Page 10 of A Monster's Obsession

“I’ll tell you what the fuck is going on! You made a deal with the fucking devil, and now you have to marry one to get out of it!” Sawyer’s body was radiating anger. He continuously ran his hand through his chocolate brown locks as he stared a hole into the wall.

“We don’t have to get married, Monster. That is utterly ridiculous. I just need to pay the man his money back, and all this will be over.”

“You can’t be this fucking dumb!” Sawyer yelled his face crimson as he ran his hand down his face. The statement sent fire through my veins.This motherfucker!

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? You barge in here talking in riddles and claiming me as your wife, and you call me dumb.” I point to myself, appalled at the nerve of his crazy ass.

“Patrick Abbott is a loan shark!” Sawyer yelled again, and I took a step back. It took all of my patience not to slap his face again.

“I know what he is! That’s how I got the money in the first place. No bank would give me a loan.” I shook my head in frustration. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I willed myself not to cry. I know that I’m in big trouble and this time I don’t know how to fix it. But I wouldn’t allow anyone to bully me and make me feel weak. I did what I had to do at the time.

“You don’t know, Sweetheart,” Sawyer said in a much calmer tone. “His family deals in human trafficking. If you don’t pay him his money, how do you think they’re going to get it from you?”

Sawyer’s question caused my breath hitch, and my mind swirl. They would sell me.Holy shit!

“I-I. Oh, my God!” I could no longer hold back the tears as I flopped down in my chair. What the hell was I going to do?

“Listen, I’ll pay the money for you, but we have to be married in order for you to be fully protected.” Hearing the word “protected” gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Sawyer, I need you to answer this question. And I want full honesty,” I stated, looking up into his handsome face, “Who are you?”

It was a question that I’d been afraid to ask in the past. Even after my life had been threatened, I still don’t know who Sawyer Nash really is. We had a silent mutual agreement that we didn’t talk about ourselves when we were together. For a blissful two months, we never went beyond surface level bullshit.

He sighed as he sat down in the chair in front of my desk, “Since you’ll be my wife, I guess you should know everything. But not here. I have a place that we can talk that’s more secure.” I was thoroughly confused about why we had to leave the gallery to have a conversation, but Sawyer’s face told me that I would need to hear whatever he had to say. I nodded my head with a sigh and began to gather my things.

Sawyer led me outside, where a large redhead was standing waiting by an SUV. I recognized Darby immediately, or was it, Flynn? I couldn’t tell them apart, but I’ve seen them around when Raven’s father got shot. They are hard to miss being over six-five with bright red hair and muscles like theHulk.I nodded at the man, and he winked with a smirk. Once we were in the SUV, I could feel the tension floating around us like smoke.

We arrived at an office building, and Sawyer led me inside. I couldn’t get a good look at my surroundings before I was in a spacious office with the door shut behind me. I sat down on a large couch in the corner of the room, and Sawyer sat beside me.

“I’m the next Don in the Irish mob.” He blurted out, but before I could ask any questions, he continued, “The Abbott’s are another crime family making a name for themselves in the underworld. The Nash family is one of the largest crime families in the states, but there is a council that we all answer to in some matters. When you took that loan, you entered our world.”

I gasped in complete shock. I couldn’t believe all of the shit he was telling me. The intimacy that I shared with Sawyer had been unmatched, and I thought I knew him, but it turns out I had absolutely no idea who he was. I could blame it on being young at the time, but that was no excuse. I was fascinated with Sawyer Nash from the first time his deep voice caressed my ears. I was mesmerized by the dangerous aura that he exuded. I wanted to take a walk on the wild side, and I didn’t bother to ask any questions.Fuck me!

“My cousin said it was just a loan.” I tried to explain. “Joe assured me that it wasn’t a big deal as long as I paid them their money back,” I stated, confused. Joe wasn’t the most reliable person, but he was still family. He came through when I really needed the money.

“They never intended for you to pay them the money back, Sasha. They would easily get over a million dollars for you. Two-hundred-and-seventy-thousand dollars wasn’t anything to them when they would get you and the gallery in return. They didn’t ask you for any collateral, did they?” Sawyer shook his head, and I couldn’t believe how stupid I was.

I just assumed that the astronomical interest rate was enough punishment. I would be paying them almost double the amount I borrowed. I didn’t realize they knew that I wouldn’t be able to pay them the money back.

“So, I stupidly borrowed money from the mob, and they intend to sell me and take my building to get their money. And the only way I can prevent that from happening is by marrying you, a Don of another mob family, for protection?” It all sounded like a movie plot even when I said it out loud. I couldn’t believe it.

What the fuck is happening in my life? First, the man I’d run away from pops back up like an apparition, and now I have to marry him. I had to tell him why I left, and I couldn’t put us both in danger.

“I’m not the Don yet, but yeah. That about sums it up.” Sawyer nodded his face still grim.

“I can’t marry you. If I do, we’ll both die.” I almost choked on the words, but at least now they were finally out.

Chapter 6

SAWYER

“What do you mean? We’ll both die?” I was confused by the heartache that was etched across Sasha’s face. There was no light in her eyes, no dimples peeking at me, and no laugh spilling through her luscious lips. She wasn’t joking, and I knew whatever she said would have me committing murder.

“I-I was warned not to tell you. I can’t… my parents. I have to protect us all.” The tears welled in her eyes once more, and I was furious. I sat on the coffee table directly in front of her so we could be face to face. I needed to see her eyes while we had this conversation. I needed her to see the sincerity in my face; I needed her to feel it in my words.

“Sasha, baby. You can tell me anything. Please.” I never begged anybody for shit, but I would beg her.

“I came home one day to a masked man inside my New York apartment. I didn’t recognize his voice; shit, I don’t even know what color he was. He held me at gunpoint while he threatened me. He knew everything about me. Where I worked, where I was from, my parent’s address, everything. He said that your last wife was killed because of you.”