Page 11 of Savage

“You sure?”

“I’ll let Riot know he’s gonna be pulling doubles for a few days. You handle your shit.”

I didn’t stop to thank him. Just grabbed my keys, walked out the door, and headed straight for the one place I wanted to be.

Back to Tamara.

5

TAMARA

Ibarely saw Talon yesterday, but every time I turned a corner, I found myself hoping he’d be there. He hadn’t said much during breakfast, but I could still feel the brush of his lips across my forehead when he left. I missed his broody presence. Even while hanging out with a bunch of the old ladies in the great room, I kept glancing at the door every time someone walked in. Which was often because a lot of people popped in to see Lainie.

I met Ellery, who brought Corinne and Porter with her. They were dropped off by Whiskey, who’d been on his way to the Iron Rogues’ tattoo shop. And Elise with her adorable toddler Toby Jr., who had explained her husband was a doctor pulling a shift at the hospital. Molly and Dahlia were also there with their children.

With six little kids running around, the women were too distracted to notice how often I looked for Talon. Except for Lainie, who’d shot me a knowing glance a couple of times but didn’t tell anyone.

As I padded into the kitchen the following morning, I immediately searched for him. I found him seated at the far end of the table, a mug in his hand and his attention locked on thedoorway the second I stepped through it. His gaze tracked every step I took.

Lainie steered me toward the coffee first. “We should eat before I leave.”

I understood that she had to leave early to make it back to campus in time for her first class of the day, but I wasn’t happy about it. I didn’t want her to feel guilty, though. Not after she had dropped everything to bring me to the Iron Rogues for help.

So I pasted on a smile and quickly agreed, “You’re not going to get an argument from me.”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be hard to go back to eating on campus and from our freezer,” she grumbled.

Sheila patted her shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing I packed a cooler full of home-cooked meals for you.”

“Did you really?” Lainie bounced on the balls of her feet. “Have I mentioned lately how awesome you are?”

“It never hurts to hear something like that.”

Tank came up behind Sheila and wrapped his arms around her waist, brushing a kiss against her cheek. “Just so long as I’m the only one who shows you how fucking great you are in our special way.”

I was still in awe of how the Iron Rogues men weren’t afraid of showing how much they loved their women, no matter who was around. They completely shattered everything I thought I knew about how bikers treated their old ladies. And I found myself wondering more often than I should if Talon would be the same way with me if we were ever to get together. I mentally snorted at that. As if that would ever happen.

After filling my plate, I took the seat next to Lainie. Talon didn’t say a word, but I noticed how he shifted slightly, angling himself to face us more directly.

After we finished eating, Lainie grabbed her travel mug and slung her bag over one shoulder with a dramatic sigh. “I feelweird leaving before it’s safe for you to come back. Maybe I should?—”

“Nope,” I cut in firmly. “It was one thing to skip Tuesday since you only had one class. But you can’t miss all three today. You’d fall too far behind.”

She shot me a guilty look anyway. “I know, but I feel like I’m abandoning you.”

“You’re not,” I said quickly, even though the knot in my stomach tightened the closer she got to the door. I wasn’t scared exactly...but without my best friend around, the reality of everything I was facing felt a lot heavier.

Lainie pulled me in for a quick hug. “I’ll text and call. Constantly. You won’t even have time to miss me.”

“Promise?” I whispered.

She grinned. “Cross my heart.”

Then she was gone, and I stood there a little too long, unsure what to do next. The easy rhythm I’d fallen into beside Lainie vanished the moment she left, and I suddenly felt out of place.

“You’re not alone.”

The deep voice came from just behind me, but I knew it belonged to Talon.

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