Page 43 of Risking it All

“I don’t need this much! I’m already living here for free,” I reminded him.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t need anything.”

“This is too much, Sawyer.”

“Enjoy your day, mama. I’ll see you tonight. I gotta take care of some shit,” he said, hanging up in my face.

As I sat on the bed and stared at the wad of money, I shook my head at my own antics. I must have sounded psychotic for fussing at the man for giving me money. I kept forgetting that Sawyer was part owner of the place. This was probably pocket change for him. I tried not to think about how rich he must have been.

Historically, I had a deep-seated disdain for wealthy men. Every single one I had ever encountered was a self-centered asshole and a womanizer. Getting out of bed, I showered and got myself ready for work. I was grateful to have something to do, even if it didn’t pay for anything but me being able to stay at Cashville for a while. The money was icing on the cake.

As I rode the elevator up after finishing my third shift of week three, I wondered if I would see Sawyer tonight. We had been spending a lot of time together, but some nights he had to work, so he stopped by to have lunch or dinner with me, just to make sure I was OK. Mentally, I was doing a lot better. Having someone checking in and making sure I wasn’t allowing myself to spiral definitely helped.

I could admit that I had been spoiled by his attentiveness. I loved being with Sawyer, and I didn’t feel like he was just hanging around because he felt sorry for me. Our connection was real. Plus, without his company, I would be alone most of the time. He was my only friend here outside of the girls I worked with. They were cool, but I preferred to leave work at work. They didn’t even know where I was staying, and I liked it that way.

I stepped off the elevator on my floor and hurried to my room. I couldn’t wait to get off my feet. Working was rewarding, but my feet were begging for relief. I scanned my key card and let myself into the room.

It felt good to be home. It was weird to consider a hotel room home, but my cozy, little apartment worked for me. Being there made me feel free for once in my life. As I walked further into the room, something felt off. My stomach dropped when I noticed that all the drawers had been pulled out of the wardrobe.

“Sawyer?” I called. As I walked toward the bathroom, I crunched on glass and noticed that the pictures had been ripped down off the wall.

My stomach dropped as I rushed back around the bed. Picking up the phone, I hurriedly dialed Sawyer’s room number. The phone rang, but I pulled it away from my ear. I could have sworn I heard something. I wasn’t waiting to find out.

Slamming the phone down on the receiver, I moved around the bed and made a dash for the door. When I ripped it open, something slammed into my back, knocking me to the floor. A huge man with a black ski mask covering his face hovered over me, sending me scurrying back against the wall.

“Help!” I screamed, kicking wildly when he reached for me.

The heel of my foot landed between his legs twice, sending him to his knees as I scrambled to my feet and took off for the elevator.

“Come on! Come on! Come on!” I cried.

The doors slid open, and I hurried inside, hitting the close button over and over, making sure the door closed before that psychopath reached the elevator. Thankfully, my key was still in the pocket of my scrubs, so I was able to scan to get to the executive floor. When the doors opened, I sprinted out of the elevator and down the hall to Sawyer’s office. I didn’t bother knocking before rushing in. Thankfully, he sat alone behind his desk. When he saw me, he stood to his feet.

“Z, what is it, baby?”

“Someone was in my room. They tried to grab me!”

He scowled as I spoke. “What the fuck?”

“Someone was in my room!” I yelled.

“Come here, baby,” he said, moving closer to pull me to him. “Are you OK?”

“No, I’m not OK. Someone just attacked me.” I sobbed against his chest.

He kissed the top of my head before pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Lock the building down and scan the executive suite hallway for a man going into Iris’s room,” he told someone on the phone.

“No, I don’t want to raise any red flags.”

“Did you recognize him?” he asked, looking down at me.

“No, he had on a mask, but I can’t stay here. Get me out of here, Sawyer. Please.”

“OK, baby. Just give me a minute.”

“I gotta get out of here,” I repeated, looking around the room as if someone would pop out any second. “They found me, Sawyer. I cannot stay here.”

“I got you, mama.”