Sin & Savage (18 page)

Chapter 39

Saturday – 12:26 a.m.

126 Preclude Road

Tori watched the
Harley’s wheels chew up the road beneath them, taking her ever closer to the cabin, and ever closer to her death. A wild shiver went through her and she brought her gaze back up, her brain going over the finer points of the plan she’d just come up with to save her life.

There was only one thing left to do—she needed to get Savage’s gun and point it at him, before he could point it at her and shoot her dead. Her hands tightened around his torso and she inched her fingers upwards just ever so slightly until they came into contact with the edge of the leather holster he was wearing across his chest, overtop his white t-shirt but underneath his club vest and black biker’s jacket. His Glock was in that thing. She’d seen him stuff it in there just before he’d straddled the bike.

She would have only one microsecond to snatch that gun—that infinitesimal, tiny, fraction of a heartbeat when he would bring the bike to a full stop outside the cabin but before he turned the ignition off and took his hands off of the handlebars. That’s when he’d be at his most vulnerable.

What would happen after that? Damned if she knew! She couldn’t think that far ahead anyway. All her brain could compute right now was the plot to get that pistol away from him at all costs.

And she could do it too; she was convinced of it. He wouldn’t expect her to do something like that; she could take him by surprise. And surprise was the one thing a tiny opponent like herself needed in order to get the better of someone as big, strong and clever as he was. The only thing she had to remember, though, was to be careful to not pull the trigger accidentally and shoot herself in the process! No, that definitely wouldn’t be a good thing.

Savage slowed the Harley as they came to the turnoff to Preclude Road. Steering the bike to the right, he smoothly made the turn and rode down the street, fast approaching the entrance to the cabin’s long driveway.

A tidal wave of black fright swept through her as Tori mentally went over her plan one more time. Okay, she could do this. Her life was depending on it. Like her Nana always said, you don’t mess with Texas!

As Savage smoothly made the left turn onto the road, a nervous sweat suddenly slicked her body and her breathing became quick and shallow. She inched her right hand upwards, ever closer to the holster. All of a sudden, the cold metal edge of the gun’s handle brushed against her trembling fingertips.
Okay, it was now or never,
her brain shouted. And it better be now, otherwise, she’d be taking her last breath on earth in about one minute’s time.

Sweet Jesus, help me, please
, she prayed under her breath, as the Harley’s wheels came to a full stop in front of the cabin.

Savage’s hands were still on the handlebars. Before he’d had a chance to turn the bike off, Tori’s right fingers wrapped around the butt end of the gun. She clumsily yanked it out of its leather resting place and jumped off the motorcycle. His body lurched forward as if trying to block the move but she knew that she’d taken him by surprise.

Stumbling slightly with the awkwardness of still having his black duffle bag and her own purse wrapped around her body, she ran about 10 feet away before turning back and pointing the Glock at him. He remained sitting on the Harley, frozen in time like a marble statue and glaring at the pistol now being pointed his way.

It was obvious he wouldn’t make any sudden moves, as he kept his hands glued to the handlebars. The engine was still on, its throaty roar reverberating through the quiet, desert night. His emotionless eyes shifted from the gun to her face, watching her like a hawk would its prey before it pounced on it and ate it for supper.

“Don’t—don’t come near me!” Tori shouted, as she curled both of her hands around the gun’s handle, repositioning the weapon so that it was aimed dead centre at his chest. She clicked the firing button to the on position and the pistol was ready to fire. “I’ll—I’ll shoot, and—and I know what I’m doing too. I told you before that my uncle has a Glock. Well, who do you think goes with him when he goes target practicing? Me!”

“Tori, put the gun down.” Savage sounded as if he was talking to a child about to touch something that could hurt them.

“No! And—and you stay away from me, you bastard!” A bubble of hysteria caught in her throat.

His feral eyes narrowed on her even more. “I’m going to take my hands off the handlebars and shut the bike off, okay?”

“No! Don’t you move!” she screamed, her voice audible over the pop—pop—popping sound of the Harley’s engine. “Stay—stay where you are!”

“I can’t stay like this all night, can I?”

Tori whipped her head around, taking in the desolate desert landscape all around her, before snapping her eyes back to him. Okay, what was she going to do now and where was she going to go? And how was she going to get away from him? Was she actually going to shoot him? Oh my God, she hadn’t thought this far ahead!

Her car was still parked a block away from the Gable Street house and she certainly didn’t know how to drive the Harley, if she could even get that thing away from him. She couldn’t call the police for help because they’d arrest her for being part of that illegal gun deal and then she wouldn’t be able to search for her Nana anymore.

Maybe a cab would come out this far to pick her up? But really, she could only call one if he wasn’t able to stop her. But how was she going to fight him off? Was she prepared to shoot Savage Monroe? Oh God, please help me in the name of Jesus, she prayed frantically.

“Tori, I’m going to turn the bike off, okay?”

He was using that soft, pacifying voice again, his words breaking into her foggy, muddled thoughts. Oh God, what was the right answer? Tori nervously chewed on her lower lip. Instinctively, her trembling fingers inched closer to the Glock’s trigger.

“Tori, tell me it’s okay, that I can turn the bike off. I need to hear you say it, please.”

“O—okay, turn the bike off, but don’t make any sudden moves, I’m warning you!” The words had bypassed her brain and popped out of her mouth before she’d a chance to vet them.

Savage removed his hand off of the Harley’s chrome bar and turned the ignition key. The engine’s din ceased and a deadly silence enveloped the area. He never took his eyes off of the gun—or off of her, even for one second.

His lips curled into a quick smirk. “Now what, Snow White? It’s your call.”

She took a step back, as if she was trying to get away from his overpowering, menacing presence. Okay, now what? Should she let him get off that thing or make him stay there? Oh God, she didn’t know anything anymore and she was so confused. She wasn’t a criminal and didn’t think with a criminal mind like he did. Her hands shook even more.

“Stay—stay where you are and don’t move!”

A slow, charming smile spread over his handsome face. “It’s going to be a long night for the both of us, Snow White, if you make me stay here. Besides, my ass is sore from all the riding I did today. I need to stretch my legs. You’re not going to deny me that, are you?”

Should she believe him or make him stay where he was? No, he should stay on the bike, her brain thundered out, because that would impair his movements if he decided to lunge at her.

“Stay on the bike!” she screamed, as she took another step back.

“Sorry, Snow White. I need to get off. I don’t think you’ll shoot me just for that, will you?”

Incredulously, he brazenly dismounted and threw out the bike’s kickstand. He grinned. “See, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” His teeth flashed white as the moonlight glinted down on the real, live face-off playing out between them.

Another tremor shot through Tori’s arms. Her muscles twitched at having to hold the heavy gun up for so long. But she didn’t care because she was prepared to do whatever she had to in order to survive, even if that meant holding the pistol on the bastard all night long—or at least, until she figured something else out. She drew in a steadying breath.

Suddenly, the enormity of the mess she was in hit her full force. “You asshole!” she cried out, as tears sprang to her eyes. “I—I should never have trusted you. Because of you, my whole life is ruined! I know who the ATF are. They’re federal agents and now I’m an accessory to a federal crime. Me—someone who’s never even had a parking ticket. I—I could go to prison and—and—I didn’t do anything wrong, except follow you!”

Savage threw her another smile—a smile that never reached his cold, dark eyes—as he took a step towards her. “Yeah, life can be a bitch, Snow White, but it’s my world, my rules, remember? And you took that ride with me willingly.”

Tori backed away, angry at him for making her face the truth about herself. “You animal… I hate you! I hate you for what you’re involved in and—and for who you are, and for taking me down your satanic rabbit hole to hell. I teach small children, for God’s sake. Do you think I’ll ever be allowed to do that after this?” In a heartbeat, tears spilled like a waterfall down her cheeks. “I’m—I’m a criminal on the run now because of you, you heartless bastard.” She took one hand off the gun and swiped at the wetness on her face.

Savage moved a couple of feet closer to her, without her noticing. “Tori, put the gun down.”

Tori repositioned her hand on the gun, so that it was again safely clasped in her grip. “Why? So you can kill me?”

A flash of hurt shot through Savage’s eyes before his lids lowered to conceal his raw emotions again. “I’m not going to kill you. How can you even think that about me?”

“Be—because I don’t believe you. You—you want to kill me so that I can’t testify against you. I’m a witness, and I know what you were doing on Gable Street. It was all illegal, wasn’t it—the guns, the bikers? Right?” Tori saw him frowning at her, his lips thinning into a hard line. “Answer me!”

“Yes! Is that what you want to hear? Yes! It was all illegal. But I never wanted you involved in any of it, understand? You’ve got to believe that.”

“You want me to believe a criminal like you? Someone who does bad things to people? What else are you involved in besides gun trafficking, Savage Monroe, huh? Drugs, prostitution, maybe a little murder-for-hire?”

Savage took another step closer to her and Tori instinctively took another step back. “It’s a job,” he drawled.

Tori’s mouth twisted in shock. “A—a job? Is that what you call it? Is that what you call being a predator on society?”

Savage’s eyes flashed with anger and Tori knew she had hit a nerve in him. So, the bastard could be gotten to!

“Put the gun down, Tori. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“No, I’m not putting anything down, you monster!” Suddenly, a new thought popped up in her head. “By the way, what’s in the duffle bag, Mr. Savage?” She slipped the bag off her body, making sure that at least one of her hands was always holding the gun. Once the strap was free, she dropped the bag between them like a gauntlet, and took another step back. “Answer me, damn you!”

“Money for the guns. I was buying. They were selling.”

Tori blinked back the tears as once again shock coursed through her tense body. “Blood money? You had me carrying your disgusting blood money?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“How—how much is in there?”

Savage paused for a split second. “A hundred thousand.”

“One hundred thousand dollars?” Her mouth dropped open in shock. “How many people had to die for you to get that money, Mr. Savage? Huh? How many people had to pimp for you or shoot up drugs in their veins—drugs that you sold them, so you could earn? How many kneecaps did you have to break for you to get that stash?”

Savage took another step forward; she took another step back.

“Lots, I guess,” he answered, his tone icy cold.

A sarcastic grunt escaped from between Tori’s lips. “There’s nothing you won’t do for money, is there, mister—and that includes killing me. And you want me to put the gun down? Hell, no! How’s that for an answer?”

His eyes flared in the darkness. “I’ve told you before, I’m not going to kill you, Tori!”

“Why should I believe you?” She took two more steps away from him.

“Because I love you!” he yelled back.

Thunderstruck, Tori stared at him, her heart doing a somersault inside her chest. He loved her? Had he actually said that he loved her? Was it true? But suddenly, a knowing smile flitted across her mouth. “Of course, you love me, Mr. Savage. I’ve got the gun.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“You’re saying you love me after knowing me, what—a couple of days? A hardened criminal like yourself? Someone who never lets anyone inside that block of ice you call a heart? And you want me to believe you? Come on!”

“When you know, you know, I guess—and I know that I love you, Victoria Alexandra Jones. Yes, there are moments like right now when I don’t like you very much, considering you want to shoot me dead, but I’m telling you, with everything I am and everything I have, that I am in love with you. I will never hurt you, no matter what, I swear it! You’ve got to believe that.”

“No, I don’t have to do anything, because I’m the one holding the gun, remember?”

Savage took another couple of steps towards her and she took more steps back.

“Stay—stay away from me, I’m warning you,” she cried.

“You’re not going to shoot me, Snow White, because I think you love me too. At least, that’s what my street smarts are telling me—and my criminal instincts are never wrong.” He laughed at his own joke. “So, put the gun down, and let’s kiss and make up.”

Tori’s world careened off centre and her thoughts spun. Was it true? Was she really in love with him, like he was saying? Or was he just twisting everything around to disarm her? After all, criminals like him were notorious liars and from what she’d seen of the bastard, he was the coldest and meanest of the lot. Why, even the other evil bikers were afraid of him.

Oh no, it was happening again. She was getting confused and her brain was all muddled up in another fog. “Go to hell, Savage Monroe!” Tori backed away some more.

Savage laughed, as he took another step closer. “I tell her I love her and she tells me to go fuck myself. That’s not a very good beginning to our relationship, Snow White, now is it?”