Page 80 of Savage Guardian

As if summoned by need and thought alone, Dragon appeared, sliding into the driver’s seat of the van. Tessa sat down beside Fae and nodded at Dragon, who started the van and raced from the parking lot.

Hawk fought the urge to lie beside Fae, to draw her into his arms and hold her.

You’ll have plenty of time for that later.

Staring down into her bruised and bloody face, he bit back curses. Tracing a shaking finger down her uninjured cheek, he let the burn behind his eyes manifest.

“A chuisle mo chroi, I’m so sorry. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make it up to you.”

Fae stared out the window toward the mountains in the distance and sighed.

It had been a week since her kidnapping and rescue, and she was so freaking sick of being stuck inside. If it wasn’t Tessa getting on her about resting, it was Dr. Simpson—or Liz—a woman who was more than a little familiar with the Savage Raiders and wasn’t all too happy about dealing with them. As a concierge doctor, she was on-call to travel to and care for her clients, wherever they were. Apparently, the Savage Raiders had her on retainer. Tessa was good in an emergency, but for steady, consistent monitoring, they required a doctor. Not that said doctor was all too pleased to get the initial call from Trouble. Thankfully, Liz took her Hippocratic oath seriously…and she liked Fae. And Fae liked her. Until she stopped in and told her to rest.

Rest. Rest.Rest!

She didn’t want to rest! She wanted to get the hell out of there, figure out how to salvage her career, and punch her bitch of a step-sister in the tit.

And what really bothered her more than the nightmares about the kidnapping, the aching head, the itchy stitches, and the agony every time she breathed…was that Hawk had been noticeably absent. Tessa had told her that Hawk had been there that first night when she was unconscious, but that next morning, when she’d woken up in pain, confused, and needing him…he wasn’t there.

When Fae had asked Tessa where he was, Tessa’s expression went from open to closed, but not before a flash of pity showed in her eyes.

Fae wanted to believe that Hawk’s abandonment didn’t hurt her, that she was okay, that it didn’t matter to her that the man she so foolishly loved had left her when she needed him most.

Her father had wanted to come to Vegas to be with her, but she convinced him to stay in Olsen. She didn’t want him getting mixed up with whatever was about to unravel with Carrie. Her father was a good man, and he loved both his daughters. It would be difficult for him to wrap his head around one daughter basically stealing the identity of the other and trying to ruin her life.

A heavy knock on the door made her jump, her hand flying to her chest to calm her pounding heart.

“Come in,” she called, surprised she hadn’t croaked the words.

The door opened, and that insidious sliver of hope that it would be Hawk was smashed to pieces when Carrie strode into the room, head back, expression haughty…but there was fear in her blue eyes, too.

Behind her step-sister, Grimm stood, arms crossed over his massive chest, biceps straining the black material of his faded Notre Dame t-shirt.

“She demanded to speak with you,” Grimm said, his lips curling in a deadly smirk. “So I thought I’d escort her to ya. Wanted to make sure someone was in here to help you get rid of the body.”

Carrie gasped, turning to look at the large, wickedly grinning Irishman.

“You can leave,” Carrie demanded, huffing.

Grimm simply raised an eyebrow, then closed the door with himself still inside, his support of Fae making her insides warm.

“I guess they found you, huh?” Fae drawled, moving to sit on the side of the bed. She didn’t even bother asking Carrie to sit. She didn’t want her sister in her space, and just having her within reach was testing the bounds of all the manners her mother had taught her as a little girl.

“It wasn’t like I was hiding,” Carrie scoffed.

Grimm grunted. “No, she ran.”

Fae couldn’t help the giggle that fluttered from her chest. God, it was good to laugh.

“I wasn’t running. I’d heard about what happened to you and I got scared. I was going to call the cops once I got somewhere safe.”

“Mexico ain’t much safer than Vegas, tart,” Grimm mocked. “Matter’a fact, there’s a Cartel there that would pay top dollar for a spoiled tartlet like you.”

Carrie’s fake bake tan paled to sheet white, and she blubbered, “Are y-you going to sell m-me?”

Grimm waved her off. “Nah. Savage Raiders aren’t into the flesh trade, that don’t mean we don’t know who is, though.” He pinned a dangerous look on Carrie and lifted his chin in Fae’s direction. “Think you got somethin’ to say to your sister.” Fae bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at Grimm’s patronizing daddy voice.

Carrie sniffed, crossing her thin arms over her boobs and cocking her hip like she was about to do Fae a favor.

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