Page 56 of Born Savage

“I know… It’s just, we were in the office, alone together, and it just seemed like the right time. I guess maybe I should’ve waited, but he needed to know,” she tells me.

“You’re right. He did need to know, but it would’ve been really nice to avoid that scene,” I smile back at her.

“Damn, sis, I take it from that fuckin’ blow out that you’ve decided to ditch this place and shack up with this fucker in South Carolina,” Sonny steps up with a broad grin filling his face.

“Yeah,” Scarlett responds, hesitant to offer any details.

“Well, good for you. Don’t let Ray’s pissing and moaning change your mind. You know he’ll be fine. Trust me,” he offers her a little reassurance before turning to me.

“And you, settling down. Congrats, brother. Better you than me,” he offers an easy chuckle as he holds out a hand for me to shake.

“Thanks, man. Nice to know I have at least one person around here who still likes me,” I laugh in return.

“They’ll all get over it. You’re right, it’s her life and her choice. She’s been stuck in this shit long enough, so if being with you in South Carolina is what she wants, then she should fuckin’ do it. I mean, she can always come back, right?” he adds with a deeper laugh.

“Why don’t you two grab a drink,” Scarlett suggests before I can come up with a quick insulting response. “I’m going to call Roxy and tell her now that Dad knows.”

“Alright, darlin’,” I say before dropping a kiss to her cheek.

“C’mon, asshole. Let’s go find a decent bottle of whiskey, because I definitely need something stronger than that bottle of Corona,” I grin, curling my arm around Sonny’s shoulder and giving a squeeze.

Thirty-Five

Scarlett

“I’ll be back in a minute, darlin’,” James’s gentle voice touches my ear as his soft lips drop to my neck.

A soft shiver runs through me, settling deeply between my thighs. I offer a small nod in acknowledgement as he slips out through the slider to have a cigarette. No matter how familiar I am with our morning routine, he still manages to have this effect on me every day.

I move to get my coffee, knowing that he’ll be back within minutes to join me for breakfast. I open the cabinet, pulling out a mug for each of us. I set his down, but reach for the coffee pot to start filling mine. Just as I turn towards the fridge, in search of creamer, Dad pushes through the door.

“Mornin’,” he offers roughly.

“Good morning,” I reply. “Coffee?” I ask, focusing on him, but his gaze is locked down on the phone clutched in his palm.

“Nah, I need a smoke first,” he answers, the cigarette already hanging from his lip.

“Okay,” I breathe out as he exits through the sliding glass door.

I’ve been trying for weeks to get him to talk to me without much luck. But every morning, I get to watch as he and James have their morning cigarettes together. They talk and laugh while they smoke. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how he so easily forgave James, when he’ll barely even look in my direction.

“Good morning,” Trish’s chipper voice pulls my attention away from the two men in my life. “I’ve got some muffins in the oven that should be almost done,” she shares.

“I was wondering what smelled so good,” I smile back.

“Down to your last two weeks, you must be getting excited?” Trish asks.

“Yeah, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone,” I answer. It’s been almost two months since I decided to move to South Carolina with James.

For obvious reasons, we couldn’t just pack up and leave. The club needed him to stick around and keep working with Miles and West. But the boys finally had their patch-in party last week, which meant James’s skills were no longer required in Vegas. He’s dedicated though, and he wanted to stick around as back-up for a little while longer.

“What’s on your mind? I can practically see it spinning in that pretty head of yours,” Trish asks and I find my gaze has fallen back to James and my dad, watching them through the glass.

“I just don’t get it,” I start. “He’s barely been able to look at me since I told him I was leaving, but they’re like two peas in a pod out there. And they’re like this every day,” I tell her, waving my arm at the two of them laughing together just outside the glass.

“They’re men. They can throw a few insults at each other, then have a couple drinks, and the next thing you know they’re laughing it up and all is forgiven,” she explains.

A gentle laugh falls from my chest, knowing just how right she is. I turn to see her pulling the tray of muffins from the oven and finally take a seat at the counter. Lifting my steaming mug, I slowly take my first sip of coffee.

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