Branded: Savannah: Sisters Bound By Blood

by Karen Kelley

  When he didn't answer, she went back and scooped up her dirty clothes before she hurried out—just as the front door opened. She skidded to a stop as Breaker came inside. He shut the door and turned, then stopped.

  As his gaze made its way over her body, she could feel the heat crawling up her face. The damned towel wrapped around her was short and barely covered her.

  "I'm sorry," he apologized, his voice strained and a little raspy.

  Except he didn’t sound sorry, and he shouldn’t be apologizing anyway. Walking out in only a towel was entirely her fault. "No, I'm sorry. I forgot to take clean clothes in the bathroom with me. I won't let it happen again." She turned to hurry into her room.

  "Stop!"

  She immediately did as he commanded. Now what had she done? She’d apologized for running around in a towel. She wasn't sure what else she was supposed to do. His footsteps came up behind her, and then his thumb lightly ran over the brand. She sucked in a breath. Dammit, she'd forgotten about it.

  "He did this to you?"

  She hugged her clothes against her body and closed her eyes tight. God, she felt so ashamed.

  “Did he?” Breaker asked, his words quiet.

  She began to tremble. "That first night, I ran away. I was trying to get back to Rena. I promised her that I would try to come home. She was only twelve. I’d always been there for her. I knew she would be scared."

  "But he found you."

  "One of his men returned me to him. He ripped off my shirt while two of his men held my arms, then the third one brought the branding iron.” She clenched her fists, feeling the hot brand searing her skin, the smell of burning flesh. “Marco told me I was his property, and the brand was a reminder," she finished, her words shaking.

  Breaker’s lips lightly touched where Marco had branded her. They were cool against her skin, as if he was trying to take away the heat. Then he turned her until she faced him. She didn't realize tears were sliding down her cheeks until he brushed them away.

  "No one should ever treat another human being like this. I make this promise to you now, Marco will never touch you again. I’ll kill him before I let that happen."

  She nodded, but she also knew how powerful Marco was. She was afraid he wouldn't stop at anything to get her back.

  His property.

  His pet.

  If Marco did find her, he would teach her a lesson that she would never forget. If he didn’t kill her, he would make her wish she was dead.

  She raised her head, meeting Breaker’s gaze. “Marco is dangerous. Don’t underestimate him. His enemies have made him smarter. He always surrounds himself with men so no one can get to him without first going through them.”

  "Don’t worry about Marco. Take tonight off. Rest. You've had a long day."

  She shook her head. "I would rather go to work. I don't have to think about…things when I'm working."

  "If that's what you want."

  "It is."

  He raised her chin, and then his lips lowered to hers. His kiss was warm and gentle. She found herself leaning in toward him. She had a feeling he'd meant for the kiss to be comforting, but by the time it ended, it was much more than that. Their ragged breathing filled the room before he lightly kissed her on top of the head and then stepped away. He went to the front door and walked out, closing it gently behind him.

  She watched him leave, then her hand reached up and her fingers lightly brushed across her lips.

  She took a step toward the doorway that Breaker had just walked through, but stopped herself at the last moment. What was she going to do? Go after him? Run down the stairs wearing only a towel? She shook her head.

  But he'd kissed her.

  She smiled.

  He'd kissed her.

  She went inside her bedroom, closed the door, then dropped the towel to the floor and began to dress.

  The only man who'd ever kissed her had been Marco. She grimaced. His kisses had been demanding and forceful. They’d made her afraid. She'd always felt cold on the inside when Marco kissed her.

  It was different with Breaker. His kiss started off gentle, causing a slow burn inside her. The burn had become a fire by the time he ended the kiss. She found herself leaning closer, wanting more. For the first time in her life, she’d felt passion. She wondered if Breaker had felt the same.

  He’d probably kissed a lot of women. She'd seen the way they looked at him when he was working the bar in the evenings. It didn't matter if they were young or old; there'd always been a hungry look in their eyes.

  Did Breaker even realize they were looking at him? Probably. She figured he had his choice of women. The guy was muscled and ruggedly handsome, and when he smiled, it was as if she was the only one in the room with him. He made her feel special. He probably made lots of women feel the same way.

  But he'd kissed her.

  She didn't just walk down the stairs when she left the apartment. She floated down them, a warm, fuzzy cloud enveloping her. She'd never felt like this before, and she liked this new feeling…a lot.

  When she walked inside the bar, she didn't see Breaker, but she knew he was around somewhere because his pickup was still parked out back.

  Angie was setting a couple of beers on the counter for two of their customers and looked up. As Savannah walked past, Angie's eyes narrowed for a moment before they began to twinkle, then she grinned. Savannah could feel the heat creeping up her face again. Had she guessed that Breaker kissed her? How could she have known?

  Savannah hurried past her, then almost ran into Rayan as she carried her tray back to the bar.

  "Oh, sweetie, I almost knocked you down." Rayan laughed, grabbing Savannah’s shoulders to steady her. Rayan stopped short when she took one look at Savannah's face. "Why, honey, you're practically glowing." She grinned saucily. "Those must've been pretty good lessons today."

  She’d also never been this embarrassed either. "I… I better get to work. Shorty will be wondering where I am." She downed her head and hurried past Rayan. Savannah was pretty sure her face was glowing, but it was glowing red from embarrassment and nothing else.

  She hurried to the back, but came to a quick stop when the freezer door opened, and Breaker stepped out. She practically ran into him. He put his arms on her shoulders to steady her.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  She nodded, unable to speak, or to meet his gaze. She looked down at the floor instead.

  "You don't have to worry about me," he quietly spoke. "I would never force myself on any woman."

  She nodded again, still unable to meet his gaze.

  He let go of her shoulders and stepped around her, going through the swinging doors. She watched as he left. She knew why Breaker said he would never force a woman to do anything. It was because of Marco.

  But for the first time in her life, she wanted someone, and she wanted more than a kiss.

  Was that so very wrong?

  Chapter Twelve

  Breaker stepped out the back door of the bar. He'd told Angie that he wanted to get some air. It wasn't a complete lie. It seemed every time he turned around, his gaze automatically went to Savannah. He would catch glimpses of her beyond the opening to the cooking area, but it was enough to set his blood on fire.

  He walked a short distance away from the bar before coming to a stop. It was a hot and muggy night. He had a feeling that wasn’t why he was sweating right now. He drew in a deep breath, then expelled it, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened after they’d returned from Savannah’s lessons.

  As always, Angie had everything at the bar under control when he and Savannah returned. They'd spoken a few minutes about some orders she'd made and one she wanted to make, and he'd given his okay.

  He’d jogged up the stairs to grab some papers that were in his apartment. He never expected Savannah to walk out of the bathroom wearing only a towel with her hair wrapped in another one. As soon as he saw her, he'd stopped. The towel had barely covered her.

/>   He’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her right at that moment. He thought he might've even taken a step toward her.

  She’d apologized, then turned. That's when he'd seen the brand on her right shoulder. His gut had told him it wasn't a tattoo. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh when he told her to stop, but he couldn't believe what he was seeing until he walked closer and ran his finger over the raised skin. He’d touched the MS that Marco had put on her. Breaker couldn't imagine the pain she's gone through, but he had to hear her tell him.

  With each word Savannah spoke, his anger had only built. He wanted to kill the bastard. But he couldn't let Savannah see what he was feeling. There’d been enough anger in her life.

  Yeah, he knew he shouldn't have kissed her, but he damn sure didn't regret it. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the taste of her on his lips. Damn, she'd been sweet. It was all he could do to pull away from her.

  He drew in a ragged breath and walked closer to the fence that separated his property from the pasture beyond. He rested his hands on the fencepost and stared into the darkness.

  Breaker had wanted to make sure Savannah knew that he would never force a woman. He wasn't Marco. But maybe he’d wanted to wipe away Marco's memory and the pain he'd caused her, too. Maybe that was why he’d kissed her.

  When his phone began to ring, he pulled it from his pocket. Carter's face smiled back at him from the screen. Breaker quickly answered.

  "Yeah, what do you have?" he asked his friend.

  Carter chuckled. "You've got Marco's men running around in circles. That was a great idea you had, putting the bar under an alias and then switching out your car for the pickup. That was a smart move. The only way they can find you is if they get lucky and stumble on to you."

  "I don't want to take that chance anymore. He’s bound to have people on the inside. Sooner or later, he will stumble onto something. I don’t want to be caught unaware."

  There was silence for a moment, and then Carter began to speak again. "What has happened since I spoke to you last?"

  He gripped the phone a little tighter, grimacing. "The son of a bitch branded her. Damn it, she'd only been fourteen at the time. She tried to run away that first night after her father sold her to Marco, but one of his men found her and brought her back. He branded her so she wouldn't forget who she belonged to."

  "One bullet and I can take him out for you," Carter’s words held a hard edge.

  "I'm not sure you could even get to him. Savannah said men always surround him. He needs to suffer like he made her suffer. I want him to feel the pain that he caused Savannah. I want to take him down."

  "Even better. What are you thinking?"

  Breaker could hear the eagerness in Carter's voice. He knew he would always be there for him. Hell, the whole team had his back. All he had to do was give the word.

  "I want to hit him where it hurts him the most. See if you can discover when he has a drug shipment coming in."

  "You do realize we may have the whole drug cartel come down on our heads. This will be unsanctioned by the government, too. If we get caught, we’ll be on our own."

  He grimaced. Yeah, he’d thought about that, too. "Listen, you don't have to do this for me. We’ll still be friends. Nothing will ever change that. We've had each other's backs for way too long, but I’d understand if you wanted to back out of this whole thing."

  "What do you mean, not want to do it. Of course I do. I think I want to get the bastard as much as you do. What kind of man goes around branding young girls? There's no telling how many people he has hurt, or how many lives he has destroyed. It will be a pleasure to ruin his business."

  They talked for a few more minutes, and then Breaker ended the call. Yeah, he knew he was probably bringing the drug cartel down on his head. But taking Marco out of business would make it all worth it. He didn't want Savannah always looking over her shoulder.

  He'd watched the changes in her. She wasn't as scared anymore, but sometimes when she heard someone speak with a Mexican accent or someone came up behind her unexpectedly, he would see her jerk away.

  So yeah, Marco was still holding her captive and causing her to be afraid. Breaker wanted to take away that fear for good.

  He turned and walked back inside the bar. For the next few hours, he kept himself busy talking and waiting on customers, then he went to his office and began working on some of the paperwork that was starting to pile up again. He stayed in there until someone tapped on the door.

  "Come in," he called out.

  Shorty poked his head inside. "Dinner time," he said.

  "Okay, I'll be there in a moment." The time had slipped away from him. He hadn’t realized it had grown quiet on the other side of his door. He closed his laptop and then left his office. Everyone was seated at the roundtable, already eating while laughing and talking.

  He smiled. "I guess I lost track of time." He took a seat at the table. Cheeseburgers and fries tonight. Someone had already set a soda in front of his food.

  "It was pretty quiet tonight," Angie said. "I don't think we even missed you."

  He frowned. "Gee, thanks."

  They all started laughing. His gaze automatically strayed to Savannah. He'd been forcing himself not to look in her direction, but her light musical laughter pulled him toward her. A blush stained her cheeks when their gazes clashed.

  Her gaze darted away from his.

  He picked up a french fry, dragging it through the catsup before putting it into his mouth, but he continued to watch her until Shorty said something to him. They talked for a few minutes. When he looked back at Savannah, she quickly became absorbed with her cheeseburger.

  It made him wonder what she’d thought about the kiss they’d shared. She was acting as if it was the first time anyone had ever kissed her.

  He took a bite of his cheeseburger and slowly chewed. Hell, the only other person who'd probably kissed her was Marco. The thought of that scumbag putting his hands on Savannah had Breaker’s anger rising to the surface again. He would make him pay for what he did to her. Savannah was going to cost Marco a hell of a lot more than what he’d paid. Breaker would see to it.

  Savannah had never had the chance to be a young girl, to go out on a date, or even to fall in love. She would never be able to get back what Marco had stolen from her, but maybe he could show her some of what she’d missed. He finished the meal with a lighter heart.

  Later, when they went up the stairs to the apartment, he noticed Savannah had begun to yawn. He had to admit he was kind of tired himself. It was already two in the morning. Saturday nights were long.

  They went inside, and he turned and locked the door behind them.

  Before she went inside her bedroom, he began to talk. "There's a carnival in the next town over. Have you ever been to one?"

  She looked over her shoulder. "The only time Marco let me leave the house was when there was some kind of function going on and he could put me on display." Her smile was sad. "Before my father sold me to Marco, there was a carnival in town. Rena and I went, but we didn't have any money. We enjoyed it, though. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun."

  "Then it's a date. We definitely have to go tomorrow." He was smiling when he went inside his bedroom and closed the door. He knew he'd made her happy by asking her to go with him. It was about time she had some fun in her life.

  He would keep his hands to himself, though. He wanted her to have a chance to have new experiences, but that didn't necessarily mean she had to have them with him. If someone caught her eye, that was great. She needed to go out on lots of dates.

  He frowned. No, she didn't. He didn't want her going out with other men. What if one of them hurt her? He'd have to kill them. He expelled a deep breath. This was getting complicated really fast.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Savannah had changed her clothes twice now. She finally settled on a pair of black shorts and a yellow shirt that buttoned down the front. She'd left the t
op two buttons undone.

  The shirt barely met the waistband of her shorts, but Angie said it was in style. She would have to take her word for it. She slipped on a pair of white sandals, applied just a little gloss to her lips, ran a brush through her hair, and then tentatively opened the door.

  Breaker was sitting on the sofa, but came to his feet when she stepped out of her room. His gaze slowly roamed over her. When he met her eyes again, he smiled. A kind of half smile that lifted one side of his mouth. It sent goosebumps up and down her arms.

  "You look nice tonight. Real nice."

  She smiled. She'd never been complimented quite like Breaker complimented her. She liked it. He made her feel soft and feminine. She'd never felt like this before.

  "Are you ready to go?"

  She nodded, then walked in front of him as she went to the door. Before she could open it, he reached around and opened it, then waved his arm gallantly in front of her.

  "After you," he said.

  She laughed. She liked feeling young and carefree. She’d never had that chance before.

  When they arrived at the carnival, she saw it was much bigger than the one that had set up in their little town years ago. It was all she could do to sit still in the seat, but she wanted Breaker to think she was mature. Of course, all she wanted to do was to bounce up and down. She barely managed to wait for him to open her door, which he insisted on doing.

  "Where do you want to go first?" he asked.

  "I don't know. There's so much to see and do." Clowns were walking around making balloon animals, there were games of chance, and several different rides. Then there were the aromas that drifted over to them. Cotton candy, hot dogs with chili and cheese, hamburgers and fries, candied apples, and of course, roasted peanuts and bags of popcorn.

  "Why don't we ride the Ferris Wheel," Breaker suggested. "We can see everything from up top and then decide where we want to go next."

  "That sounds fun."