Page 44 of Risking it All

“You keep saying that, Sawyer, but somebody found me. They know where I am!”

“That’s why I have to lock this place down. I need to know who it was and how they got on that floor.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whispered, burying my face in his chest.

“You don’t have to apologize, baby. I know you’re afraid.”

“I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Stop it, Z. This is not your fault.”

“Yes, it is. Dangerous people are looking for me, and I led them right here. There’s no telling what they’ll do next. I just need to get out of here.”

“I’m not letting anyone get to you, Z.”

I swallowed hard as I prepared myself for what I was about to tell him. “My father is a glorified sex trafficker. He makes us keep our virginity until he’s ready to use us as leverage and assets for his business. He sold me to someone and was going to make me marry him, but I ran away before we could consummate the deal.”

“What?” Sawyer asked, frowning as he held me at arm’s length.

“Don’t look at me like that, Sawyer. I don’t need pity right now. I just want to get out of here.”

“Come on,” he said, taking me by my bicep and leading me out of the office.

“We can’t go out there. What if he’s still here?”

“Trust me. I’m hoping that he is.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Sawyer. Where are we going?” I asked when he hit the basement button on the elevator.

“I’m taking you to my house. Whoever is looking for you will have to go through me to get to you.”

12

Sawyer

I should have sent Psalm that damn picture. At least then I might have an inkling of what I was dealing with. Maybe it was foolish to wait for her to tell me the whole story. Here I was possibly putting my life in danger, and I didn’t even know what I was up against.

I sat on my patio, smoking a cigar, while Z was curled up on the couch in the living room. She had been crying since we got to my house. I figured she would want to be alone for a while after everything that went down, so I sat outside, watching the sun set. I promised that she would be OK, yet someone had gotten to her under my watch.

I’d had Denise to pack up her things at the hotel and asked Chris to deliver them to my house. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her attacker had escaped without a trace. So far, none of the cameras had picked up his face since he’d kept his head down the whole time he was in the building.

When I finally got up and walked inside, I was grateful to see one of the books I’d given her open and face down on the couch. We both knew the attack wasn’t random. Whoever had come to the executive floor knew exactly who they were looking for and where to find them. To say that was unsettling was an understatement. Someone had tracked her down right to the room.

The night air had done little to settle my nerves, but I knew I needed to put all that shit aside for my girl. As much as I fussed at Z about skipping meals, I wasn’t really in the mood to eat dinner. I wanted to make sure there was something for her, though. The bathroom door opened, making me turn to look at her. She was wrapped in one of the robes from the hotel with a towel on her head. She looked refreshed, but I couldn’t be sure of her state of mind.

“I feel a little better for what it’s worth,” she announced.

“Good. I was about to see what I could whip up for dinner.”

“I really don’t have an appetite right now. Would you be mad if I wanted to skip it?” she asked.

“You know the answer to that.”

“When was the last time you let someone take care of you?” she inquired.

I shook my head. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

“Everyone needs someone to take care of them.”