Chapter Three
Savannah stumbled through the door of her tiny apartment, kicking it shut behind her with a weary sigh. She dropped her keys on the counter, her muscles aching after back-to-back shifts at the diner. Every step from the entrance to the kitchen felt like trudging through wet cement.
Her stomach growled, but the idea of cooking anything seemed as daunting as climbing a mountain. Savannah opened the fridge with the last bit of energy she could muster. The cold air wafted over her face as she scanned the meager contents. Leftover pizza it was. She grabbed the box, popped a slice onto a plate, and shoved it into the microwave. While waiting, she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes.
The sudden buzz of her phone broke through the haze. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared at the device on the counter. The screen lit up with an unknown number, making her stomach twist. Her first instinct was to let it go to voicemail—she was too tired to deal with anything, much less someone she didn’t know. But then, her thoughts spiraled. What if it’s him? The idea sent a shiver down her spine, though she wasn’t sure if it was fear or something else. Just as quickly, another possibility emerged. What if it’s someone who needs help?
Savannah hesitated, her fingers hovering over the phone. Swallowing her apprehension, she answered. “ Hello? ”
“ Savannah? It ’s Samantha. From the diner.”
Relief washed over her like a cool breeze. Samantha. Not him. “ Hey, Samantha. What ’s up? Everything okay?” Savannah asked.
There was a pause, followed by Samantha’s slightly shaky voice.
“Yeah, we’re okay. I just … I wanted to call and thank you. Me and Caleb, we’re staying in a motel here in Steelhaven. It’s not fancy, but it’s safe. And that’s because of you.”
Savannah exhaled slowly, her grip on the phone relaxing. Her shoulders sagged as the tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding dissipated.
“ I ’m glad you’re safe. That’s all that matters,” she said.
“It’s not nothing,” Samantha insisted. “Not everyone would stick their neck out for a stranger like that. You didn’t even hesitate.”
Savannah’s lips curved into a small smile, the kind she reserved for moments like this.
“We’re not strangers, Samantha. We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
There was a soft laugh on the other end of the line, and Savannah could almost see Samantha’s relieved smile.
“ Yeah, I guess we are. But still, if you ever need anything—anything at all—you can count on me. I mean it, ” Samantha said.
“ Thanks, Samantha, ” Savannah said warmly. “ But right now, you just focus on getting you and Caleb settled, okay? ”
“ Okay, ” Samantha agreed. “ Take care, Savannah. ”
“ You too. ”
The call ended, and Savannah set her phone down, staring at it for a long moment. She couldn’t help but reflect on how much things had changed since she’d rolled into Steelhaven. When she’d first arrived, her plan had been simple: avoid drawing attention, and move on once she’d saved enough money.
Connections? Those were out of the question. Connections meant vulnerability, and vulnerability was dangerous. But somehow, despite herself, she’d started building them anyway. First, there was Reaper, who’d made her feel safer than she had in years. And now there was Samantha, an unexpected friend.
She hadn’t intended to get involved in Samantha’s mess. But when the woman had confided in her about the rival MC sniffing around and her ex-boyfriend’s mounting debt, Savannah couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
The night Samantha called her for help, Savannah had barely thought before jumping on her bike and riding to the next town over. It had been risky—more than she cared to admit—but she’d gotten there just in time. The rival MC had been circling Samantha’s place like vultures.
Savannah had managed to spirit Samantha and her young son, Caleb, away before the situation turned ugly. Her bike had taken a beating during their escape, but she’d considered it a small price to pay. Now, Samantha and Caleb were safe. They had a roof over their heads and a chance to start fresh. That knowledge brought Savannah a measure of comfort she hadn’t expected.
She retrieved her pizza from the microwave and took a bite, the lukewarm cheese doing little to distract from her thoughts.
Wasn’t she supposed to be laying low? That had been the plan, after all. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t turn her back on people who needed her.
Savannah glanced around her apartment, taking in the mismatched furniture and the peeling wallpaper. It wasn’t much, but it was hers for now. It was a far cry from the life she used to know, the one she’d left behind. But then, wasn’t that the point? To leave it all behind and start over?
Savannah finished her pizza and set the plate in the sink, exhaustion catching up with her again. She’d deal with her swirling thoughts later. For now, she needed sleep.
As she crawled into bed, her mind drifted to Samantha’s words: If you ever need anything, you can count on me. For someone who’d spent her life running, those words meant more than she could say.
****
Savannah was on the brink of sleep, when the doorbell rang. She snapped her eyes open, her heart jolting into overdrive. She sat up in bed, wide awake, the sound reverberating through her small apartment like a warning bell. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to move.
Without thinking, Savannah reached for the drawer in her nightstand, pulling out the small handgun she kept there. She wrapped her fingers around the cool metal, its familiar weight steadying her.
She cursed under her breath as she slid out of bed, her bare feet making no sound on the worn floorboards. She knew she was being paranoid—too paranoid, maybe—but she couldn’t shake the thought. What if he had somehow found her?
Steelhaven wasn’t supposed to be on anyone’s radar. She’d chosen this place specifically because it was off the beaten path, under the Iron Sentinels’ protection.
But still, the fear whispered, what if?
Savannah crept to the door, her pulse hammering in her ears. The gun stayed firmly in her grasp as she peeked through the peephole, holding her breath. Her heart was still racing, but when she saw who was standing there, the tension drained from her body like air from a punctured tire.
Reaper.
Expelling a heavy sigh of relief, she leaned her forehead against the door for a moment before unlocking it. She opened it just enough to see him clearly, his broad frame nearly filling the doorway.
“ Hey, ” he said. Reaper shifted slightly, holding something out to her. “ Sorry for stopping by so late, but you left this at the garage yesterday. ”
Her eyes dropped to what he held: her old leather bracelet, the one her mom had given her when she was a teenager. It was frayed and worn, but it was one of the few personal items she still had from her old life. Her chest tightened.
“ Oh. Thanks. ” She reached for it, brushing his fingers briefly as she took it.
Reaper’s gaze stayed on her, his sharp eyes studying her face, then drifting lower—lower than she realized, because his expression shifted into something unreadable. It was then she realized her mistake.
The gun. She was still holding it. Her face warmed, but she didn’t lower it immediately. His eyes lingered on the weapon in her hand, his jaw tightening as a muscle ticked.
“ Expecting company? ” he asked, his tone sharp, almost possessive.
Savannah shivered at the sound, though she told herself it was just the cool air from the open door.
Reaper wasn’t the kind of man you ignored easily. With his ink-covered arms, his broad shoulders, and that perpetually serious expression, he looked like he could break someone in two without a second thought. But even now, standing in front of him with a gun in her hand, she wasn’t afraid. She never had been—not of him.
“ Never hurts to be careful, ” she answered lightly, though her voice came out a little breathless.
She set the gun down on the small table near the door, careful not to meet his eyes as she did.
“And thanks for bringing this back. I didn’t even realize I left it,” she added.
Reaper nodded, his expression softening slightly, though he didn’t step back. “ It was on the bench. Figured it might be important. ”
“It is.” Savannah ran her fingers over the bracelet, the familiar leather grounding her. “But, uh … how did you know where I live?”
Her question came out sharper than she intended, and she mentally cursed herself for sounding suspicious. She could tell by the slight arch of Reaper’s brow that he’d picked up on it.
“ It ’s on the order forms you filled out,” he said, his tone casual, though his gaze was still keen, watching her closely.
“ Oh. Right. ” She relaxed slightly, though she still felt a little embarrassed by her reaction.
She wasn’t used to people knowing where to find her—or caring enough to bring something back, for that matter.
Reaper’s eyes dropped to her again, lingering a little too long for her comfort. Or maybe not her comfort exactly, because she felt anything but uncomfortable under his scrutiny. It was … different.
He met her gaze again, his voice quieter this time. “ You all right, Savannah? ”
The way he said her name sent a strange warmth through her. It was so simple, but it carried weight, like he wasn’t just asking out of politeness. He genuinely wanted to know.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just … long day. That’s all.”
Reaper didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press. Instead, he nodded, stepping back slightly. “All right. I’ll let you get some rest. Just thought you’d want this back,” he said.
“ Thanks, ” she said again, her voice softer this time. She hesitated, not wanting to close the door just yet. “ Good night, Reaper. ”
“You have a good night too, Savannah,” he said, his tone lingering in the way that made her stomach flip.
She shut the door and leaned against it, her heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear this time. Reaper’s presence always had a way of making her feel both on edge and strangely secure. He was rough around the edges, sure, but there was something about him—something steady, protective, and entirely too tempting.
Savannah fingered the bracelet in her hand, her thoughts swirling. She still wasn’t sure if staying here was the smart thing to do. But moments like this made her want to reconsider.
She shook her head, pushing herself off the door and heading back toward her bedroom. She wasn’t ready to figure that out tonight.
For now, she’d just hold onto the bracelet and try to ignore the way Reaper’s gaze seemed to silently devour her, how his voice lingered in her ears, tempting her to believe there might be something between them.