Page 34 of Savage Hunter

Yeah. A six foot two inch two-hundred fifty pound problem I thought I would never see again in my life let alone worry my secrets might spill from his lips. But Mace isn’t asking me.

When did I think of Wolfe as a problem? I bite at the inside of my lip. Huh. As soon as he fell on his knees in front of you. And then again when Ares asked if I knew him. And another handful of times since walking through the front door of Doc’s place.

Wolf’s chest inflates with a rough grunt. “Only if you don’t take your hands off her,my friend.” Brand new razors straight out of the package are duller compared to Wolfe’s cutting tone. The man I have seen eliminate over a dozen highly armed assassins levels his hard gaze on Mace and I know it’s only a matter of minutes before blood runs.

I hold my hands up between them and hope no one is paying attention to the dick measuring between the two beasts. God. That is the last thing today needs. “Hey, do you two mind? Stop acting like I belong to either of you and you…” I turn my eyes up to Wolfe and he strokes the underside of my chin with a brush of his finger. Something he used to do. My eyes shutter closed but spring open the second he is not touching me. “These are my friends. Not every man is out to hurt me, okay? I appreciate your instant protective mode but I’m safe here.”

That last part seems to crack through the wall of testosterone Wolfe seems locked behind.

Mace must not hear me because he’s pushing me behind him.

“What the fuck did you say to me?”

This is getting very old quickly. I ball my fist and peg Mace in the chest. “Hey. You. Is the air up there too thin? I said enough.”

“Wolfe. Help me out here for a minute.” Fergie calls Wolfe over to help her with the newcomer.

“I won’t be long. We need to find a place to talk.”

Yes, we do. Everything in me wants to know where he was for the last thirteen months. Did he try to search for me? How did he get away from my mother? Does he still love me? That last one is petty with so much more at stake. And who am I kidding? I can’t walk down that path again. No one will want me after the things they forced me to do. And I don’t blame them. Teasing and flirting with Mace is one thing but I know deep down there’s a reason he hasn’t made a move on me—my past. And that is okay. It’s better this way. Once I tell Wolfe he’ll be hands off, too.

Alone, Mace looks down at me and the well meaning man asks, “Everything okay between you and the new guy? Why’s he acting like Tarzan over you?”

Because he took my virginity, nearly died for me, and then saw me kidnapped and shoved into a sex trafficking ring at my mother’s request. He’s probably dealing with PTSD on top of suffering from guilt. At least that is what my therapist would say.

I swallow that answer and go for something that won’t have everyone looking at me with buckets of sympathy and asking really hard questions I don’t want to answer. “What do you mean new guy? I would know about any new Savages joining the crew.”

“Yeah, sweet thing. Ares patched him in on the road about a week ago. Maybe two.”

“While you were out hunting for Rage?”

“Yep.”

“Who is the woman on the couch?”

“Persephone. Persi is what everyone is calling her.”

“Will she be okay?”

Mace lifts a substantial-sized shoulder. “Should be. But I’m more worried about you.”

Dragon comes out of the basement, wiping his hands on a crisp white towel. “Our boy will make it but he’s going to be sore as fuck. I tried to pump him full of painkillers and sedatives but he pushed them away.”

Persi is off the couch faster than I thought she could move and is in Dragon’s space like she wants to be the first down the stairs.

Around us there’s a round of cheers and then all the hushed whispers are full of everyone talking over the next person.

Mace puts his lips next to my ear and his hand on my hip, pulling my attention off Persephone and on him. “After we finish here, come and see me. I have what Ares asked me to prepare for you. He wants me to give it to you directly once this settles. Cool?”

I raise to the tips of my toes and hold Wolfe’s eyes as I kiss Mace on the cheek again. I don’t want to give him the wrong impression, and I might kick myself in the ass later but I let him slide his arm around me and squeeze.

What the hell are you doing? I tell the voice in my head to shut up and just appreciate the glitter of danger in Wolfe’s eyes.

Wolfe pushes off the kitchen counter where he’s taken up a spot that isn’t exactly glued to my side but isn’t out of earshot either.

I step out of Mace’s hold. “Is there anything I can do to help here?”

“Rage could probably use some of your sunshine, sweet thing. Why don’t you go down and see him and then maybe take a nap.”

---