Page 179 of Heartbeats & Highways

I rolled over. “I’m awake.”

“Oh.” He went to grab his jeans which were resting on the chair in the corner. “That was Duke. Prez is at the diner and wants to talk. He has news.”

“Colt is in town?” Sleep began to clear from my brain and I sat up.

“Yeah. Last night, I mentioned he talked to the police chief, remember?”

“Oh,” I murmured. “Sorry. Last night is a blur.”

His jaw clenched. “A few others came with us, too. They were handling the authorities while we handled the other shit.”

“Do you think the news is about Dr. Winchester? Or about Calvin?”

“Not sure.”

Savage came to the bed and knelt down beside it and wrapped his arms around my belly before placing his head against my chest. My hands sank into his hair.

“I didn’t think about how this would affect you,” I whispered. I bent over and kissed his head.

“You don’t need to think about me.” His words were muffled against my body. “This is all my fucking fault.”

I grasped his hair and forced his head up, so he had to look at me. “No.”

His eyes were pained. “Yes. I’m supposed to protect you.”

My heart split in two. And tears gathered in my eyes. “You can’t protect me from all the evils of the world.”

“But that’s my job.”

I pressed my forehead to his. “I never thought I’d love someone so much that it hurts. I’m sorry, Savage. I’m so sorry you?—”

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

“For bringing all this to you. You didn’t sign up for any of this.”

“Baby, I thought I had a life before you. I thought it had meaning. But this . . .” He gently palmed my belly. “The three of you are everything.”

“Just . . . keep telling me that. I’ll need to hear it a lot. Okay?”

“Okay.” He reluctantly stood up. “We really do need to meet Prez.”

“I’ll be ready to go in five.” I climbed out of bed. “Savage?”

“Yeah, babe.”

I shot him a wobbly smile. “You’ve got the makings of a beard.”

“I’ll shave.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

Duke met us by the car and drove us to the diner. Several motorcycles took up spaces in the parking lot.

“You said afewothers came with Colt. It’s more than a few,” I remarked in surprise.

He cupped my cheek. “You’re my Old Lady. And the club protects its own.”

Colt and the others were already in the back seating area. It was deserted except for the tables that had been pushed together to accommodate the group of bikers.

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