Page 38 of Savage

“Lucky,” she replied without hesitation. “With Savage running point for security.”

Tim leaned forward; his interest piqued. “Why are they going?”

“A private meeting with another club leader.” she said, just as she’d been instructed. “Some kind of agreement about turf boundaries. The other club doesn’t want anyone else knowingthey are bowing down to The Watchmen about keeping drugs out of Grand Ridge.”

“When?”

Savannah felt the weight of his scrutiny, but she didn’t flinch. Her responses were crisp, her delivery flawless—every word, every detail, had been drilled into her by Savage and the others. This right here was why they had practiced over and over again.

"Tomorrow," she replied confidently. "They're meeting at dawn to avoid any attention.”

As Tim fired off more questions, Savannah's determination to follow through the plan solidified. She could do this. No, she was fucking doing this She'd come too far to back down now. With each rehearsed answer, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, the plan would actually work.

Tim tilted his head, studying her. “And you’re sure no one else knows about this? Just the officers and their partners?”

After finishing distributing the information, Savannah went off book. She knew Savage and the men were listening to their conversation, Jay bugged the bench before the meeting, but she had to ask. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and took a deep breath, summoning up all the courage she had left. "Tim, I... I need to ask you something," she said. "This intel... it's big, right? It's what you’ve been looking for. What I needed to give you to pay off my debts. God, I don't know how to say this."

Tim's eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, Savannah."

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I was hoping maybe this could clear my debt. You know, wipe the slate clean? I did exactly what you asked. I left my life behind, came to Grand Ridge, infiltrated The Watchmen, pretended to be a little in some perverse BDSM world. Isn’t it enough?" As soon as she said the word perverse, she was filled with dread. It wasn’t how she felt, of course, but she wanted to sell the lie to Tim.

The words hung in the air between them, Savannah’s hands shook as she waited for him to answer her. If he said yes… she would be able to breathe a little bit easier. She clenched her hands into fists at her side, refusing to show weakness before this immoral man. Her mind raced, memories of her mother’s funeral flashing before her eyes. The weight of her choices, the pressure of her debt – it all came crashing down around her. She should have never been in this position. Never.

"Please," she begged, her voice barely audible. "I can't keep doing this."

Tim's face hardened, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Oh, Savannah," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "You think one small piece of useless information is enough to clear your debt? You're naiver than I thought. You are a stupid girl who got involved with the wrong people. Next time, don’t take loans out from people who will snuff out your entire family and be about as bothered by their deaths as they would a cockroach who dared to enter their homes. You mean nothing to us. You are a vessel for information, nothing more and nothing less. So, no. Your debt has not been paid off.”

His words cut through her. She was angry and wanted nothing more than to lash out at him, to punch him in his smug face. She knew she was safe, there were at least half a dozen former special forces operators within a two-minute run to her. But she couldn’t. Not yet anyway. She had to stick to what they’d rehearsed.

"No," Tim continued, leaning in close. "You're going to keep feeding me information until I say otherwise. This little morsel? It's just an appetizer. I want the main course, and you're going to deliver it. After that, we’ll talk dessert. Maybe, and it’s unlikely, but maybe, after the cherry is placed on top, we will wipe your debt free. You borrowed a lot of money and accrued even more interest. Every day that goes by, more interest is tacked on top."

Savannah felt her throat constrict. "But -"

"But nothing," Tim snapped, his eyes cold. "You made your bed when you borrowed that money. Now lie in it. I own you, Savannah. Don't you ever forget that. Now get back to work and get us some actual useful fucking intel."

The park bench creaked softly as Tim shifted his weight, unaware of the tiny microphone hidden beneath its peeling paint. Across the park, Arrow's eyes narrowed, his fingers tapping lightly against his thigh in a coded rhythm. Three other Watchmen, strategically positioned around the perimeter, responded with subtle nods. He was alerting them all that she was done, headed to where Savage had the car parked, out of sight of the park.

Savannah's blinked back tears, willing herself not to break down in public. She’d done it, for the most part, followed the plan. She didn’t feel good about it, though.

"Savannah," Tim's voice called after her, dripping with malice. "I'll be in touch."

She didn't turn back, couldn't bear to see his smug face again. Instead, she focused on putting one foot in front of the other, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. At least I gave him the information. At least that part of The Watchmen’s plan was put into motion. They’d have to wait and see if he’d take the bait. Would he call Zeb? Would The Rejects set up an ambush? She prayed they would.

As she neared the edge of the park, Savannah's steps quickened. The parking lot beckoned, and right around the curve, her Daddy was sitting in a dark SUV, ready to take her away from here.

What if it wasn't enough? The doubt crept in. What if Tim sees through the lie? What if he doesn’t tell Zeb? What if all of this was for nothing?

She shook her head. No, she couldn't let herself spiral. The Watchmen had prepared her for this. They would protect her. Savage would protect her. Whatever happened next, she’d be safe. Savage wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But what about her sister? Her niece? They had to stop Zeb from hurting not only them, but anyone else.

Savage was waiting in the driver’s seat when Savannah got into the vehicle. Apparently, The Watchmen had a fleet of dark SVU’s with blacked out windows. It reminded her of the vehicles that followed the President’s motorcade. He’d already told her he wouldn’t get out unless something happened, careful to protect her cover.

“You, okay?” He asked her. “You did so good, baby.” He leaned across the seat to drop a kiss on her forehead before reaching for her seatbelt and securing it.

"I was so scared," she confessed. "I thought for sure he'd see right through me."

His calloused hand gently cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "But he didn't. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ve been strong for way too long, baby. You're mine now. Your job is to sit back, relax and let Daddy do the heavy lifting."

She leaned into his touch, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. "What happens now?"

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