Page 17 of Poisonous Savage

"Yourmother's amazing,"Rosalindsaid, her voice low enough that onlyIcaught it amid the clatter.

"Ma'sthe best."Aboulder lodged in my throat.

Therewas comfort here in the steam rising from the plates, the soft clink of glasses, andMa'shumming, a tune from a time long gone.Felta hell-uv-a lot like home.

Rosalindcaught me staring, and her dark eyes flickered with somethin' fierce, like she knew the war raging on inside me.Iknew thatIwas more than just a meathead; maybeIwanted more than what theCinderCrewhad in store for me.

"Thankyou," she said, simple words heavy with meaning.

"Anytime,"Ireplied, the truth of it sitting heavy on my tongue.Truthwas...Ididn't know if this would ever happen again.IfHuntercaught wind... this would be the last meal we ever shared together.Thelast meal we ate.Period.

Wefinished the meal in silence, each bite a reminder of the divide between the lifeIled and the one glimpsedinMa'stender gaze—a chasm spanned by a single fragile bridge namedRosalindThorn.

"Thanks,Ma.Doyou want me to help clean up?"

Shesmiled and winked, "Yougo on 'head, boy, go show that girl the garden.She'sgot a tender heart, that one.Bestmake sure you don't break it."

Iswear that's the longest sentence she's said to me in years.

Theclatter of dishes faded,Ma’shumming a distant echo asIusheredRosalindthrough the backdoor.Itwas dark, but the moon gave us some light.Thegarden wasMama'ssanctuary, scents of lavender and jasmine heavy in the air.

"Rosalind,"Istarted breath hitching as her name rolled off my tongue, "Hunter'skilling you.I'mnot blind to it."Ipaused, watching the shadows dance across her face. "I'mnot him.Couldgive you somethin' different.Somethin' better."

Herbreath caught, her chest rising and falling like the tideIknew she loved to watch.Eyeswide, glinting with that same fierce spirit that drew me in so long ago.

"Marco," she breathed, the sound sendin' shivers down my spine, "I...Idon't know what to say.I... can't sayIdon't feel this.Whateverthis is.But... it'sHunter.Ican't just be with you.I... need time."

"Takeit,"Igrunted, jaw clenched tight as the truth of what she said sunk its claws in deep. "I'mnot going anywhere,RosalindThorn."

Shewas still contemplating whatIsaid, lingering a heartbeat too long before vanishing back into the house.Istood there asIwatched her silhouette disappear into the mansion.Fuck, this was a mess—oneI'dhelped create.

Ifollowed her back inside, where she was helpingMamaput the dishes away.Clearingmy throat, they both looked at me expectantly.Bendingto kissMama,Ilooked atRosieand said, "Weshould go.Beforewe're missed."

"Right."Sheseemed off.Different. "Thankyou so much for this lovely meal.Itreally was delicious."

Mamaregarded her carefully. "Listen, girl, my son can sometimes be a bit thick if you follow.Isee the way you look at him.Whateveris going on... what you have is as real as any.Decidewhat you're going to do about it."Sheturned to me and grabbed my arms, half shaking me before wrapping me in a hug. "Yousilly, silly little boy.Don'tlet her get away this time."

Iwas flabbergasted.Thiswas definitely the most she'd spoken to me.Itried to respond, but she shook her head. "Gonow.Makegood decisions, my son."

Rosiesmiled and hugged my mama, thanking her again before heading out the door.Grittingmy teeth,Ifollowedafter her, the crunch of gravel under my boots.Myhand reached out, brushing against hers.Sheflinched just a bit but didn't pull away.Theride was quick.Feltmuch quicker than on the way here, and soon enough,Icut the engine and parked my two-wheeled beast, helping her off the bike.

Wemoved silent as the dead throughHunter’skingdom.Inhis absence, the tension hung thick, suffocating—the fucking break before the hurricane she’d stir up with whatever choice she made.

Finally, at the door to her chamber, she paused, her back a rigid line against the darkness swallowing the hall.Didn'tlook back.Didn'tneed to.Ifought the urge to reach for her, to drag her away from all this shit—to a place where we could just exist.

Sheslipped inside without a word, the click of the lock a sharp crack in the night's stillness.Fuckinghell.

Retreatingto my own quarters felt like marching off to war.Everymuscle screamed, tension coiled tight as barbed wire.Strippedoff the jacket that carried the scent of gunpowder and flowers and tossed it aside.

Myroom was a cell—four walls, a window, and bare minimum furnishing.Noplace for a woman likeRosalind.Shebelonged with sunlight kissing her skin, not with me, some fucking sinner trying to be a saint.Butfuck ifIdidn't want her there, tangled in my sheets, her darkcurls spread across my pillow.Itpissed me off thatHunterhad seen her like that and abused that gift.

Thebed creaked beneath my weight asIfell onto it, the springs groaning their protest.Restless,Iturned onto my back, arms folded behind my head—every inch of me strung tight.Iclosed my eyes but couldn't shut out the image of her—ofRosalindcaught between what she knew and what she craved.Shewanted me.Iknow she did.Right?

Ilay there, alone, knowing dawn would bring no answers, only more questions—the kind with costs paid in blood and tears.AndIwondered ifRosalindThorn, with her sunlit smile and heart fierce enough to set the world on its axis, could ever truly be mine.

Mythoughts were a chaotic storm, relentless and savage—couldIbe the bastard to pull her out of the abyss with me?Eachbreath was a battle, fighting the urge to go to her, to claim what my soul howled for.

Myfists clenched the sheets asIwrestled with the beast inside, the one that wanted to mark her, to own her in waysHunternever could.Fuck.Iwanted to be different than him.Betterthan him.Iwas a second from ripping through her door and giving her all of me.ButIheld back and stayed rooted to the bed.BecauseRosalindThornwasn't a prize to be won, she was a force to be reckoned with.AndI’dbe damned ifIdidn’t respect her enough to give her the space to make her own choice.Sheneeded to choose me.OrI'dnever know if she truly wanted me.Shehated this life, but at the very least, she wouldn't hate me.Despisethe sight of me.Cringewhen she heard my voice.

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