Savage Burn (Savage Trilogy 2)

Once I’m outside on the balcony, I pull that photo of Wes jacking off on the bed out of my pocket. I torture myself with the reminder of what’s at stake. A reminder that I have to do whatever it takes to protect Candace. I’m not sure I can do that with Walker by my side. I’m not sure I can do this in a way Candace would approve, but she’ll be alive when this is over. That’s what matters. A new chapter doesn’t even start until this one ends.

I grab my phone and find Kane Mendez’s number, which I don’t believe he gives out freely. But I have it. We got each other. I’m just not sure what that says about him or me. I don’t even hesitate. I dial Mendez and it goes to voicemail. “This is Savage. We have a mutual enemy, the enemy. And that enemy is threatening the only person in this world I give a fuck about. Call me. Help me and I’ll owe you the biggest fucking favor on planet Earth. And I’m a good man to have owe you a favor.” I disconnect.

I’ve just slid my phone back into my pocket when Asher and Adam step onto the balcony. “Our man called in from Iraq. The general’s convoy was attacked, but he’s safe. The security team for some prince stepped in and rescued him. He’s presently at his palace.”

I curse and ball my fist. “Prince Yasmin.”

“Yeah,” Asher confirms. “Why?”

“And how did you know that?” Adam ask.

“The attack was a setup to get the general into Yasmin’s care. Yasmin is a frequent client of Tag’s. They’re close friends. In other words, the general is now a prisoner and all Tag has to say is one word, and Yasmin will ensure the general has an unfortunate accident.” I turn and grab the railing. “Fuck.” I turn back around. “What have you told Candace?”

“We haven’t,” Asher replies. “We thought you’d want to tell her.”

“What I need and want right now is to go over there and get the general, but I can’t leave Candace and it’s not that simple.”

“I’ll go,” Adam offers. “I know that territory well. And you trust me. You know you do.”

“I’d go too, man,” Asher adds, “but I think you need me and my tech skills here right now. Blake just isn’t free enough to do this the justice it needs. And we need Adam. We have a man on the ground. A good man. Let him do it.”

“Who is it?”

“Reynolds,” Adam says. “I’ve worked with him. He’s damn good. He was a SEAL.”

“You fucking people grow like weeds.”

“And weeds will take your ass over, man,” he replies. “He’s there. He can move now.”

“Why aren’t we just killing Tag and being done with this?” Adrian asks, appearing in the doorway.

Okay. I like this guy. I wait for Asher and Adam to object. They don’t. They all just stare at me. “You take away Tag’s ammunition, he grabs more. That means he comes at Candace. He knows I know him. He knows I know that. I have to hit Tag the minute he has the general. There can’t be a moment that Tag believes the general is no longer under his control, that he lives. And Tag is going to lose patience. We need to act. Now.”

“We need a few days to plan this,” Adam says.

“The night of the governor’s Appreciation Ball,” I say. “Tag will expect me to hit Gabriel. He’ll be watching the show. We’ll make him the show. If Reynolds can pull off an extraction that night.”

“Where do Gabriel and Candace fit into this?” Adam asks.

“If you say their names together in a sentence like that again,” I warn, “I swear I’ll pull your balls through your nose.”

“My point here is that we heard him and Pocher talking. If she tries to leave him, they’ll kill her to save face, and get the dead fiancée story, otherwise known as the sympathy vote.”

“In a perfect world, we find the evidence we need and have him arrested as he leaves the event,” I say. “But in case we can’t, we need a way to get him out of town, a wealthy investor who wants to donate to his campaign and meet immediately, someone who calls him right before the event would do the job.”

“That’s doable,” Asher says. “We’ll make him believe he’s meeting whoever in the fuck I come up with. I’m going to go to my room and work on all of this.” He eyes me. “Then I’ll be back and we can work on our other problem child, Honest Gabe.” He starts to turn and hesitates. “What are we telling Candace?”

“Yes. What are we telling Candace?”

At the sound of Candace’s voice, my gaze goes to her where she now stands next to Adrian, while everyone else goes bug-eyed staring at me. Assholes.