Page 37 of Saving Saul

I blink, my patience wearing thin. “Who?”

“The Chief of Police.”

I blink again.

Tessa exhales dramatically.

Selene crosses her arms.

I stare down at the man I just knocked unconscious.

Then, finally, I drag my gaze back to Tessa and deadpan, “Well… shit.”

SAY WHAT NOW

TESSA

The momentmy brain catches up to what just happened—the fight, the punch, Antoine sprawled out on the floor like yesterday’s trash—Saul is right there, his voice low and urgent in my ear.

“Listen, Tessa. We need to get out of here before this cop wakes up.”

I snap back like he just put his hands on me—the audacity of this man. One second, he’s disappearing off the face of the earth; the next, he’s laying men out like some overprotective warrior. And now he wants me to follow him like we’re in this together?

Hell. No.

“Are you serious right now?” My voice shakes—not with fear, but with the kind of anger that burns straight to the bone. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

Selene is at my side in a flash, her body tensed like she’s ready to go to war for me. Her glare slices through Saul—no, Marcus—whatever his real name is.

She points at him, her nostrils flaring. “Who the hell are you?"

Good question, Sis.

Saul grins.He grins!“Hello Selene, I’m Saul Mensah. And your sister here is the love of my life.”

Selene gasps.“What did he just say?” she demands, but I don’t answer. I keep staring at him. “Wait!” Selene screeches, narrowing her eyes at Saul. The moment she matches the gorgeous man standing before her with the few pictures we’ve found online, her eyes light up with rage. “Saul Mensah? The guy who left you onLove, Unmasked?What the hell is he doing here?”

“Tessa,” He steps closer, ignoring Selene, and I feel his desperation when he repeats my name.

The vulnerability I sensed in the hub rushes back, leaving me feeling unsteady. My pearls heat and tighten as if an invisible force is pushing me toward him. Something tells me I’ll be safe with him while I figure out what’s going on.

We’re going to need privacy for this conversation.

“Selene, can you grab me some water from the bar downstairs?”

Selene shoots me a look that screamsare you serious right now?But I counter with the look—the one we’ve perfected over years of sisterhood. It says,I’ve got this. Go. But if shit hits the fan, be ready to save me.

She hesitates, her eyes flicking between me and Saul, but finally nods and heads toward the stairs.

The second she’s out of sight, Saul doesn’t waste a beat. His hand wraps firmly around mine, warm and commanding, and he tugs me along the side of the room, weaving through the shadows like we’re avoiding the spotlight. My heart pounds with every step, the heat of his palm igniting a simmering pull deep in my chest.

“Saul,” I whisper, a warning in my tone.

He glances back at me, his jaw tight, eyes blazing with something I can’t quite name. “Not here,” he says, his voice lowbut full of urgency, pulling me closer as if shielding me from the world.

We’re almost at the exit when a figure steps in front of us and, with a swift motion, snatches the pearls from my neck. The suddenness of it jolts me, the cool air brushing against my now bare collarbone like a slap.

I shriek, spinning around, ready to fight whoever dared to grab me. “What the hell—” I start, but the words die in my throat when I see her face.

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