Sylvia gasped. “How did you know?”
“It’s part of what I do. The baby’s perfect, but you should be seeing a doctor. Seriously. Why are you waiting?”
Sylvia cast a quick glance in the direction of her husband. “He’s never said he wanted children. Never. Not once. He likes to pick up and go. I’ve been afraid he’d insist I get an abortion. I wouldn’t do it, and I’d have to leave him. I don’t think that would go over very well.”
The entire time Sylvia spoke, Savage watched Seychelle’s focus. The colored notes were faint to him, but evidently not to Seychelle. Sylvia produced a combination of reds and orange, but they were very shaded pastels rather than vibrant.
Suddenly, Seychelle leaned forward as she spoke, and when she did, she released her golden notes in those rounded tones, the ones that looped like tiny nets. “I think you will be very surprised, Sylvia. That man may be walking on the wild side. He might be rough and bossy, but he doesn’t take his eyes off you. I believe he loves you. I don’t think he’s going to freak too much that you’re having his child.”
“I really hope there’s no suggestion in me. Tawny has wreaked havoc in our chapter, turning everyone against each other. All the old ladies are suspicious of one another. They all think their men cheated. Even I thought Plank was cheating with her at one time, but he convinced me he wasn’t.” Sylvia looked down at her hands. “At least I let him convince me. I don’t know. That’s another thing. If I can’t come with him on the runs, because I have a child, I’ll always wonder.”
Savage expected pinkish-purple notes in a stream, that faint mixture a telltale sign that the same woman had somehow managed to penetrate Sylvia’s defenses, but instead, the notes were a dull grayish blue. Immediately, the golden net gently, with exquisite skill, dropped over those out-of-sync notes and pulled them into her loop, so she could follow them back to the source. All the while, she continued to nod her head and keep the conversation flowing.
“Blythe usually comes with Czar on these runs, but she will have someone watch the children while she comes. It’s only for a couple of days. If your baby gets used to a routine like that, they don’t think anything of it. In any case, if Plank didn’t fall for Tawny’s crap, I don’t think he falls for very many temptations. He’s not going to throw away what he has for something like Tawny.”
The dull, grayish-blue notes were slowly extracted from Sylvia as she replied, this time with a smile on her face. “No, I think you’re right. As far as I know, he never has cheated, and he’s always been good to me. I don’t know why I started having all these doubts about us. The entire chapter seems—unsettled.”
“Sometimes it takes one person’s influence to undermine everyone’s happiness. I think they have mad skills in the meanness department.” Again, Seychelle laughed softly, her tone an invitation to join her.
Sylvia complied, and Seychelle sat back, satisfied. “I think you can safely go back to Plank and tell him you are clear, and no suggestion is in your mind.”
“You’re certain?”
“Absolutely.”
Sylvia leapt up and threw her arms around Seychelle. “Thank you. I was so worried. I felt this heaviness all the time, and frankly, I was so nervous around Plank. And snappy. I feel so much better after talking to you.” She turned and practically ran back to her husband.
Seychelle stayed in her chair. She looked exhausted. Savage went to her, lifted her out of the chair and sat her on his lap. She didn’t protest but took the bottle of water he handed to her. “Drink, baby. You’re done for the night. I don’t care how many other women Plank wants you to examine, it can wait until morning.”
She pushed her face into his neck. “The threat to Czar is immediate and huge, Savage. The hostility that woman from the De Sade club felt toward him came off her in waves, and she wasn’t even making a suggestion to Tony or Leonardo that had anything to do with him. She was being vengeful to both the Demon and Diamondback clubs.” Her voice was muffled. “I have the worst headache.”
He knew she had expelled too much energy. “What do you mean by ‘the threat to Czar is immediate’?” His gaze was on his president even as he held his woman. “Czar is surrounded by Torpedo Ink. No one can get to him.”
“Torpedo Ink can get to him,” she murmured tiredly. “If she got to one of them, they wouldn’t know.”
Savage wasn’t as certain as Seychelle, but there was merit to what she said. Plank had his arm around his old lady, and the Diamondbacks were leaving. He whistled, the pitch low, alerting his club to stay after the other club was escorted completely off their grounds.