Page 283 of Savage Brothers MC: Tennessee Chapter

“Don’t start that shit, Ellie.We’ll work this out when I get back and you will be here,” he orders, his voice gruff.It’s full of anger and frustration, but even through it I can hear his worry.He loves me, I know he does, but he loves his club more and that’s always been the case.I’ve been lying to myself, because now I know the truth.

I can’t accept coming in second to his club.

Not anymore.

Liam steps into me, his hands going on either side of my face and he pulls my mouth roughly up to his, kissing me.

Liam’s kisses always make my heart quicken.Even after all this time together, each kiss is like our first one.It never stops feeling new and exciting.I always feel my heart quicken and my skin tingle.My breath has to be pushed from my lungs, because it feels so good that I forget to breathe.From day one, Liam has been my everything.I thought I could accept being the second-most important thing to him.

Maybe I could have.

But, everything has changed now.

Everything.

When we break apart, his steel gray eyes bore into me.

“I love you, Ellie.”

His words break my heart.

“I love you, too, Liam,” I murmur, each word painful.

“We’ll work this out,” he says again.I don’t say anything.There’s nothing left to say.

Then, he walks away without a second look.

I stand there, rooted to the spot, as he leaves.I watch until he’s completely out of sight, praying that it’s not the last time I ever see Liam Maverick again.

Chapter1

Fury

I watchas the three bikers pull in beside me, dust kicking up all around us.I hate the fucking desert.I hate being here.I want to get back to Tennessee.I’m too old for these damn road trips.

I keep my gun hidden.I’m not getting bad vibes out of these guys.They’re not wearing a patch.Just bikers in general, and from the looks of their boots, they are weekend riders.

“What’s the problem, man?”one of them asks.He looks to be older than me, salt and pepper hair, goatee, earring, and a sleeve tattoo that is a mixture of skulls and butterflies of all things.You wouldn’t think those would go together, but even I have to admit it’s a sweet piece of ink.I wouldn’t personally wear it, but to each their own.Fuck, if I tried that shit, Devil would hand me my ass daily over it.

“Bike started sputtering about a mile back.I was hoping to make it to the next gas station, but it didn’t work out that way,” I respond, nodding at the other two.They don’t look that different from the first guy, a little more preppy, and I notice all three are wearing wedding rings.I pull my gaze from that.Too many memories want to spring forth at the reminder of that shit.

Ellie.

How long is that fucking woman going to haunt me?

I’m starting to think forever.

“You got tools?”one of the guys ask.

“Just the one I was born with,” I respond with a smirk while they laugh.

“Dude, everyone knows to bring their tool kit with them on their bike,” one of them criticizes.I manage to not roll my eyes at the biker-wanna-be—barely.I’m not about to tell them this is a bike I bought at a fucking pawn shop about fifty miles back, because I got tired of renting a cage and feeling closed in.It’s a piece of shit, not worth what I paid for it, and about as far from my sexy metallic green Indian Springfield as you can get.Still, I got to feel the air, breathe it in and feel free for the first time in weeks, so it was worth it…until it died.

I am supposed to be in Florida.I never planned on carting my ass out to Arizona.I hate this fucking state.It’s too damn hot for one, and it reminds me of meeting Ellie.Ever since crossing the state line, I swear to fuck I keep thinking I see her everywhere.It’s never her, but for a minute, when I look at a woman with white-gold hair, the color of a palomino’s mane, my chest goes tight.

I haven’t seen Wolf at all, but when I got to Florida the trail to Torrent’s sister led to Phoenix, Arizona of all places.I tried to bow out.Returning to Arizona was not what I wanted, even if Ellie had never lived close to Phoenix.Her family does live about five hours north, in Page, Arizona.I don’t even know if she’s still there, but I figure she is.That’s where her family lives and where she was living when we met.

God, that feels like a lifetime ago…and I guess, maybe it was.

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