Savy

The next morning, there is a loud knock at my front door.

At seven thirty.

Seven–fuckin’–thirty!

Needless to say, I’m not happy to see a big scary biker standing on my porch. He’s a prospect, someone who wants to be a fully patched member of Havoc MC, as indicated by his prospect patch.

“What do you want?”

“Prez wants your doors and locks changed.”

“Prez?” I ask.

“Diablo?” The prospect states, looking at me like I’m crazy.

“No shit,” I growl. “I know who he is. What the hell?” Whirling around, I stomp back down the hall to my modest bedroom, leaving the front door open. My room has cute purple and light blue curtains, but not much else. Snatching up my phone, I let out a small angry scream.

I don’t have Diablo’s phone number.

In my haste to answer the door, I didn’t put on my robe so I angrily put it on and stomp back into the living room where I left the bored looking prospect standing.

How dare Diablo send someone I don’t know to my house at seven in the morning and change my locks, without asking me first? What the fuck?

“Can you call Diablo? I don’t have his number, and I need to yell at him,” I ask. Thrusting my phone toward him.

“I have strict orders.”

“No disrespect, big guy, but I don’t give a shit about your orders. Either call him or leave right now.”

He smirks at me while pulling out his own phone, and calls Diablo.

“Stupid biker. Kiss me once and get all bossy. Fuck that,” I say to myself and pace back and forth. In my haste to yell at Caleb, I didn’t realize that I let a stranger in my house at seven–fucking–thirty in the morning!

“Uh, Prez? Your girl wants to talk to you,” he says with some apprehension. “She’s uh...she’s getting, uh–”

“Just give me the damn phone.” He hands me the phone.

“Diablo, what the fuck?”

“What’s wrong, little bird?” There is no annoyance, only patience in his voice.

“What’s wrong?” I shriek. “You sent a fucking scary giant to my door at seven–fucking–thirty in the morning. I opened the damn door without a robe. I left the stranger in my living room when I realized I didn’t have a robe on and I needed to yell at you. Oh! And I can’t afford new doors and locks!”

“You opened the door without a robe on?”

A groan is my only reply.

Silence on the other end has me gritting out, “Diablo!”

“Look, babe, your door is shit. I’m willing to bet your back door is too.” He’s right, but still, I can’t afford it. “So I’m fixing it. And I didn’t ask you to pay for it.”

“It’s too much.”

“It’s not.”

“You should have told me you were sending someone.”

“I know.”

“Fine,” I give in. “I don’t even have your number.”

“You’ll have it as soon as we hang up.”

“Oh, all right.”

“Good. Now go put some clothes on. While Joker finishes your doors, I’m taking you for a ride.”

“What?”

“I’m taking you for a ride, little bird. Be ready.”

“I can’t go.”

“You can. You have the night off,” he says.

“What?”

“Little bird,” he growls. The timber of his voice has me wetting my panties and I cave.

“Fine, but just know my wrist is still a little tinder. Where are we going?”

“I’ll take care of your wrist. And it’s a surprise. Give Joker his phone back.”

“Okay,” I say. Then hand the phone back to Joker.

“She has a robe on now, Prez,” Joker says into the phone. He looks embarrassed and I feel bad. I'm sure he is here because Diablo told him to be.

Hanging up, he grunts, “I’ll just get this done.”

“Sure.”

I get a text from Diablo as soon as Joker hangs up the phone.

I save his number under Caleb and realize I don’t know his last name. I shoot off a quick text to Ena and let her know that the locks are being changed and that I will give her a new key once she gets home. After getting dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a red tank top, and a pair of black and white Chuck Taylors, I go to the kitchen and make coffee.

As the coffee is finishing, I hear the rumble of motorcycles coming down the street. I’m not sure how many, but there are several. Diablo and two other Havoc members enter the house as I stick my head out of the kitchen entry.

Trying to ignore Diablo I ask, “Joker honey, would you like some coffee?”

“Uh, no thanks, Savy.”

“Of course you want some. You were sent over here at the ass crack of dawn,” I say, ignoring his initial response. “I’ll get you some.”

“He can get it, Savy.”

“I’ll get it,” I grit out. “He’s a guest in my house, Diablo.” Using his club name.

His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t try to stop me.

I move back into the kitchen, praying that my earlier irritation with Caleb goes away. Taking a few breaths, I make Joker’s coffee. I also make a cup for Diablo. I hope they like it black because I don’t have any creamer.

“Thanks, Savy,” Joker says as I hand him the steaming cup.

“You’re welcome.”

“Here you go, honey,” I say to Diablo as I had him a cup as well.

“Thanks, babe.”

“I’ll just go finish getting ready. The rest of you can help yourselves,” I say. I move down the hall to escape the men that have taken over my living room and kitchen. I am ready to go, but I also need a minute to make sure I am perfect. This is my first date with Caleb, and I want it to be perfect.

This is a date right?

“You ready, babe?”

I let out a little scream and whirl around to glare at Caleb. He is standing in my tiny bedroom, looking like a Greek God or something. He’s seriously hot, and my sex gushes just looking at him.

“You scared the shit out of me, Caleb.”

“Glad to see I’m Caleb again.”

“Oh shut up,” I grumble while moving toward Caleb. Once I’m close, I push up on my tiptoes and give him a chaste kiss. For some unknown reason, I’m comfortable being myself around him. It’s just been a few days, but it’s nice to let the long hidden part of myself out. I’ve always trusted my instincts, and I am doing that with Caleb too.

We spend the day exploring a little sleepy coastal town about an hour west of Sage. It has a southern charm I long for. It’s amazing, and I love it instantly. The smells, breeze and best of all the ocean. We sit on the shore and I stare into the water, thinking of my mom. I know she’s still with me, but the ocean helps me feel connected to her in a way I don’t feel at any other time. While we’re at the beach, I don’t talk much, and Caleb doesn’t push me. I’m thankful for that because I’m not comfortable talking about my past.

I never imagined I would love having the wind in my face as we sped down the highway, but I did. While I was behind Caleb on his bike, I took the time to explore his abs. They are rock solid and again, I gushed. I didn’t continue my exploration further down his body because we were on the highway and I didn’t want to die. Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready to go there with Diablo, yet.

We window shop at the little vintage shop in town and have lunch at a small café. I laugh harder with Caleb than I have since I was a kid.

“Thank you for this. It’s been a long time since I laughed this much.” Sincerity is crisp in my voice.

“Even with your ex?”

“Even with my ex,” I admit.

“He’s a rich prick anyway,” Caleb says.

“Wait! How do you know Tyler’s rich?”

“I did some research on you and Tyler Huntington.”

“Research? Why did you do that? No, he’ll...” I say. Panic inches up my spine, I reach up to rub my stiff neck. Fear creeps into my voice and I feel the tension increase in my body.

“He’ll what?”

I keep my mouth shut. I’ve said too much already and I can’t get Caleb involved.

“Just forget it.” I can’t even blame Caleb. How would he have known I was running from someone? He wouldn’t and most employers do background checks. I guess he assumed I was a normal employee. I’m not. I persuaded Donny to bypass the background check so my father wouldn’t know where we are. He’s found us several times before and each time I was able to get away with Ena, but I know I can’t run forever. I just have to keep trying.

“Savy, are you in trouble? What are you running from?”

“No of course not, silly.” My attempt to avoid the situation doesn’t work. Caleb is too smart for his own good.

“Don’t lie to me, little bird. I can help you, but you have to trust me.”

“I can’t trust anyone,” I whisper.

“You can trust me.”

“I can’t. And it has nothing to do with you. It’s all me, but I need to get back. I’m getting tired.”

“It’s only six. Don’t let this shit ruin the rest of our day. I’ll drop it for now, but I will prove to you that you can trust me.” His declaration rings in my ears, but my heart is shielded from his words.

Then Caleb does the one thing I need most at the moment, he changes the subject, and I’m grateful for his kindness when I shut him out.

“I’m glad you’ve been having fun today, baby. You deserve it,” he says with an intensity that steals my breath. “I plan on making sure you laugh this much every day.”

Maybe I wasn’t quite ready for this declaration.

“I won’t be around much longer, so every day until I’m gone sounds good.”

“Every day. Period.”

That’s what you think, honey.

“I have to tell you, I don’t believe we should be together.”

Caleb doesn’t understand the danger he inadvertently put Ena and me in. Not to mention the danger he has put himself in. We will leave soon, but I want to enjoy my time with Caleb until I’m gone.

“I don’t deserve someone like you and to be honest, you scare the shit out of me.”

“I’d never hurt you, Savannah.” It’s the first time Caleb has used my full name. And for the first time in a decade, I don’t cringe when a man says my name.

“Somehow I know that. I’m not sure how, but I know you’d never hurt me.” I pause, not sure if I want to reveal too much about myself so soon. “I’ve had rough relationships in the past, and I’m careful about who I let in.” Giving him a little, but not disclosing the depths of my past.

“As you should be,” he says. “But, I will prove it to you, baby. We are destined for each other and to be honest, I never believed in love at first sight and I’m not sure I do now, but I knew the minute I saw you that I wanted you.”

I think I knew too.

A shiver runs down my back. I say nothing.

“I can live with you not responding.”

“Me too.”

Caleb steers the topic to easier territory. And I’m thankful because I don’t want to get attached to him. I know that we cannot be together and I have to find a new safe place for Ena and I to live. I’m sure Paul knows where we are and is on his way to end me.

During our date, I learn that Skull and Caleb are brothers and they had a rough childhood too. He didn’t need to tell me that to know. There is something about a person who had a shitty childhood. It marks them for life. And the scars are often easy to see.

I have the same scars.

Around nine o’clock, Caleb and I head back to my house. I want to ask him to stay for a while, but I'm afraid it’s too soon. I just don’t want this day to end. Having a regular, healthy date with no worries was nice, especially when it’s with a handsome biker.