Jamie Begley - Tainted

“Do what you have to do. I trust your judgment,” Kaden told Alec.

“How am I not surprised?” Sawyer said sarcastically. “The p—problem is for some reason you guys are more concerned with keeping this quiet than getting p—professional help. Who are you anyway?” Sawyer studied the men in the room, not recognizing any of them. She didn’t think they were sports figures. The men in the room looked fit and muscular, but they weren’t wide or tall enough for basketball or football players.

The man sitting on the couch, who up to this point had remained silent, looked at her as if she were an alien. “We’re Mouth2Mouth. Haven’t you heard of us?” He pointed to Kaden. “That’s Kaden Cross.”

Sawyer searched her memory and could find no memory of the group or of Kaden’s name. That wasn’t unusual; her mother hadn’t let her listen to music while she was growing up, and even after she had finished high school, her mother had guilt tripped her into remaining home until she had been murdered one day coming home from work.

“I’m D-mon.” He pointed to the dark haired man leaning against the wall. “That’s Sin. R.J. is our tour manager. Ax was the one Redman took.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of you. I’m not into music much.” Sawyer could tell her lack of recognition didn’t hurt their egos when they were all studying her as if she would suddenly recognize them.

She saw Kaden’s mouth twitch in amusement at her last sentence. All the room stared at her in dismay. Even the other women looked at her in pity. She and Vida lived a quiet life; neither of them had been into partying. Vida spent all her free time studying, while her own time had been spent working to support her friend so she could finish her degree.

The door opened, and men began pouring into the room. Sawyer took a step back before she realized that these were the extra security that Alec had been talking about. He talked with them and Kaden while she took a seat on one of the empty chairs.

Her stomach grumbled and the women turned to stare at her. Blushing, she crossed her arms over her stomach, hoping to silence the embarrassing noise.

Kaden was watching her, and at her revealing movement, he turned his attention to Sin.

“Call and have some food and drinks sent up here.” Sin nodded, catching the cell phone that Kaden tossed toward him. The men talked for what seemed like forever to her tense nerves, but Sawyer reminded herself to be patient. She already had decided to ask who brought up the food for help.

Her plans were derailed when one of Alec’s men went to the door, wheeling in the trolley filled with food himself, leaving the server outside in the hallway.

As the women and men descended on the food cart, Sawyer’s stomach lurched at the aroma coming from it, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat while she was so worried about Vida and wanting to call for help.

Finally, when the men finished talking, Alec and his security team left with grim faces.

Sawyer watched as Kaden walked over to the food cart where he placed several sandwiches on a plate and grabbed a bottled water before walking over, handing it to her.

“Eat,” he ordered. She started to argue with him, but her grumbling stomach refused to cooperate. Embarrassed, she reached out and took the plate from his hand.

“So what have you and Alec decided?” Sawyer asked, before taking a bite of the thick sandwich.

Kaden sat down on the chair facing hers.

“Alec is going to find a safe place for the women to stay. Two of Alec’s security detail that used to be on the police force are going to get in touch with their ex-bosses and bring them in quietly so as not to alarm Redman and whoever his boss is. We’re going to hang tight until we hear back from Alec.”

“In other words, you’re not going to do a damn thing. None of this wait-and-see attitude is going to prevent them from going after my friend.” Sawyer had to force herself to take another bite. His words making her appetite dwindle.

“Alec is tracing the number you dialed and is going to keep trying it. If we don’t get in touch with her soon, then we’ll send one of our men to where she is to get her out of town.”

Sawyer ate the sandwich, enjoying the taste despite herself. The thick sandwich was filled with a flavorful meat that had her reaching for another one. After she finished it and drank half her bottled water, she sat, debating her next move.

Alec returned and asked the women to follow him after a quiet conversation with Kaden. The women meekly followed him out of the hotel room.

“Where is he taking them?” Sawyer asked, concerned for their safety.

Kaden returned his attention to her. ‘’He’s taking them to a private rehab home not far from here. They’ll be checked out and given help to get rid of the drugs Redman has kept in their systems.

Rehab houses were known for their discretion and silence dealing with wealthy clients. These women weren’t being given their freedom, but exchanging it for a more luxurious prison.

“Why aren’t you trying to send me with them?” she asked suspiciously.

“Because Redman wants you; he doesn’t want them.”

His words had what little color the food had given her disappearing again. Did that mean he had decided to give her back to Rick? The door had been unintentionally left open after the last woman had left the suite.

“I need to go to the restroom.” Nonchalantly, she rose to her feet.

“Fine.” Kaden was motioned to Sin’s and R.J.’s side after he’d dismissed her.

Sawyer turned toward the bathroom, and before anyone could react, she ran for the door. She saw the elevator door was closed, so seeing the exit sign and hearing running steps and yells from behind her, she went for the exit.

Her movements were slow after being chained to a bed for several weeks, but she managed to make it to the door. Her hands touched the knob, frantically turning the handle and barreling through the door only to find herself almost knocked off her feet when she ran into one of Alec’s men coming up the stairs. His hands went to her waist, barely managing to keep them from both going headfirst down the steps.

“Jesus,” Kaden said, his arm going to her waist and pulling them both back to safety.

The security man released her with a sharp word while Kaden gripped her arm, forcing her struggling body back into the hotel room. The band members and R.J. all gave her angry stares at her attempt to escape.

Kaden didn’t stop escorting her down the hallway where he opened the bedroom door, then pushed her in before she could stop him, shutting and locking the door before she could react.

“S—s—son of a b—bitch!” Sawyer turned and began hitting the door with her fists, yelling to be let out. Trying the door handle, she realized the lock was strong, and she wasn’t going to be able to break out anytime soon. Pounding on the door, she continued to yell for help, hoping fruitlessly that someone would hear and come to her aid. When her voice gave out, and her burning fists couldn’t take it anymore, she slid down the door, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the door for support.

“I’m sorry,” she heard Kaden mutter from the other side of the door, before his footsteps sounded, leading away from the door.

She was being held captive again, losing her freedom before she actually had regained it. A self-mocking laugh escaped her lips. As always, freedom was just beyond her reach.

“Kaden you should see the turkey Mom bought. It’s so big it won’t fit in the oven.”

“How many pounds?” Kaden asked Grace, watching Tatiana trying on the lingerie they had spent the morning shopping for.

“At least twenty-four. I don’t know how she’s going to make it fit in the oven.” Her soft laughter came through the phone with a slight edge to the sound. “I thought you would have been on your way. You said you were leaving yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, something’s come up. We’re not going to be able to come. Tatiana’s parents are throwing a fit that she’s not coming home for Thanksgiving, so we’re going to have to go there. It’s important to them since we just got engaged. Mom will understand.”

“Kaden, she’s been cooking for the last two days.” Disappointment filled her voice, which he ignored as Tatiana struck a pose in her new, red lace camisole. She hadn’t bothered to put on the flimsy bottoms.

“I’ll make it up to her. We’ll spend a few extra days at Christmas. I have to go, Grace. Tell everyone, hi.”

Smiling, Tatiana took the phone away as her arms circled his neck, disconnecting the call.

Kaden sat on the leather chair, looking out the tinted tour bus window, watching the scenery as they drove toward their next concert venue. The silence in the forty-five-foot bus was strained.

His return to the band was turning out to be one fucked up mess. They had spent the previous day trying to figure a way out of the mess they had found themselves in, while Sawyer had tried to contact her friend with no success. Each time he had gone into the bedroom to give her the phone, her look of reproach had him regretting his decision not to go to the police. It was only his faith in Alec’s ability to handle the situation that had him keeping the woman contained.

Alec took the chair next to his. “We have a problem.”

“No shit. Which problem are you talking about? A pimp threatening us, the fact that we’ve kidnapped Sawyer or the failure to notify the police about a crime?” Kaden said sarcastically.

“The police know, or rather the FBI. One of my men has a contact in the FBI. He told them what happened. Kaden, if it wasn’t for your quick thinking none of us would be here today. Redman works for a highly dangerous man named Digger, who has been running a sex ring for years. The FBI has been building a case to arrest him, but they haven’t been able to locate where he keeps the women. It seems that he has a way of making them disappear, and they don’t show back up again; at least, not alive.” Alec’s grim visage showed the extreme danger they were all in.