Page 55 of Desert Heat

“That’s debatable,” Savvy answered.

“Oh shit. Savannah?”

“Who, the fuck are you?”

“Regan, Tarak’s sister and Danny’s second cousin. You know Danny? The man your dad’s MC killed in cold blood when they raided our warehouse last summer.”

“I-he had nothing to do with that.”

“Come on, you are an MC princess you know enough about how shit rolls and how payback goes.”

“You fucked me for payback?” Savvy’s voice became unnaturally high as she reared back in her seat.

“Thanks, Regan. Good talk… Gotta go. Ciao.” I ended the call just as she started squawking too.

“Women,” I muttered pulling off the main highway.

“You didn’t just say that. You’re so dead. I mean it. I’ll cut you. I’m fucking savage too. I’m my father’s daughter.”

I didn’t trust myself to speak. I was living in a fool’s paradise—all caught up in my fake persona while catching real feelings for a woman who was also pretending to be somebody else. I pulled into the Starbuck’s drive thru off the interstate much to everyone’s shock.

“Be quiet. Don’t say a fucking word or I’ll peel out without getting you anything.” I warned both women. Despite the heated seats I knew they were bone cold. Brandi must be in shock because the bubbly blonde usually doesn’t shut up and we had more miles to go until the doctor could asses them.

I ordered their favorite hot sugary drinks with extra whip cream, plain black tall’s for me and Tank, adding a half dozen cake pops at the last second.

After paying cash, I pulled around, parking in the furthest spot in the lot by the woods. I handed Tank and Brandi their drinks with half the cake pops before getting out of the truck to tend to Savvy.

“Be a good girl,” I whispered in the deep bedroom voice I knew made her crazy.

“Fuck off,” she hissed, but she eyed the drink in my hand as if she’d kill me for it.

I took off the lid. “It’s hot. Don’t want to burn you…,” I murmured lightly blowing on her drink, before holding it to her lips. “Drink. Slowly.”

“Please cut the cable ties.”

“No can do, sugar. No hush up and drink. If you’re real good I’ll let you have all the cake pops.”

She winced as the warm liquid hit her cut, swollen lip. Instinctively, I kissed it before I could even stop myself.

“Shit,” I muttered pulling back. I practically stuffed the cake pop in her mouth just as she was about to go off on me again.

Despite her anger, she ate the sugary snack and took sips from her latte every time I held the cup to her lips.

We didn’t speak but we battled. Our eyes locked in a heated, silent war.

I knew our situation was fucked up as hell but I also knew one thing deep in the depths of my soul. I loved her. Would cherish the friggin’ girl as River Cruz Prez of the Royal Bastards Santa Fe.

“I’m going to cut your balls off the first chance I get, to feed to the coyotes behind my house.”

I stifled a laugh, “Why can’t you be good like Brandi, babe? Look at her all cuddled up to Tank, drinking her mochaccino and shit.”

“I’m not your babe.”

“You’re still mine and you know it,” I countered.

“You wish. Whatever we had… is done and over. Hell, You weren’t even real.”

I leaned in close, my pecs pressing her back against the seat as my lips brushed just over her left ear. “When I had you naked beneath me… our hearts pounding in sync as we became one. Twisting the sheets all night… That shit was real babe and you can’t deny that.”

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