“You’ll have to find out,” I said, a last attempt to sound strong.
He grinned, the tension in his eyes softening.
“Or not.”
I laughed, and it felt like freedom. It felt like we had all the time in the world.
The sound of it echoed against the walls, a promise as solid as his hold.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, knowing it was true.
He lay beside me, an anchor. A salvation.
“You can’t,” he said. “Not anymore.”
I buried my face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent.
“I was afraid.”
“I know,” he said, stroking my hair. “Don’t be.”
It felt like a command.
It felt like love.
He stayed with me as sleep finally pulled me under, as the shadows disappeared with the coming of a new day.
He stayed.
We stayed.
Chapter 6
Menace
The day’s first shadows hadn’t faded from the walls when I woke with a start. Savannah’s cheek was pressed onto my shirt-covered chest, her arm slung over my stomach. Her confession cut through my mind, sharper than any alarm. I could still see the fear behind her eyes when she’d whispered the truth in the dark. “Calloway,” I muttered, tasting the name. Gently I removed her arm, grabbed my phone, and texted Bronc to see if she could stay with Juliet, my thumbs heavy as I punched out my request. She’d need someone besides me to talk to, someone to keep her secrets. I told Savannah as much last night, a knot pulling tight in my stomach as I thought of what it would take for her to let it all out. My shirt stuck to my skin as I pulled on my boots.
Bronc, need Savannah to stay with Juliet today. We’ve got too much to handle with Skeeter.The message hung there, stark and desperate. I scrubbed my hand over my face, hoping he wouldn’t ask too many questions yet. Not that I didn’t trust my brothers, but hell, if Savannah’s secret got out too soon, I wasn’t sure we’d have the time to react. The fucking King of the Eastern Wolves. I couldn’t get her voice out of my head, the tremor in it when she finally said her name.
I felt the pressure building behind my eyes. This would be a fucking day. I heard her stir as I set up the coffeemaker. She camearound the corner just as it started to drip into the carafe. Goddamn if she wasn’t a vision with her tangled auburn hair spilling out of the messy bun that sat atop her head.
Slowly, I made my way around the butcher block peninsula to her as she stood still as a statue. Those terrified green eyes held my every move. “Hey, Red. I don’t like your looking at me like a frightened lamb.” My hands cupped her face as I kissed my way down from her forehead to her lips.
Loved the way her breath caught at my slightest touch.
“I’m not afraid of you.,” she said breathlessly when I stopped. “But I won’t lie. The situation has me scared shitless.” She half laughed as she followed me to the kitchen to get the coffee mugs down from the cabinet as my phone buzzed. Her eyes widened as she saw Bronc’s name flash across the screen.
“I asked Bronc if you could stay with Juliet today. I want you to tell her everything. She can keep your secret, and you need to talk to someone. She’s a good one, Savannah. I trust her. You can too.”
Bronc’s answer was short and sweet.Yeah, she can stay. We’ll talk later.
While Savannah changed clothes and got herself together, I thought of Declan Calloway, of what he might be doing to track her down. Savannah wouldn’t be the only one he’d come after. Once he knew where she was, none of us were safe.
I thought about how the guys would react when they heard the news about who Savannah was. One shitstorm after another. I expected them to go a little ape shit. That was standard-issue behavior for such an occasion. I knew one thing was certain though: they were my brothers, and they’d stand with me, just like we stood with Bronc. Just like I’d stand with them. Hell or fucking high water. Life or death. I’d have their backs. And they’d sure as hell always have mine.
We stopped for a quick breakfast, and then I basically drove like a madman. My foot pressed heavy on the gas, the wind beating at the windows like it had fists. My heart kicked harder,thinking about how I could keep Savannah safe and hold the club together at the same time. I had to tell them what we were up against. And I had to tell them now. The conversation was light as we basically rode in silence. We must have had that in common. When I have heavy stuff on my mind, I tend to get quiet.
Then, I let myself think about Skeeter, let it distract me from the heavier weight. We’d been on to him for weeks. Felt good to finally pin him down. Knew he was behind the money missing from Bronc’s shop, thought we’d scare him out into the open and call it a day. Then we saw how far back it went, and everything we knew now told us it was gonna be bigger than we thought. As most things were.
