Page 44 of Savage

Savannah bit her lip, her protective instincts flaring. “Nicole’s been through a lot. If Slash isn’t serious or doesn’t have the best intentions…”

Savage cupped her chin and turned her face to look at him. “You don’t have to worry about Slash. I’d trust him with my life.” Her brow furrowed, and Savage smiled softly. “You know the scar on his face?”

Savannah nodded. “Yeah, Nicole thinks it makes him look rugged, but I think it’s kind of scary.”

“It’s from his time in Afghanistan. Back when he was still Delta Force,” Savage explained, his tone steady. “He was on patrol and saw a man about to stab his wife in the face. She’d tripped, and Slash had helped her up, offering her his hand. Her husband didn’t like that. He lashed out at her for touching a man she wasn’t related to and came at her with a blade.”

Savannah gasped softly, her hand gripping Savage’s arm.

“Slash didn’t even think twice. He stepped between them, took the blade himself. Saved her life and her face in the process.” Savage’s voice was filled with admiration. “That’s the kind of man he is. Protective, caring, and yeah—he’s dominant, just like me. But he doesn’t play games, Savannah. If he’s interested in Nicole, you can bet he’s serious.”

Savannah relaxed slightly, though her brow remained furrowed. “I’ve never talked to Nicole about…this lifestyle. Imean, I didn’t know anything about it until I was told I had to go undercover as a little. I don’t know what she’d think about it.”

“That’s not your job to figure out,” Savage said, his lips quirking into a small smile. “It’s Slash’s job to find out where she stands and what she wants. He’ll handle it.”

A mixture of relief and lingering concern played across Savannah's features. She bit her lip, hesitating before asking, "But what about... you know, the lifestyle? You said he’s dominant like you. What if Nicole doesn’t want to be submissive to him? I’m not sure she has it in her.

"That's not for us to decide, little one," Savage said gently. "If Nicole's curious, it'll be up to Slash to introduce her to that world, if she hasn’t been exposed to it already. Trust and communication are key in any relationship, but especially in BDSM. They'll have to figure that out for themselves."

Savannah nodded slowly, processing his words. "I guess you're right. It's just... maybe I should talk to Slash and make sure he has–"

“Absolutely not,” Savage pulled her close, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I know, you mean well, baby girl, but you are not to get involved in Slash’s love life.”

“It’s not just Slash’s love life, it’s Nicole’s too.”

“Your sister is a grown ass woman and a mother, she doesn’t need you mingling in her love life any more than Slash does.”

“But–”

“No buts, unless you want to find your butt being paddled.”

Savage’s phone ringing interrupted their conversation. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing. "It's Blade," he muttered, tapping the speaker icon.

"Savage, you there?" Blade's gruff voice filled the room. "Got Savannah with you?"

Savannah's heart quickened, why would he want her there? "I'm here, Blade. What's going on?"

“Just wanted to touch base about Lily. The Rejects thought she was the one who gave them up. They knew she worked for Jay. Jay is close friends with the detective that was out there. They never blamed Savannah for the ambush. We finally found her. She’s been hiding out for these last couple weeks. Jay’s girl was able to convince her to come out of hiding and talk to us.”

Savannah's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She gripped Savage's arm tightly, her mind racing with possibilities. Poor Lily. Poor, poor, Lily. How terrified she must have been.

"They blackmailed her?" Savage echoed, his voice a low rumble. "How?"

"They had dirt on her family," Blade explained. "Threatened to expose some nasty secrets if she didn't cooperate. She's been trapped, just like..."

He trailed off, but Savannah knew he meant her. A wave of emotions crashed over her – relief, empathy, and a glimmer of hope she hadn't dared to feel before.

"Is she okay?" Savannah blurted out, her voice trembling. "Can we help her?"

Savage's hand found hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"We're working on it," Blade assured them. "Now that we know the full story, we can protect her. She’s fighting me on it, but she is going to stay at my house. I’m not letting her out of my sight"

Savage raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t know you were good at playing babysitter, Blade.”

“Don’t push it,” Blade muttered, but there was no real heat in his voice. “Look, she’s a victim in all this, just like Savannah. I’m going to keep the brat safe even if that means pulling her across my knee and blistering her damn ass every single day.”

“She’s sitting right next to you, isn’t she?” Savage asked.

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