Page 18 of Hawk

Finally, I brought out the petite filet with scalloped potatoes and took my place across from Lloyd.

We all started to eat when Eckhart put his fork down and glared at me.

“Are you still working at the dump of a diner?”

I nodded. “I am. Moose has done an excellent job of sprucing it up. He’s even allowed me to make some changes to the menu.”

He rolled his eyes as he looked at Lloyd. “That’s peasant work, Savannah. I really don’t understand why Lloyd continues to let you work there. And now those scoundrels took over...the town should just burn them all down.”

I nodded my head in silence as Lloyd glared at me. Eckhart pointed to Lloyd.

“I just don’t understand why you still keep her around, Lloyd. She’s nothing in this town. No money, no land, no nothing. You can do better, my boy. It’s time to let her go and let me introduce you to some of the young women at the bank.”

I bowed my head and kept my mouth shut as Eckhart continued on right in front of me.

“I mean really, Lloyd. She has a high school diploma. No college education, no proper job. She’s not even that pretty. You can do so much better. There’s this one doll I met, Abigail. Wonderful little delight.”

Lloyd shook his head and looked at his father. “I still need Savannah around the house. I don’t have time to train another woman. She knows what I like and what I expect.”

Eckhart laughed. “Then keep her as a housekeeper and just fuck her on the side. Savannah is not wife material, Lloyd.”

I gasped as Eckhart just creepily smiled at me. I threw my napkin down on the table and pushed my chair back, running from the room.

That was enough. I would not be some slave while Lloyd lived the life I wanted with some other woman. Bambi was right; I deserved more and needed to finally lean on my friends. The Devil’s Highwaymen could protect me this time. There was just a small amount of courage in my soul, but I was going to use it all and leave.

As I ran down the hall, I took my cell phone out and called Bambi. She answered just as I slammed my bedroom door shut.

“Hey, girl! You good?”

I grabbed a bag and packed my things. “No. I’m done here. Please come get me. You’ll need the guys, Eckhart is here. I am so-”

The door whipped open, and Lloyd stood there with an angry look on his face. He stalked toward me and grabbed the cellphone out of my hand, throwing it at the wall and causing it to smash into a million pieces.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Did I give you permission to leave the table? Do you enjoy making a fucking scene?”

I tried to push past him, but he just blocked my path. “I’m done! You let your father say those horrible things about me! You treat me like I’m nothing!”

Lloyd pushed me back on the bed and grabbed my hair to pull my head back. I kicked with everything I had and tried to escape from him.

“That’s because you are nothing! You are fucking nothing without me, Savannah Brooks! I made you who you are today. And I’ll be fucking damned if I let another man reap what I’ve created. If I can’t have you, nobody fucking will!”

Lloyd’s fists came flying down on my face and stomach as I tried to block them. He was too strong, though, and I only had my feet to get him away.

I screamed as he dragged me by the hair onto the floor and kicked me in the side. I heard footsteps as the blood seeped from me onto the floor and hoped it was Bambi.

Instead, I looked up at the cold eyes of Eckhart. He kicked me in the face before grabbing Lloyd.

“Those lowlife bikers are coming. I can hear them pulling up the driveway. We’ll get to my house and leave from there. Let’s go!”

They each kicked me one last time before Lloyd spit on me as he walked out of the room. I just laid there, covered in my blood and tears, when Bambi and The Devil’s Highwaymen came running into the room.

Hawk dropped to his knees right beside me and gathered me up in his arms. “He’s fucking dead, Sav. I’m going to kill that motherfucker.”

He picked me up and laid me on the bed so Bambi could talk to me. “Hey, babe. Lilah has the ambulance on the way to bring you to the medical center. Then we’re gonna get you over to Hope Hearted, okay?”

All I could do was nod as she gently stroked my hair. Hawk leaned in and whispered to me.

“I’m gonna pack some things for you. Anything specific you want?”

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