Page 19 of Savage Temptation
Jagger releases a sound composed of raw disgust. “Your sister.”
I settle my hands over his and take strength from that connection. “Yes. It was me or her and since she was underage, I couldn’t fathom her in that man’s clutches. It was an easy decision. I signed. And to make sure I behaved and didn’t involve anyone else, he dragged me into the bayou that same night. There was some kind of problem he was having with a local lawman who didn’t want to come to heel. Oliver put a gun to my head and made me watch him feed that poor man to the bayou. The words he spoke to me as I looked on will live in my head forever.”
“What did he say, baby?”
I swallow down the acid burning the back of my throat before I speak. “Sing for me and your sister lives. If you don’t you, your sister, and all those pathetic Savages will never escape my powerful reach, my little gator bait.”
Disgust rolls through me making me want to hurl on the carpet at my feet.
“He meant to feed you and all of us to the alligators?” That is the Savages’ new club candy. Well, new to me. She wasn’t here when I was. Angel Baby looks as innocent as her name suggests. Her eyes grow wide with disbelief.
“Yeah, I do. Because I didn't have a death wish for myself or for those I loved, I did what he said. Like I said, I was a lot more naïve back then.”
“It doesn’t matter. You should have come to us.” Jagger releases his hold on my hips and comes to stand beside me. I turn to where I can look him in the eye and tell him the truth that has torn me up inside for too long.
“Oliver knew I would, so he put the fear of a gruesome death into me. He chained me in a room in his mansion north of here for the first month.”
A round of disgust circles the room.
I continue. “I knew what he was capable of and I could not live with myself if something happened to you or any of your family. Besides, when he finally took off the chains, he tracked my every single move. If I wasn’t on stage, I was in a dressing room with four different cameras. If I wasn't there, I was at his side. I made him over ten million dollars a year. Do you think he would let me go so easily?”
Jagger raises his hand, and I flinch, bracing myself for the impact.
Silence falls over the room.
The only thing that breaks it is a harsh huff from Jagger. “What was that? What just happened there?”
I don’t realize I’ve scrunched my eyes closed or stiffened until Jagger says, “Look at me, baby. Why did you flinch like that? I only meant to pull you close.”
I slowly open my eyes and look around at several people with mortified expressions.
Shit.
“Force of habit, I guess. Damn. I’m sorry. It will take some time.” Heat fills my cheeks. I really wish this night could be over. Burning tears blur my vision.
“He hit you.” Reaper’s words are a statement, not a question. His face is puckered into a deep scowl and I see the same vengeance in his eyes as Jagger’s.
I roll a shoulder. “He did a lot of things. Hitting was just something he liked to do when he thought we might stray out of line.”
“There’s more of you?” Jagger doesn’t wait for an answer. He stalks over to a section of wall and flips a piece of molding that has my eyes widening in surprise when a large slab of the wall swings open.
Okayy.
What I see inside has my mouth gaping open. Jagger steps inside and starts filling his pockets.
I throw my hands up. “Whoa. Excuse me. What do you think you are doing?” There has to be enough weapons in the hidden compartment to take down a small army.
“What I have to do in order to protect my family.” Storm isn’t looking at me as he speaks.
Charli huffs and grabs a box of tissues. “Boys will be boys. And yours is out for blood, as he should be. Here take this. And let me tell you something, young lady.” Charli gets in my face, cutting off my view of Jagger arming up.
“Your family, too, chica. So don’t go getting in your head that you aren’t.”
“Thank you, Charli. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She stuffs the box of tissues under her arm and cocks a hip like she’s got more to say.
“We all think of you as family. Right fellas?” Everyone sounds off, and it works to distract me from what Jagger is doing.
