Chapter 16
Sawyer
After Zenia hung up the phone, I called her right back.
“Come on, baby,” I muttered.
When it went to voicemail, I threw my head back. Just for the hell of it, I called her again. This time, it went straight to voicemail. I was so pissed that I almost threw my phone out of the window, but I needed her to be able to contact me.
There was no way she thought I would just let her walk into there and sacrifice herself without putting up a fight. I was just a few minutes away from my parents’ house, but now I was too fucking far away from where I needed to be.
“Damn it, Z!” I snarled, punching the steering wheel.
It felt oddly nostalgic to pull up to my parents’ house after all these years.
I’d spent the latter part of my twenties and all my thirties avoiding the place I called home for so long.
I wanted out of the family business. With my father’s reluctant blessing and seed money that I’d repaid ten times over, I left to pursue my own path.
Since the day we opened Cashville, I hadn’t asked my family for anything other than their support of me not wanting anything to do with the Black Family Cartel. I even used my mom’s maiden name to distance me from their notoriety. Now I was back home, but for good reason.
The giant wrought iron gates creaked open without me even having to stop my truck. Of course, they could see me. My father was always on top of everything. He probably even knew what I wanted at this point.
I pulled right in front of the door and hopped out of the truck. I only had to knock once before my mom opened the door. As I walked inside, I closed the door behind me. My mom blessed me with a beautiful smile, but I couldn’t even enjoy it because as soon as she saw my face, her smile faded.
“Oh, honey,” she said, wrapping her arms around me.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d hugged my mother. It was a seven-hour drive to my parents’ house from mine. With the time change, it was just after nine when I made it there. I could easily fly out to see them, which I usually did.
I didn’t have time for that this time, so I had to drive. It had been over a year since I’d seen my mom in person, but damn I didn’t know how much I needed to feel her embrace until I was in her arms. My mom was a tiny thing, just under five-four, but her love was powerful.
“You look good, Ma,” I told her as she pulled away.
She held me at arm’s length, never taking her eyes off my face. “What happened, baby?”
“What makes you think something happened?”
“Because you’re here.”
Not that I wasn’t glad to see my mom. I hated that I was there under the circumstances that brought me there more than anything. Being there meant that I knew I couldn’t take care of Zenia without my family’s help.
“You’re right.”
“Your father is in his man cave.”
“OK,” I said, nodding as I continued through the house.
I found him sitting in a recliner with a glass in his hand. His attention turned from the two huge TV screens, playing a football game and world news respectively. He only looked at me for a beat before he put his eyes back on the screens.
“You look like shit. Who is she?”
“What makes you think there’s a woman?” I asked him.
“Your mother and I have been married for almost forty years. I know when there’s a woman.”
“I need your help.”
“She must be really special if you came to me.”
“It’s Zenia Morgan, Zahad’s oldest daughter.”
“She’s missing, right?” he asked, turning to look at me as I occupied the seat next to him.
“She’s been with me.”
“Gah damn, son,” he said, sitting up to put his cigar out. “Wait a minute, wasn’t she engaged to your boy? The Fuller kid.”
“A long time ago. He’s married now, and she was sold to the St. Thomas family. I met her after she ran away to escape from them. I left her at my house to come here, but she left a little bit ago saying that she had to turn herself in to save her sisters. I need my seat back, dad.”
“Saw, when y’all opened that casino, you said you were done with the life. You left this family because you wanted something different.”
“I still do.”
“Then what the fuck are you doing here? I can’t let you make a rash decision without knowing that you’re thinking straight.”
“I love her.”
“With your dick or your heart? There’s a difference.”
“Both, if I’m being honest.”
“And you sure she’s worth it?”
“I’m positive that she’s worth me coming back. I’m ready to return full force into everything I left behind.”
“The St. Thomases ain’t nothing to fuck around with, Sawyer. Zahad’s men ain’t either. If he put her in that auction, you can believe they want to cash out on their investment.”
“I’m willing to give them whatever they need. So I heard I can’t even cast my bid if I’m not at the table. I need to get back in.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“With all due respect, I wasn’t asking for permission. I just need access.”
“You need my blessing. I’m not letting you ruin everything you built over a woman.”
“Dad, I don’t want this life back. I don’t want the power. I’m not trying to get revenge or no stupid shit like that. I just want her. I promised her that I would keep her safe. I feel like I’ve failed her already. I can’t let her sacrifice herself. I have to do something.”
“You only failed to realize that she loves her sisters enough to sacrifice herself for them.”
“I’m not letting her give up, Dad. She was just learning to trust somebody outside of herself. I watched her choose herself for the first time, and I fell in love, watching her do it. I’m not giving up on her. I’m not letting her do this.”
“What if she’s doing it to save you too? Did you think about that?”
I shook my head. “Dad.”
“I’m asking valid questions. That don’t mean that I’m not gon’ help you get your woman back.
I’m not letting you back in, but I still have my position.
I can make the bid for you. I see how pitiful and broke down you look without your lady.
I know damn well if it was your mama, I would be ready to tear up hell for her. ”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, they would play fair and keep the bid open until the projected wedding date. St. Thomas didn’t officially own her until they said their vows.
“Did you defile her, Son? Their women have to be virgins, don’t they?”
“I’m not talking to you about making love to my girl, Dad.”
“It don’t matter what you want to talk about. You know they’re going to want to verify.”
“That’s why we don’t have much time. I need to catch her before they go through all that. When they realize she didn’t come back the same way she left, they might kill her on the spot.”
“I never wanted this life for you, Sawyer. I want you to know that. I put up a little resistance when you left to make sure that you knew what you were doing, but I never wanted this shit for you.”
“I just need to get her back and make sure nobody comes after her once we’re gone.”
“It might not be that simple, Son. We’re going to need more than hotel security for what’s ahead of us.”
“That’s why I came to you. I’m ready for whatever.”
My dad studied my face for a beat before nodding. “Alright. Let’s bring your girl home.”