Page 34 of Caging Liberty
Sawyer hesitates, his lip twitching. I don’t know if he intends to answer, but his hesitation is enough for me. I’ve known Sawyer my entire adult life, and I like to think I can read him well.
He knew what occurred. He knew that Lib was telling the truth and that Julio had every intention of raping her. He just didn’t care.
“How many times has this happened?” I ask, my chest deflating with disappointment.
His face hardens as he looks out at the ocean. “Judge from your high horse all you want, Angel. You don’t understand these girls like I do.”
“What is it that I don’t understand?”
“Sometimes they need a push.”
“So you allow your staff torapethem?” I narrow my eyes with a mixture of disbelief and disdain. “That’s a weak man’s game.”
“Iturn a blind eye.” He enunciates each word, his own disdain injected into every syllable. “It’s rare for a whore to cause so many problems. In situations like these, it takes more than a kind smile and a granola bar.”
“She would’ve had sex with me tonight. Willingly, if I’d told her to.”
He scoffs. “Right.”
“You don’t believe me?”
He’s quiet for several moments before he turns to me. “I love you like a brother, Angel. You know that. But sometimes I think you believe what you want to believe. I’ve been doing this a long time. I know when a girl is ready to give in to her new life and when she isn’t.”
I nod slowly. “Maybe you’re right. Clearly I don’t know all yourmethods.”
Sawyer’s face sags. “You just murdered one of my men in cold blood. Are you really going to give me a hard time?”
I don’t answer, and apparently realizing he isn’t getting one, Sawyer huffs out a breath and rubs his neck.
“Your girl’s safe and sound with the others now. I’m sure she’s creating all sorts of trouble for me, and despite my better judgment, I’m going to let her. For you. So … could we please move on from this?”
“No more turning a blind eye,” I say. “With any of them.”
Sawyer considers this for a moment, then reluctantly nods. I’m disappointed with him. And a little with myself for being oblivious to the fact that shit like that was happening.
This is his island. It’s his manor. Our business together is limited to real estate investments and company takeovers. I don’t make the rules here, but I thought I at least knew them. KnewSawyer.
I look out at the ocean and take a deep breath in an attempt to ease the tension brewing behind my eyes. “She really would’ve fucked me,” I say, hoping to lighten the mood.
Sawyer laughs. “You sure about that?”
“Mmm hmm.”
Sawyer nudges my arm before walking to the cliff and sitting down, dangling his legs fifty feet above the rocks. I follow his lead and sit beside him.
For a minute, we just stare at the ocean. I come here sometimes when I want to torture myself. Like every other time, my thoughts are plagued with unwanted memories, a heavy weight settling onto my shoulders. For a moment, I relive the memory, all of it. I force myself to. There’s a certain kind of self-punishment that doubles as comfort.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Sawyer asks.
“No,” I lie without pause.
He leans back on his palms and lets out a breath. “Do you remember when we were in college, when we used to hand out incorrect answers to tests so that the curve would be lower?”
I smile at the memory. “Intro to Business.”
“Yeah, that was the class. Professor Shizer. God, we were so fucking hated when people found out.”
I mimic his pose and nod. “My car was keyed six times that semester.”