Page 57 of Savage Promises

She shrugs, unbothered. “Fine. But the app is staying on your phone. Just in case.”

I shove the phone into my pocket, the app still dinging away. I’m more annoyed with myself than Mara. She’s right about one thing. I should find someone else.

I awkwardly gaze out at my club, looking at male customers differently for the first time. I catch sight of a very handsome guy in a nice suit ordering a drink at the VIP table, but my stomach twists. Nobody else has that soul-shattering effect on me like Shane.

From the bouncer tunnel, a large party floods in. I slide off the stool, making room at the bar, and retreat to my office. The worn leather chair behind my desk creaks as I sink into it. My phone buzzes in my skirt’s pocket,more notifications from the dating app. Curious, I pull it out and look.

The messages are surprisingly normal. Guys in button-down shirts or polos offer friendly smiles saying hello, asking about... I lean in to see if I’m reading correctly. One guy asks about Hawk.

Clever.

I scroll through the rest of the photos that Mara uploaded and the ones with me and my furry guy get the most likes.

Figures.

Several ask if he’s available for adoption. I delete those, worrying I put a bounty on his little head. Some people might even track me down to The Sterling and if they see Hawk sitting on the piano cleaning his paws, they’ll snatch him. Every other profile I view seems nice. Normal. Boring.

I sigh, closing the app, and set the phone aside. My life isn’t in a good place for dating right now. Especially with Shane Quinlan still occupying space in my head.

The night ticks on, and by the time two a.m. is knocking on the door, the club is nearly empty. My staff has the closing routine down to a science, so I step outside to wait for Liam. As the last bouncer on duty for the night, he brings my car around from the parking lot. He never lets me walk there myself this late.

The chilly air bites at my skin, but it’s refreshing after the warmth of the club.

That’s when I see him. The same guy who got thrown out by Liam for causing trouble on the dance floor. He’s swaying slightly, cursing to himself.

“Hey,” he slurs, noticing me. “I know you. You were in that shitty bar.”

I ignore him and turn to go back inside.

With my fingers around the club’s door handle, theguy’s voice turns meaner.

“Do you think you’re too good to talk to me? Like that cunt who wouldn’t dance with me?”

“Have a good night, sir,” I say, keeping my tone even.

I go to pull on the door handle again, but before I can step inside, he grabs my arm.

“Don’t walk away from me,” he growls, his grip tightening painfully.

Fear prickles along the back of my neck. I yank my arm, but his hold doesn’t budge. “Let go of me.”

The guy grins, leaning in closer with horrible breath from too much hard liquor. “Oh no. I got you now. Andyou’llgive me what I want.”

My heart lands in my dry throat, and I reach into my purse for the pepper spray. But this mountain of a guy hauls me off my feet and drags me toward the nearby alleyway.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shane

Astorm brews in my chest watching the notifications of a dating app installed on Lennox’s phone ping and ping and ping. Men want her. I told myself I wouldn’t overreact. But listening to Mara and Lennox through one of the bugs I installed at Echelon and hearing her laugh about being set up with strange men snapped me in half.

I should’ve confronted her earlier tonight at Neve’s game. Cleared the air before she went back to work. Lennox is mine, even if she doesn’t know it yet. And I’m done playing games.

I leave my brownstone with Creed on my six after one of the junior guards retrieved my car from the garage around the corner.

From the backseat, I tell Creed, “Get me to Echelon. Right fucking now.”

“10-4, boss.”

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