Tainted

by Jamie Begley

  “Yeah, he started writing it when you were missing. He just finished it a couple of days ago,” Ax answered.

  Sawyer looked back at the stage, seeing Kaden’s eyes were on her. She gave him a sweet smile, loving the song and the man who’d written the lyrics.

  When the song ended, another began. Sawyer should have known the touching moment couldn’t last. The familiar chords of the song started as Alyce strutted out onto the stage. Kaden and her sang, walking back and forth across the stage. When it came time to do their usual bump and grind on the middle of the stage, Kaden made a turn, walking back to the side of the stage toward her. When he didn’t stop, but took her hand and led her out onto the stage, she tried to pull away, embarrassed with the arena’s eyes on her. Alyce looked furious; however, she moved to the right of the stage and kept singing while Kaden moved them toward the center before coming to a stop.

  Sawyer was frozen stiff at being the focus of attention. She turned to flee the stage, but Kaden’s arm went around her waist, holding her in place. Her eyes flew wildly to his, scared to death. She had been kidnapped twice, been beaten by Digger, had bullets shot around her twice, yet standing on stage terrified her.

  “Dance with me.” The look in Kaden’s eyes had her struggles slowing as Kaden’s movements against her began to cross the barrier of her stage fright. His hands went to her hips as he continued to sing into his headset.

  She gradually relaxed against him, forcing herself to look only at him as she began to move against him. The music she had watched him dance numerous times to with Alyce was easy to move to; however, she couldn’t let herself go to the extent that Alyce did. When the song ended, he let her flee the stage back to Alec and Ax’s side, who were laughing at her like goons.

  “I—I’m g—going t—to k—k—kill h—him.” Her comment only made them laugh louder at the same time that Ax’s good arm went around her shoulder, drawing her to his side.

  After the show, they returned to the VIP room. Kaden had gone to the airport that afternoon to meet Jesse’s plane. Then, before the show, the promoters had kept them busy, so it was the first opportunity she’d had to meet Jesse. He was good looking and sexy, but in her eyes, he paled in comparison to Kaden.

  Several of the women fans were overwhelmed backstage, unable to restrain themselves and had to be shown out by Alec.

  Sawyer sat on one of the couches, watching as Sin, D-mon and Jesse ushered one star struck fan into the restroom. Sawyer could only imagine how wild the group had been when they were younger, if they were like this now that they were older. They showed no signs of slowing down, either.

  Ax took a seat next to her on the couch, wincing as he jarred his shoulder.

  Sawyer got up, going to get him a beer before bringing it back to him.

  “Thanks,” he said with a pained smile.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You and Kaden kiss and make up?”

  “Yes, we’re okay.”

  “That’s good. I don’t think he would make it losing another person he loves, Sawyer.”

  Sawyer lowered her head, feeling guilty that she would have walked out on Kaden with no explanation.

  “I have a little bit of a temper,” Sawyer confessed.

  Ax shook his head at her ruefully. “I think Kaden will help you get it under control. It’s a good thing for you that we’re spending the night on the bus and don’t have any privacy, but Kaden’s promised me a weekend visit when you two find a home. You really shouldn’t have been so rude to me this morning when I asked where you were going. I had to take another pain pill after I locked you up.” His twinkling eyes promised retribution. Her body clenched and her nipples pebbled under her shirt.

  Kaden sat down next to her, his hand pressing down on her thigh, preventing her from getting up from the couch.

  “Behave, Ax. I can’t tell if you’re scaring her or turning her on,” Kaden said, searching Sawyer’s red face.

  “Both,” Ax answered for her. Both men sat on the couch with her, talking about the show. Kaden was letting Jesse handle the press and promoters.

  Later, Alec escorted them through the remaining crowd as they left the arena back onto the bus. The men were tired but pumped, throwing themselves down on the chairs and couches and pulling out the liquor bottles. Sawyer knew when it was time to retreat.

  She went into the bedroom, preparing for bed. She was about to take a shower when Kaden walked in, closing and locking the door behind him.

  His eyes took in the nightgown in her hand.

  “You’re not going to need that tonight, Sawyer.” Sawyer paused, looking at his hard face. “Take off your clothes and prepare yourself while I take my shower.” She swallowed hard, aware he was not going to let her get away with her behavior from earlier today.

  Kaden went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Sawyer hurriedly undressed, making sure she folded her clothes and put them away. The running shower shut off and a squeak escaped Sawyer as she barely remembered to lay the paddle on the bed before she took the position Kaden expected to find her in.

  She was leaning over the bed with her ass stuck out and her hands on the bed overlapping each other when Kaden opened the bathroom door a second later.

  “I see you remembered the paddle.” His hand reached out and picked it up. “Tell me something, Sawyer; did you even consider how I would feel when you tried to leave this morning.”

  “No.” The truth got her a hard swat on her bottom.

  “No, what?” Another swat.

  “No, Kaden.”

  His fingers went between her thighs.

  “That’s better.” He stroked her clit until her hips thrust back at him.

  A firm swat on her ass had her back in position.

  “This is for disrespecting Ax.” Swat.

  “Disrespecting me when I asked what was wrong.” Swat, swat, swat, swat, swat.

  “Going through my things.” Swat.

  His hand rubbed the pinking flesh of her butt before going once again to the gathering wetness that gave her excitement away.

  “Which one did I tell you would hurt the most?”

  “I was going to leave without talking to you first.” The hard swat on her bottom had her standing on her tiptoes, but she didn’t break position. Sawyer heard him lay the paddle on the nightstand.

  “I’m ready to accept your apology, Sawyer.”

  Sawyer obediently went to her knees on the carpet before him. His naked body gleamed in the light of the bedroom.

  “May I touch you, Kaden?”

  “Yes.”

  He groaned when she reached out, taking his hardening cock deep into her mouth. She scooted closer to him on her knees as she began to suck on his dick. Her tongue explored his length as her hand reached out to cup his heavy balls.

  His hips thrust forward, driving more of his length inside her warm mouth. Kaden put his hand in her hair, holding her head still as he fucked her mouth. Sawyer whimpered as her pussy clenched, wanting his cock inside her.

  Pulling his cock away, he took a step back. “Get on the bed, Sawyer.”

  Sawyer eagerly went to the bed, thrilled he wasn’t going to extend her punishment by not letting her have an orgasm. She should have known he wasn’t going to let her off so easily.

  Kaden climbed onto the bed, his back to the headboard. He lifted her onto his cock her knees going to the bed beside his hips. She was so wet she slid easily down his length. Her back arched in pleasure at the feel of him inside of her.

  “Fuck me, Sawyer.”

  Her hips began moving, sliding his length deep inside her, finding a rhythm that drove her passion higher.

  “Put your hands behind your back.”

  Sawyer’s hands immediately crossed behind her back, which thrust her breasts out.

  A moan slid past her lips when Kaden’s hands glided to her pussy, spreading her pink flesh until she felt the flesh of his cock with every slide. His thumb rubbed her clit unti
l the nub exploded into an orgasm that stopped her from moving.

  A swat landed on her ass. “Did I tell you to stop?”

  “No, Kaden.” Sawyer rode out her climax on Kaden’s cock, shuddering as he kept playing with her clit, not letting her body come down from her climax.

  “Give me your tit.”

  Sawyer leaned forward until his mouth could reach her breast, keeping her hips moving.

  Kaden’s lips circled her breast, sucking her nipple into his mouth where his tongue played with her nipple ring. Sawyer’s body began to rebuild the fire while he continued stroking her breast into a hard nub before moving to the other one. Taking the breast in his mouth, his teeth grazed her nipple. Her stomach muscles rippled as another climax surged through her.

  Kaden didn’t let her stop. A bead of sweat slid between her breast, and his tongue licked the salty wetness.

  Her thighs started to tremble from the strain of fucking him, and her pussy felt swollen from the number of climaxes around his cock. Tiny screams were now escaping as each climax led into another.

  “I’m sorry, Kaden,” Sawyer panted as his thumb continued to play with her clit. “I will never try to leave you again.”

  His teeth bit down on her nipple ring.

  “I am so, so sorry. I won’t even think about leaving you again, Kaden.”

  His cock thrust upwards as he suddenly rose up. Sawyer fell backwards on the mattress with Kaden’s cock still buried deep inside of her. Her hands went to the mattress above her head, grabbing the sheets.

  His hands went behind her knees, bringing her thighs high against her chest as he began to pound her with his thrusting cock.

  “Why are you never going to leave me, Sawyer?”

  His eyes blazed down into hers.

  “Because you love me.”

  “Why are you never going to leave me, Sawyer?” he repeated.

  “Because I love you.”

  Kaden’s mouth found her, stifling his moan as his climax carried them both into a realm that only the two of them shared, each feeling what the other felt in their souls.

  Kaden’s body collapsed on her, his hands stroking her thighs until she managed to lower them back to the bed.

  “Kaden, if that was meant as a punishment, I plan on being bad, a lot,” she said playfully.

  Kaden laughed as he rolled to his side. “Woman, if you’re going to challenge my authority, at least give me time to recover.”

  Sawyer giggled, jumping out of bed and going to the bathroom. Just before she shut the bathroom door, she bent down, wiggling her ass the way Vida had told her she would do at the end of every show.

  Kaden lay staring at the closed bathroom door with his mouth open. A second later, he was manfully climbing out of the bed. He was never a man to pass up a challenge.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  (Three Months Later)

  Sawyer stepped out of the limo when the driver opened the door, waiting impatiently for Vida.

  “Let’s go; we’re late.”

  “It’s not my fault. You’re the one who overslept.” Sawyer blushed, remembering the late night she’d had with Kaden, which had resulted in her oversleeping. She opened the door to the office building that Kaden had rented a space in for the band’s new tour manager.

  “I haven’t seen Jordan since Indiana. You’re going to love her, Vida. Kaden rented this space for the next three months while she organizes the tour and straightens out R.J.’s mess. R.J.’s finances might be in a downward spiral with him in prison, but the band was smart enough to not give R.J. that type of control over their own assets.

  “We can go out to lunch with her before hitting the furniture stores.” Sawyer needed to buy more furniture to furnish the large house that Kaden had purchased not far from the one that Colton and Vida had purchased the previous month. Both women had decided to settle on the outskirts of Queen City. The city that they had once dreamed of escaping.

  Vida had found her dream of living in a close-knit community, and Sawyer, sick of traveling, had enrolled in culinary school.

  Sawyer and Vida strolled into Jordan’s office, coming to a stop at the disorganized mess. Huge boxes were stacked in the middle of the floor. The office furniture had just been delivered and not yet placed. The small room looked like a tornado had been there.

  Jordan’s blonde head peeked over the filing cabinet.

  “I know it looks terrible, but I’ll have it in shape in no time.” Her excited voice had both women smiling. You couldn’t help liking the woman; her personality was so freaking bubbly. She reminded Sawyer of a bath bomb.

  “I’m afraid I have to cancel lunch. I have another delivery coming, and I was hoping it would make it here before you arrived, but they just called. It’s not going to happen. Can I take a rain check?”

  “I can do better than that. Come by the house for dinner tonight. Vida and Colton can come. I’ll even invite Brenley, Colton’s sister. That way, you can get to know everyone at once.”

  “That sounds terrific.” Jordan smiled, unwrapping a picture frame from bubble wrap and placing it on her desk before going to a box and taking out another one. Unwrapping it, she placed it on her desk as well. Vida helpfully moved the box closer to her desk.

  Jordan took out another picture, unwrapping several layers of bubble wrap.

  “Jordan, you really like bubble wrap, don’t you?” Sawyer said jokingly.

  “I learned my lesson. That bastard with Digger went through my suitcases. I just had these printed when he threw them all over the room.”

  “You must be close to your family,” Sawyer said, picking up one of the frames from the desk.

  Sawyer had a new respect for the woman who had a picture of a man whose appearance was dangerously lethal. Vida whistled over her shoulder. No wonder Jordan hadn’t been afraid of Max and Jackal; the man in the picture frame was staring back with a gravely serious expression. His blue gaze grabbed and held your attention, and that was just with a photograph.

  “Jordan, if I wasn’t head over heels in love with Kaden, I would beg for an introduction.” Of course she would have to have a few drinks to work her courage up first.

  “Sawyer, R.J. isn’t around anymore and Kaden’s already hired me. You can call me by my first name now.” She laughed as Sawyer set the picture down and picked up another one, wanting to see another picture of the striking man.

  “What is your first name?” she asked absently, only giving her half of her attention as she turned the picture frame toward her.

  “Penni.”

  Sawyer stared down at the picture in her hand, almost fainting. Only Vida grabbing her for support had her able to hold on to her control.

  Penni was in the picture, sitting on a huge boulder with green lush mountains behind her. Sitting next to her, laughing into the camera, was a beautiful, dark haired woman. She was dressed in a dress, and the girls were obviously trying to keep the wind from blowing it up. Her gentleness could easily be read in her face, just as the heart-wrenching sadness in her eyes couldn’t be missed.

  “W—who w—was the man in your picture?” Sawyer asked with a hoarse voice.

  “That’s my brother, Shade,” Penni answered, staring at Sawyer curiously. “He looks kind of scary, but he can be sweet.” Then she added, “Sometimes.”

  “Who’s the woman?” Vida questioned with a tight voice.

  “That was my college roommate, Lily. I already miss her. We became really close friends. She doesn’t graduate until next semester.” Penni took the picture frame from Sawyer’s hand, setting it carefully back down on the desk.

  “I want to thank you, Sawyer, for convincing Kaden to give me that interview. I know he wouldn’t have hired me without your help. I didn’t make the best impression during my internship with R.J.”

  Sawyer didn’t answer, gripping the desk for support. One of her nails broke, but she didn’t feel the pain.

  A knock sounded and Penni went to answer it. Sawyer and
Vida gathered themselves during the reprieve. Seeing the deliverymen, they used the excuse to escape. Neither woman said a word until they were in the elevator. Vida was already crying when the elevator door closed.

  “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God!” Vida held on to the side of the elevator.

  Sawyer weakly reached out, pressing the emergency stop on the elevator panel. Bursting into tears, she fell to her knees on the elevator floor.

  “S—she’s a—alive! She’s alive!”

  Vida came down next to her on the floor. Sawyer reached out, hugging her close as both of them cried.

  “Callie’s alive!”

  Epilogue

  Sawyer opened the door to the back porch, carefully balancing the two glasses of ice tea. She accidently spilt a few drops as she closed the door with her foot, remembering the days when she could hold two glasses in each hand. She didn’t miss waitressing at all. She had enough people to wait on at home to fulfill that need.

  Walking barefoot across the porch, she stepped carefully down the steps, determined not to spill any more. The grass felt wonderful on her feet as she walked across the yard.

  “What took you so long?” Vida asked, taking her glass.

  “I checked on Faith.” Sawyer climbed on top of the picnic table beside Vida so that she could get a better look at the game going on across the yard. She took the baby monitor out of her pocket, laying it down next to her on the table.

  “How much weight has she gained since her operation?”

  “Three pounds,” Sawyer said proudly. “The doctor said that was really good, that most babies born with drug addictions won’t gain weight as fast,” she said, relieved at the progress her adopted daughter was making.

  “That’s wonderful. Wait until she’s old enough to eat your cooking; she will really start gaining weight.”

  “Mom!” A little boy haltingly ran across the yard, his crutches slowing him down.

  “What?” Sawyer asked, seeing what the problem was before her son could answer.

  “Roxi and Axel won’t let me climb up the tree.” Sawyer could understand their concern. His foot brace would make it almost impossible and they had been very protective of George since the adoption was final.