Page 6 of Savage Possession (Savage Reign #3)

I no longer see the angel in front of me. Hell’s wrath takes over my vision as it turns blood red.

I drop my hands and take the keys to the bookstore out. I silently pick her up and carry Isa inside, setting her on the nearest counter top. “Wait here.”

“Ash. No, wait.” She grabs my cut, pulling me to a stop. I turn. I can’t help it. I don’t like hearing the fear in her voice.

She gasps as I take both sides of her face in my palms and press a kiss over the bruise. “Wait here. I’m going to get the first aid kit and then you are going to tell me the name of the man who did this to you.”

“I can’t,” she whispers.

“You can. And then I will take care of the rest. From here on out, you never have to worry again.” I’ll sign whatever blood contract with the devil himself if I have to in order to keep that promise.

Tender fingers wrap around my wrists. “I knew I shouldn't have come here. I’m so sorry to bring trouble to your door. I didn’t know where else to go and frankly it was like the bike pointed itself here.”

“Whose bike did you ride here?”

She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter, but we need to get out of here and as far away from it as possible.” She releases her hold on me and goes to jump off the counter. My sweet angel gasps when I step between her legs and block her path.

“What are you not telling me?”

I take in her torn dress, smeared mascara and the fear in her eyes.

“Who do I need to kill?” I pull my weapons from their holsters and lay both Desert Eagles on either side of Isa’s thighs.

I pick up one first and check the magazine.

Full.

I do the same to the other one.

It’s full too.

Her eyes go round with fear and she does this cute little forehead scrunch that makes me want to kiss every little worry line that pops up.

Her hands come to my shoulders, and she gives a slight shake. “What are you doing? No. No, nope.”

If she shakes her head any harder, she’s going to get whiplash.

I sigh heavily, hating the fact I’ll need to show her my true colors sooner rather than later. “What did you think I was going to do when you showed up beaten, your dress torn, and shaking from fear? I hope you don’t expect me to let whoever did this to you get away with hurting my angel?”

She throws her hands out in this wide gesture of frustration that almost has me laughing.

“Seriously, I don’t know what I wasn’t thinking.

All I know is I would like to get out of here before the men hunting me catch up with me.

They call themselves this stupid name. The Vultures.

But stupid or not, they are mean men who take joy in hurting people.

I’m sure they have that metal monster in the back alley pinged with some kind of tracker so my life is on a countdown timer. ”

She takes a shaky, deep breath and releases it.

“I’m sure they do. I’m familiar with the rat bastards. But how do you know them?”

Nothing but a few shards of light from the streetlights break up the darkness, but there’s no hiding how her face turns a deep red that stands out in the muted interior of the bookstore.

She lets out a long sigh. “A very long story short, my mom died, my father got greedy and instead of drinking himself into a grave like most heartbroken men, he decided to make himself a crime boss of sorts. I don’t know whose bright idea it was to use me as leverage, but I came back from New York City with my father only to find out he made plans for today to be my wedding day to Grayson “Grudge” Caine.

Surprise! But not really. I can not make this shit up. ”

She brushes away tears streaming down her cheeks and I swear to God right then and there I will put bodies in the ground for this woman.

I step between her legs, and cradle her body and warmth to me, offering all I have in return. “Just breathe for a minute. We’ll figure it all out. This father of yours sounds like he could use a rude awakening.” With my gun shoved down his mouth, but I leave that out.

“Why did your father try to hitch you to a guy like him? It must have been one helluva deal to make giving up his only daughter worth it.”

“He’s not winning father of the year anytime soon, for sure. I have no idea what pots he has his fingers in anymore. But I do know nothing good will come of my father and that man working together.”

She looks ready to give in to the need to cry. But somehow she fights the tears back into submission as she peers up at me with the world of sorrow in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Ash. I really am. I don’t have any other family besides the one person who just betrayed me. But we have to get out of here. The people coming after me are not nice.”

“You said as much.” I pick up my weapons and holster them before I lift her off the counter. “Which of the Vultures put that bruise on your face?” I touch the tender spot with the lightest touch.

“You’re not listening.” She grabs my upper arm and I stop walking to look back at her.

She stops abruptly as if expecting me to raise my hand to her.

“Let’s get one thing straight, I will never raise a hand to you. Ever. Never flinch from me. Understood?”

She considers me for a long minute as if she’s measuring the depths of my soul and the truth of my words. I must pass some kind of test because she slowly starts nodding her head and then I get a whispered, “Understood.”

“Good girl, my sweet angel. Follow me. I want to check the front and then we will head home.”

I continue to walk, but she doesn’t follow. I turn on my heel but give her the space she is after.

“It was my father. Not Grudge, shockingly. I refused to let my father marry me off just so he could broker a deal with Grudge, and he didn’t like my defiance.”

I give a curt nod. Now I have a target.

Isa rushes toward me and threads her fingers into the material of my T-shirt. “I see the intent written all over your face, Ash. No. Please, you have to listen. I don’t want my father to die. He wasn’t always so violent and bitter. Please.”

She continues to talk about her father, but I tune out. The monsters in me breathe a new wave of violence into the fire I always have simmering just beneath the surface. The need I have to bury a body rises and stretches. The inner roar is deafening.

“Ash? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, angel. Just give me a minute.” I close my lids and drop my head back.

It takes everything I have in me to calm the urge to seek out blood instead of getting her to safety.

Not everyone has the control that I do over their monsters.

I came to terms with mine a long time ago.

They need blood when they witness injustice, so I give it to them.

What can I say, it’s that simple. The man who harmed such a sweet creature will pay in kind. Period.

She slips her hand into mine and links her delicate fingers with mine.

“He will pay,” I say, keeping my tone even and laced with forced calm.

I think of the fear in her eyes when I pulled up. The sweetness of her kiss. Her innocence and not truly knowing the danger she is in between two rival crews. Whatever game her father is playing will end up with him with my bullet.

“I missed you. I have thought about you since the day we met.”

My chuckle is a low rumble. “Changing the subject won’t save him. But tell me more. I want to hear how you pined for me.”

I sweep her into my arms and carry her the rest of the way to the front of the bookstore. I want to check the streets but I refuse to let her leave my side.

“Ash! This is serious. You have to know the Vultures are going to come looking for me and they are pissed.”

“I imagine so since you have their president’s bike crashed in the back alley.”

Her back goes straight like I offended her.

“Crashed? The heavy beast tipped over on its own when I climbed off. As far as I am concerned he’s lucky I haven’t torched the hunk of metal.”

I can’t argue with that. “Indeed.” I tap the underside of her chin with a finger. Fuck. She’s adorable looking all flustered and rattled.

Her delicate hand finds mine again as I keep the lights off and watch the main drag of our parish.

Everything is quiet for now, but Isa isn’t a woman you let get away.

I should know. I cooked up fifty different scenarios on how I planned on hunting her down the first chance I had.

Grudge will do everything he can to get her back.

When he learns I have her, he’ll seek blood.

“The Vultures have their hands in a lot of things. Trafficking, gun running, gambling. Drugs. The rival crew has been a pain in our collective sides for a while now. It won’t take much to force our president’s hand and cause a blood war.”

“I don’t want to be the cause of anything. I don’t know about any rival anything, nor do I know who is against who,” she says with enough force to mean business.

The corner of my lip kicks up in a half smirk. “You should know you are the bride to my enemy and you just rode across territory lines. If I claim you as protected by the Savages, it will mean a war and people will get killed.”

She stumbles back with disbelief etched into her expression. “No. I refuse to be a part of that.” She takes a step back. Then another. I’m on her before she can turn and flee out the back door.

“Not so fast, sweet angel. You’re not getting away from me that easily.” Come what fucking may, I’m not giving up what belongs to me.

I get a squeal of surprise from her that strokes across my libido.

My entire body buzzes with the need to spread her wide and watch her body receive me fully.

The second I get her to my cabin, she’s losing the dress.

I’ll have her virgin blood before sunrise.

I don’t care about anyone or anything right now.

I love my brothers and I am loyal to the Savage blood in my veins.

But what can I say, I never saw love coming my way with trouble on her heels.

She’s over my shoulder and I’m already halfway to the back door when I growl, “Shh, angel. Save all those gasps for when I tie you to my bed.”

But the rumble of motors cut me off our exit.