Page 23 of Blake

“That’s true,” said Savannah. “I guess it’s easy to think subs are weak, but in fact it’s the other way round.”

"It sure is,” Blake replied. “Now, eat up, sweetheart. You need energy for today.”

Savannah finished her food, hoping she hadn’t said too much. She felt so embarrassed even admitting to someone that she was a Little, let alone opening up about the dynamics of a DDlgrelationship. With Blake, somehow, though, it was possible. Maybe it was because he was so open about it. He acted as though it was just a normal topic of conversation.

Savannah watched Blake clear their plates, his muscular arms flexing beneath his t-shirt. “So, I told you my story,” she said curiously. “But what made you the way you are? You know, with me, it’s foster care and Mia. But why doyouput yourself in danger? Why do you fight for, you know, justice?"

Blake's movements slowed, and he turned to face her, a somber expression on his face. "I had a difficult upbringing, too, Savannah. My parents died young, and my brothers and I had to raise our younger sister when she was just a small girl. She relied on us for everything. I was only eighteen when she became our responsibility. My older brother, Nash, was twenty-one, so he was the legal guardian. Jax was fifteen.”

“Wow,” said Savannah. “That’s a lot to take on.”

“It was hard, and we didn’t have much money. Then, we got careers. I joined the military and ended up in special ops. Nash became a DEA agent. Jax—well, Jax did a bit of everything, mostly involving IT. He catalogs books at the library one day a week, too. I guess we all got so caught up in our work that we got complacent. Dropped the ball. Chloe . . . . well, we lost her three years ago.”

Savannah’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. You’ve had it just as rough as I had.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. "It's why I do what I do now—protect others, so they don't have to go through what my family did."

"Family sounds really important to you," Savannah observed, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Family is everything," Blake agreed. "I'd do anything for them."

“How did Chloe die, if you don’t mind me asking? And your parents?” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m being too nosy. It’s the investigative journalist in me.”

Blake shook his head. “Not at all. I’d like to explain it to you.”

At that moment, the front door opened, and a man walked in. He wore a t-shirt with some kind of graphic novel design on it, and an open check shirt over the top. He had messy brown hair, glasses, and a five o'clock shadow, and although he was slightly shorter than Blake, Savannah immediately noticed the resemblance.

“Hold that thought,” said Blake. “We’ll talk more later, pumpkin.”

Pumpkin.Having a cute pet name sent warm tingles through her, for some reason.

"Hey, Blake," the man greeted, setting down a laptop bag. "Is this Savannah?"

"Yep," Blake replied, motioning for her to come over. "Savannah, meet my brother Jax. Jax, this is Savannah."

"Nice to meet you, Savannah," Jax said, extending his hand. As she shook it, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, though she definitely preferred Blake.

"Nice to meet you too, Jax," Savannah responded, smiling.

"Jax is our tech genius," Blake explained, his voice tinged with pride. "He's been helping us track down leads in the case."

"Wow, I’d love to have a tech genius brother," Savannah said, genuinely intrigued. She liked the idea that Blake had a good relationship with his brother, too; it showed he valued family bonds.

Jax took a laptop out of his backpack and set it down on the counter. As the three of them sat together, Savannah couldn't help but feel a strange sense of belonging. Though she had only just met Jax, there was something comforting about beingaround people who shared her drive for justice and protection. She felt like finally, she was part of a team.

"Alright, Savannah," Jax began, turning to her with an expectant expression. "I need any information you have on the Lucifer Club."

She hesitated, unsure of how much to divulge. This would be the first time she had told anyone the stuff she knew. But with her apartment ransacked and her files gone, there was no reason to hold back now.

Taking a deep breath, she launched into everything she knew about the secretive establishment, its connection to the trafficking ring, and the mysterious figure she called Scarface.

Jax listened intently, typing as she spoke, occasionally nodding or asking clarifying questions. Blake stood by, his protective presence reassuring her as she revealed her hard-won knowledge.

"Okay," Jax said finally, rubbing his hands together. "Let's see what we can dig up on this Scarface character."

As he typed away, tension built in the room. Savannah's heart raced, both from nerves and the close proximity to Blake. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and it took all her self-control not to lean into his strong, comforting presence.

"Got him," Jax announced triumphantly. "Scarface is actually Vincent DeLuca, a known enforcer for a local crime family. He's got a rap sheet a mile long, including assault, drug trafficking, and even a few murder charges that never stuck."

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