Chapter 11
Zenia
After my second full week of work, Sawyer and I finally had sex again.
He listened to my request for him to spend the night with me, but I woke up to an empty bed and a stack of money on the nightstand.
It only took a second for me to decide if I should be offended or not.
I picked the phone up and called his room.
I almost hung up after deciding he was probably somewhere in the casino working.
Before I could hang up the receiver, he answered, and I lit into him.
“What the hell is this money for, Sawyer?”
He chuckled. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get mad about money.”
“I don’t need you leaving money on the nightstand for me like I’m a prostitute. That is not what we’re doing.”
“Baby, calm down. It’s your pay for working.
I told Denise not to put you on payroll because I didn’t want to raise any red flags in the system.
We had to get rid of five people before who were hired with fake credentials by someone behind the scenes.
The software would have flagged you immediately, so I told her I would handle your pay. ”
“Oh, shit!” I said, plopping down on the bed. “I’m so sorry. See how warped my mind is when it comes to men and money.”
“It’s cool, mama. Don’t ever speak to me like that again, though.”
“I apologize, but Sawyer, this is four thousand dollars.”
“That’s all I had on me. You need something?”
“How much does that job pay? I didn’t make four thousand dollars a month on my last job. I’ve only been working for two weeks.”
“How much do you need? I guess we should have talked about that.”
“I don’t need this much! I’m already living here for free,” I reminded him.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t need anything.”
“This is too much, Sawyer.”
“Enjoy your day, mama. I’ll see you tonight. I gotta take care of some shit,” he said, hanging up in my face.
As I sat on the bed and stared at the wad of money, I shook my head at my own antics.
I must have sounded psychotic for fussing at the man for giving me money.
I kept forgetting that Sawyer was part owner of the place.
This was probably pocket change for him.
I tried not to think about how rich he must have been.
Historically, I had a deep-seated disdain for wealthy men.
Every single one I had ever encountered was a self-centered asshole and a womanizer.
Getting out of bed, I showered and got myself ready for work.
I was grateful to have something to do, even if it didn’t pay for anything but me being able to stay at Cashville for a while. The money was icing on the cake.
As I rode the elevator up after finishing my third shift of week three, I wondered if I would see Sawyer tonight.
We had been spending a lot of time together, but some nights he had to work, so he stopped by to have lunch or dinner with me, just to make sure I was OK.
Mentally, I was doing a lot better. Having someone checking in and making sure I wasn’t allowing myself to spiral definitely helped.
I could admit that I had been spoiled by his attentiveness.
I loved being with Sawyer, and I didn’t feel like he was just hanging around because he felt sorry for me.
Our connection was real. Plus, without his company, I would be alone most of the time.
He was my only friend here outside of the girls I worked with.
They were cool, but I preferred to leave work at work.
They didn’t even know where I was staying, and I liked it that way.
I stepped off the elevator on my floor and hurried to my room. I couldn’t wait to get off my feet. Working was rewarding, but my feet were begging for relief. I scanned my key card and let myself into the room.
It felt good to be home. It was weird to consider a hotel room home, but my cozy, little apartment worked for me.
Being there made me feel free for once in my life.
As I walked further into the room, something felt off.
My stomach dropped when I noticed that all the drawers had been pulled out of the wardrobe.
“Sawyer?” I called. As I walked toward the bathroom, I crunched on glass and noticed that the pictures had been ripped down off the wall.
My stomach dropped as I rushed back around the bed. Picking up the phone, I hurriedly dialed Sawyer’s room number. The phone rang, but I pulled it away from my ear. I could have sworn I heard something. I wasn’t waiting to find out.
Slamming the phone down on the receiver, I moved around the bed and made a dash for the door. When I ripped it open, something slammed into my back, knocking me to the floor. A huge man with a black ski mask covering his face hovered over me, sending me scurrying back against the wall.
“Help!” I screamed, kicking wildly when he reached for me.
The heel of my foot landed between his legs twice, sending him to his knees as I scrambled to my feet and took off for the elevator.
“Come on! Come on! Come on!” I cried.
The doors slid open, and I hurried inside, hitting the close button over and over, making sure the door closed before that psychopath reached the elevator.
Thankfully, my key was still in the pocket of my scrubs, so I was able to scan to get to the executive floor.
When the doors opened, I sprinted out of the elevator and down the hall to Sawyer’s office.
I didn’t bother knocking before rushing in.
Thankfully, he sat alone behind his desk. When he saw me, he stood to his feet.
“Z, what is it, baby?”
“Someone was in my room. They tried to grab me!”
He scowled as I spoke. “What the fuck?”
“Someone was in my room!” I yelled.
“Come here, baby,” he said, moving closer to pull me to him. “Are you OK?”
“No, I’m not OK. Someone just attacked me.” I sobbed against his chest.
He kissed the top of my head before pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Lock the building down and scan the executive suite hallway for a man going into Iris’s room,” he told someone on the phone.
“No, I don’t want to raise any red flags.”
“Did you recognize him?” he asked, looking down at me.
“No, he had on a mask, but I can’t stay here. Get me out of here, Sawyer. Please.”
“OK, baby. Just give me a minute.”
“I gotta get out of here,” I repeated, looking around the room as if someone would pop out any second. “They found me, Sawyer. I cannot stay here.”
“I got you, mama.”
“You keep saying that, Sawyer, but somebody found me. They know where I am!”
“That’s why I have to lock this place down. I need to know who it was and how they got on that floor.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whispered, burying my face in his chest.
“You don’t have to apologize, baby. I know you’re afraid.”
“I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Stop it, Z. This is not your fault.”
“Yes, it is. Dangerous people are looking for me, and I led them right here. There’s no telling what they’ll do next. I just need to get out of here.”
“I’m not letting anyone get to you, Z.”
I swallowed hard as I prepared myself for what I was about to tell him.
“My father is a glorified sex trafficker. He makes us keep our virginity until he’s ready to use us as leverage and assets for his business.
He sold me to someone and was going to make me marry him, but I ran away before we could consummate the deal. ”
“What?” Sawyer asked, frowning as he held me at arm’s length.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sawyer. I don’t need pity right now. I just want to get out of here.”
“Come on,” he said, taking me by my bicep and leading me out of the office.
“We can’t go out there. What if he’s still here?”
“Trust me. I’m hoping that he is.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, Sawyer. Where are we going?” I asked when he hit the basement button on the elevator.
“I’m taking you to my house. Whoever is looking for you will have to go through me to get to you.”