Jamie Begley - Tainted

Sawyer rushed across the floor to Kaden’s side, giving a sigh of relief that he was conscious. She untied him with the help of Ax, jumping into his arms when he was released.

“T—thank God, you’re okay.” His arms pulled her closer.

Sawyer rubbed the blood away from the corner of his mouth.

“Is he okay?” Colton and Vida came to their side, followed by Ax.

“I’m fine,” Kaden answered. “How did King find us?”

“Jordan was checking in last night when I was coming through the lobby. I stopped and talked to her for a minute. I remembered her room number when the clerk gave her the key. When Vida checked to make sure that you made it to the room okay and no one answered, we started down here. King had taken care of the guard just as we were arriving,” Ax explained.

“Watch out!” Alec yelled.

Everyone turned, seeing Digger had broken away from the paramedic trying to stop the blood, grabbing the gun that lay on the floor, pointing it at Vida. Ax pushed Vida out of the way just as Digger pulled the trigger.

“You could stay and finish the tour with us,” Sawyer said, wistfully taking Vida’s hand in hers.

“We can’t. Colton needs to get back to his shop, and I have a couple of job interviews. You could come back with us until Kaden finishes his tour,” Vida countered with tears in her eyes.

Kaden’s arm around her shoulder stiffened, letting her know that he wasn’t happy with that solution. She smiled up at him before taking a step forward, hugging Vida close. “He only has six more concerts then we’ll come for a visit,” Sawyer promised, subtlety letting Vida know she would be staying with Kaden when she returned to Queen City.

Vida nodded, returning her tight hug. Stepping away, she turned and walked a few feet, coming to stand in front of Ax, whose shoulder and arm were in a sling. Ax looked down at the woman who came to his shoulder.

“You saved my life. I’d hug you, but I don’t want to hurt you,” Vida thanked him.

“Maybe you can think of another way to pay me back,” he joked.

“I’ll do that,” she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek before going to Colton who sat on his bike, patiently waiting.

The passersby crossed the street to keep from getting near the rough looking bikers. All except Jordan, who was giving Max and the one with the scar on his face, hell for not moving their bikes so that her cab could park. Max was edging his bike forward, out of the way, but the other one was just staring at Jordan like she was a pest to be ignored. It wasn’t until Ice spoke that the biker edged forward, finally letting the taxi into the driveway.

Jordan waved goodbye to them as she climbed into the cab, making a different movement of her hand to the biker who had ignored her request.

“Did she just give Jackal the…” Vida laughed, but quieted when all the Predators’ glares turned on her.

“She gave him the bird.” Sawyer couldn’t help but grin at the bubbly girl who hadn’t been the least frightened by the large group of bikers. They all watched as the cab pulled out, taking the woman to the airport.

Kaden hadn’t made a decision to hire her yet, but she planned on guilt tripping him into it to pay her back for almost getting killed by Digger. To give Jordan credit, she hadn’t been too upset; she had been more relieved that the situation had been resolved before she’d regained consciousness.

Vida climbed onto the back of Colton’s bike, waving as the large group of bikers pulled out. Kaden’s arm returned to her shoulder as he led her onto the bus. Ax and Alec brought up the rear, closing the bus door behind them.

As Sawyer sat down on the chair, looking sadly out the window, Kaden leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Sawyer as the bus pulled out. Her hand was tugging her hair, twirling it around her finger.

Ax sat down on the leather couch groaning.

“You need a pain pill?” Kaden questioned.

“No, thanks; I just took one.”

“What are we going to do about tomorrow’s concert?” D-mon asked.

“Jesse is flying in tomorrow. He’s recovered enough that he can sit on a stool and take Ax’s place until he’s better. By the end of the tour, both of you can take the next few months off while whoever we decide to hire sets up another tour,” Kaden said, pulling out a bottled water from the fridge.

“Sounds good to me.” Ax stood up, stretching. “I’m going to go lie down.”

They were all grateful their friend was still alive as they watched him go to his compartment, closing the sliding door. It was a horrific moment watching Digger’s gun go off. If not for Ax’s quick action, there was no doubt that Vida would have been mortally wounded.

Digger was lucky for the second time that day when Alec knocked Digger out instead of killing him. There wasn’t a person in the room who didn’t want to see the crazy man dead, but they’d all wanted the women he had kidnapped safely returned.

Alec had told them this morning that Digger was under guard at the hospital and that the FBI were waiting to question him.

Sawyer rose, stretching. “I’m going to follow Ax’s example and go to bed.” Telling everyone goodnight and then reaching up to brush Kaden’s mouth with hers, she went into the bedroom and got ready for bed. She lay down on the bed, thinking she would wake up when Kaden came in; instead, she woke up the next morning, wrapped in his arms with him staring down at her drowsy eyes.

“That’s the first time that you let me hold you through the night.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.” His mouth lowered to hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth, and Sawyer’s arms slipped around his shoulders as he deepened the kiss.

A knock sounded on the door.

“I have a photo shoot this morning with the local television station.”

Her arms dropped to her sides as he levered himself off her. She rolled to her side as she watched him dress.

“I have to go. I’ll see you later.”

He bent down, giving her a quick kiss before leaving. Sawyer lay in bed several minutes, staring up at the ceiling, before she climbed out of bed and then got dressed. As she pulled out her suitcase, she decided to unpack a few of her clothes since they would be staying on the bus until they finished the tour. Opening the built in drawers, she searched for an empty one. The first few drawers were filled; however, the next had a large envelope in it that was opened. When she started to close the drawer, a photo slipped loose.

Sawyer looked down at the face she recognized. Reaching out, she picked up the thick envelope. She pulled out several pictures of Tatiana that had her nude with Kaden. Sawyer flipped through the pictures, wishing she had never touched the envelope.

Feeling something else in the envelope, she pulled out two cassettes that would fit in a camcorder. When she had heard Kaden tell Alec to get the tapes back, she had assumed he was talking about tapes with songs on it.

She had been a naïve idiot. The pictures in her hand told her that. Carefully sliding the pictures back into the envelope with the two cassette tapes, she closed it before placing it back into the drawer.

Going to her suitcase, she zipped it closed before slipping on her sneakers. Grabbing her purse and suitcase, hoping like hell all the men would be at the interview with Kaden, she stuck her head out of the bedroom door. Seeing no one on the bus, she slipped out of the room. She was passing the bathroom door when the door opened and Ax came out dressed in his jeans.

His eyes fell immediately to the suitcase and purse in her hand.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving. There’s no need for me to be here any longer now that Digger is in custody. Goodbye, Ax.” Sawyer kept walking, but was brought to a standstill when Ax’s hand jerked her to a stop.

“What’s with the attitude? I go to bed last night and everything is cool. I wake up and you’re sneaking out of the fucking bus. You get in a fight last night with Kaden?”

Sawyer refused to answer, attempting to jerk away. “I’m leaving, Ax. Let me go.”

“What the hell!” He pulled her backward, shoving her back into the bedroom and locking her inside.

“Let me go!” Sawyer yelled, banging on the door.

Silence from the other side of the door was her only answer.

She paced back and forth across the carpeted floor, looking at the clock on the nightstand every few minutes. It was an hour later that the bedroom door was unlocked and a grim Kaden came into the bedroom, staring at her silently.

Sawyer stood, staring back at him angrily. She wanted to throw something at him; she was so hurt.

“Explain yourself, Sawyer.”

“I’m done explaining myself to you. I want to leave and I want to leave now!”

“Watch your tone of voice with me or you’re going to be sorry. I’m trying to be understanding because I can see you’re upset over something, but you’re straining my patience with your sarcasm.”

“Deal with it, Kaden, or don’t, but I’m leaving.” Picking up her suitcase was a bad move because Kaden took it from her, throwing it across the room, just before she found herself being lifted and carried to the bed. Expecting to be put over his lap, thinking she would never forgive him, he instead sat down with her on his lap.

“Tell me what’s wrong. Couples talk their problems through. They don’t run.”

“We’re not a couple anymore,” Sawyer snapped back.

“Sawyer, you’re about five seconds away from an extremely painful life experience if you don’t explain what has you so angry.”

Sawyer’s lips tightened then her ginger broke through. “I found the pictures of you and Tatiana.” Her expression revealed her revulsion.