by Anna Mara
He took another step, bringing him a mere six feet away. Tori sensed a tension in him, like that of a mountain lion about to pounce.
His mouth curved into a sinful smile. “Don’t make me come and take that away from you, Snow White.” He sounded menacing; but she could tell he was amused, almost enjoying himself at the prospect of having to wrestle her for the knife. What a sick bastard!
She raised the blade till it was pointed squarely at his chest. “You wouldn’t dare because I’m warning you, Savage Monroe—you try it and I’ll stab you! And I can do it too!”
Savage laughed again. “Ya’ think? Then come on, babycakes, take your best shot.” He lunged at her.
Tori yelped and jumped out of his way. But he let her get away, because she knew it was all fun and games to him—until he would decide to wrap his big, strong hands around her throat and snap her neck in two, of course. That lone, terrifying image raced through her brain before her mind went blank and a surge of adrenaline kicked in. Her heartbeat went life-and-death wild and she faced him again, clasping the knife blade even tighter in her hand.
His teeth flashed white in the moonlight, as a taunting chuckle escaped from deep within his chest. Savage dove at her again, only this time his right hand effortlessly grabbed her wrist and yanked it high into the air. His other arm came around her body, pulling her into him. Tori found herself plastered against his strong chest. She heard him laugh again, obviously confident in his abilities to subdue her.
But Tori was small and agile; and suddenly, she easily twisted around in his arms, so that her back was now against his chest. His arm tightened like a boa constrictor around her then, and his powerful hand lifted her arm up and out in front of her. His fingers squeezed her flesh hard, trying to force her hand to open and drop the knife.
Like a wild, rabid animal, Tori squirmed and screamed, and on pure instinct, brought her right leg up and smashed her foot backwards into his shin. He grunted and released his death grip on her. She whipped around then and without thinking, suddenly thrust the knife at him. The blade plunged into the side of his abdomen, burying itself deep deep into his flesh. Tori yanked it back out again, then leaped out of his reach and ran away to put distance between them.
Spinning around, she stared back at him, panting and trying to catch her breath—not quite sure about what had just happened.
Dazed, she watched as a look of pure shock crossed Savage’s features, before he rasped in a quick intake of air. He looked down at his body then. Tori’s crazed eyes followed his, suddenly taking in the red stain oozing out of his side and soaking his white t-shirt. His hands flew to the wound, and she watched in horror as he sank to his knees.
Slowly, her brain began working again and she looked down at her own hand still gripping the knife. Only now the blade had his blood smeared all over it. Her shaken eyes flew back up to him and a harsh gasp escaped from between her lips, as she realized what she’d done.
She had just stabbed Savage Monroe!
Chapter 41
A surge of shock flew through her.
“Matt?” The barely whispered name wedged itself in her throat as Tori continued to stand there.
Go to him—now! part of her mind screamed. No, don’t! Run! the other half shouted. But her body refused to obey either command. A sense of unreality overtook her, as if it was all just a dream.
She continued to stare wide-eyed at the lone figure that was now on his knees, clutching his side where a red ring of color seeped in an ever-widening circle onto his white t-shirt. The moonlight illuminated his features and she could see him grimacing in pain.
“Tori!” she heard him call out to her.
Suddenly, he collapsed onto the hard packed dirt, his body rolling from side to side trying to ease its pain. His words from seconds ago reverberated in her brain. “I love you, dammit! And I’m not going to hurt you in any way,” he’d said.
Suddenly, Tori knew beyond all shadow of a doubt that the words were true. Matthew Monroe loved her! And he wasn’t going to hurt her, or kill her or do anything that would harm her in any way.
The images blazed in her mind at warp speed. She saw them back on that roof when she’d fallen off and he’d plunged over the side to try and grab her; or when he’d stood between herself and Wizard back at Delilah’s; or what about the standoff with the outlaws at the Gable Street house? How many times had Matt saved her life?
He loved her, he’d said, and it was true.
And she loved him too.
The realization hit her square in her gut, knocking the breath out of her. Yes, it was crazy and foolish and completely irrational considering who he was but she loved him and her heart knew it as fact.
A dry sob escaped from between her lips as she came back down to reality with a thud. “MATT!” she suddenly screamed out; and before she knew it, she’d dropped the bloody knife in the sand and began running back to him.
She sank down beside him. “Matt, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” she kept chanting over and over again as she hurriedly stripped off her yellow sweater. Bunching it in between her fingers, she pressed it against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Immediately, the cloth sopped up his life blood, staining its cheery color with the evidence of what she’d done and convicting her to the bone.
His eyes flew open; his mouth twisted with pain. “Shit Tori, I—I didn’t think—you’d do it,” he gasped.
“Oh God, Matt—I’m so so sorry. Please forgive me, please, please, please, please…”
“Man, this—hurts—like a mother—”
“Shhhh, don’t talk…”
Suddenly, his hand shot out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down close. His wounded gaze skated over her face as if he was searching for something. “I love you, Tori. Tell me you believe me. I need to hear you say it—please!”
The words stuck in her tight throat, refusing to come out. Should she finally admit out loud to him—and to herself—what she was feeling? His scorching look demanded honesty and demanded it right now. He wouldn’t accept anything less. Should she tell him?
Yes, her heart screamed, tell him! No matter who he was or what he’d done, she needed to tell him the truth. And maybe the truth would set them both free.
She blinked back the hot tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I be—believe you,” she finally choked out, as her throat constricted with emotion. “I believe you, Matt. I know that you love me.” His hard face went slack with relief and her feelings welled up in her heart even more. “And I love you too. Oh God, I love you, Matthew Monroe. I love you, I swear it—please, please believe that!”
His brows lifted in surprise and then suddenly, the lines around his mouth softened into a small smile. “No shit?”
Her total and complete love for him surged through her body and enveloped her soul. Her trembling fingers reached up to his face and she tenderly brushed his cheek. “No shit,” she whispered, as a matching smile tugged at her lips.
The strong, masculine hand tightly grasping her arm, used all the strength it had left to pull her down. Before she knew what was happening, he crushed his demanding lips to hers, devouring her mouth in a raw, searing kiss that was filled with truth and righteousness and life, sealing their pact of love for all eternity. Then just as quickly, his hand went slack and he released her. His eyes squeezed shut and he grimaced in pain again.
“Oh God, Oh God—Matt, hang on…” Tori frantically reached into her purse for her cell phone. “I’m calling an ambulance.”
“No. No ambulance! They’ll bring the cops.” He tried scrunching into a half-sitting position and his features twisted at the effort. “Just help me up.”
“Matt, don’t move!”
“I have to.”
Stubborn to the core, he continued to try to sit up. Having no choice, Tori wrapped her arms around his shoulders and helped him into an upright position.
“Fuck, this burns,” he spouted between half gasping breaths
of pain.
Tori dialed her phone. “I don’t care what you say, you need a doctor.”
“No, don’t!” He grabbed the phone out of her hand. “We can’t! We have to lay low—until I can find out if the feds are after us or not.”
Tears pooled in Tori’s eyes as she stared down at the ugly, red stain marring her yellow sweater. “You have to go to the hospital! There’s no other way.”
“No, not yet. I—I have to see how bad it is first. Help me—into the house.” He pulled her sweater away and checked the wound. A thin smile flitted across his features. “Maybe it’s not the kill shot, Snow White. I’m still alive, aren’t I?”
A choked laugh escaped Tori’s lips and she nodded, brushing away a couple of stray tears from her cheeks. “Okay, I’ll help you.”
Savage went still suddenly, becoming transfixed by the large tears rolling down her face. He caught a few of them with his gentle fingers. “Don’t waste your tears on an asshole like me, sweet Tori. I don’t deserve them.”
“I think you do, especially after what I just did,” she mumbled, ashamed that she could have hurt him like this.
He tipped her chin back up with his hand. “Listen to me. Don’t feel bad about that, you hear me? You did what you thought you had to at the time to protect yourself.” A half laugh escaped his lips, “Even if you were all wrong about me. You’re one tough, crazy bitch, Snow White, I have to say!”
Tori smiled. “I’m from Texas, remember? I’m tough as a boot,” she joked trying to conceal the knot of sick fear that was continuing to curl in her stomach. He needed medical attention and he needed it now!
Her mind focused on what needed to be done next to get Matt into that cabin and attended to. The porch was maybe fifteen feet away. “Matt, the back door’s open. I didn’t lock it, just in case—so I’ll go through there now, open the front door, and come out that way to get you. I’ll be back in a few seconds, okay?”
Savage twisted slightly to look in the direction of the cabin and then gritted his teeth as another shot of pain coursed through him. He nodded. “You’re not just another pretty face, are you, Snow White? You got some street smarts behind you.” He pressed the sweater up against his wound. Luckily, the blood flow was only trickling and seemed to be dissipating. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he’d originally thought.
Tori smiled. “That’s right, Nana didn’t raise a fool.” She matched his humor to keep her dread at bay.
Standing up, she ran around the house to the back door and rushed in. Flicking on the lights, she raced across the living room to the front door, unlocked it and rushed out.
Out of breath, she dropped down beside him again, her heart beating wildly with exertion and fear. “Okay, ready to do this?” she panted.
Savage nodded. “Let’s rock ’n roll.”
Scrambling to her feet, Tori looped his arm around her shoulders. Then she stood firm as he dropped her sweater in the dirt and began using her body as leverage to haul himself up. Savage leaned his full weight against her and his heaviness suddenly made her lose traction. Her left foot stumbled backwards but she caught herself and planted her feet more firmly. It was then that he began to pull himself up with Tori’s steadying help.
“Shit, fuck and dammit all to hell!” he thundered, pain etched across his face.
“It’ll get better, I promise. We just have to make it inside,” she lied.
Ever so slowly, they began to walk towards the two steps leading up to the front porch. By the time they reached the first step, he was clearly out of breath from the pain, but he continued to soldier on despite of it.
As they climbed the wooden steps, she looked up and saw that he was trying to control the agony he was in. “We’re almost there, Matt. You can do it,” she encouraged, as she reached to push the front door open even more.
Within seconds, they were inside the cabin and his steps seemed to pick up speed then, as they moved towards one of the bedrooms in the back. Reaching the bed, she gingerly let his weight drop him onto the mattress then helped him lean back against the pillows. He was breathing heavily now and his left hand flew to his wounded side.
“It’s feeling better,” he gritted.
Tori frowned. “Bullshit!” she retorted, as she sat down on the bed beside him and gently brushed back the dark strands of hair that had fallen over his eyes.
He threw out a quick laugh. “What language! I think Snow White needs to have her mouth washed out with soap.”
“Not before we patch you up, mister,” she teased. “I’m just going for some supplies in the bathroom and I’ll be right back.” She went to get up but his hand shot out, grabbing her arm to prevent her from moving.
“Did you mean it? Do you really love me?” he whispered, his words low and husky.
Tori’s probing eyes studied his face. He looked haunted—like a little boy who was afraid to get an answer to the question he’d been afraid to ask all along.
She smiled. “Yes, I do.”
He closed his eyes briefly, relief washing over him before reopening them again. He nodded. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Tori. Know that always—no matter what happens.”
Would you give up your life of crime and go straight for me, she wanted to scream at him. Would you do that, if I asked you? The words were right on the tip of her tongue bursting to come out, but unfortunately, that’s where they stayed as she kept her silence. Now wasn’t the time or place to have a discussion like that. He needed medical treatment and that should be her top priority.
Tori acknowledged his declaration with a smile as she moved out of his grasp.
“Beer, Tori—bring back as many bottles as you can. There’s some in the fridge—I saw it earlier.”
Tori took a few steps back towards the bed. “You shouldn’t be drinking any alcohol. What if you have to go to the hospital and they give you drugs? Drugs and alcohol don’t mix.”
He threw her a half-chuckle and a half-grimace of pain, as he shifted his weight against the pillows. “Now don’t go all teacherish on me, Snow White. This isn’t my first stabbing. I know what I’m doing.”
“But—you said you won all the other knife fights you were in?”
“I did, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get cut! You should have seen the other guys though.” Her brows drew together into a disapproving scowl. “I’m not a choirboy, sweetheart—but you love me anyway, don’t you?” Savage flashed her a shameless grin.
His charm was contagious, even at a time like this. She bent down and gave him a featherlight kiss on his lips. “Yeah—I love you anyway, badboy.” She turned and walked out of the room.
Once away from the bedroom, Tori raced to the bathroom. Time was of the essence! After grabbing a couple of clean towels, she checked the cabinet underneath the sink for a first aid kit. Her eyes alighted on a white box with the Red Cross symbol on it and she briefly closed her eyes for a few seconds, thanking God for that at least.
What she needed to do was to have a look at that wound and see what needed to be done asap. Despite his reluctance to go to the hospital, she would absolutely insist he go if it looked really bad. But thankfully it wasn’t bleeding as much, and he hadn’t lost consciousness either, which was a good thing. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she’d first thought?
Oh please God, let him be all right, she prayed.
* * *
As soon as she’d disappeared from sight, Savage let his smile drop. He’d been trying to put a good spin on things so that she wouldn’t worry but the truth was that he needed to see how bad the wound was as soon as possible.
He lifted the edge of his t-shirt and looked down at his chest. The gash was located at the side of his abdomen and it looked deep. But luckily, it seemed that she had stabbed him in a fleshy part of his body and from the looks of it, he didn’t think that his abdominal cavity had been pierced—or at least, he hoped it hadn’t. If no organs had been affected, then it basically was just a flesh wound. With a little bit o
f first aid, he could be patched up easily and not have to seek medical attention. The area all around the wound was caked in blood and he was beginning to think it looked a lot worse than it actually was. In fact, the bleeding had already lessened quite a bit. But man—it still hurt like a bitch!
He leveraged himself against the headboard, shifting into a more comfortable position. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander. Had she meant it when she said she loved him? Because he was crazy insane for her. When this was all over, he desperately wanted her to be a part of his life. They could make it work somehow, couldn’t they? Yeah shit, his job was dangerous—he knew that—and it did take him into situations that he didn’t even want her knowing about, let alone her becoming a part of; but somehow, they could have a future together, couldn’t they?
He’d never thought about it before—making a life with someone he loved—because he’d always been the free and easy type, never wanting to be tied down to anything or anyone. But with her, it was different. He was in love with her and he wasn’t going to let her go—no matter what!
Yeah, it was batshit crazy to think that he could feel this way about her after knowing her for what? A few days? But man, when she’d come into his life, he’d been thunderstruck! There was no other word to describe it. He’d never even believed in love at first sight before, but he believed in it now.
And to think that she was saying she was in love with him too? Well—it made him feel like the luckiest asshole on the planet!
But before they could start a life together, there was still…business…to attend to. He needed to find out about the aftermath of the botched gun deal; he needed to meet up with Snake and deal with the 100G’s in cash he still had on him; and he needed to find Joe Sorelli and Nana so that he could finally complete his mission.
Savage blew out a breath of frustration as his mind computed his next logical step.
