Page 17 of Savage Temptation
“You need to know why I left. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes, we do. But first, there’s some people who need to hear what you have to say. And the sooner the better.”
My heart sinks. I am not ready to face anyone else right now. “You mean your crew. The club girls. Charli.” I didn't think my plan all the way out when I ran to Jagger. Way back when I was an item with him, his friends treated me like family. I left with no explanation. If I walk back through their door, they’ll probably shove me right back out of it and slam it in my face. And I would deserve it.
“They are yours, too, you know.” Jagger considers me in the moonlight for a long heartbeat. I know I’m an outsider now.
“Stop what you’re thinking right now, baby.”
He cups either side of my face between his palms again and waits until I peel my eyes off his chest before continuing.
“You’re welcome where I’m welcome. None of the crew will say a damn thing to you but hello and welcome back, you got that?”
Slate gray turns into dark granite.
My stomach does a kind of roll around that has me queasy. “Okay I guess,” I offer tentatively, sounding more than a little nervous even to my own ears. “I’ll share anything that will help you stop Euphoria from killing more people and find Oliver. But you will need help. Oliver is big. He’s got deep connections and will pay lots of dirty money to anyone to get what he wants. He’s going to hurt…” I stop mid sentence and sit upright on the bike.
“Oh, my God! I am such an idiot. Jagger, I need to get a hold of my sister.” Blood drains from my face and fingers until I’m shaking. “I did a lot to make sure it would be hard to take her, but like I said Oliver is a dirty fucker and there’s no way he doesn’t know where she is.”
“Whoa. Slow down. Take a breath.”
My hands turn into fists around the last of my feathers. “I need to warn her and to get to her safe place. Can I use your cell phone?”
He pulls it from his back pocket and hands it over. “Code is zero, six, two, four.”
Our eyes meet. I recognize what was supposed to be our wedding date, I want to melt right then and there from embarrassment, but I don’t have that kind of luxury. He reaches out and fixes my ragged hair. Or a piece of it that hangs over my eyes. “What are you not telling me? Why did you need to stash your sister away?”
I swallow thickly.
“Err… she was. It was too dangerous to leave her so exposed. Oliver left her alone as long as I played to his every whim.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath to settle my ragged nerves. “Look. I have a big story to tell you, but right now can you help me? I mean, more than you already are. My sister is in Chicago. I moved her out of New Orleans the same week I left you, and hid her there. Oliver hates that city so I figured it was the best place to put her in case he turned on me and the deal my father made.”
Ghosts of my past sins against the man in front of me drift over his dark eyes. There’s buried pain there, and I caused it. I can only hope he will let me explain and he can forgive me.
“Tell me where she is, baby. I’ll take care of getting her safe and once we have a minute, you’re going to tell me all the ugly shit you’ve been hiding. I can’t help you with half truths.” He takes the phone back.
My stomach churns. “Deal.” Fire replaces my blood. When I tell him everything he might throw me out the door. But there’s no escaping the truth. Something I’m learning the hard way.
“Now tell me where she is at. I’ll get help to her so you don’t have a heart attack.”
Instead of professing my undying gratitude, which I can do later, I opt for what he’s asking for. “She’s at a place called Club Genesis. I figured getting her a job around a lot of armed people wouldn’t be a bad idea. She’s a waitress there.”
His lip turns into an outright smirk instead of a flat line of disgust. My brows scrunch together. “Um. Something funny?”
He shakes his head still wearing that smirk. “Funny, no. But I have to say fate has a fucking enormous sense of humor. We have friends at Club Genesis. Hold tight.”
For the next five minutes I listen to a one-sided conversation between Jagger and someone named Harlon. There was someone named Cassius who came on the line at some point and then there was a Santi.
Jagger ends the call and sends a quick text out before he explains everything. “Those men are the owners of the club you stashed your sister at and friends. You must have a legion of guardian angels sitting on your shoulders, baby.” He takes my face in his hands and presses a warm, gentle kiss over my lips. “They have already pulled your sister from the floor and have her under their protection. They’ll keep her on the top floor until we give them further instructions.”
My heart finally leaves my throat. “Thank you, Jagger.” I slip my hand into his and link our fingers. “Thank you for not asking questions and just helping me. I can never repay your kindness.” Tears are impossible to fight back so I stop trying.
Dark brows scrunch over a deep scowl. “The truth is all I ask for. You never have to repay the love I have for you.” He kisses my tears away.
“I can do that.”
“I want to know why you didn’t trust me with whatever had you running away on our wedding day. But first, we have to get to the compound. Okay?”
I don’t know what I ever did to deserve this man.
