Tainted

  “Oh!”

  Kaden’s lips tightened at her response. “You fucking bitch.” Kaden strode forward. “Seven people are being sent to the hospital because of your stunt.” Jerking her to her feet, he propelled her into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind them.

  “I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.” Sawyer fought back the tears threatening to escape. She bit back a sob when she saw that several of the scratches were deep.

  “You don’t care about anybody but yourself, Sawyer,” Kaden said harshly, pulling out a first aid kit from the small closet, slamming it down on the bathroom counter.

  “That’s not true,” Sawyer protested.

  “Yes, it is. Alec saw one of Redman’s men in the crowd. Even if you had managed to get outside the arena, he would have had you within minutes.”

  Sawyer paled. She had been so focused on escaping Alec’s security; she hadn’t given a thought to Rick’s men possibly being so close.

  Kaden closed the lid to the toilet, taking a seat. “You can clean me up since you’re the reason I got hurt.” She started to refuse, but thought for her own safety that it was better to concede to his demands.

  Going to the counter, she pulled out some antiseptic and cotton balls, which she dabbed with the antiseptic before hesitantly moving closer to him. He had flung the remains of his t-shirt into the laundry basket before glaring up at her. Gently she cleaned the scratches on his face and then got a clean one to do his chest. She winced when she saw how deep it was, taking her time to make sure that it was clean. She smeared antibiotic ointment onto each of the scratches. Tilting his head back, she then cleaned his bloody nose with a wet cloth, forcing herself to continue when more blood oozed out. Finally, the bleeding stopped and she began to sanitize the cuts on his head, which took several minutes to clean as she realized several handfuls of his hair had been pulled out by the roots.

  “I—I g—guess you’re more popular than I realized,” she tried to wisecrack, inwardly sickened by the sight of his scalp.

  “Sawyer, I don’t know how, but in some way you have mistakenly come to the conclusion that I’m a nice guy,” Kaden spoke from between his clenched teeth.

  “N—no I didn’t,” Sawyer interrupted.

  “You do or you wouldn’t be standing there, making lame ass jokes at my expense.”

  Kaden stood up and Sawyer took a step back, going to the first aid kit and putting everything back in order. She glanced up to see that Kaden was undressing behind her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to take a shower,” Kaden replied, unsnapping his jeans. With a gasp, Sawyer fled the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

  She turned on the television and took a seat in the chair by the window. She had made the mistake in trying to escape before thinking it through. Not only her safety was at stake; Vida’s was as well. She stared out the dark window, thinking about her friend, wishing she was there to talk to. They had always confided everything with each other, ever since they were little.

  The bathroom door opening drew her attention as Kaden came out with just a towel wrapped around his hips. His dark hair was wet and his lean body still had droplets of water sliding down his chest to be caught by the towel. Sawyer swallowed at the man’s overt sensuality and lack of modesty, while he ignored her, going to the closet to pull out his bag, taking out fresh clothes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Her husky voice had him pausing before he zipped his bag closed. Tossing the towel to the floor, he unconcernedly put on his jeans. Sawyer turned her head away, listening to the rustle of his clothes as he dressed.

  “Come here.”

  Sawyer’s head turned to see that he was standing in the middle of the floor with his hands tucked into his pockets. She was determined to stay seated, but felt herself rising to her feet, moving to stand a few feet in front of him.

  “Say that again. This time while looking me in the eyes.” Sawyer’s hand went to her hair, unconsciously twining a curl around her finger.

  “I’m s—sorry.I never meant for anyone to be h—h—hurt.” It was hard to meet his eyes with a guilty conscience berating her.

  “That’s better.” Kaden’s eyes studied her before he bent down to pick up the wet towel. Going into the bathroom, she saw him tossing it into the dirty clothes bin. He then leaned against the doorway.

  “Tomorrow, we have one more concert before we take a week’s break at R.J.’s house. The security team is spending their resources trying to keep you contained, and are failing on keeping the fans and press out. It’s going to stop now, Sawyer. We are going to come to an agreement that’s going to keep everyone safe.”

  “What do you mean? You’re going to let me go?” Hope lightened the dread in her chest.

  “No.” Kaden’s voice softened, but not by much. “What I mean is, do we both agree that five thousand isn’t a drop in the bucket to what you actually need for you and your friend to disappear?”

  She didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. Five thousand would maybe keep them hidden a couple of months if they were frugal and she wasn’t confident that with that amount of money they wouldn’t be found.

  “Y—yes.”

  “Then to secure your cooperation, I’m willing to give you three hundred thousand dollars for three months of your time.”

  Sawyer’s mouth dropped open; she didn’t know what to say.

  “That should give us enough time to figure out what to do to fix the situation.” Kaden wasn’t going to let her go regardless of her answer; however, she was fully aware that they needed a large sum of money if they were going to be safe from Redman.

  “I can’t leave Vida without making sure she’s safe.”

  “Vida is safe. Alec has checked it out, and she went to a man named King for protection.”

  Kaden was going to have to give her some more information if she was going to quit trying to escape.

  “K—King?” Surprised, Sawyer didn’t know what to think. King was certainly strong enough to keep Vida protected. He was also undoubtedly more capable than the police. He operated on his own ethical standards. Neither Vida nor she knew King very well, but King had never tried to harm them. In fact, from what she had found out after her mother’s death, he had been keeping an eye on them for a very long time.

  “Do you know him?”

  “Not very well. He would come by the apartment building Vida and I lived in when we were kids. I never knew who he visited or why he was there. Mom told me one time that he controlled Queen City. It was only when I got older that I realized how.”

  “Is your friend safe with him?”

  King ran several strip clubs, dealt in prostitution and drugs. Sawyer wanted to say no, but a memory from her childhood had her changing her opinion.

  “Yes. I don’t know why, but he feels he owes us a favor.”

  Kaden’s gaze sharpened on her. Sawyer felt it without understanding his interest in King.

  “I—I really don’t know why. When we were little, Vida and another friend of mine and me were playing. To make a long story short, some boys in our neighborhood started messing with us and threw a doll out into the road. Callie ran out after it and Vida chased after her. I managed to save both from being hit by a car. King told me afterward that he owed me. Not long afterward, he put a protection order out in the neighborhood that we weren’t to be touched.”

  “Why did he owe you? For saving Callie or Vida? Was he related to either of them?”

  “N—no, C—Callie didn’t even know who he was, while Vida was like me; we knew who he was because our mothers warned us how dangerous he could be.”

  “Could Vida be connected to King? Maybe that’s why she went to him for help?”

  “I doubt it. She would have told me.”

  “Okay. So do you believe that Vida will be safe with King?”

  “Yes.” She was reluctant to admit it, yet it was the truth.

  “So will you st
op your escape attempts now that you know Vida is safe?”

  Unable to bear the scrutiny in his eyes, she turned away to sit on the side of the bed. It was a relief to know that Vida was safe.

  “I can’t forget about those women kidnapped for the next three months.” How could he expect her to feel nothing for the women she had lain in a dark room with, hearing their cries for help every night?

  She heard Kaden’s frustrated sigh before his words had her staring back at him in confusion. “Alec is taking care of it, Sawyer. That’s all I can tell you for now. You have to trust me. Did I let Rick take you and the other women? Haven’t I kept you safe? The other women who Rick sent to the hotel are safe and can’t be touched, either.”

  Sawyer had no reason to trust him. He had held her locked up for several weeks. So how could she possibly depend on him? Yet she did. He hadn’t hurt her. In fact, his band and he had been hurt because of her. They were taking a chance to help her and possibly destroying their career that provided them with a very lucrative income. Surely they wouldn’t jeopardize their livelihood unless they thought they were doing the right thing.

  This time it was Sawyer who sighed. She was out of options; she really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Either she could stay their hostage for the next three months or be a paid hostage with enough money to provide Vida and her the opportunity to start over without Redman finding them.

  “Okay.” Sawyer had no other choice; she gave in to his blackmail.

  “We have a deal?”

  “We have a deal.” Sawyer felt as if she had just sold a part of herself she would never get back.

  Chapter Eight

  Sawyer stood backstage watching Mouth2Mouth perform on the monitor; they were mesmerizing. She had learned the hard way that watching them from a few feet away was overwhelming. She could understand the crowd’s response of shouts and trying to get closer to the stage, which the security had to keep heavily guarded in order to push them back.

  Kaden was singing with Alyce on the stage. They were dancing in a way that looked more like humping to Sawyer, and the crowd was going nuts. Alyce’s ass was grinding back on Kaden’s dick as his arms circled her waist with his hands pressed flat on her stomach, pulling her back to him. How they could concentrate on the words to the song she didn’t know. The sexual tension was apparent between the two and everyone around them felt it. D-mon and Sin’s eyes were surveying the crowd and Sawyer wondered who they would pick for a quickie before the bus left the arena.

  The encore over, the lights dimmed and the band exited the stage to applause that sounded throughout the whole arena.

  “Let’s go,” Alec said as they passed at the same time that Sawyer spotted D-mon giving a motion of his hand toward a pretty woman still trying to get near the stage, letting the security guard know who he’d chosen.

  Turning, she followed the band and Alec as they returned to the VIP room, which quickly filled with press and fans who were allowed admittance. Sawyer found an empty chair, making herself comfortable for the next hour. Kaden had told her that they would be staying on the bus tonight as they drove to R.J.’s home.

  They would stay there for the week before resuming the concert tour. It had never felt less like spring to her. She hoped Vida was having a better time than she was, but doubted it, how much fun could it be watching women strip?

  She watched the band take photos and sign autographs as Alyce once again managed to stick by Kaden, making sure they were photographed together each time. The woman couldn’t have made it more obvious that she was attracted to Kaden, and he flirted back, causing the sexual tension to become increasingly evident with each concert. It was only a matter of time before they acted on it, if they hadn’t already done so. Sometimes, to alleviate the boredom, someone would ride on Alyce’s bus. Kaden had disappeared twice for a few hours before coming back.

  Sawyer looked away when she saw Alyce stand on her toes to brush her mouth against his just as another picture was taken.

  She noticed all the men in the room were agitated tonight. D-mon and Sin, both heavy drinkers, were really hitting the liquor tonight. Without a doubt, both men were going to have serious hangovers in the morning. The woman who had been picked from the audience was wedged between the two men on the couch, clearly overwhelmed by the attention she was receiving from them both.

  D-mon stood to his feet, taking the woman’s hand before leading her into the bathroom off the VIP room. The surprising part was when Sin got to his feet to follow behind them, and Sawyer saw all three enter the bathroom.

  She took a drink of water as she tore her gaze away from the closed door.

  “You doing okay?” Ax asked, sitting down on the arm of her chair.

  “Yes, you did great tonight, Ax.” She smiled at the band member who she felt the most relaxed with as he sprawled his long legs out in front of him.

  “I thought most bands left after the concert?” Sawyer asked the question that had been on her mind since the first concert.

  “Most do, but I suppose we stay because we started out playing in local bars and would hang out afterward, and due to the fact that we’re touring so heavily right now, it gives us a break from the bus.” His eyes smiled into hers, making her aware he had known what had caught her attention before he had sat down. “Besides, D-mon and Sin like to unwind after a show, so unless we stay at a hotel, they do their socializing before we get back on the bus.”

  Sawyer actually understood. While the bus was opulently furnished, and the most had been made of the space, it was still confining, especially with so many people on board.

  “It’s going to be nice to take a break and sleep in an actual bed for a week,” Ax confided.

  “You’re not missing your family?”

  “My parents are both in Australia, so I would spend more time traveling, which I’m sick of right now.”

  The bathroom door opened and the woman came out, flushed, and with her hair a mess, while both Sin and D-mon returned with a more relaxed air about them.

  “I guess that means we can go,” Ax said, starting to stand.

  “Kaden and you don’t meet and greet the locals?” Sawyer felt herself turning red when he hesitated, staring down at her.

  “No, we don’t do quickies,” he said with a wicked grin before leaving.

  Just then, Alec motioned to her and she rose to her feet. I’m really beginning to feel like a lapdog, she thought resentfully.

  The crowd outside the arena had thinned, so it wasn’t an ordeal to pass through the door to get back on the bus. Sawyer went directly back to her room, tired tonight. They had taken an extra encore tonight, plus hung out a couple of hours. She wanted to shower and climb into bed.

  Unfortunately, Kaden was a few steps behind her, his hand preventing her from shutting the door.

  “I need to take a shower,” Kaden said, coming into the room. Sawyer took a step back, letting him enter.

  He went to the closet, gathered his clothes and went into the bathroom without a backward glance. Sawyer stuck her tongue out at the door then, feeling childish at her response, she flipped on the television.

  She had watched more television the last few weeks than she had in years. If she didn’t find something to occupy her mind soon, she was going to scream. The bus jarred slightly then quit. The bathroom door opened and Kaden came out, making Sawyer get to her feet to use the restroom, using the opportunity to escape his presence while he finished dressing. At that moment, the bus gave a loud pop and swerved.

  Sawyer lost her balance, putting her hands out to stop herself from falling at the same time that Kaden reached out, managing to grab her just as the bus swerved again, sending them both to the floor. Sawyer landed heavily on top of Kaden, fearing they were about to crash, and then was relieved when the bus came to a stop.

  “What happened?” Sawyer gasped, staring down into Kaden’s eyes.

  “I’d say we have a flat,” Kaden answered, staring up at her.

/>   Sawyer started to get to her feet, aware of his large body lying underneath hers; however, a hand on the back of her neck stopped her.

  “What’s your hurry?” Kaden gave her what she was sure was a smile that landed him in many women’s beds.

  “I—is this you flirting with me?”

  His hand on the back of her neck started caressing the sensitive skin.

  “And if I am?” Again came the insincere smile meant to turn her bones to water.

  “T—then I’d say don’t waste your time.” Sawyer clamored to her feet, making sure her elbow jabbed into his ribs.

  Kaden winced as he got to his own feet. “Why?”

  Sawyer’s mouth dropped open, and then she closed it with a snap. “I don’t know, maybe because you wouldn’t let me leave when I wanted to. It’s called kidnapping.”

  “We’ve worked that all out.” She couldn’t believe the arrogant man thought that she would just forget that he hadn’t let her go.

  “This conversation is over. It just shows how big an ass you are.” Sawyer turned to go into the bathroom, giving him a disgusted look.

  The anger that came over his face had Sawyer realizing a man like Kaden could take no for an answer, but challenging him was a different matter.

  He moved to block her path. “Exactly what should I have done, Sawyer? Let you call the police so those other women Redman has could disappear? Or open the door and let you leave and give Redman the opportunity to have you before you managed to take two steps out the hotel door?” His lean body came nearer to hers, forcing her to move backwards until she came up against the edge of the bed. Sawyer forced herself to stay still.

  “Y—you could have given me the c—choice.”

  “You weren’t making good decisions. You’re still not.”

  “How am I not making good decisions, Kaden?” Sawyer got right back in his face. “Because I don’t let you fuck me like those airheads begging for dick back at the arena? If you needed to get laid, you should have taken a turn with D-mon and Sin or taken Alyce up on what she’s been throwing at you.”