Savage Savior (Savage People 3)

“He fucking what?!” She’s burning a hole through my carpet from all of her pacing. It’s obviously going well. I let out a long sigh, resigned to the fact that she probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“I don’t know where it came from. He’d been pushier lately, but I never thought he was capable of something like this. I mean, we know Shawn. We hang out with him all the time. It just came out of nowhere.”

Jade pauses her assault on my floor, and I see a light bulb go off behind her eyes.

“What is it? Do I even want to know?”

She shifts nervously on her feet and mumbles something incoherently. I cup my hand to my ear dramatically and raise my eyebrows.

“What was that? I’m gonna need you to speak the fuck up, J.”

“I heard Shawn was snorting some blow in the car with Britney and Dillon before the party. But they weren’t doing it in your house, I swear!” She quickly tacks on the last part.

“That’s no excuse,” she continues, “but maybe that’s why he was extra aggressive? I’m going to kick his fucking ass.” And the pacing commences.

“Dude, give a bitch a head’s up next time,” I groan, throwing myself deeper into the mattress, my head hits my pink, girly pillow with a soft thud.

Guilt flashes across Jade’s face, and I instantly feel like a turd for putting that on her.

“It’s not your fault. I should’ve known the snow bunnies would be hitting the slopes. I just didn’t expect it from Shawn.” I sigh, waving my hand in her general direction. Though, really, she was the one who invited half of Jersey into my house.

“I’m sorry, Dahl. I should’ve said something. I didn’t even see you two talking. Where is he, anyway?”

“That’s a good question. I think one of the minions was called in to ‘deal’ with him. I don’t even want to know what that entails.” My gut swims with fear and nerves thinking about what Graham’s doing with him. Not because I care about Shawn, but I don’t want this coming back to bite Graham in the ass. Shawn’s father, Warren Montgomery, is the DA and has a lot of reach. Call me crazy, but I don’t think he will take the news that his son was beat up by a mobster well.

“So, uh…” Jade is picking at her nails, avoiding eye contact, and feigning nonchalance, horribly, I might add.

“What minion did you say step-hottie call, again?” I know what she’s getting at. She wants to know if he brought Carter in. Of course, I can’t make it easy for her.

“I didn’t,” I deadpan. Finally, she loses the act, and smacks me with one of the fifty-seven pointless decorative pillows on my bed.

“Goddammit, bitch, don’t make me spell it out for you. Do I get to see that sexy Irish hulk or what?” My grin feels like it’s splitting my throbbing lip open, but I can’t help it. It’s fun to get her all riled up.

“He actually told Graham that you creeped him out and he specifically requested that you stay away from him. Way to go, J.” She knows I’m joking so she rolls her eyes and tells me to fuck off.

“But really,” I say. “I’m pretty sure they won’t be back for a while. I don’t know what they’r

e up to, but I know that Graham always keeps business away from me…err…us. Away from us,” I correct myself.

Jade raises one perfectly arched brow at me, with a smug look on her face.

“What?!”

“Graham? He’s Graham now? Not Asshole or even stepdaddy dearest? Not only are you referring to him by his real name, but you seem to be worried about him. Anything you want to tell me?” She’s my best friend, of course I want to tell her. I don’t know why I haven’t. I guess I just liked having it be our little secret.

I take a deep breath, before blurting out, “I’m sleeping with my step-dad.”

Smooth, Dahl.

Her eyes practically bulge out of her skull, but she doesn’t say a word. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jade speechless. I tuck a few strands of my blonde hair behind my ear and huff in annoyance, like she’s making a big deal out of nothing, which is, of course, bullshit. This is huge and I kept it from her. Only Graham and I haven’t slept yet, so technically, I’m not 100 percent a crappy friend. Only, like 95 percent.

“Well, I mean, I haven’t slept with him yet,” I rush to continue, shrugging. “But I want to. And I will. Tonight.” And the verbal diarrhea just keeps on comin’.

She finally snaps out of her shock at that, shaking her head from side to side while squeezing her eyes shut. She holds one finger in the air for me to shut the fuck up and let her digest the new info.

“Ignoring the fact that this is the first I’ve heard about this thing between you and Don Draper over there, I fucking knew it, by the way, you want to have sex with him tonight? After what just happened?!”

I lick my lips, looking left and right, grabbing a stuffed teddy bear Graham bought me when we first moved in because he had no idea what girls this age are into, and hug it to my chest.