Hunting Sawyer

Bad News

BACK TO PRESENT

Two weeks had passed, and I was starting to feel like things were okay. Joe had silently chastised me for my reckless behavior. He was more accustomed to the dangerous folks who sometimes drifted through here. I’d lived here my whole life and never encountered those men, or men like them. But things were darkening by the day. And it was getting worse. Not only were the dead disappearing now, even the living were missing in action on a regular basis. Missing Person posters decorated the front walls of almost every establishment. s**t was getting scary.

I hadn’t seen or heard from Blake and part of me was disappointed, while another, larger, part was relieved. He was a whirlwind. A scary, manipulative, sexy whirlwind and I needed to keep my head on straight. I was kicking myself for letting my body take the reins and get me laid. It was f*****g fantastic in the moment – but I was stupid. I knew it would bite me in the ass. I just didn’t know how yet.

Friday night again. Like clockwork. I was slammed beyond belief and the door opens to reveal Mr. Blake in all his glory with his cronies in tow. He had a look on his face that made me wet in one breath and made me tremble in fear in the next. Yet I couldn’t take my eyes of him. I felt Joe move up next to me and place a hand on my shoulder. This was bad.

His crew took over the entire wall, patrons fleeing the dart boards and new pool table to make room for their sheer number. Joe went to start taking orders, but I knew what they’d want. I started filling pitchers and pouring whiskey, before opening their tab.

While I punched things on the computer while switching out pitchers, Blake came to my end of the bar, gripping the worn wood in his massive and strong grip. I swear I could hear the splinters screaming for mercy.

“Not going to welcome me in tonight, Baby?”

“My name is not Baby.” I clipped back. He hadn’t even asked my name the night we spent together.

“Hmmmmmm. Spicy tonight I see. I like that.” I could feel my body reacting to him again, but tonight I shut it down. I am not a floozy. I won’t let myself fall for any f*****g guy with a fantastic body and f**k-me eyes. I’ve fought hard for my life so far, and I have to do better than that. Blake was a moment of weakness.

I could practically feel his eyes raking over me, my baggy black cargo pants suddenly not feeling like enough fabric to cover me up. But I leaned into the strength I had learned from my mother. A strength that oftentimes got my ass in trouble.

“Spicy isn’t the half of it, Blake. Now be a good boy and go sit down with the rest of the pack. I’ll get you your sippy cup when I have a f*****g minute.”

I saw a fire light in his eyes before he sauntered off with a chuckle. I knew I wasn’t rid of Blake for long, only for a moment. It made my heart skip a beat but I needed to keep my focus on the job.

Tips were going well and I was painfully aware of how badly I needed this gig. I couldn’t lose it now.

Blake ended up leaving me alone for the majority of the night, even though I could practically feel his intense stare on me the entire time. Again, I should have leaned away from it, but I physically couldn’t. So at least tonight I was aware and able to keep my body’s flirtation to a minimum.

All patrons left, Blake and company included, and I closed up with Joe. He gave me a look that told me he would walk me home, but I declined. It was a five-minute walk and I took enough of his time every day already.

I got to the exterior front door of my apartment and sighed, relieved that I’d made it home without incident. But the second I placed the key in the lock, an arm almost punched a hole in the door centimeters close to my head. A strong, thick arm wrapped around my throat and snatched me around to face the other way.

“I needed to make sure you made it home okay, Baby. I’d hate for you to run into trouble coming home so late.” My heart was pounding in my eardrums, and I could physically feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. He scared the s**t out of me. He was so quiet. So powerful. So f*****g sexy. Damn him.

“I’ve already told you, Blake. My name is not Baby.” I tried to push him off me, but he leaned in closer, reminding me just how massive and solid his frame really was.

“I’m fully aware of that Sawyer Quinn Cadieux. But I’ve already told you….you belong to me now. I’ll call you whatever I damn well please.” He growled with a ferocity that was not human.

And damn it all, my body took over again. My brain was trying to shake sense and reason into my actions, but my heart was piloting this ship and I was putty in his hands.

Maybe it was the sense of ‘f**k it all’ that had taken deep residence in my bones. I had nothing to lose other than a stack of bills on the counter. As terrifying as Blake was, his need for me was intoxicating. And I didn’t think it would be anytime soon that someone like him would give me a second glance.

So, I threw logic to the wind and let the key click and unclench the deadbolt lock, thrusting us both into the shithole that was my apartment.

I had nothing to be embarrassed by. His eyes never left me. We only made it as far as the busted futon in the living room. And he devoured me. I was a trembling, moaning, heaving mess of sweat and s*x. It seemed like years, but hours had passed and there was a sharp knock at the door. I jolted up, but he pressed his hand into my shoulder and pushed me back into the paper-thin leather of the futon. I grasped the threadbare blanket and pulled it over my naked body as I tried to slow my breathing.

I could see a hulking shadow of one of his cronies leaning against my doorframe.

“Alpha. Apologies for the interruption. She’s summoned us. We couldn’t get through.”

“Of course she has.” He growled again through gritted teeth. He slammed the door on his buddy’s face and swept his clothes up from the pile on the ground.

“Alpha? Seems a little intense, don’t you think.” I tried to press on the rock hard exterior. Who even was this man that I’d let bed me twice without even trying.

“Hm. Something like that. Not a choice.”

“And even the almighty Alpha gets bossed around by some woman?”

I saw this cause a visible reaction. His face pulled together in a tight grimace. Almost pained. I couldn’t tell, but whoever she was, he was not a fan.

“Even an alpha must do as he is told at times. But not for long.” He threw his piercing green eyes back on me and I held strong.

Trying not to shift uncomfortably under my sad excuse for a blanket, no matter how badly I wanted to wriggle under his gaze.

“You’re to expect me next week Sawyer. None of this defiance bullshit.”

“No promises.” I managed to gurgle out. And his eyes locked back on me with a sense of challenge. But a hint of humor.

He crossed over to me in three long strides, buttoning up his shirt and tugging the collar back in place before pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger.

“Don’t test me, Baby. You won’t like the outcome.”

And with that he swept out of the apartment, I could hear heavy footsteps falling into line behind his. I pressed the heels of my hands into my forehead. What the f**k was I doing with this guy? What kind of f****d up spell did he have me under? And how poorly was this path going to take me?

Bad news. All of it.