Page 36 of Living Without

“Dunno, but I do know what he told me. If you fuck this up, he’s willing to come here and take your business from under you.”

“Ain’t gonna happen,” Baxter yelled. His face turned red as his eyes went to another man. I went to look but was suddenly taken to the couch with Gypsy on top of me. I let out a cry of surprise and my stomach bottomed. “What the fuck?” Baxter got out before the door burst open. I tilted my head back to see four men dressed in black run in. Shots were fired and Baxter’s men started falling to the floor, and Baxter himself backed up until he hit the wall.

“You good?” Gypsy asked, I looked up at him and was about to smile until I remembered Kelsey.

“You have to help me. Kelsey. She was in the room with me. Please, you have to get her out. Please,” I begged, my fists gripping his tee.

He knifed up off me and nodded before he started for the door.

“Gypsy?” Talon asked. I’d know his voice anywhere. Sitting up, I turned in time to see him pull a balaclava mask from his head, as did Dodge and…

“Dad!” I cried.

“Do not fuckin’ move,” I heard Dodge snarl.

However, nothing else existed except for my dad. I was running before I realised and then stumbled, but he was there, taking me into his arms. Tears ran freely down my face. A cry caught in my throat, turning into a whimper.

“Baby girl, I’m here. We’re here. Jesus fuckin’ Christ. My girl. I got you. I got you.”

“How in the hell—”

Talon growled. “You gotta realise by now, motherfucker, no one fucks with Hawks.”

Bang.

My body jolted from the sound. I turned my head to the side, resting it against Stoke’s chest. Saxon had Baxter against the wall. A destroyed TV lay at Baxter’s feet. Had Saxon hit him with it?

“You touched her. You fuckin’ touched her.”

My hand covered my mouth.

Saxon.

He was there. He’d seen the photo.

Oh, no, no, no.

Saxon. Not my Saxon.

Looking fierce and protective as he pulled a knife free of his jeans and drew back his arm before plunging it into the wall beside Baxter’s head. “With what I’m gonna do to you, you’ll wish and pray for death, but I won’t let that happen. It’s time to suffer for what you’ve done to her. It’s time to fuckin’ suffer.”

Dad laid a jacket over my shoulders. I shrugged into the arm and zipped it up as more men filed into the room. Saxon stood back and let them take Baxter. His eyes came to me, and they softened in a way I had never seen before from him. At least, not directed at me.

Though I wasn’t ready to deal like I thought I was. I wasn’t ready for anything.

My body stiffened.

“What, Nary?” Dad asked.

Looking up, I whispered, “Kelsey.” Then I ran from the room.

Chapter Thirteen

KELSEY

After Nary left

Brendan, one of Baxter’s men, had come into the room a little while after Nary had been taken out for her owner, and closed the door behind him. I was already feeling the loss of Nary. Still, when he entered, my stomach sank even more because I knew what he was there for. Even if Baxter didn’t know, they still shared me around and threatened me with death if I ever told Baxter what they were doing.

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