Chapter Thirty Three
Sawyer
He wasn’t sure what to expect when they entered the place where Benji spent so much of his time.
He was very happy to see that some people were ecstatic to see him.
That’s the proper reaction. But the way his dad looked…
that wasn’t right. He knew something was off.
He felt nothing but sorrow for Benji. Of course, he still had his sister and his uncles, but when it was your dad that treated you that way?
That wasn’t just something you brushed past. Sawyer could relate, in some capacity.
His parents had been dead for quite some time and he was Milo's responsibility.
He never claimed to be his father, but for all intents and purposes, he was. And look at how he was treated.
None of it was fair.
But there wasn’t much they could do about that besides accept what happened and try to grow and move on, right?
Sawyer sat down at the table in the middle of the office, next to Benji, and folded his hands in his lap. He looked around the area. It was a nice room. Way better than the bunker Milo had. He would be so jealous. That thought made him smile, just a bit.
“You boys thirsty?” Andi asked as she walked over to a mini fridge in the room.
She didn’t really wait for an answer, however.
She just grabbed out some bottles of water and brought it over to them.
Sawyer graciously accepted one and took a sip while she sat down on the other side of her brother. “So, you’re Sawyer?”
He nodded his head while he swallowed down the water and offered his hand out to her. “Yeah, hi. It’s nice to meet you. Benji talked about you a lot.”
She smiled and shook his hand. “Good things?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course. I mean…even when things were bleak, he didn’t doubt you.” At least, not really. Sawyer was pretty sure that deep down, Benji knew Andi hadn’t done anything.
Andi looked over to Benji and flashed a small, sad smile. “Good,” she sighed and looked back at Sawyer. “He mentioned that one of the people who took him was–”
“My uncle, yeah,” he cut in. “I-I never…really got along with him. Never liked his practices. They never made much sense to me.”
“How long did you work for him?”
He puffed out a breath. “Long time. My parents used to run the business and when they died, he took over. I think I started doing actual labor when I was thirteen.”
“And your parents…?”
“They weren’t like him, not really. They weren't the best but they would have never done the shit that crossed his mind.”
Andi just nodded her head once and dragged her tongue across her bottom lip before she spoke again. “You helped Benji?”
Sawyer’s brown eyes moved from Andi and landed upon her brother. He returned his gaze with a soft flush to his pale cheeks. It was something Sawyer had come to expect and enjoy. “Uh…yeah, I did. I guess.”
“No, I guess,” Benji rolled his eyes. “He did.”
She laughed softly. “You two are just two peas in a modest pod, aren’t you?”
Sawyer smiled and shrugged. “I just…had a feeling about him, you know? Like I knew something wasn’t right deep in my gut, just didn’t know what. And when he told me that his name wasn’t Andi and it was really all a mistake, there was no going back.”
“You were helping me before that though.”
“Well,” Sawyer chuckled dryly, “I didn’t want you to die. I think most people would have helped.”
Benji shook his head. “I don’t think so. I was in enemy territory. You didn’t have to do anything you did.”
He supposed that Benji had a point. It just wasn’t in Sawyer’s nature to let people suffer.
All the others he was tasked to watch over, he had tried his best to save them too but Milo didn’t put up with them for very long.
He spent a lot of time washing their blood off the basement floor and walls.
He was so happy it never came to that with Benji.
A smile was firmly planted on Andi’s lips as she looked back and forth between the two of them. “So, what’s the plan for you then, Sawyer?”
He shrugged. “I…I don’t really know. Benji said I could stay with him until I got back on my feet and got a job and what not,” he paused, “Which sounds impossible because I have no skills and barely got my GED.”
“I’m sure something will come along,” she said simply.
Footsteps were heard behind them and Sawyer shifted in his seat to see the two large men enter the room again.
Spence and Travis, he just wasn’t sure which was which.
It was hard to pinpoint what their exact expressions were at that moment.
From what Sawyer had gathered, Benji’s dad was their brother, so they must be feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
He sympathized with the whole family. It couldn’t be an easy situation to navigate.
The one in the sling approached Sawyer and immediately, he stood up so he could be eye to eye (almost) with him. “My name is Spence,” he offered and held out his hand, which he graciously accepted.
“Sawyer.”
The tattooed one joined them and also offered up his hand. “Travis.” Sawyer simply smiled and shook it as well.
“You’re a friend of Benji’s?” Spence asked while they both moved to sit down at the table as well. That was going to make the situation a lot easier. Sawyer wasn’t sure he could handle the interrogation standing up. They looked intimidating. Especially Travis.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Never seen you before,” Travis mentioned.
“Well, we just met.”
“When I was kidnapped.” Benji threw out there suddenly and both of his uncles shifted their gaze towards him. It was the first time those words had been said to the two of them.
“Kidnapped…” Spence repeated softly and shook his head. “Benji… Fucking hell. I didn’t know what happened to you. I got my ass beat and knocked out and when I came to, you were gone. I should have known. I should have looked for you.”
Benji shook his head. “There was nothing you could have done, Spence. Dad set it up that way. He didn’t want you involved. Not really. That’s why he sent me in alone.”
“Still, kid. I let you down.” Spence looked deflated when those words came out of his mouth.
“You didn’t. Really, you didn’t. There’s no one to blame here but Dad,” his voice cracked with that statement. Sawyer couldn’t help but reach his hand out and hold Benji’s, which he quickly returned.
Travis looked back at Sawyer. “Why are you here?”
That was a valid question. He cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter in his chair. “Benji and I worked together to escape the bunker that he was held in. And I didn’t want to be there anymore. I just wanted to…start over?” That was the best way to describe it.
“And the people who were holding you captive?”
“They’re preoccupied,” Benji answered. “Their whole bunker was burnt to the ground when we were getting out. They won’t be an issue.”
Spence huffed. “Good. Matthew had a point though. I do think we’ll need to relocate, just to be safe. I’ll reach out to our contacts and see where they can move us.”
“Are you going to…take over then?” Andi asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked over to brother. “I was thinking that we both could. Unless one of you wants the responsibility.” Immediately, both twins laughed and simultaneously answered with a quick “no”. Spence smiled a bit. “I didn’t think so, but I wanted to offer.”
“You two will be good for it,” she offered with a nod.
Benji cleared his throat then spoke up. “Can Sawyer work with us?” His eyes went wide. He didn’t expect to hear that so soon. Especially since they didn’t know him at all. “He’s super resourceful. I think he’d be a good field medic with some quick training, honestly.”
He felt all the eyes around the table settle upon him and he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
Sawyer was expecting the worst. They were probably going to tell him to leave and forget all about Benjamin Madison and his family.
And if that were the case, he didn’t think it’d even be possible. Benji had changed his life forever.
“He’s a good person and he deserves this,” Benji quickly added, “I trust him with my life.”
The brothers looked at one another again. They both nodded their heads a few times and then shrugged. “We’ll figure out the logistics soon,” Spence said simply.
“Really?” Sawyer asked, clearly shocked by this.
Travis leaned back into his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Benji doesn’t ask for much,” he said, “And I trust his intuition.”
A smile crossed his lips and he nodded his head, looking around at the table before he settled his gaze fully on Benji. “I won’t let you down.”
Benji just nodded and squeezed the hand that he was still holding. They held each other's gazes for a while longer before they forced themselves to look away. Benji cleared his throat and spoke up. “You talk to Mom then?”
“Yeah. She’s on her way up here,” Spence mentioned, “She’s going to be a mess, for the record. Matthew apparently was calling her nonstop when I was talking to her.”
“Figured as much,” Benji huffed. It made sense though considering the situation. Her son was back from the dead, basically, and her husband was found to be a crook.
“Guess today wouldn’t be a good day to ask her about that chicken pot pie, huh?” Sawyer asked Benji with a small smile, obviously joking.
He groaned and threw his head back. “It sounds so good.”
“Give her a day then ask,” Andi mentioned with a grin, “Because I could really go for some too.”
Benji nodded. “She can’t deny it, right?”
“Absolutely not. She’d make you an entire Thanksgiving dinner if you asked, I’m sure.”
With a smile, he glanced over to Sawyer. “Then tomorrow I will ask.”
Sawyer couldn’t help but return the smile.
He had only been around the Madisons for a short time, but he already felt better there than he had for the past twenty years around Milo and his goons.
They all seemed like genuine, kind people.
He felt like he could really belong there with them.
And the thought of working for people who were doing good things sounded right up his alley.
With Benji’s help and encouragement, he knew that he could do the job they would give him.
If he was going to be a field medic, he was going to make Cole and Benji proud and be the best medic around that he could.
It was the very least he could do.