Page 61 of Lexi, Property of Rhyder

Paige’s eyes widen when she takes me in, and all the men gather around her.

Hell, she probably thinks we’re the ones who kidnapped her.

All of a sudden, she screams loudly, and I quickly cover her mouth with my palm not wanting to gain any attention from the El Pasos or the other men.

“Shush… you’re gonna cost us our lives. I’m Rhyder, I’m a friend of your sister’s. I’m not goin’ to harm you. I’m here to help.”

Paige’s eyes widen as she looks at me. She’s finding it hard to keep her head upright, so I hold her still.

“Rhyder?” she whispers.

“Water. Get me some fuckin’ water,” I yell over to the boys.

Tracker wastes no time getting some out of our cooler and handing a bottle to me. I quickly remove the lid and help her to drink, hoping it will help get some fluid back into her body. She gulps down the water, and it’s then I notice how young she actually is. I finally notice all she’s wearing is a flimsy negligee thing which barely covers her young body. I place some more water to her parched lips. When she stops drinking, some of it spills from her mouth as she’s unable to swallow anymore. I remove the bottle noticing that her negligee has fallen low revealing one breast.Oh, for God’s sake!I quickly lift it by one of the thin straps and tie it in a knot keeping it high on her chest.

“Paige. Can you tell me if your sister was with you in the truck?”

Her eyes fill with tears and sadness hovers like a cloud over her. “Lexi… it’s all my fault,” she says as I hold her by her shoulders.

I give her a small shake and say, “I need to know if Lexi was on that truck with you because if she is, I have to go back to the fuckin’ truck and get her out of there. And I’m goin’ to have to explain to fuckin’ animals why the fuck I’m lookin’ for a girl. Do you hear me, Paige? Do you understand what I’m tellin’ you?”

She nods slowly then says. “No, she wasn’t with me. She already has a master.”

What. The. Fuck!

Tate pokes his head in the van saying, “Rhyder, we need to go. They’re wondering why the fuck we’re not moving. I’ve said one of the girls was sick in the van.”

I turn to Tate. “Paige said Lexi wasn’t with her. You get a look at those other girls, brother?”

“I did. I spoke shit to Angel, and for some reason, he actually allowed me to have a look at the girls. She’s not in there, brother. Definitely not there.”

I turn fully toward him. “Are you one hundred percent sure?”

He nods. “I’m sure. Most of those girls are young… like twelve or fifteen…” he sighs, “… and blonde. It ain’t Lexi.”

I look from Tate and then Prez, Hawke, and Tracker and know they’re waiting for me to do something crazy.

“Let’s leave, Rhyder. We will think of something, but here is not the right time. Maybe Paige can give us more details when she’s slept off whatever shit’s in her system,” Prez states.

Goddammit! I know he’s right.

I slam it against the inside of the van cursing, “Fuck.”

I startle the girls, and Paige begins to cry. She slides away from me and backs herself against the van wall.

I move in and whisper, “Shush, it’s okay. I’m sorry.”

Her tense body eases slightly.

I turn to the boys. “Let’s get out of here. Now!”

LEXI

I hear a knock at my door and then a click. I’ve been locked in my room for most of the day, and I’ve had nothing since lunch. Gail visited me earlier and offered me afternoon tea, but I didn’t want it. She mentioned that Master will allow me to dine with him for dinner. However, I must behave or else he will send me back to my room without food. Gail also said that once he feels he can trust me, he will let me roam around the house freely, but for now, I’m his prisoner, and I must obey his every word.

Gail brought an evening dress with some lingerie. She told me that Master asked that I wear it and not to disappoint him. At first, I threw the garment to the floor, saying I wasn’t going to wear the flimsy silver dress, but Gail begged me to do as Sir Lawrence wanted because he would force me to wear it if I didn’t follow his commands.

After Gail finished speaking to me, she shut the door behind her and left me there on my own. I sat there for a while telling myself I wasn’t going to wear the stupid silver dress or the barely-there G-string and bra set that basically covered nothing of my body. But my stomach rumbled, and I needed some air and to get out of this room. I was torn between starving and sitting in a locked room all night, or having dinner downstairs but having to wear the ridiculous dress and lingerie.

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