Page 9 of Reaper

Drake’s grin returned, colder this time.“Interesting. You’ve certainly got a sharp tongue.”

Savannah shrugged.“Helps me survive. Now, if you’re done here, I’m sure you’ve got better places to be.”

Drake didn’t move immediately, his gaze lingering on Savannah for a beat too long before he finally stepped back.

“Guess we’ll be on our way,” he said, his tone laced with warning.“But we’ll be seeing you around.”

Reaper stayed rooted in place as the Ravagers mounted their bikes and roared out of the lot. Only when the sound of their engines faded did he exhale, turning to Savannah.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped, his voice low but heated.What the hell was that all about?was the real question he wanted to ask her, but not yet. That might just drive her away.

She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.“Defusing the situation. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Defusing—” Reaper cut himself off, running a hand through his hair.“You don’t play games with guys like that, Savannah.”

“I wasn’t playing games,” she said, her tone firm.“I was keeping them from starting something.”

Reaper shook his head, his frustration warring with something else—admiration. She’d walked straight into danger without flinching, and she’d handled Drake with a confidence most people couldn’t muster. But that recognition in Drake’s eyes wasn’t something Reaper could ignore.

He took a step closer, lowering his voice.“Drake seemed to know you.”

Savannah’s expression flickered for a moment before she covered it with her usual smirk.“Never met him before this. Maybe he finds me attractive.”

Reaper didn’t buy it, but he let it go—for now.“You’re lucky he didn’t push harder.”

“I can handle myself,” she said, though her voice was softer this time.

Reaper studied her, his frustration ebbing as he took in the faint shadows under her eyes, the way her fingers toyed with the hem of her jacket. She was putting on a brave face, but she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted him to believe.

“You can tell me the truth, you know,” he said quietly.“You can trust me.”

Her eyes met his, something unspoken passing between them. For a moment, the tension from the standoff melted away, replaced by something warmer, deeper.

Savannah’s smirk returned, though it was softer now. “Trust isn’t easy for me, but I’ll keep that in mind.”

Reaper watched her turn and walk back toward the clubhouse, his chest tightening as he realized just how much he wanted to protect her—not just from the Ravagers, but from whatever ghosts she was running from.

And judging by the look Drake had given her, those ghosts weren’t far behind.

Chapter Five

Savannah leaned back against the cracked leather of the worn-out couch in the Iron Sentinels’ clubhouse. She held a half-empty beer bottle in her fingers.

The room buzzed with life: the crack of pool balls colliding, the raucous laughter of bikers swapping stories, the low thrum of music vibrating through the walls.

To anyone watching, she looked like she belonged—confident, carefree, just another woman who found comfort in the chaos of an MC. But beneath her bold exterior, her nerves coiled tight, ready to snap.

She took a slow breath and forced herself to smile as Samantha sidled up to her, eyes bright and cheeks flushed from the attention of a tall biker named Diesel. Samantha’s newfound ease around these guys still amazed Savannah.

Just a few weeks ago, Samantha had been a trembling mess, running from her past, her son clinging to her side. Now, she looked like she was enjoying herself.

“You good?” Samantha asked, nudging her with an elbow.

Savannah nodded, taking a sip of her beer.“Yeah, I’m good. You?”

Samantha’s grin widened. “Better than good. I feel safe here. Isn’t that weird?”

Savannah’s smile tightened. She understood that feeling all too well—the craving for safety, the fragile hope that maybe this was a place you could stop running. But she couldn’t let herself believe in that. Not yet.

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