Chapter 4
SAWYER
T he week passes in a blur of meetings and putting out fires. By the time Friday rolls around, I’m in desperate need of letting off some steam. Pulling out my phone, I bring up my sibling group chat.
Me: Need to release some energy. Gym tonight?
Dallas: Always down for kicking your ass Shithead. 7?
Liam: I’m in
Carter: You know there’s other ways you can release some energy that are more fun?
Kinsey: No one listen to Carter and his playboy ways. Sawyer, beat the shit out of something. Don’t be like Carter!
Ignoring my siblings and pocketing my phone, content with their agreement that we’d meet up later, I settle into the workday and start by checking emails. I lose track of time until my first meeting of the day knocks on my door.
“Hello, Mr. Hayes? I have an interview with you, my name is Blaire Hollis. HR sent me over.”
She holds her hand out to shake mine. I grasp her palm and welcome her into my office. Her professional photo online doesn’t do her justice. She’s a beautiful woman. Her red hair is curly in a tamed way and hangs down past her shoulders. She holds herself with confidence and doesn’t seem the tiniest bit nervous.
“Please, have a seat, Ms. Hollis.”
“Please, call me Blaire. Ms. Hollis seems so formal and makes me think of my mother.”
“Blaire, then. Well, let’s get right to it. As you are aware, you are more than qualified for the position we are looking to fill. Your degrees combined with your experience are ideal and exactly what we’re looking for.”
“Thank you. I’m happy to be considered.”
“My first question, though, why the move from Florida to Aspen Ridge?”
“Well, my parents are actually from Washington. My dad was in the military, so I grew up all over the world. When he retired, we were stationed in Florida and ended up staying there since I was already attending college. We lived in Japan and Alaska for a while, and I fell in love with the cold. I’m a winter girl through and through, though, and knew I wanted to live somewhere with four distinct seasons. So here I am. I moved here last month and am staying with my grandparents at the moment. Sorry, I realize that was a long-winded answer.”
“You’re fine, we’re pretty lax around here. Welcome to Washington. I can’t imagine living anywhere but here and I hope you enjoy it and come to love it. Back to the job, you understand that this position is new to our company? That we are looking for someone to create, implement, and host events and tours at Aspen Ridge Distillery? You would be working closely with my brother, Dallas, who is my COO, and sometimes meeting with our Brand Ambassador.”
“Thank you for clarifying that for me. As you saw, I hold a bachelor’s in hospitality management and a certification in project management. As much as I would love to walk into a position that has already ironed out the wrinkles, I love challenges more, and am very excited about the prospect of this role.”
“That’s all I needed to hear. Your resume, along with your portfolio, speak for themselves.”
“Than—”
Blaire is interrupted as Dallas swings my office door open and waltzes in like he owns the place.
“Sawyer, your damn phone is going straight to voicemail!”
“That’s because I’m in a meeting. As you can see.”
He finally notices the redhead in front of me when she turns in her seat to greet him. I grin wildly, knowing I’m about to piss him the fuck off. He peruses over her body quickly but unashamedly and I know he likes what he sees. That’s all about to change.
“Dallas, meet our newest employee, Blaire. She’ll be working with you as our Events Coordinator. Blaire, my brother, and COO, Dallas.”
Dallas doesn’t take his eyes off of her as they squint to slits. The energy in the room shifts as I feel the irritation roll from him in waves. Blaire doesn’t so much as squirm in her seat, but chooses to break the silence between them.
“Nice to meet you, Dallas. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“For.”
“Excuse me?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
“Working for me.”
“Ahh. Well that remains to be seen,” she quips.
Dallas jerks his head from Blaire to me and snaps, “Good luck tonight, Sawyer. You’re going to need it,” as he storms out of my office. Blaire shifts back to face me and places her hands neatly in her lap as she gives me a bright, devious smile.
“I hope now that you’ve met my brother, you will still accept the position?”
“Oh, no worries there. Like I said, I love challenges.” Her face is downright sinister. She’s perfect for this role.
If his unprofessionalism and attitude didn’t scare her off, then I know I’ve made the right decision. I just hope she drives him fucking insane in the process.
I get Blaire set up with HR and move on to the rest of my tasks for the day. It’s already getting dark outside by the time I finally close my laptop and rub my burning eyes. Days that are spent in front of my computer drain the life out of me. Glancing at my watch and realizing it’s a hell of a lot later than I thought, I grab my keys and helmet and head out, tossing my leather jacket on as I go. Luckily, I know better and always keep a change of workout clothes in a locker at the gym. My motorcycle purrs to life under me and I take off to meet my brothers.
By the time I walk onto the floor of the gym, my brothers and my best friend, Reid, are taping each other up and getting their gloves on. I hurry to the locker rooms to change, adrenaline and excitement starting to flow through my veins. I make my way back to the floor when Dallas sees me coming and nods before climbing into the ring. I ignore him and go check in with the other three.
“Hey, man. You ready for this? He’s pretty worked up today. What’d you do to him?” Liam asks, ever the mediator.
“He did it to himself. And the question is, is he ready for me? Been a long-ass week and I’m ready to go rounds with him.”
Reid tapes up my hands and wrists and I get my gloves on before joining my dickhead brother in the ring. Energy is coursing through me, and I stretch my neck from side to side. We meet in the middle and touch gloves before stepping apart, and then we begin our dance. I fucking love fighting in the ring. If I hadn’t had my life planned out for me, this is what I’d do.
“You wanna tell me why you hired our event coordinator, shithead?”
“Easy, dumbass. I told you to do it and you didn’t. You kept coming up with reasons why they weren’t a good fit. Well guess what? I found a good fit. Did you forget who now runs this company? Have fun working with her.”
“Like fuck I will.” He swings at me hard and fast. I expected it so I duck under and use the time to land a hook to his ribs. He groans and stumbles to the side but is quick to recover.
I barely have a moment to straighten before he jabs at me again. This time I barely dodge it and his glove nicks the side of my head. I chuckle at him.
“That all you got?” I know I’m egging him on, but I want him to unleash. I’d feel bad for pummeling him like I need to if he isn’t giving me his all. I want to feel his hits as bad as I need to throw them, and I know he needs it too.
“Fuck you,” he snarls as he bounces on the balls of his feet. He comes at me with a right hook that I duck under just as his left comes up and I take an uppercut under my chin. I give him a toothy smile as my mouth fills with tangy iron.
“There we go, buddy. That wasn’t so hard was it?” I shake out my arms at my sides, move my jaw around, readjust my mouth guard, and then pounce, landing two quick jabs to his face and another to his ribs before he grabs around my head with his gloves and holds me in a clinch. I take two blows from his knee to my stomach and ribs before I can shove him off and land a hook right under his eye, hard enough to make him wince. We lose all our grace and finesse after that and grapple with one another, it goes on and on as we let out our frustration with our fists before Liam and Carter yank us apart, leaving us both panting.
“Jesus, break it up,” Carter spits at us.
Carter and Liam share a look.
“Animals. Our brothers are fucking animals.”
“Never woulda guessed these two shared a womb.”
I look at Dallas, his nose is bleeding, and he’s got a small cut under his eye. I know based on how I’m feeling that I’m looking similar. I walk up to my brother, grab him roughly around the neck, and pull his head into mine, forehead to forehead.
“We good?”
“Always, asshole.”
“Good.” I tap the back of his head with my glove and head to the locker room to catch my breath and clean myself up. I’m quick to rinse my body off in the shower and get dressed before returning to my family.
“You want to go down to The Night Owl for a drink after this?” Reid asks when he sees me approach.
“Nah, raincheck. I’m beat. Family dinner on Sunday, though, yeah? You know my mom loves to see you. Hey boys, I'm heading out.”
“Such an old motherfucker. You really can’t hang anymore can you?” Carter teases.
“Oh, I can. I just don’t want to hang with you lame assholes,” I yell over my shoulder as I walk away and leave the gym.
I approach my motorcycle, a beautiful 2016 Harley Davidson Sportster, and swing my leg over, ready to head home and leave the day behind me. I live for the feeling of being on my bike, the connection I have with it—just me and the road. Riding takes all my focus, consuming all of my senses, and allows me to be completely lost in the moment but intensely alive all at once. As the wind hits me, the engine purrs under me and I’m flying over the pavement, my mind completely free of everything except this.
The only other time my mind has ever emptied is when I was with Ivy. When I was near her, I was pulled into her orbit.
Consumed.
Obsessed.
Lost to everything that was her. Even though we were kids, I knew it was more than that. I always knew. She was made for me.
Anger is still coursing through my bloodstream as I anticipate getting the fuck out of downtown and into the open space that will allow me to push myself and my bike to the limit.
The moment I get to the edge of town where everything opens up, I fucking gun it.