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Savannah rose, and her hand fluttered to her chest.
“Get in the bedroom and lock the door,” he whispered.
Knock,knock,knock
This time, the beating on the door was more insistent. She skirted around the coffee table and slipped into the bedroom.
“Who is it?” Toth demanded.
“It’s Dare. Cole sent me. Open up.”
Savannah hovered at the threshold of the bedroom. Toth shot her a hesitant glance then looked through the peephole again.
“One sec,” Toth called out. He pulled out his phone and checked the screen then glanced at her as he repocketed it. “Didn’t realize Cole sent a message saying Dare should be here soon.”
He lowered his weapon but didn’t put it away. He unlocked and opened the door.
“The fuck took you so long?” A man about Toth’s height breezed into the room. He wore dark jeans and a heather-gray T-shirt. He sent Savannah a curious glance as he waited for Toth to close and lock the door.
Dare’s ebony hair waved back away from his forehead, and the scruff on his face was a little thicker than a five-o’clock shadow. He had the same strong jawline and straight nose as Cole and Toth. While the two men had their physical differences, the family resemblance was clear.
She relaxed her shoulders and stepped out of the bedroom. “I’m Savannah.” She held out her hand, and he accepted it without pause.
“So I’ve heard,” he said, his tone even but not unfriendly. He turned his attention to Toth. “You must be the youngster.”
Toth’s throat moved. “Guess so. Toth.”
Dare held out his hand and smiled. “You look a lot like the sonofabitch. Probably why Cole doesn’t like ya.”
Toth shook his hand. “Can’t help my genes. You guys look like him, too.”
Dare let go and then moved to sit on the sofa. “Yeah, I guess we got one good thing from him.” He rested his elbows on his knees, his expression pensive.
Toth walked hesitantly to one of the dinette chairs and Savannah took the other. It was like watching two alpha wolves meet in the woods—would they attack each other or become allies?
Silence thickened the air. The tension in the room was palpable. Toth rubbed his knees.
Dare flicked his gaze up from the floor to look at his brother. “I want to make it clear that I—we—didn’t know you existed. I’m sure you’re aware of that. But had we had any fucking idea you were born, we would’ve found you.”
Savannah’s throat burned as emotion overcame her. She watched Toth’s face change from guarded to stunned. The fact that Dare had acknowledged Toth’s misery, acknowledged that he’d have been welcomed a long time ago, made relief for Toth wash over her.
Toth scrubbed his hand over his face, his jaw tight and his eyes dark. “Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate that.” He cleared his throat. “I wish things could’ve been different.”
Dare shrugged. “You’re here now. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
Savannah pressed her folded hands to her lap to stop herself from getting up and wrapping Dare in a hug. He’d accepted Toth. He seemed to actually care. Her heart swelled.
“That means a lot,” Toth said slowly. He scratched a spot above his ear. “That’s all I wanted. Didn’t mean to cause any trouble by showing up. Sure as hell didn’t mean to piss anyone off.”
Dare snorted. “It doesn’t take much to piss off Cole, so don’t let that get to you. I’ve known him my whole life and he’s still the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.”
Savannah let out a light laugh and Toth grinned.
“He’ll come around,” Dare added. “We all went through hell when they left us, but Cole carried a heavier weight, being the oldest. He probably feels some guilt, too, about not knowing about you. Believe it or not, the guy has a heart. He just doesn’t know what the fuck to do with it.”
Toth chuckled. “I got nothin’ but time.”
Part of Savannah wanted to reach for Toth’s hand, to rejoice in this moment with him. He’d finally been accepted, at least by one of the Holmes brothers. But this wasn’t about her. She’d wait until they were alone.