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ChapterSixteen
DONOVAN
Iwaited for Savannah outside the restroom, leaning my head against the wall, recalling the look on her face when I’d gone to drink the beer.
It all made sense now. Her eagerness to get me away from the town, her insistence in driving and buying the drinks. She’d returned from the bar looking unwell, her eyes flickering to the beer she’d bought for me.
Unsure, I’d wanted to unnerve her, to push her into a corner. But only the truth had spilled from my mouth once I’d held her in his arms as we danced. Grace was right. No good would come from playing games. And the state Savannah had got herself into confirmed there was more to it than just her hunting me down to get paid.
“Shit,” I muttered to myself.
“You can say that again,” Kyran agreed, joining me in the empty hallway.
I’d forgotten I’d asked him to come. He’d hidden among the crowd, ready to provide backup if needed upon Grace’s request. Or demand. But Savannah had already protected me from herself.
“She’s in there.” I gestured toward the door of the restroom.
“Worked that out myself, Sherlock.” Kyran stood beside me. “I’ve gotta say, when you called me to come here, I was dubious. I thought Savannah would go through with her plan until I saw the two of you on the dance floor. She’s fallen for you, man. Whether you believe it or not.”
“I don’t know what to believe.” I sighed. “But I think she’s in trouble. Lilly said she never left her room all day, and that she looked awful this morning at breakfast. Savannah was skittish with me, too.”
“Maybe her conscience is prickling?”
“I think it’s more than that. The things she’s said don’t add up. Something is going on, and tonight …” I recalled the devastated look on her face when she knocked the beer from my hand. “She stopped it. She stopped it for me.”
“Do you trust her?” He asked. I thought about it.
“After that? Yeah, I do. How much of a bitch to mate magic does that make me?”
“Zero. Trust in your reaction. The mate magic is only there to give us a nudge and to aid in the bonding with our mate. Everything else is on you.”
“I need to speak with her.”
“Yes, you do.” He hesitated. “I’ll call Grace and update her when I get home. She’s worried about you.”
“Grace worries about us all.”
“She saw Savannah was the one,” he muttered. “She trusted her from the first moment. Spooks me out, that girl.”
I had to laugh at that. “Grace called it before I could even catch up. And she gave Savannah a chance when I didn’t.”
“You had the town to protect. And your own back.”
“Yeah. But knowing what I’ve discovered about her, I should have confronted Savannah on day one. Maybe she would have confided in me and saved us all this drama.”
“Hindsight is a mighty power, my friend,” he laughed sardonically. “You weren’t to know she was your potential mate, and you weren’t to know of her intentions. Now go do what you have to do. We can discuss a way to get rid of Gideon once and for all during the meeting when Max and Harrison arrive. For now, I’m heading home. But I’ll call Ulrich and tell him to watch out for you. Living on the edge of town, he already thinks he’s the guard of the creek, so honk when you return so he knows you’re back. He can call me once you’ve returned.
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay,Dad.”
Kyran shrugged. “Call me cautious. Just sort this shit out.”
Patting my back, he turned and left.
Savannah still hadn’t come out. I vowed to give her five more minutes, then I’d demand she came home with me.
My mate. And when she’d slapped the beer out of my hand, protecting me, I’d fucking fallen.
A door creaked, and Savannah appeared with red eyes, her makeup all but gone. She looked surprised at me standing there.
