Jamie Begley - Tainted

“Please, Kaden, can we talk in private?” Tatiana’s pleading voice had Kaden’s attention. Sawyer began to feel like a fifth wheel.

“You can use the other room.” R.J. went to the connecting door, unlocking it. “It will give you both some privacy.”

Tatiana walked through the doorway, casting Kaden another pleading glance.

“Give me a few minutes?” Kaden turned to Sawyer, who stared back at him numbly. She nodded her head, needing a few minutes to gather herself.

Kaden went into the other room and closed the door behind him at the same time that the room he had just vacated became silent; the other women were giving her sympathetic looks. Sawyer didn’t need to be told what they thought. There was no comparison between herself and Tatiana.

“Well, that was a downer. Good job, R.J.,” Ax said angrily.

“If they can resolve their issues, maybe he will come back full-time instead of walking away again when the tour ends. Isn’t that what you want, Ax? You’re never going to have the success with Jesse that you had with Kaden.”

“Tatiana wasn’t the reason he left and she won’t be the reason he comes back,” Sin said, standing up. “It’s bullshit you pulled this stunt, R.J. You’re never going to learn your lesson, are you?”

R.J. paled at Sin’s words.

“I need to get my things out of the bus,” Sawyer broke into the brewing fight. “Could you call Alec and ask him to send someone to escort me?”

“I’ll take you,” R.J. volunteered. “I need to grab my own clothes.”

Ax touched her wrist as she passed him. “You all right?”

“I’m fine.” It hurt that Kaden had left to talk to a woman he used to be engaged to, but she had done a good job so far not letting jealousy rule her and she wasn’t going to start now.

Sawyer followed R.J. out the door. They waited in silence for the elevator, entering it when the door slid open.

“I didn’t mean to cause problems between you and Kaden.” He broke into the uncomfortable silence between them.

“Yes, you did.” She had noticed that he had been constantly throwing women Kaden’s way. Whenever R.J. picked women, he made sure to include a couple of extras; some she had even begun to notice resembled her.

R.J. didn’t say anything else after Sawyer’s comeback. They exited the elevator in strained silence where the bus was parked several feet from the back door.

“Maybe we should call Alec? Where are they anyway?” Sawyer said nervously.

“They’re in their rooms. They’ve had even less space in their vehicles than we do on the bus. I was trying to give them a break, but if you prefer, I can call,” he said, taking out his phone.

“N—no. That’s o—okay. Alec usually leaves someone watching the door and bus, but I don’t see anyone.” Her eyes searched the darkened parking lot.

R.J. shrugged as he opened the door, holding it impatiently for her. Sawyer went out, feeling suddenly nervous; however, her eyes kept surveying the parking lot, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

R.J. unlocked the bus and then waited for Sawyer to enter it first. She was up the first step when she knew she had made a terrible mistake leaving the hotel room. The light came on when R.J. flicked a switch.

Sawyer turned to escape, expecting R.J. to do the same. Instead, he blocked her, forcing her up the remaining two steps.

“Hello, Sawyer.”

Rick was sitting in the leather chair by the window with two other men she recognized from when she had been kidnapped. The two security guards were lying on the floor, unconscious with their hands and feet tied.

Rick got to his feet, his fake charm apparent in his sleazy smile. How she had missed it when he had asked her out, she didn’t understand.

He stepped in front of her, sliding his thumb down her cheek.

“You’ve led me a merry chase, Sawyer, but playtime is over. Morgan, bring the car around. We don’t want Kaden showing up accidently.” The man to Rick’s left brushed by her as he went out the door.

Rick pulled out an envelope, tossing it to R.J. as headlights shown from outside, glaring into the bus.

“Let’s move.” Rick took her by the arm and she tried to jerk away.

Rick shook her until her teeth almost rattled. “Do not fuck with me, Sawyer. You have been a pain in my ass for months. If your boyfriend barges in this time, I’ll kill him. Is that what you want?”

“N—n—n—no.”

“Then move your ass.” He threw her down the steps where Morgan caught her before she could fall. He held her tightly until Briggs slid into the backseat, pushing her in after him then sliding in himself, slamming the door closed.

Rick opened the driver’s door, getting in behind the steering wheel. “See, Sawyer, how well things work out when you do as you’re told? It’s a lesson you need to remember.”

Sawyer didn’t look out the window as the bus and R.J. disappeared from view.

R.J. was a snake that had betrayed not only her, but also his friends who’d trusted him. Sawyer wasn’t surprised by his duplicity; however, she feared that as long as R.J. stayed with the band, none of them were going to be safe.

“I think we’ve said all we need to say, Tatiana.”

“I’ve missed you, Kaden,” Tatiana’s soft voice whispered between them. “Are you sure we can’t start over? I’ve never stopped loving you.”

“Tatiana, I’m with someone else now.” Kaden’s voice didn’t soften

“When has that ever stopped you?” Kaden heard the bitterness in her voice.

“I need to get back to Sawyer. It was good to see you again. I should have called you and cleared the air a long time ago.” Regret glimmered momentarily in his eyes before they hardened once again.

Kaden went to the door, opening it. He left her no choice other than to follow him, immediately going for the other door to show her out of the suite.

“Goodbye, Kaden.” Tatiana paused in the doorway.

“Goodbye, Tatiana,” he said, closing the door behind her. Ax, Sin and D-mon all stared at him, waiting for his reaction.

“Where’s Sawyer?” he asked, searching the room for her.

“She went to the bus twenty minutes ago to get her clothes. R.J. took her,” Ax answered as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.

“Why not Alec?”

“We just assumed he had men outside; he always does,” D-mon answered.

“She should have been back by now,” Kaden said, becoming impatient.

“She’s probably taking a few minutes to herself. She seemed pretty upset,” Ax said, downing the whiskey in one swallow.

Reaching into his pocket, Kaden pulled out his cell phone. It began ringing before he could key in a number. He listened as R.J. yelled into the phone that Rick had been on the bus and taken Sawyer.

“Where’s Alec?” Kaden tried to remain calm.

“In his room.” He disconnected from R.J. quickly as he ran out the door, Sin, D-mon and Ax running out behind him.

“What’s going on?” Sin asked.

“Rick has Sawyer.” The elevator opened, and the men quickly filed in. Impatiently, Kaden pressed the ground floor.

“How the hell did he get her?” Ax asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Kaden felt his heart in his throat. He hadn’t felt this way since he had heard about the airplane crash. He had to find Sawyer; anything else was not an option.

It was two hours later before Alec came back onto the bus with information. The band was sitting around the room tensely waiting. The two security guards had been taken to the hospital and treated for concussions.

Alec stood at the front of the bus. “Rick has her. We’re searching for her, but there isn’t a trace of her yet. I notified the FBI and they are doing what they can. It doesn’t look good, Kaden. Whoever Rick works for, they are experienced at making women disappear.”

“What if we offer him more money?” Kaden’s voice was hoarse.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of money. From what I understand, he wants both Sawyer and her friend as leverage against his competition, but I’ll make the call. How much do you want me to offer?”

“Whatever it takes.”

Alec nodded, turning to R.J. “Do you want to make the call or should I?”

“What’s that mean? Why would I want to contact him? He’s not exactly answering my calls since this whole mess started,” R.J.’s sarcastic voice held a tinge of fear.

“Don’t lie, R.J.” Alec pulled out his phone, tossing it to Kaden.

He caught it in his hand, seeing a video that had been recorded. Pressing play, Kaden watched as the two guards were led up the stairs with a gun on them. Rick’s men efficiently knocking them out while he sat and watched. Kaden’s hand tightened on the phone as he watched Sawyer and R.J. enter the bus then him block her escape. When he saw Rick toss the envelope, it was everything he could do to stand and watch the rest of the tape. R.J. watching as Rick shook Sawyer was the final straw; he lost what little reason he had left to remain in control. Lunging for R.J., he struck him with his fist, knocking him to the floor. Not stopping, Kaden kept hitting him until Ax and Sin managed to get him off their tour manager.

“I am going to kill you, R.J.,” Kaden threatened.

Alec helped R.J. to his feet before disgustedly releasing him.

“I had to; Rick was threatening to tell Briana how much debt we were in. Do you know how much money we’ve lost since you left? Do you even care?” R.J. yelled.

“No, I don’t. If Mouth2Mouth couldn’t pay your bills, then you should have moved on to another band, but you couldn’t, could you, R.J.? Everyone in the industry knows you can’t keep from interfering in their lives. The only reason we’ve let it go was because we felt we owed you. After the stunt with the women at the start of the tour, you knew this was your final tour with us. Sin already told you last week. You greedy bastard. You sold Sawyer out. What kind of bastard does that?” D-mon grabbed R.J.’s shirt.