Page 43 of Savage

Dante isn’t stupid. He’s worked out what’s happened, and I know what he’s telling me is right. I shouldn’t have left like that, but if I’d woken him and admitted what I wanted to do, he would never have let me come here alone.

“I wanted…” My voice cracks as I struggle to voice my words. “I wanted to keep you both safe,” I rasp. Finally, I manage to speak, but my throat is scratchy.

“It’s my job to keep you both safe. It’s not on you,” Dante tells me earnestly. “I’m here to protect you and keep you both alive and well. Never doubt that.”

“I didn’t.”

“I know, but you need to trust me with everything, Harper. What you did risked our future.” Dante’s dark expression is serious, and I know there’s no debating this.

“I fucked up.”

“You did, but you’re both going to be okay.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips, and it feels as if I’ve been given a new breath of life.

My lungs start to work again, and my heart thuds against my chest as it expands from his care and affection.

“Where is Rayne?” I ask as panic sets in. I haven’t seen her since I was pushed under the water.

“She’s with River. He flew over to help with the rescue. Crow, Hawk, and Falcon are here too.” Dante offers me a smile. “I brought in a team. We’ve got Bane and Rae in the basement, and they’ll need to be dealt with. But you are in control when it comes to Bane.”

My chest tightens when I think about what’s to come. Revenge. It’s something that Rayne and I have wanted, needed, for years. But right now, all I want to do is sleep.

“There’s no rush,” Dante reminds me with a gentle touch to my cheek. “We’ll make sure they don’t escape.” He takes my hand, and holding it in his, he tangles his fingers with mine.

There have been many times over the years when a man’s touch has made me flinch and want to hide away. But with Dante, I don’t have a craving to run.

“I’m tired,” I tell him then.

“We can sleep here tonight, and in the morning, we’ll finish this. I won’t let anything get in the way of your revenge. Or Rayne’s.”

Dante understands our need for vengeance in order to put the past behind us. I’ve tried to move on, but I know while Bane still lives, I’ll never find peace. Even though I’m exhausted, I don’t want to wait any longer to face my tormentor.

“I want to see him, Dante.”

“Tomorrow.”

“No,” I say, looking into his eyes. “I need to see him. Alive. I need to be sure that tomorrow, he’ll still be here.”

As Dante helps me up, he nods. He’ll appease me for now, but I can tell he’s struggling. He enjoys being in control, but seeing the defiance in my expression, he knows not to argue.

I’m not like Rayne, who has more of a submissive nature. She mostly accepts things as they are, but I’ve learned to question and fight. That isn’t to say she’s not a strong-willed woman—she’s definitely that, but she won’t challenge Dante like I do.

Dante leads me through the house and down to where Rayne and I were kept in cells. When we reach the depths of the house, I can see there are men everywhere. All of them work for either Dante or The Fallen. Crow, Hawk, and Falcon have helped us, time and time again.

We stop outside one of the cell doors, and Dante nods to the guard standing at the threshold. When the heavy metal door is shoved open, I see Bane is chained to a bed without a mattress or any bedsheets or blankets. He’s blindfolded, and his hands and legs are bound to the frame, which is nothing more than some metal bent into the shape of a bed.

“I know it’s you, little toy.”

I shake my head, and stepping back, the guard slams the door shut and locks Bane in once more.

The thickness of the door silences the monster inside, and looking at Dante again, I say, “I’m ready to go.”

He takes my hand and leads me back up to the main area of the house. That’s where we find River and Rayne, standing at the front door of the mansion.

Rayne rushes to me and pulls me into her arms. Her warmth sends love coursing through me.

“Don’t ever do that again,” she hisses in my ear. “I know what you were doing, goading him like that.” Her voice cracks, and wrapping my arms around her, I hold her close.

The thought of losing her, of losing Dante, hits me like a wave. Suddenly, all I want to do is cry. But I don’t feel any sadness, I feel relief I’m alive and still have them with me.

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