Chapter 28 Sawyer
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
SAWYER
My head is throbbing. I open my eyes and everything spins. What’s going on? I look up and the room starts to take focus.
“Whatcha doing?”
I blink, hearing the voice.
Noah?
My brain swims, my eyes focusing.
I watch his legs swing as he sits on the edge of a desk. The man with the eyepatch and scar running down his face tries his best to stay focused on whatever he’s writing. What was his name? Tag something. Noah cocks his head at him. The man looks up at Noah.
“Work.”
“What kind of work?” His legs keep swinging.
“Noah, get off his desk!” Jamie grits.
“It’s fine, he doesn’t mind.” Noah smiles.
“I mind,” Tagar says.
“Stop it.” Noah playfully swipes the air. “You don’t mean that.”
“Noah!” Jamie hisses.
“Relax. I’ve read mafia romances, I know how these things go down. They’re never as mean as they look.” Noah boops his nose. Actually fucking boops his nose. “Oh my god!” Noah grabs the book on his desk.
“Noah!” Hunter snaps.
“Have you read this yet?!” The man looks uncomfortably at the other guard standing by the door. He was in the room with Ivan. Dominic, I think. Wait, is this his room? Where are we? This doesn’t look like the dusty farmhouse. I look at Hunter. Why is Hunter here? Why are they all here!?
“What’s going on?” My voice sounds like sandpaper.
“I don’t know,” Hunter says. “I just woke up. They knocked us out with something.”
“Ugh,” Noah says. “I was thinking of putting off reading it until the next one because book three doesn’t come out for another six months. Book one destroyed me!”
“Noah, baby, please—”
“Jamie, don’t you remember? Paradise Lost?” He holds up the book, ignoring his boyfriend’s concerns. “The one with Reed, Becca, and Dante. The fake-dating one where they all—”
“Noah, please stop and leave him alo—wait, the one with the pool-house scene?”
Noah swings his legs, reading the back of the book. “Yup.”
“When Dante took Reed back and—”
“Yup.”
“While Becca watched as they—”
“Uh-huh.”
“While she played with her—”
“Yup.” Noah pops the P. He leans back, looking at Tagar. “Not into the meow meow, but even that made my kitty cat purr.” He winks.
He snatches it back. “It was very good,” Tagar says softly.
“Ugh!” Noah looks back at Jamie. “Baby, when we get out of here, we’ll have to start it.”
“I’ll buddy read it with you,” the large man with the pink shirt says. Who the hell is he? Where the hell are we?
“Devlin, why aren’t you handcuffed?” Hunter holds out his wrists.
“Oh, they didn’t knock me out. Have no idea what they used on you guys. You weren’t out long, though. I’m thinking some sort of dichloromethane. Kenji said it wasn’t chloroform when I asked. I just came here for Noah.”
“You just let them take Noah?” Hunter asks.
Shame seems to light up this man’s face. “It isn’t a matter of ‘let,’ when dealing with Kenji. You don’t get in his way,” he says seriously.
“What is this guys deal?” Hunter asks.
Devlin swallows hard, his Adam’s apple shifting slowly with the movement.
His eyes flick quickly to the man by the door, then the one at the desk.
“You know in the movies when the good guy always hesitates to kill the bad guy? And you’re screaming for them to shoot and kill them, but they freeze instead?
” Hunter nods. “Yeah, well. Kenji never freezes. He will kill you without blinking twice and not feel any type of way about it.”
Who the hell are these people?!
“This one is about Quinton and that quarterback, right?” Noah goes through the small stack of books, holding up one with a soft blue cover. Tagar’s eyes narrow before he nods. “Ugh. Love sports romances. I’m a bit of an athlete myself actually. I was a cheerleader for my old college hockey team.”
“Doing the splits all over my teammates is not the same as being a cheerleader.” Hunter growls.
“Well. Someone was definitely cheering.” Noah folds his arms.
“I bet you’re very flexible,” Devlin says dreamily.
“I hate everyone in this room,” Jamie whispers.
The bodyguard by the door is watching Noah, his face growing more irritated with every word.
“Not to alarm you,” Noah whispers loudly to Tagar.
“But I think that guard by the door has the hots for you. He’s giving you these dreamy eyes.
” Noah leans in a little. “I think I’m making him jealous,” he whispers loudly.
Tagar looks up then slides his eyes to the man at the door. I swear I see red creep up his neck. “No he’s not,” he growls low.
“I don’t know,” Noah teases. “I have an eye for these things.” Noah’s brows wiggle.
“I’m straight.” The man at the door glowers.
Noah snorts. “Sure thing.” He winks at Tagar. “You know, Jamie and I have a bit of a romantic love story.” Noah holds his hand up, showing off his ring. “Till death do us part, baby.”
“Death can happen at any moment.” Devlin looks at Jamie. “Blink of an eye.”
“When you least expect it,” Hunter murmurs.
“No.” Devlin glares at Jamie. “When you most expect it. When you’re the most aware that you’re about to die.”
“Noah, get over here right now!” Jamie hisses.
Through all the chaos there’s one person missing. “Where’s Aiden?” I whisper.
Hunter shrugs. “I haven’t seen him since Ivan’s. I don’t know where we are. Everything just happened . . . Ivan’s dead . . . then black.”
“You all stormed into that house with no fucking plan?! Are you crazy?”
Hunter shrugs with a smirk. “You’re my best friend. No plan. Just action.”
I laugh, shaking my head. Unbelievable. “You’re insane.” My glare softens. “Thank you.” I look over at the giant man in the pink shirt. “Who the fuck is that?”
“That . . . is a long story.” Hunter smiles at me. “Are you okay? I know not emotionally or mentally, but are you hurt physically?”
“No. I’m not. He didn’t touch me.” Hunter nods. “None of this has sunk in yet.”
“I need your number before we leave,” Noah says to Tagar. “I want to start a book club. Everyone’s invited. Tiger, I mean it.”
“Tagar,” the man corrects.
“Once a month. I mean it. You get first pick, Danger Daddy.”
“Danger Daddy?” Hunter whispers. “He’s going to get us all killed.”
“Noah, baby. Please come over here before you get us all killed.” Jamie gives him a tight-lipped smile as Noah hops down off the desk then leans down and gives Jamie a big kiss.
“I’m going to be sick,” Devlin whispers.
“Wait. Noah. Where are your handcuffs?” I ask.
“Huh?” He looks at his wrists. “Oh, I picked them with the paperclip on his desk.” Noah turns to the guards. “You know, if you want some restraint tips, my fiancé is very good with rope and silk ties.”
“Noah, please,” he begs.
“I would tie you up so good you’d never break free,” Devlin says to Noah.
“Do you hear yourself?!” Jamie snaps.
The doors open and Kenji looks around the room, then his eyes land on me. “I need that one.” He closes the door and Tagar and the man by the door come to grab me. I struggle for a moment then deflate. What’s the point?
“He won’t hurt you,” Dominic whispers.
I take one last look at my friends and sag.
They take me down the hall and into a room, and my blood goes cold when I see Aiden holding Katya in his lap. She’s still sleeping but stirring softly in his arms. He looks up and the softness in his eyes almost kills me. “What are you doing?” Aiden asks Kenji.
“Sit.” He ignores Aiden. “I’ll be right back. I have something I need to take care of. There’s a guard right outside this room. Don’t do anything stupid.”
With that he leaves us in silence.
I want to scream at him.
I don’t. I just stare at him and Katya, and although there’s so much going on—betrayal, danger, and so much heartbreak—I just watch him with her, and I know that no matter what, Aiden wouldn’t change a thing. Aiden might not love much, but I know his sister is his world.
And how can I blame him.
She’s my sister too.