Page 53 of Savage

“Yeah, pretty much.” He looked away from me, grabbing more soap and slathering it all over my body. “I don’t want to see you caught up in anything like that. I want to keep you and Iris safe from the underworld. It’s a dangerous place, and there’s always a target on our backs. It’s better for women to be kept on the outside—like Ginger,” he said, giving me a slight smile. “she’s been married to Bear for over twenty-five years, and I think she’s heard a lot of shit, but she’s never gotten involved with anything.”

“Right,” I said with a sigh. “But she lives on the outside of everything.”

“Yeah…” his voice trailed off as my hands landed on his chest, soaping up the little bit of chest hair there. I lathered up his body, grabbing a loofa and building the suds. I made my way down his arms, admiring the ink covering them.

“I just wanna take care of you,” Gunner said softly.

“Then maybe answer my calls…” I didn’t meet his eyes as I said the words, knowing there was a chance I irritated him.

“I’ll try and get better at it. I just haven’t ever tried to balance a relationship with the club.” His voice was flat and unenthused, like he was only saying that because he wanted me to stop bugging him about it.

And so I did—but not because of that.

I froze at the sight of cracked and bloodied knuckles on his hand, the one that I was trying to get clean. I blinked a few times, tempted to ask him what had happened. I could tell they were fresh, and it made my stomach clench.

Was this what he was doing when I called?

I ignored the thought, washing over the scrapes and bruises methodically. “So, do you think that you can stay the night? Or do you have business?” My voice was strained, and I knew that he picked up on it.

“I don’t know what I’ll be doing tonight. I’m waiting to hear from Viper.”

“Right,” I muttered, stepping back as he rinsed his body under the warm water. I admired his toned muscles, though I couldn’t help but notice the fresh scrapes and bruises lining his back. Whatever he had gotten himself into, he hadn’t come out unscathed.

He lives a dangerous life.

Before I could ask him about them, he stepped out of the shower, toweling himself dry. I followed suit, stepping out and wrapping up in the gray towel he held out for me. I dried off, watching him pick up his phone from the counter.

“I gotta go.” He didn’t even look up at me.

Of course.

Chapter 22

Gunner

“I don’t think she’s going to put up with not knowing anything.” I peered over to Viper as he maneuvered along a dark alley behind Francis’s house. “She feels on the outside, and I keep letting her down.”

“How do you keep letting her down? You not getting it up or something?” Viper laughed, glancing back at Axle, squatting in the back.

“No,” I snapped back at him. “I just… I don’t answer her calls while we’re taking care of shit—and I missed being there for her.”

“You gotta learn to balance it,” Viper said, putting the van in park. “And gotta teach her that you’ll call as soon as you can. She’s gotta trust that you’ll be back for her every time. Hal was already left by you once, and you’re going to have to take the time it takes to make that up to her.”

“Yeah, I’ll figure it out.” I took a deep breath as Axle pushed open the van doors.

“You sure just three of us can handle this guy?” he called back to us, dropping his ski mask over his face. “Because cops can be a little tricky.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone too tricky for you, bud.” I laughed as I climbed out, dropping my own mask. “But we do need to get this over with.”

“Enough flirting,” Viper snapped at us, heading to the backyard gate. “He’ll be home from work soon, and we need to be ready for him. We know he doesn’t have any cameras, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have any tricks up his sleeve.”

“Touché.” Axle stepped through the gate entrance.

The three of us made our way across the backyard, and as much as I hated to say it, the guy made it way too easy. He didn’t have any dogs, any security systems, and there were no special locks on his sliding glass door, which Viper seamlessly entered.

“Why isn’t Will with us?” I asked as we stepped into the quiet, modest home.

“Because he’s on standby.”

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