Page 29 of Savage

Oh well, it wasn’t like she hadn’t told me some crazy shit back in college. I guess it was just odd for her that the shoe was on the other foot. I’d always been so conscientious, so studious back in the day, and while that hadn’t changed all that much, I wasn’t usually the kind of guy to open my window to masked strangers and invite them in for sex.

I stopped outside of my apartment building, stared up the fire escape that zigzagged its way up the front, and wondered why my vigilante hadn’t returned.

Had I done something wrong that night? I’d done everything he asked of me. Made sure not to look at him. But still he hadn’t come back.

Maybe one night was all he wanted. Or maybe he didn’t enjoy himself?

No. That wasn’t true. Iknewhe’d enjoyed himself. I’d felt his body tense inside mine, heard his sexy roar of satisfaction, so that definitely wasn’t the reason. Maybe he was already taken, which was why he didn’t want me looking for him? Orathim?

I had no idea, but as I trudged up the stairs to my floor, I couldn’t help feeling upset about it all. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to know who he was. But knowing that would never likely happen had turned my mood to shit.

When I reached the door to my apartment, I was shocked to see it slightly ajar, and my disappointment turned to annoyance. If Ms. Edith was in there doing a spot check, I just might lose my fucking cool. I was a good tenant, damn it, and I didn’t need her treating me like I was some kind of degenerate.

But as I pushed open the door to my apartment, my feet froze.

My place had been tossed.

Every single thing I owned had been turned upside down. Bedding was on the floor; the tiny kitchen was in shambles. Drawers were pulled out and turned over, utensils all over the ground. The fridge door was left wide, and my desk was a complete mess.

My heart hammered as I stared at the destruction in front of me, and suddenly I had a flash of the man I’d spent all of lunch talking about. A vision of him in his trench coat, mask, and gloves, crouched on my fire escape.

Didhedo this?

I didn’t think so.He’d had plenty of opportunities to hurt me or take things while I wasn’t looking, and never had. So why would he come back here and trash the place?

My mind started to race, but nothing made any sense until my eyes landed on my backpack across the room and?—

Shit.

I raced over to it and unzipped it, locating the back of the logo that I’d carefully plucked the threads from, slipped the key card I’d found the other night inside of, and sewn back into place. It was still there.

I let out a sigh of relief.Thank God.And just as I was about to call the police, I paused.

If I called the cops, they were going to ask questions. Questions I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer. Questions I wasn’t sure I could.

And then I remembered—Lachlan. Coffee shop guy.Didn’t his card say he was in the business of security?

I fished out his business card, the one with his personal number, and finally did the thing I’d been too intimidated to do after our first encounter.

I called him.

12

LACHLAN

COOPER’S VOICE WAS the last I’d expected to hear on the other end of the line. It’d been a week since I gave him my number in the coffee shop, and to my surprise, he hadn’t used it.

Then again, he’d had a late night visit from my alter ego instead, so I’d done a great job of fucking up that whole situation.

No matter. The panic in his voice had me canceling the rest of my workday, and as I approached his building I saw him nervously pacing out the front. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest in a protective way, and he was chewing on his thumbnail as he walked back and forth. It was clear whatever had happened in his apartment was enough for him not be in there, and the second he looked up and saw me, the relief on his face was clear.

It also made me fucking hard, made that feral, protective inner beast want to scoop him up and get him the hell out of there. Somewhere safe, where no one could touch him.

“Lachlan,” he said, meeting me halfway, dropping his arms by his side, “thank you for coming. I’m sorry it’s so random. Ijust wasn’t sure what to do, and then you popped into my head and I remembered you’re the CEO of a security company, and?—”

“I’m glad you called, Cooper. That’s why I gave you my number.”

“Oh. Right. Well, I…I meant to call you before this. But then I thought maybe you were just being nice and I didn’t want to bother you. And I realize I should’ve probably called the police, but, well, I don’t know if they should be involved, and?—”

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