Chapter 6
Menace
The day’s first shadows hadn’t faded from the walls when I woke with a start.
Savannah’s cheek was pressed onto my shirt-covered chest, her arm slung over my stomach.
Her confession cut through my mind, sharper than any alarm.
I could still see the fear behind her eyes when she’d whispered the truth in the dark.
“Calloway,” I muttered, tasting the name.
Gently I removed her arm, grabbed my phone, and texted Bronc to see if she could stay with Juliet, my thumbs heavy as I punched out my request. She’d need someone besides me to talk to, someone to keep her secrets.
I told Savannah as much last night, a knot pulling tight in my stomach as I thought of what it would take for her to let it all out.
My shirt stuck to my skin as I pulled on my boots.
Bronc, need Savannah to stay with Juliet today.
We’ve got too much to handle with Skeeter.
The message hung there, stark and desperate.
I scrubbed my hand over my face, hoping he wouldn’t ask too many questions yet.
Not that I didn’t trust my brothers, but hell, if Savannah’s secret got out too soon, I wasn’t sure we’d have the time to react.
The fucking King of the Eastern Wolves. I couldn’t get her voice out of my head, the tremor in it when she finally said her name.
I felt the pressure building behind my eyes.
This would be a fucking day. I heard her stir as I set up the coffeemaker.
She came around the corner just as it started to drip into the carafe.
Goddamn if she wasn’t a vision with her tangled auburn hair spilling out of the messy bun that sat atop her head.
Slowly, I made my way around the butcher block peninsula to her as she stood still as a statue. Those terrified green eyes held my every move. “Hey, Red. I don’t like your looking at me like a frightened lamb.” My hands cupped her face as I kissed my way down from her forehead to her lips.
Loved the way her breath caught at my slightest touch.
“I’m not afraid of you.,” she said breathlessly when I stopped.
“But I won’t lie. The situation has me scared shitless.
” She half laughed as she followed me to the kitchen to get the coffee mugs down from the cabinet as my phone buzzed.
Her eyes widened as she saw Bronc’s name flash across the screen.
“I asked Bronc if you could stay with Juliet today. I want you to tell her everything. She can keep your secret, and you need to talk to someone. She’s a good one, Savannah. I trust her. You can too.”
Bronc’s answer was short and sweet. Yeah, she can stay. We’ll talk later.
While Savannah changed clothes and got herself together, I thought of Declan Calloway, of what he might be doing to track her down. Savannah wouldn’t be the only one he’d come after. Once he knew where she was, none of us were safe.
I thought about how the guys would react when they heard the news about who Savannah was.
One shitstorm after another. I expected them to go a little ape shit.
That was standard-issue behavior for such an occasion.
I knew one thing was certain though: they were my brothers, and they’d stand with me, just like we stood with Bronc.
Just like I’d stand with them. Hell or fucking high water.
Life or death. I’d have their backs. And they’d sure as hell always have mine.
We stopped for a quick breakfast, and then I basically drove like a madman.
My foot pressed heavy on the gas, the wind beating at the windows like it had fists.
My heart kicked harder, thinking about how I could keep Savannah safe and hold the club together at the same time.
I had to tell them what we were up against. And I had to tell them now.
The conversation was light as we basically rode in silence.
We must have had that in common. When I have heavy stuff on my mind, I tend to get quiet.
Then, I let myself think about Skeeter, let it distract me from the heavier weight.
We’d been on to him for weeks. Felt good to finally pin him down.
Knew he was behind the money missing from Bronc’s shop, thought we’d scare him out into the open and call it a day.
Then we saw how far back it went, and everything we knew now told us it was gonna be bigger than we thought. As most things were.
The sky was too big, the horizon too wide.
Everything stretched out forever out here.
The farther I drove, the farther it seemed like I had to go.
I lived about five miles inside pack territory.
I’d dropped Savannah by Bronc’s and then headed home for a shower and clean clothes.
When the pack buildings finally came into view, I felt like I’d put on armor.
The air was charged with a storm I couldn’t see, but I could sure as hell feel.
Parking outside the clubhouse, I cut the engine and sat there longer than I should have, mind spinning circles. I thought about Savannah and how far she’d gotten with her story to Juliet. I sent her all the good thoughts I could.
Almost texted her. My hand hovered over my phone, but I stopped. Stuffed it in my pocket. If I kept checking on her, I’d never do what I needed to do here. I slammed the truck door and stalked up to the house. This was it. The bomb was about to drop.
The compound was quiet when I arrived, but it felt like the calm before a storm.
I went straight to the meeting room where the others were already waiting.
Bronc looked up, a shadow of suspicion in his eyes.
“The look on your face tells me I’m not gonna like this.
” He was seated at the table, hands folded in front of him like he was expecting a bad hand to be dealt.
“Well then, I must be doing a real fuckin’ piss-poor job at facial expressions,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Because you’re gonna fuckin’ hate this.
Seems our Sawyer, my Sawyer, my mate, and yes, I said mate, is actually Savannah Calloway.
” I let her full name hang there, waited for them to catch up. It didn’t take long.
Bronc’s mouth tightened as the weight of it sunk in. Then, after a heavy sigh, “I just wish that one goddamn time, somebody around here could drop some kind of good news on me. Declan fucking Calloway,” he muttered. “That son of a bitch is dangerous.”
Arsenal leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking from me to Bronc, processing.
He crossed his arms, the tattoos on his forearms shifting with the motion.
Tension ratcheted up and crackled between us like static.
“She'd better have a golden pussy.” Was his fucking smartass reply. I took a step towards him. Bronc’s massive hand on my chest the only thing that stopped me from causing serious bodily harm.
Bronc’s glare could bring a man to his knees. “Now is not the time for your disrespectful comments about your brother’s mate, jackass.” It was like Bronc had backhanded Arsenal across the face.
“Apologies, man. This is all new. Women around here being more than pussy that is. I got your back, you know that. And hers.”
The room felt too small, like there wasn’t enough air to go around.
I stayed at the head of the table, the pressure of their attention pinning me in place.
Bronc’s jaw was set, the tendons in his neck standing out as he absorbed what I’d just dropped.
He leaned forward, fingers interlocked. “How the hell did you get into this mess, Menace?”
“I knew she was hiding something,” I said, knowing how weak that sounded.
“Had no way of knowing it’d be a bombshell like this.
Figured she was unhappy with her pack at home and had an opportunity not to go back so she took it.
I fucking introduced her to Karen at the elementary school.
She said she had a degree in music and education.
Should have heard it when she sat at the piano.
” My mind went to that classroom. “I don’t know how she thought she’d get away with it when I ran her credentials.
Guess that’s why she fessed up. That and she’s scared to death her father’s men are going to hurt us. ”
“King of the Eastern Packs is a well-known tyrant,” Big Papa chimed in, his voice low but steady. His heir isn’t any better.
“Yeah.” I nodded, remembering Savannah’s confession and the fear in her eyes. “She’s been running from Declan for almost a year. Went off-grid, hiding out wherever she could, until by some fluke, Harrison’s men found her in the Ozarks.”
The room was quiet for a moment before Arsenal asked the $64,000 question. “Why is she running, Menace?”
“Yeah, it gets worse.” I looked down at my scarred hands that were flat on the table. Then I looked back up at my brothers whose lives were all going to soon be in danger.
“She ran, because her father promised her to the new King Dominic Madison of the Midwestern Packs.”
Bronc shook his head. “Jesus Christ. You brought a fucking Calloway into the compound. And possibly induced the wrath of the Midwest king as well?”
“She’s my mate,” I shot back, the words coming out sharper than I intended. “And I just rescued a woman. There was no way for me to know any of this. What was she supposed to do? It’s only been a few weeks. But once Lucia came by your cabin, she knew her time was up. Lucia recognized her.”
Bronc ran his hand down his face. “Shit, what a mess. I’ll have Juliet call Lucia. Get her to keep quiet.”
I finally took my seat at the table. “Savannah is telling Juliet everything right now. I told her she was going to need a friend, and there is not a better person I know than Juliet.”
Bronc’s eyes shifted to me, like he was surprised.
I shrugged. “I mean it. Every word.”
Bronc looked as old as I’d ever seen him. I was glad he had Juliet in his life. She gave him some balance to the burdens he always carried.