by Kay Marie
“The feistier, the better.” Finn winks at me. The fear I felt before melts away. Something in me is telling me I can trust these men. Finn turns to Scarface. “I’ll give you ten thousand less than what we discussed before.”
“I can’t do that.” Scarface shakes his head.
“You can and you will,” the blue-eyed man says. “She looks like she’s been starved and you’ve admitted she still needs work.”
“But she’s still one of the most beautiful girls we’ve had,” Scarface argues. Finn walks to his car and pulls a bag out. He walks to my side and tosses the bag at Scarface’s feet.
“You were also late. Take the money and go,” Finn growls out. Scarface’s eyes go from Finn to me, lingering for too long. He picks the bag up and tosses it to his brother.
“Let’s go, hermano,” Scarface says and climbs into his car. The kid gives me one last look, sadness in his eyes then climbs into the car. Finn, the other guy, and I stand there until they’re no longer in sight.
“Are you alright,” Finn asks. The other man is on the phone.
“Yeah, I think so,” I tell him honestly.
“You’re safe now, I promise,” he tells me. I’m not sure if I should believe him, but I do. “I’m Finn, and that’s my brother Lochland.”
“I’m Sienna,” I tell him. He smiles like that was something he already knew.
“Let’s go get you some food,” Finn says. I nod and the three of us load up in their car.
“They’re tracking him. Said they’d let us know when they have them,” Lochland says to Finn. Finn nods, his face serious again. Lochland turns in his seat so he’s facing me. “Do you mind telling us about your stay with Ricardo?”
“Um, sure,” I say. I explain everything to them, from day one all the way up to today. Both of their expressions are hard as stone the entire time I talk. I make sure to let them know that the kid was being forced to do the shit he was doing by Scarface, so if someone ever finds these guys, maybe they can go easier on the kid.
When I’m done telling them everything, I lay across the back seat. My eyes become heavy and I drift off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Shade
When Finn called me, he told me they were setting up a meet with the guy they believed to have Sienna. He had given Bull all the details and Bull quickly came up with a plan. Finn and his brother Lochland are meeting with a guy they call Ricardo this morning. Once Ricardo takes the money and leaves, Lochland will call Tech so he can start tracking him. Ranger, Ratchet, Diesel, Clutch, Rascal, and a few others are in the Roswell, New Mexico area waiting on a call so they can grab this asshole and bring him back to the clubhouse.
There’s a big group of them in charge of that in case Ricardo has people with him. Better safe than sorry. Sketch and Raze are with me, going to a location to meet with Finn and Lochland once they have Sienna. We’re an hour into our drive when my phone rings. Bull’s name flashes across the screen and I answer on Bluetooth.
“They have her,” Bull tells me. I let out a heavy breath. I feel a fraction of a beat better. I won’t be one hundred percent until Sienna is back in my arms. “There’s a diner in Midland that they’ll meet you at.”
“Got it. Thank you, Bull,” I reply.
“Bring her home, brother,” he says and hangs up. I pull over at the next gas station so I can relay the information to Sketch and Raze.
“Everything alright,” Sketch asks when we stop.
“Just wanted to update y’all. Bull called and said they have Sienna. We’re meeting them in Midland,” I tell them.
“That’s great! What about that fucker, Ricardo,” Sketch asks Raze. Raze has this long-distance earwig in so he can hear what’s going on with the brothers that are tracking Ricardo. Raze doesn’t respond right away, concentrating on what’s being said in his ear.
“It sounds like they have him. He had his eighteen-year-old brother with him so they grabbed him too,” Raze tells us. “Sounds like they’ll be headed back to the clubhouse soon.”
“Good shit all around,” Sketch says.
“Let’s get back on the road,” I tell them. My phone pings with a text. It’s an unknown number. I open it and my heart leaps into my throat.
From Unknown: She’s safe.
Below the text is a picture of my whiskey girl, sleeping. Her cheeks look sunken in, telling me they were starving her. When I get my hands on that piece of shit, he’ll wish he never even looked at my girl.
“What is it,” Sketch asks.
“Lochland sent me a picture of Sienna. Let’s go,” I say. They nod and start their bikes up. We get back on the highway, going at least ten over the speed limit. Nothing is stopping me from getting to my girl.
Another four hours later, we pull into the diner. I don’t see Finn’s car so we pull into some parking spots at the back of the lot. I climb out of my car to talk with Sketch and Raze while we wait and send a text to Lochlan.
To Lochlan: We’re here.
As I’m about to slide my phone into my pocket, it pings.
From Lochlan: We’re ten minutes out.
“They’ll be here in ten,” I tell Sketch and Raze.
“How are you feeling,” Sketch asks. I run my hand through my hair.
“Would it be dumb if I said I was nervous?” I let out a small chuckle.
“Not at all,” Raze says. “We know she’s safe now, but as far as the shit she’s been through since TJ took her? We have no idea what those assholes did to her.”
“Exactly,” I reply. “All I want is to get her home and keep her safe.”
A black SUV pulls up next to my car and Finn and Locklan step out.
“She’s still asleep in the back,” Lochlan tells me. I must have a questioning look on my face. I walk to the SUV and open the back door. She looks so peaceful. I tuck a stray hair behind her ear, causing her to stir.
“Hey, Whiskey,” I whisper, tracing a finger down the side of her face. Her eyes flutter open. When her eyes connect with mine, they go wide and tears start pouring down her face.
“Shade?” She sits up and flies into my arms, bawling into my shirt.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now,” I tell her.
She pulls her head back so she can look at me. “I was starting to think I would never see you again.”
“I’m here, babe. You’re safe and we got those assholes who have been keeping you from me,” I say.
“What about TJ or Torres?” There’s fear in her tone.
“We haven’t found them yet. And until we do, one of the brothers or I will always be with you,” I explain to her. “Are you hungry?”
“A little,” she says. I help her out of the SUV. “I’m still kind of weak.”
“Do you want me to carry you,” I ask her. She giggles and damn if it doesn’t make my heart swell. “I missed you more than I could ever explain.”
“You can show me just how much you missed me when we get home,” she says, patting my chest.
“We’ll talk about that once we get your strength up,” I tell her. “Let’s go inside.”
She wraps her arm around me, using me as a crutch to help her walk. She’s quite a bit skinnier than she was before. Still just as beautiful, though. Having her here, being able to touch her, it’s so surreal.
“Hey, Sienna. Glad to have you back,” Sketch says to her when we catch up to them.
“Glad to be back,” she replies.
The six of us head into the diner and find a place to sit. Sienna has her chair so close to me, she might as well be sitting on my lap. After the waitress comes by to get our drink order, I pull Sienna into my lap.
“What are you doing?” she whispers to me.
“I wanted you closer,” I tell her with a grin. She just smiles and shakes her head. The guys talk about random shit and they all act like Sienna had never been missing. Sketch jokes with her, while Raze tells her about some shit Minx did. Sienna asks how Cali is doing. Finn and Lochlan
tell us about themselves and how they started buying women from traffickers to save them.
When they started talking about that, I worried about how Sienna would react. This woman continues to amaze me. She watches them with such admiration. I know, without her needing to say it, how grateful she is for these two. Because I am too. Without their help, I honestly don’t know if we would have found her.
We get around to ordering our food. While the waitress is getting everyone else’s orders, Sienna’s eyes find mine.
“What’s wrong,” I ask her softly.
“This might be weird, but can I share whatever you order,” she asks with a shyness I’ve never heard from her. I cup her face in my hand.
“It’s not weird. You can eat whatever you want off my plate,” I tell her and kiss her nose. The waitress comes to us.
“I’ll take a bacon cheeseburger with a double order of fries,” I tell her. “She’s gonna pick off my plate.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get that right in for y’all.” The waitress walks away. The guys are in their own conversation, not paying attention to Sienna and me. I turn her face so she’s looking at me.
“Do you want to talk about it,” I ask her. This time, she cups my face with her hand.
“As much as it hurts to talk about it, I do, but not here,” she tells me. I give her a quick kiss on her lips.
“Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. I’ll always be here,” I reply.
After lunch, I pull Finn to the side.
“I wanted to thank you for helping us get her back. It means everything to me. If you ever need help with anything, give me a call. I’m forever indebted to you,” I tell him.
“I’m glad we were able to help. I hope she has a speedy recovery. If for some reason she has any problems with everyday things, let me know. We’ve helped a lot of women in worse shape than her get rehabilitated,” he says.
“I appreciate it,” I reply. We say our goodbyes and go our separate ways. Sketch and Raze follow us back to Sienna and Wren’s apartment. It’s almost nine by the time we get there and Sienna is passed out in the passenger seat. I thank Raze for everything and he heads home to Minx.
“I’m gonna hang around outside her apartment. Help give her some peace of mind that she’s safe,” Sketch offers.
“Thanks, brother. You really don’t have to do that,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “If it were my girl, I would want her to feel as safe as possible.”
Sienna’s keys were lost when TJ ditched her purse. Lucky for both of us, Wren gave me a spare when I moved to Texas from Arizona.
“Do me a favor?” I say to Sketch.
“What’s up?”
“Head up to the apartment and do a quick sweep? I doubt anyone would have broken in, but just to be safe,” I tell him.
“Yeah, of course.” He takes the keys and goes to the apartment. Five minutes or so go by and my phone pings.
From Sketch: All clear.
I pick Sienna up out of the car and carry her to the apartment. She starts to wake up as I walk through the door with her.
“Where are we,” she asks in a sleepy voice.
“We just walked into your apartment,” I tell her. She opens her eyes and glances around. “Wren isn’t here and hasn’t been here in a while.”
Her face falls. It hurts seeing her hurt.
“She knows you were missing and she’s been worried. I’ll call her in the morning to let her know you’re home,” I say.
“Thank you,” Sienna replies. I set her down on the couch. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“Nope. I’m staying for as long as you want me to,” I tell her. She visibly relaxes. “Sketch is gonna stick around too, but he’s gonna stay outside the apartment. Just as a precaution.”
She nods her head.
“Is there anything I can do or get for you,” I ask her.
“Sit with me,” she says. I sit on the couch and pull her into me. I lay across the couch, letting her lay on me and I rub her back until she falls asleep.
“I love you, Whiskey,” I whisper.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sienna
The next morning, I wake up lying on top of Shade, on my couch. I’m home. I’m safe. I lift myself up, but strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back down.
“Where do you think you’re goin’,” Shade playfully growls at me.
“I was gonna get up and take a shower,” I tell him. “Care to join me?”
“If I shower with you, that’s all that’s happening until we get your strength up,” he says. I stick my bottom lip out in a faux pout. As much as I want him and have missed him, knowing that he’s worried about my health melts my heart.
“I think I’ll take a bath instead,” I tell him. “Maybe a long soak in an Epsom salt bath might help.”
“That’s a good idea. Would you like me to make you some coffee or anything,” he asks.
“Some peppermint green tea, please. There should be a teapot on the stove and in the drawer to the right of the stove is where all the tea is,” I explain to him.
“You got it.” He winks at me and walks into the kitchen. I watch him for a minute before I head into the bathroom to get the bathwater going. While I wait for it to fill up, I head into my closet for some of my own clothes. Maybe Shade will help me burn the ones I came home in. Bra and panties included. I sure as hell don’t want them. They would be a constant reminder of that asshole Scarface.
I take my clothes into the bathroom and set them on the counter. The tub is almost full so I add some lavender-infused Epsom salt to the water. I take a long look at myself in the mirror. I look so different. My hair is disgusting, despite being able to wash it recently. I have dark circles under my eyes and I look like I could put on a few pounds.
I’m eternally grateful for Finn and Lochland. Listening to them talk about saving other trafficked women opened my eyes even more. I think about the girl in the basement again. I hope the Savage Menaces can get information out of Scarface about where they kept me. I would like to go back and save any women or girls that may still be there.
I slip out of these nasty clothes and step into the bathtub, slowly lowering myself into the water. You never realize how much you take for granted until your whole life is snatched away from you. I dip my head under the water, making sure all of my hair gets wet. When I come up for air, I lean back against my bathtub pillow and try to let everything go.
There’s a light knock on the bathroom door and I realize I forgot to close it. I look over and Shade is standing in the doorway with my tea.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.”
He walks in and sits on the floor next to the tub.
“I brought you your tea.” He sets the mug on the side of the bath.
“Thank you,” I say with a smile.
“Sketch went out and got us some basic groceries,” he tells me. “I thought I would cook us some breakfast.”
“I would like that,” I reply. He gives me a quick kiss on the lips, then stands to leave.
“Oh, also, I called Wren,” he says. “She’s gonna come by around lunchtime.”
“That’s great. I can’t wait to see her,” I tell him.
“She’s really excited to see you too.” With that, he walks out, leaving me to soak.
After a bit of relaxing, I wash and condition my hair and wash my body. While the water drains, I stand and grab a towel. It feels good to be able to stand without needing someone to steady me. I dry my hair, then the rest of my body, and step out of the bath. Once I’m dressed and brushed my hair out, I head into the kitchen
“Mmm, it smells good in here,” I tell Shade.
“Perfect timing. It’s ready,” he replies. We take our plates to the living room and eat on the couch. I turn on Netflix to the car show Shade likes to watch.
“This is what you wanna watch,” he asks, shocked.
“Yeah, I kind of missed it while I was gone,” I admit.
He shakes his head, laughing. I take a few bites of my food then set the plate down.
“Is that all you’re gonna eat?” Concern is etched on his face.
I turn my body so I’m sitting, facing him. “Shade, they starved me to keep me weak because I wouldn’t stand down and do what they wanted, when they wanted. I was told that Scarface, I mean, Ricardo, wasn’t allowed to beat me like he did with the other women. He still smacked me around a bit, but that was nothing. I’m going to have to work up to eating more, though.”
Shade sets his plate down and pulls me onto his lap. He brushes his thumb across my bottom lip that’s still a little swollen from the last time Scarface smacked me.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he says. “He’ll pay for what he did to you.”
I scoot off his lap so he can finish eating, but he doesn’t let me move too far from him. We watch his car show until Wren comes over. The knocking on the door isn’t very loud. I start to become nervous about seeing her. She was so mad last time I saw her. Shade opens the door to a red-eyed Wren. When I stand from the couch, our eyes connect. We stare at each other for a beat, not sure what to do. Then, at the same time, we rush to each other, wrapping the other in a hug and start bawling.
What feels like hours of crying later, in reality, it was maybe ten minutes, we pull away from each other.
“I’m so sorry,” we say simultaneously and giggle.
“I should have told you about Shade and me,” I tell her.
“No, it’s okay, really. I shouldn’t have reacted like I did,” she says. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I honestly meant for it to have been a one-time thing. I wasn’t ever supposed to see him again,” I admit.
“He is still here ya know,” Shade calls from the kitchen. Wren rolls her eyes with a smile playing on her lips.
“Oh, hush!” she says to Shade, then looks to me. “Life has a funny way of bringing people into our lives when we need them the most.”
