by KB Winters
These photos were more laid back, with everyone laughing and drinking and hugging one another. And finally, the photographer said the words we were all waiting to hear. “That’s a wrap!”
“Thank fuck,” Jasper groaned and made a beeline toward the limo. “I need another drink, this time with air conditioning.”
“Amen, brother.” Emmett clapped him on the back and smiled over his shoulder at his woman, Vanessa.
The reception hall was full when the wedding party finally arrived, and I was surprised to see just how over the top Maisie had gone for her wedding. The place was decorated all high class like, despite the fact that many of the guests wore leather and denim, with a variety of formalwear touches, like bow ties, cummerbunds and coats with tails, but very few tuxedoes or suits, at least from Maisie’s side of the family.
“Now this is more my speed,” Madison said with a wide smile as she dropped my hand as soon as they announced the arrival of the happy couple and the party officially began.
“Catch ya later, Charlie. Unless you want to introduce me to that hot brother of yours?”
I rolled my eyes and waved my brother over. “Yo, Jameson!”
He smiled as he strolled toward me, worn jeans on with a white t-shirt and coattails that had Madison growling with feminine appreciation. “What’s up? Nice suit.”
“Jealous?”
“Nah, I’m comfortable and hot.” Jameson smoothed the lapels of his formal jacket and flashed a teasing grin. “Who’s this spitfire?”
“Jameson, this is Madison, professional smart ass. Madison, this is my brother, Jameson. Have fun. I’m outta here.”
“Thanks, Pretty Boy,” she called after me.
“Anytime, smartass.” The party was in full swing and after the first dance for the couple and then the dance with the parents, the dance floor filled up as a mixture of rock music and hip hop played loud enough to shake the walls.
Maisie took a turn around the floor with every member of the Reckless Bastards from Nevada to Texas, new and old alike, smiling like a happy fool the whole damn time.
“She looks so damn happy I almost feel bad for being glad this wedding shit is just about over.” Jasper stood beside me and handed me a glass of whiskey.
“Thanks. Cheers.” I knew what Jasper meant. This whole event, happy occasion though it was, had me on edge the entire time. “You can’t even tell who’s security and who’s part of the wedding, so you can relax a little.”
“Yeah, but after that dumbass shit Brendan pulled at the bachelor party, anything is fucking possible.”
“Thanks to a damned impressive shot, he’s no longer a problem.” But neither of us was naïve enough to think that meant the problem with The Crusaders or the Black Jacks was over.
Jasper nodded. “You know how it is. One problem eliminated and two more fucking problems crop up. It never ends.” Jasper patted his pockets in search of a cigarette and growled. “The longer you keep the Rhymer chick, the more problems you’ll have.”
I nodded, accepting his words as the warning and reminder they were meant to be. “If they find out.”
“When they find out, Charlie. Because they will. The Jacks made a shit ton of money off her.” He shook his head in disgust as he pulled out his lighter and sparked a joint instead of a cigarette. “You know how many people lined up and paid damn good money to sully Ronan Rhymer’s precious little princess? Plenty.”
I blinked at his words. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she’d been through, but to hear it laid out like that was disgusting. And terrifying for her. “How do you know?”
Jasper shrugged. “Chatter. Word’s gotten out she escaped. The Jacks are on a rampage looking for her, reaching out to every Rhymer enemy in the area. Reckless Bastards can’t be too far down on that list.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
Jasper stared at me for a long time and then ducked his head so no one would overhear. “I’m willing to take her off your hands if you want.”
“I’ll let you know.” My life would be a fuck of a lot easier if I just gave Savannah over to Jasper and let the Ashby family handle her. I couldn’t though, and I didn’t know why.
“Suit yourself.” He clapped me on the back and made his way toward the bar where Maureen sat on a stool, laughing it up with the bartender.
The hours went on and the reception kept going because no matter what Virgil and the Ashby’s thought was going to happen, bikers knew how to start a party, but they didn’t know how to end a party.
Cross, Gunnar, Max and Holden sat with Cruz and Stitch, drinking and playing cards at a table near the back.
Vivi and Peaches, on the other hand, shook their booties on the dance floor like they were still twenty-year-old hackers. Mom, Moon, and Aunt Teddy sat with Golden Boy and the doctor chick from Texas, Annabelle, probably talking about chakras or menopause.
Everyone was having a good time and suddenly I understood why Cross had kept himself at a distance, just a little, for so many years. It was a heavy burden to know you were responsible for so many lives. Moments like these, when everyone was happy and having a good time, made you think of keeping them this way. Forever.
After too many drinks to count, I took one of the wedding shuttles back to Mayhem and fell into my bed, into a deep sleep. I’d get my bike tomorrow.
Or whenever.
Chapter Fourteen
Savannah
This was bullshit. Complete and total bullshit. I didn’t know exactly how much time had passed since Charlie dropped me off at this fucking clubhouse, but the sun was rising on another goddamn day, so it was longer than it took a person to get married and celebrate.
The sonofabitch forgot about me. Totally. Fucking. Forgot.
Motherfucker left me here, sick and hurting, to get ambushed by the club fuck holes. They were probably no better than the bitches who hung out with the Black Jacks. Fuck.
I knew nothing about Charlie personally. He could be a goddamn pimp for all I knew. And me, Miss Stupid Savannah, got on the back of that bike faster than a whore could drop her fucking drawers.
“FUCK!” How could I be so stupid?
Yeah, that made me really mad. I tore into a pack of cigarettes and lit one up.
I paced the floor, smoking that cigarette like it was going to give me answers. The cold sweats and stomach cramps kept me from eating anything, so I just walked around the room like the dumb shit I was.
I stomped, paced and smoked. Lighting another one off of the butt of the previous one. The irritability, the shits, and the muscle cramps all hit at once, and I ran to the restroom and plopped down on the toilet.
My stomach was cramping so badly I wanted to die. I sat on that cold seat and cried. And sobbed. And then I cried and sobbed some more.
I didn’t know how long I sat there, but I felt better. Not perfect, but better than I had in days. So what if he forgot me? I’d been through worse. And I’d get through this.
There were sandwiches and soda in the small fridge. If I could bring myself to get some sustenance in my body, I could get away from this place too.
Free from Ronan, the Crusaders, the Black Jacks, and my former life.
And free from fucking forget-me-like-yesterday’s-trash, Charlie.
I yanked open the small fridge and pulled out a sandwich, tearing it out of the package. Ham and cheese. It would do.
I took a small bite and then another without gagging. It hit me how famished I was. I slid down the door and sat on the floor, finishing off my sandwich and sipping on a bottle of cheap whiskey Charlie had on the nightstand.
And I thought about my escape.
I could risk going outside on the small patio area to smoke, but those Reckless Bitches lingered nearby. They were loud as fuck for my benefit, so I knew the danger I was in, which meant I was stuck in this damn room. For now.
Fuck you, Charlie.
I took another swallow, and the burning sensation of the whiskey gave me th
e shivers. Maybe if I got up off this filthy carpet and showered, it would clear my head. Fuck that. I didn’t even have the energy to wash up, much less escape this place. I got on my feet, took another long pull from the bottle, and set it back on the nightstand.
While I straightened up the red fluffy blanket on the bed so I could crawl back under it, I thought about Charlie. I turned on the small flat panel TV and clicked mute. In the upper right, the display read 3:30. Midafternoon. I let out a huff and crawled under the blanket, reaching across the bed for another swallow of whiskey.
It pissed me off that he’d forgotten about me. But bikers were all alike. The only thing that mattered was their MC and their money. However, for some damn reason, I believed Charlie to be a good guy. Better than that.
Why? Because he saved me.
“Ha, yeah right!” He hadn’t saved me, not really. I was safe, for the moment, from the Black Jacks, but that was about it. And I was grateful no one had come busting through the door wanting a fuck. But for all I knew, Charlie was with the Jacks or my father plotting my demise. Maybe even the Ashby family. I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
What I did know was Charlie and his biker club had a really strong connection to the Ashby family. He admitted as much by telling me he was attending a wedding between his cousin and one of the Ashby sons, which meant my safety was temporary. Situational.
For the right price, which I was sure Sadie or Jasper would offer, I’d be in the hands of the Ashby family, who would love to send my body parts to Daddy Dearest, if for no other reason than to just fuck with his head.
But it will only work if he gives a damn, and he doesn’t.
“Fucking withdrawals.” They made me morose and emotional, which I hated about me. The tears fell down my cheeks again, easily with my body going through the shock of detox and being locked in this room, with rabid sluts on the other side of the door, ready to beat my ass for the simple act of existing.
And acting as though I was fucking their leader.
That thought produced a small smile, but it didn’t last long because goddamnit, I was stuck. Alone inside this room until Charlie remembered he had a hostage locked away in his clubhouse, one that could be worth a lot of money if he played his cards right.
“Shit. I need to get out of here.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d had that thought in the past few hours, but it was the first time it felt urgent. Imminent. If I didn’t get out of here and fast, I might end up in a worse situation than being whored out to make a biker gang rich.
The Ashby family wouldn’t bother with whoring me out. They’d kill me. Torture me for a while to see if I could offer any intel that would help them gain an advantage over my father and his friends. And when it was all said and done, they’d kill me.
Sadie Ashby was a ruthless bitch with a cold-hearted son named Jasper.
As my sweaty skin soaked through the sheet, that didn’t seem like such a bad way to go, at least not until I got an hour or so of sleep and could think a little more clearly. I couldn’t go out like that, not after everything I’d already been through. Not after the huge sacrifice Tits made to free me.
I had to fight, which meant I had to plan my escape.
And I would, too. As soon as I got past these fucking withdrawals.
Chapter Fifteen
Charlie
I woke up suddenly, blinking rapidly against the bright sun that filtered through the blinds that covered my bedroom windows. I bolted upright and looked around while I tried to figure out what the hell had woken me so abruptly. There was nothing disturbed in my room, and when I closed my eyes, no sounds came from inside the house.
None.
No sound was normal, usually. “Shit!” I jumped out the bed and ran down the hall to the guest room where Savannah had been sleeping. She wasn’t there and the door wasn’t locked.
“Fuck.” I’d forgotten about her. Left her at the clubhouse all damn night.
I didn’t want to wait, but booze oozed out of my pores, and I stopped for a quick, hot shower, smiling at just how pissed she would be when I got to her. Then again, pissed off was her default setting. Not that I blamed her after everything she’d been through, but it was kind of fun to see her all riled up and angry. It was better than the beaten down woman she was on the outside, gaunt and bruised and broken. After my shower, I made a call to Jameson for a ride out to the Ashby's place to pick up my bike.
“No need. It’s already in your driveway.” His laughter sounded before the call ended abruptly, like maybe he wasn’t alone. Hmm… Madison? Was she even legal?
Good, Jameson needs to get laid.
I made my way to the clubhouse and rode to the rear entrance, hoping to avoid the eager gazes and hands of the Reckless Bitches, who seemed to be around more than ever these days. It was a pointless hope since two of them were smoking on the back patio, leaving me trapped.
“Hey, Mr. President.”
“Ladies.” I did a drive-by smile and wave, hoping to end it there.
Another fruitless hope.
“Where you off to in such a hurry?” Sherri’s voice was thick and full of mischief. “The junkie you’re hiding in your room?”
I turned just in time to see Chickie elbow her in the side. “Sherri!”
“What? It’s just a question, a fair one at that.”
I folded my arms and stared at her. “I’m sorry, when did I start having to explain myself to you?”
Sherri’s eyes went wide, and she stood, stamping out her cigarette. “That’s not what I meant, Charlie.”
“No? Then tell me what you meant by questioning me?”
She shrugged. “Just…we’re all wondering who the hell she is and why she’s here. That’s all.”
“Keep wondering. When it’s your business to know something, you’ll know it.” My gaze shifted to Chickie. “Is that clear?”
“Crystal clear. Sherri is just over-tired and feeling a bit possessive of our new Prez, that’s all.”
“Let’s hope that’s just all it is.” Chickie gave a nod of understanding and I made my way inside to my room. To Savannah. “Open up!” I knocked, hard, and waited patiently for the door to open.
It didn’t.
“Savannah, open the goddamn door.” Another minute passed, and the door didn’t open, but no sounds came from the room either. I started to worry.
“Goddamn, you stubborn woman.” She had to realize I had keys to my own fucking room, so this didn’t make any damn sense. And that only made my blood pressure shoot skyward.
“Savannah!” I shouted, angry now. She’d barricaded the door with a chair and engaged the chain lock that was meant to slow down intruders who tried to attack the clubhouse.
I pulled my booted foot back and kicked the door in. Savannah was lying in the damn bed, wide awake and staring up at the ceiling.
“I’m not begging you for sex or drugs, Charlie. So what the hell are you doing here?”
Her tone wasn’t the usual snark. She put real bite and anger to her words that I didn’t understand.
“What’s wrong?” I said, truly puzzled. I’d done nothing but try to help her since I literally found her ass by the side of the road. And I hadn’t asked for a damn thing for my trouble. What was up with her?
She barked out a bitter laugh and sat up, swinging her legs around the side of the bed, skin and clothing soaked through like she’d just broke through a fever.
“Nothing. Just happy my savior has arrived. Finally.” The snark was back.
Her legs wobbled underneath her, but when I took a step forward to catch her, she held up a hand to stop me. So damn brave and strong, even when she didn’t feel it on the outside.
Wait. Why was she packing her things into a black trash bag?
“Talk to me, Savannah. What’s wrong?”
Something clearly had happened while I was at the wedding. Now I felt like even more of a prick for forgetting about her. “Well?”
She disappeared into the small bathroom for a few minutes and when she returned, she’d slicked her hair back and rinsed her face, but her damp clothes still clung to her body.
“Well, nothing. If you can spot me some cash and drop me off at the train station, I’ll be on my way.”
What the fuck? “Just talk to me, Savannah.”
“I just did. What’s the fucking problem?” Arms folded across her bony chest, she stood there, the picture of defiance. “Well, are you gonna help me out or not?”
When I didn’t answer fast enough, she brushed past me with a shoulder check and left me standing there.
“Wait!” I caught up to her and grabbed her arm, yanking her back. “What the hell happened?”
“Ow!” She turned and pushed at me with a growl. “Get your fucking hands off me!” The words were barely out when she clutched her side and cried out in pain. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
“Okay, fine.” I held my hands away from her and took a step back. “Talk to me.”
“Just get me enough cash to get the hell out of this town, and we won’t ever have to talk again.” She shook her head as though it was bound up in cobwebs and turned to walk away. Again.
“Stop walking away from me, woman!” I followed her outside, where Sherri and Chickie made a quick exit to give us privacy. I’d have to remember to get rid of those two. “What the fuck is your problem?”
She turned on me with fire in her eyes. “You, Charlie. At the moment you are my one and only fucking problem, swooping in like some goddamn white knight when you knew who I was and how I’d be treated here.”
She shook her head, clearly disgusted by me. “If you think hanging on to me will get you some sort of ransom, you can think again. It’s been months, and the whole fucking city is still standing, which means Ronan gave up on me. Washed his hands of me.”
Emotion nearly overcame her, but Savannah Rhymer didn’t wilt for anybody. She stood taller and squared her shoulders. “Which you can do now too, for the price of just a few thousand bucks.”
“No,” I said softly. She wouldn’t make it far with any amount of money.