Page 40 of Savage Cravings

Three blocks later, I pulled into said diner.

It seemed to have been built in the 1970s, and hadn’t been remodeled since.

But food was food, and I didn’t have the energy to look for food elsewhere.

I parked the car near the door and climbed out.

An older man who looked like he was a former Marine came out at the same time I reached it and held the door open for me.

He shot me a smile.

I nodded my thanks and quickly moved in, surprised to find it busier than I had expected.

“Just find a seat at any of the open tables, sweetheart,” a woman, probably in her mid-thirties, shouted at me.

I looked around and found a booth in the corner by the window that looked out toward the front.

Perfect.

This way, I could see people coming and going into the diner.

A menu was tucked away by the condiments on the table, and I grabbed it, then looked at all the options they had.

My mouth watered, and my stomach grumbled.

The waitress who had directed me to find a seat approached me with a tired expression, but a kind smile.

I didn’t think anyone had ever shot me a kind smile before.

Not even the teachers at school.

Not when my last name was synonymous with everything bad and ugly in Chicago.

I blinked, trying to keep from appearing too surprised.

“What can I get you, dear?”

“Um, can I have the breakfast plate, with scrambled eggs and bacon?”

“And would you like toast or pancakes on the side?”

“Pancakes, please. And some coffee.”

The smile never left her face as she wrote down my order and left to put it in.

I ran my hands down on the table in front of me, feeling the smooth surface as I kept my eyes trained out the window.

A shadow fell over me.

“Are you stalking me now, angel?”

I jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. I had heard his voice for the first time last night, but there was no doubt in my mind who it was.

And sure enough, when I looked up, I was met with familiar brown eyes that in the morning light didn’t look as harsh as they had in the restaurant—definitely not when he was all alone.

I peeked behind Silas, expecting his brothers to be with him, but it seemed he was all alone, and I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or disappointed.

No—

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