Page 46 of Savage

Wait a minute.

He almost sat up straight, as the direction his thought had gone struck him. The only thing that stopped him was the even breathing coming from where Donna lay, telling him she’d fallen asleep. He didn’t want to wake her, even to demand to himself when he’d started thinking about forever with her.

But was forever that far of leap after he’d committed to helping her with the baby? He thought through the progression and reasoned through his thoughts until he relaxed once more, then turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. The soft huffs of her breathing soothed him until he drifted off to sleep, wondering not for the first time if the baby she carried was a boy or a girl and how soon he could have her on his bike.

Not that he would ever endanger her. He wanted nothing more than to keep her safe from everything harsh in the world.

Damn. He wondered, when had his focus in life changed from his next ride, his next fuck, and having a little fun? Then he knew. Not the moment he’d seen the tiny bit of a woman in his arms, but when he’d held her, sick and terrified and she’d told him she was pregnant with her ex-dickfucker, rapist’s baby and didn’t know what to do.

36

Twodayslater,Donnawas in the courtyard where everyone had been gathering when they didn’t have something else they were doing, talking with several other women. They were talking about the trip back to Tucson, how long they thought it would take and stops they wanted to make. Donna did more listening than talking as she hadn’t made the trip up with them and didn’t know most of the places they were talking about. All the same, they were including her, and she enjoyed it.

London’s gazed shifted several times, taking in movement around them, then she sat up straight from where she’d been lounging in a folding chair.

“Something’s going on.” She nodded toward the road.

Donna turned to find several of the men, both from the ranch and the ones who’d come up from Arizona making their way out from the bunkhouse and barns, as if there had been some signal the women hadn’t heard. They weren’t in a hurry, no one was running or rushing but it was clear they were headed somewhere.

Several of the women turned their chairs so they could watch whatever was about to happen more comfortably. Donna frowned as she watched, wondering what could be going on and should they do something?

By the time they finished gathering there were roughly ten or so men, she didn’t count so she couldn’t be sure, and they formed a line between the little courtyard that had been set up and the road. Several stood with their arms crossed over their chests, some stood with their hands on their hips and a couple clasped one hand with the other behind their backs.

“Can anyone tell what’s up?” she asked, her voice low as she leaned closer to Beth.

“Someone’s coming in,” Kerry pointed one finger down the road at the plume of dust being kicked up by a vehicle headed up the ranch road. From the size of the plume, Donna guessed it wasn’t a motorcycle.

“No one went into town?” She scanned the line of men, there weren’t enough there to be everyone, but with their backs to the women, she couldn’t identify everyone and couldn’t tell who was missing.

“They wouldn’t be here if they were expecting anyone.” London stood, she pulled her phone from her pocket as she went to the bunkhouse and stepped inside. She was gone for less than a minute before she appeared again and came back their way. “Sadist says it’s an unfamiliar SUV. And he and Malice will be out in just a moment.” London made her way back to the group but didn’t sit. Instead, she moved to stand behind the chair she’d been sitting in before, put her hands on the back, and waited.

Donna wondered what was going on. She looked at the other women, and the only one who seemed to know, or be concerned was London, but then this was her place. If there were trouble, it was less likely to have anything to do with the rest of them. Still, she didn’t think these were the kind of people to sit back and watch something happen to their friends.

Which was likely why the guys had lined up, side by side between the clearing and the road. She didn’t know if the purpose was to present a united front or to put up a barrier between whoever was coming in and the women. She did notice that none of the women approached the line, whether to join them or ask what was going on. Even when London had wanted to know, she’d gone into the bunkhouse, not to the line. But then, that could simply be because the bunkhouse was closer, and Donna was reading too much into it. Things that weren’t there.

The minutes seemed to stretch into hours. She knew the drive didn’t take that long, and from the plume of dust, they had to be moving at a good speed, but there was no car appearing.

Just when she’d decided that whoever it was had second thoughts, they must have given up and turned around, a large SUV pulled into the drive. Donna only caught a couple of glimpses of it between the bodies of the men still lined up, unmoving between where she sat and the driveway.

Her heart seemed to stutter for a moment before kicking into high gear. That was one of the vehicles that belonged to the commune. They’d found her. And not just in the restaurant. How had Jacob found her here after seeing her in town? The vehicle pulled in the driveway and came to a stop aimed right at her.

“Take a deep breath, they’ve got this.” Beth’s voice beside her made Donna realize she’d been breathing way too fast. She was hyperventilating and she hadn’t even known it.

The world spun, then seemed to stop with a click as she watched between the bodies of Savage and his brothers. The front doors on the SUV opened and someone got out on each side. She couldn’t see who it was, not between the men and the doors of the truck, but when one of them spoke, she didn’t need to see to know who it was.

Noah. He’d found her and now he was here. To make her go back. she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go back with him. Not just because of herself, but she couldn’t let her baby be raised like that. She wouldn’t let her baby be brainwashed into believing that the things that went on there were normal, or acceptable.

No. She’d never got back with him. Even if it meant never going anywhere again.

With that determination made, something in Donna calmed. Her heart settled into a more normal rhythm and the world stopped spinning. Things came into focus like they hadn’t been before she realized who was in the SUV.

“There’s no one here that belongs to you,” Savage’s voice, and the certainty in it drew her attention. She considered letting him handle it but couldn’t. That would be cowardice.

Almost on auto pilot, she stood and walked up behind the line of men, none of whom seemed to notice she was coming, except Savage. She saw his shoulders tense and the hand behind his back, the one that wasn’t holding on to the wrist of his other hand, spread out flat, as if telling her to stop. She probably should do as he indicated but didn’t.

Instead, she continued. Until she stood just behind Savage, so she was visible in the gap between him and Ghost. The gap was just wide enough she could get through it without touching either man, if she turned sideways. If Noah tried to grab her and drag her from behind them, both men would have time, and she had no doubt, the ability to stop him.

She stayed behind them, giving herself that barrier of safety as she confronted the man who had terrified her and made her life a living hell for more of the last year than he hadn’t.

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