FIFTEEN

What the fuck? He’d made himself very clear. Stick with the band. Stay right with them. Did she do it? No. There she was. Seychelle. She looked . . . gorgeous. A little wild. A sinful temptation to any biker. He should have made himself very clear to Fatei, not to her. She was completely oblivious to the way the men looked at her. He’d noticed that before. She looked at them through the eyes of the healer, not the woman.

She had that voice. That body—tits and ass. All that thick, wild hair. Those eyes and that mouth. Now she was absolutely challenging Shari and her friend right in front of the two Diamondbacks, who were already a little obsessed with her. Not to mention Brandon lurking around the corner like a creep. She was ignoring Fatei’s instructions to get her ass back in the bar; in fact, she shook his hand off her arm.

Savage was going to kill that woman after he punished her and then fucked her brains out. He had a job to do, and it wasn’t looking after her. Or even watching her. He was lying up on a rooftop with his rifle, eye to his scope, backing up his sister. Pierce had made his request to speak with Alena formally, and Czar had had little choice but to agree to it.

Pierce had maneuvered them into a corner, and he knew it. They’d listened to Plank laying out his concerns about the Venomous club. It hadn’t come as a huge surprise to them that the club continued to try to chop away at Diamondback territory. They moved into a small section without permission, without respect, and acted as if they were just a weekend club, doing nothing but getting together to have a good time. If the Diamondbacks made a move against them, to law enforcement and civilians, the Diamondbacks would look like an outlaw club bullying a group of nice weekend dads getting together to ride. In truth, Venomous was anything but.

Torpedo Ink had seen the tactic used over and over. The moment the larger club defended their territory, they were in the wrong to the outside world, but if they didn’t defend it, inevitably they were perceived as weak, and they lost it. Venomous was coming at them from all directions, hitting chapter after chapter. Plank wanted Torpedo Ink to quietly take care of the problem before, during or after the run. Just make it go away but make it look like an accident, or if they got into a fight, anything that would distance itself from the Diamondbacks.

Plank had information that the Venomous club intended to take over the Mendocino territory first. It had already begun chipping away at the borders, swallowing the outside edges of the county and moving to take smaller pieces a little at a time. The county was rural and hard to patrol. Venomous frequented the Torpedo Ink bar and were often seen in Fort Bragg and Sea Haven as well as Caspar, all Diamondback territory. The Venomous club members were wearing their colors openly when riding, a major sign of disrespect when they’d never gone to the Diamondbacks to ask permission to be in their territory.

Plank had been very specific about the targets. He had rumors of a conspiracy to kill him. He even had somewhat of a vague timeline. Supposedly, he and a few of his inner circle were to be assassinated on the run that was coming up. When questioned, he’d admitted to using a couple of the patch chasers to get information. Whether it was good data or not still had to be confirmed, but Savage suspected it was. The Venomous club members were all too cocky when they showed up wearing their colors in the bar and at local events. They believed they were in control.

Then Pierce had made his request to talk to Alena, and he’d made it through Plank, his president. It was impossible to deny him, the way Plank presented his case. Plank claimed they hadn’t known Tawny would be at the last meet. She’d lied to hurt Alena. Pierce wanted a chance to explain things. Plank felt he’d had a hand in making things worse between the two and would appreciate a few minutes of Alena’s time.

There was nothing for it, although all of Torpedo Ink were seething, knowing that Plank had ordered Pierce to kill Tawny and throw the blame on Alena. Savage had Pierce in his sights and settled on the roof, wire in his ear, listening to the conversation, as several of the other Torpedo Ink members were doing as well.

Alena looked sexy as hell. She always did. There was something about her that just screamed sensual with every step she took. She looked cool and calm on the outside, but Savage could feel the inner turmoil raging in her. She had agreed to meet with Pierce the moment Czar asked her. She would never shirk club duties, no matter how tough they were, but it cost her to even look at him. Savage took the brunt of that rage and pain for her so she could face Pierce just like she was, with her cool demeanor, as if the Diamondback enforcer counted for nothing.

Unfortunately, that pain transferred to a deep well of rage that just kept adding to that force, building and building until the volcano in Savage would have no choice but to erupt. And that meant his woman would have to be ready. The time he had to prepare her was getting shorter and shorter. The need to put a bullet in Pierce’s head was stronger than he would have liked.

“Alena, I want you to just hear me out. That entire thing with Tawny, that was fucked up. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you. To explain,” Pierce said.

Alena shrugged, waved her hand as if dismissing him very casually. “It’s all right, Pierce, it was a misunderstanding. I thought our relationship was exclusive, and you didn’t. Had you been up front with me that you wanted something different, I would have known from the beginning what we were all about. But the video . . . That’s something else altogether.”

Alena shook her head, gave him a faint smile, but didn’t change her mild tone. “That makes you a fucking bastard. I didn’t want to give that to you, but you insisted. That was a pretty big deal, and you knew it. You played me, and I have to think about the why of that. Your ego?”

She shrugged. “Maybe you get off on playing women. I do hope you and Tawny had a good laugh together in bed the way she said. That one did hurt, I’ll admit, but then I let myself care about you, and that’s on me.”

“Damn it, Alena. You know I never took that bitch to my bed. Never. She was lying to you. She might have been in someone else’s bed watching the video, but it wasn’t mine.” There was a short silence while Pierce thought about what he’d just said.

He cursed while Savage thought about putting a bullet in the betrayer’s head. He wanted to pull the trigger more than he wanted to take his next breath. To keep from doing it, he forced air through his lungs and wiped his forehead on his sleeve, all the while keeping the scope aimed dead center between Pierce’s eyes.

Alena’s pain was visceral. One could take only so many betrayals. Alena and her entire club had already had their share. She’d let Pierce in. She’d known better, but somehow, she’d let him in. He didn’t deserve it, and the Diamondback enforcer knew it. He knew what he’d lost just looking at her. Savage could see it on his face. He drained off more of Alena’s pain, a little at a time, just enough to allow her to keep functioning with that same cool demeanor.

“That didn’t come out right, honey.” Pierce shoved both hands through his hair. “Marry me. Before the run. I want you to marry me, Alena. We can fix this.”

Alena stared at him for nearly thirty seconds without speaking while Savage resisted a second time, not pulling the trigger.

“I think you’ve really lost your mind. You want me to marry you? Before the run? How would that work, exactly? I’m Torpedo Ink. You’re Diamondback. Nothing has changed, Pierce. You want me riding with you on the run?”

“Yes.” He nodded. Frowned. Shook his head. “No. Not on the run. You’d stay home. Work at your restaurant. There’s no need for you to be at that run.”

She regarded him for another full thirty seconds in silence. “How would our marriage work, Pierce? You’re not the faithful kind. You go on runs and have fun with other women? I go and have fun with other men? Or I stay home, and you think I’m going to be the good little old lady? We have an open marriage? How do you envision this?”

He shoved his hands through his hair again. “I don’t know, Alena. I never thought about marrying anyone before. I can protect you.”

She put her hand on her hip. “Do I need protection? From what?”

He shook his head. “I don’t understand why you’re making this difficult. I’m trying to do the right thing. Work this out.”

“Like you did the right thing, setting me up when you asked for the video? You kept asking and I kept saying no. You guilt-tripped me the night you came to my restaurant and pointed out I kept missing our dates. You did that on purpose. Answer me why you would do that to me, Pierce.”

“Damn it, Alena. I didn’t distribute that to everyone.”

“It just jumped off your phone.”

“Will you at least think about it? Marrying me? I’m serious.”

“I’m going on the run, Pierce. We can talk more then. Right now, I don’t know what to think. Betrayal is really ugly. It feels ugly. Two of your boys sat next to me in the bar and made a show of playing that video. Being your old lady and having to put up with that crap would be very hard for me after the respect I’m used to having in my club. Even my old man wouldn’t be giving me the same level of respect I’m used to getting here. Trading respect for what? Having my man getting blow jobs and whatever else when he’s away from me doesn’t sound like a great trade-off, but I’ll give it thought. Thank you for the offer. I know it came from a well-meaning place.”

Pierce stared at her for a long time and then he shook his head. “Damn it, Alena. I don’t feel so easily. It just doesn’t happen. You coming along was unexpected. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She studied his face. Savage studied it as well. He was fairly certain Lana and Scarlet were doing so from their positions on rooftops as well, each trying to figure out Pierce’s real motives. Had Plank put him up to something else? Why have Alena stay away from the run? Insist she marry Pierce when he wasn’t the kind of man to be faithful? Nothing about what Pierce was saying or doing made any sense.

“Maybe if you told me why you think I’m in some kind of danger it would help, Pierce,” Alena said, her voice very quiet.

Pierce took a deep breath as a loud whistle cut through the night. “I’ve got to go. Unblock me. Talk to me on the phone.”

Alena shook her head. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to forgive the video thing yet, Pierce. Until you explain that to me, there isn’t a way to talk.”

“I can’t explain it if you won’t let me talk to you.”

They stared at each other for a long time. Pierce sighed. “If you’re going on the run, will you at least think about what I said? We can talk there.”

“I’m going on the run with Torpedo Ink,” Alena affirmed. “But I’m not making any promises about revisiting this very bizarre conversation. We’ll see what transpires.”

He stepped toward her, and she stepped back. “Don’t. Don’t even think about touching me. I have standards, Pierce. Tawny’s leftovers leave me with a very bad taste in my mouth.” She turned and sauntered off, hips swaying suggestively, Pierce cursing inventively.

Savage was proud of her. Alena never once showed the devastation Pierce had left behind. She looked classy, regal even. She walked right past the two Diamondbacks standing behind Shari and Melinda and went straight to Seychelle to wrap her arm around Seychelle’s waist. Savage could have kissed her for that alone.

“You sing like an angel, girlfriend,” Alena greeted as if she didn’t notice the tension.

The two Diamondbacks reluctantly responded to the second whistle calling them back to their bikes. One of them he recognized as a man going by the name of Trade. He was a good friend of Pierce’s. Code had done a little background work on him just because he seemed to be Pierce’s closest friend. They’d been in the service together. Both had been on a SEAL team before they got out and eventually joined the Diamondbacks together. It was Trade who turned back to look at Seychelle before he reluctantly went around the corner to join the rest of his friends leaving the premises with their president.

Savage knew it wasn’t just Seychelle’s body. Her looks could definitely attract dozens of men, but she had a siren’s voice, one that could tempt the devil. She’d clearly drawn Brandon Campbell to her. And Joseph Arnold. Now was he going to have to contend with Trade from the Diamondbacks as well? That was always going to be the downside to her singing. When she used that voice of hers to sing her love songs, she could cast a spell without trying.

“She’s no angel,” Shari snapped.

The smile faded from Alena’s face. “Excuse me? Just who are you? I don’t think I was talking to you. How did you even get into the conversation?”

Shari jutted her hip out and stuck her hand on it. “I believe you interrupted me first. Little Miss Not-So-Innocent Man Stealer was talking to me when you rudely interrupted.”

Alena’s eyebrow shot up, and she turned to Seychelle. “You’re a man stealer? Whose man did you poach? Does Savage know?”

Seychelle laughed. Savage’s gut clenched. He was going to use a crop on her body for his enjoyment. Teach her to love it. His cock reacted. Hell. He was like some out-of-control teenager around the woman. When she laughed, those little golden notes floated in the air, light and airy, touching him in places he’d thought long dead, giving him a gift every time.

He forced his attention onto the departure of the Diamondbacks, making certain all of them really left, minus Brandon, who was still on the premises. He counted them and then handed them off to Mechanic and Transporter. The two were already in positions to make certain no one backtracked. Once the Diamondbacks were off the property and their Harleys were thundering down Highway 1, he broke the rifle down, put it in the case and started to descend from the roof.

Joseph Arnold was standing on the cement planter tucked back in the shrubbery with his cell out, obviously trying to get photographs of Seychelle. He clearly had the type of cell phone capable of taking night photos. He hadn’t approached Seychelle, but he wouldn’t stop with his obsessive need to connect with her in some way.

Savage slipped off the roof and into the back meeting room to secrete the case with his rifle where it was easy for him to get to if needed. The door was open to the outside, leaving just the screen when he walked down the hall. He caught sight of Sabelia in one room, curled up in a chair, an ice pack on her face, Preacher’s jacket over her. He kept walking. The sight of a woman’s bruised face sickened him. Triggered him. He was the kind of man who could easily hunt down and kill someone over that shit. And the man wouldn’t die easily. Better to stay out of it. Preacher was handling it.

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into with a man like Savage,” Shari’s voice cut through the night, making Savage wince. “Look at you.” She sounded sneering. Full of contempt. “He keeps coming back to me. He likes my mouth. Does he like yours?”

Savage cursed under his breath and slammed the flat of his hand against the screen, opening it. He’d lost Seychelle once because of this bitch; he wasn’t losing her a second time. She had total confidence in herself in most areas. In fact, she had no problem going her own way when she wanted to—she just smiled and nodded when he said no, and she did it anyway. But not when it came to him and their relationship. She was very hesitant and unsure of herself. They hadn’t gotten to lessons on oral sex. He knew her. She would be very self-conscious about that.

He walked up behind Alena and Seychelle, slung his arm around Seychelle’s neck and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Let’s get out of here, babe. I’m wiped.” He felt her stiffen. Resisting. He bent his head, his teeth nipping her earlobe. “This is one of those times we talked about when you just come with me without arguing.” He whispered it, his lips against her ear.

Seychelle didn’t answer him, but she didn’t stop him when he slid his hand down her arm to shackle her wrist.

“You coming, Alena? You look tired, honey.”

“I think I’ll call it a night too,” Alena conceded.

“Run away, baby,” Shari hissed under her breath.

Savage had turned Seychelle around and they’d taken several steps toward the back door. She stiffened and started to turn back. He locked his arm around her.

“Keep walking.” He made it an order. “She’s done here. You won’t be seeing her again. I don’t know how she got in. I told them to keep her out.”

“She probably blew the doorman,” Alena said, laughing.

Seychelle ducked her head. “Yeah. She brags about how she’s really good at that. Savage might be able to tell you. Just how good is she?”

“Let it go, Seychelle.” He sounded harsher than he intended.

He could catch the emotions of every member of his club, even Destroyer, but Seychelle could close herself off to him when she wanted to. She was doing it right now. He glanced at Alena. She looked up at him and shook her head, warning him he was in trouble. He already knew he was. Seychelle was tired. Most likely exhausted after using her gift for so long. She hadn’t had a single break once the Diamondbacks had arrived. The meeting took longer than expected.

He caught up her jacket and was extremely gentle as he helped her into it, wrapping his arms around her as he zipped it up, pulling her body into his, her back to his front. “I’m sorry this took so long. You were amazing, Seychelle. You held everything together for us. Things could have gone to hell fast a couple of times, but you kept everyone calm with your voice.” He brushed kisses on her temple, over her ear, to her neck. “I was so fucking proud of you.”

Her gaze shifted back to him, but she didn’t smile. She just nodded to Alena and started toward the door. Savage caught her hand, holding on to her, letting her know that no matter what, they were a couple, and she wasn’t leaving him again over Shari. He detested that he’d made such a mistake, allowing his needs to overcome his usual careful planning that ensured he didn’t make mistakes with his choice of partners. He’d banned Shari, but she’d managed to get in. Seychelle had said it was fine, but clearly it wasn’t.

His intention was never to hurt Seychelle emotionally. Already he could see he was failing her. She paused at the door of the bar and turned back.

“Fatei, thank you so much for looking out for me. I really appreciate it.” She gave him her high-wattage smile.

Savage noted that the smile didn’t light her eyes. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and just hold her, but there were too many interested eyes on them. Too many people looking at his woman with speculation. He didn’t make the mistake of hurrying her. He waited until she was ready to leave. Her fingers tightened around his, and she straightened her shoulders before she once again started for the door.

“You going to stay mad at me all night?” He paced beside her down the stairs, keeping her body right up against his.

“Yes.” She didn’t look at him.

They walked in silence to his Harley. She put her helmet and gloves on while he straddled the bike and started it up. Hand on his shoulder, Seychelle took a careful look around. Savage knew that not only were Shari and her friend watching them, but Arnold was concealed in the bushes and Brandon Campbell had come out of the bar to follow at a distance. She got on as if she’d been doing it for years, fitting perfectly behind him, wrapping him up as if he were her Christmas present. She laid her body against his.

He took the shorter route to Highway 1 and circled away from Sea Haven. She tightened her arms around him, her palm pushing into his belly in protest. She wanted to go home. He was taking her there, just not to the one she expected. He dropped his gloved hand over hers to try to comfort her. Loving her was easy. Keeping her safe was proving to be something else altogether.

Savage had always thought that because it was easy for anyone to see he was the kind of man no one ever fucked with, he would never have a problem with anyone threatening his woman—not unless his club went to war. It had never occurred to him that if he did find a woman who would put up with his proclivities, she would have the kind of voice that would compel men to be obsessed. When he agreed to her singing with the band, the only thing he’d worried about was her gift of healing. Never once had he worried that those hearing her voice might hear the lure of a siren’s call.

He turned off the highway to once more take a road that led toward the ocean and the very back side of Caspar. Slowing the motorcycle as he drove along the thick stone wall that surrounded part of the estate, he pressed the button on his key chain to open the gate so that when he approached, they could just ride through.

The estate was behind iron gates set between thick stone pillars. At the end of a long drive, the house had the luxury of an ocean view on two sides, as well as landscaping and woods on the other two sides. Savage felt protected and away from everyone. There was plenty of space between the house and the trees, so no one could just creep up on him, not to mention he had put in a state-of-the-art security system.

The house was elegant and built solid. It was an A-frame house, with forty-inch beams in the south section and thirty-five-inch beams in the north part. Savage liked the height of the ceilings. He liked space, and the house gave the feeling of that with twenty-five-foot ceilings.

He rode up the long drive to a carport that was in front of the garage. Again, he opened the door to the garage from his key chain so he could ride straight in and park. Seychelle sat there in silence for so long he didn’t think she’d get off. He waited. Not saying a word. Letting her think about it. Finally, she put one hand on his shoulder and swung off, removing her helmet. She stood there waiting while he joined her.

Savage put his arm around her and walked her out of the four-car garage so she could look at the house. The estate was eight and a half acres. Complete privacy, something he needed at all times. Something they both would need. They were surrounded by beauty and serenity. It really was an exceptional piece of property.

“I bought the place recently. Czar wanted all of us to put down roots here. I wasn’t sure it was worth me buying a house, but I liked this one for a lot of reasons. When I met you, I called the agent up and asked him if it was still on the market. You don’t like it, you just say so, Seychelle. We’ll sell it and find one you do like.”

He walked her around to the impressive front. The entire façade was made of cobblestone. The front door wasn’t just any front door. It was huge. Custom-made. Thick wood, twice the normal size and arched. She stood silently staring at it and then looked back at him. Her eyes were wide. Very blue. She looked a little shocked.

“You really bought this house, Savage?”

“Yes.” He reached around her to unlock the door using a series of numbers on the keypad. “I knew it would be perfect for us. But, like I said, you don’t like it, we’ll get something else. It’s three bedrooms, four bathrooms. The master bedroom is just about everything we could want. I love the decks and the views.” He found himself smiling. “I sound a little like the real estate agent.”

“Maybe a little,” she admitted.

Savage took her hand as he opened the door. She was trembling. He really wanted her to like the house. It was nearly five thousand square feet of space if you didn’t count the outside decks, just the inside living quarters. He liked space. He even needed it.

The door opened to reveal the living room with the teak plank floors from Indonesia. The fireplace was impressive, massive, made of stone, and went from hearth to ceiling. Three enormous arched windows provided the tranquility of the ocean from one long panoramic view and one side observation. Like most of the high-end houses in the area with a lot of glass, the windows were self-cleaning, a must for a man like him. He didn’t want a lot of people around, even housekeepers. The furniture Lana had chosen for him included two low-slung leather couches, wide and slouchy, very comfortable, inviting, in a dark charcoal to go with the stone on the fireplace. There were two matching armchairs as well.

The living room opened onto a deck, as did several of the other rooms. The master bedroom had its own private deck and courtyard. The decks were wide and covered, with ornate posts rising every four feet to the roof from the railing. They were solid just like the house. There were no neighbors, and he could bring Seychelle outside with him when the mood struck him. When the sea was as turbulent as he felt.

The rooms inside were all warm wood or thick carpet, with high ceilings and gas fireplaces. The bathrooms were spacious and had heated tiles along with deep tubs and very large showers. The kitchen was large and boasted top-of-the-line appliances and marble countertops. There was a long island in the center of the enormous space. The kitchen opened into the breakfast nook and dining room but also out onto the deck.

She stood in the center of the dining room, looking around her without speaking.

He threaded his fingers through hers, his thumb sliding over the back of her hand as he led her out to the deck. “You don’t like the house.”

She tilted her head up to his immediately. “I love the house. I love the location. It’s beautiful here, Savage. How could I not love it?”

He brought her knuckles to his mouth and kissed her gently. “Tell me what’s wrong, then. I brought you here because I thought you would want to see something special. I bought the house for you because to me, you’re this special. Gorgeous. Like this spot. This house. If I could have found something more spectacular for you, I would have.” It was true. He’d give her the moon if he could—if that was what she wanted.

She gave him a little half smile. “When I’m nervous, I fall back on the things that are familiar to me. My house. My bed. Where I like to sit, where my crystals line up.”

“Why are you nervous, baby? I know you’re upset over Shari, but I’m not sure why. I thought we put that bitch to bed.” He did his best not to growl. That would come later, when he was enumerating her sins. Right now, this was her turn. He was listening to any concerns she had.

She tugged at her hand until he reluctantly let go. “I feel more in control in my own home,” she admitted. “I can talk to you about anything.”

He didn’t take his eyes from hers. “It shouldn’t matter where we are, Seychelle. You should feel as if you can talk to me about anything anyplace. What did I do to make you feel as if you couldn’t?”

She bit at her lower lip and then frowned. “I’m just more comfortable talking about difficult subjects in my bed with you.” She sat on the wide railing, one hand on the column. The wind caught at her hair, blowing it around her face. “Shari had a few interesting things to say to me tonight.”

Savage forced himself to stay silent. Shari was a huge thorn that didn’t seem as if it was ever going to go away.

“She said I wouldn’t be able to satisfy you because I had no idea what I was doing. And actually, she’s right. I don’t know what I’m doing, and that sucks.” Her lashes fluttered.

Those long feathery lashes that got him in his cock every time. She looked so utterly vulnerable when her lashes swept down like that. He wished they were on her bed as well, where he could stroke his hand down her bare leg.

“I could feel you taking on Alena’s pain when Pierce came in. You somehow bled the worst of it away so she could function. I doubt she’s aware of it.”

Savage wanted to shut that topic of conversation down fast. There was pain in her voice. Real awareness. She knew without a single doubt that he took on Alena’s pain. Alena’s righteous anger and rage at the childhood traumas were too much for her at times, so he took it on. It was impossible to continue to handle betrayal after betrayal after the childhood Alena had suffered. Savage was aware Alena was so very fragile deep inside, where no one could see beneath that thin shell she presented to the world. The cool, beautiful woman always in control. That woman wasn’t real.

He didn’t want Seychelle to resent Alena, or to ever tell Seychelle that she would suffer physical pain because he took on Alena’s emotional pain. That would break Alena’s heart. That would totally break Alena. Damage her beyond repair. He had never wanted to put his fellow members of Torpedo Ink, his brothers and sisters, into anyone else’s hands—yet he had.

Seychelle was aware of one of his psychic talents—the one that made him feel worthwhile, worthy of living, when he was such a monster. He had spent so many years working on perfecting his ability, making his talent strong so he could help the others without their knowledge, the only real contribution he felt he could make that kept him human and showed them he loved them. They wouldn’t ever know—but he would.

“I thought it was so beautiful what you gave her. What you did for her, Savage.” She turned her head away from him, but not before he caught the sheen of tears. She blinked several times. “That’s real love. I felt it on the notes. I can feel emotion on the notes I sing. I know that sounds insane, but I can. You love her so much. And you took all that pain for her, and it came through with such love.” Her voice trembled, and she dashed at the tears on her face.

Savage wanted to gather her in his arms. He stepped closer to her, forcing her knees apart so he could wedge his hips between her legs, but he merely rested his palms on her thighs. Seychelle had something to say, and she took her time getting things out. He had to learn to let her say her piece.

“I loved you so much in that moment. I loved you so much it hurt, and I knew then, just knowing what you do, that I would have the courage to face that same thing for you, because I love you that much.” She turned her head and looked at him, her gaze perfectly steady. “It isn’t that I’m just physically attracted to you. I love who you are inside. I can see you. Sometimes I see you when you can’t. But I know I don’t know how to do the things that you’re going to need. Just feeling what you were doing, I realized there really is a time frame, and what if I’m not ready? Just like last time?” There was a little sob in her voice. “I couldn’t bear it if you went to someone else because I didn’t know what I was doing, Savage.”

He captured her face between his hands. “Baby, we’ve had this conversation. I told you, there will never be another woman for me. Never. It isn’t going to happen. You’re going to be all I ever need, and I’ll be the same for you. We’ll do this together.” He poured absolute conviction into his voice. Deliberately, he used his dominant tone, velvet over steel, low and certain. His thumb moved gently over her lips. “I don’t like that you don’t have confidence in me. Or yourself. Or us.”

“It’s the time frame. I don’t know how to learn the things you need faster, Savage. I’ve never even . . .” She broke off, her gaze dropping to his cock.

“You’re doing just fine, Seychelle. You let me worry about what you need to learn and when. As far as you taking my cock down your throat, if that’s what that bitch was taunting you with, the truth is, baby, I never took them any other way. I never used my own whips on them. It was too intimate. I never kissed them. I never put my marks, my patterns, on their backs or their fronts. I put stripes on them, and I fucked their mouths. I got my release and got them off with my hand and I got the hell out. I told you I wasn’t a nice man.”

Savage bent his head and brushed kisses over her eyes and then her lips. Tender. Soft little kisses. He straightened and pushed back her hair. “You’re my woman. You’re the one I’m intimate with. To everyone else it might be a fucked-up kind of intimacy, but it’s ours. And every time I touch you, I’m saying I love you. No other woman can ever say that. I hope you feel it when I touch you, whether it’s with my hand or with my whip.”

He felt the little shiver that went through her body. He trailed one hand from her throat down the curves of her generous breasts to her nipples. “When I clamp you, or have my mouth or teeth on you, I hope you feel how much I love you, because I’m showing you.”

She nodded her head, but her fingers were plucking nervously at the hem of her shirt. He stilled them.

“Baby, you have to stop worrying that we aren’t going to be ready. I have you. Since the first day I met you I started getting you ready.” He caught her restless hand and pulled her fingers to his mouth, biting down until her eyes went wide. He sucked at the stinging flesh until her eyes went dark and her lips parted.

“You have?”

He nodded. “It’s always been you. Always. Ask any of the others in the club. I’ve never looked at another woman and wanted to claim her for my own. I don’t necessarily think that makes you lucky, baby, but when I say I’m in a hundred percent, I mean it. I don’t cheat. I don’t lie. I’m loyal to you. I don’t want you to let someone like Shari shake your confidence.”

She leaned toward him and rested her forehead against his chest. “Alena’s pain was visceral. There was so much. I could feel the others and the rage they felt because this man was causing her pain. They couldn’t even feel how deep her emotion went, not like you. They couldn’t tell what you were doing. I knew then that we were going to be on a very short timetable and it was going to be me slowing us down, causing you to carry that load much longer than necessary.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. Bog, every time he thought it was impossible to love her any more, she said or did something like that and he was overwhelmed with emotion for her. Swamped with it. So much he could barely breathe. He knew rage. He knew pain. He hadn’t known anything could be so good.

He caught the hair at the nape of her neck in his fist and pulled her head back so she was forced to meet his eyes. “We’re on exactly the right timetable, Seychelle. You let me worry about what you need to know. I’m the one teaching you. Understand?”

Those long lashes fluttered, putting resolution in his heart and knots in his gut. She did him in so easily.

“Yes. I just want you to know I’m with you, Savage. I think I could do better at home. I’m not so nervous.”

“Nervous is good. You should be nervous,” he pointed out. “Are you finished? Did we cover everything you needed to say to me? Everything you were worried about?” Reluctantly, he released her hair.

“I should be nervous?” she echoed.

“Answer me first. I want to know we took care of everything you were concerned with.”

Her eyes went wide. “Yes.” She slid off the railing and leaned against it.

He paced away from her, taking a breath. “Baby, I think I explained the rules to you, right? We went over them very carefully, and why they were in place. I’m the kind of man who needs to be in control at all times. It’s dangerous for me to be out of control. I have to be calm in every situation. I’ve never had problems with that before. My brothers say I have ice flowing in my veins.” He turned to face her and gave her a faint smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “The thought of you in danger throws me into a nightmare situation.”

Her brows drew together as if she had no idea where he was going with what he was saying, which only took him up a notch higher. He took a deep breath and let it out.

“Tell me, babe, what exactly were you doing when Doris and Campbell went to visit you? Mechanic sent me a video. You were playing both of them, using your voice on Doris to counteract his. And you were deliberately egging that bastard on, letting him see you weren’t falling for his shit.” Instead of looking at her as if her answer meant something, Savage stared at the turbulent waves crashing against the boulders and sea stacks.

“Brandon Campbell keeps visiting Doris, and he’s doing it on purpose as a threat to me.” Seychelle leaned over the railing, her body close to his. Her hair blew around her face, the thick strands of platinum-and-gold-colored hair covering her expression. “He’s telling me he can control Doris the way he did Sahara. I made certain to take Doris back and clear her mind so his stupid, pitiful voice doesn’t work on her.”

A surge of fear welled up like an eruption of a volcano, hot and massive, spewing adrenaline through his body, laced with a rage. Savage fought it down, although he had the urge to take one of her wrists and tie it to that column she was holding on to and then stretch her other arm to the other column. She needed a good lesson in making herself a target without her man to protect her.

“Did it occur to you that all he had to do was talk to Doris again when you weren’t around and make suggestions for her to harm herself?”

Seychelle turned around to face him, her back to the railing, that particular stance causing her breasts to thrust right at him. She looked inviting. Too inviting. She gave him a little smug smile. “He can try, but it won’t work. His little parlor trick of a voice doesn’t hold a candle to mine. Once I found his exact sequence of notes, I was able to counter it easily. He won’t be able to make suggestions to Doris or in any way influence her against me or anyone else.”

Savage couldn’t resist drawing a line with his fingertip from her chin down her throat between the valley of her breasts. She shivered, and her nipples grew into hard little pebbles for him. Her eyes went dark and remained steady on his.

“You wanted him to see that you took Sahara from him, didn’t you?”

“I wish I could have taken Sahara completely from him. I tried. If I’d had more time with her, I could have. But she is safe, as long as her parents can keep her away, and then time will do the rest. He had so much time to ruin her. To get in her head. He’s evil, Savage.”

“Exactly, Seychelle.” He held out his hand to her. She took it immediately. No hesitation. “He was in the bar. Watching you.”

“I saw him. I suspect he’s influencing Shari. I was trying to figure that out when she was talking to me outside.”

Savage’s gut knotted even more. “Did it occur to you that he’s a vindictive little shit and that he’s likely to come after you?” He stepped inside the house and took her with him.

“I’m not susceptible to his voice, and other than that, he’s a coward, Savage. He doesn’t really have any other weapons.”

“He’s a vindictive shit,” he repeated and took her straight to the master bedroom.