King had not been far behind them. His terror had let his secret slip. It was the one and only time Sawyer was sure that King had lost control. Vida had sat down on the ground, comforting a crying Callie over the loss of her doll. She had not realized how close to death she’d come. King had stood by Sawyer.
“I owe you and Vida, Sawyer. None of the punks in the neighborhood will bother you again.” Tears were in his eyes, and his hands were clenched by his side. Even as a young girl, Sawyer could feel the restraint he’d used to hold himself back. Sawyer had seen that look enough in her mother’s eyes to know what it meant. The resemblance easily seen between the two as Sawyer’s eyes had gone back and forth between them.
“You’re her daddy.” Sawyer breathed, scared at the look that came in his eyes at her astonishment.
“If anyone finds out who she is, Sawyer, they’ll hurt her. Do you want her hurt because you couldn’t keep a secret?”
“N—no.”
“Then keep your mouth shut. If anyone finds out, I won’t be happy. Vida’s mom works for me; do you want her to lose her job?” He had shown no compunction in threatening a child.
N—n—no.”
“No one will let your mom babysit for them if I tell them not to. Do you want your mom to lose what money she has?”
“N—n—n—no.”
“Then keep your mouth shut. You’re the only one who knows, so if it gets out, I will know you talked.”
Sawyer nodded her head. “I won’t say anything, King. I swear.”
“I expect you to keep that promise, Sawyer.” He left her and her friends without another word, walking away from his beautiful daughter, not looking back.
“I did what I had to do.” Kings words drew her back to the present.
“Yes, you did, and you’ve had to live with losing her everyday just like Vida and I do.”
Sawyer opened the car door, stepping out and hanging onto the door for a few seconds. She was blinded by the tears in her eyes. Blinking, she managed to glance back at the grim-faced man.
“I told Digger everything I knew. I didn’t tell him you were her father because you weren’t a father to her when she was living, and you sure as hell don’t deserve to be called her father when she’s in a casket paid for by the state.” She slammed the car door in finality.
King’s bodyguard escorted her toward the plane with a gun in his hand, while four armed security guards were waiting outside the plane. Damn, King was making sure she got on the plane.
As she drew closer, two of the men came forward to escort her up the steps, the other two following behind.
The plane was opulently decorated. Sawyer was staring around, awestruck. She had never been in an airplane before and this one rivaled the tour bus.
As she walked forward, Alec and Kaden rose from their seats. Sawyer started crying again at his haggard look. He looked pale and as if he had lost weight.
When he reached her, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close.
“Woman, you’re never leaving me again.”
Chapter Nineteen
The plane landed safely two hours later in Chicago with a car waiting for them at the airport. Kaden hadn’t left her side. When they’d arrived back at the bus, he had barely given the others time to greet her before he was maneuvering her towards the bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, he was pulling and tugging her clothes off.
Each bruise and mark he exposed felt the brush of his lips. When he had completely undressed her, he carried her to the shower.
“I wish it was a bath,” he apologized unnecessarily.
“It’s okay.”
He removed his own clothes before stepping into the shower where she leaned her head on his chest as he soaped her body.
“I’ve never felt so frightened, Kaden,” she confessed.
“Me, either. I thought they would make you disappear before we could find you.” He turned her body so that the water washed the soap away.
From the first time she laid eyes on him, she could tell he had suffered at her disappearance. She enjoyed letting him care for her. The exquisite feeling of being safe in his arms was what she had clung to when Digger had been beating her.
“Sawyer, did he…?”
Sawyer shook her head at his delicate question. “He was too scared to go too far with me. He knew King was barely holding back and there was something else preventing him from going overboard with me as well. I don’t know if I could have taken that.” Everyone had a breaking point and Sawyer knew herself well enough to be certain that Digger and his men sexually abusing her would have been hers.
“You’re a survivor, Sawyer; you’ve proven that.”
“At least those women I was with are free now.” Kaden didn’t want to upset her; however, those women were only a few among the many whose lives Digger had destroyed.
“I have to get dressed; the concert is in a few minutes. You’re going to stay on the bus.”
“But I want to stay with you.” Sawyer wasn’t ready to be away from him.
“I’m done playing around with your safety, Sawyer. I’ve hired personal security to watch the bus and you while I perform. I’m not even doing promos. I’ll go in just before the concert and come back right after, but I’m not letting you off the bus. You need some sleep and there’s a doctor waiting to check you out.
“Okay,” Sawyer gave in, seeing his worry. If staying on the bus relieved his anxiety, then she could do that.
They dried off, returning to the bedroom where Kaden helped her into a large robe, tying it securely around her waist. She then sat on the edge of the bed as she watched him get dressed.
“K—Kaden...” Her fingers played with the belt of the robe.
Kaden zipped up his jeans. “We’ll talk after the show, Sawyer,” he said, putting on his shoes and t-shirt as a knock sounded on the door.
“It’s time to go, Kaden, and the doctor is getting impatient.”
“I’m coming.”
Kaden came to stand in front of her. Using the lapels of the robe, he pulled her to her feet. Her head fell back as she stared up at the fire in his eyes. His mouth found hers, reassuring her that he still wanted her while at the same time being gentle enough to show her that he had missed her.
“I’ll be back in a few.” Sawyer smiled as he left and an older woman with graying hair entered, carrying a bag.
“Mr. Cross wants me to check you out.”
Sawyer let the doctor exam her. The tension and adrenalin seemed to rush out of her body with Kaden leaving. She suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired and weak. She answered the doctor’s questions through a blur. Then the doctor helped her lay down, covering her with the blankets. Sawyer felt as if she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She had wanted to be waiting for Kaden when he came back after the concert. It was just another wish that wasn’t going to come true, she thought as she lost her battle for staying awake.
She barely noticed when Kaden slipped into bed with her since she was unable to even open her eyes. After his hands circled her waist, lifting her to lie across his chest, she felt his hands running soothingly through her hair as she dozed back off. It was the first time she had been able to slip into a deep sleep in his arms.
“I am not staying on this bus one more day, Kaden.” Sawyer crossed her arms over her chest. She had to admit that it would be more effective if she wasn’t holding a spatula, but she didn’t freaking care. Turning back to the stove, she expertly flipped the burgers she was frying.