Page 195 of Savior
“I still have the cash you stole from the register and shoved in my pocket, when you tried to pay meoff to get you out of that place.” I say. “Why don’t we call that, you paying for my tattoo?”
She lets out a stifled little chuckle, choking back another sob. Then she nods in agreement, smiling tearfully. “Deal.”
Vanna’s staring at me, frozen with her fingers pressed to her lips. After a moment, she finally speaks. “No wonder Cherry said what she did to me, at Axel’s patch party.”
“What did she say?”
“I took it as a veiled threat at the time. She told me she loved you, and that I better not ever hurt you.” Vanna says. “Cherry is the girl you were paid to rescue… The one you wouldn’t talk about. You told me it wasn’t your story to tell at the time.”
“A technicality.” I reply. Vanna only looks at me, shaking her head slowly, tears welling up in her eyes once more. “What, baby?”
“When I saw that tattoo, I didn’t know what to think… I got so jealous of your relationship with her… How close you are… The connection you share. It’s like you can read each other’s minds at times.” Vanna whispers, as if she’s confessing some heinous sin.
I try not to chuckle, gesturing with my hand to invite her into my lap. She accepts, carefully settling down on me and curling into my chest. I hold her against me, stroking the side of her arm with my fingertips.
“You have no reason to be jealous of anyone, baby.” I tell her, smoothing a strand of her dark hair from the corner of her eye and sweeping it behind her ear. “My love for you is all consuming. You are my saving grace, Vanna. My redemption and my strength. In more ways than you will ever know.”
Pressing my lips to her head, I breathe her in deeply. Relishing that soothing Vanna scent of coconut shampoo and lavender. Barely there, so faint it whispers, just for you…
“I think it would be good for us to get away for a few days.” She says quietly, nuzzling her face up against the base of my throat. I can feel the flutter of her eyelashes against my skin. “We can bring Nico with us.”
“I’m not so sure now is the time I can go anywhere… You heard Ruger. He wants a vote on a new President. I should be here for that.”
“He was just upset. Besides, I’m not talking about going far. Just the weekend. Just a break from everything. Please… we both need it.”
“Where do you want to go?”
She hesitates now. Her fingers fidgeting with the zipper on my cut for a few moments, before she speaks. Though, I’m sure I must have misheard her reply…
Emotions I can’t even begin to articulate, churn inside of me.
“Where?” I manage to ask.
She whispers once more, “The cabin…”
