Page 189 of Savior
“That night you did the hit… I had a feeling you wanted me to ask you to stop. To give it up. Well, I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. You either choose us, right here, right now. Or you don’t. We come first, always and forever. Or we just don’t… And you can have this back.” I slip my hand from his grip to look down at the ring he gave me.
“I swear, Vanna, you will always come first. I went to see Madeline tonight, to make my peace with her. You’re my life, baby. My purpose. It’s over, doll. There’s only you. I can’t live without you, Vanna. I wouldn’t even want to try.”
I can hear the sincerity in his voice. He means every word.
When I only slightly nod, staring down at his sculpted midsection, he reaches his hand behind my head. His fingers wrapping around the base of my skull, pulling me to him. His other hand tilts my chin upward as he lowers his mouth to mine, kissing me gently at first. As if seeking acceptance, maybe even forgiveness. When I kiss him back, his hand drops from my chin to wrap his arm around my waist, pulling me fully against his body as he deepens our kiss. And Dean Keegan knows how to kiss. How to hold me and make me feel like I truly am the world to him. Dropping my jaw slightly, he takes full possession of my mouth as he maneuvers us onto the bed, caging me beneath him. His arms on either side of my head now, enveloping me in all that is him.
“Tell me you believe me.” He murmurs. “I can’t promise that I’ll never fuck up again, Vanna. But I can promise you, I won’t fuck up like this, again.”
“I believe you.”
As if relieved by my words, he moves his arms to wrap them around me, holding onto me like I’m all he’s got. I run my fingers through his hair, attempting to soothe him as he rests his face against my chest.
The sound of my cell ringing in the living room, where I left it on the slate coffee table, echoes throughout the front of the house. I glance over my shoulder at the clock on the night table. It’s nearly two AM. We must have both dozed off when we laid down together.
“Shit…” Dean says, getting off me, though he does so almost reluctantly. “I don’t have my cell anymore. One of the guys could be calling you to reach me. Unless… Has your family tried to call you tonight?”
“No.” I say, getting up from the bed. “They didn’t call. And they wouldn’t call me this late.” I don’t feel like getting into everything that happened with them tonight.
I walk down the hallway towards the living room to answer my phone. It’s Cherry. I pick it up before it goes to voicemail.
“Vanna?” she sounds panicked.
“Yes. What’s the matter? Are you okay?” I ask, turning to face a concerned Dean standing on the other side of the leather three-seater.
“Oh God, is Dean there? I have to talk to him, immediately. I’m so sorry.”
“Yes. Hang on.” I say, handing the phone to Dean. “It’s Cherry.”
He takes it and I watch as he listens intently, his expression slipping from concern, to complete and utter rage. His eyes narrow and his nostrils flare, his jaw clamps shut tight, the muscles rippling. “Fucking morons.” He growls through gritted teeth.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Dean removes the phone from his ear, pressing the icon for speaker phone with his thumb. Cherry’s frantic voice fills the room.
“What are we going to do? It’s too late… It’s all gone…” she sobs. “Axel was so mad… I’ve never seen him like this. I couldn’t stop him, I’m sorry Dean.”
“This ain’t your fault, Cherry.” Dean mutters, running his hand through his hair now. “I was wrong to think it was best for him, hearing it from you… They were already riled up when they found me. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“It’s gone… it’s gone…” she whispers again, her voice trembling.
I stare up at Dean. “What’s happened? What’s gone?”
“The Demons’ Den… They burned it to the ground.”
