Page 41 of Savage Hero

Istare at myself in the mirror, my chest so tight all I can manage are small sips of air. I’m dressed in the clothes I arrived in almost a week ago. They’ve been laundered and tailored…unless I’ve picked up weight.

Pressing the mustache to my upper lip, I pull the beanie down over my pinned up hair and turn. A jolt of adrenaline chases through me when I see Savage leaning against the wall by my bedroom door.I didn’t hear him coming inside.

“Ready?”

I nod, but I should be shaking my head. When Savage first told me about his father’s plan to use me as bait, that’s all I could think about. But in the past few days, my head’s gotten cluttered by a different member of the Domingo crime family.

Savage waits until I get close before he holds out something to me.

My phone.

I snatch it from him before he can change his mind, and snap out a reluctant, “Thank you.”

He’s the last person I should be thanking. For all I know, this has all been some elaborate game played at my expense. The Domingos toying with me before some kind of public execution meant to send a message to their enemies.

I’ve been driving myself insane with these thoughts, and when I do manage to push them away, worse ones follow.

It’s been a week and a half since the drive-by at La Buena Papa. A week since I told Donny that Bryan would never see another sunrise.

I unlock my phone, walking into the hallway with a bent head as I quickly check my messages.

The last call I got from an unknown number was four days ago.

Four. Days.

Donny’s never waited this long to call me after a job. Then again, I’ve always finished a job on the day I planned. But it’s not his silence that scares me.

It’s Athena’s.

She last messaged me three days ago, asking when I’d be home. Then she tried to call an hour later. Then again. Three times in one day, but not once since—

Savage wrenches my phone out of my hand. “I told you to pay attention,” he growls, coming up so close behind me that his body heat gives me goosebumps. “You almost walked into a statue.”

I look up, blinking at the naked girl standing in front of me, her marble hair retaining her modesty like Aphrodite. “It’s been a while since I’ve checked my Facebook,” I snap, turning and reaching for my phone. “I’m in desperate need of memes.”

Savage grabs me around the throat.

I’m losing my mind. I mean, a grip like that shouldn’t feel comforting, right? Shouldn’t give me a rush of courage. Shouldn’t be able to wash away the plague of bad thoughts infesting my mind the past few days.

It can’t be connected. Donny doesn’t know where Athena and Phoebe stay. No one does, not even Liam. It’s a coincidence.

“This is the single most important day of your life, Nyx.” Savage squeezes my throat. “Best you pay attention.”

I start to say something snarky, like how I’m so dirt poor I couldn’t even, but something in Savage’s eyes tells me that’s a bad move.

He’s right.

I’ll only get one shot at this.

And like he told me this morning when he came upstairs and tossed my old clothes on the bed, he doesn’t even have all the facts. We’re both winging our way through this—for better or worse.

I swallow, and his eyes drop briefly to my throat before climbing up to my lips as I start speaking.

“Why are you doing this?”

“The smallest mistake can—”

“No.” I grab his wrist, then the front of his shirt. I twist my hand until the fabric stretches tight. “Why are you helping me?” The last is barely a whisper, but he’s close enough to hear me.

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