Page 79 of Sweet Sin

“I do. And she’s in there, cleaning up my kitchen.”

“So you’ve fallen hard.”

“I think I already told you, man. I’d burn down the whole state of Texas for her.”

Leif touches my forearm, but I jerk away.

“Easy,” he says.

“I think there’s still a part of Savage in me.”

“Yeah, there is. There’s a part of Phoenix in me.”

“Phoenix?”

“It was my nickname in the SEALs. I had a knack for getting out of scrapes, so they called me Phoenix, like that bird that burns down and then rises from the ashes to live again.”

“I wanted to leave Savage in prison. But it’s not possible.”

“Nope, Falcon. It’s not.”

“They’re going to come for me, Leif. They’re going to come for me because that derelict died. They’ll say that because I’m an ex-con, it was premeditated or something. It doesn’t even have to be premeditated for manslaughter. I went on the inside to protect someone I love. And I would do it again. But that’s not what’s going on here.”

“Maybe you’d be protecting Savannah.”

“Savannah’s guy lived, thank God. The only way I can protect Savannah is if I’m by her side, guarding her. She’s got that rival Austin family after her, so I need to protect her.”

“You’re serious.”

“I am. These feelings I have for her, they’re…” I slam my fist against my heart “They’re maddening. Literally maddening, as if I’m losing myself in them. I feel like a rabid dog, going after anything that gets in the way of what I want. What I love.”

Leif nods, his countenance solemn. “I feel you, Falcon. Believe me. I do.”

“How do you deal with this?”

“You do what you can…without breaking any laws.”

I stand, pace around a bit. “I haven’t broken a law, but that’s not going to stop them from coming.”

“I have resources,” Leif says. “I can get you out of here.”

Right. Resources. Leif could get Savannah and me new IDs and everything else we need. We could leave tonight, I’d bet. Be out of the country by morning.

Sydney runs toward me and drops her ball at my feet. Sammy’s busing getting pets from Leif.

I just adopted a dog.

These two are great dogs, and they could easily find a new home. But I made a commitment to them.

I laugh out loud—a sarcastic and guttural laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Leif asks.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. My thoughts are all over the place. I want to run. But I want to stay, and there are hundreds of reasons not to run.” I shake my head. “And the first thing I think of are the dogs.”

Leif strokes Sammy’s soft puppy coat. “Say what?”

“I know I’m not making sense.” I take Sammy from Leif and hold him to my chest. “I’m not going anywhere, Sammy,” I say softly.

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