Chapter 11
“Evie? Earth to Evie.” Virgil waved his hand in front of my face.
I snapped to attention. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if you could move my three o’clock to four, and you didn’t even reply because you look all comatose. What were you thinking about?”
Savage—naked and inside me.
“Uh, groceries,” I lied. “Sure, I can change that for you. No problem. Sorry.”
“Great. Hey, me and the guys are going out tonight for darts and beer. You wanna come?”
Joy fizzed through me at his invitation. Despite my resolve to remain aloof, his smile was so affable, so open, that I found myself nodding. “Yeah, that sounds great. Except I can’t drink.”
“What do you mean?” His brow furrowed.
“I mean, I’m only twenty.”
“Holy shit, you’re only twenty?”
“Well, yeah.” I frowned. “Why? Is that a problem?”
“Nope. My crush is cured,” he stated.
“Crush? What crush?”
“My crush on you,” he explained with a grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t let it get in the way of our working relationship.”
I snorted. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Plus, I’m pretty sure Savage would’ve punched my lights out if I made a move on you considering he’s already claimed you. So this is good, actually. We’ll be friends. Yeah, friends . . . I can have female friends.”
Claimed me?
I wanted to ask Virgil to expand on his comment, but his cell rang, and he answered it, effectively ending our conversation as he left the room.
Why did the idea of Savage claiming me make my insides flutter and desire pulse between my thighs?
While there was a lull, I texted Savage about the invite to hang out with the Jackson brothers.
Savage
Yeah, let’s go with them. We’ll have our date another night.
I hadn’t meant to invite him along, but I wasn’t going to try and explain that through a text.
“I hear you’re going out with us tonight,” Roman said as he entered the front room.
“Yeah, is that okay?” I asked quietly.
“More than okay,” he assured me.
“Is it okay if Savage comes?”
“Sure thing.” He paused, looking like he wanted to say something. “Do you like peanut butter crackers?”
I blinked. “Yes.”
“Hang on, let me get some and then we’re going to have a talk.”
I looked in the direction Virgil had gone.
“He’s on the phone with our mom. Trust me, it’ll be a while.” Roman left the room to grab the snacks and then returned.
“What do you know about the Tarnished Angels?” Roman asked, opening a package of crackers and handing them to me.
I smiled at his fraternal instincts and took the package. “Uh, not much. Just that Savage is part of the club.”
“Look, I don’t normally get involved in other people’s business, but you work here. And I know how you came to work here. And as the oldest, my big brother instinct is strong.”
I shifted on my feet, waiting for him to continue.
“They don’t operate within the normal bounds of society. They’re bikers .”
“Who live a certain kind of life that most people wouldn’t resonate with?”
“Something like that, yeah.” He frowned. “Not too long ago, they were involved in some really bad shit. And bad shit doesn’t just go away because you decide it does.”
I swallowed, thinking of my own past. “You’re warning me to stay away, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m too late for that already. I see how Savage looks at you. I’m just saying be careful. Tread lightly.”
I pondered his words. “Thanks for looking out for me.”
His smile was easy. “Sure.”
“I’ll think about what you said.”
“No, you won’t.” He shook his head.
“I won’t?”
“Nope. You’re already involved with Savage. They say when you stop looking for a relationship, that’s when it happens.”
“I wasn’t looking for a relationship,” I murmured.
“My point exactly,” he drawled.
“Are you single, Roman?”
“Yes. I’m afraid of love,” he replied dramatically.
“Oh please.” I laughed.
“I’m not sure. Why do you think I’m still single at thirty-six?”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not single because you’re afraid, that’s for sure.”
“No? Then why am I single?”
“Commitment shy, maybe?”
“No.”
“You just haven’t found the right woman yet,” I suggested.
“I guess.”
He suddenly looked tired, like exhaustion was weighing him down.
“What’s your type?” I asked.
“Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Tattoos and attitude.”
“That’s kind of vague.”
He grinned and shrugged. “There’s plenty of women who’ll keep me company until I find the right one.”
I laughed. “And there it is.”
“And there it is,” Roman agreed.
Savage was waiting for me when I walked out of Three Kings. If the Jackson brothers weren’t behind me, watching, I would’ve run to him and demanded he kiss me.
But I forced myself to remain steady as I approached him.
He was leaning against his bike. “Is that any way to greet me?”
I paused for a moment and then launched myself against him. He caught me and gave me a kiss that had my head spinning.
Hoots and hollers sounded behind us.
“When you two stop groping each other,” Virgil called, “meet us at Spurs!”
Savage saluted but kept one arm around me. He looked down at me. “I missed you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Did you miss me?”
“We were only a part for a few hours,” I said with a laugh.
“Yeah, and I couldn’t stop fantasizing about your mouth and your legs.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Specifically your legs wrapped around me, and you pressing yourself against me.”
My heart thundered in my chest.
I pulled back and smiled at him. “We should go.”
He nodded and handed me a helmet.
We climbed onto his motorcycle and zoomed out of the parking lot.
Spurs was a cowboy bar and restaurant. It wasn’t overly crowded, and the Jackson brothers had already grabbed a table near one of the pool tables.
“We already put an order in for wings and nachos,” Roman said as we joined them.
Homer glanced at me, an annoyed expression on his face.
Did he not want me here?
A waitress came by to take our drink order. Savage grabbed my chair and scooted it closer to him and then placed his arm around my shoulder.
Virgil smirked at Savage’s demonstrative show of physical attention.
“So,” Virgil said. “What kind of tattoo are you getting, Evie?”
I frowned. “A tattoo?”
Roman nodded. “You work at a tattoo parlor. Your tattoos are on the house.”
“Oh.” I nibbled my lip. “That’s nice of you. But I don’t want a tattoo.”
“How can you not want a tattoo?” Virgil demanded. “Everyone wants a tattoo.”
I grinned at his astonishment. “Not me.”
Our waitress returned with our drinks and passed them out around the table. “Food should be up shortly.”
She left and Roman continued the conversation. “Well, if you ever change your mind, let us know.”
“Yeah, and hypothetically, who would you choose to ink you?” Virgil asked.
“Not you,” Savage piped up, taking a pint. “I’ve seen the way you look at her ass.”
“Easy, man,” Virgil stated. “She’s got hearts in her eyes, but only for you.”
Savage looked at me. “Is that true?”
I smiled at him but said nothing.
“You wanna throw some darts before the food comes?” he asked.
I nodded.
He stood back and took my hand, helping me up from my chair. The dart board we walked to was on the other side of the bar, far enough away from our table that the Jackson brothers couldn’t hear our conversation.
“He’s hit on you already, hasn’t he?” Savage asked.
“Who? Virgil?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about with Virgil.”
“That means I’m right,” Savage said. “Did he ask you out?”
I placed my hand on Savage’s chest. “No. Let it go, Savage.”
He covered my hand with his and nodded. “You throw first.”
“I don’t think Homer likes me,” I said as I came back from the dartboard with the darts in hand.
“He doesn’t really like anyone,” Savage said. “Don’t take it personally.”
I faced the dart board and let it rip. My first dart landed near the edge of the board. “I do take it personally. I work for him. I’d like our interactions not to be so . . . tense.”
“Has he said anything to you?”
I shook my head. “On the contrary, he doesn’t talk to me at all.”
“So wait, you want him to talk to you?”
I threw another dart; this one landed closer to the bullseye. “I want him not to look at me like I’m an inconvenience or like I’m in his way.”
“Ah, gotcha. You want me to talk to him for you?”
“ No! ” I shouted. The bartender looked at me in curiosity. I shot him a smile and then focused on Savage. “No,” I repeated again, much softer this time. “I want to handle it myself. I’ll just give it some time.”
My last dart hit the bullseye, giving me a great feeling of satisfaction. Savage went to the board and gathered the darts. He was a much better dart thrower than I was and stacked his darts on the triple twenty and the outer bullseye ring.
“Don’t feel bad,” he teased. “I’ve spent far too many hours throwing darts with Duke and Willa.”
“Practice makes perfect,” I joked. “I’m going to use the bathroom before the food comes out.”
“Right through there.” Savage pointed to the doorway that was tucked toward the back of the bar.
I turned to leave him when he grasped my hand. “You’re forgetting something.”
“What?” I frowned.
He tapped his mouth and grinned.
Laughing, I stepped forward and placed my lips on his for a quick peck.
“That’s better.”
I used the restroom and came back out onto the floor, a smile on my face in anticipation of seeing Savage again.
A huge body stepped in front of me.
I ground to a halt and looked up at the man wearing a black cowboy hat and a button-down shirt with pearl snap buttons. “Excuse me,” I said, trying to step around him.
“Where you goin’, darlin’?” His brown eyes flickered with interest as he raised his beer pint to his lips and took a sip. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thank you.” My tone was polite but firm, even though my heart thundered in fear.
When I tried to step around him, he mirrored my movement and effectively blocked me from leaving.
“Please move.” My voice trembled.
He snaked a free hand out and grasped my waist to haul me to him. My nose collided with his chest, and I got a whiff of his pungent aroma.
Bile churned in my belly.
“Let me go!” I shouted.
He leered down at me, appearing like he hadn’t heard me. Or if he did, he didn’t care.
I placed my hands on his chest and attempted to shove him away, but he felt like a wall of bricks.
Suddenly, Savage appeared behind the big man, like an apparition clad in leather and danger.
“You heard the lady,” Savage stated, his voice low.
“Buzz off,” the man growled, gazing over his shoulder at Savage. “This is between me and the pretty little redhead.”
“Dude, you do not want to make me tell you again,” Savage stated.
My gaze was trained on Savage, but he didn’t look away from the threat to glance at me.
“You got a problem, Ox?” Another man approached and stood next to Ox.
Savage’s eyebrows raised. “Ox? Your name is Ox?”
Ox puffed out his chest which only made him seem bigger. “Of course, dumb ass. I’m as big as an ox. You do not want to fuck around and find out tonight, boy.”
Something flashed over Savage’s face. “What if I do?”
“What’s going on?” Roman demanded, appearing with Homer and Virgil and flanking Savage. The three of them were coiled, ready to spring into action.
“Ox was just letting me go.” I looked up at Ox. “Weren’t you?”
He glanced down at me and blinked sluggishly. He’d had one too many beers. I could see the sheen in his eyes.
A bell rang from the kitchen, signaling food was up, but it reminded me of the illegal fighting ring and the start of a round.
Only now we were in public and the last thing I wanted was for Savage to go all . . . Savage.
I wanted to do everything in my power to diffuse the situation, so I once again pushed away from Ox, gently this time.
He let me go.
I immediately side-stepped Ox and slid in between him and Savage, placing myself in front of Savage who hadn’t taken his eyes off Ox.
“Savage,” I murmured. “Savage, look at me.”
My hands came up to cradle his face.
Finally, whatever spell was cast on him broke and his gaze slid to mine.
We stared at each other for a few heart beats.
“Take me home,” I commanded.