Page 62 of A Murderous Crow
I’d been all-in with Courtney. Would have let her dog walk me on a fuckin’ leash if she’d liked… and Savannah was absolutelynothinglike her.
If anything, Savannah was light to Courtney’s dark in every way possible… maybe that was the difference. I told Synister as much.
“She’s everything Courtney isnot,” I said. “With an air of mystery that’s damn near irresistible.”
“Spill, brother. I’m listening…” he said.
So, I did. I told him everything that I knew. How her vibe in real estate was just about as cold, cutthroat, and as calculating as mine and how that had been the first thing to attract me – even though it’d pissed me the fuck off because nine times out of ten when I got to witness it, it was being usedagainstme, and easily six times out of those ten she won the bone of contention.
How I’d had myself convinced for a long time that I’d hated everything about her – and how honestly now, after having her in my bed, right where I’d wanted her, I was realizing it wasn’t hate at all. It was anger – mostly at myself for being attracted in the first place. For making me feel something, for invoking the desire I had suppressed for so long and for doing it so fucking effortlessly.
About how I’d gone too far the first time we’d fucked with the perverted games and how I’d been able to see the heartbreak and devastation in her brought blue eyes when the blindfold had come off and pretty much all because she hadn’t been able to touch me with the way I’d had her shackled. About how I’d been swamped with actualguiltfor the first time in a long time.
I spilled, because Synisterwasmy brother of the covenant more than any other fucking brother we had in the club. He was my best friend, and my confidant, and the closest thing I had to a motherfucking priest and I knew he would fuckin’ die before he told another single soul any of this shit.
“Conclusion?” he asked when I’d spilled my literal guts across the table.
“I don’t know if she’s the real deal, but she’s the closest thing to it that I’ve ever come across and I’m just not ready to risk parading her in front of the brothers to have them pick her apart – because I know that’s what you motherfuckers will do.”
Synister nodded, “You’re goddamn right we will – we almost lost you to the depression that Courtney caused when she cheated, brother. You damn well better expect that each and every one of us is going to test anyone you come even close to that depth or level with. We’ll not see you break that bad a second time.”
“I have no intention of allowing myself to break like that again,” I said. “I know it was fucked up.”
Synister shook his head, “Nothing fucked up about feeling that hard and that deep for someone. We all just wished that Courtney could have been a better person than she was for you.”
He looked thoughtful and said, “This one’s different – for sure, so yeah, we’ll split the difference. Dinner at the Manse. Thursday night. Most of the boys’ll be there but more importantly there’s a game so Specterwon’t. He already shot his shot and lost.”
I shook my head and said, “it’s a wonder he gets any pussy at all with his attitude.”
Synister shrugged. “He is who he is, just like you are who you are.”
I nodded, “True that.”
I took out my phone and texted Savannah:Synister would like an audience. Thursday night at– I checked with Syn.
“Thursday night, what time?”
“Seven o’clock sharp,” he said.
I backtracked on the text, took out the “at” and finished it off withThursday night. I’ll pick you up at your office at 6:30. This is one of those times that I call and you answer, Bright Eyes. No argument, please.
I sent it.
We sat and chit chatted, waiting for the rest of the boys to filter in for our weekly church meeting, and I felt a lot better for having offloaded what was on my mind to Syn.
My phone buzzed in my hand, just as I was about to drop it in the bag for the prospect to take before we got started.
I’m freewas the only thing on the screen under the notification heading, so I dropped it in the bag and let him take it.
“That was easier than I anticipated,” I told Syn and he nodded, catching my drift that we were on for Thursday night.
The meeting was called to order shortly thereafter, and I wondered what Savannah was doing in that moment…
Chapter Twenty-One
Savannah…
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” I grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be a trash can and stuck it under the steady drip coming from my bedroom ceiling. “Goddamnit!” I muttered with a gusty sigh, as the steady rough downpour outside was thrust into the trees outside and lashed the glass of the high window in here.
