Savage (Spartan Watchmen MC #4)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

SAVANNAH

I can do this.

I can do this.

I’ve got to do this.

Unlike the pep talk she’d given herself outside of The Citadel, this time, Savannah knew she had backup. She wasn’t alone. Around the park, different members of The Watchmen and their friends from Valhalla, kept watch. Yesterday, she’d had a blissful day exploring her little side with Savage and today, she was about to give bad information to a notorious biker gang.

The closer she got to the bench, the harder her heart thundered in her chest. She clenched her fists, nails digging into soft palms. "You can do this," she whispered, forcing herself to breathe. "Just stick to the plan."

The plan. Just after breakfast, Savage had driven her back to The Watchmen’s clubhouse. They met with Detective Dax Allard, who Savannah found herself quickly warming up to, Lucky, Irish, Arrow, Rampage, Kylie, Mad Dog and Slash. All the officers were there. It’d been overwhelming at first, but with Kylie, sitting on one side of her, and Savage on the other, she’d relaxed. None of them blamed her, they let her know that from the start. Slash, a scary looking man with a scar down his face, had just returned from a mission working with a private security company they’d called The Elite. They’d quickly caught him up on what was going on and then spent the next hour role-playing with Savannah, making her comfortable with the lies she’d be telling.

Now, as she got close to the park bench, doubt crept in, twisting her stomach into knots. What if Tim saw through her lies? What if he hurt her? What if…

She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away. Too much rode on this meeting going well. Her freedom. Her sister and her niece’s futures. Maybe even their very lives. And now, there was another layer added on. Savage. Daddy. She didn’t want to disappoint him or let him down.

Savannah's eyes darted around the park, seeking reassurance. That's when she spotted Arrow, sitting casually on a bench across the way, playing on his phone. His presence was subtle, almost unnoticeable to anyone not looking.

As she walked by Arrow, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod as their eyes met briefly. The calm radiating from him helped give her courage. Arrow was there. Not even ten feet away. They’d probably picked him to be out in the open because he looked the least like a motorcycle club member. Wearing a flannel button down shirt and jeans, he looked like any other townie.

She squared her shoulders. I’m not alone. I can do this. With one final deep breath, Savannah plastered on a smile and quickened her pace. Tim was just ahead, already waiting. It was time. Her stomach twisted into knots, she swallowed down the acidic bile rising in her throat and approached Tim.

“Sit down,” he ordered. She sat on the bench at the opposite end, keeping space between them. “This better be good. We don’t like it when people go off book. We are the ones in charge, not you. Next time, before you decide to quit the job, we arranged for you or move out of the fucking motel, you clear it with us, first. I don’t care what fucking Savage or any of the other bastards in The Watchmen tell you to do. You find a way to do what we tell you. Got it?”

What was she supposed to say? No one in hell would she listen to Tim over Savage.

Playing the part, they’d practiced, she looked down at her lap and nodded. “I understand.”

“Now, what is the information you have for us? It better be fucking good. I don't appreciate having my time wasted”

She fought to keep her voice steady as she spoke. "It's about a secret ride the officers are planning. They’ll all be there but without the rest of the club or anyone else. Just them, the eight officers.”

"A secret ride?" Tim scoffed, crossing his arms. "And how exactly did you come by this information?"

She swallowed hard, mind racing to recall every detail the Watchmen had drilled into her. "Like I told you, I’m in. Savage thinks I’m his little, exactly like we planned before I got here. I overheard him on the phone with Lucky, he thought I was asleep."

Tim leaned in closer. "Details, Savannah. I need specifics. Where’s the ride heading?”

“Out to Falcon Ridge,” she said, her tone measured.

He narrowed his eyes. “And who’s leading it?”

“Lucky,” she replied without hesitation. “With Savage running point for security.”

Tim leaned forward; his interest piqued. “Why are they going?”

“A private meeting with another club leader.” she said, just as she’d been instructed. “Some kind of agreement about turf boundaries. The other club doesn’t want anyone else knowing they are bowing down to The Watchmen about keeping drugs out of Grand Ridge.”

“When?”

Savannah felt the weight of his scrutiny, but she didn’t flinch. Her responses were crisp, her delivery flawless—every word, every detail, had been drilled into her by Savage and the others. This right here was why they had practiced over and over again.

"Tomorrow," she replied confidently. "They're meeting at dawn to avoid any attention.”

As Tim fired off more questions, Savannah's determination to follow through the plan solidified. She could do this. No, she was fucking doing this She'd come too far to back down now. With each rehearsed answer, she felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, the plan would actually work.

Tim tilted his head, studying her. “And you’re sure no one else knows about this? Just the officers and their partners?”

After finishing distributing the information, Savannah went off book. She knew Savage and the men were listening to their conversation, Jay bugged the bench before the meeting, but she had to ask. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and took a deep breath, summoning up all the courage she had left. "Tim, I... I need to ask you something," she said. "This intel... it's big, right? It's what you’ve been looking for. What I needed to give you to pay off my debts. God, I don't know how to say this."

Tim's eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, Savannah."

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I was hoping maybe this could clear my debt. You know, wipe the slate clean? I did exactly what you asked. I left my life behind, came to Grand Ridge, infiltrated The Watchmen, pretended to be a little in some perverse BDSM world. Isn’t it enough?" As soon as she said the word perverse, she was filled with dread. It wasn’t how she felt, of course, but she wanted to sell the lie to Tim.

The words hung in the air between them, Savannah’s hands shook as she waited for him to answer her. If he said yes… she would be able to breathe a little bit easier. She clenched her hands into fists at her side, refusing to show weakness before this immoral man. Her mind raced, memories of her mother’s funeral flashing before her eyes. The weight of her choices, the pressure of her debt – it all came crashing down around her. She should have never been in this position. Never.

"Please," she begged, her voice barely audible. "I can't keep doing this."

Tim's face hardened, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Oh, Savannah," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "You think one small piece of useless information is enough to clear your debt? You're naiver than I thought. You are a stupid girl who got involved with the wrong people. Next time, don’t take loans out from people who will snuff out your entire family and be about as bothered by their deaths as they would a cockroach who dared to enter their homes. You mean nothing to us. You are a vessel for information, nothing more and nothing less. So, no. Your debt has not been paid off.”

His words cut through her. She was angry and wanted nothing more than to lash out at him, to punch him in his smug face. She knew she was safe, there were at least half a dozen former special forces operators within a two-minute run to her. But she couldn’t. Not yet anyway. She had to stick to what they’d rehearsed.

"No," Tim continued, leaning in close. "You're going to keep feeding me information until I say otherwise. This little morsel? It's just an appetizer. I want the main course, and you're going to deliver it. After that, we’ll talk dessert. Maybe, and it’s unlikely, but maybe, after the cherry is placed on top, we will wipe your debt free. You borrowed a lot of money and accrued even more interest. Every day that goes by, more interest is tacked on top."

Savannah felt her throat constrict. "But -"

"But nothing," Tim snapped, his eyes cold. "You made your bed when you borrowed that money. Now lie in it. I own you, Savannah. Don't you ever forget that. Now get back to work and get us some actual useful fucking intel."

The park bench creaked softly as Tim shifted his weight, unaware of the tiny microphone hidden beneath its peeling paint. Across the park, Arrow's eyes narrowed, his fingers tapping lightly against his thigh in a coded rhythm. Three other Watchmen, strategically positioned around the perimeter, responded with subtle nods. He was alerting them all that she was done, headed to where Savage had the car parked, out of sight of the park.

Savannah's blinked back tears, willing herself not to break down in public. She’d done it, for the most part, followed the plan. She didn’t feel good about it, though.

"Savannah," Tim's voice called after her, dripping with malice. "I'll be in touch."

She didn't turn back, couldn't bear to see his smug face again. Instead, she focused on putting one foot in front of the other, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. At least I gave him the information. At least that part of The Watchmen’s plan was put into motion. They’d have to wait and see if he’d take the bait. Would he call Zeb? Would The Rejects set up an ambush? She prayed they would.

As she neared the edge of the park, Savannah's steps quickened. The parking lot beckoned, and right around the curve, her Daddy was sitting in a dark SUV, ready to take her away from here.

What if it wasn't enough? The doubt crept in. What if Tim sees through the lie? What if he doesn’t tell Zeb? What if all of this was for nothing?

She shook her head. No, she couldn't let herself spiral. The Watchmen had prepared her for this. They would protect her. Savage would protect her. Whatever happened next, she’d be safe. Savage wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But what about her sister? Her niece? They had to stop Zeb from hurting not only them, but anyone else.

Savage was waiting in the driver’s seat when Savannah got into the vehicle. Apparently, The Watchmen had a fleet of dark SVU’s with blacked out windows. It reminded her of the vehicles that followed the President’s motorcade. He’d already told her he wouldn’t get out unless something happened, careful to protect her cover.

“You, okay?” He asked her. “You did so good, baby.” He leaned across the seat to drop a kiss on her forehead before reaching for her seatbelt and securing it.

"I was so scared," she confessed. "I thought for sure he'd see right through me."

His calloused hand gently cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "But he didn't. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ve been strong for way too long, baby. You're mine now. Your job is to sit back, relax and let Daddy do the heavy lifting."

She leaned into his touch, allowing herself a moment of vulnerability. "What happens now?"

Before Savage could answer, a faint crackle of static cut through the silence, followed by Tim’s voice. Savannah knew all the Watchmen nearby with an earpiece in could hear him. Jay had explained the technology earlier that morning.

"Zeb, listen up. The bitch came through. We've got intel on a secret ride. I want every available man ready to move. We're gonna hit 'em hard and fast. When this is done, we’ll make an example out of them. Everyone will know what happens when you mess with us."

Savage's jaw clenched, his eyes hardening as he listened. Savannah watched the change come over him, fascinated by the shift from Daddy to warrior. He looked scary as fuck.

"Well," she said, her heart racing. "Sounds like it worked?"

Savage nodded, a grim smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Hook, line, and sinker, sweetheart. Tim walked right into our trap."

"I can't believe it actually worked," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes darted around, half-expecting Tim to materialize and catch her in the act. She’d been looking over her shoulder for so long, it’d become a habit.

Savage's hand moved to her thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You did good, Savannah. Real good. I’m proud of you sweetheart."

She looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of deception. But all she saw was genuine approval, and it made her heart swell. "I... I trust you, Savage. And the club. I know I shouldn't, I haven’t known you very long, and I’m entrusting you with the people I love most in this world, but I do."

His blue eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. "That means a lot, little girl. More than you know."

Savannah bit her lip, guilt gnawing at her insides. "But I still feel terrible. Lying, deceiving people... it's not who I am. It’s been impossible to do to you and the others here, but it was even hard to lie to Tim. After everything he’s done to me, it still didn’t feel right. Like, it kinda feels like sinking down to his level.”

Savage cupped her face in his large hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Sometimes, we gotta do things we don't like to protect the ones we care about. You're doing this for your sister and niece, remember?"

She nodded, drawing strength from his words and touch. "You're right."

Savage smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “You ready to go?”

She nodded, and he started the car, pulling out of the lot and back toward the clubhouse.