Page 37 of Savage

I need to phone River and tell him what’s happening. I know he’ll want to help when he hears his sister needs rescuing. But I’m not sure how he’ll feel when he learns of his mother’s involvement.

Hitting dial, I sit back in the chair and wait for the call to be answered. The pain that’s still radiating through me from the fucking taser is agonizing. I know if I were to try to rescue the girls right now, I’d fail miserably. It will be a few hours before I’m ready for a fight.

“Hello?” Drake’s voice comes over the line, it’s groggy, and I want to smile when I think about my brother asleep with his wife and partner.

“Drake,” I say then. “I need to speak to River.”

“What the fuck, Dante? It’s like…” I can picture him looking at the time and then rolling his eyes. “It’s two in the fucking morning,” he groans.

“Yeah, I know it is, but this is urgent.”

“Shit, okay,” his answer is calm, but I’m pretty sure he can hear the tension in my voice. “River,” I hear him whisper. “Take this in the other room, I don’t want to wake Caia and the babies.”

I hear some movement, followed by River’s voice. “Dante?”

“Hey, man,” I greet. I know I can’t lie to him. I’ve got to tell him I’ve lost his fucking sister. Taking a deep breath, I continue, “Listen. We were working a job, and…” There’s no easy way to admit Rayne’s been kidnapped. Even the thought of it has my blood boiling.

“What’s happened?”

“Our targets were Bane and your mother. We managed to grab your mother, and we brought her to the house we’re renting, but Bane’s men followed us and got past our security. They helped your mother escape.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shut my eyes while still gripping the phone in my other hand. This is so fucked up when I think about it.

“Where’s Rayne?” The panic I feel coursing through my veins is evident in River’s voice.

There’s no easy way to say it, so instead of fucking around with explanations, I rip the Band-Aid off. “Bane has her and Harper,” I admit. “I will find them, River. I know where they’re being held. I just need backup.”

“I’ll be there tonight,” he responds.

I’m not about to argue with River. I know I would be the same if it were Drake, Harper, or Rayne. I understand his need to be here.

“I have Crow, Hawk, and Falcon coming too.”

“I’ll arrange to travel with them. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.” The line goes dead. He’s hung up.

I hate waiting. I don’t want to sit here alone with my thoughts, but I’ve no other choice. I know if I try to rescue the girls on my own, I’ll more than likely end up getting the three of us killed. I don’t give a shit about my life. I’ll gladly die in their place. But I might not be able to get them to safety before I’m dead. That’s a chance I can’t take.

As I stare at the computer screen, focusing on the two red dots, I see a new email pop up. It’s from Bane. Opening the message, I scan the words before sitting back to consider what it means.

I’m looking forward to meeting you again when you come to rescue your two pets. You were trained to follow in your father’s footsteps. You can’t change your true nature, Dante Savage. Malcolm’s blood runs through your veins. You are destined to become your father, and I intend to prove it to you. Or you will die by my hand. Are you ready, Savage?

Ignoring the cryptic shit about me, I realize Bane hasn’t sent me his home address, but he seems sure I’ll be able to find him. He must know I have trackers on the girls, which means he’s already prepared for my arrival.

Needing to make my own preparations, I head into the bedroom to see what weapons I can take with me when I walk into Hell. In our other rental in Rome, the armory is filled with guns, but I don’t have time to fly back there, so I’ll have to manage with the few weapons we brought with us to Paris.

I pick up my Glock and enjoy feeling the weight of it in my hand. I think back to the day Malcolm died. My father taught Drake and me many things, but training us to be killers was his biggest mistake. I hated my father, and I’ll always be thankful I was able to watch him take his last breath.

Hate has always fueled me. It’s the one emotion I’ve held onto. It’s helped me move on from the past. I’ve been convinced that any emotion involving love or affection would hinder my progress. But there’s more to life than hate. The two women who barged their way into my life have shown me that.

The jobs we’ve been doing have allowed me to kill the monsters I grew up with, while helping those I couldn’t protect when I was younger. It’s given me a sense of purpose. But as I throw the black bag, filled with weapons, over my shoulder, the realization hits me that my life has more meaning because of Harper and Rayne.

Once the bag is in the trunk, I inhale the evening air while considering my options. I know I should wait for the rest of the team, but if I go to the house where the girls are being held captive, I can scope it out and decide how to break in without being detected. I can’t sit around here, doing nothing. My girls are in danger, and I can’t let another monster prevail.

Decision made. I prepare to make my way toward the two red dots on my phone. I start the car, and the rumble of the engine calms me somewhat, but I know I won’t be able to relax until I’ve rescued the girls.

There’s been a magnetic pull between the three of us since we found each other. The link is always there, and I can feel it now. I know it sounds like some kind of fucking witchcraft shit, but it’s true.

The moment I’m out of the main gates to the house and racing down the road, I take a deep breath. I need to focus and stay calm. I can’t fuck this up. If I do, I could get both my girls killed.

I’ve always believed love is a weakness, but over these past few months, I’ve realized it can be a strength. Hate has always come easily to me. Love has been much more difficult.

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