Chapter Four
Reaper stood outside the Iron Sentinels’ clubhouse. He crossed his arms as he surveyed the yard.
The night was quiet, the cool air a rare relief after a long day. Most of the brothers had turned in or were gathered inside, shooting pool and knocking back beers.
He’d joined them earlier, but the noise felt too suffocating tonight. He scanned the lot, thinking of his interaction with Savannah three nights ago. When he returned her bracelet he’d been surprised to see she owned a gun. He hadn’t pressed her then, but he’d gotten even more intrigued with her. She had secrets. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice whenever she dodged a question. And damn it if those secrets didn’t make him more curious.
The rumble of approaching engines snapped him out of his thoughts. He straightened, his senses going sharp as the sound grew louder. The lights of six bikes cut through the darkness, heading straight for the clubhouse.
Reaper clenched his jaw when the patches came into view—black and red with a flaming skull. The Ravagers.
“Trouble,” he muttered, turning toward the door. “Patch, Viper, get out here. Now.”
The door swung open a moment later, and two of his brothers joined him, each armed and ready.
The Ravagers pulled into the lot, their leader, Drake, dismounting first. Reaper never liked Drake, he was the kind of guy who answered every problem with violence.
“ Evening, Reaper, ” Drake called, his voice slick as oil. “ Mind if we chat? ”
Reaper could feel his shoulders tense. “ Depends on what you ’re here for, Drake. This isn’t your turf,” Reaper pointed out.
Drake chuckled, looking around as his men dismounted and spread out, their presence a calculated move to show dominance.
“ Relax. We ’re just passing through,” Drake said.
“ Passing through my ass, ” Viper muttered.
Reaper shot him a warning glance before stepping forward. “ Say your piece, and then keep passing. ”
Drake’s grin widened as he stepped closer. “ Word is, you ’ve got a little stray hanging around. Thought we’d come take a look.”
Reaper’s stomach dropped. He didn’t have to ask who Drake meant. His mind immediately went to Savannah—her sharp tongue, her fierce independence, and the quiet vulnerability she tried so hard to hide.
“ I don ’t know what you’re talking about,” Reaper said, his voice steady.
“Sure you don’t.” Drake’s eyes glinted with amusement. “But just in case, we’ll stick around a bit. Get reacquainted.”
Before Reaper could respond, Savannah rode into the lot with her friend Samantha seated behind her on the bike. She froze momentarily when she spotted the Ravagers.
Leaning close, Savannah quickly whispered something to Samantha, who immediately dismounted and hurried into the clubhouse. Much to Reaper’s frustration, Savannah didn’t follow her inside. Instead, she stayed where she was, plastering on a casual smile.
“ Wow, ” she said. Savannah sauntered toward Reaper like she hadn’t just walked into the middle of a standoff. “ Didn ’t know we were throwing a party tonight.”
Reaper wanted to grab her and drag her inside, but he forced himself to stay still, watching her every move. She was confident, sure, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. She knew exactly what she was walking into.
“ And who ’s this?” Drake asked, his gaze locking onto Savannah like a snake sizing up its prey. “ Is this the stray I ’ve heard about?”
Savannah tilted her head, her smile never faltering. “ I ’m certainly not a stray. Just a friend of Reaper’s, dropping by.”
Drake chuckled, but the way his eyes narrowed told Reaper he wasn’t buying it. “ A friend, huh? ”
Reaper stepped forward, putting himself between Drake and Savannah. “ She ’s none of your concern.”
“Easy, now,” Savannah said, placing a hand lightly on Reaper’s arm. “I think I can handle a little conversation.”
Reaper shot her a warning look, but she ignored it, turning her full attention to Drake.
“ So, what brings you here? ” she asked, her tone light but calculated.
Drake’s grin returned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just curious about the stray the Sentinels let onto their territory.”
“ Well, curiosity killed the cat, ” she said smoothly. “ And I ’m pretty sure you don’t want to stick around long enough to find out what it’ll do to you.”
The men behind Drake shifted, a few of them chuckling quietly. Drake’s grin faltered, but only for a moment. His eyes swept over Savannah again, something flickering there—recognition.
Reaper didn’t miss it. His gut tightened, and he moved closer to Savannah, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive.
Drake’s grin returned, colder this time. “ Interesting. You ’ve certainly got a sharp tongue.”
Savannah shrugged. “ Helps me survive. Now, if you ’re done here, I’m sure you’ve got better places to be.”
Drake didn’t move immediately, his gaze lingering on Savannah for a beat too long before he finally stepped back.
“ Guess we ’ll be on our way,” he said, his tone laced with warning. “ But we ’ll be seeing you around.”
Reaper stayed rooted in place as the Ravagers mounted their bikes and roared out of the lot. Only when the sound of their engines faded did he exhale, turning to Savannah.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped, his voice low but heated. What the hell was that all about? was the real question he wanted to ask her, but not yet. That might just drive her away.
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “ Defusing the situation. You ’re welcome, by the way.”
“ Defusing— ” Reaper cut himself off, running a hand through his hair. “ You don ’t play games with guys like that, Savannah.”
“ I wasn ’t playing games,” she said, her tone firm. “ I was keeping them from starting something. ”
Reaper shook his head, his frustration warring with something else—admiration. She’d walked straight into danger without flinching, and she’d handled Drake with a confidence most people couldn’t muster. But that recognition in Drake’s eyes wasn’t something Reaper could ignore.
He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “ Drake seemed to know you. ”
Savannah’s expression flickered for a moment before she covered it with her usual smirk. “ Never met him before this. Maybe he finds me attractive. ”
Reaper didn’t buy it, but he let it go—for now. “ You ’re lucky he didn’t push harder.”
“ I can handle myself, ” she said, though her voice was softer this time.
Reaper studied her, his frustration ebbing as he took in the faint shadows under her eyes, the way her fingers toyed with the hem of her jacket. She was putting on a brave face, but she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted him to believe.
“ You can tell me the truth, you know, ” he said quietly. “ You can trust me. ”
Her eyes met his, something unspoken passing between them. For a moment, the tension from the standoff melted away, replaced by something warmer, deeper.
Savannah’s smirk returned, though it was softer now. “Trust isn’t easy for me, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
Reaper watched her turn and walk back toward the clubhouse, his chest tightening as he realized just how much he wanted to protect her—not just from the Ravagers, but from whatever ghosts she was running from.
And judging by the look Drake had given her, those ghosts weren’t far behind.