Savage Love
Table of Contents
DEAR READERS
CHARACTERS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
EPILOGUE
THE BRILLIANCE TRILOGY
DIRTY RICH BETRAYAL
WALKER SECURITY
MORE FROM LISA RENEE JONES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination. www.lisareneejones.com.
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SAVAGE LOVE
SAVAGE TRILOGY BOOK THREE
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
LISA RENEE JONES
DEAR READERS:
Thank you so much for taking Savage and Candace’s journey with me! I hope you’re about to enjoy their finale! Before you read on, I’m going to quickly recap what happened in the prior books so you can have a little refresher on where we’re at. So, if you haven’t read the previous two books, please go read those first, this is just meant as a small reminder, not to take place of reading the other two books fully :)
The trilogy kicks off with Savage being lured back to San Antonio by Tag, his mentor-turned-bad-guy who called the shots in the black ops Savage was pulled into by Candace’s father who is a general. Tag is calling in his favor from Savage, which leads Savage back to the woman he loves, Candace Marks. Only, when Savage arrives back in San Antonio, it’s to find Candace is engaged to the man he is supposed to kill, Senator Gabriel Manning. A man who we eventually learn was in charge of calling the shots for some of the awful operations Savage’s team took on.
Gabriel is also responsible for Candace’s father missing in action. Candace is well-aware of Gabriel’s nefarious acts, that’s why she agreed to marry him in the first place, to save her father. Now that Savage is back, and his team with him, Candace is pulled into their ranks to get to the bottom of her father’s whereabouts, and how to extract them all from the predicament of Gabriel and Tag both wanting everyone involved dead.
Savage Hunger (book one) left off with Savage and Tag coming to a head-on collision. Tag needs Gabriel dead, so he doesn’t kill him. And as desperations rise, Savage and Candace’s passion escalates beyond their control. They’re just as in love as they day they were before he left her, but there’s still a lot of baggage and trust to work out between them.
As we move through Savage Burn (book two), the general (Candace’s father) was finally located, but he’s know in the clutches of one of Tag’s allies overseas. Now, Savage is put at odds between killing Tag, killing Gabriel, and saving Candace’s father, whom he somewhat blames for his years torn apart from Candace. Enter in Ted Pocher, the head of the Society (a deep state-like organization), he’s controlling Gabriel’s campaign for president and is there to ensure that Candace doesn’t become a problem for them, and neither does her father.
Savage and Walker Security eventually link a man in the general’s office to a list that was found hidden in the general’s office, which had information regarding the operations that linked to Savage’s former team. Assuming he has to know something about the trouble the general, and Gabriel are into, Savage and Candace try to track him down, only to have him killed just before they were going to get answers.
Reeling from the death of his almost-informant, Savage goes after Tag, but is derailed to Candace’s house (while she’s been taken to a safehouse/penthouse), as there’s an intruder. The intruder was none other than Wes Casey, a former teammate of Savage’s, but also the husband of the woman Savage had to kill. Lily Casey and Savage were given orders to kill a little boy in the field during an operation. Savage refused, Lily didn’t, and when she tried to kill him, Savage killed her instead, but in the process, he also killed the little boy when Lily used him as a human shield. That fight is how Savage got the scar on his face. Wes Casey, who is still with Tag’s team, went to the house to threaten Candace, vandalizing her things and leaving a calling card for Savage. Savage then returns to his earlier mission to go after Tag. Only when he gets there, his father is there, digging the knife a little deeper for the hatred he has for his father, and Wes isn’t. Savage lobes a few well-choiced threats at Tag and his men and then leaves, knowing killing Tag without extracting Candace’s father first, will end is heartbreak for them both.
With Tag putting on the pressure for Savage to kill Gabriel, and Gabriel and Pocher planning everyone’s demise, as they rise to even more fortune and control, Savage and Candace have discovered links between missions Savage was given in the black ops and Gabriel. These links can help take down Gabriel and the whole scheme that is holding Savage and Candace’s happily ever after hostage, but Savage needs more proof before they can put their mission in play. That proof comes in the form of data he’s hidden around the globe of certain ops he was given. He just can’t remember where he hid them.
Savage and Candace take a break from trying to piece together all the blame, evidence, and proof of guilt, and go to visit his mother’s grave. As they bond over his mother, and the connection they both still have with her, Savage finally remembers this is one of the places he left a data drive. As he goes to find it, Wes Casey comes up behin
d Candace, places a blade against her throat and threatens to kill her the same way Savage killed his wife… And that’s where we left off, and that’s where we’re picking back up…
I hope you enjoy!!
xoxo,
Lisa Renee Jones
CHARACTERS
Candace Marks— long dark hair, green eyes. Architect. Father (Howard Marks) is a general in the army, her mother is was an officer in the army, but died in an accident on duty. She fell in love with Rick Savage eight years ago, before her left and broke her heart.
Rick Savage—dark hair, deep blue eyes, six-foot-five. Former surgical resident and green beret. Lives in NYC, works for Walker Security. Father was a surgeon, mother is deceased. Scar on his cheek. Goatee. Tattoos: a skull in a Green Beret, a snake and a knife on his chest, a heart that says San Antonio. Gave his heart to Candace, and left it with her when he joined the black ops team. Now he’s back to settle a score, and get his woman back.
Tag—led the missions Savage went on when he was a mercenary. Smoker. Father-like figure to Savage until he found out the truth. Savage owes him a debt, which he’s calling in on. Someone betrayed him and took a hit out on him. He thinks it’s Gabriel Manning (Candace’s fiancé) and he wants Savage to kill him.
Savage’s father—thick solid gray hair, thin frame. Alcoholic. Was horrible to his wife, yelled and shoved her, she had a heart attack and died—Candace was a witness. Savage assumes he’s working with Tag.
Howard Marks—Five-Star General. Pulled Savage into the black ops team eight years ago. Has been MIA since the beginning of the series. Is now being held by Prince Yasmin, who could kill him if Tag orders it. Savage’s men are getting ready to extract him.
Linda—pretty, petite, blonde. Candace’s best friend. Owns a floral shop.
Gabriel Manning—“Honest Gabe,” good looking, blond, sharp nose and sharper jawline. Candace’s fiancé. Set on running for president in 2024. In cahoots with Pocher and the Society—the underbelly of the US government. Former Associated Deputy Director of Military Affairs for the CIA. Now a US Senator for Texas. Knows Candace’s father well. It’s been deduced that he called a lot of the missions that Savage’s black ops team was operating.
Monica Martin—twenty-something, gorgeous. Gabriel’s campaign manager. Sleeping with Gabriel. Marilyn Monroe lookalike. Blonde hair.
Ted Pocher—Thin, fifty-something. Powerhouse of the Society (a deep state-like organization). Billionaire. Is controlling Gabriel to an extent.
Max—part of Savage’s black ops team. His wife, Kelly, called Savage in a panic because he’s missing. Savage arranged for Walker Security to get to Kelly so she’d be safe while he looks into Max’s disappearance.
Wes Casey—worked with Savage as a mercenary. His wife, Lily, and Savage were ordered to kill a child on a mission. Savage declined, Lily tried to, so Savage killed her and ended up killing the child, too, because Lily used him as a shield. Wes has been out to kill Savage ever since. Wes is still with Tag’s team now, and comes after Candace—on the cliffhanger for Savage Burn, he was holding a knife to Candace’s neck.
Kane Mendez—an associate of Savage’s in New York. Savage contacts him because he has connections to the Society.
Adam—former Navy SEAL Team Six. Walker Security employee. Tall and broad, dark
hair.
Smith—former Army Ranger, Walker Security employee. Sandy brown hair
Blake Walker—Savage’s boss at Walker Security. One of the founding brothers. Has been helping remotely.
Asher—former Navy SEAL Team Six. Walker Security employee. Hacker. Rockstar looks—long blond hair, tattoos.
Kara Walker—Married to Blake Walker, helping Kelly, Max’s wife.
Adrian Mack—Tall, dark and good looking with curly dark hair. Green eyes. Friendly. Ex-FBI. Lots of tattoos. Walker Security employee. Savage is unsure of him.
Reynolds—Walker Security employee, former SEAL, set to extract Candace’s father.
CHAPTER ONE
Savage
The graveyard is a haze of mist and shadows, the night silent but for the chirping of crickets. I stand with the tombstone of my mother beside me and my enemy holding a blade to Candace’s throat—the woman I love, the only woman I’ve ever wanted to call my wife. I’m sure he believes killing Candace with that blade is poetic justice, payback for me slitting his wife’s throat. His wife was going to kill a child. She deserved what she got.
I don’t regret the decision to kill her and Candace will not pay for her death.
I could play games with Wes, another person would, and likely play the negotiation game, but I am not another person nor is he bluffing or buying time. He’s going to kill her. That’s the only reality I require to decide on my action. He moves his head to the side of hers and dares to show me his face. A second later, the blade in my hand is in his forehead. Candace falls forward on her hands and knees, and I’m already behind her, standing over him. I’ve learned the hard way never to assume a man is dead, and in this case, that would have been a foolish assumption at that. Wes isn’t dead. Even with that blade in his forehead, he grabs my calf. Since we’re being all grabby, I make a grab, too, for the blade in his forehead. I pull it out and shove it into his heart. Now he’s fucking dead. But just to be certain, I grind it and twist it, finishing the job before I pull the blade out, wipe it on his shirt, and shove it in my belt for easy access.
Urgent to have eyes on Candace, I twist around to find her pushing to her feet, her dark hair wild around her face, the wind gusting so damn hard it all but blows her away. I’m there before she’s fully straightened, righting her footing and catching her wrist before I step into her, the feel of her body next to mine, blessed relief. I’m not thinking about her watching me kill Wes right now. I’m thinking about how close she came to him killing her.
My hand comes down on the back of her head. “Tell me you’re okay,” I order, our faces close. “I need to hear the words.”
“Now I am,” she promises, her breath warm on my lips. “Because of you.”
My mouth closes down on her mouth in a desperate need to taste her, my tongue sweeping long and deep, my hand on her back molding her closer. Her arms slide around me, her curves melding into me and God, for minutes there, I thought I’d never feel her like this again. She moans softly, a delicate sound that undoes me and not in the more primal way it normally would. It reminds me that yes, she is tough. She is a fighter. But, in one slice of a well-skilled hand on a blade, and Wes’s hand was skilled, she would have been gone. And he’s not the only one that would see her dead if I don’t see them dead first.
“We need to move now,” I murmur, tearing my lips from hers, my hand closing around her hand.
She gives a quick nod, but her understanding isn’t enough to make me let go of her. I’m never letting her go again and I can’t get her to New York, where I have layers of protection available, soon enough. Pulling her tight to my side, I lead her back to my mother’s grave. Kneeling, I take her down to the ground with me, keeping her within arm’s reach. Candace grabs the flashlight she’d dropped when attacked and holds it for me, an action that might seem small, but isn’t. She almost died minutes ago. She’s not crying. She’s not shaking, in fact, her hand is steady. She’s not freaking out. She’s in fight mode, I sense that in her, and I fucking love her more in this moment than ever, when I already loved her with all that I am. I lean over and kiss her before I grab the blade that killed that buzzard Wes, and use it to dig for the data drive I hid here and pull it from the dirt.
“Oh, thank God,” Candace murmurs. “Please let that be what we need.”
“I didn’t hide it if it wasn’t worth saving,” I promise her, hoping like hell it really is what we need to take down Gabriel and ensure no part of Tag’s operation survives his death. Shoving the knife back into my belt, and standing up, I take her with me to our feet.
“Let’s go,” I murmur, catching her hand but when I would set us in mot
ion, she tugs against me.
“What about him?” she asks, motioning toward what is left of Wes.
“Clean-up support is not on us. We’re leaving.” I start to move.
She tugs harder this time. “What about DNA and cameras and—”
“Baby, trust me,” I say and despite the light it paints me in, I add, “I’ll handle it. I know how to handle these things.”
“Right. Of course.” Her voice is strained, the shadows thick, and I don’t even try to read her reaction right now. Right now, I need to focus on her safety and our future, nothing else. I start walking again and this time she double steps, eager to keep up, while I dig my keys out of my pocket, clicking the clicker to unlock the black Porsche I’d rented.
When I’d arrived in San Antonio, I’d wanted to impress her. I’d also wanted its speed and agility that I hope like hell we don’t need tonight. Once we’re both sealed safely inside, I start the engine and dial Adam. “Wes attacked Candace at the cemetery.”
“I assume he didn’t know your reputation and is now dead?” He doesn’t wait for confirmation. “What clean-up do you need?”
“I’ll have Tag clean up his own mess. Just watch your back.” I disconnect and pull the Porsche onto the highway while hitting the callback to the number Tag called me from. He answers with, “I take it you’re the last man standing?”
“He held a blade to my woman’s neck. Clean up your mess before I turn you into a pile of skin and bones and enjoy it far more than a normal human being should enjoy such things. So much so I’ll take my time and enjoy your screams. He’s at the cemetery, by my mother’s grave.” I disconnect and glance over at Candace, who’s staring ahead, her fingers gripping the seat, her spine stiff. “You sure you’re okay?”