Page 10 of Savage

I couldn’t stop from wondering who he was. Where he lived. What he did in the light of day. But maybe it was better that I didn’t know. The less I knew, the less I was any kind of threat. It wasn’t like I was ever going to see him again, or at least that was the hope. One almost-fatal encounter was enough for me.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t try to work out what this card was or what it accessed. It just meant that this time, I’d have to be a bit more careful in how I went about it.

5

LACHLAN

THIS WAS A bad idea.

Areallyfucking bad idea.

But when had that ever stopped me from doing what I wanted? That would be never, and also one of the reasons I was at the very top of our illustrious leader’s shit list. It was also the reason I was keeping my current “project” off the books, so to say.

The last thing I needed while researching the potential problem of Boy Scout was Alessio keeping tabs on me—and that was all I was doing, making sure Mr. Wrong Place Wrong Time wasn’t going to turn into a problem.

At least, that’s what I was telling myself. Or trying to, anyway, because if that had been the real reason I was here, sitting in some yuppie-ass coffee shop where they sold drinks that you could personally create on the spot like an annoying douchebag then I’d tell Alessio where I was.

But I’d kept it a secret. I’d kept myinterestin him—Cooper Patterson—a secret.

Ever since Alessiohad handed over his name and the information I’d asked for, I’d become a man obsessed, and that wasn’t like me. Not even a little bit.

A job was a job. That was how I’d always looked at what I did both privately and publicly at Stone Security, the company I’d started over a decade earlier. It was the “front,” the day job that allowed me the power, money, and influence to be a part of Libertine. As the head of the leading authority around the globe for support to governments, corporations, and individuals, it was imperative to be levelheaded and not let emotions cloud my judgment.

So what the fuck was I doing here now?

Oh, right, Cooper’s face wouldn’t leave my mind. Those wide eyes filled with fear were a constant vision in my head, and at first I’d told myself I was following him to make sure he was okay. That I wanted to make sure no one came after him for retaliation. But that was a fucking lie too.

Not that I was all that concerned about the driver. What kind of a pussy ran from a fight? I mean, yeah, his buddies had been lying on the ground, but still…

It was time to start admitting why I’d trailed Cooper from his home to this coffee shop two days in a row, and then all over the city whenever he got lost and had to make his way back to what I had no doubt was a closet posing as an apartment.

I wanted to know more. I had nobusinesswanting that. But I wanted it anyway.

It was clear he didn’t have a job, or nothing permanent anyway, and yet he came to this spot every day, where he spent hours doing something on his laptop.

What? I had no idea. Alessio’s intel had revealed he was a journalist but didn’t have a job yet. So was he freelancing? Was he writing a story about what had happened to him hoping he could submit it for a job? Or maybe he was writing about a certain someone who’d saved him.

Either way, that would be disastrous for me, which brought me back to my current idea. The really bad one.

The bells over the coffee shop door sounded, and sure as the clock on the wall said eight thirty, Cooper Patterson stepped inside. Today he wore a knit beanie pulled down low, which he promptly took off as he headed across the café to join the line.

Aaand that was my cue.

Leaving my coat over the chair to hold my claim on the table, I stood behind Cooper, who was too busy perusing the daily bakery specials to notice anyone around him.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. His eyes darted to the door every few seconds, like he expected someone to be following him.

Right behind you.

Like a stalker.

The line moved quickly, and once Cooper placed his order for a croissant and cappuccino, I was up. I hadn’t even bothered glancing at the menu, and the word “cappuccino” left my mouth before I could stop it.

If any of the Kings could see me now…Jesus.

Cooper didn’t notice as I sidled in beside him at the pick-up counter, glancing instead over his shoulder at the door. With his attention elsewhere, I took advantage of being so close and ran my gaze over him. This close, he smelled irresistible, but more than that, helookedit. His hair was a lighter brown in the sun, and he kept his face smooth and clean-shaven, which made him look a little younger than thirty. The one thing I hadn’t gotten a clear read on yet was his eyes, and even though I shouldn’t, I wanted them focused on me.

“Cappuccino,” the barista called out, and I reached for the to go-cup at the same time as Cooper.

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