Page 10 of Brutal Savage

“You dropped something, Ms. Hill.” He accentuates my name like he’s having sex with it.

This all becomes too much to bear.

Then he lets me go, kneeling to retrieve something, his eyes still on mine.

And I realize it’s my driver’s license.

Oh God, how could I have been so reckless?

“You can never be too careful.” He slowly opens the pouch and places the license back inside.

And the way his fingers move, the veins atop his hand practically ripping through his skin, has a new murmur of desire breathing life between my thighs.

“Enjoy your run.” That deep, raspy baritone turns my entire being into something warm and wanton.

Wait. How did he know I was going for a run?

Maybe he assumed because of how I’m dressed. I’m sure that’s it.

With my heart hammering, I rush out the door, sucking in the cool air.

As I start toward Gran’s, the doors open, and it’s Alice, breathless as though she just ran a marathon.

“Oh my God!” she whispers, pulling me close and glancing sheepishly to her right at the café. “Do you have any idea who that was?”

“No.” I shake my head. “I’ve never seen him before.”

She swipes her forehead with the back of her hand. “He doesn’t usually frequent this part of town.”

“So who is he?” Now I’m really curious.

“His family’s practically royalty here. Super wealthy. They own lots of land and property a few miles north. They own just about everything in this town too, including this café.”

“What?” I can’t help the shock in my tone.

“Yep.” Her brows shoot up as she nods slowly. “And rumor is…” She leans in. “They’re connected to the Mafia.”

Before I even look, I feel his menacing green gaze on me—feel the burning intensity pulsating through me. I glance back and lock eyes with him through the window.

The hairs on my arms stand up.

I knew it. I knew he was someone to be feared.

What if he knows the people I was once connected to? What if he discovers my secrets and hands me to them?

And worse, what if he knows what I did…

The bodies I buried.

What if he uses that against me somehow?

Every molecule in me wants to pack my bags and run again. Everything about him makes me uneasy. Like my subconscious is telling me he’s not safe.

But what if he wouldn’t do that? What if I’m just scared?

I have to be sure. I don’t want to leave my grandparents here alone unless it’s for a good enough reason. I have to find out if he knows something about me.

“You okay?” Alice places a concerned hand on my forearm, and I accidentally fling it away.

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