this. She was dedicated to her work, especially when it came to the library. Even if she hated me, she’d still show up for her job, or at least call to quit.
My phone buzzed. Erica Houston flashed on the screen. I picked it.
“Yeah?” I said.
“You rang?”
I had completely forgotten about calling her. “You didn’t show up for work,” I said .
“Got a little tied up here.”
“You should have given me a warning.”
“Sorry, boss, ” she said with unexpected sarcasm in her tone. “I’ll be better next time.”
“Have you heard from Fiona?” It was a slim chance, but they had been friendly with each other. Maybe Erica knew something.
“She’s right here,” she said. “Want to say ‘hi’?”
My shoulders tensed. “Fiona?”
“Sssawwwyerrr,” Fiona slurred. I gripped the device.
“What the hell happened?” I growled.
“I gave her a little drug cocktail of my own. A little mix of all the best things. No big deal.”
“You what? ” I howled.
“She needed to relax last night, and honestly, I needed her to shut up,” she laughed. “She took a second dose an hour or two ago. Don’t worry; I spread them out. You want to join us? Here. I’ll send you a picture.”
My phone lit up, and I checked the screen; Fiona was passed out on the couch, her cheeks bruised and swollen.
I balled my fists. “What is this?”
“If you’d like, we can have a little chat about my demands,” Erica snickered. “You were willing to negotiate with us once; why not try again?”
Once?
My vision blurred red, everything coming to a stop. “You’re with Hatchcom Focus,” I said.
“And you killed my husband,” she muttered. “It’s a bit of an inconvenience for me with Roth gone. And I’m sure with Fiona, this is a slight inconvenience for you. So if you want your woman back, you’ll negotiate on my terms. Deal?”
“Where are you? ”
“I’ll send you the address in a minute.”
“What do you want, Erica?”
She chuckled. “I want what Hatchcom Focus has always wanted. Domination. We’re not that different from the Feldman Farm. But I do have a better position than my husband did. He didn’t agree with me when I said we should take Fiona. But she happened to be your weakness.”
I thought of everything I was going to do to destroy Erica. Gouge her eyes out. Cut off her hands. Disembowel her.
There was no one in this world that could touch Fiona. And she had crossed that line.
“And don’t bring anyone with you,” Erica said. “I may not have our men anymore, but I do have a gun. And all it takes is one bullet, and your lovely little Fi is gone.”
Fiona was already bruised and battered. I had to take each step with extreme caution. I had to manipulate the situation and put Erica under my control.
But what if that wasn’t enough?
“Send your address,” I said. Then I hung up, slamming the steering wheel with an angry howl. I had always said I would check Erica’s background myself because I hadn’t been the one to hire her. But with Fiona around, I had been distracted.
How had I not seen it?
All of this was because of the mistakes I had made. Underestimating Hatchcom Focus. Falling in love when the only thing that mattered was?—
No. That was wrong.
The only thing that mattered was keeping Fiona safe, even if that meant breaking her heart so that she left me.
Even when it came to my family’s business .
Even if that meant giving everything up in order to protect her.
It was all her.
My phone vibrated; the address was near Lakeville.
I screeched out of the parking lot, heading there as fast as I could. I may have screwed up in so many ways when it came to Fiona, but I wasn’t going to let her get hurt.
Over my dead body.