Page 36 of Rose

Ahzii went quiet, her mind suddenly racing. She hadn ’ t heard from Kiyan since the explosion. Savior said he gave him a replacement car and a warning, but still...

“He’s not forcing you to feel anything,” Olivia continued. “He’s not trying to trap you or make you accept something you’re not ready for. But he’s not going anywhere either. That man is the definition of resilient . And patient as hell when it comes to you.”

She squeezed Ahzii’s hand with a knowing smile. “So welcome to the family, Mrs. Carter. You already his wife. On your timing, of course.”

Ahzii blinked slowly, her mouth parting. “Oh, Lord …” she groaned, slumping in the stool.

Olivia laughed loud, shaking her head. “Girl, buckle up.”

Savior walked over with two heavy plates stacked high with pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and honey biscuits. The smell had Ahzii’s stomach growling loud enough for Olivia to hear.

He set the plates down and followed with two bowls of fruit. “Y’all done talking about me yet?”

“Boy, whatever. Thank you,” Ahzii muttered, grabbing a strawberry and popping it into her mouth.

“Thank you, bestie!” Olivia grinned, already digging into her fruit bowl.

“I don’t know what she said,” Savior said, taking a bite of his pancakes, “but I hope you listened. Every word. Because nine times outta ten, she right.”

“Oh, so the crazy, mental patient, big-headed lunatic she said you are is actually accurate?” Ahzii teased, a smug look on her face.

Olivia laughed, catching the sarcasm.

“Yup,” Savior said without blinking. “She forgot to say ‘handsome,’ but everything else tracks.”

They shared a laugh, a moment of ease and warmth wrapping around the table like sunlight. The energy between the three of them felt effortless, but Ahzii couldn’t ignore the undercurrent of something deeper, something quietly shifting inside her.

As breakfast wound down, and the clock ticked closer to Sarai’s appointment at the shop, Olivia and Savior fell into their own business talk. Ahzii stood to leave, giving Olivia a warm goodbye before Savior escorted her to the garage.

Her steps froze the moment the doors lifted.

Rows of cars, sleek, gleaming, ridiculous in their luxury, lined the space like a private showroom. Her eyes nearly popped at the sight.

“Which one, Allure?” Savior asked casually, like he was offering gum, not a six-figure whip.

“Any one?” she said, barely blinking.

He nodded. “Whichever one you want.”

Her eyes landed on the sky-blue Bentley Continental GT parked in the corner, shining like something dipped in heaven’s gloss.

She pointed. “That one.”

Savior turned, retrieved the keys without hesitation, and handed them to her. Ahzii couldn’t contain her excitement—she skipped, hopped, and bounced toward the car, his oversized sweats hugging her just right.

“Damn, Allure,” Savior said behind her, eyes locked in. “That ass move like water. And fat as fuck in my pants. Do you have on panties?”

She looked over her shoulder with a smirk. “No, but this ass is fat in any pants. With or without panties.”

He licked his lips. “Oh, I know.”

He followed, meeting her at the door. Before she could slide in, he grabbed her and pulled her close, hands palming her ass with a sharp smack that made her gasp.

“I wanted to ask you this last night,” Ahzii said, glancing around the mansion, her arms folded as she leaned against hands on her back.

“After seeing this beautiful place—what do you really do, Savior? Because I know being a mechanic ain’t affording this big-ass house or your own private beach. Look at all these damn cars.”

Savior let out a low chuckle, one of those deep-in-the-chest laughs that said you think you’re ready, but you’re not.

“I get rid of the bad guys,” he said, still smiling.

Ahzii narrowed her eyes and folded her arms tighter. “I’m not a child, Savior. Be real with me.”

His smirk didn’t budge, but his grip on her waist tightened slightly.

“You said you work for a dangerous family,” she continued, her tone more serious now. “And Olivia gave me pieces—little hints of what you do outside of fixing and wrapping cars. But she didn’t give me the full picture. And I know damn well it ain’t some superhero vigilante story.”

Savior looked down at her, the teasing in his expression dimming into something more weighted. He studied her for a moment, like he was trying to decide how much truth she could carry .

Then, in that calm, chilling way of his, he said, “One day, I’ll show you all of me.”

She held his gaze, searching for cracks, for clues—but he didn’t give her anything else.

And somehow, that answer was more revealing than if he’d spelled it all out.

She nodded slowly, her gut twisting with questions. She knew that was all she was getting right now.

But her mind was already racing, wondering what exactly she’d signed herself up for.

Because whatever Savior really was…

She was already in too deep.

“Am I gonna see you again?” he asked low, serious now. His tone stripped bare of games.

She met his gaze, chuckling despite the knot in her chest. “Yeah. I gotta bring your car back, don’t I?”

He squeezed her ass harder, making her whimper. “You know what the fuck I meant, Allure.”

Her smirk faded. “Yes, Savior. It’s not like I can hit up another man. You made damn sure of that.”

“Damn right,” he said, brushing his lips against hers. “I’ll kill to see this allure again.”

Their kiss was brief but deep, like a promise sealed in silence. When she finally slipped into the driver's seat, adjusting it for her height, she grinned.

She was in a Bentley. A Bentley.

“Don’t wreck my shit, Allure,” Savior warned, suddenly second-guessing his generosity.

“I’ll try not to,” she teased, starting the engine.

Savior glared. “Jokes?”

“Just jokes,” she said sweetly. “I’ll take care of your precious car. Promise.”

He stepped back as she pulled out, watching her disappear down the block. The garage felt emptier than it should’ve. Like something important just drove away.

His heart beat in a way he wasn’t used to. A heavy, anxious thud that didn’t belong to a man like him.

He wanted to give her everything. Every part of him. Even if she thought she was too broken to receive it.

But he knew better.

She was worth every piece.

???

“So how was the date last night—before my brother blew up the man’s car and kidnapped you?” Sarai asked, laying on her stomach while Ahzii carefully worked the tattoo needle along her spine.

“That shit was all over the news this morning,” Kyre added from the sectional, where she was curled up under a blanket with Taylor. “I was lowkey scared Savior actually killed y’all. ”

The shop was quiet today, just a few clients scattered in rooms with other artists.

Taylor had cleared her schedule, and A’Mazi was off racing with Sin down in Wynwood.

Kyre finally had a day off from the office, so she decided to spend it posted up at the shop with the girls.

And truthfully, Ahzii was glad to have her girls around today.

She needed their noise, their warmth, their wild commentary, to drown out the chaos swimming in her own head about Savior Carter.

“The date was boring,” she said flatly, focusing on her line work. “Honestly… as wild and unnecessary as it was, I’m glad Savior kidnapped me. He ain’t have to blow up his car though.”

The girls cracked up.

“And I see you in his clothes…” Taylor smirked. “So that means you stayed the night. Sooo—did y’all fuck?!”

Ahzii’s head snapped up. She wasn’t expecting that direct hit.

Suddenly, vivid flashbacks slammed into her.

Savior’s hands gripping her hips, the feel of his body covering hers on that beach, the way he whispered things in her ear that made her unravel from the inside out.

That man didn’t just fuck her—he made love to her in a way so filthy and tender, she was still trying to get the sand out of her damn scalp.

And then he took her home, touched her again, worshipped her skin under warm water, and massaged her until she knocked out in the sheets of his massive bed.

“ Tay ,” Ahzii scolded, glancing down at Sarai. “His sister is literally in my chair. Why would I answer that?”

The girls laughed.

“Bitch, you just did,” Sarai said with a grin. “So how was it?”

“It was cool. He’s my new fuck buddy.”

“Just a fuck buddy?” Kyre raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. Just a fuck buddy. I told him I didn’t want any emotional attachment, just sex, and he understood.”

Taylor scoffed. “Oh yeah? Is that what all this means?” She pointed at the oversized sweatpants and the pristine Bentley parked outside.

“I didn’t have time to go home,” Ahzii said, defensive now.

“Girl,” Sarai hummed knowingly. “Understanding or not, I know my brother. And he’s not coming off you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ahzii muttered, her voice low as she focused on wiping down the fresh ink. Her mind drifted to the conversation they had that morning—his boundary, her boundary, and how he planned to honor both while still loving her through the cracks.

“Okay, enough about him.” She cleared her throat, needing to switch the subject before the feelings took over again. “How was last night at the club?”

As the laughter shifted, and conversation moved on, Ahzii let herself exhale for the first time in a while. Tattooing her friend, being in her shop, listening to her girls joke—it was the escape she didn’t know she needed.

Still, in the back of her mind, she knew the truth: Savior didn’t just fuck her. He unwrapped every layer she swore she’d buried. He wasn’t just scratching at scars, he was rewriting the story she swore no one would ever read.