Page 105 of Devour

At the door, my father puts his hand on my shoulder. “I meant what I said. I’ll handle it.”

I look up at him. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Something crosses his face. It look like guilt, but then his expression softens.

“Of course, Saylor.”

I get in my car and sit there for a minute before I start the engine. I feel lighter than I have in three days.

Once my dad figures out a plan, maybe I’ll be able to tell Axl, and we can put all of this bullshit behind us.

I get my hair and nails done on the way back. I haven’t touched up my roots or had any self-care since before I moved to the mansion. Sitting in that chair while some girl pampers me feels so fucking normal I almost cry. My nails are now hot pink. Axl is going to love them wrapped around his dick.

I feel better than I have in days. The weight in my chest isn’t gone, but it’s lighter. My dad knows. He’s going to handle it. And for the first time since that day in Justin’s room, I don’t feel like I’m carrying this alone.

Axl’s going to be pissed that I left without telling him. He hasn’t texted me yet, but if he checks the tracker he has on my phone, he’ll know that I left.

I grin to myself as I walk down the corridor toward our suite. Whatever punishment he has planned, I’ll take it. I’ll beg for it. I want his hands on me while he makes me be good for him again. That’s the kind of pain I want. The kind that ends with his hand around my throat while I’m tied up and fucked by the man I love.

I punch in the code and push the door open. The lights are off, but it’s not dark out yet, so I kick the door shut behind me and turn on the light. I gasp at what I fucking see.

CHAPTER 44

AXL

The meeting ran way fucking longer than I wanted. The room where we met with the Sinclairs has a cell jammer, so I haven’t been able to check on Saylor. I don’t like being away from her right now. She’s been better since the shower, but she’s not sleeping well and she doesn’t ever want me to leave. I don’t mind her clingy and needy for me, but I want to know why. If it’s because she’s remembered something and isn’t telling me, I want to take care of it.

We didn’t even resolve anything at the meeting. David and the other men are definitely not running the only trafficking operation. I still don’t know why my dad is so hellbent on me marrying the stepdaughter of one of the men we’ve identified, but we’re looking for that connection. It has to be there.

I check my phone as I’m getting on my bike. Nothing from Saylor. I pull up the cameras in our room. “What the fuck?”

“What? What’s going on?” Priest asks climbing onto his bike beside mine.

“The cameras in my room aren’t working. Or they’re blacked out or something.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Priest asks, leaning over to look at my phone with me.

I check Saylor’s phone tracker, and she’s at the mansion. What the fuck is going on? I text her.

Me: Text me back right now and let me know you’re alright.

I pocket my phone and wait for it to vibrate while I start my bike. “I’ve got to get back.”

Priest doesn’t ask questions. He kicks his bike over and follows me.

The ride back takes fifteen minutes, and I still don’t hear from her. I call her twice. It rings and goes to voicemail both times. My chest is tight, and my hands grip the handlebars so hard to keep myself from losing control.

I know in my gut that something is fucking wrong. I don’t believe in coincidences.

I leave the bike in front of the house and run up the main entrance. Priest is right behind me. I take the stairs two at a time, and I’m down the corridor in seconds.

I punch in the code and shove the door open, making it slam into the wall.

“Saylor?”

My eyes settle right on her, and my blood goes cold. She’s on her back on our bed. One arm at her side and one above her head. Her phone is next to her hand. She’s wearing my hoodie and a pair of cotton shorts. Her eyes are closed, and her face is pale. I can’t tell if she’s breathing.

“No.”