Sin & Savage

by Anna Mara

  “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 answe
r?”

  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?”

  “We have no relationship, unless you count the one as witness for the prosecution’s case against you!”

  “If I live long enough to get arrested, that is, because, if I’m not mistaken, aren’t you threatening to shoot me dead before that happens?” His lips curled into another devastating smile.

  But the smile never reached Savage’s eyes because they were instead intently focused on the large boulder directly behind Tori. It was about two feet in diameter, resting peacefully on the hard packed desert earth; and he was pretty sure that she had no idea it was there and about to block her path.

  As soon as he’d climbed off the bike, he had spotted the rock and like a good shepherd leading his sheep, he had slowly corralled her in its direction. All he had to do now was make her take one more step back and she’d trip over the damn thing. Hopefully, the Glock would fly out of her hands and he could tackle her to the ground.

  Yes, it was a dicey plan because she could accidentally pull the trigger, but he’d calculated the odds and was willing to risk it. As it was, he was now about seven feet away from her and if a bullet was to shoot out of that gun, well hopefully it wouldn’t be in his direction. And God please, don’t let her shoot herself either!

  Okay, yeah shit, he had to admit that this was a very dangerous strategy but he just didn’t know what else to do! He’d tried every trick in the book—the talking, the pleading, the teasing, the “I love you’s” even; but man, was the woman stubborn as all hell!

  To think, that a little thing like her—a kindergarten teacher and a pastor’s daughter to boot—could disarm a mean, tough asshole like himself, and then turn his own gun on him? Well, it was just too embarrassing to even think about! This had better not get out to the rest of the guys, otherwise he’d be teased from here to hell and back, and he’d never live it down. No, this was something he would have to take to his grave—which hopefully wouldn’t be in the next few seconds, if that gun were to fire off accidentally.

  He shook his head in disbelief as Tori, wearing her sunny, yellow sweater & jeans outfit held the deadly Glock on him. Man, was she ever a piece of work! Not only was she infuriating but she was also aggravating, stubborn, exasperating, a shitload of trouble and she never did what you told her to do either. For God’s sake, how in hell had she ever found him at the Gable Street house anyway? That was one for the books!

  But even though she was still aiming his own pistol at his heart, all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, kiss her hard and make her believe that he really did love her.

  And shit yeah, he loved her! In fact, he’d fallen hard and fast. But he didn’t know how it had happened or when. All he knew was that somehow she had wormed her way into his ‘block-of-ice’ heart, as she’d called it; and he didn’t ever want to let her go. The urge in him to protect her at all costs was all-consuming; and he wanted to care for her and defend her and love her—all the days of his life. He’d do anything for her and he knew it to the very marrow of his bones. And yet, she was making him crazy! Man, what he wouldn’t do to taste those full, moist lips of hers again—but first he had to stop her from killing him…

  His eyes darted back down to the rock behind her. Okay, it was go time.

  Chapter 40

  Savage flashed her a wicked grin. “Come on, Snow White, be nice and put the gun down. And then we can go inside and play house together,” he taunted in a warm, lush, sexy voice.

  He took another step towards her.

  “I told you—stay away from me. Don’t come any closer.” Tori took one more step back.

  The heel of her right foot came down on the boulder and all of a sudden, she toppled over backwards. The Glock flew out of her hand, landing in the dirt three feet away. Savage lunged for it, and grabbing it, he secured the firing button to the off position.

  In the meantime, Tori scrambled to her feet, dumbfounded. What had just happened, for God’s sake? One second, the gun had been in her hands and now it was in his? What was she going to do now?

  Suddenly, Tori remembered the steak knife in her handbag. Okay, it was true—you didn’t bring a knife to a gunfight—but what else could she do? She was out of options and it was better than nothing.

  Fishing in her purse, she drew it out just as the bastard was wheeling around to face her again. Her right hand wrapped around the handle. The steel of the blade glinted in the moonlight and she raised it higher, pointing it at the biker. “You come near me, Savage Monroe and I swear I’ll stab you! As God is my witness, I’ll do it! I’m from Texas and I’m not going down without a fight.”

  “Tori, put the knife down, dammit!” he suddenly blazed, his teasing voice from earlier having disappeared completely. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not going to hurt you! Shit, fuck and dammit all to hell!” Savage took a few steps towards her, the Glock now clasped in his hand.

  Tori’s frightened eyes stared hard at the pistol before flying back up to his face. “Stay where you are, mister, I’m warning you!” She flashed the blade at him again.

  Savage turned the gun upside down by its butt end. “Look, I’m going to put the gun back into my saddlebag.” He swung back to the Harley and dropped the weapon into one of the bike’s holding compartments. He snapped the top shut before turning back to her. “See, the gun is gone. I’m not going to shoot you.”

  Tori shook her head. “No, it’s—it’s some kind of trick. I don’t believe you.”

  Savage swore softly under his breath. “Okay, watch.”

  He took off his jacket and threw it over the Harley’s seat before also removing his vest and the holster he’d been wearing. He threw both on top of the jacket. Then he
raised his hands in the air as he walked back to where she was. “See, I’m completely unarmed,” he said, as he turned around in his t-shirt and jeans for her inspection. He faced forward, confronting her again. “Now do you believe me?”

  Tori’s gaze locked on to his now bare, tattooed-sleeved arms and a chill went down her spine. All that ink placed on top of those bulging biceps just reminded her how strong and dangerous and mean the man really was. Why, if he wanted to, she was sure he could snap her neck with no more effort than it took to break a dried twig.

  “No, I—I don’t trust you!” she cried out.

  Savage frowned as he moved closer to her. “You are the most hard-headed woman I know! Fuck, Tori! How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? I love you, dammit! I’m not going to hurt you in anyway.”

  “Of course, you love me. I’m holding the knife.”

  He burst out laughing. “That’s not a knife. That’s an eating utensil.” He laughed some more, making a deep, rich sound that echoed through the barren, desert landscape. “Besides, do you know how many knife fights I’ve been in my life with assholes twice your size, three times your width, and pure muscle from head to toe—and won? I’ve lost count. Like I told you before, sweetheart, it’s just another day at the office for me. So, come on—put it down before you hurt yourself.”

  Tori stared back at him, disoriented and confused. Was he telling the truth? Could she trust him? Suddenly, he moved a few paces closer. God, what should she do? Run away or drop the knife? Her brain felt like it had been put in a blender and she couldn’t think straight anymore.

  Having him this close wasn’t making matters easier. Her heart was racing away a mile a minute and her breathing had quickened, all responding to the sexual magnetism radiating off of the brute. Why, half of her ached to brush her fingers over the muscles rippling underneath his t-shirt; while the other half wanted to stab him and run. What should she do?