Savannah Series Boxed Set: Four Full Novels and One Novella

by Jamie, Danielle

  I can’t blame Shayne for wanting her…Fuck; any man with half a brain would want her. The fact that someone I’ve known for so long is the person trying to take her away from me is more than I can take.

  Chapter Three

  Savannah

  Exiting the club with Brooklyn not far behind me, I try to clear my mind of the crap bouncing around inside my head. My ears are ringing from the loud music, and my heart is pounding profusely against my chest from what just transpired in there. It’s taking everything in me not to turn around and kick Shayne’s ass myself. It was not his place to divulge our past indiscretion to Kayden. The shock and hurt in Kayden’s eyes, as Shayne said all those details about our night together last Halloween, killed me.

  I had to get out of there! Seeing Kayden covered in blood, and knowing this entire thing is my fault, is making me wish I’d never come to Vegas.

  The sound of Brooklyn’s heels smacking off of the marble floor snap me out of my fog, “Savannah! Friggin’ A! Will you slow down? These heels weren’t exactly made for running!” Brooklyn huffs at me, grabbing my arm and squeezing until it hurts, she slows me down.

  “Sorry B; I just needed to get the hell outta there. Coming to Vegas was not a good idea. Allowing Shayne to take that shot off of me last night was a huge mistake! I can’t get a freakin’ break. My life is nothing but one big train wreck.”

  My body is betraying me as a single tear escapes and falls off my cheek onto the floor. My entire body is humming as anger, sadness and frustration consume me. I’m completely numb.

  People are coming and going through the hotel and staring at me as I make my way towards the elevators. I bet they are none too shocked at my appearance…this is Vegas. Here people go crazy and destroy their relationships daily. Spotting a distraught woman in a micro mini dress and 6” stilettos with a look of shock plastered across her face is nothing new.

  “Give Kayden a little while to cool off, he loves you Savannah! Some random hook up from your past will not change that. Kayden does have the right to be angry with Shayne. You don’t let a friend throw you a party in his club and not have the decency to try and pull him aside to clear the air. Shayne knew that story was nothing but BS. Last nights’ shot was innocent fun. I hate myself for asking you to do it. I had no idea it would blow up into something this big.”

  “Mmm hmm,” Is my only response, I don’t feel like talking about any of this right now. I just hope she is right and we can put this entire freakin’ week behind us. Between Giselle hiring a model to say that Kayden cheated on me with Nadia, and Shayne blabbing our past hook up to Kayden, then having the whole story blown out of proportion, it feels like Kayden and I are destined for heartbreak.

  ~~~

  Walking into the penthouse suite, I shut the door and plop down on a chair in the entryway. Staring down at the floor, I concentrate on the swirls of color in the marble flooring as I hear Brooklyn make her way into the kitchen. The sound of glasses clinking together as she sets them down on the counter top is music to my ears. I am desperately in need of something strong to help quiet the thoughts bouncing around my head.

  “What’s your poison Savannah? Wine or Jack Daniels?” Brooklyn shouts to me across the room.

  Leaning back against the cool wall, I rub my hands over my face, “Wine sounds good.”

  Ugh, what the hell do I do now? Stay here and wait for Kayden? Head to Galveston to let Kayden cool off, and then try to fix things from there? All I know is, not being with him is not an option. I will fix this.

  Glancing down at my left hand I stare at my engagement ring. It’s breathtaking. If I could design the perfect ring, this would be it. I can’t help but smile as I think about my birthday and the perfect proposal from Kayden. A small giggle escapes my lips as I picture Kayden, a ball of nerves, down on one knee. He was so nervous he forgot to show me the ring as he asked me to become his wife. I love him so much that I’d marry him with a gumball machine ring. The ring didn’t matter because Kayden is all I need.

  Twisting my ring around my finger, I smile up at Brooklyn; who’s sashaying across the room with two glasses of wine, flashing me a sympathetic smile as our eyes meet.

  “Thanks girly, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Taking the glass, I quickly drink down the contents, needing the pain inside of me to be masked by the alcohol.

  Sitting beside me Brooklyn bumps her shoulder against mine, she starts giggling, “Without me you’d probably not be in this mess. You know me, wherever I go, trouble follows.” Letting out a sigh, she leans back in the oversized chair and takes a small sip from her wine. “But I don’t think you have anything to be worried about Savannah. Kayden loves you, and your past will not change that. Hell, I bet he’s fucked half of Texas, and you love him no less.”

  Choking on my wine, I cough repeatedly. “Thanks for the reminder of how big of a man-whore my fiancé used to be Brooklyn!” Now thanks to her big mouth, all I can picture is Kayden in bed with random women. I wonder if he’s ever been with that bitch face Trixie. She’s lucky all I did was slap her, because I was ready to beat her ass two ways to Sunday after that remark about Jacob.

  “Hey! Sorry. I just thought it would make you feel a little better knowing that Kayden can’t be too judgmental about your past bed buddies if he wants you to be ok about his.”

  “Uhhh. What the hell do I do now?” I finally ask out loud, since arguing with myself isn’t getting me too far.

  Resting her head on my shoulder, Brooklyn stays quiet for a few moments. The stillness in here is deafening. I can’t help but constantly catch myself listening for the sound of Kayden and the guy’s coming back up. I’m torturing myself with the scenes I keep playing out in my mind for how things could go if and when Kayden returns to the hotel suite.

  “Hmmm…” Brooklyn finally says, snapping me out of the tug of war occurring in my mind. “I don’t know. We could go gamble…try to distract you until Kayden cools off?”

  It’s still early in Vegas, and Kayden planned this get-a-way with the guys, so I guess gambling can be a fun way to distract myself from everything going on.

  “What the hell; let’s go. I’m up for some Craps. Just let me freshen up first.”

  Walking to the kitchen I pour myself another glass of wine, and head into the ensuite in Kayden’s room to touch up my now smudged makeup.

  The entire penthouse suite is luxurious with a hint of edgy contemporary. It’s just how I envision Kayden: sophisticated with an edgy flare. Even though they were a buy off from his father as a way to apologize for stealing his fiancée Luanne, Kayden always puts his heart and soul into these hotels.

  I hope all this blows over and life goes back to normal. I miss Kayden’s touch and his husky voice as he whispers naughty thing to me in bed. I’ve never missed someone as much as I miss him. I know Kayden; he is a southern boy through and through. He’s hot-headed but he will cool off soon enough, and before I know it he’ll have me pressed beneath him forgetting all the crazy shit we’ve dealt with over the last several days. Nothing is sexier than being dominated by Kayden.

  The sound of Brooklyn’s heels; followed by a knock on the bathroom door, startles me, “Hey, you almost ready?” She yells through the door.

  Looking myself over one more time, I spin on my heels and whip the door open, “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go try and win some money!” I give her a wink and a small smile to show her I’m okay.

  ~~~

  It’s almost midnight and the casino is starting to really come alive. I can’t get over the vast variety of people here tonight. You’ve got your hard core gamblers’ who are looking all professional at the black jack tables. Older ladies hanging out at the slot machines and a group of guys looking like they range from early twenties to late fifty’s at the poker tables, each wearing baseball caps and sunglasses. Then you have Brooklyn and I surrounded by a crowd of people. We have guys in three-piece suits, girls in less than what we have on, and a group of women we
aring bridal party sashes. Everyone’s cheering us on with their drinks in the air as I toss my dice onto the Craps table; we’re on a roll. I’ve already won a couple grand and we’ve only been at it an hour.

  “Woohooo! Snake Eyes!” Brooklyn cheers beside me enthusiastically, gripping onto my arm. “See, I told you going gambling was the perfect idea.”

  My entire body is humming with excitement, as the adrenalin courses through me. Jumping up and down with my hand in the air I can’t help but feel the stress releasing from my body. “Holy crap, I cannot believe this! I usually spend my entire time losing money, not gaining it! I’m on a winning streak.”

  Just as I’m taking the dice to roll again I hear a familiar Aussie accent behind us, “Well, well, well what do we have here? Ya ladies havin’ a streak of good luck, aye?” Jax asks stepping up behind us. I flash a small smile up at him, and take note of his hand resting on the small of Brooklyn’s back.

  Bouncing from all the excitement, Brooklyn grins from ear to ear at Jax and wraps her arm around his waist. “Yeah, Savannah is killing it! I on the other hand, lost a few grand in less than twenty minutes.” Pursing her lips at Jax, she stares up at him all doe eyed. “So I’m living vicariously through Savannah.”

  I can’t help but laugh at her, “Yeah well, I doubt this will ever happen again so I’m definitely enjoying my luck while it lasts!” Giving them an impish grin I shake the dice and blow on them for luck. “Let’s go baby!!” I shout as I toss the dice onto the table.

  Giving us a puzzled look, Jax is asking us without having to speak, what are we doing in Vegas?

  “We came to surprise Kayden. Don’t even ask how that went, because I’d rather not relive that nightmare.” I huff out as sadness momentarily clouds my good mood. Forcing a smile, I push the negative thoughts away, and focus on the fun we’re having in the casino.

  The excitement around me is explosive and contagious. We’re drawing attention from everyone around us at the Roulette and Black Jack tables. I notice an older gentleman holding his phone up snapping pictures of us, and I decide to give him something to sell to the press. Spinning around, I grab Brooklyn and give her a quick peck on the lips. All the alcohol I’ve been downing has turned into liquid courage. We’ve made out enough times in college to get a rise out of the frat guys to not faze her at all.

  Jax’s face is priceless. His jaw dropped, and his eyes slide from me to Brooklyn as he sucks in a sharp breath. I can’t stop my giggling fit as I take in his shocked expression. I spin around to the guy taking my picture and blow him a kiss. There…now go sell that story, douchebag.

  “Mmm…Berry lip-gloss.” I laugh running my tongue over my lips.

  Letting out a small chuckle, Brooklyn lets go of her hold on Jax and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “You sure gave him something to talk about.” She laughs, tilting her head towards the guy snapping the picture, and rolling her eyes. “It’s been way too long girly since you graced my lips with yours!” This time we both can’t help but burst out laughing.

  Clearing his throat, Jax drags his eyes from us to the Craps table. “I believe it’s your turn again.” he says, almost in a whisper.

  Just as I start to shake the dice in my hand, I feel an electric charge erupt around me. My entire body freezes as I sense Kayden. It’s unfathomable how I can feel him near me before even seeing him. Momentarily distracted, I toss the dice, this time losing four-hundred dollars.

  “Crap!” I curse under my breath, and rest my hands against the cool wood of the table. Hanging my head, I let out a long sigh and then force a smile onto my face. Lifting my head up, I straighten my body and hold my hands up to everyone standing around the table. I give them all a small wave. “Looks like I lost my lucky streak,” I let out a small laugh and collect all of my chips. “I had fun, but now I’ll let one of y’all make a go of it. Good luck!”

  I can still feel Kayden nearby, but with a quick glance around, I don’t spot him. Brooklyn is flashing me an all teeth smile as she bounces around in front of me, obviously oblivious to Kayden being in the casino. “Well, you win some you lose some, but damn Bitch, you freakin’ cleaned the place out!” Her eyes are taking in the stack of chips I’m cradling in my arms.

  “Here let me take those for ya Savannah. I’ll go get these babies cashed in.” Scooping my chips into his arms, Jax gives me a sympathetic smile. He must know Kayden is here, and knows that’s why I now want to make a bee-line out of here.

  I know the minute I see him I’ll want to jump into his arms, smother him in kisses, and plead with him to forget all the crap that’s happened. Shayne means nothing to me and I need Kayden to know the feelings Shayne has for me are not returned. I love Kayden, and that will never change. He’s captured my heart, and consumed my entire mind, body and soul. He just needs time to clear his head and blow off steam.

  He’s probably down at the casino trying to find Jax since they are all here for their guys’ getaway, which we have ruined ten minutes after arriving in Vegas

  “Thanks Jax.”

  “You okay?” Brooklyn asks, stepping beside me as we make our way across the casino.

  Running my fingers through my curls, and twisting a ringlet around my finger, I drop my eyes to floor. “Yah, I just figured it’s better to walk away while I still have my winnings.” I smile at her, but the sadness in my eyes gives me away.

  Furrowing her brows together, Brooklyn stairs me down with each step we take never removing her eyes from me. “I’ve known you almost my entire life; you should know by now that you can’t get anything past me. What happened? You went from finally relaxing and enjoying yourself, to distracted and sad within a split second.”

  “I swear, sometimes you knowing me so well can be really annoying.” Speeding up my pace, I glance to my side and scan the crowd of gamblers trying to see if I can spot Kayden. I know he’s near. My entire body is aching for him. I’m getting whiplash from all my emotions flashing through me. One minute I can block all the sadness out and have fun, the next I’m being attacked by my thoughts and back to being depressed again.

  “That’s why you love me, because we both can read each other better than we can read ourselves.”

  “I just wish I could rewind time and be back in Hawaii where everything was perfect. Now, it’s like my life is spinning out of control and no matter how hard I try, I can’t get things back to how they were.”

  Wrapping her arm around my shoulder, Brooklyn walks with me as we maneuver through a crowd of people hovering around a Black Jack table. Jax has already gone ahead of us to cash in my chips for me. Looking around, I notice the casino is beginning to grow louder and fill up with more people. The later it’s getting, the rowdier it becomes. I try to spot Kayden, but don’t see him anywhere.

  Trying to squeeze through a crowd of people, Brooklyn walks ahead of me gripping my wrist and pulling me along behind her. She flashes a worried glance at me over her shoulder before pulling me next to a vacant poker table.

  Her face turning serious, Brooklyn looks me straight in the eyes, “Listen Savannah. Today has been a shitty day, but the nights not over. You can still find Kayden and smooth things over. He’s had plenty of time to cool off, so why don’t you stop being stubborn and just text him! You’re miserable and that won’t change until you two clear all this crap up.”

  Leaning against the railing behind me, I cross my arms over my chest, frustration consuming me. “Yah, but I know Kayden well enough to know he’s got one hell of a temper. Two hours is not enough time for him to calm his ass down and be rational. If I text him, how do I know he’ll even want to see me right now after what happened earlier with Shayne?”

  Brooklyn lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes at me, “You drive me insane, I swear to God! You two are so freakin’ stubborn, and I can’t take it anymore.” Holding her hand out towards me with a look of determination on her face, she tells me, “Give me your phone. If you won’t text Kayden, I will.”

  God! When she
gets on a roll there’s no slowing her down. Opening my clutch, I pull out my iPhone and hand it over to her.

  “Here ya go. Have at it. But I’m telling you right now he’s probably still fuming, he was just in a frickin’ fist fight with Shayne for Christ sake!”

  Brooklyn raises her eyes up at me while still texting Kayden, “Kayden loves you. For the last two hours, I bet he’s been contemplating whether or not to text you. But you’re both so thick headed that neither of you will take the first step to clear this shit up. Don’t even get me started on Shayne; he’s lucky I didn’t kick his fucking ass for the stunt he pulled earlier.”

  With frustration consuming me, I toss my hands in the air, “Uhhh! I swear I could kick Shayne’s ass right now! What the fuck is wrong with him anyways? Blurting my personal business out like that for the entire club to hear. I was two seconds away from cold cocking him upside the head.” I can’t sit still any longer, so I begin pacing in front of Brooklyn. Right now I have so much adrenalin coursing through me, and I need to keep moving.

  “There! I sent a text to the jackass and told him to pull his head out of his ass and fix things with you. Now we just have to wait for him to text you back. Your relationship is more dramatic than my characters on As the Days Go By. Believe me, that’s hard to beat!”

  I stop pacing, take my phone back from Brooklyn and stuff it into my clutch. “I’d gladly take a boring life right about now over this freakin’ roller coaster of a life I’ve been living the last few months. It’s physically and emotionally wearing me out.”

  Moments later Jax reappears with my money. I still can’t believe I actually won a few grand tonight while gambling. Usually, I’m leaving Vegas a few thousand dollars lighter than when I came.

  Kayden still hasn’t responded to Brooklyn’s text and it’s driving me crazy. He, along with Braxton and Dixon are still MIA. Jax said he hasn’t heard from them either. They were supposed to be meeting him in the casino to gamble. I can’t seem to shake the feeling that Kayden is here, but I’ve scanned the crowd probably a dozen times now, and nothing.