Page 26 of Savage

Savage: I already canceled them. Get off the phone and on the road.

She was too emotionally drained to be angry with him for cancelling her plans. Man, he was bossy. Just like the Daddies in the books she’d read. She couldn’t lie to herself; she really liked that part of him.

She followed the directions on her phone until she came to a country road and a very, very long driveway. Savage’s farmhouse was a two-story beauty, its freshly painted white siding and navy shutters giving it a modern yet timeless charm. The wraparound porch, complete with a wooden swing, overlooked the Rocky Mountains. It was like the cover of a modern, small townromance novel. Savannah could imagine herself sitting on the porch swing.

Walking up the porch steps, she wasn’t surprised when Savage met her at the door and beckoned her in.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Come on in, sweetheart,” Savage said, stepping to the side to let her pass. “Dinner is almost ready.”

Inside, the house was just as inviting as the picturesque outside. The open concept living room featured a stunning brick fireplace. To the left was a cozy office with built-in bookshelves, and to the right, the dining area, where a farmhouse-style table sat beneath an elegant chandelier. The kitchen looked like something out of her imaginary dream house with gorgeous marble countertops, a farmhouse sink, and state-of-the-art stainless-steel appliances.

She hesitated, her eyes darting around the room to take it all in. It was masculine but comfortable, just like Savage. “Your home is…beautiful.”

“Thanks, I had help,” he said, guiding her toward the dining table.

The spread he’d prepared was delicious and exactly something she’d imagine he’d make. As she ate the grilled steak, baked potatoes and green beans Savage asked her pointed questions about her ex, and Savannah tried to avoid them, as she had that morning. She tried to change the topic multiple times until finally, he fixed her with a penetrating gaze and demanded answers from her.

“We need to have a serious talk, little girl.”

Her fork hovered mid-air. “About what?”

“About you. Your past. Your family. And your ex-boyfriend.”

Savannah stiffened. He would just not let this go. Why was he interrogating her? “I thought we talked about this already.”

“Not everything,” he said, his voice low and steady. “And I need everything, Savannah. No more half-truths. No more lies.”

Her shoulders slumped. She hated lying. She especially hated lying to him. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. “There isn’t an ex, is there?” Her eyes widened but she couldn’t say a word. “I thought so,” Savage said grimly. “But that’s not the real issue here. I know about the loan. The Rejects. The danger you’re in.”

Savannah felt sick. Her fork clattered to the table. She sat there stunned for a moment before asking, “How…how do you know?”

“I make it my business to know,” he said. “And now, you’re going to tell me everything.”

He knew.

Savage knew.

What was he going to do? How angry was he? Savannah should be terrified. She was alone with a man twice her size, who was visibly upset. He could kill her and discard her body, and no one would be the wiser. She should be terrified, but she wasn’t. He pulled her hand, guiding her from the dining table to the couch. She followed wordlessly, her pulse beating rapidly in her ears. He sat on his large couch before tugging her down onto his lap. As if he could feel her anxiety, he smoothed his hand over her back in slow circles.

“I need you to tell me everything you told Zeb and Tim,” he said softly. “Every word.”

She wanted to answer him, she really did, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. He kept rubbing her back, his touch soothing despite the tension she felt in his muscles. Controlled. He seemed… controlled. Angry? Possibly. But, unlike Tim or Zeb, Savage seemed to be in complete control of his emotions. It made zero sense to her, but she felt safethere, sitting on his lap. Deep down, she knew, without question, Savage wouldn’t hurt her.

“Savannah,” he said her name again, his tone coaxing but firm. “Don’t overthink this, baby. I need to know exactly what you said in order to protect the people I love. Including you, little girl. I’m not angry with you. I’m angry as fuck with Zeb and the goddamned The Rejects, but I’m not angry with you. Okay?”

Her throat felt bone dry, but she nodded. Taking a deep breath, she started with the first meeting, recounting every detail she could remember. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. “I only met him once in person. Zeb doesn’t like to call; it’s almost all text.” She tried to shift off his lap, but he wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body, while holding her phone and reading the texts with his left. Once he was done, he put the phone on the side table next to the couch.

“What about Tim?”

“Tim, I guess you could say, is like my handler. The first few times I saw him; he seemed like someone caught up in his brother’s web. Almost like he didn’t want to be there either. He was dressed super casually, and he joked around. He met me at the motel when I got into town and then I saw him at The Citadel the night of the playdate. It’s his job to keep tabs on me here, I guess. Today was another story all together. He looked the same– dressed in a hoodie and jeans– but he acted very differently.”

“What happened?”

Her voice faltered when she answered him. Then, she told him everything. The video, the slap, the way he held her face. She felt Savage’s body go rigid beneath her.

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