Family Ties

by KB Winters

  Jasper let out a bitter laugh. “Right. See how much shit I have to deal with? This goddamn wedding can’t be over soon enough.”

  Back inside the VIP area, the party carried on while Jasper had his soldiers wrap up Brendan and his friend and carry them out. Alcohol flowed freely along with joints of all sizes, and a few other party favors.

  “One more day,” I said and clapped Jasper on the shoulder. “Until then, let’s drink more whiskey.”

  He grinned. “My favorite kind.”

  We drank like we had no worries. We drank and laughed and smiled, told dirty jokes and gave each other shit as food, drinks and blow came around in a never-ending loop.

  Hours later, we were all pretty much shit-faced, and the party had started to die out. “Everything good here?”

  Maureen dropped down on the seat next to Jasper with a sigh of exhaustion.

  “As good as it can be with dead bodies everywhere. Serves the little fucker right, but horrible timing, yeah?”

  “Yeah,” I sighed because what else was there to say?

  Jasper slid his arm around her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Mo. Colby arranged for cleanup. This place will be pristine by morning.”

  “No skin off my back,” she said with a casual shrug. “And it is morning, Mr. Ashby.” I noticed Maureen went a little pale and couldn’t keep her gaze off the blood splatter on the door.

  “Right. I forgot you’re a tough girl.” Jasper said.

  “I’m the tough girl as far as you’re concerned, Ashby.” Her full lips pulled into a grin that made me certain there was something going on between them. “Think I’ll go get this trash picked up. The cleanup crew has more important things to do. Be back soon.”

  Jasper nodded. “Need a hand?”

  “I wouldn’t say no to having my own personal cleanup man doing my bidding.” Amusement flashed in her turquoise eyes as she sauntered out of the room, Jasper hot on her tail.

  Definitely something going on there.

  It wasn’t my business, so I didn’t ask. I had enough on my plate. I lit up a cigarette and waited until Colby returned, grabbed a cup of coffee and stepped outside, scanning the parking lot for any remaining threats. The chilly morning air and a couple of cigarettes were more than enough to clear my mind for the drive home.

  Chapter Ten

  Savannah

  “I better get you another pack of smokes if you plan to go through ’em like that.” Tits shook her head at me and pushed off the side of the gold El Dorado with a smile. “I’ll get you a carton. For the road.”

  I nodded, barely hearing her as the nicotine and other poisons worked their way into my bloodstream, giving me relief, even if it wasn’t the kind provided by Roadkill. “Yeah, thanks, Tits.”

  She disappeared back into the convenience store, and I lit the tip of my new cigarette with the one that was so low it burned my fingertips. I tilted my head back, gazing up at the unusually starry night. Hell, maybe it wasn’t all that unusual. I hadn’t spent much time outdoors in months, and the peek I did get outside came with a parking lot or dumpster view. Before that, I was too busy helping Father run his underworld empire to pay attention to things as inconsequential as the sky.

  It was a beautiful view, though, and I savored it. The morning sky was a gorgeous blend of velvety pink, amber, and blue. The mountains hid the rising sun, so the sunlight was a dusky color. I couldn’t look away. There was something about the sky, about the vastness of it all, that gave me something akin to hope. Like maybe this wasn’t the beginning of my journey to death’s door. Maybe I’d find the freedom I sought and build a new life for myself elsewhere.

  Maybe.

  My whole fucking future hinged on uncertainty. And that sucked.

  “A fucking possibility,” I grumbled to myself. It wasn’t enough. I was a smart girl. Ronan gave us the best education. We had the best of everything. What the fuck happened? Why hadn’t he come looking for me?

  As those thoughts crossed my mind, I stood tall and looked forward instead of up to the cloudless sky. My future was ahead—not behind or above—and I needed to remember that.

  A low chuckle pulled me out of my musings, and my gaze found a pair of laughing gray eyes trained right on me. I should have been afraid, worried, but I was mostly annoyed.

  “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” I said in my snarkiest tone.

  The gray-eyed biker smiled wider and, holy shit, it was a magnificent sight. Magnificent and annoying.

  “That smart mouth of yours is probably the cause for that black eye.”

  His words brought be down to reality. This man wasn’t flirting, no matter how gorgeous he was. His words reminded me of what men were like. What they were really like.

  “Fuck you. Glad to see how you treat the women in your life. Dick.”

  His laugh echoed in the mostly empty parking lot just as Tits pushed out of the convenience store. She sighed at me when she saw me talking to the guy.

  “I got you more smokes and some snacks, Blue Eyes.” She gave him a wary eye and said low so he wouldn’t hear, “I can get you out of the Green Zone but after that, you’re on your own.”

  “I get it,” I told her softly because I did get it. Rules were rules, and Tits had already put herself at great risk to help me. I held up my cigarette, and she nodded, getting the message I just wanted to finish my smoke before I moved on.

  “I can’t make enemies of these crazy fucks, babe. They’ll be on the warpath once they find you missing. Dealio just called and said some bad shit went down at the club which means he’ll need a good hard face ride to put it out of his mind.”

  “What happened?” Any hints about the battle ahead of me would be useful.

  “Don’t know,” she shrugged. “He didn’t say, only that some shit went down, and he could use his girl.”

  “You probably shouldn’t keep him waiting.” I pushed off the car and flicked my cigarette into a nearby puddle before turning back to Tits.

  “Thanks, Tits. For everything. You didn’t have to do this, but you did and someday I’ll pay you back for that, I swear.”

  Big tears pricked my eyes before spilling down my cheeks, which was fucking crazy because I hadn’t cried since the first time the Jacks held me down and fucked every hole I had. That very first degrading humiliation. In a way, it was comforting to know there were things that could still make me cry, and apparently simple human kindness was one of those things.

  “Thanks.”

  “Us girls have to stick together, Blue Eyes. Keep a low profile until you find a way out of town.” She handed me a wad of bills, hugged me tight and slid into her El Dorado.

  “Stay safe,” she said finally when I reached inside for the big canvas bag filled with my earthly possessions.

  “I’ll do my best, Tits.”

  I stood back and watched her drive away. The woman who had saved me, had given me a chance at a life. I owed her more than I could ever repay, but one day I would.

  I hoped.

  “You need a ride somewhere, Blue Eyes?”

  The question from the gray-eyed prick surprised me, at first.

  I snorted a laugh and shook my head. “I don’t fuck for rides.”

  The corners of his mouth curled into a playful grin that, at another time, I might have found intriguing. “What do you fuck for then?”

  That was easy. “Not for joy, that’s for sure. You got any money?” I couldn’t even muster up an ounce of pleasure at the fact that my words wiped that smirk right off his handsome face.

  “Maybe,” he said with a casual shrug. “The offer for the ride still stands though.”

  Ah, a nice guy. Wasn’t sure those even existed anymore, especially among bikers. “Thanks. Come back when I think of someplace to go, and I might just take you up on it.”

  The truth was, I had no place to go, and the money Tits gave me wouldn’t get me far. I needed more money, and I needed it quick.

  “Call me, Charlie,�
� he said and took a step forward, frowning when I took a cautious step back. Charlie held up a lighter, and I relaxed, but just a little.

  I arched a brow as I took a cigarette out of my new pack and held it to his flame. “Is Charlie your name?” I asked, exhaling smoke to the side.

  “It is,” he said with another killer smile. “You got a name, Blue Eyes?”

  “I do. Savannah Rhymer,” I said to test the waters of recognition. Charlie, if that was his name, did a good job of looking dumb, as if he didn’t recognize my name, but the leather vest and the President patch told me he knew exactly who I was. We didn’t do much business in Mayhem, but the President of the Reckless Bastards should know the Rhymer name.

  Charlie took his time processing the information, probably calculating the amount of money he might get by selling me to some other gang or from my father, Ronan. “Get on.”

  I stood there and stared hard for a long moment. I couldn’t read this man, which meant I couldn’t risk trusting him. “Why?”

  He sighed and swung one long, denim-clad leg over the bike. “It’s not safe for you to be out on the streets.”

  “Since when do MC presidents moonlight as knights in chrome armor?”

  He shrugged. “I have no beef with you or your family, so I’d say I’m the safest bet you’re gonna come across in these parts.” His words were confident but not cocky, and I had a choice to make.

  Trust him or fly on my own.

  I hadn’t counted the cash Tits had shoved in my hand, but it couldn’t be more than a few hundred bucks, which might get me out of town, maybe even out of the state, but then I’d be broke. I needed a night to think, to sleep, and then I could plan my getaway.

  “Fine. Thanks, I guess.”

  Charlie chuckled and kicked the engine into a roaring start, nodding for me to hop on the back, which I did hesitantly. I held my ribs with one hand and wrapped the other one around his midsection. Charlie was lean and solid. As the motorcycle started to move, I hoped that this wasn’t another mistake, a worse mistake. One that would make the past few months seem like a vacation in the Mediterranean.

  The motorcycle came to a stop in a wide driveway that led up to a two-story family home. I knit my brows together, trying to figure out where he’d taken me.

  “What’s this?” I said as I eased myself off the back and pointed at the home, only lit by the golden bulb fixed above the porch.

  Charlie’s long leg swung around the bike a moment after he killed the engine, and then he turned to me with an almost charming smile. “This is home.”

  If I was still capable of being charmed, that smile would have worked. Definitely.

  Chapter Eleven

  Charlie

  I’d stumbled upon Savannah fucking Rhymer. What were the odds? Especially since we’d just snuffed out her brother.

  I hadn’t recognized her at all until she told me her name because the woman asleep in my guest room was rail thin with hollowed out cheeks and sunken eyes, but underneath the dirt and attitude, she was there. Savannah Rhymer. And she was with Tits Stepanova, the chick who managed Lucky Lopez. And Jasper owned Lucky Lopez. How were they connected?

  It was too much to unravel this morning. I’d barely been able to sleep after getting Savannah settled, trying to figure it all out.

  Since today was Maisie’s wedding, I’d be gone most of the day. And I needed to get some answers before I mentioned this find to anyone. Still, I wondered how Tits had Savannah and Jasper didn’t know. Was she the one who opened the back door to Lucky Lopez?

  I took a quick shower, still pondering how this puzzle fit together, and then went to unlock the guest room door where Savannah was already awake.

  “Thanks for letting me out of my cage,” she said, following me into the kitchen. Her voice was low and husky, still a little thick from sleep.

  I laughed and shook my head with an unapologetic shrug and pointed to the tracks on her arm. “You’re a stranger and a junkie, not to mention a Rhymer. Would you give me freedom to roam your house?”

  “I guess not,” she said and dropped down into one of the wooden chairs my mom had decorated with black and silver cushions. “Are you making coffee?”

  “Nope.” I shook my head at her question. “Keurig. Pods are here, mugs are there, creamer’s in the fridge and sugar is beside the pot. Help yourself.” I watched her movements, slow and deliberate, as if she were trying to hide pain that went beyond withdrawals.

  “How do you know Tits?”

  She reached into the cabinet for a mug; the move revealed pale creamy skin, marred by bruises, which only added to the list of questions I had for her. Savannah shrugged as she turned to me.

  “Mutual friends, I guess you could say. How do you know her?”

  That vague answer didn’t satisfy me one bit, but I decided to swing back to it later. “She runs a titty bar, and I like titties.”

  I might have fucked a few girls from the Lucky Lopez, but I’d never gotten close to Tits. Not my type.

  Savannah kept one hand wrapped around her midsection as her coffee finished brewing. She stirred in the sugar, taking her time before she turned back to me.

  “So, what am I doing here, Charlie? Really.”

  I shrugged and sat back in my chair. “Resting, I hope. Healing from whatever is wrong with you besides detoxing off that fuckin’ horse. And whatever else you’ve been shooting up. What do you need? Anything? Tylenol? Booze? ”

  I knew who she was, but what I didn’t know was where the fuck she’d been the past six or so months. She looked like shit, so chances were she hadn’t been lying low out of self-preservation.

  “What do I need?” She repeated the words aloud as she took the seat across from me, her gaze occasionally swinging to the door behind her. “I need a million bucks and a new identity. Can you get that for me, Charlie?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Not at the moment, but I can offer you a safe place to sleep, if you keep your fucking mouth shut. Good food to eat and the best fuckin’ weed in Nevada. Is that good enough for you?”

  “For now,” she said, looking relieved and laughing me off with a shrug.

  “Good,” I said, “because I gotta go, and I can’t leave you here alone.” I didn’t want to lock her in the guest room all day since the wedding and reception would likely go into the early morning hours. And the only bedroom with an attached bathroom was mine.

  “I get another babysitter? No thanks. You can just drop me off downtown, and I’ll find my own way.”

  The look in her eyes gave me a clue what had happened to her, but I wouldn’t speculate until I heard it from her lips. “I’ll get my things.”

  “Not another babysitter,” I told her between clenched teeth. “I’m taking you someplace safe for the day.”

  Her blue eyes went wide. “The whole damn day?”

  “Yeah, my cousin is getting married today.” As I thought of where to keep Savannah safe and unable to escape, I had a new appreciation for Jasper’s words last night. This wedding couldn’t be over with soon enough.

  Savannah let out a sarcastic laugh and shook her head. “No invite for me? I’m hurt,” she deadpanned. “Guess it’s a good thing I left my ball gown in my other trash bag.”

  “Trash bag? You’re traveling in suburban finery, canvas grocery bags are all the rage, I hear.”

  That teased a laugh from Savannah, but she quickly clutched her abdomen, sighed and let out several slow breaths through clenched jaws. “You’re a funny guy, Charlie.”

  “I get that a lot,” I told her with a straight face. “Grab what you need for the day and be ready to go in five minutes.”

  “Whatever.” That one word conveyed so much exhaustion it made me even more curious about what she’d been through since she’d disappeared, but I didn’t have time to dig into it now. Later.

  Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the back of the Reckless Bastards clubhouse and led her into my room. A few of us had our own space when
we needed to stay over to keep an eye on things.

  When I was younger, Max willed me his man cave because he didn’t want the girls I hung around with at the house. I was entitled to it now because of my ranking in the club. I opened the door and ushered her inside.

  “I’m gonna put you in here.”

  Savannah eyed the room warily, noting the Reckless Bastards flag hanging on one wall, some old photos of the MC, and the big king-size bed in the middle of the room.

  If it impressed her, she kept it to herself. “Whatever,” she said, walking past me to look around.

  “I know you got a bigger vocabulary than that from those fancy schools Ronan sent you to.”

  Her laugh was bitter as she examined each item. “Doesn’t matter what words I use, does it? This is where you’re putting me, so this is where I’m staying.”

  I followed her into the room but kept a gentlemanly distance. “It’s to keep you safe. Just give me some time to work things out.”

  “Sure.” She took a few more steps inside and dropped her bag on the floor.

  “There’s a bathroom through that door and a few sandwiches in the fridge in the corner. You’ll be fine until I get back.”

  “Will be or won’t, doesn’t matter does it?”

  Before I could say another word, Savannah held up a hand. “Go to your wedding, Charlie. Don’t worry about me.”

  I wanted to say more, to tell her that this really was for her own good, but she was in several types of pain and angry at the world. Nothing I said to her now would penetrate, so I nodded and took a step back. “I’ll be back later.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Whatever she’d been through hadn’t been good, and I felt bad locking her in the room, but she couldn’t roam the city and stay safe. I was doing her a favor, whether she could see it or not.

  An hour later I was dressed in my tux and standing inside Ashby Manor, waiting for Virgil so we could all pile into the limo and head to the church for the ceremony.