Page 22 of Blake

SAVANNAH

Savannah's eyelids fluttered open as a delicious smell wafted through the room. Her stomach growled in response, and she could hear the sound of Blake bustling about in the kitchen.

"Morning, sunshine," he called out. "I made us some breakfast."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded barefoot into the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the sight of a stack of fluffy pancakes topped with fresh fruit and drizzled with syrup.

"Wow, you really went all out," Savannah said, taking a seat at the counter. “I never knew staying in a safehouse could be so much fun.”

“Only when you’re with me,” Blake shot back with a wink.

Savannah laughed. “Seriously, though, it’s so nice.” She looked around the space. It was just one large room, except for a small private bathroom, and she’d been so tired last night, she’d barely taken in the details. She walked over to the window and looked out. “Ooh, we’re right by the university. Fancy.”

“We’re actually in one of the old university library buildings. This one became a little damp in the basement so most of the books got moved to a different location, except for special collections up at the top.”

“We’re in an old library building? That’s very cool.”

Blake grinned. “You have my brother, Jax, to thank for that. He works in the Special Collections here one day a week, and managed to buy a couple of the rooms here off the university after they moved premises.” He paused. “You’ll meet Jax soon. He’s coming here for a chat.”

Savannah swallowed. “A chat? Chats are never good in my experience.”

Blake brought pancakes over to the counter and Savannah sat down opposite him. “My brothers and I need to be involved in this, Savannah. Whatever’s going on at the Lucifer Club, I get the feeling it’s big. Much bigger than one person can handle. We don’t just need to expose them. We need to take these bastards down.”

Savannah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Right. I see. I mean, I want that. It’s just . . . scary.”

Blake nodded. “Yeah. But it’s necessary. I promise my brothers and I know what we’re doing. And once we figure out what’s going on, I promise that you get to be the one that tells the world about it.”

“Okay,” said Savannah, letting out a shaky breath. “Deal. I guess I could use some help on this one.” She took a bite of her pancake. “Holy pajamas! This is ridiculous!”

“Glad you like it. We don’t keep fresh food at the safehouse, so I had to use long-life milk and baking powder instead of eggs. Normally, I make them a lot better.”

“I have syrup so I’m definitely not complaining. And nobody ever made me pancakes before, which makes them extra special.”

Blake looked at her, concern in his eyes. “Nobody ever looked after you before, huh?”

“Well, Mia did, I guess,” she said sadly. “For a while. We looked out for each other.”

“You’re still looking out for her,” replied Blake kindly.

They ate in companionable silence for a moment before Savannah's curiosity got the better of her. "Hey, Blake?" she asked, licking syrup off her fork. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking . . . about this Daddy Dom stuff. I’d read about Daddies before I met you, but you’re the first real-life Daddy I ever met. Are they all . . . like you?"

Blake paused, his blue eyes searching hers. "Only the very best ones."

Savannah smiled shyly, tracing patterns in the syrup on her plate. "I see. And are all Littles . . . like me?”

This time, he grinned. “Only the very best ones.”

Savannah bit her lip. "I don’t know if I could handle being controlled by someone. I like the idea of being cared for, but I don’t easily submit.”

"Control isn't about dictating every aspect of a Little's life," Blake clarified, his voice soft but firm. "It's about guiding a Little, helping them grow and thrive. It's a responsibility I take very seriously."

Savannah nodded. "I guess it takes a lot of trust to submit."

“And bravery.”

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