Page 1 of Savage

Prologue

"You got a minute?"

"Yes, sure." Completely unaware that he was about to turn my world upside down, I got off my bike and headed over to him. "Whatcha got on your mind?"

"She told you about the scholarship, right?"

"Yeah, she did." I smiled as I told him, "It's awesome. I'm real proud of her."

"I'm proud of her, too. She's worked damn hard for that scholarship." He ran his hand through his salt and pepper hair. "It'd be a shame if she passed it up."

"Why would she pass on it?"

“You know why.” He shook his head. “She loves you. There’s no way she’s gonna be away from you. Hell, you haven't been apart for more than a couple of days since you two started dating."

"Yeah, but college is different."

"You’re right. It is...It’s completely different.”

His harsh tone was unexpected. I'd always thought a lot of him, and I thought he felt the same about me. Clearly, I was wrong. "I'm not sure what you're getting at.”

“She needs to take this scholarship.”

“Never said she shouldn’t.” He seemed rattled, so I tried to calm him down by saying, “I care about Londyn. I want the best for her."

"Yeah, as long as it goes along with what you want.”

“I’m not following.”

“It’s not like it’s hard... Everything has always been about you. Your family. Your brothers. Your club. Your rules,” he snapped. “She’s young. Her path hasn’t been set like yours. She has options. She has a chance at a different life...One that doesn’t include the dangers she’d face being associated with Fury.”

“You never had a problem with us being together before.”

“I never thought it would go anywhere. Thought it was just a phase and you’d both grow out of it. But that never happened.”

“It’s never gonna happen. I love her... I always will.”

“You say that now, but in time, things will change.” His eyes locked on mine as he told me, “You’re a good kid. She’s always thought a lot of you and your folks, but you’re not the right guy for her.”

I wanted to respond, but I couldn’t.

His words hit me like a sledgehammer. I’d always felt like I wasn't good enough and hearing it from her father only reinforced that feeling. I was doing everything I could to keep from completely losing it when he poured salt on my wounds. “You two are on two different paths. You have the club. That’s set. It’s who you are and who you wanna be, and that’s great. I’m glad you have that. But Londyn’s door is wide open. She can go anywhere. Do anything. And if you love her as much you say you do, you’ll let her find her own way.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

"You can, and if you’re the man I think you are, you will.” He reached over and gave my bicep a fatherly squeeze. “Let her have the life she deserves. Convince her to take that scholarship.”

Without saying anything more, he turned and went back into the house, and I was left feeling like my heart had been ripped from my chest. I’d wanted to believe that he was wrong and that I could give her the life she deserved, but deep down, I knew he was right.

He was right about everything.

I just had to figure out what I was going to do about it.

CHAPTER1

Savage

“Igive up,” Torch grumbled, his gaze fixated on Wrath and Mia sitting alone in the back corner. “It’s just not gonna happen.”

---