Page 8 of Savage

Lainie wasn’t exaggerating when she said the kitchen was packed. A few men in leather vests leaned against the counters, eating chicken legs over paper towels. I hovered in the doorway behind Lainie and Dahlia before taking a small step forward.

Talon was right behind me. He didn’t say anything and didn’t brush against me. Heck, he barely even breathed. But I felt him all the same. His presence filled the space between us, and I didn’t have to turn around to know his eyes were on me.

They hadn’t left me since I’d stepped out of Lainie’s car.

A woman old enough to be my mom rushed over to give Lainie a hug, then surprised me by wrapping her arms around me too. “You two look like you haven’t eaten all day. Sit and enjoy a plate of some of Lainie’s favorites.”

“Thank you.” I flashed her a grateful smile. “It’s been a while since lunch.”

“If you want to call a granola bar lunch,” Lainie teased.

“That barely counts.” The woman tsked and handed me a napkin. “I’m Sheila. You’ll find I don’t take no for an answer when it comes to food.”

As I sat at the end of the long table, Talon leaned against the wall behind me, arms crossed and jaw tight.

Still silent. Still watching. And somehow, I was more than okay with that.

I kept mostly quiet while I ate, letting the chatter swirl around me as I focused on the plate in front of me. The chicken was juicy, the carrots glazed just right, and the mac and cheese was so creamy it practically melted on my tongue.

When I only had a few bites left, I stole a glance over my shoulder at where Talon still leaned, half in shadow. His silence wrapped around me tighter than any blanket could’ve.

My dad had basically bailed as a parent when my mom passed away, so I didn’t trust easily. But something about the sexy biker made me feel safer than I ever had before. It was why I’d taken my time eating…because I found myself wishing I didn’t have to go back upstairs with Lainie. That I could stay in his orbit a little longer…and pretend that I hadn’t come here because of the situation I’d stumbled across at work.

The meal finished too soon, and by the time we made it back to the room, my body felt heavy with exhaustion. But my mind wouldn’t shut up.

Lainie flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh, stretching her arms over her head as though she didn’t have a care in the world. “Okay, the food coma is setting in. You good to grab the bathroom first?”

I hovered near the edge of the room with my arms crossed, my pulse still a little jumpy. “Uh, yeah. Maybe in a minute.”

She blinked at me, then shrugged and started scrolling through her phone, completely unaware of the storm swirling inside me.

I didn’t even know what I was waiting for…until a knock came at the door.

I startled slightly, then padded across the room to open the door. Talon was in the hallway, a folded black T-shirt clutched in his hand.

He stepped close enough to hold it out to me, his eyes heavy-lidded and unreadable. “Brought you this in case you need something to wear to bed.”

I clutched the soft material to my chest, barely resisting the urge to sniff it to see if the shirt smelled like him.

“Need the flash drive,” he said gruffly.

Hesitantly, I dug into my pocket for the security badge I’d clipped the drive to.

He watched me with those intense gray-blue eyes, and I marveled again at how this stranger could make me feel so safe.

Holding out his hand, he murmured, “Trust me, baby.”

I was completely shocked to realize that I did. Somehow, in the small amount of time I’d known him, he’d managed to gain my trust.

When I set the badge in his hand, his fingers curled around it. Then he leaned in and brushed his lips over my forehead in a firm, lingering touch that sent a shiver down my spine.

“You’re safe now,” he murmured, the words like a vow. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He was gone before I could react, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

I stood there for a long second, shirt pressed to my chest, heart racing like I’d just run five miles.

“You gonna sleep in that or just stand there holding it all night?” Lainie asked with a smirk.

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