8. SAVANNAH
Chapter eight
SAVANNAH
S avannah's eyelids fluttered open as a delicious smell wafted through the room. Her stomach growled in response, and she could hear the sound of Blake bustling about in the kitchen.
"Morning, sunshine," he called out. "I made us some breakfast."
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded barefoot into the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the sight of a stack of fluffy pancakes topped with fresh fruit and drizzled with syrup.
"Wow, you really went all out," Savannah said, taking a seat at the counter. “I never knew staying in a safehouse could be so much fun.”
“Only when you’re with me,” Blake shot back with a wink.
Savannah laughed. “Seriously, though, it’s so nice.” She looked around the space. It was just one large room, except for a small private bathroom, and she’d been so tired last night, she’d barely taken in the details. She walked over to the window and looked out. “Ooh, we’re right by the university. Fancy.”
“We’re actually in one of the old university library buildings. This one became a little damp in the basement so most of the books got moved to a different location, except for special collections up at the top.”
“We’re in an old library building? That’s very cool.”
Blake grinned. “You have my brother, Jax, to thank for that. He works in the Special Collections here one day a week, and managed to buy a couple of the rooms here off the university after they moved premises.” He paused. “You’ll meet Jax soon. He’s coming here for a chat.”
Savannah swallowed. “A chat? Chats are never good in my experience.”
Blake brought pancakes over to the counter and Savannah sat down opposite him. “My brothers and I need to be involved in this, Savannah. Whatever’s going on at the Lucifer Club, I get the feeling it’s big. Much bigger than one person can handle. We don’t just need to expose them. We need to take these bastards down.”
Savannah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Right. I see. I mean, I want that. It’s just . . . scary.”
Blake nodded. “Yeah. But it’s necessary. I promise my brothers and I know what we’re doing. And once we figure out what’s going on, I promise that you get to be the one that tells the world about it.”
“Okay,” said Savannah, letting out a shaky breath. “Deal. I guess I could use some help on this one.” She took a bite of her pancake. “Holy pajamas! This is ridiculous!”
“Glad you like it. We don’t keep fresh food at the safehouse, so I had to use long-life milk and baking powder instead of eggs. Normally, I make them a lot better.”
“I have syrup so I’m definitely not complaining. And nobody ever made me pancakes before, which makes them extra special.”
Blake looked at her, concern in his eyes. “Nobody ever looked after you before, huh?”
“Well, Mia did, I guess,” she said sadly. “For a while. We looked out for each other.”
“You’re still looking out for her,” replied Blake kindly.
They ate in companionable silence for a moment before Savannah's curiosity got the better of her. "Hey, Blake?" she asked, licking syrup off her fork. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
"I've been thinking . . . about this Daddy Dom stuff. I’d read about Daddies before I met you, but you’re the first real-life Daddy I ever met. Are they all . . . like you?"
Blake paused, his blue eyes searching hers. "Only the very best ones."
Savannah smiled shyly, tracing patterns in the syrup on her plate. "I see. And are all Littles . . . like me?”
This time, he grinned. “Only the very best ones.”
Savannah bit her lip. "I don’t know if I could handle being controlled by someone. I like the idea of being cared for, but I don’t easily submit.”
"Control isn't about dictating every aspect of a Little's life," Blake clarified, his voice soft but firm. "It's about guiding a Little, helping them grow and thrive. It's a responsibility I take very seriously."
Savannah nodded. "I guess it takes a lot of trust to submit."
“And bravery.”
“That’s true,” said Savannah. “I guess it’s easy to think subs are weak, but in fact it’s the other way round.”
"It sure is,” Blake replied. “Now, eat up, sweetheart. You need energy for today.”
Savannah finished her food, hoping she hadn’t said too much. She felt so embarrassed even admitting to someone that she was a Little, let alone opening up about the dynamics of a DDlg relationship. With Blake, somehow, though, it was possible. Maybe it was because he was so open about it. He acted as though it was just a normal topic of conversation.
Savannah watched Blake clear their plates, his muscular arms flexing beneath his t-shirt. “So, I told you my story,” she said curiously. “But what made you the way you are? You know, with me, it’s foster care and Mia. But why do you put yourself in danger? Why do you fight for, you know, justice?"
Blake's movements slowed, and he turned to face her, a somber expression on his face. "I had a difficult upbringing, too, Savannah. My parents died young, and my brothers and I had to raise our younger sister when she was just a small girl. She relied on us for everything. I was only eighteen when she became our responsibility. My older brother, Nash, was twenty-one, so he was the legal guardian. Jax was fifteen.”
“Wow,” said Savannah. “That’s a lot to take on.”
“It was hard, and we didn’t have much money. Then, we got careers. I joined the military and ended up in special ops. Nash became a DEA agent. Jax—well, Jax did a bit of everything, mostly involving IT. He catalogs books at the library one day a week, too. I guess we all got so caught up in our work that we got complacent. Dropped the ball. Chloe . . . . well, we lost her three years ago.”
Savannah’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. You’ve had it just as rough as I had.”
He nodded, swallowing hard. "It's why I do what I do now—protect others, so they don't have to go through what my family did."
"Family sounds really important to you," Savannah observed, offering a sympathetic smile.
"Family is everything," Blake agreed. "I'd do anything for them."
“How did Chloe die, if you don’t mind me asking? And your parents?” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m being too nosy. It’s the investigative journalist in me.”
Blake shook his head. “Not at all. I’d like to explain it to you.”
At that moment, the front door opened, and a man walked in. He wore a t-shirt with some kind of graphic novel design on it, and an open check shirt over the top. He had messy brown hair, glasses, and a five o'clock shadow, and although he was slightly shorter than Blake, Savannah immediately noticed the resemblance.
“Hold that thought,” said Blake. “We’ll talk more later, pumpkin.”
Pumpkin. Having a cute pet name sent warm tingles through her, for some reason.
"Hey, Blake," the man greeted, setting down a laptop bag. "Is this Savannah?"
"Yep," Blake replied, motioning for her to come over. "Savannah, meet my brother Jax. Jax, this is Savannah."
"Nice to meet you, Savannah," Jax said, extending his hand. As she shook it, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, though she definitely preferred Blake.
"Nice to meet you too, Jax," Savannah responded, smiling.
"Jax is our tech genius," Blake explained, his voice tinged with pride. "He's been helping us track down leads in the case."
"Wow, I’d love to have a tech genius brother," Savannah said, genuinely intrigued. She liked the idea that Blake had a good relationship with his brother, too; it showed he valued family bonds.
Jax took a laptop out of his backpack and set it down on the counter. As the three of them sat together, Savannah couldn't help but feel a strange sense of belonging. Though she had only just met Jax, there was something comforting about being around people who shared her drive for justice and protection. She felt like finally, she was part of a team.
"Alright, Savannah," Jax began, turning to her with an expectant expression. "I need any information you have on the Lucifer Club."
She hesitated, unsure of how much to divulge. This would be the first time she had told anyone the stuff she knew. But with her apartment ransacked and her files gone, there was no reason to hold back now.
Taking a deep breath, she launched into everything she knew about the secretive establishment, its connection to the trafficking ring, and the mysterious figure she called Scarface.
Jax listened intently, typing as she spoke, occasionally nodding or asking clarifying questions. Blake stood by, his protective presence reassuring her as she revealed her hard-won knowledge.
"Okay," Jax said finally, rubbing his hands together. "Let's see what we can dig up on this Scarface character."
As he typed away, tension built in the room. Savannah's heart raced, both from nerves and the close proximity to Blake. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and it took all her self-control not to lean into his strong, comforting presence.
"Got him," Jax announced triumphantly. "Scarface is actually Vincent DeLuca, a known enforcer for a local crime family. He's got a rap sheet a mile long, including assault, drug trafficking, and even a few murder charges that never stuck."
"Jesus," Savannah whispered, her stomach twisting. If things had gone differently with DeLuca, she might not be standing here now.
"Looks like you dodged a bullet, Savvy," Blake murmured, his eyes dark with concern.
"Seems like it," she agreed, swallowing hard. "What now?"
"First, we keep you safe," Blake said firmly, squeezing her arm reassuringly. "Then, we use this information to take down the whole operation."
"Right," Jax added. “This new information is so helpful. How did you find out about the Lucifer Club?”
Savannah smiled. “I’ve been impersonating a few different girls online. Speaking on various forums. Took me months to make the link between trafficked girls and the Lucifer Club, but then I found this guy who asked me to meet him there ‘for a date in the back room.’ I was super suspicious, so I went to scope the place out first. Glad I did. I'm sure that something nasty is going on in that back room.”
“Good work,” said Blake, looking at her with an expression that for some reason made a jolt of electricity shoot straight to her core.
“Can you remember the names of the forums you were on?” asked Jax.
“Sure,” said Savannah, relaying the main ones to him, along with her username.
Jax's fingers flew over his keyboard, eyes scanning the screen intently. "I need to go home and run a few more web trawls," he said, pushing back from the table. "But before I go, Blake, don't forget about the gala operation in two days. Time's ticking."
"Right," Blake nodded, his expression serious. "Thanks for the reminder."
Savannah couldn't help but ask, "What's this gala operation?"
"Ah," Blake hesitated, then seemed to make a decision. "We're going after Alderman Anderson. He's been on our radar for a while now. I’ll be honest with you, Savvy. It’s entirely possible that our guy is connected to yours in some way."
"Really?" Savannah's eyes widened, excitement surging through her. "I always knew there was something off about that guy."
"Good instincts," Blake said, a hint of a smile touching his lips.
Jax packed his bag, and then put a plastic bag on the counter. “I brought that stuff you asked for, Blake.”
Blake nodded. “Thanks, bro.”
As Jax left the apartment, Savannah eyed the bag suspiciously. “What’s in there? Anything I need to know about?”
Blake laughed. “Actually, yes. I hope you don’t mind, but I gave Jax the money you paid me, and asked him to buy some stuff for you with it.”
“Stuff for me?”
Blake started taking stuff out of the bag. “I found a couple of mystery novels for you. Nothing scary, just kid’s ones, but hopefully they’ll help you feel more at home. I know you didn’t have time to grab any books from your apartment.”
Savannah grinned. “ Famous Five ! And Nancy Drew ! These books will be so much fun. Thank you!”
Blake continued pulling things out of the bag. “There are a few more clothes here too, in case you need them. I asked Jax to get them from an age play boutique, so I hope you like them. They’re mostly pink because I know you love that color.”
Savannah grinned. “Oh, now you’ve made me blush the same color as all the clothes. Thank you! I love them!” There was a little pink sweetheart dress, some red hotpants with hearts on them, and a couple of t-shirts with cartoon designs on them. They were perfect. She didn’t say the word aloud, but Blake’s gesture almost felt . . . romantic. Was she reading that wrong? “So,” she said, “do you want a fashion show?”
Blake’s eyes widened. “Damn, I’d like that. But there's something we need to do first."
"Oh?”
"I’m going to teach you some self-defense moves." His blue eyes bore into her own green ones, and for a moment, she felt a pulse of attraction buzz between them.
"Is that necessary? I thought I was safe here," she challenged.
"Better safe than sorry," Blake replied, his tone firm but gentle. "I won't let anything happen to you, but it's important you know how to protect yourself. This guy we’re dealing with, DeLuca, has his claws in deep in this city. I want to know that if it ever came to it, you had some basic training for all eventualities."
"Alright," Savannah agreed, swallowing her apprehension. “Sounds good.”
First, Blake showed her where to punch a man to disable him, then how to get out of a stronghold. She couldn't help but notice the heat of his hands on her skin, the firmness of his muscles as they brushed against her, and the way his scent filled her nostrils. It was intoxicating, and she found herself growing more aware of her own body with each passing moment.
"You’re doing great, Savannah," Blake praised her, his breath warm against her ear. "Try not to overthink it. Just use your instincts.”
“Got it. Instincts.” Savannah's pulse raced as Blake stepped in close, his body pressed against hers from behind. They were practicing a defense move, but she couldn't ignore the growing heat between them.
"Remember, elbow into the solar plexus," he instructed, guiding her arm back.
"Like this?" she asked, tossing him a coy smile over her shoulder. She couldn't help herself—the way he was holding her, so close and yet so controlled, made her want to push his buttons.
"Exactly," he replied, though she could hear the strain in his voice. His grip on her tightened, and she felt the unmistakable hardness of his arousal pressing into her lower back.
"Seems like someone's enjoying this a little too much." The words slipped out before Savannah could stop them— a playful jab that masked her own rising desire. "Maybe you just want to kiss me again, hmm?"
Blake stiffened, his jaw clenched as he tried to maintain control. "Focus, young lady," he growled, frustration seeping into his tone. "This is serious."
"Right, I’m sorry," she agreed, biting back a grin. But as she shifted her weight, she couldn't resist brushing her hips against him one more time, just to see if she could provoke a reaction.
He let out a soft curse under his breath and pulled away, his entire body tense and rigid. "That's enough for today," he declared, his voice thick with unspoken longing.
Before Savannah could respond or tease him further, Blake's phone rang, slicing through the heavy silence. With a sigh, he answered the call and put it on speakerphone.
"Hey man, it's Jax. I've got a lead on the Lucifer. You're not gonna believe what I found," Jax's voice crackled through the speaker, his excitement palpable.
"Tell us," Blake said, his eyes never leaving Savannah's.
She felt a surge of gratitude that he was including her so openly in their investigation.
"Someone on a forum claims they were drugged and taken to the club,” said Jax, “but managed to get away. I've set up a meeting for you two tonight at the Haven. Eight o’clock. Don’t be late."
"Good work, Jax," Blake said, hanging up. He turned to Savannah with a sly grin. "Get ready for an interesting night."
“What kind of place is the Haven?" Savannah asked, trying to focus on the task at hand instead of the lingering heat in her cheeks.
Blake grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement. "You're in for a treat."
"Another one?” she asked mischievously.
Blake looked down at his still obvious arousal and then back at Savannah. “The treats will just keep coming when you’re with me, babygirl,” he said. And then he strode off to the bathroom.