Page 88 of Hawk's Sapphire

“Fuuuuck,”I grumble.“All I need to know is if this tracking device was implanted, was it activated, and how do I access the control panel?”

“I can answer your questions, Mr.Hawkins,” Vincenzo says, forcing his way into the room and the conversation per usual.

“And?”

“Yes, it’s been implanted.As per our contract, Miss Jenkins made you her next of kin, so to speak, though I’m not sure why,” he says, looking down his nose at me.

“What does that even mean?”

“It means, Mr.Hawkins, that you don’t deserve her, yet she trusts you above all others with this.”He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thumb drive, handing it to me.“This will tell you everything you need to know and grant you access to the Snitch program.Use it wisely and only for this purpose.This project will not be made public until all the fail-safes can be put in place and the wrong people can’t make it into a weapon instead of a safety precaution.”

I snatch the drive, drop my ass back in the seat, and plug it into the laptop.When the files open, I know exactly which one to click on.

Sapphire’s Secret Don’t

She did mean for me to help all along, or at least she knew she could count on me to help her if she got into trouble.

“I’m coming for you, Sapphire.Just hang on for me.”

37

SADIE

“Mm, damn.”I wake up, discombobulated.My head is really throbbing now, and my stomach feels empty and nauseous.My arms feel heavy and tingly, like they’ve fallen asleep.I give a gentle tug and realize two things.One, my hands are above my head, not trapped at my waist anymore.And two, I’m now chained to a fucking bed.

Well, shit.

Forcing my eyes to open further, I take inventory of my body and the room I’m currently in.My head aches, but it’s dim in here, making it easy to open my eyes.My wrists are sore, probably from the restraints.The back of my head feels stiff and tender, which leads me to believe there’s a bump or some type of bruising.Getting hit from behind a few times by cowardly people will do that.

My legs feel heavy, but aren’t restrained, and my clothing is still intact.Both can be an advantage.I drag my legs up and over the edge of the bed, pulling myself to sit up slowly.My arms are pinned awkwardly across my body, but I need to know how bad my head is.I’m pretty sure the old bitch concussed me, if I wasn’t already, but I won’t know how badly until I move around a bit.

Once seated, I can see more of the room.There’s nothing in here.One small window in the door and that’s it.Everything is white, or it would be if it wasn’t so fucking dirty.The bed I’m on is made of cheap metal and has a nasty ass, very thin, and well-used mattress with stains I refuse to try to identify.Gross.There’s a bathroom a few feet away with a stand-alone sink and a toilet with no door.Lovely.The air smells like salty sea water and male musk cologne.

Ew.

The knob on the door turns and in walks the owner of the putrid smelling cologne.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally joined the living,” Marco Cusenza drawls as he enters the room with two henchmen standing guard behind him.“I must say, I was surprised to hear you headbutted one of my men in an attempt to escape.”

Submissive, Sadie.Play it off.

I shake my head slightly which causes the pain to radiate through my temples.“I-I wasn’t fighting to escape.Y-you said no one was to touch me.I didn’t want to get into trouble for more marks on my body.I don’t know you, but I saw you shoot a man.I didn’t want to end up with the same fate.”I plead my case as softly and contritely as possible.“W-was I not supposed to fight when your men tried to grope me?I thought you would be pleased.I-I’m sorry.I must’ve misunderstood.”My apology comes out in a whisper.

Cusenza looks confused and angered by my revelation.“He tried to take advantage of you?”

I nod.“He wanted to see why I was so special.Threated to punish me with his whip.When he grabbed my chin too hard, I headbutted him.I didn’t try to go anywhere.I laid on the ground and waited,” I explain.“The other men didn’t stop him, but they also didn’t try to hurt me.They just watched on and shouted at him.”

“And Eleanor?What did you do to upset her?Why does she despise you so?”He moves around the bed, standing in front of me, looking down at me.His hand caresses my cheek, pushing back a stray strand.It’s meant to comfort and disarm me, but there’s no comfort in this man’s touch.It feels nothing like the way it does when Nathaniel caresses my skin.

I shrug.“She thinks I’m someone else.That she knows me, somehow.I’m not sure.I come from a small town outside of Crestview.I’ve never traveled too far outside my hometown until I met Mr.Parisi,” I lie through my fucking teeth, but I don’t know what this asshole knows about me.Eleanor may have told him exactly who I am and who I’m connected to, but something tells me she’s kept that information a secret for a later date.She didn’t get to be the richest and most powerful woman in Baron’s Edge by telling of all her trade secrets.She only lost her wealth and power when all her sins came to light.

“She seems to think you aren’t worth the money my client has spent for you.I must admit, I’m curious why he finds you so fascinating.No offense, but you are not the most beautiful girl I’ve had on my island, nor do you come from status or wealth.According to our friends at the Bureau, your parents are both dead, and you have no next of kin to be found.Even your foster parents have left you with nothing.I suppose that was what made him want you so badly.Your death won’t lead to questions by anyone of importance.”He smiles wickedly.

He wants me to know someone ran a check on me.To frighten me into pleading for my life.He wants to know if what he found out about me is true.Thankfully, between myself and Tate, we were able to bury my records enough even the Feds couldn’t tell the truth from a lie.

I drop my shoulders as if in defeat and force a tear to fall.

“I have to wonder, though, if you have no money, no family—how did you come to become Matteo Parisi’s woman?How did you two meet?”

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