Savage (Spartan Watchmen MC #4)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

SAVAGE

I t was still dark when Savage woke up the next morning. The first rays of dawn hadn’t crept through the curtains yet, but within the hour, the sun would rise. His eyes snapped open, the weight of last night’s events pressing down on him. Careful not to disturb Savannah's peaceful sleep, he eased out of bed. He hadn’t slept well, and exhaustion wore on him. To be honest, he hadn’t slept well since bringing Savannah to stay at the clubhouse. He’d been working on uncovering the threat her ex posed just to have this bomb dropped on his lap. A stalker ex would be much easier to get rid of then the entire fucking Rejects group.

Heading into the kitchen, Savage tried to sort through his thoughts and make some fucking sense of the disordered chaos. He powered the coffee maker to life and the air filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground beans. As the pot filled, he leaned against the counter, gripping the edge as he stared out the window, lost in thought.

A minute later, his first cup of coffee in hand, he hit Arrow’s contact on his phone, knowing the other man would be awake. They kept similar hours. Besides, if he was asleep, he’d have his phone on Do Not Disturb. The line rang twice before his friend's gravelly voice answered.

"Hey brother, it’s early. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just needed to touch base," Savage replied, his voice low and controlled. "Listen, about Savannah..."

Arrow's silence on the other end was expectant, he’d wait as long as it took for Savage to gather his thoughts and clearly express himself. Fuck. How could he put this without sounding like he was giving an order? He took a deep breath. "I’d appreciate it if you would keep her involvement under wraps for now. Don’t tell the girls until she's ready to tell them herself, you know? I don’t want them to get the wrong impression before she has a chance to tell them her side. It’s easier to have compassion when you don’t already have preconceived guilt in your mind." Closing his eyes, he saw Savannah’s face as she confessed to him. Everything she’d done, every lie she’d told was out of pure desperation. He couldn’t hold any of it against her. Fuck, the poor girl hadn’t even had a chance to grieve her mother before all this bullshit was thrust upon her. He had every intention to get her scheduled for therapy as soon as this mess was dealt with and he was assured of her safety.

“I understand," Arrow responded. “Want me to reach out to Irish? I’ll be seeing him in about an hour.”

“Thanks.” Savage's grip tightened on his coffee mug, his knuckles whitening. "There's something else you need to know."

"What is it?" Arrow asked.

Savage took a deep breath, his possessive instincts flaring. "Savannah... she's mine. I want everyone in the club to understand that. No questions, no doubts. Mine."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Savage could almost hear Arrow's eyebrows raising. "You sure about this, brother? After everything you found out last night? I knew you were into the girl but…"

"Deadly sure," Savage interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Can I count on you to spread the word? Quietly?"

Arrow's voice softened slightly. "Of course. I'll make sure everyone gets the message. Your girl, your rules. She’s one of ours now."

Savage nodded, feeling a mix of relief and tension. "Thanks, man. There's... one more thing."

"Hit me," Arrow said.

Savage hesitated, his free hand running through his hair. "Could you drop off some items for me. For Savannah. Things to help her... embrace her Little side. I want to keep her here today, with me. We’re going to get to know each other better." He listed off what he needed and his plan for the day.

Arrow chuckled softly. "Never thought I'd see the day. But yeah, I can handle it. I'll leave a bag on your porch within the hour. You know I've got your back, brother."

As Savage ended the call, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He poured a second cup of coffee. His mind raced, considering all the potential threats, all the ways this could go wrong. He wasn’t happy about having Savannah in the middle of it all or the part she’d continue to play. But there weren’t many other alternatives, especially with what he’d seen in the texts between her and Zeb. The Rejects had eyes and ears on her sister and niece. It could be detrimental to them for Savannah to refuse to cooperate now. One thing he knew about them, The Rejects never made threats, they made promises, and they followed through with them. It didn’t matter whatever came next, he'd face it head-on, like he always does. He just found Savannah, no way in hell was he going to let anything happen to her.

After finishing his second cup of coffee, Savage headed down the hallway to his bedroom. The morning light was now filtering through the curtains, and it cast a warm light over the bed. He paused in the doorway and watched her sleep for a minute. Her hair was splayed across his pillows, she looked so damn innocent. Yeah, she was his. No doubt. No hesitation. He hated to wake her, but she had to call out of work before The Rejects assumed she ran from them.

"Savannah," he called gently, his deep voice barely above a whisper. "Time to wake up, sweetheart."

She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, confusion clouded her features before recognition dawned. "Savage?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. “Oh. Fuck.”

He moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. "No, little girl. We don’t use that kind of language.” He gave her a slight, scolding frown before replacing it with a smile. “Good morning, sweet heart. I've got a special day planned for us."

Savannah pushed herself up, her hair a tousled mess. She blinked at him, curiosity and a hint of apprehension in her gaze. "Special day? I have to go to work. What do you mean, special day?"

Savage reached out to tuck a stray lock behind her ear. "You aren’t going to work today.”

“B-but, I have to. They’ll come looking for me if I don’t.”

“No sweetheart, you aren’t going back there ever again. It’s not safe. We will talk about this in a second. Two things. One, Daddy is in control today. You are going to be a good little girl and listen and do what I tell you to. If you can’t, you have your safeword. Two, I've laid out one of my shirts for you in the bathroom.”

“But…”

“Do you remember the spanking I gave you last night?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“That spanking was because you needed it for stress and guilt release. I started slow, warmed you up and helped you through it. A discipline spanking from Daddy is going to be very different. There’s no warm up, just punishing smacks on your adorable bare ass. Do you understand, sweetheart?”

Her eyes were wide but Savage didn’t miss the pebbling of her nipples against her shirt. Oh yes, this girl was made for him.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl. Now obey Daddy and go get showered.” He wanted to shower her himself. He wanted to clean every curve on her body with his tongue. Now wasn’t the time. He’d have to practice some of the restraint he’d honed over the years in the military. As Savannah padded to the bathroom, Savage thought about the call they’d have to make, and his protective instincts surged. He wanted nothing more than to shield her from all the harsh realities of the world but knew he couldn’t. He’d try his darndest to protect her from most of them.

Moments later, Savannah's voice carried from the bathroom, a mix of surprise and uncertainty. "Savage? There's... there's just a t-shirt here. And nothing else."

“Daddy,” he corrected. “Today, and anytime we are alone, it’s Daddy.” He approached the bathroom door, leaning against the frame. "That's right, baby. You won't need anything else. Now, do you need help taking a shower?”

“No, Daddy.” She said so quickly Savage couldn’t help but laugh. He was correct, she wasn’t ready for him to bathe her yet. He went back into the bedroom and got ready himself. Once he was done, he texted Dax and Lucky with his idea for the conversation between Savannah and Tim. After he explained his plan, he let them know he’d text them an update when they were done.

The sound of running water filled the air as Savannah showered. Savage's ears perked up at the sound of the notification of motion from his security app. He opened the front door, just as Arrow was setting down a large duffel bag.

"Perfect timing," Savage said to his friend. “You’re quick.”

Arrow nodded; his movements efficient as he straightened. “We had most of what you needed at the house. I have a closet with extras, just in case we run low. Everything you asked for is in there. Dolls, pacifiers, coloring books, and a sippy cup." His eyes flickered behind Savage into the house. "How's she holding up?"

Savage's jaw tightened. "She's strong but scared. We’re going to call Tim in a few and then she’s going to turn off her mind and let me lead her today.”

Arrow's expression hardened. "We've got her back. The club protects its own. The Rejects don’t know who they are messing with. Anyway, got to run. Meeting Irish at Corky’s in a ten.”

As Arrow slipped away, Savage brought the bag inside, quickly stashing its contents out of sight. The shower shut off, and minutes later, Savannah emerged, hair damp, the oversized t-shirt hanging off her plump figure, barely reaching mid-thigh. Her cheeks were flushed, and she tugged at the hem, her eyes darting nervously.

"I feel so... exposed," she admitted.

"That's the point, sweetheart. Today, you don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of you."

Savannah's brow furrowed, her fingers twisting the fabric of the shirt. "But what if?—"

"No buts," Savage interrupted gently, closing the distance between them. He cupped her face in his large hands. "Today, you're my little girl. All you have to do is relax and let Daddy take care of everything."

He felt the shiver run through Savannah. She bit her lip, her green eyes searching his face. "Promise everything will be okay?"

Savage's heart clenched at the raw vulnerability in her voice. "I promise, little one. Daddy's not going anywhere."

He led her to the living room and settled her on the couch while he filled her sippy cup up. He brought it to her, and she looked at it.

“There’s going to be a lot of new things for you to explore today. If you don’t like any of them, simply tell Daddy, okay?”

“Yes, Daddy.” She took the cup and lifted it to her lips. She smiled as she swallowed the apple juice. He sat next to her on the couch, his large frame dwarfing Savannah’s shorter one. He reminded her of the plan she’d heard the night before. He placed the phone on the coffee table, his hand resting protectively on her knee.

"Remember, I'm right here," he murmured. "You've got this."

Savannah's fingers trembled as she hit Tim's contact number, her breath catching as it began to ring. Savage watched her face intently, noting every flicker of emotion.

"Hello?" Tim's voice crackled through the speaker.

Savannah swallowed hard. "Tim, it's me. We need to talk."

“Where the fuck are you, Savannah? Your boss called. You are late.”

Savannah's voice quivered slightly, but Savage squeezed her knee. "Tim, I... I… I did what you told me to do. I’m with Savage. He’s in the shower.”

Tim's response was immediate, laced with venom. "What's he done to you? Did he find out? Did you tell him?"

Savannah's hand found Savage's, squeezing tightly. "No, no. I didn’t tell him. You don't understand. Savage is... he's protecting me. At least he thinks he’s protecting me."

Savage's jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with silent fury as he listened to Tim's patronizing and threatening tone. He couldn’t wait to meet up with this bastard.

"Protecting you? If not from us, then from what, exactly?"

Savannah took another deep breath, her voice steadying as she wove her fabricated tale. Damn, Savage was proud of his little girl. She was being so brave. "My ex. I had to come up with something after I came home with a bruised cheek. He was getting suspicious of my behavior. So, I made up a lie about an ex-boyfriend. Savage thinks I’m running from a dangerous man. He’s offered to keep me safe."

Tim scoffed. "And you expect me to believe that? Come on, Savannah, why would he just offer to protect you like that?"

"You don't know anything about him," Savannah retorted, a hint of steel in her voice. "Savage has been nothing but kind and protective. He's not the monster you told me he was."

Savage's chest swelled with pride at her words, even as his anger towards Tim intensified.

"Savannah, listen to yourself," Tim said. "They're manipulating you."

"No, Tim, I did what you told me to do," Savannah cut him off firmly. "I got close to them; I’m in the inner circle now. I need you to trust me on this. I’m right where I need to be to get the intel you want. The good stuff. The information they only tell the people they trust."

“Fine. Whatever. But I’m expecting information, and I expect it tonight, Savannah. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? Tonight. Or the girls get hurt.”

The girls had to be Savannah’s sister and niece. She looked at Savage, and his heart about broke. Fuck him. Fuck Tim. Fuck Zeb. Fuck The Rejects. He’d destroy each one of them for causing his little girl to look at him like that.

“I got it. I promise. I’ll have something for you. Meet me at the park tomorrow morning? Savage said something about a meeting, I can sneak away. The same bench we met the morning of the playdate.”

“Yeah. I can do that. Don’t forget, Savannah. You owe us and we will collect on this debt.”

As the call ended, Savage pulled Savannah into his arms, his voice a low rumble. "You did good, little one. So good. Daddy is so damn proud of you."

Savannah melted against him. "Thank you, I couldn’t have done that if you weren’t sitting here with me."

Savage cupped her face gently, his eyes softening. "Today, you're going to let go of all that stress. Today, I'm your Daddy, and you're my little girl. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes... Daddy," she whispered, the word sending a shiver through both of them.