Page 40 of Savage

Donna winced. It wasn’t true but she wasn’t surprised they were claiming it. It would make her look worse and Noah look like an innocent victim.

“Sure did, and we’re already working on the paperwork for the divorce. I’m sure we can get it pushed through quickly, considering the abuse she’s suffered, don’t you?”

“That little whore—“

“I’m going to stop you right there. You call her that again, or anything like it and you’ll be too busy picking your teeth up off the ground to worry about anything else. If you have anything that needs to get to her, it goes through me. Don’t need to get anything to her. And you can relay that message to the dickless wonder who calls himself her husband too.”

Savage took a step back, not into her but just shy, as if he knew exactly where she stood. “Get on the bike, babe.” He turned his head maybe forty-five degrees, enough that she knew he was talking to her, as if the babe part wouldn’t have given it away, but he never took his eyes off Jacob.

Donna wasn’t sure how to get on the motorcycle without Savage already on it, but she did her best, bracing herself with her hands on the seat, then pushing herself as far back on the seat as she could, so he’d have the room to mount, then waited. He glanced her way, but didn’t turn away from Jacob as he moved to the front of the bike, stepped up and over the seat then started the engine. Savage only looked away from Jacob as he twisted the accelerator and they pulled out of the parking space, leaving him behind.

31

Savagekeptaneyein his mirror, making sure the ass hat who had followed them out of the restaurant didn’t follow them again as they pulled out onto the streets. He clenched his teeth as he forced himself to calm down. They spent several minutes driving aimlessly, as he made sure no one was following them.

“Do you know his name?” he asked.

When no response came through the radio built into the helmet that he’d paired with Donna’s new helmet when he’d bought it a couple hours before, he tried again. “Can you hear me?”

Again. Silence.

He reached down and tapped her calf, making sure he had her attention before tapping the side of his helmet, hoping she’d understand he wanted her to turn on the radio.

“Sorry, I forgot to turn it on.” Her voice came through a moment later.

“No worries. I wanted to make sure you’re okay, and then I have a few questions, if you’re good with it.”

He felt her take a deep breath, her breasts pressing more firmly into his back, then she spoke. “I think I’m as good as I can be at the moment. I’m not going to fall apart or start screaming. Right now, I’ll take it. I want to thank you for stepping in.”

He waved one hand to tell her that wasn’t important. He’d make sure she knew he’d always step between her and danger later.

“I’m glad you’re okay, at least for now. Do you know his name?”

“Just his first name. We didn’t use last names at the commune. Everyone was brother or sister and their first name.”

“That will make it harder, but even a first name will help narrow down who we’re looking for.” He paused a moment, trying to decide the best way to approach his next question. “Did you marry the fuckwad?” He didn’t know how else to say it, though he did wish he could risk stopping so he could watch her face as he asked. But maybe it would be easier for her if he wasn’t watching her.

“No. We never got married. He never asked, and I wouldn’t have agreed if he had. Did you actually tell him I was already working on a divorce?” Disbelief was clear in her tone.

“I did. He was trying to shock me, to get me to stop defending you. I will never do that. I used his lies against him and added the bit about knowing you were abused to let him know that they wouldn’t win whatever battle they start.” He paused trying to find the right words. “I’m not sure what the laws are about common law marriage in Colorado but if we need to, we’ll find an attorney and do what we need to do.”

“I don’t either. I don’t know how I got into this. I don’t know how it got so bad.” Her voice trembled and he couldn’t take it any longer. He pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a grocery store.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing is wrong, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute and I want to be able to look at you, to see your face.” He scanned the parking lot, looking for somewhere they might go inside, maybe sit down for a few minutes.

In the corner of the shopping center, he spotted a chain coffee shop. He steered the bike over to it, then walked it backwards into a space between two larger pickups, hoping that would make it harder to see from the street, just in case they had been followed. He hadn’t spotted anyone, but he wasn’t going to assume he was better than anyone else.

Once parked, they went inside. They found a small table next to a glass wall. Savage pulled out a credit card and handed it to Donna.

“Get us drinks. I want a black coffee but get whatever you want. Get some kind of dessert if you want.” He was aware of her going to the counter to place their order, but instead of watching her, he kept his gaze out the window and on the street, watching for any vehicles he recognized.

Not because he was expecting to see one of the few people he knew in the area, but because he’d been watching traffic since they’d left the restaurant and wanted to see if there was a vehicle that kept popping up when they’d been all over town in the last twenty minutes. That would be suspicious.

He hadn’t yet spotted any vehicles he recognized a few minutes later, when Donna came back to the table and gave him back his credit card. Put it away but didn’t take his eyes off the traffic zipping back and forth outside.

A couple of minutes more passed, Donna remained quiet until they called her name. She went to the counter and retrieved their drinks. When she returned, setting his in front of him before she sat, Savage turned his attention to her. If they hadn’t passed by now, they probably weren’t out there. Hell, he was probably being paranoid anyway. As he turned to face her, Savage watched her for a moment, taking in her pale skin and the resigned look on her face. She thought he was dumping her. That the trouble that piece of shit had dumped on her was finally too much, and Savage was done. He reached across the little table and took her hand.