Page 31 of Born Savage

“Don’t get fucking cute with me,” he responds, clearly getting annoyed with me.

“I think you’re in a little over your head, brother. Maybe you should have a chat with your old man,” I suggest.

“He knows?” he questions, clearly surprised to hear that Ray is okay with me being in Scarlett’s bedroom.

“Yeah, he fucking knows. He was there to see me pick up the fucking pieces when she found out the truth about Manny and the secrets you kept for him. She knows you don’t care, and that he never fucking did. It was all a game, a fucking show to get a seat at the table,” I growl out, my anger clearly growing.

“You don’t think I care? Scarlett is my God damn sister, and you… You just fucking met her,” he tries, but I’m not buying his shit.

“Then why’d you let him get away with it? Why didn’t you stand up for her, like a real man?” I ask.

“I was a fucking kid; we both were. Eighteen years old and just patched in with my best friend. The first few years were a fucking blur, and I wasn’t thinking clearly or about my sister. I was thinking with my dick, and we made promises to keep each other’s secrets. And then he was gone, and I lost my best friend and had to watch my sister fall apart. I couldn’t bear to tell her that he wasn’t really the guy she thought he was,” he finally offers some honesty.

“For years, you’ve all kept her on the fucking fence. She’s never been allowed in, but the club never really let her out either. She never got a fair chance,” I observe.

“I just wanted to protect her and keep her safe,” his head drops in defeat.

“You’re relieved of your duty. That’s my place now. Scarlett will be a part of this life, by my side. She’ll will live in it and I’ll protect her,” I promise, feeling the pride swell in my chest as I claim her as mine.

“And my old man, he’s really on board with this?” Sonny’s head tips up in question.

“Trust me, he’s good with it,” I offer a simple answer. There's no point in sharing the fact that I've been fantasizing about Scarlett since the first day I set foot in the Vegas clubhouse.

“All right then. I guess we’re real brothers now,” he holds out his hand for me to shake, and I grip it tightly in my own. “Keep her safe,” he requests.

“You’ve got my word,” I reply without hesitation. Scarlett is mine and I intend to protect her in any way necessary.

Twenty-One

Scarlett

The sound of the phone ringing wakes me from my daze, and I can’t help but wonder how long it was ringing before I actually heard it. I set my papers down on top of the filing cabinet, and move back to my desk. I really wish Dad would go for my suggestion to turn everything digital.

“Superior Construction. This is Scarlett, how can I help you?” I answer.

“Hey, Scarlett. This is Adam Burns. I just emailed you a few documents. I just wanted to touch base to make sure that Ray has a chance to look at them,” his energetic voice comes through the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Burns,” I reply, quickly clicking the mouse and finding the email sitting in my inbox. “I see them right here. My dad actually isn’t in the office at the moment, but I’ll make sure he sees them,” I tell him.

“Please, call me Adam. And thank you for handling so much of this. Ray is lucky to have such a helpful assistant,” he adds smoothly and I feel my skin crawl. Last time he was in the office I could feel his eyes all over me. And James had noticed too.

It hadn’t been the first time that some sleazeball had ogled me like that, but for some reason seeing the way it effected James made it feel different. I had pretended like I hadn’t noticed the attention that Adam was giving me, like it was just part of the job. James’s reaction, on the other hand, had turned me on in a way like I had never felt before. I had never experienced a man being jealous as a result of me.

“If Ray could get back to me before the end of the week, that would be great. We’re excited to get started on this project,” his voice reminds me that we’re still on the phone.

“Yes, I’m sure he’ll have time to review them over the next couple days and get back to you,” I answer professionally.

“Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you all again soon. Maybe…,” he clears his throat before continuing. “Maybe we could get a drink the next time I’m in town,” he suggests.

“I’m sure my dad would like that. Just let me know the next time you’ll be in town and I’ll make sure you’re on his calendar,” I offer.

“Actually, I meant you, not Ray,” he clarifies, although I already knew exactly what he was thinking. I was trying to avoid this situation.

“Well, thank you for the offer, but I’m actually involved,” I share, and suddenly my mind starts to spin.

Does James feel the same? Would he want me telling people? I know we both had fun this morning, but I think we need to talk about what we both really want.

“I should have known that a gorgeous girl like you wouldn’t be single,” Adam says with a soft chuckle.

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