Sin & Savage (11 page)

“Ready, Snow White?” Savage turned his head slightly back to her.

Tori’s eyes flew open at the sound of his voice and guilt washed over her at what she’d been thinking. “Y—yes, ready,” she stammered.

The biker nodded and turned the ignition on. The Harley roared to life and he swung the mechanical beast out of the parking spot.

As they drove out of the hotel premises and onto the road, Savage could feel every line and curve of Tori’s sweet body hugging his own, and his naked desire for her spiraled out of control again. There was no doubt about it, he was drawn to the woman like gravity and before the weekend was up, he knew—one way or another—he would have to have her.

Chapter 25

Friday – 5:25 p.m.

Las Vegas Expressway

Savage glanced again
at his rearview mirrors and reassessed the relative proximity of the dark blue BMW car to his Harley. The vehicle had been on their tail ever since they left the parking lot of the Selah Casino. It had then followed them onto the Las Vegas Expressway. Of course, it could have all been a coincidence that the car was travelling in the same direction they were heading in, but Savage didn’t believe in coincidences—and his street smarts were telling him otherwise too.

Now, as he and Tori sped along the highway picking up speed, the car had too and had ridden on their ass like a cowboy chasing a steer before roping it in. His eyes darted again to his mirrors, noting how the older model German auto had black-tinted windows, obscuring the identity of the driver. His clever brain memorized the license plate number, and he made his heartbeat and breathing slow down, forcing himself to go into a stony, cool, clear state-of-mind. All of his instincts sharpened immediately, just like those of an animal ready for fight or flight, prepared to meet impending danger head-on.

But his top priority was Tori’s safety. If he’d been riding alone on the Harley, he would have rocketed away from the vehicle by now, to see whether the BMW would have given chase or not, but with Tori sitting behind him, and her being an inexperienced rider to boot, he wouldn’t take any chances with her life. He’d just calmly keep an eye on the situation until they could get off at the next exit. Luckily, the highway wasn’t that crowded and that would allow him room to maneuver the bike more easily if he had to.

Suddenly, he sensed rather than heard the BMW’s engine revving higher. Within seconds, the car was barreling down on them. It came within three feet of the bike, nipping aggressively at their tail. Tori’s head swiveled to look at the encroaching danger and Savage heard her gasp into his ear. Her grip tightened around his chest and her body tensed.

“Hang on!” Savage revved his bike hard and rocketed away from the car’s front bumper.

The hiss of the wind pounded against his body as the Harley picked up speed. The buildings and landscapes on either side of the road blurred into a haze in his peripheral vision. The BMW gunned it harder too and in a flash, it swiveled into the left passing lane beside them. It matched their speed and raced alongside them.

Suddenly, the car veered into the Harley, but Savage swerved to the right, barely missing being slammed by the vehicle’s passenger door. Horns honked all around but the biker didn’t care. This was a matter of life and death—for him and for Tori.

Revving the bike as hard as he could, Savage shot forward, putting distance between him and the car. He came up against an SUV directly in front of him that was blocking his progress. Milking every ounce of horsepower, he pivoted onto the shoulder and weaved the Harley around the truck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the driver of the SUV flip him the finger, oblivious to what was really happening around him.

Savage jetted past and veered back into the lane before crossing over into the next one and then the next. As the traffic increased, he skillfully weaved in and out of the vehicles, putting even more distance between them and the BMW.

Glancing into his mirrors, he spotted the German car becoming trapped in the middle of the burgeoning traffic. Savage made a hard right, ready to take the next exit.

Gearing down, he eased the bike onto the off ramp and re-entered the Vegas streets at a slower, safer pace. He checked his mirrors and noticed that the BMW was nowhere in sight, never having taken the ramp exit as they had.

Savage spied a donut shop and quickly spun the bike into its parking lot. Coming to a full stop, he turned off the engine. Tori released her death grip on his body and jumped off the bike, yanking off her helmet and glasses. He could see that her hands were trembling and her entire being was shaking violently. Her breathing was rapid and shallow; she was having a hard time regaining control of it.

Savage swung off the Harley and threw out the kickstand, securing the machine. Flinging off his own helmet and glasses, he yanked Tori against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. “Are you okay?” he rasped, his voice rough with worry as he cradled her head deeper into him with his hand.

She nodded yes, but her movements were jerky. Tremors of fear shot through her, as she wrapped her own arms around him, clinging for dear life. A primal rage at the asshole who’d caused this terror in her ripped through him. If he ever got his hands on them, there’d be hell to pay; he’d make sure of it!

It was clear that whoever had done this had meant to hurt them—or kill them even. But who and why? Did it have anything to do with their search for Joe Sorelli? Did it have to do with the gun deal he had lined up for later that night? Or was it one of a million other lowlifes that were after him for all of the shit he constantly pulled as a Son of Perdition biker?

His thoughts returned to the sweet woman in his arms and his heart melted. “You’re okay now, Tori, you’re safe,” he mumbled into her soft hair. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you, I promise.” With his finger, he tipped her deathly white face upwards and met her frightened eyes. “Do you believe me?”

“I be—believe you,” she stammered, her words coming out reedy and thin.

Tori stared into his probing eyes and tightened her arms around him even more. She had been so scared that if he hadn’t been holding her up just now, she’d have collapsed. Adrenaline was still raging through her system and her knees were shaking like a baby sapling tree in a hurricane. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and nervous sweat slicked her hands. She inhaled a deep breath, trying to get her panic under control.

Savage gently brushed the hair out of her eyes before wrapping his arms around her again. “You did good, Snow White. You hung on like a seasoned pro—a true biker chick.”

A timid smile flitted across her lips. “Does that mean I pass the test?” she whispered, as her breathing calmed down, her frightened eyes never leaving his steady ones.

“I’m grading you A++, top of the class.” He grinned.

Savage’s gaze travelled from her beautiful eyes to her soft lips, entranced by the way her breath was floating out of her mouth. His own anxiety about their near brush with death evaporated and he suddenly felt his body relax, his hands splaying against her back. A surge of pleasure shot through him as every line of her body curved into him. He lowered his lips to within inches of hers, hungry to taste their sweetness. But she released her grip on him and slid out of his arms, taking a step away.

“What happened back there—on the highway?” She crossed her arms against her chest, as if putting a barrier between them.

Savage’s wild eyes narrowed on her cold demeanor. So, she was back to being all business again, was she? Her disgust at having “the devil” wrap his arms around her once again was plainly written across her face. He had forgotten his place one more time!

He retreated into an icy stance. “He followed us from the casino but I couldn’t be sure if he was tailing us or if he was just going our way.”

“Do you think they were trying to stop us from finding Joe? Or…” Tori let the word hang between them like a knife.

“Or what?”

“Or was it one of your legion of enemies and I just got caught in the crossfire?” Her accusatory eyes demanded an honest answer from him.

The biker’s mouth twisted wryly. He shrugged matter-of-factly. “If you swim in the devil’s pond, you’re liable to get bitten by whatever monsters lurk deep beneath the scum.”

Indignation flashed in her eyes. “I’m not paying for your sins, Mr. Savage,” she retorted.

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you hired a bad seed like me. Because sweetheart, the way I look at it? You were the one who invited the demon in because you needed him, and all your high-falutin’, church-going morality be damned if it gets in the way of what you want,” he shouted, losing his cool. No doubt about it, the woman could piss him off in a heartbeat!

Tori glared back at him, his harsh words reverberating throughout her body and convicting her. Without thinking, her right hand suddenly came up and cracked him across his cheek—whack!—hard. But even before her hand had dropped back down to her side, a look of pure horror had splashed on her face at what she’d just done.

Savage remained rooted to the spot, taking the slap like a man. His hands clenched at his sides, the only telltale sign of his anger, as a glint of a smile played on his lips. “Surprise, surprise—now look who’s resorting to violence because she can’t handle the truth about herself,” he taunted. “We’re all just one emotion away from turning bad, aren’t we, Snow White?”

Still reeling at her violent outburst, Tori stared wide-eyed, her vocal cords paralyzed. Oh my God, what had she done? She had hit another human being, just because of something he’d said. After all, he hadn’t physically attacked her or anything; he’d just said something that she hadn’t liked and she’d hit him. What was happening to her?

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” she whispered, her guilty eyes suddenly turning away from his laser-sharp ones. “I—I have to go to the bathroom.” Turning, she hurried towards the donut shop’s main entrance.

Savage watched her leave and he had to physically restrain himself from going after her. The truth of it was that his heart had melted at how devastated she’d looked just now and he knew she was hurting inside at what she’d done. He should have been mad at her—furious even—and he had been for a split second—but it had evaporated as quick as a snowflake landing in a lake of fire. All he wanted to do was to gather her up in his arms and hold her until that breathtaking smile of hers returned, lighting up her angelic face once again.

But yeah, no shit—she was absolutely becoming a dangerous complication to him. After all, he hadn’t allowed anything to pierce his hard, cold heart in two years’ time. But in just two days’ time, Victoria Alexandra Jones had blown it apart.

Chapter 26

Friday – 5:50 p.m.

Donut Shop

Tori came out
of the washroom and into the store’s main area. Like a spineless jellyfish, she had run away from him and retreated into a toilet stall, sitting there for five minutes trying to come to terms with what she had done. She hadn’t meant to hit him. It had just happened. But that was no excuse for resorting to violence—ever—and she’d been appalled at herself.

She gazed out the storefront windows. Savage was leaning against a metal signpost near his bike and talking on his cell phone. His eyes were riveted on the shop’s front entrance, probably waiting for her to come out so that he could tell her to take the job and shove it! She couldn’t blame him really, not after what she’d just done.

She took in a deep breath of courage. Okay—it was time to face him.

Tori walked to the shop entrance and swung the door outwards, stepping into the Vegas heat. On seeing her, he straightened up, shut his phone, and tucked it back into his vest pocket. His face was a mask of stone, unreadable and cold; his eyes, which were locked on her, were flat and cool.

She stopped several feet away and tilted her chin up to his superior height to meet his gaze. “You were right—about what you said about me not wanting to face some truths about myself—and you didn’t deserve what I did. I’m sorry, truly sorry. If you want to quit, I’ll understand completely and I’ll pay you the thousand dollar balance that I owe you. We can drive back to the hotel and I’ll give you the money, no questions asked.”

Tori paused, studying his eyes. They were still without emotion, and his body was rigid and tense. What was he thinking? Because it certainly looked like he was still furious and wasn’t forgiving her any time soon. Her heart beat faster with nervousness. More words spilled out of her, her lips tripping over the syllables.

“I—I just want to say that—maybe—if I’m not all good, then maybe, you’re not all bad. And if you’re still willing to help me find Joe, we can meet somewhere in the middle and call a truce.” She held out her hand to him. “You can shake on it or not. It’s your call—Matt Monroe.”

Savage’s ears perked up on hearing her call him by his first name. That was the first time, he’d heard her say it; and he liked it—he liked it a lot. And no, he wasn’t mad at her, even though his stoic stance may have belied it, but he wasn’t making it easy for her either.

Suddenly, he threw her an easy smile and he put his strong hand in her small one and shook it. “All right. It’s a deal, Snow White. I forgive you.”

Toir’s lips curved into a wide grin to match his. “Thank you,” she gushed. “Again, I’m sorry about hitting you. That was wrong of me and I should never have done such a thing.” Her hand slipped out of his grip and he reluctantly let it go.

“Don’t sweat it. You’re not the first woman to slap my face. You’d be surprised how many times it’s actually happened to me.” He grinned like a naughty ten-year old caught kissing his first girlfriend in the backyard shed.

Tori burst out laughing. “And I’m sure you deserved each and every one of them.” Her eyes turned wistful again, telegraphing once more how sorry she was. “But you didn’t deserve this one.”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t, but one thing I gotta say—you pack quite a wallop there, missy,” he grinned.

“Jimmy Taylor would probably agree with you there,” she teased. “I caught him cheating at checkers when we were eight and I gave him a black eye. He ran home crying to his mommy and I was grounded for a month, but he never did it to me again.”

“Lesson learned?”

“Something like that. So what’s our next move, Mr. Savage? Should we go to the police and report what happened?”

“Police?” The biker burst out laughing, long and hard. “Honey, that word’s not in my vocabulary.”

“Then what do we do? Whoever it was could be out there right now, around the corner even, just waiting for us to get back on the road.” Apprehensively, Tori’s worried gaze glanced around the parking lot, looking for potential trouble.

“I already know who the asshole was. His name is Rat. He’s a part-time punk-for-hire who does construction work on the side. I know where to find him.”

“What? How did you find that out so quickly?” Tori was stunned. She’d only been away from Savage for ten minutes at the most when she’d gone to the washroom.

“I got his license plate number, made a few calls and found out who the car belonged to.”

“Who’d you call?”

“Let’s just say, I have people in this town who owe me favors and I called a few of them in.”

Tori was confused. “But why did this Rat person try to run us off the road? I don’t understand.”

Savage grinned knowingly. “That’s because you don’t have a criminal mind like me—or like our Vivian. The way I look at it, she sent us on that wild goose chase to Rebecca Shelton so that Rat would know where to find us. He was obviously waiting for us when we left the Selah, and was either trying to scare us off looking for Joe or trying to kill us to keep from finding him.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“We—do nothing. You—are going back to your hotel to see what other information your grandmother might know and I will pay the scumbag a visit.”

Tori boldly folded her arms across her chest. “Oh no, mister, I’m coming too! Wherever you go, I go.”

Savage took in the stubborn tilt to her chin and the defiance flaring in her eyes, and he knew that there was no dissuading her. He nodded his acquiescence. “Okay, Snow White, we go together. But remember, it’s my world and my rules. Promise me that no matter what I ask you to do, you do it…” he raised his voice to make his next point, “without question!”

“I think I already promised you that yesterday at our initial meeting.”

“Yeah, you did, and you’ve done shit about it since. Promise me again, Tori!”

“Okay, I promise,” she replied coyly, while keeping her fingers crossed and tucked underneath her armpits, away from his gaze.

Okay, maybe she shouldn’t lie to him like this but it was her search—hers and Nana’s—and she needed to play things by ear, keep her wits about her, and do what she felt needed to be done in the moment. And she wasn’t going to be constrained by any promises made to a Son of Perdition biker—someone she should never trust one hundred percent anyway, even though his mere presence made her feel more alive than ever before, like a little daisy blooming underneath the brand new, morning sun.