Page 66 of Risking it All

“Call your goons off, Zahad, or the next one is going in your head,” Sawyer commanded.

“Stand down! Stand the fuck down!” my father bellowed.

Never had I ever seen him take orders from someone else.

“Now as I was saying, I am Sawyer Black, Timothy and Diane’s oldest son. I have just as much right to be here as anyone else in the room. Just because my family decided not to make their money from human trafficking doesn’t mean that I’m not eligible to show up to play your sick and twisted games when necessary.”

“What the hell do you want from me?” my father asked.

“Your daughters. All of them.”

“For five million dollars, you can take this one. She’s no good to me anyway. You’re actually cheating yourself big time.” My father chuckled.

His dark humor was short lived when Sawyer hit him across the face with the barrel of the gun.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re no comedian. I would tell you not to quit your day job if it didn’t involve selling your own daughters for profit. I’m not leaving those girls in your grimy-ass hands. I want all four girls.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I may be, but we’re not leaving without them, right, baby?” Sawyer asked, glancing at me.

“Baby?” my father quizzed.

“That’s right. Where are the twins, Dad? You said they would be safe if I did this!”

“Don’t worry, I already got ’em, mama. They were locked in a room down the hall. I just need to make sure that after I pay Zahad and this organization five million dollars for each of you, I don’t have to also blow this muthafucka up to make sure they don’t double-cross me once the deal is done.”

“You can’t muscle your way in here making all kinds of demands just because of the Black Cartel’s standing. Last I knew, Timothy’s oldest son was out of the game.”

“Consider this my welcome back ceremony.”

Someone grabbed my arm, and I snatched it out of their grasp as I turned to look at them.

“Nicholas?”

“Reed said he really wished that he could be here, but that’s a conversation for another day. I need you to come with me.”

Instead of focusing on the words I probably needed to hear more than anything, I turned back to Sawyer. With a single nod, he gave me all the reassurance necessary to make me move.

“Go with him, mama.”

“Come on. Your sisters are in the chopper,” Nicholas stated as I followed him toward an exit.

“You stupid bitch!” My father barked, causing me to look back in time to see him lunging at me.

Sawyer didn’t give him a chance to take a full step before he fired a single shot, sending a bullet though his head. I should have been horrified, watching the man I loved murder my father. Instead, I felt lighter. My own father’s murder would have set me free if it weren’t for the already ongoing auction. Suddenly, gunshots erupted from every direction.

“Sawyer!” I screamed as he pivoted and fired more shots.

Gunfire continued to ring out as about twenty armed men filled the room. Nicholas literally dragged me out of the room as I screamed Sawyer’s name until my voice went out. He promised that he would do whatever was necessary to save me, even if it meant risking his own life. That was never what I wanted.

Nicholas carried me onto a helicopter, and I practically collapsed into my sister Zora’s arms.

“It’s OK, Sis. You’re safe now,” Zuri told me.

As relieved as I was to see my sisters, I couldn’t even focus on the feeling for worrying about Sawyer.

“They shot him, Nicholas. I think they shot him,” I murmured as tears blurred my vision.