Page 38 of Savage Reign

“Whatever,” I muttered, picking up the fork and stabbing the baked potato on my plate. I could feel his eyes on me as I ate, and if that wasn’t unnerving enough, I could feel him thinking. I tried not to squirm.

“That’s a lot of food for one small angel, no?” he asked.

I took my time chewing my food before I answered him. “I didn’t know what to order. And I thought I might bring what I didn’t finish back to the motel room with me for dinner tonight.”

A dark cloud moved over his expression. “That fucking dump you’re staying in?”

“Yes, the same one you’re staying in… next door,” I quipped.

He didn’t deny it. “Let me bring you to a hotel. Somewhere nice. With room service.”

I took another bite, not answering him until I swallowed. “No, thank you.”

“No?” He sounded surprised. What did he think? That I was going to fall back into the same routine? I might have spent the night with Maverick and this morning… but they had a long way to go until I would fall back into their arms. I needed to be something more than a captive in their home with no power.

“I can make you,” he said quietly, his face serious. “Hell, I should have followed my first instinct and took you back home with us as soon as we found you. Fuck what Maverick said about giving you time.”

I tensed, wondering if he would do it now and cause a scene in the middle of the diner. Something about my face must have given him pause because he shook his head. “No, I’ll let you go back to that shitty place for now, angel. And when you’re ready,you’re going to come back home with me. Under my protection. You’re going to come to me willingly.”

It was hard to miss the dark promise in his voice, and I knew I should probably contradict him, but I thought he might be right about that. It wasn’t a question about whether I would go with them back to their home willingly, butwhen.

I looked back down at my food and cut my eggs into smaller pieces with my fork while Silas grabbed one of the bacon strips, taking a bite, his eyes never straying from mine.

Something about sitting here like this with him reminded me of our time back in New Orleans when he had shown up where I had been eating breakfast. How we’d come full circle, yet so much had changed.

I tried to focus back on my food. I had been starved before he arrived, but now, his gaze made me feel awkward. My movements felt forced, even when I was doing something as simple as eating. And Silas was silent beside me. He seemed relaxed, but then again, hardly anything ever made him feel uneasy.

I took a sip of my water and placed the fork down on the table when I didn’t think I could eat anymore. Silas took in all the food that was left, frowned, but didn’t say anything. I let him flag the waitress down and asked for a to-go box. And I let him put all my food in there, then in the plastic bag, tying it closed.

I let him do all of that for me without protest.

And when he stood up and held out his hand for me, I took it without hesitation. Silas dropped two one-hundred-dollar bills on the table, and then we were off.

We walked to the car Maverick left behind for me, and I looked around, wondering if this was where he left me to head back on my own. I both wanted that and not at all, at the same time.

I didn’t know what I wanted or what to say, but Silas made it simple by taking the decision out of my hands. I was close enough to the door that it unlocked when he pressed the small button on the car handle. He opened it and gently pushed me inside. He crouched down until we were face-to-face with each other, and my breath caught when our eyes met.

We didn’t move. Didn’t say anything. For four long seconds, it was just us, like this. And then I looked away, breaking the spell, and Silas cleared his throat.

“I can do that,” I said when he reached for my belt.

He clicked the belt in, the sound of it louder in my ears than I thought it should be. I jumped, and he shot me a small smile. “And now you don’t have to.”

I watched as he stood up to his full height and closed the door behind me, moving over to the hood of the car and getting into the driver’s seat.

And then we were off.

The short drive back to the motel room was made in silence.

I looked out the side window, and I could feel Silas looking over at me every once in a while. I fiddled with my hands the entire way there, and once he pulled into the parking lot and parked, all I could do was sit awkwardly and take in the dilapidated building. I always knew it wasn’t the best in the city and that the buildings were old and run down and filled with questionable people, but somehow, sitting in this car with him, the state of things came into clear focus.

“Thanks for breakfast,” I said quietly, politely.

“You’re welcome, angel.”

I nodded, feeling my heart react to the nickname uttered from his lips, in that deep voice of his.

“Thanks for driving me home,” I said softly.

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