Page 91 of Branded Betrayal

But the thought of Tyler or anyone else putting their hands on her makes me want to burn the whole damn town to the ground.

Hours pass. I’ve stopped at the hospital to see Wyatt, had an argument with Colt over some details around a bad business deal he’s about to strike with a shady partner, and dealt with some more bullshit from my dad about keeping my nose out of things I gave up when I left town.

The sky is now dark. My stomach is in knots. I can’t eat. Panic over Wilkerson’s threats claws at my chest. And through it all, it’s Tyler’s voice I keep hearing. The condescension, the confidence, the certainty that he’s the guy for Savvie.

I wish I’d put him through the wall when I had a chance.

That’d sure give the gossip girls around town something to talk about.

In my daze, I find myself heading down the drive toward Savvie’s house at Red Rock. A glance at the dashboard clock confirms it’s past her bedtime.

But the porch light is still on. She usually turns it off when she goes to sleep.

Jealousy surges in my chest.

What if she told Tyler to come by, that she’d leave a light on for him?

“Oh, fucking no,” I growl.

I pull up to the house, my pulse punching a hole in my throat.

This might be the last time she lets me in.

If she lets me in.

I haven’t given her a reason to, and I’m a selfish bastard for it.

None of that stops me from knocking on the door, though.

And when she opens it, I half expect her to slam it right in my face.

She doesn’t. But she doesn’t speak for a long minute, and I wait for her to tell me to go to hell.

“Why are you here, Blaze?” Her voice is exhausted, defeated, and hollow.

I inch toward her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Because everything is falling apart and you’re the one thing in my life that feels real and good. And I need that. I need you.”

Selfish. So fucking selfish.

She stares at me, her face stony, war waging in the depths of her eyes.

“Please, Savannah. Give me one more night, one more chance. Let me do this right.”

She steps aside to let me in, then closes the door behind me. We just stand there in her foyer, the deafening silence stretching between us.

“One night,” she finally says, voice thick. “But if you leave me again, don’t bother coming back. Ever.”

The finality in her voice cuts through me.

“I won’t leave.”

She searches my face, looking for the lie. I let her see the truth. I mean it, for tonight at least.

Then she steps into me, hands fisting in my shirt.

“Don’t talk,” she whispers. “I can’t hear any more words tonight.”

And then there are no more words at all.