“I imagine so,” Blythe said. Her smile was intimate. For Czar alone.
Savage realized that it had been the relationship between Czar and Blythe that had started the change in him. Czar had brought the members of Torpedo Ink here, to this place, hoping to give them a chance at a different life. He’d given them Blythe and then the children to show them they could be something other than what Sorbacov had turned them into. Czar had them come to his home and be with his wife and children nearly every day until his family were their family.
Blythe became their symbol of hope. She accepted them unconditionally. She took in the children no one else wanted. She showed them, through her actions, how it was possible to love the unlovable. All along, Czar was slowly showing the members of Torpedo Ink, just by sharing Blythe and his children with them, what it was like to have a family and someone to love them. More, to be part of something bigger—a community.
Just watching Czar and Blythe together, Savage knew that he’d been so closed off that it was impossible to allow anyone into his life until he’d come to this place that seemed to hold some kind of magic, until he’d seen the real possibilities.
Czar looked at him then, those eyes seeing right into him. “I know you came here for a reason, Savage, and it must be serious, or you wouldn’t have asked that the children not be present. That isn’t your style. You wanted both of us here. Is that right?”
Savage knew what he meant. Czar knew about his sexual needs. He was there through the entire growth of the monster. Blythe knew nothing about that side of Savage, and he would prefer it that way, just as he would prefer that Seychelle never know what his responsibilities included for the club.
“We had a talk when I first went to you about how I felt about Seychelle. Told you she was special, and I wanted to marry her.” Savage lifted her hand and showed both of them the ring. “I intend to make her my wife as soon as possible. She’s a little reluctant at the moment to fully commit to me, with good reason.” He had to admit it because it was the truth, whether he liked it or not. He was determined to be as honest as possible. “You said if we ran into a problem, we could come to you. We’re here. How do you separate club business from partner business?”
There was a small silence. Seychelle sat very still in her chair, completely taken off guard, her eyes on Savage’s face. He felt the intensity of her gaze and couldn’t help looking at her. She had that look again. The one that always threatened to do him in. The one that made him feel stripped bare. Raw. Naked. Vulnerable.
Seychelle looked at him with such stark, utter love. She didn’t try to hide it. It was right out there, plain on her face, in her eyes. Complete adoration. She just gave that to him for no fucking reason. He had the urge to frame her face with his hands, take her mouth and devour her right there in Czar’s living room.
“I don’t want to know club business,” Blythe said. “Unless I can see that it really upsets Czar in some terrible way. I don’t ask unless I know I can handle the answer. I love Czar and I trust him completely. Whatever the club feels they have to do, that’s their business. They don’t run drugs; they don’t traffic. I do know they do their best to stop trafficking. That’s how we got the girls, Kenny and Jimmy. They put themselves in dangerous situations at times, but again, I trust Czar to get them in and out of those situations, so I don’t ask unless I can see he needs to talk something out. Then I refuse to make a judgment. I asked and he answered, so it would be wrong to put a judgment on it, in my opinion. That’s how I handle it.”
Czar sighed and shook his head. “Seychelle, I presume Savage hasn’t explained to you that sometimes what we do can be extremely dangerous to the club members. If you decide that you really want to marry Savage—and seeing the way you look at him, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re in love with him, so I believe you do—you have to know what you’re getting into.”
The knots in Savage’s belly tightened. It wasn’t like he’d already given Seychelle enough to decide against staying with him. What sane woman would want to be with him? “Czar,” he cautioned.
Czar shook his head. “It’s only fair to her, especially if you want the kind of relationship that Blythe and I have. I think it’s incredibly risky and even foolish, but under the circumstances, I can understand why you’re asking.”