Cage (20 page)

After a few seconds to compose myself, I stepped away from the kiosk and
popped open the back passenger door. Sliding into the backseat, completely dripping
everywhere, I closed the door behind myself, letting the elements pelt against
the glass.

“Holy shit, man.” The driver glanced at me the rearview mirror. “That
was fucking deep. You can keep the quarter.”

“Fuck you,” I flashed an angry glare right back at him. He stiffened up
in his seat, and I cast my gaze back at the payphone. “Just take me to the
fucking bus station.”

Pensacola,
Present Day

Pushing up against me, Saffron murmured in her sleep.

I had thought her beautiful before, on many different occasions. None of
those fleeting instances compared to what I saw now, nestled up against me. The
sun had set, the night had come, and in the soft glow of the side table lamp I
watched my beloved slumber. In this moment, more so than any other before it,
she was the sheer epitome of beauty.

My fingers moved to her hairline, stroking a few strands out of the way.
Her shoulders sashayed so slightly that I almost wondered if she had even
moved. As I thought on this, her lungs took in a deep breath, and her body
became silent once more.

I thought back to that phone call in the rain, so long ago. It had been
clear to me that he’d kept his word – my father never told her. Nor did
my stepmother, who clearly knew and didn’t judge.

We’d never discussed it, Ellen and I. We had, I supposed, somewhat of an
unspoken understanding. I loved her daughter so much that I left her rather
than hurt her, and whatever my father had told her had convinced her to remain
silent. She had respected my wishes.

After all this time, I understood that I’d failed – but I’d
tried
to do things the right way. I
really had. In my young, naïve head, I thought that it would be easier on both
Saffron and I if I just left. I wasn’t willing to go out on the limb.

I had been far too afraid.

But I didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

All that time, I had wanted to become a better man. To accomplish this,
I severed my ties with everything I knew and took a bus as far south as I could
go. New Orleans offered me a fresh start, and I was more willing to throw
myself into whatever awaited me there – with absolutely no idea what I
was doing – than to come back home, admit defeat, and explain it all to
my stepsister.

I thought I had been strong.

But I knew the truth now.

I had been a coward.

The simple fact stared me in the face as Saffron shifted subtly in her
sleep –
I had never given her a
chance.

When she arrived at my home that day, I had already judged her. She had
been so desperate to stay out of our lives as long as she could, or so I
thought. When the truth became clear to me, I should have explained my idiocy.
I should have tried to start over with her. Instead, I kept up the act. I
immersed myself in holding her at arm’s length, never letting her in.

She had loved me too. Maybe I would have seen that if I had just given
her the benefit of the doubt. But I had been too afraid of the consequences. I
had wasted five years of our lives, five long years that we could have spent
together, as a result of that choice.

Without her input – without what
she
wanted in consideration – I had left her. I saw that now.
I should have understood that she cared about me, that I was a part of her life
no matter what, and that I did to her what her father had done to her.

No wonder she had been so furious when I returned.

And because I didn’t get it, I’d been careless with her.

But that was all over. Everything was tucked away into the past. Because
now that she was here, in my arms…I would never leave her again. It had all
been worth it, every last moment, just to bring me here with her right now.
I’d given up years with her because I’d
been foolish. But after everything she and I had been through, separated from
one another…we were here now, truly together for the first time.

That was a compromise I could live with.

(
Return to Table of Contents
)

Chapter 23 – Saffron

Pensacola, Present Day

I woke up alone. Yawning and stretching my arms, the memories of the
previous night came flashing back to me. I remembered Sawyer’s touch; I basked
in the memories of his love.

That happened,
I had to
remind myself.
We made love.

Holy shit.

But Sawyer was nowhere in sight. Climbing up from the bed, I gave one
last stretch, staring out of his window and over the ocean. It was such a
magnificent view. I hadn’t taken much time to properly appreciate it since we
had arrived – I’d been too tied up with how much I hated Sawyer until we
finally got everything out in the open the previous night.

I tugged the window open. The salty smell of the ocean hit my senses,
and I took in a deep, loving breath.

Yesterday, I’d lived such a different life. But now, today…everything
was better. Everything was fine. All those years of bitter regret, all that
anger and resentment…it was gone.

So, where’s Sawyer?

I crossed over to my room and tossed on a bathrobe. Maybe I’d slink
downstairs and surprise him with a nice blowjob, or cook some food for us and
let him fuck me over the counter.
Better
skip the underwear
, I chuckled to myself.

Tying the robe close, I quietly padded down to the foyer. Once there, I
could hear the distant sound of sizzling, and turned a corner into the kitchen.

Sawyer was frying some eggs and bacon at the stove, a big smile on his
face. He hadn’t seen me yet, but I thought that my big, muscled man could use
some more relaxation after the fight. We’d have to get him to a doctor, just to
confirm that he hadn’t been injured too much. He had insisted that he was fine
the night before, but better safe than sorry.

I thought I might sneak up on him, but I knew better than to startle a
seasoned fighter with a pan of hot grease. Instead, I slunk up along the side,
letting him see me as I ran my fingers along the counter.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Sawyer smiled.

“Yeah, well…I got lonely.” I gave him the saddest, widest eyes that I
could, sticking out my bottom lip. “I missed you. And I think you missed me
too…” I ran my hand under his tank top, feeling his rugged abdominal muscles,
and slipped the fingers down into the front of his jeans. Keeping my eyes on
his, I found his cock, running my fingertips along the outline and stirring it
to life.

“Better get you out of these jeans,” I whispered. “Because I’ve got
plans for you…”

“And boy, would I love that,” he murmured in delight, “but I’ll burn
breakfast…”

“Screw breakfast,” I grinned.

“Might want to let it cool down…could be some nasty burns.”

“Alright, smartass.”

He smiled warmly, and I pulled my hand free, whipping my robestring
open. As the fabric unfolded, my entire body was on display for him, and he
took one of my breasts into his strong hands. Squeezing it tight, he ran his
thumb against the peaking nipple as he gazed upon my nude body.

“Saffron…I’ve wanted to see you like this for so
long…”

“I know. Or at least…I do now. And trust me, we’ve got all summer to
take advantage of it…you’re going to see me a lot
more
like this…”

I enveloped him in my arms and planting a strong kiss on his lips,
pressing my body up against him. “You know where you should fuck me?” I asked
sweetly.

“Where do you have in mind?”

“You should let me see the ocean,” I told him, my fingertip running
along his jaw and down to his chin. “Just bring me around back, put my hands
down on the back patio railing, make me stick out my ass, and–”

There was a hard knocking from the door.

Sawyer and I turned to each other in hesitation.

Is that Hensley?
He mouthed to
me.

I tugged my robe back around me.
I
don’t know.

The knocking repeated, more urgently. We walked over to the door, and he
peered through the peephole. I adjusted myself and ensured that my robe wasn’t
about to pop back open, then hid slightly behind him as he pulled back from the
door.

“Who is it?” I whispered. “Is it him?”

He looked at me with the most terrified look I’ve ever seen. As his hand
reached to unlock the latch, there was another strong, authoritative knocking.

“OPEN UP! POL–”

The door swung open – revealing not our family friend, coming by
with urgent news, but a pair of police officers.

“Greetings sir, madam,” the older officer spoke. They were both looked
to be highly official, with the sternest expressions they could muster. The
older one looked to be in his mid-fifties – the younger one must have
been about our age.

“My name’s Officer Robertson, and this here’s Officer Green,” the older
of the two immediately explained. They both stared my stepbrother down with the
typical “cop stare.” You know the one – that emotionless, piercing glare
that the authorities love to use. “Are you Sawyer Samuels, otherwise known as
‘Bonesaw?’”

Sawyer nodded, and I suddenly experienced a wave of crushing fear. “I
am.”

“Son, you’re under arrest for the assault on one Peter Pascall,” the
older officer declared, pulling Sawyer aside and slapping cuffs around his
wrists. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and
will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you
understand these rights as they have been read to you?”

“I do,” Sawyer replied. I would have been panicking – in fact, I
was mentally
screaming
–
but he was remarkably calm, even stone cold. “Officer, who is Peter Pascall?”

“You crushed his face in last night, Bonesaw,” the younger cop, Officer
Green, sneered into Sawyer’s face. “You might have known him by one of those
stage names you guys like to use. What was it? Jabberjaw?”

Sawyer remained silent as he was grabbed by the shoulder by the older
officer, turned towards the car.

 
“Peter Pascall’s still in
the hospital from injuries sustained from that little cage fight of yours,
son,” Officer Green explained, grabbing my brother by the arm and in the
direction of the police cruiser. Sawyer hissed – it was the arm with the
bitten shoulder. “You’re more than a little lucky he isn’t dead. He’s filed
charges. Claims you had him locked inside that cage with you. Unlicensed cage
fighting is a crime. You know that, right?”

(
Return to Table of Contents
)

Chapter 24 – Sawyer

Pensacola, Present Day

The
days rolled over in a meaningless, endless barrage of time as I sat in jail.
The only change in scenery had been a brief visit to the hospital when the
officers deemed my injuries to be worth a look – but the clearly
indifferent doctor cleared me, nevertheless. He didn’t even bother to properly
inspect the site of the bite mark, considering that my opponent had broken skin
– that, at least, I’d hoped to get out of the exam. As for my wounds, my
healthy regeneration and high pain threshold worked against me, and I wasn’t
offered so much as an aspirin for the pain, which had come back after being
deprived of the pain medication.

Back
in jail, the rest of the arrestees from the last few days were sitting in a
large, collective cell, furious and defeated. However, they made a special
concession for me – I had nearly killed a man with my bare hands, so I
got my own separate cell, just like the rape risk victims and the women. Alone
with my thoughts, I settled on just the one to get me through: I had nearly
killed Slippery Pete.

 
Jabberjaw.

Peter
Pascall.

Whatever
the fuck his
name was.

He
had been the entire reason I’d entered the lifestyle. A chance encounter on the
pavement in front of a bar, and he’d drawn me into his life, and I’d almost put
him out of it.

Even
better, it was my parent’s anniversary.

And
I’d ruined it.

I
was here to protect
her.
Saffron… My
role was to ensure that my sister was cared for and safe while alone in
Pensacola. I had screwed it all up by reliving an old glory. Now, she was alone
and unprotected, and the esteemed bodyguard son was locked behind bars.

There
was only a day left before I’d be sent to prison. I’d already video-conferenced
with a judge – my bail had been set, and I was locked back away. The hope
drained from me as I sat in that hellhole, reflecting on my mistakes. I
couldn’t bring myself to call my parents.

I
had told her that I was retired.

But
it was all that I had left now.

I
wondered what prison would be like. I was incredibly built for most of what I’d
experienced out here, but I never enjoyed the darker side of life. I couldn’t
bear to think of what would happen to me.

“Sawyer
Samuels?” A gruff voice called out, approaching from out of sight. I crossed
over to the bars and shook them briefly, pulling the attention of an officer
around the corner. He had mistakenly gone to the large pit, expecting to find
me in there.

“Ah,
there you are,” he muttered, walking around the guardroom that dominated the
center of the chamber and towards me. “Stand in the center with your hands
behind your back.”

I
did as I was told, and I heard him unlock the bars behind me. There were
footsteps now, and I heard the subtle clicking of metal before handcuffs
slapped around my wrists again.

“You’ve
made bail, Samuels. Come with me.”

I’ve made bail.

I
followed him around the corner, my eye wandering towards the pit. Most of the
arrestees were lying on their blue, folding prison mats, but some were standing
near the bars or against the wall.

“That
was a damn good match, Bonesaw! Damn good match!” A whining voice called out.

Thanks, pal,
I muttered
angrily in my head.

The
release procedures were standard to my expectations. My thumbprint was taken; a
tired, menacing-looking mugshot was snapped. Afterwards, I was given back my
possessions and told to change out of my orange jumpsuit and back into my
streetclothes. Finally, I had to sign a form stating that I had been given back
everything that had been handed to me, among other stupid legal bullshit, and
that I was formally checking out of the Escambia County Parish Prison.

How did she do it?
I wondered to
myself, being escorted to the front lobby.
How
did Saffron spring me from in here?
The officer stopped us, unlocking a
door and leading me through. He locked it behind us and unlocked the next, and
I eagerly awaited seeing my beloved – maybe she would throw her arms
around me, throwing a kiss against my cheek.

I
didn’t care who saw.

But
it wasn’t her.

However,
Saffron was there too – and her eyes lit up the moment I passed into
sight. But it was when I registered Hensley’s face that I knew what had
happened. He smiled warmly, a little sadly, as I was escorted into their care.

“Have
a good night,” the officer briskly told them as he wandered back behind the
door, locking it from the other side.

“Are
you okay? Are you hurt?” Saffron immediately asked, inspecting my face.

“My,
my! Is that what it takes to get you two to be agreeable?” Hensley chuckled,
waving at the unamused desk clerk. “A couple of days in the old slammer, and
you’re suddenly inseparable.”

“Something
like that,” I told him with a grin.

“Come
along, you two,” Hensley chuckled wearily. Saffron and I followed him outside,
down the steps, and over towards the sedan. Night had fallen, and I gazed out
over the city as I climbed into the back.

“How
long was I in there?” I asked her as she slid into the backseat beside me.

“Three
days,” she explained, looking me in the eyes. “Hensley and I had to wait until
bail had been set before we could do anything.”

“I’m
sure you two need a little privacy, so if you don’t need anything from me…”
Hensley smiled in the rearview. We shook our heads, and he pressed a button.
“Just don’t kill each other back there, alright? I’ve had enough rough stuff
for a few days…”

A
black privacy visor lifted, separating us from our driver. Saffron and I gazed
at each other for a moment before she threw her lips against mine, kissing me
deep and passionately.

“Don’t
you ever fucking do that to me again,” she murmured in my ear, nipping the lobe
with her teeth. “After everything we’ve been through, you slip away from me the
moment I finally have you…”

“Trust
me,” I whispered between forceful kisses. “It wasn’t in the plan,”

“Good,”
she quietly replied, her lips slamming to mine again. “I’ll let you have one,”
another pause for a kiss, “but don’t you dare,” she pulled back and held my
face in her hands, “make a habit of it. I want you all to myself, Sawyer
Samuels…and after all every last little arrogant bit of bullshit, I think I’ve
deserved it.”

“I’d
say so,” I conceded.

It
hadn’t escaped my notice that Saffron had worn a miniskirt to my release. As my
hands began to wander her body, one slid down her side and scratched at her
exposed thigh. I heard her gasp in my ear.

“Quiet…”
I hissed. “We don’t need an interruption.”

“Fuck
you, Sawyer,” she murmured with a grin.

“Let
me get you back home, and we’ll see…”

She
bit her bottom lip. Saffron looked
incredibly
sexy under the passing streetlights, and I couldn’t help but slide a pair
of strong fingers along her thigh and towards her panties. To my complete lack
of surprise, they were already soaked with her need.

“Looks
like you’ve been anticipating this,” I whispered in her ear.

“Little
bit.”

“Good…”
I slid my fingers down into her underwear, my hand disappearing completely
below the hem of her miniskirt. Within the instant I was already feeling her
slick pussy lips. My thumb slipped towards her hood, rubbing against her clit
as I arched my index finger inside. She was so wet, but she was so tight, too
– I could feel her wet, clenching need against my finger, and it drove me
wild.

“Oh, Sawyer…”

Saffron
kissed my lips hungrily, her arms wrapping around my head as I fingered her. It
wasn’t long before I swapped for my middle finger, pushing it deep into the
cavity between her legs.

Her
breathing was quick, halted. She kept her eyes open, watching mine with her
lips parted, her jaw rising and dropping. I pushed in deep; her face lifted
backwards, her eyes still locked onto mine with her brow furrowing and her lips
curving into an O.

My
beloved adjusted her seating subtly into a more comfortable position. I got a
slightly better angle out of the deal, and pleased her by withdrawing both my
fingers, licking them clean in my mouth.

“Oh
god, that’s hot,” she whispered.

“Good…it’s
nothing
compared to what I’m gonna do
to you later,” I grinned, sliding the fingers back into her wet, yearning
pussy.

I
thought I wouldn’t be able to get her to quiet down without stopping. Every
gasp that she gave, I feared that I’d hear Hensley’s voice from the other side
of the visor, or worse – that it would slowly whir down, not giving us
enough time to compose ourselves. But it stayed up, and we didn’t hear a peep
out of him.

I
continued fingering Saffron in the back of the sedan, and she clenched onto my
body. “Oh god, Sawyer,” she whispered a little louder than was necessary, “I
need you inside me.”

“I
am
inside you,” I teased.

“No,
you
asshole
, I need your
cock
inside me…”

“You’re
gonna have to wait.”

“No
I’m not,” she murmured, pushing me aside.

“Saffron
– there’s not enough room…not enough
time
…”

“Shut
up and let me take care of you.”

As
I sat with in the center of the backseat, she perched against my lip, grinding
her hips into my cock. “I need you inside me, Sawyer…”

“Saffron
–
fuck
…”

“Just
do it…”

“We
don’t have protection–”

“Do
it…now…I don’t care…”

My
willpower was crumbling. I’d demolished men in the cage in six states, and my
bratty little stepsister was destroying my willpower. “We’re almost home…I can
grab a condom when we–”

“NOW,
Sawyer. I’m on the pill,” she murmured a little loudly, pressing against my
chest with her back, her hand pulling mine to her breast.

“Is
everything all right back there?” Hensley called from the front, concern on his
voice. “We’ll be at the Beach House in a few minutes – do you need me to
pull over?”

“No,
we’re good! Thanks though!” Saffron told him.

The
privacy visor remained up.

“Well,
alright then! Just so long as you’re okay…”

I
felt her hand between our hips, her palm stroking against my erection.

“I
can feel it, Sawyer…just put that inside me, alright? It’ll be fine…I just need
you inside me so
bad
…”

As
hesitant as drawing Hensley’s attention had made me, I couldn’t fight it.
Saffron was driving me fucking wild, and her dirty talk was giving me the
erection of my goddamn life. Casting caution aside, I whipped my fingers to my
zipper and unsheathed my weapon from my boxers. Her fingers met mine, wrapping
around my cock, and she steadied her shoulders against me as she pulled her
panties aside with the other hand. Finally, her tight, wet warmth pressed
around my cock as she pushed down, enveloping me with her pussy.

“Oh
fuck, Sawyer,
” she mumbled
incoherently, pushing halfway down my shaft. “Oh god…that’s fucking…
fuck
…”

I
smiled with a slight groan.