Page 49 of Lexi, Property of Rhyder

I shake my head. “No, this can’t be happening. It can’t,” I cry out as I fly up off the couch and start pacing the room. “I want to go. I want to leave. You can’t force me to stay.” I turn to face Christopher. “Please, help me? Please help me get out of here?” I stride to him and fall to my knees holding his hands in mine begging him to listen to me. “Please, I’ll do anything, just get Paige and me out of here.” With hope, I add, “My father is rich. If it’s money you want, then he will pay it. Please… just help us.”

Christopher shakes his head and gives me a small smile. “It’s not about money, Lexi. I have money, plenty of it. Mr. Clemente pays me quite well. It will do you no good if you keep fighting what’s happened to you. You must accept your fate.”

I shake my head, now having a complete breakdown. “No. No. I want to gohome,” I cry. “Please… let me go home.”

The door is abruptly opened, and Mario steps in, running his hand through his hair while his eyebrows pull tightly together showing confusion. “What’s going on here?” he asks. “I can hear her screaming outside.”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Mario makes an annoyed grunting sound, and the same doctor that checked if I were a virgin walks in behind him. The doctor smiles, and I wish it made me feel better, but there’s no way a smile from any of these assholes is going to do anything but make me uneasy. He places his briefcase on the coffee table and opens it. I check the contents, and I see a syringe and a vial of liquid.

“No. Please, no. I don’t want it. Please don’t give me drugs.” The doctor turns around with the syringe now in his hand, drawing up the liquid getting ready to give it to me.

Mario moves in closer, and Christopher stands.

“Don’t fight this, Luscious. It has to be done,” Mario explains while holding my arm.

“No!” I scream and shout when the doctor grabs my other arm, and I try with all my might to fight them off me.

Christopher helps me sit even though I’m kicking him, trying to get him away from me.

“No. Please, no,” I cry again, but before I can say another word, the doctor injects me with the drug, and instantly, I am drowsy. My words begin to not make sense, and now I’m floating in the air.

The last thing I remember is Mario whispering in my ear, “Your sister did so well, she brought in a lot of money.”

Then, nothing but darkness.

RHYDER

I stand with Prez, Tate, and Tracker in his room again. Tracker has the screen on his computer showing Prez and Tate where Lexi’s cell is currently located.

“How do we even know she’s with her phone?” Prez asks, and Tracker replies quite simply, “We don’t. We just have to hope she’s with it. We know it’s switched off, but that’s it.”

“Can you get more intel on the whereabouts of the phone… like an address?” Tate asks.

Yeah, already did that.” Tracker looks at me with dread written all over his face.

“And? Spit it the fuck out,” I growl.

“I searched the address, and the place does belong to Clemente.”

Just as I feared, Clemente bought her.

“We know what happens from here,” Tracker adds. “We’ve heard stories of Clemente and that he’s the biggest drug lord and human trafficker in the world. Even the police are in on him, but no one can touch him. The man’s a slippery, slimy bastard. He’s got too many people in his corner, and rich fuckers too.

Prez lets out a breath and rubs the back of his neck.

“Listen, Prez,” I state, gaining his attention. “I know this is a lot to ask. Clemente’s dangerous, and I know it’s a long shot to get Lexi back, but I gotta try. I gotta get her home. I can only imagine what she’s goin’ through.” I give him all my attention when I continue, “If you want out, just say the word, I won’t hold any judgments here. Looking at Tate, I continue, “This is not yours nor the Sinners’ fight.”

Prez drops his hand and glares at me, then steps in closer grabbing the back of my neck, so I have his full attention. “Don’t ever fuckin’ talk like that, brother. You are family. We all are. And whatever we do, we do together. There’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting you go in there alone. So, get that shit outta your head. Just know this isnotgonna be easy. Probably going to be one of the biggest fights of our lives, and that’s including what went down with my old man. If you want her back, then we’re helping, so don’t give me this shit.”

I nod. “Got it, Prez.”

“Good.” He lets go of my neck and slaps my cheek, then directs his attention to Tate. “Didn’t you mention something about the El Pasos offering your club a job to work trafficking girls?”

Tate smirks. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“You’re going to take the deal. We’re calling in another favor.”

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