Page 8 of Born Savage

“Uh…yeah. Just a little,” I answer and a small giggle bubbles from my chest.

His blue eyes shine back at me as he stomps his cigarette out against the sole of his heavy boots. He turns and moves to drop it in the can beside the grill before turning back to face me again.

“I guess I should get back inside to eat and shower, then see if I can actually get some shit done today,” he says.

“I left the Lucky Charms out for you. Trish can help you find a bowl,” I tell him and he responds with a deep chuckle.

“Thanks, darlin’. Enjoy that water,” he says tipping his head towards the pool.

I watch him turn and step back through the sliding glass door, closing it behind him, before I finally turn away. I move quickly towards the sloped entrance at the far edge of the pool. Taking large strides, I plunge into the cool water faster than I normally would.

I’ve lived in the Nevada heat my entire life, but the way Shark looked at me had me overheating in a way I’ve never quite experienced. Thankfully the pool water begins to work wonders as soon as it touches my skin. I guess maybe Trish was right. I really do need to be careful around him.

Seven

Shark

God damn. Thank Christ for the A/C in this place. Standing beside the pool with her in that tiny fucking bikini had been way too much of a temptation. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have hesitated to pull off my jeans and dive into that pool with her. But Scarlett is a different story.

I’ve barely been here a day; I can’t be breaking the one rule they gave me. Don’t fucking touch. It was hard enough to keep my eyes off her incredible rack, but then having it practically popping out of that skimpy blue top made it even more enticing. If I had climbed into that water with her, seeing her all fuckin’ wet. There’s no way I could’ve controlled my impulses.

“Breakfast time?” Trish questions a little too chipper.

“Yup. Just point me towards a bowl and spoon and I’ll be good to go,” I answer.

“That cabinet and the drawer below,” she says, pulling her hand from the soapy dishwater and pointing towards the cabinet beside the refrigerator.

I find what I need easy enough before claiming a stool at the large kitchen island. I reach for the box of cereal and start to pour.

“Shit. I forgot to grab the milk,” I mutter to myself.

“I’ll grab it,” Trish offers, drying her hands on a nearby towel before wrenching open the fridge door. I can see it’s stocked with food as she grabs the gallon jug and turns to hand it to me over the countertop. As I take it from her hands, her eyes meet mine. It’s clear that she’s the mother figure to this rag tag group.

“Be careful looking at her the way you are,” she warns, like I haven’t already gotten the fucking message.

“I know, I know. She’s off limits,” I say, feeling my eyes roll.

“Jesus. You really have no fucking clue, do you? You just see a pretty face and lose all self-control,” she sputters, catching my reaction.

“Trust me, I have more self-control than most,” I tell her.

“Well, when the shit hits the fan, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she raises her eyebrows and I can’t help but grin as I bring my spoon to my lips.

“Can I ask you something?” I question, once I’m done chewing my first bite.

“Sure. What do you want to know?” she leans against the counter.

“How does a girl like that grow up in a place like this and not end up fucking tainted? How is she still so damn pure?” I let the questions spill from my lips.

“First off, a lot of these guys either watched her grow up or grew up with her, they don’t see her for the woman she is. When they look at her, they still see the little girl with blonde pigtails. They’ve got blinders on when it comes to her looks,” she starts and I cut her off.

“But the newer guys coming in, the prospects, they have to notice her. I mean, unless they’re fucking blind,” I say before scooping up another bite.

“They notice, but they’ve had the fear of death put into them. They know to keep their distance,” she shares.

“But what about parties and all that shit?” I ask.

“She avoids them as much as she can. She doesn’t want to see her dad or her brother in those situations. The only one she went to intentionally was Sonny’s patch-in party and they kept it pretty tame, at least until she left,” Trish offers.

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