14. SAVANNAH
Chapter fourteen
SAVANNAH
S avannah's heart thudded in her chest as she and Blake stepped into The Haven. Blake looked so good in his tux, and she wanted nothing more than to go into the BDSM room with him and let him do all kinds of naughty things to her while dressed up in that commanding outfit.
But that wasn’t why they were here.
She saw Nash and Jax at a booth over in the corner, wearing black suits just like Blake was, with solemn expressions on their faces. They looked less like they were heading out to a charity gala and more like they were off to a funeral.
Maybe they were, in a way. She just wasn’t sure whose funeral it would be.
“Be careful, Daddy,” she whispered, squeezing Blake’s hand. She wished that she could help him on this mission. She was desperate to find out more about what the Alderman’s role was in the trafficking ring and more than anything, she wanted to be the one to tell the whole world about it right afterward.
But Blake wasn’t letting her get involved, which was fair enough, since it was his mission. She just felt powerless.
“I’m always careful,” he replied, putting his arm around her.
She looked up at him. “Can I do anything to help while you’re gone?”
He smiled. “You can relax for me, little one,” he replied. “I’ve arranged for you and Rosie to play in the nursery together tonight. I want you to unwind and try to switch off from all this nasty stuff. Something tells me you’ve become addicted to the drama, young lady. That’s normal when you go through a lot, but I want you to remember how much you enjoy letting loose and having fun, too.”
She laughed. “Well, I guess that doesn’t sound too terrible. I just want to be helpful. Do you promise you’ll let me be helpful when the time is right?”
He pulled her close to him and looked into her eyes. “I promise, darling, that I will absolutely want your help when the time is right.”
She nodded, satisfied, and gave him a warm kiss on the cheek.
Just then, Rosie bounded up to her. “Savvy!” She was wearing a cute white dress with strawberries all over it. “Are you ready for a night of fun?”
Savannah laughed. “I sure am!”
“Then let’s go to the nursery!” Rosie took her hand and dragged her to the back of the club, pushing open the door on the right.
Savannah looked back over her shoulder, seeing Blake talking with his brothers. She took a mental picture of them, hoping that the sick feeling in her stomach was just nerves, not an ominous premonition.
“Hey, what’s in that middle room, by the way?” asked Savannah.
Rosie tapped the side of her nose. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
They entered the playroom, which was filled with stuffed animals, toys, and rainbow-colored furniture. Around the edge of the room was a huge train track, and in every direction, there were more toys than Savannah had ever seen. Her eyes widened, taking in the sight.
“Rosie,” she said quietly, overcome with anxiety, “I’ve never actually . . . played . . . with another Little before.”
Rosie smiled. “You’ll be just fine. Just follow my lead!”
Savannah looked at Rosie, thinking how good she looked in her strawberry dress. She remembered that Rosie had said her Little was around seven. She looked like she had probably always been the cool kid at school, and her Little was immaculately turned out and fashionable.
Savannah looked down at her own crop top with a cartoon bear on it, and white hotpants, and she suddenly felt inadequate.
“Hey,” said Rosie, as if reading her mind, “let’s play dressing up!”
Rosie led Savannah to a nearby wardrobe, revealing an array of cute clothes designed for Littles. They eagerly selected matching pink dresses adorned with bows and lace, giggling as they changed into their new outfits.
Then Rosie went over to a little music box in the corner and wound it up. Funny little nursery rhymes started to play and Rosie said, “Now we can have a bubble disco!”
“A bubble disco?” asked Savannah.
Rosie giggled. “Sure! Go over to that big plastic penguin in the corner and press his beak.
Savannah did as she was asked and she jumped a little when the penguin opened its mechanical mouth and started shooting bubbles out into the room.
“Eek! I wasn’t expecting that!” she squealed, laughing.
The girls danced around, twirling with various stuffies in their hands, winding up the music box and leaping about to the silly music as the bubbles floated and popped all around them.
Finally, they grabbed a carton of juice and collapsed on some beanbags, giggling.
“So, is Blake your Daddy, then?” asked Rosie. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I saw you kissing him on the cheek earlier . . .”
"Um, yeah," she replied, her cheeks coloring.
Rosie's eyes widened with excitement. "He is? That's such amazing news! How do you feel about it?"
"Blake's been so good to me," Savannah confided, absentmindedly sucking on her juice. "But sometimes I worry that if I let him take care of me fully, I'll lose my independence."
"Girl, I can relate," Rosie replied with a knowing smile, leaning against a wall covered in whimsical murals. "That’s the problem with the Marks boys. They want full control.”
“Is something going on between you and Nash?” she asked, her inner investigative journalist taking over for a moment.
Rosie didn’t look upset by the question. “Nash provided security for me a couple of years back, and we . . . well, we kissed. But then he backed off, saying it wasn't appropriate."
"Really?" Savannah asked, curiosity piqued.
"Yep. Once the job was over and I no longer needed protection, I asked him if we could pick up where we left off. He told me no but then he hired me to work behind the bar. I felt like that was mixed messages, but he still insists that we can't be together because I'm his employee now. It’s all a bit confusing." Rosie rolled her eyes. "And now we're stuck in this endless cycle of flirting and bickering. It's infuriating."
Savannah sighed. "Are Daddies always this confusing?"
"Oh, definitely," Rosie said. "But you know what? We're strong women, Savannah. We can handle it. And if Blake’s the one for you, he’ll support you in that journey." She tutted. “Unlike Nash, who’s just a tease.”
"Thanks, Rosie." Savannah beamed, feeling a renewed sense of determination. “I think you’re right.”
There had to be a balance between being coddled and fighting for justice. She wanted both—safety and adventure. If Blake was the right guy for her, he’d understand that. Gently setting down her juice carton, she spoke up, "I want to show Blake that I can be his Little, but also stand up for myself and be brave."
Rosie grinned, her eyes sparkling with encouragement. "You should! Trust me, Savannah, Blake wouldn't want to change you. If anything, he'll be proud of your strength and independence."
"Really?" Savannah's heart swelled with hope, her doubts beginning to dissipate.
"Absolutely," Rosie insisted. “Unlike Nash, who seems to want me under the thumb and in his line of vision, but nowhere near his, uh, pants department.” She cackled. “Pants department! What a ridiculous phrase!”
Emboldened by Rosie's support, Savannah felt a surge of determination. She would prove to Blake—and herself—that she could be both his Little and a superstar investigative journalist. The balance she sought was within reach; all she had to do was embrace it.
“Rosie,” she said, “I’m going out for a while.”
Rosie sat up straight. “ Out out? Is that wise?”
Savannah smiled. “I spent my whole life out there before I met Blake. I think I can manage it, don’t you?”
Rosie grimaced. “I’m not really meant to let you go anywhere. And there are a bunch of games left I was hoping to play with you. There’s painting, skipping, Snakes and Ladders—”
“All of those things sound great,” said Savannah, “but there’s something I want to do first.” She paused. “You know, Blake told me he wanted my help when the time was right. Well, given what he’s up to tonight, I think the time is more right than ever.”
Rosie took a deep breath. “Well . . . I guess if you’re going to do something wild and brave, maybe I should, too. When Nash gets back, I’m going to ask him to kiss me.”
“You should!” agreed Savannah. “Let’s pinky promise.”
“Okay,” said Rosie, cackling like a supervillain now. “The Marks boys might be Paladin Security, but we’re the Brave Girls.”
“The Brave Girls,” agreed Savannah with a smile.