“Would you take my word, Seychelle?” He pushed stray strands of hair from her face with gentle fingers, his heart turning over. She was such a gift, and he had come so close to blowing his chances with her.
“As far as I know, you’ve never lied to me, so yes, I would believe you.”
“I would never kill an innocent. They would have to be a threat to you, me or the club, and that isn’t an innocent in my eyes. Anyone else is someone we’re after because they’re involved in human trafficking or a pedophile ring. I neutralize any threat to any member of the club or anything such as this mess we’re in now.”
“The one I tried to talk to you about before you went off with Czar.”
“That’s the one,” he confirmed.
“How long are you going to be the one doing this for the club?”
“Indefinitely.” He made that a firm statement.
“I see.”
He didn’t like the quiet acceptance in her voice.
“What do you mean, you tried to talk to Savage about it before he left?” Czar said. “Why would that be what you were upset about? Why was that in any way affecting you, Seychelle?”
“Brandon Campbell, as you know, is related to four of the Diamondbacks,” Seychelle said.
She moved away from Savage again. He couldn’t tell if she did it because she needed to pace or if she was suddenly upset again that he had left her in a highly emotional situation. She pressed one hand to her temple as if it hurt.
“He’s very vindictive, and I don’t think he’s very happy with the Diamondbacks for rejecting him when they took his brothers. He’s the kind of man who would be happy to stay in the background and wreak havoc by planting suggestions, mostly to women. But you know all this—Savage texted you the information.”
She skirted around the firepit and stopped in front of it, putting her palms out as if she was cold. There were only embers left, the flames gone. Savage could see the little shiver that ran through her. He immediately got up and went to her. “Baby, it’s all right.”
“No, it isn’t. Brandon doesn’t have near the talent I do, but I gave him an in when we were broken up, and he used it to plant a suggestion in me. If I hadn’t come with you, you wouldn’t have known those women were going to be used as assassins. They aren’t the only ones. Brandon thinks he’s so clever, but he isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is.”
Czar went to the other side of the firepit. “Can you tell if someone else has been tampered with? If they have a suggestion planted in their head?”
Seychelle shrugged. “That depends on the person. If they talk to me for more than a minute or so and I can get a rhythm, a vibration if you will—it’s like a pathway into them—then yes, I would be able to see the discoloration and know he was there.”
“What about removing it?” Maestro asked. “Is that even possible?”
Her gaze jumped to his face. “It’s possible, but anything like that takes energy. Using psychic energy is draining and would be difficult depending on how long the suggestion has been planted and how resistant the subject is to the removal.”
“So you’re saying a long line of willing subjects is out,” Czar said. “That would be too hard on you?”
“I don’t know.” She pressed her palms to her head again. “He’s trapped in my head for the moment. I had planned to get rid of him right away, but then I realized I could extract some other thoughts he had when he was planting his suggestion to Shari. That’s what I wanted to talk to Savage about. It was terrifying to have his thoughts in my head.”
Savage definitely didn’t like the idea of Brandon Campbell sharing any part of Seychelle, however small it might be. “Get him out of there.”
Czar held up his hand. “I say she’s right, we should discuss it.”
“Why now?” Seychelle asked. “The time for that was hours ago, and it was supposed to be between my man and me. What are we doing here, Czar? Are you trying to resolve this issue because you need me to get Brandon out of other people’s heads?”
“Yes and no,” Czar answered honestly. “The most important thing I need to do is resolve the issue between you and Savage for both your sakes. I saw him when you two broke up. Alena saw you when you were apart. You both were a mess. Clearly, that isn’t the answer, Seychelle. You know it isn’t.”
Savage dipped his head down, his lips against her ear. “Baby, I told you, I don’t make the same mistake twice. I said I won’t walk out when you tell me you need me, even if the club calls. I’ll trust you to say so only when it’s the truth. I told you the worst of me. The truth of why I’m here and why I didn’t want you to know what I was doing here.”
She lifted her chin. “What am I doing here?”
Czar stepped closer, his eyes piercing the darkness like two lasers. “That’s on me, Seychelle. I told Savage it was imperative you come. Sometimes my talent is strong in the way I get these warnings I can’t always interpret until the last minute. I had a very strong warning telling me you were needed for Savage. Without you, he was going to be in trouble, but more than Savage, without you, the entire club was going to be in trouble.”
“Why couldn’t you just tell me that? I would have felt part of something instead of an outsider. I’d be more inclined to want to help you instead of leaving you all to fend for yourselves. Doesn’t that make a little more sense to you? You’re all intelligent men. Or so I thought.” She lifted her gaze to Maestro. “Most of you are. Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”
A loud whistle cut the night. Savage tightened his hold on Seychelle but then turned her, thrusting her body behind his. Czar moved in front of her to stand beside Savage. Reaper and Maestro instantly took up positions in front of them. Torpedo Ink club members poured in from all directions, surrounding the president and Seychelle, allowing Savage freedom.
“Baby, stay right here with Czar. Don’t you move unless he does. Do what he tells you.” Savage leaned down and brushed the top of her head with a kiss and then moved into the shadows. Maestro did the same. Keys and Mechanic took their places.
“Bringing in company, Czar,” Lana called. “Plank and five of his men have come to see you. Plank’s old lady, Sylvia, is with them as well. Said you were expecting them.”
“Keys, Mechanic, take Seychelle as far back away from the light as you can get her,” Czar said. “Let me see what they want. Honey, go with them and stay quiet until I call you or Savage comes and gets you.”
Seychelle nodded. Keys took her arm and led her to the heavy brush that bordered the back of the campsite. “There better not be ticks,” she whispered. “If there are, I’m collecting them and letting them loose in the Diamondback campsite.”
Keys flashed a grin at her. “That’s Tony Ravard. He goes by Shark. His brother Leonardo, who goes by Lion, is with him. Trade, Judge, Pierce and Plank.”
Savage joined Czar and the others gesturing toward the picnic table. Plank sat down with Czar, but the president of the Diamondbacks was looking around the campsite. “Where’s your woman, Savage? I wanted to introduce her to my old lady. Shark insists she could talk to my old lady and tell whether some bastard planted that suggestion in her. Shark and Lion said they want to talk to her first though, just to make certain she’s the real thing.”