Page 83 of Filthy Rogue

His experiences had left him scattered and uncertain how to go about the next twenty years of his life. Lifers within the military, which described my father, took their positions seriously, their core developed into a fighting machine. Their duties often stripped away that tenuous hold they had on the rest of their lives and left them broken. I’d heard enough stories to know that’s what Savage was going through.

He’d replaced his oath to the Army with a pledge to his brother, and nothing and no one would ever be able to change his mind.

Including me.

I hadn’t seen or heard from Savage in several hours. His absence worried me, whatever he had planned was dangerous. That much I knew in my heart. I wanted more than anything to be able to help him, but I wasn’t capable of prying my way through his remaining armor. It was exhausting. Maybe I was afraid of what I’d find hidden underneath.

Or maybe by that point I knew I’d been far too connected to ever be able to pull away from him.

After rubbing my eyes tired from spending hours becoming familiar with every contract, I pushed away from my desk, glancing at my phone for the tenth time. I wasn’t certain why I’d expected a phone call from Savage. He wasn’t that kind of guy. Maybe I was hoping we could talk about what happened. I had a feeling I knew what he’d say if I requested a conversation. ‘Talking is highly overrated’ or at least something of that nature.

I’d been wrong to snoop through his things. How many times had I admonished myself for doing so? At this point, it was a rift that I doubted could be repaired. Besides, I’d made up my mind how to go forward from here. It was the right thing to do, even if the ache would remain for a long time.

I had to just get this over with or the anxiety was going to eat me alive. As soon as I grabbed my phone, visions of the night before popped into my mind. Damn it. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? Why? The man had managed to get under my skin in such a way a single thought brought me into a full state of arousal. I closed my eyes, trying to rid my mind of the filthy images, but it only exacerbated the situation.

Vivid still shots of the man flowed through my mind, feasting on the desire that furrowed deep inside.

His hard body.

His thick cock.

The stubble on his strong jaw.

The fierce look in his eyes just seconds before he devoured me.

“Oh.” The single moan slipped from my mouth as I dropped my head into my hands. This was getting out of control.

“Is there a problem?”

His husky voice trickled through me, building to a damning crescendo. I lifted my head, hating the fact I could barely breathe around him. He’d closed the door behind him, standing close enough I noticed a few spots on his shirt. I jerked to a standing position, lowering my gaze until I could also see his knuckles appeared discolored.

“What happened? What did you do?” In his hand was a file. “Are you okay?”

He chuckled as he walked closer. “You’re very demanding today.”

“You confronted that mafia person, didn’t you?” Hell, yes, I was demanding. Antagonizing a man like Michael Azzurri was akin to asking for a death sentence. I’d seen enough movies, had read enough articles to know Savage’s methods of handling business wouldn’t be accepted.

“Let’s just say I found an out clause in the contracts for Triple Adventure and Diamond Skies.” He tossed the file onto my desk. “Effective immediately.”

I glanced down at the papers, trying to figure out what to say. “That’s a significant loss of income.” As if I gave a damn about the money.

“I’m certain you’ll work on making up the difference. You’re tenacious.”

There was such a coldness in his voice, as if this was nothing but typical business. “What happened to your hand?”

Savage flexed it several times. “Let’s just say I had a disagreement with a couple of men who didn’t seem to like me very much.”

“What the hell are you doing? You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Protecting what’s mine.”

I shook my head, moving away from the desk but keeping my distance from him. “There’s blood on your shirt.”

“Just a stain. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“Just a stain? Why are you doing this? You know what they could do. Do you want to risk Lily’s safety? I can take care of myself, but that little girl is precious and all you have.”

“She’s not the only person who means something to me.” When he walked closer, I immediately walked away, turning my back.

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