Chapter 4 #2
“We’re driving to the airport. We’re flying to an undisclosed location.
For parts of this, you’ll be blindfolded.
” She slow-blinks. “We’ll discuss more on our flight, but we leave now.
We’re walking out that door to a ride that’s waiting for us.
And if you do anything other than walk out that door with me, I will pick you up and carry you out bodily.
” I let out a breath. “Don’t make me do that, Savannah. ”
I don’t give her time to protest, talk, or ask questions. I walk briskly to the door, taking her along with me. “I’m only going because your mother told me you’d keep me safe,” she says, as if to make it very clear that there’s no way in hell she’d do this of her own accord.
“Then why didn’t you go to the police? Why did you come here?”
She has no answer for that.
I know exactly why she came here. The police can’t offer the type of protection I can.
The police are bound by laws.
Lyam hands me a bag with a wig he probably got from Fabien’s expansive collection. We’ll have to cut and dye her hair—the most distinguishing characteristic she has—but for now, the wig will do.
“You ever worn a wig before?”
She makes a sound of disgust. “No.”
“Stand still, then. It might get itchy, but you’ll only wear this until we can change your hair color more effectively.”
I pull her against my chest and make short work of tucking the silky strands of pink under the wig. That quickly, Savannah becomes a brunette with full, straight brown hair that graces her shoulders.
It looks amazing on her. Jesus. Everything does. I could make her bald, and she’d still make me ache for her.
When we exit the house, Mario and Lyam flank our sides, weapons drawn. She takes in an audible breath at the flash of gunmetal gray on either side.
I draw my own weapon as well.
As one unit, we walk to the car, our steps in sync. In silence.
Even Savannah stays quiet and walks quickly to the armored car idling by the curb.
I open the door and gesture for her to go in first, then slide in beside her. Lyam takes the driver’s seat and Mario goes to sit in the passenger seat.
“Maman’s secure,” Lyam says as he puts the car in drive and begins to head toward the airport. “We’ve called for heightened security measures.”
I nod.
“Lyam, did you alert her team?”
“I did.”
It’s a somber ride, but a fast one. We’re close enough we could walk but it’s safer to drive.
“I didn’t pack anything,” Savannah says. She turns away from me, and I wonder why. Even from here I can see a lone tear roll down her cheek.
It’s been a long night for her.
“We’ll get what you need.”
She nods.
“What about my apartment?” She turns to me, not bothering to hide the tears on her cheeks. “I have a fish, Thayer.”
Fish. Her life is in danger, and she’s worried about her fish.
“I’ll make sure it’s fed,” I say with practiced patience.
She looks back out the window. “Alright.”
We make it to the airport, surrounded by security. Armored cars follow behind, flank each side, and ride ahead of us as well.
“Where are we going?
“I can’t tell you that.”
She rolls her eyes. “Is this one of those ‘If I tell you I’d have to kill you’ speeches?”
Of all the disrespectful things—
I silence her with a look. She gives me the middle finger. Mario actually gasps. Lyam chuckles and reaches into his pocket before he casually slides me what I asked him for. I put the sleek package in my pocket.
I narrow my eyes at her. Oh, I’ll remember that.
I’m not sure why she’s so angry with me. I’m not the one that put her in this predicament.
Finally, I break the silence with a question that’s been plaguing me for a little while. “Why didn’t you have your guard with you?”
“Oh, God, you too?”
“Me, too, what?”
“Fabien and Nicolette have been on my ass about getting guards.”
I close my eyes briefly, willing myself not to snap again. “Do you mean to tell me,” I say slowly, “that you don’t have any guards?”
Her sheepish grimace is all the answer I need.
“Savannah!”
“Seriously, that’s exactly what Fabien and Nicolette were saying, and I don’t need to hear it all over again.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Fucking hell,” Mario says, his eyes wide. “Savannah, there isn’t a woman in my family who’s allowed to brush her teeth without a damn guard.”
Lyam nods. “I’m shocked Fabien allowed this.”
“Guards are for special people. Celebrities?” she says, as if that explains anything. “Rich people. Not people like me. And I’m not actually Fabien’s sister, so he has no say. And this is ridiculous because I’m not someone anyone would even target.”
“Wrong. Your sister married into the Gerard family. That alone puts you at risk.”
She lets out a sigh worthy of an award. “Fine. Alright. After this I have to admit I do need a guard, so I guess you all will have your way.”
The rest of the trip goes off without a hitch. We land, and she scans the horizon for any sign of where we are. Though she’s familiar with Corsica, she won’t know our exact destination.
I wait until we’re safely seated in our escort car, Mario and Lyam in a separate car to follow us, before I lay down the laws she won’t like.
“Now, we talk.”
Savannah eyes me warily. She’s as squashed in the corner of the car as possible, her arms crossed over her chest like a child.
She needs someone to break through that exterior. Break down her defenses. Break through that resistance.
I wonder how she’d react to a spanking.
I don’t know how long I’ll have her, but we will find out.
“I’m going to blindfold you before we go in.”
“Oooh, kinky, are we?” She’s trying to be witty or funny, but I can only shake my head.
“Oh, Savannah. Love. You have no idea.”
“You can’t—do you—I mean, if you—” She pauses. “Thayer.”
“Savannah.”
“Don’t say my name like that,” she whispers, then looks away quickly, as if regretting what she just said. Shaking her head, she grimaces. “Forget I said that.”
Why does she ask me that? Why doesn’t she want me to say her name? It’s a strange request.
I love her name. It’s old-fashioned, feminine, and beautiful… all the things I like best about her.
“Like I said, it’s time to talk,” I begin. “I’m taking you to an exclusive club. At this club, clients pay very high-end prices for anonymity and privacy. Only certain members are allowed entry. You’ll likely… see things that might be a little… foreign to you.”
She eyes me with suspicion. "What do you mean? And how do you know what I have and have not seen? Is this like some kind of kinky sex club?”
There’s no hiding the truth, so I nod. “Something like that.”
“Ahhh,” she says, nodding with a little grin. “Really?” she drawls in a classic Southern Belle imitation. “Why, Thayer. I had no idea.”
I blow out a stream of breath and turn away. “I know.”
I need this woman alone, in private, and now.
“My, my,” she says with a teasing glint in her eyes. “What else do you hide behind that tough exterior?” She reaches for my hand and strokes her thumb along the top of it. My dick twitches and my pulse spikes. Fucking hell.
Tough exterior, eh? I’ll show her tough exterior—
“Savannah.” I lace my voice with warning, but she doesn’t seem to care. She turns fully to face me, as if she’s completely oblivious to the fact that she’s in danger and this is no joking matter.
“All this time,” she says in a low voice. “All this time, you’ve been hiding these secrets…”
That does it.
In one swift move, I grab her by the waist and pin her against me, so her back is to my chest and my left arm’s solidly in place around her.
I reach in my pocket for the package from Lyam—a slim blindfold and supple restraints.
With a firm grip, I loop the satiny restraint around her wrists and pull tight.
“Oh, we’re kinky alright,” she says, though her lilting voice doesn’t hide the flash of alarm in her eyes.
I ignore her while I slide the blindfold over her eyes.
“This is for your own good,” I whisper, as I tie it at the back of her head.
“Ah. That’s what they all say.”
I grit my teeth. “Should’ve brought a gag.”