Sacrifice by Caitlyn Dare
Sadie
“Wes,” I say, breaking the heavy silence.
He’s been quiet ever since we left Dane at the truck ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago.
“I—fuck.” His chest heaves. “I don’t know what to say. Evan, he—”
“Come, sit.” I pat the empty space beside me on the couch. “You’re making me nervous.”
Wes stops pacing and stares at me, his expression unreadable. “How can you be so calm about all this?”
“Calm?” Strangled laughter bubbles out of me. “I don’t feel calm. I feel—God,” the world spins around me as I touch a hand to my head, “that hurts.”
“Sadie?” He rushes over to me and drops to his knees. “You’re hurt. Shit…” His hands gently inspect my forehead, sweeping the bloody, matted hair from my face. “I didn’t even… I think I’m still in shock.”
“I’m okay.” I’m not, but he looks like he’s one second from falling apart, so one of us needs to try to remain calm.
“Does Stray have a first aid kit lying around here?”
“Somewhere. Try the bathroom,” I say, motioning to the hall.
His fingers linger on my brow, the air crackling around us. “What do you think they’ll do to Evan?”
“They won’t kill him,”—at least I hope they won’t—“if that’s what you’re worried about.” I offer him a wry smile, but he doesn’t return it.
“I’m not.” His eyes darken. “When I saw you… I wanted to kill him myself.”
“Why?” My voice cracks, shocked by the intensity in his words.
“You know why.” His thumb sweeps over my brow, sending shivers down my spine, and my eyes flutter.
“I’m theirs, Wes. I belong to them.”
I’d seen the murderous rage in Rhett’s eyes, the fierce possessiveness in Dane’s. Rhett might not be ready to accept this thing brewing between the three of us, but tonight changes everything.
“Yeah,” he sighs, pulling away. “I’ll go find the first aid kit. Sit tight.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I smile, inhaling a shuddering breath as the reality of everything crashes down around me. If they hadn’t showed up when they did… I refuse to let my mind go there.
They did show up, and now Evan and Justin will answer to Dane and Rhett, and I’m safe here with Wes.
God, I was a fucking idiot to sneak out to go and meet Wes, especially with the Reapers sniffing around. But I was so angry at Rhett. I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“Okay,” Wes returns with supplies, “I think I’ve got everything I need.” He pulls over a small coffee table and lays out the first aid kit, a damp towel, and a small bowl. “Let me take a look at you.”
“This is becoming a habit,” I murmur, and he frowns. “Before, when you saw us leaving this place… there was an accident. The guys patched me up then, too.”
“I bet they did.” A knowing smirk tips his mouth, sending heat rushing through me.
“You can’t say things like that to me.”
“Just did.” He winks, and I feel some of the tension ease out of my shoulders. If he’s trying to make me relax, it’s working.
Wes takes care cleaning me up, stopping every time I wince or flinch, giving me time to catch my breath.
“You’re good at this,” I say.
“I’ve had some practice.”
My brows pinch at that, dread snaking through me. “What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He continues attending to the gash in my head, but I snag his wrist, forcing him to look at me.
“It matters to me.”
“Why?” He throws my question from earlier back at me.
“You know why.” I don’t think as I lean forward and press my lips to his. I just need the pain and the memories from tonight to vanish and selfishly, I know he’s capable of making it happen.
“Sadie, fuck…” He inhales a ragged breath, touching his head gently to mine but not letting me deepen the kiss. “We shouldn’t—”
“Yeah.” Regret coats my voice. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Don’t ever be sorry for the way you feel… but it’s complicated, and I don’t want to screw things up before…” He trails off.
“Before what?” I whisper, desperate to kiss him again. I don’t know why I feel like this—why I want him the way I want Dane and Rhett. But I do.
“It’s late. You should get some rest.” He pulls back and grabs a dressing from the first aid kit, gently placing it on my forehead and securing it in place. “Come on, I’m sure Dane won’t mind if you lie down.”
“Wes, I don’t need to—whoa.” Everything spins again. “Maybe,” I concede. “Just for a little while.”
He offers me his hand, and I let Wes pull me up. He slides his arm around my waist and guides me down the hall to Dane’s bedroom. Memories of what transpired the last time I was here flood my mind, but the steady pounding in my head makes everything a little hazy.
“I’ll see if I can find you some Advil.” Wes pulls back the covers and flicks his eyes to the bed. “I figure you might want to get out of your clothes, so I’ll give you some privacy.”
“Thanks.” I perch on the edge of the bed, drawing in a deep breath, letting it calm my racing heart.
So not how I saw this night going.
I manage to peel out of my dress and find a clean t-shirt in one of the drawers. It smells of Dane, instantly settling the butterflies in my stomach. I wonder what they’re doing… praying they’re not risking too much for me. But Rhett’s expression when his eyes found mine across the warehouse will haunt me for a long time.
Gingerly, I climb into bed and pull the sheets over me. Wes returns with a glass of water and some pain pills. “Here,” he says, helping me sit up.
“Thank you.”
“I’m going to be right outside, okay? You can rest. I’m not going anywhere.” He takes a step backward, but my hand shoots out, snagging his wrist.
“Stay.”
“Sadie, I—”
“Please, Wes. I’m not asking for anything, I just… I just don’t want to be alone.” Because I’m terrified that when I close my eyes, all I’ll see is Justin’s wicked smirk, his gun in front of my face, his hot breath—
“Hey.” Wes pales as a violent shudder rolls through me. “You’re safe now, Sadie Ray.”
A surge of emotion crashes over me and I fight back the tears pooling behind my eyes.
“Sadie?”
“I’m… I’m fine.” I blink them away, trying to be strong. I don’t want him to see me like this. Weak and scared.
A dark shadow passes over Wes’s face, his jaw clenched painfully tight. He kicks off his sneakers and walks around the other side of the bed, lying down beside me. I roll over and peer up at him, smiling when he slides his arm around me and draws me into his side.
“Thank you.”
“Close your eyes, Sadie. I’ve got you,” he says thickly. “I’ve got you.”
I do as he says, sinking into his warmth.
And before long, the darkness envelops me.
* * *
I wake to an empty bed and the sound of raised voices.
“She asked me to stay with her,” Wes says. “What was I supposed to do?”
“You could have kept your fucking hands to yourself, for starters,” Rhett bellows. “You were all over her.”
“I already told you, nothing happened. She was upset, I said I’d stay with her, and we fell asleep.”
“You fell asleep… fucking asshole. I should just put you—”
“Rhett, ease up, brother,” Dane says.
My head feels like it might explode, but I manage to summon the willpower to throw the sheets off my body and get out of bed. Slowly, I drag myself across the room, grabbing a hold of the door as I sway on my feet.
“What’s going on?” I demand, stepping into the living room.
“Sadie, girl, shit…” Dane rushes over to my side, catching me as I stumble forward. He wraps his arm around me and scans my face. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I’m fine.” His brow arches, and I add, “I heard arguing.” My eyes slide to Rhett in question, and he glowers at me.
“Your boy Rhett got a little jealous is all. Isn’t that right, Savage?” Dane teases.
“Wes only did what I asked of him.” I hold Rhett’s murderous gaze. “Besides, you left me here with him, remember?”
“Don’t push him, Sadie, girl,” Dane warns quietly, but I hear the lilt in his voice. He’s enjoying this. Bastard.
My gaze flickers to Wes, and he gives me a weak smile.
“How are you feeling?”
“My head feels like it’s been through a meat processor.” Dane stiffens beside me, and I quickly add, “But I’m okay. What happened with Evan and Justin?” I ask Rhett.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter?” I gawk. “Are you kidding me? They kidnapped me and… and that piece of shit almost—”
“Don’t,” Rhett grits out, his carotid throbbing. “Just don’t.”
“We can talk about this tomorrow, Sadie, girl. When you’re feeling—”
“No.” I wrench out of his hold and stare Rhett down. “I want to know what happened now. I have a right to—”
“Out,” Rhett barks.
“W-what?” My brows knit.
“Pretty Boy, go with Stray and—”
“No way. No fucking way.” Wes takes a step forward, and the temperature in the room drops.
“It wasn’t a request,” Rhett says coolly. “Go the fuck with Stray. Now!”
“Come on, Noble. I need to fill you in on some things anyway. We can take the opportunity to… bond.” He smirks.
“You’re both fucking psycho if you think I’m going to just leave—”
“Wes,” I say, fixing my eyes right on him. “It’ll be okay.”
“Fuck, Sadie. It doesn’t feel right leaving you while he’s—”
“Watch it,” Rhett snaps.
“Okay, okay, enough of the macho pissing contest.” I level each of them with a hard look before returning my focus back to Wes. “I’m okay, I promise. Thank you for staying with me. But I need to talk to Rhett. Go with Dane. I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.”
He hesitates, his gaze flicking between me and Rhett and back again. “I don’t—”
“She’ll be safe with me,” Rhett says, and I don’t know who’s more surprised—me, him, or Wes. Dane only looks amused by the turn of events.
“Fine.” Wes releases a weary sigh.
“Thank you.” I go to him, wrapping my arms around him and whispering, “For everything.”
Wes holds me briefly before pulling away and moving to the door. With one last glance, he slips into the inky night.
“Give him hell, Sadie, girl.” Dane winks at me and then follows Wes out.
The air is thick, suffocating, as Rhett stares at me. It’s only when I look closer that I realize he’s trembling, his fists clenched at his sides, as if he’s seconds away from losing his thin rope of control.
“Rhett, I—”
“Don’t,” he whispers. “Just… give me a second.”
So I do.
A beat passes.
And another.
Rhett doesn’t take his eyes off me, searing me with his gaze.
I can hardly breathe under his intense regard. But then the air shifts again, the spell breaking, and he’s storming toward me, pulling me into his arms and expelling a shaky breath.
“Fucking hell, princess,” he rasps.
