Page 91 of Octane

“What about racing? You’re still under contract.”

“My heart just isn’t in it like it used to be,” I can hear the shakiness in her voice as she spits out another lie. “I would appreciate it if you’d be willing to make a concession and allow me to back out of it.”

Standing, I run a hand through my hair, ready to rip it out of my scalp from frustration.

“Youarelying, Sawyer. He keeps you locked in the condo. You’re not allowed to see or talk to anyone.”

“I’m allowed out,” she spits out a weak defense.

“When?”

“Every day, if I want to.”

“And for how long? Yesterday you were out of your mind with fear that you wouldn’t make it back home in time. You told me he wouldn’t let you out ever again. That you couldn’t bestuckin there anymore. Those were your exact words.”

“N-no, you misunderstood what I said.”

I lean over, placing my face directly in front of hers and put my hands on the armrests of her chair, boxing her in.

“What does he have on you?”I snap, shouting in her face.

I immediately regret losing my self-control. Not only have I gotten the attention of the people around us, but Sawyer leans forward, absolutely shaking with grief as she places her head in her hands.

I gently pull her from the chair and wrap her in my arms. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head. “I’m so sorry.”

I give her the time she needs to compose herself enough so she’s able to talk to me.

SAWYER

It’sas though Jackson shook me, shattering my resolve and knocking some sense into me. He’s right. I need to trust him. I take a deep breath, and he releases the bear hug he has me in. We take our seats again, and I start talking.

“He surprised me at the hotel.”

God, it seems like months ago rather than days.

“You and I had just been texting, joking around about you joining me in the shower, so when I heard a knock on the door, I automatically assumed it was you. I didn’t even look, I just opened it.”

Jackson places a hand on my knee, and his touch comforts me like it always has.

“He told me that he had a business proposition, and that I needed to listen to him, or I’d be risking the wellbeing of my family. He said my father had made a series of bad investments, and his business was in dire jeopardy. I knew this already, but I didn’t realize how bad it was. Apparently, my father borrowed money from several dangerous groups of people in order to stay afloat, but he wasn’t able to pay them back. So he went to Daniel’s father for help.”

I look around, making sure no one else is listening to our hushed conversation. There are a couple of people at a few of the other tables, but their carefree laughter tells me they’re not paying attention to us.

“Your father seemed to have left a few details out when Carissa and I spoke with him the other day.”

“You talked to them?”

“Of course. I had to figure out what Daniel could have possibly said to you to make you leave with him. I’ll tell you more about that in a second. Go on.”

“So for the past several years, Warren has been funneling money into my father’s company so he can pay these mobsters, or whatever they are, back. And to also keep my father’s business from going under.”

Jackson’s face drops as he puts together what I’m saying.

“Daniel told me that if I didn’t go back to him, he would tell his father to stop sending Daddy money. I was about to call his bluff when he pulled out these pictures. They were awful.”

They flash through my mind again, and my stomach immediately feels queasy. No matter how hard I try to forget the images, it feels like they’re seared into my brain.

“What were they of?” Jackson asks.

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