Page 10 of Savage

“Oh yeah,” Trinity nodded solemnly. “There's something magical about staying inside the lines. Makes you feel like you've got control over something, even if it's just Cinderella's gown. If you ever need to color, there’s a bin of books and crayons right over there.” Trinity pointed to a bookshelf on the other end of the store. “Help yourself.”

As they chatted, Savannah felt some of her tension melting away. Trinity's easy manner and playful energy were infectious, reminding Savannah of lazy afternoons with her sister. For a moment, she could almost forget the weight of her mission.

But as Trinity regaled her with a story about a disastrous attempt at baking muffins earlier that day, since the baker she normally bought from was on vacation, a nagging voice in the back of Savannah's mind wouldn't be silenced. Trinity. Trinity and Lucky. The president of The Watchmen. They’d briefed her on the president of the club before she’d left.

Looking at Trinity now, she wondered how someone that was so kind and funny could be part of a dangerous motorcycle club. Were the Spartan Watchmen really as cruel and lawless as what she'd been told they were?

“Hey, you okay?” Trinity's concerned voice cut through Savannah's thoughts. “You went all quiet on me there.”

Savannah blinked, realizing she'd been staring blankly at her laptop screen. “Sorry, I’m just tired…” she trailed off.

Trinity reached across the table, gently squeezing Savannah's hand as the door jingled with another customer walking in. “If you need anything at all, including a listening ear, just wave me over, okay?”

Savannah's throat tightened with emotion at the other woman’s kindness. She’d not had a lot of that in her life recently. “Thank you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

As Trinity walked away to speak with the other customer, Savannah felt a mix of comfort and confusion wash over her. She wanted desperately to believe the women she’d met so far associated with the club, Emilee, Trinity, and Makenzie, were as nice as they appeared. But could she trust them?

Savannah's phone buzzed on the table, the vibration jolting her out of her thoughts. Assuming it was the three-way chat she was in with Emilee and Makenzie, she picked it up.

The notification that flashed across the screen made her heart immediately race. With trembling fingers, she unlocked her phone.

The message was from an unknown number, but she knew instantly who it was from. The leader of the Rejects.

“Don't forget why you're there, little girl,” the message read. “We're watching. Always watching. I expect actionable intel by the end of the week.”

Savannah's breath caught in her throat as the next text came in. There, in vivid color, was a photo of her niece playing in the park near her sister's apartment. The timestamp showed the photo was taken less than an hour ago.

“Oh my God,” Savannah whispered, her mind reeling. They knew about her sister and niece, they’d been using them as leverage, but how long had they been following them?

“That was quick, he just wanted an American to go,” Trinity said, plopping back down in the seat across from her. “Everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?”

Savannah's hands shook as she clutched her phone, her eyes fixed on the image of her innocent niece. The weight of her mission, the danger she'd put her loved ones in, came crashing down on her all at once.

“I... I…” she stammered, fighting back tears. “It's nothing. I just... I need some air.”

As she stumbled to her feet, her mind raced with the impossible choices before her. How could she betray the kind women she’d met? She had to, because how could she risk her family's safety? Her sister and niece were the only living relatives she had. These women, she barely knew them.

If the Spartan Watchmen were as lawless and immoral as The Rejects claimed, why should she feel guilty? Surely, the aim was to shut down the club, maybe arrest the wrongdoers. Aprickling feeling crawled up her neck. The Rejects weren’t going to turn them into the police. They were as lawless as they came.

What choice did she have? Strangers or her family? In that moment, caught between Trinity's concerned gaze and the damning evidence on her phone, Savannah had never felt more alone.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on? I know you don’t know me, but I promise, I’m safe. Can I help?”

Savannah bolted from the table, her laptop forgotten as she rushed towards the exit. Tears blurred her vision, streaming down her face as she pushed through the door of Day & Night.

“Savannah, wait!” Trinity called out; her voice laced with worry.

But Savannah couldn't stop. Her feet pounded against the pavement as she ran, her heart hammering in her chest. Behind her, she heard the bell above the shop door jingle as Trinity stepped outside.

“Savannah, what's happened?” Trinity's concerned voice carried on the wind.

Savannah choked back a sob, forcing herself not to look back. She couldn't bear to see the kindness in Trinity's eyes, knowing the betrayal that lay before her.

As she rounded the corner, Savannah slowed her pace, gasping for air. She fumbled for her car keys, her hands trembling so badly she could barely unlock the door. Once inside, she slumped against the steering wheel, allowing herself a moment of anguished crying before starting the engine.

The drive back to the motel passed in a blur. Savannah stumbled into her room, barely managing to close the door before collapsing onto the bed. The sobs she'd been holding back erupted, wracking her body as she curled into herself.

“What have I done?” she whimpered, her voice muffled by the pillow. “How did I let it get this far?”

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