Page 34 of Tortured Souls
“Saxon, you and I both know I’m the best man to help. You can’t sideline me this time—I need to be a part of this.”
“I don’t need anyone’s help. I’ve been doing just fine all on my own,” I say confidently because it’s true. I’ve been doing this for the past two years, and quite successfully, might I add. Straightening myself up, I start moving past Saxon, but a strong arm clasps around my bicep.
“We’re not saying youneedhelp with anything. I’m offering my help, our help. You’re not fighting me on this, Sky. Whether you like it or not, you have the two of us to help you. Why not take it so you can cross off the names on your list faster?”
“Saxon, I can’t ask this of you. This is my fight, no one else’s,” I plead with him. There’s a long silence in the room. He pulls me to his front, so I have to crane my neck to look up at his face. His wildly handsome face, with that sharp jaw and a dusting of a five o’clock shadow. I look away, not trusting myself to not crack under his intense gaze, but his hands wrap around the sides of my neck, pulling my face to his.
“How many more times do I have to tell you you’re mine now? Your fight is my fight, and your enemies are my enemies. You don’t have to carry this weight alone.” His voice is just above a whisper, the deep timbre making my belly tighten as butterflies awaken within me.
“Saxon, you hardly know me,” I whisper again, my eyes starting to sting with the threat of tears.
“You’re Skylar Brynn Sagan. Twenty-three years old. Born in Lakeland County in a town called Bayberry on September 20th, 2002, making you a Virgo. Which is very fitting for you.” I scrunch up my nose, confused as to what he means by that. “You had a twin brother named Seven who was killed during a random act of violence while protecting you. Your father is Sergio Sagan, and your mother is Sylvia. Both are pieces of shit, if you ask me, but I’m aware you also think the same. Right?” He pauses a moment, and I nod once before he continues. “When you were twelve, you were branded with the Hellstorm’s logo beneath your left ear. Within the last two years, you fled your family, and now you’re here in Golden Heights, rebuilding your life and seeking revenge against the bastards that hurt you.” He takes a deep breath, his chest brushing against my breasts as he inhales deeply before continuing. “You’re also the woman I’ve grown attached to. Even before you knew who I was, I knew you, Sky. I think I’ve always known that you and I were meant to collide the way we have. So, I’m not asking if you need help. I’m telling you I’m going to help you, whether you like it or not, because I protect what’s mine, and Sky, you’re mine.”
I can no longer stop the tears from sliding down my face. Before each tear can reach my chin, he swipes them away with the pads of his thumbs. Saxon can be incredibly intense in so many ways. Which makes him the epitome of a leader. He demands his power and commands the attention of others. While he’s feared, he is also loved by his club. He cares for those who’ve joined his family and will do anything to protect them from harm.
I’ve been solo for so long; accepting help from others is not natural for me. However, Saxon is a force all on his own. He’s rapidly cracking the ice that’s been built around my heart quicker than I can rebuild it. I need to protect the little that’s left of me, protect my heart from breaking all over again. I won’tsurvive another heartbreak. Losing Seven was enough. Once he was gone, I vowed to never let another soul latch onto my heart. That’s my domain and mine alone. If I want to survive, I need to do this alone.Or do I?
His embrace is warm, his long arms encase me, and I allow my arms to wrap around his waist. He feels so good, too good. I’m scared and feel so out of control, and I can’t bear the thought of dropping my veil just to have myself crumble once again, but he feels so different. I believe him, every word he says to me.
“Don’t let the past dictate your future,” he whispers in my ear, his soft lips dust over the shell of my ear, and I cave.
“Okay. Please don’t hurt me, Saxon.” My voice shakes as I finally let him in fully. My chest warms as the ice melts until it’s no longer gripping my heart like a vise. I tighten my hold on him a little more, needing something to keep me from falling. The tears continue to spill, dampening his shirt as I nestle my face against his chest.
“Jesus, Sax, stalker much?” Finn’s voice breaks the moment. I open my eyes to the sound of his lighter flipping closed as he lights his cigarette. I hide my smirk. Finn is the worst person to have present at this moment, because like me, he enjoys bloodshed, and now he wants in too.
“Finn, did you forget you were with me when I did my research?” Finn freezes, his hands holding the lighter close to the end of his cigarette, but not close enough to light as he contemplates what Saxon just said.
“Oh fuck, that’s right.” He starts laughing uncontrollably. “My bad.” Finally, lighting his cigarette, he pockets his lighter and takes a long drag. I pull away from Saxon and quickly wipe away the last few tears from my face.
“Well then, this is happening then, right? We get to tackle this so-called list, just the three of us?” Finn asks me. The corner of his mouth pulls into a devilish grin as he waits for myresponse. I look at Saxon, but he lifts an eyebrow at me, giving me the final choice. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to quickly mull over the pros and cons but admit defeat and snap my eyes open.
“Let’s do it,” I say. Finn scoops me up in his arms and spins me around like a child as he chants, “Yes, yes, yes, yes! This is going to be so much fun!” I can’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm. Finn truly is psychotic, and I’m starting to like him more and more.
“Put her down, you dumbass.” Placing me on my feet again, I can’t help but notice a sense of warmth and a slight twinge in my chest that I’ve never felt before. It’s not a bad feeling per se, it’s just new. New in a good way. It’s light and airy, unlike the heaviness that’s been so familiar throughout my life. As scary as it is, I let the sensation wash over me. I let it consume me as it flows through my body, warming me up from the inside out. I can’t help but think this is a good thing, this feeling is right. This new alternate route along my path is the right move.
A full smile stretches across my face as I look at the man who makes me feel again. The man who reminds me that the world doesn’t have to be a dark, shadowy maze of torment and past trauma.
Saxon Wilder makes me feel alive again.
SAXON
I sign my name on the dotted line for what feels like the hundredth time. Why is it when you buy a property you have to fill out so much fucking paperwork? It’s annoying as hell, and I can feel my anger rising inside me.
“Right, one more signature here, Mr. Wilder, and Capital Vice is all yours,” the realtor says from across his desk. Vance is beside me as he grasps his wife’s hand in his. The pair of them watching intently as I purchase the club that’s been their livelihood for half their lives.
“Right then, I’d like to be the first person to say congratulations, Mr. Wilder. You are now the proud owner of Capital Vice.” The skinny and insanely annoying realtor stands from behind his desk and reaches out his hand for mine. I don’t take it. I give him a nod and turn to Vance and his wife, patting him on the shoulder and giving him a smile of appreciation.
When I approached Vance about purchasing Vice, he informed me that he had a few interested buyers already, and I would need to outbid them if I wanted to purchase. Well, to his surprise, the other possible buyers mysteriously backed out at the last minute. All thanks to Finn on that front. Vance knows who I am, and we have a mutual respect for one another. When he heard about the others backing out, he knew right away that it was the club’s doing. As long as he gets his money and the club is in good hands, that’s all that matters to him.
When we met yesterday, he did shock me with a bit of information. Information that made me respect him a little more.
I make my way to Vance’s office at the back of the club, making sure Sky doesn’t see me as I enter through the back. She’ll know in time that I am the new owner, but for now, I’ll keep this to myself. I knock on the door, and Vance’s burly voice yells for me to come in.
Stepping inside his office, I see he’s been busy and already done a fair bit of cleaning out his items. There was no rush for me to take over, but he is ready to hit the road with his wife. Understandably.
“Vance, there really is no need to rush out of here as if your ass is on fire,” I say, as I shove my hands in my pockets and watch as he finishes putting some books in a box. He chuckles to himself but continues working as he waves a hand, gesturing for me to take a seat in one of the plush chairs he has in the corner. I prefer to stand and step towards the corner of theroom, so I have a better view of the security cameras he has lined up on the wall.
I spot her immediately. Her beauty is hard to miss. Her long brown hair is tucked behind her ears as she rapidly serves her customers along the bar. She’s smiling, her passion for bartending evident in the way she converses so naturally with everyone that approaches her. My chest expands as I watch her move with such fluidity. I quickly forget I’m in Vance’s office as he watches me, watching her.