Page 58 of Savage Promises

At this hour the bridge is empty, but every cable we pass ticks down the seconds I’m away from Lennox. We reach Astoria and the familiar streets don’t offer their usual comfort. Not when I’m about to explode.

The Sentinel’s engine roars as Creed glances at me through the rearview mirror. “Five minutes until we reach Club Echelon, boss.”

“Not good enough. Floor it,” I growl, my eyes scanning the streets for her car as we approach the club.

At just past two a.m., Lennox might be long gone. Already on a date. Already in a man’s bed. The knot in my chest tightens. With just a suggestion of a dating app from Mara, the thing got installed, and now Lennox thinks she can find someone else.

Nothappening.

The white stone façade of Club Echelon comes into view. The usual twirling Hollywood-style lights out front are shut down, and the building is in the shadow of darkness. But a streetlamp catches movement near the alley that stretches behind the club.

A man is dragging someone. A woman, who is putting up a fight and losing. The gleam of dark shiny hair I’d recognize anywhere knocks the breath from my lungs.

Lennox.

My heart slams into my ribs as I see her struggle in the guy’s hold.

“Stop the car!” I shout, and before the vehicle comes to a full halt, I’m out, screaming to Creed over my shoulder. “Call Connor. Tell him to drop whatever he’s doing and meet me here.”

I sprint across the empty road, but a car comes out of nowhere, nearly hitting me. I dart to avoid it and barrel toward the alley.

“Hey!” I roar, my voice echoing off every brick in the building.

The bastard spins around, dropping Lennox. I slam into him, knocking him to the ground, and leverage my weight on him, pinning him with my foot on his neck.

Down on her hands and knees now, Lennox blinks up at me with tear-filled eyes. “Shane?”

“Get out of here,” I snap at her. “Get into your club. Where the fuck is Liam?”

“Getting my car.” She sits there on her knees frozen, watching me, like shewantsto watch me hurt this guy.

The man beneath me curses, trying to get out from under my hold, but I bend down and deliver a savage punch to his throat. Then another to his face. Again and again, on and on. Adrenaline surges through me, drowning out everything else around me. The image of Lennox’s fear-laced grimace and her arm in his filthy gripfuel every blow to this animal’s head.

I don’t stop. Not until his body goes limp beneath me, his blood pooling onto the pavement.

“Shane!” Creed grabs my shoulder, pulling me back.

I stagger to stay on my feet, my chest heaving, my knuckles stinging.

Lennox is still on the ground, trembling. Her terrified eyes dart from my shirt and hands covered in blood, to the lifeless man at my feet and back to me.

She saweverything.

I’m shaking with rage. As much as I want to hold Lennox, I can’t. But she won’t take her eyes off me.

Connor arrives moments later. “What the bleedin’ fuck happened?” he asks me, his voice low and dangerous.

“He attacked Lennox. I caught him.”

“Caught him? You wrung the life out of him, Shane.” Connor bends over to feel the guy’s pulse. “Faint. He’s not dead. Want me to finish him off?”

“No, no don’t,” Lennox chokes out.

“It’s not up to you, lass,” Connor says grimly.

I haven’t killed anyone in a long time. I don’t remember the last guy whose life left his eyes by my hands. My brothers and I were savages working for the O’Rourkes. But it was never personal.Thiswas personal.

“Give me your heat,” I say to Connor. “Creed, get back in the car.”

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