Page 67 of Savage Reign

“It’s Greek. It means a place of ideal happiness,” Silas whispered in my ear. I hadn’t realized he was standing so close by. I looked up at him briefly before turning back to the sign. “Some people believe that place only exists in a fictitious world. Or in your imagination.”

“And you’re trying to say it exists in… this restaurant?”

It was a nice restaurant, but as in ideal happiness?

Silas’ chest shook as he laughed. “No, angel. This is just a business after all. I didn’t think such a place existed. At least… I hadn’t.”

Slowly, I turned back to look at him. His eyes were on me, and I had the distinct feeling that he had never looked away from me, not even for a moment. My breath caught.

“Do I make you happy?” I asked, my voice set in a whisper.

“You make me feel so many things. Everything had been dull and monochromatic for so long. And now, it’s like a burst of colors surrounding me, leaving me to feel… overwhelmed.”

I scrunched my nose up at the word, and he gently tapped it, showcasing a small smile.

“In the best way possible, angel. You are an explosion of light and fire that lit up even the darkest of nights for me.”

Tears built in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t, not when there was a lump lodged in my throat.

“So if you’re asking if you make me happy. Yes.”

He frowned a little when a stray tear fell, and he wiped it away quickly. I nodded. No one had ever told me I made them happy before. I’d always thought I was nothing more than a burden to my parents. Which probably explained why Mom couldn’t wait to leave, and Dad… I wasn’t fucking sure why he had kept me around for so long, why he couldn’t just let me leave the club and leave him behind, even when he had always looked at me with nothing but contempt and resentment.

But I made Silas happy, and I was beginning to understand that this was also the case with Maverick and Killian.

I looked around for the two other men, but they were nowhere to be found.

I turned back to Silas.

“They headed inside to give us a moment,” he explained.

“Oh.”

His lips twitched. “Yes, so let's go inside before they get impatient. And knowing Killian, he’ll probably come out and carry you back in himself.”

I let out a laugh at that, and Silas smiled, hooking my arm around his and leading me toward the entrance of the restaurant.

Maverick and Killian were standing by the entrance on the inside of the softly lit restaurant.

Silas pulled away from me as soon as we got close, and Maverick was there, taking hold of my hand and bringing it up to his lips, kissing the back of it.

“Okay?” he asked me, his eyes roaming over my face.

I nodded and smiled. “Yes.”

“Good.” He pulled me in closer to him. “You stay next to me, okay?”

Seemed like a normal request, but there was something about his voice that made me pause. It was my turn to take in his face, but Maverick had always been good at hiding his thoughts and emotions behind a mask.

“Okay,” I said softly.

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head just as the same man who had greeted us when we first pulled up to the restaurant came by. He stopped a good distance away, as if he was afraid the brothers might grab him if he got any closer. “Your table is ready, sir. If you would follow me.”

The man hesitated for a beat before he turned his back to us and led us to the table. I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to show my back to the three savages either… had I not known just how soft they were with me.

We were silent when we followed the man to the table in the back. It was a huge circular table covered in a pristine white tablecloth and was tucked away in a corner, facing the entire restaurant. And though this was better than being in the middle of the restaurant, I still felt on display. Everywhere we went—or more specifically, where the brothers went—eyes followed.

A group of women nearby were already whispering among themselves, and even if I couldn’t hear, I got the feeling they were talking about us.

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