Page 18 of Trading In A Broken Heart

My fingers curled around the black iron railing as my heart climbed into my throat. Savion stood at the edge of the enclosure dressed in all black. The zoo alarms screamed overhead.

“What are you doing!” one of the workers yelled from behind him. They must’ve seen him enter and came in behind him.

The parents that stood next to me with their kids grabbed them. Somebody near me started crying. They just knew those lions were about to rip him to shreds.

This nigga Savion stood there calm as ever, without a care in the world like the lions weren’t a threat. Like entering a lion’s den was just another Tuesday afternoon for him.

“Sir! You can’t be in here!” a zoo employee shouted. Savion tilted his head, eyes locked on the massive male lion stalking closer. “Are you insane!”

“Yes,” someone answered alongside me. When I turned, I saw this handsome ass chocolate guy standing there dressed in all black as well.

My stomach dropped. I didn’t think he was really gon’ go through with this. “Oh my God,” I whispered. I had done sent this man to his death.

Savion stepped further inside with no weapon. He really didn’t fear anything.

The lion let out a growl so deep I felt it vibrate in my chest. People screamed behind me. Savion kept moving as if he was predatory like the lion. The lion charged first. I didn’t even process it before my body jerked forward. “Savion!”

The animal lunged with terrifying speed, all teeth and fury, its roar splitting through the entire enclosure. This crazy mufucka met him head on. His hand caught the lion by the mane while the other slammed into its jaw hard enough to make the sound echo.

The crowd gasped collectively. The lion twisted, claws slicing through Savion’s shirt, but he barely reacted. Blood streaked across his chest as the beast snapped for his throat. Savion grabbed its mouth. My knees almost gave out. I didn’t know that I would be bothered if something actually happened to this man. I didn’t know shit about him, but he was tugging at my heartstrings right now.

His muscles flexed violently beneath his skin while the lion fought against him, snarling and thrashing. Dirt kicked up around them. The cage rattled.

“Why is he smiling?” I whispered.

It was like he was enjoying this shit.

The lion broke free with a roar and slammed into him again, knocking him backward into the rocks. The crowd screamed louder.

“Savion!”

The lion climbed over him. Massive paws pinning him down. Teeth inches from his face. My breathing stopped completely, then Savion laughed.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth while his fingers dug into the lion’s throat with force.

“You should’ve ran from me,” he spoke.

With a brutal twist, he threw the animal off him hard enough to shake the ground. The lion stumbled. Savion stood. Blood covered him. His eyes were dark.

The lion charged him again, but this time, Savion moved first. He caught it mid-lunge and drove it into the enclosure wall with enough force to crack something. The sound that left the animal after that was more pain than anger.

For the first time since Savion entered, the lion backed away. Fear flashed through the animal’s eyes. The entire zoo had gone silent now. Nobody moved or breathed.

Savion stared the lion down for a long moment before wiping blood from his mouth with his thumb. Then he turned his head slightly toward me, like he could feel me shaking from across the enclosure.

“See?” he called calmly. My chest tightened. “That’s how predators survive, and now you’re stuck with me for sixty days.”

This girl really had me go and fight a fucking lion for her. Solei had only been in my care for a few days, and I was already getting hurt left and right. Ma side-eyed me as she cleaned my chest up and bandaged me.

“I don’t know what point you’re trying to prove, but you’re going to get yourself killed,” she made known.

“I’m unkillable,” I joked, and she frowned.

“I don’t see anything funny with any of this. I really wish you would stop this nonsense.”

Once she was done, I pulled my shirt back down over my head. “You don’t have anything to worry about,” I told her and got up from the couch. Ma cleaned up the mess she made as I left out of the den and headed for the command room.

Solei paced the bedroom as I entered the room. The entire ride back to the house was silent. She didn’t know what to say to me after the zoo visit. I didn’t know what she was upset for. The shit was her idea. She shouldn’t have never teased me with a good time.