Family Ties

by KB Winters

  She flashed an unsure smile and cast a look toward the room where her father was being carried away. “Whatever you want that to look like, it’s all yours now.” I added.

  “Hey, Charlie!” Dallas called from the other room. “We’re out of here, man.”

  “Thanks a lot, man. I owe ya one.” I said as I walked into the living room and noticed the place was sparkling clean. “I appreciate it.”

  “Sure thing.” Dallas nodded toward the kitchen and said, “My lips are sealed, man. Have a good one.” Then he walked out the front door, the gun tucked in their gear for removal as well. No detail left to fuck us up later.

  “Shit, shit shit!” Savannah came up behind me, pensive but talking. “I want it, Charlie. Holy shit, I want it. But I also want you.”

  My shoulders relaxed at her words, and I smiled. “They aren’t mutually exclusive, you know?”

  “They’re not?” I shook my head, relieved when a wide, glowing smile spread across her face. “Good, because I want it all. The business, the money, the fancy things. All of it. But mostly I want you. More than any if that other shit.” She paused to make sure I knew what she was saying and I did.

  Knowing that made my fucking heart sing. Made me feel like, in that moment, I was thisclose to becoming the man I was meant to be. The leader I was meant to be. I always thought I wanted a woman like my mom, the perfectly sweet wife who didn’t involve herself in MC business because that worked well for my folks. But I was my own man, and I needed something more than that.

  I needed Savannah.

  “We can figure this out, Charlie.”

  “We can. Together.”

  Savannah licked her lips and pulled herself close to me. “I know and we will, but right now I am really fucking tired of talking Charlie. Take me upstairs, Charlie. I need you. Now.”

  That was all I needed to hear. I turned to lock the door, and then I grabbed my woman in my arms and carried her up the stairs. I didn’t know how this would work or if it could. All I knew was that I needed her with me and nothing else mattered.

  We would figure it all out later.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Savannah ~ 3 months later

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Charlie said.

  I looked across the bike at Charlie before I climbed on behind him. Broad shouldered, his black hair beautifully mussed and his gray eyes glistening with satisfaction, he stood tall with a smile on his face.

  “We don’t have to go,” he said. “We could always go back inside.”

  I stood rooted in indecision, and then his lips pulled into a smile as he reached for my hands. “What are you so nervous about? We’re just going to see the Ashbys, loud and drunk and Irish as fuck. A lot like my family. Only more proper.”

  He wasn’t wrong, but I couldn’t deny the anxiety that boiled in my gut at the thought of facing down Jasper and Sadie, of seeing Maisie again. Things were different, but not all that different. “I don’t know why, Charlie, but I am nervous, okay?”

  He gave my hands a supportive squeeze and tugged me around the bike so he could wrap his arms around me.

  “A lot has changed over the past few months, Savannah. A lot. You’re not the same woman you were when I found you. You’re stronger. Hotter. You have more meat on your bones.”

  I smacked his arm, and he laughed. “And most of all, you’re not just the background player in your father’s game, not some pawn in your brother’s. You make the rules now and they need to know that.”

  I nodded. “I know you’re right, but this feels like…a lot.” I’d spent the past few months reorganizing and renaming what was left of my father’s organization. I shook off the Rhymer name and took my mother’s maiden name. Savannah O’Connor had a nice ring to it; it was a proper Irish name that didn’t hold the stain of my previous life. I made plenty of changes and it felt damn good to see what I had done. Then why was I so afraid of the Ashbys?

  “It’s not a lot; it’s just something you have to do. This is part of the business, and they need to know how shit’s gonna be moving forward. You can do this, Vannah. I know you can.”

  It shouldn’t, but his reassurance bolstered my confidence. I knew I could do it, but hearing Charlie say it out loud made me believe it.

  “I can. I know I can.”

  “That’s my girl.” He gave my ass a smack and hopped on his bike, holding a helmet out for me before I climbed on behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I loved riding on the back of his bike, holding him tight with the wind whipping in my hair as we flew across the pavement. “Ready?”

  My hands slid from his waist down to his cock, giving a quick squeeze since he couldn’t hear me over the roar of his bike. He threw a kiss over his shoulder and gunned the engine. I was ready.

  As we pulled through the gates of Ashby Manor, my confidence might have wavered a bit, but it never faltered. With Charlie’s hand grasping mine, we followed the well-dressed Thomas into the parlor room where the entire Ashby clan had gathered. I may have felt overwhelmed, but staring at them all, I knew without a doubt I was ready.

  Ready, willing and able to do this. To be the woman I was meant to be. Even though my heart was beating out of my chest.

  “Savannah Rhymer,” Sadie practically drawled, bouncing an adorable redheaded baby in her arms. “This is a surprise.”

  I sucked in a deep breath and took a step forward with a smile on my face. “You’re looking well, Sadie. It’s Savannah O’Connor now, and who is this?”

  That question brought a bright smile to her face, and she held the adorable little girl up for my inspection. She had her mother Bonnie’s fiery red hair and Cal’s deep green eyes. “This is Ava Rose Ashby. Isn’t she perfect?” Sadie held the baby girl out, and I accepted her with a nervous smile.

  “She’s gorgeous.” And she was. At just five months old, the little girl was wide-eyed and curious. And holy shit, she smelled divine. “Ava Rose, huh? That’s beautiful.”

  “I think so,” she said, her green gaze studying me, probably assessing me to determine if I was friend or foe.

  “Savannah O’Connor?”

  “Yep. It’s time for a change. O’Connor was my mom’s name.”

  “I knew your mother, briefly.” Sadie smiled as surprise flashed in my eyes. “Tried to get me away from Colm. At the time I thought she was doing Ronan’s bidding, and I didn’t listen.” Her gaze grew distant, but only for a moment before that sharp green gaze was back on me. “She was a good woman.”

  “I don’t remember much about her, but Rhymer no longer fit.” That was how the decision was made, not out of any sense of sentimentality, but practicality. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Ronan is dead and I’m in charge now.”

  “I’ve heard. Congratulations.” Sadie said. “What do you plan to do with yourself?”

  “Well, I’ve made some changes in the organization and that’s why I’m here.”

  Jasper chose that moment to join us and I could see Charlie making his way over, but a brief shake of my head, and he stayed where he was, chatting with Virgil and Terry.

  Jasper looked me over as if he didn’t like what he saw. “Why are you here, exactly?” without masking the sneer in his tone.

  “Savannah is in charge of The Crusaders,” Sadie said, amusement coloring her tone.

  “The Crusaders no longer exist. The O’Connor Group has risen in its place. I haven’t figured it all out—yet—but I don’t want to be enemies.”

  Jasper snorted and shook his head, folding his arms and trying to use his size to intimidate me. I didn’t intimidate easily these days.

  “That’s what you say, but what about your network? Ronan had a lot of connections; they will be hard to sever.”

  Still bouncing Ava Rose in my arms, I turned to Jasper. “Not so hard, actually. I have dealt with the Black Jacks. Well, Me and Charlie have. Permanently.”

  I’d made sure of that bit of business myself.

  “Is tha
t a fact?”

  “It is,” Charlie said, unable to keep his distance for long. “I saw her slice Blade from ear to ear myself.”

  “Blade is just the head of the snake,” Jasper shot back.

  “Roadkill has been gifted to the Nunez Cartel, my new supplier. I hear they’ve put him to work with the leader’s son as a lapdog in the palace. Should be fun.” He’d now know exactly how it felt to be at a sadist’s mercy for months on end.

  “Shit,” Sadie whispered, not even trying to hide the awe in her voice as took Ava Rose from my arms and placed a pacifier in her mouth. “Good for you.”

  “Does this mean you’ll stop trying to take over our territory? Stop trying to knock-off our games?”

  “Yes. I have no desire to take over the casino game. This area had too damn many, anyway. I think we can be helpful to each other, and if we can’t, we can certainly co-exist.”

  The Ashby family was old school, and I intended to be new school, with my new group.

  “Just like that?” Jasper’s skepticism was palpable, and I understood it.

  “Yeah. Your beef was with Ronan and Brendan, never me. I was the bookkeeper for the business, that’s all.”

  Jasper grinned. “So we’re all fucking kumbaya, now?”

  “Why not? There are plenty of enemies out there, waiting for one of us to fail, if not working outright to make it happen.” I looked at Sadie and then Jasper and sighed. “I understand the business, and I know the game, but I don’t want to be at war all the fucking time. It’s exhausting. I want to enjoy my life.”

  “Amen to that,” Sadie said with a grin. “Stay for Sunday dinner?”

  I was shocked at the invitation because Sunday dinner at Ashby Manor was a family affair. She had the whole damn group with her.

  I looked to Charlie for confirmation but his gaze was fixed on Ava Rose, bouncing in my arms, cooing beautifully. “Sure, thanks,” I said.

  He looked at me and said, “Isn’t she amazing?”

  I looked down at the soft baby powder scented bundle and grinned, wondering if I could have this future. Not the white picket fence, of course, that was impossible when you lead a group that played on both sides of the law, but I could have something similar. We could.

  “She’s beautiful,” he whispered, in awe as she wrapped her fist around his finger. “So damn tiny.”

  “You two planning on having babies?” Sadie asked as she plucked the baby from my arms and held her for Charlie to have a closer look.

  Charlie and I stared at each other in shock, neither of us knowing how to answer that question. We’d spent the past few months working and loving and living together. We were solid; I knew that. But we’d been careful not to talk about the future. I almost fell over in surprise when he answered. “Absolutely.”

  “Well, then. Congratulations.”

  Cal appeared then, dimming Sadie’s smile, but only slightly.

  “Where’s Bonnie?” she asked, and I detected an edge in her voice.

  “Don’t know,” he practically barked back. “Said she had to pick up a few things for Ava, but that was over an hour ago. I don’t know why she insists on driving herself everywhere. Oliver could have taken her.”

  Sadie smirked. “Let her be, Calvin. Come see this beautiful baby of yours.”

  Dinner was a loud, boisterous affair despite taking place inside the formal dining room at Ashby Manor. They ate from expensive china, sipped from crystal goblets, and stabbed at their food with polished silver, but they were just as Charlie had described. Loud and drunk and Irish as fuck.

  “What are you smiling about?” Charlie whispered his question in my ear, and I shivered, turned on by just the brush his breath on my skin.

  “Just that you were right about the Ashby family. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, Savannah. Truly.”

  His eyes met mine and I could see the love shining in his eyes even though he hadn’t said the words. I hadn’t said them either. Those three words felt too big to just blurt out while he made me come, or when we fought. I’d been searching for the right moment, but there was no right moment.

  There was only this moment. “I love you,” I said, hoping he could feel the emotion behind my words.

  His smile spread slowly, but it was the shock in his eyes that I couldn’t look away from. They were melted silver as they took in every detail of my face. I knew then; it had been the perfect moment to tell him.

  Whether he said it back or not.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Charlie – 1 month later

  “Don’t tell me you’re nervous again? You’ve already met my parents.”

  How could this confident woman, who could handle a boardroom full of suits or a group of leather-clad criminals, worry about meeting my parents? Again.

  Savannah’s blue eyes narrowed to slits as they stared at me in the mirror, hands fisted on her hips, but all I could focus on was her sexy nude-colored lingerie.

  “I’m not nervous, but this is different. I’m meeting them this time as your girlfriend.” She nibbled on her plump bottom lip, and I couldn’t resist the urge to step in and take over for her.

  “You’ve been my girlfriend for months, Vannah, and they know that. Ma is over the moon about it, especially now that we’re officially living together.”

  My house was too small for both of us and Savannah wanted no part of her old family compound, so she sold it off to some oil baron from Texas. We’d found a place together, and that made Ma happy. Not to mention, she was eager for grandchildren.

  “Charlie, when your mother met me, I was beaten up, bruised all to hell and going through withdrawals. I have to make a better impression.”

  “She was just here for dinner last week and everything was fine.”

  Savannah growled. “This is different.” She gave me a gentle push to get out of her way. “And I need to finish getting dressed.”

  “Go right ahead.” I dropped on our bed and watched her slow, graceful moves as she stepped into a sexy little one-piece that could have been a dress or shorts, either way I just wanted to peel it off her body. Now. She put on her favorite pair of diamond studs, a chunky necklace and matching bracelet, and examined her reflection for a full two minutes.

  “What if they don’t think I’m good enough?”

  “I think you’re good enough, and that’s all they care about. Just that you make me happy.” She flashed that sexy little smile, the shy one that never failed to get my cock rock hard.

  “You make me happy too, Charlie,” she said, smiling into the mirror.

  “Damn right, I do.” She laughed and stepped into a pair of black heels with straps that crisscrossed up her legs and I growled. “Later, the shoes stay on.”

  She looked up with a smile and heat in her eyes. “Just the reaction I was hoping for.” With a flip of her head, her thick hair fell around her shoulders. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

  “You’re going on the bike like that? You know how I feel about you not being properly dressed when we ride. It’s for your own safety.”

  “I know, but we’re barely going like two miles. Can’t you just be extremely careful?” Savannah almost whined.

  “Not me I’m worried about.” I said, but I couldn’t resist her and she did look hot. We locked up the house and walked outside.

  I started the Harley, and Savannah slid on behind me and got comfortable. “Hold on,” I said, and we were off.

  After a three-minute ride, I kissed my woman long and hard right there in the driveway of my childhood home, because I could and because she was sexy as hell dismounting my bike in those shoes and that outfit.

  “Come on. Ma made lasagna because I told her it was your favorite.”

  She gasped. “That’s your favorite.”

  I laughed. “Trust me?”

  She nodded. “With my whole heart.”

  “Damn, woman. I’ll never get enough of you.”

  I threaded our hands together and walked up
the steps, feeling buoyed by the way she loved me, so open and honest that it humbled me. It didn’t just make me want to be a better man, it forced me to become the man she saw when she looked at me.

  I opened the front door and called, “Hello?”

  “Back here,” Ma shouted. I could already hear the smile in her voice before we made it to the kitchen.

  “Hey, Jamie? When did you get back, man?”

  My kid brother smiled back at me, his hair cut short. Scruff covered his face, but it was him. Only now he was a cop.

  “Couple days ago. Ma said to wait for you to let Savannah come up for air before reaching out.”

  “I said no such thing,” Ma insisted, but the laughter in her voice said she was lying. “I said give them time to get used to each other.”

  “You should have come by. You’re always welcome, man. Always.” Damn, the whole family was here, and I was so damn happy, it took me a minute to turn and check on Savannah.

  She didn’t need me to, though. She stepped forward and wrapped Jameson in a hug. “You look good. How is it, being a cop?”

  Jameson didn’t look bothered by her affection, just nodded. “So far, so good. Sucks being low man on the totem pole, but I’ll be finishing my field training with the Feds, so that should be interesting.”

  My brows shot up in surprise. “Wow. Who the hell did you impress?”

  “The question is who didn’t I impress, Charlie.”

  I laughed and shook my head because no matter how old we got, or where life took us, we would always just be us. Two brothers, giving each other shit.

  “You know who you’ll be working with yet?” It wasn’t fair to pump him for information, but if it was Addison Beck, he needed to be warned.

  “Don’t know yet.”

  “Only a copper for a couple weeks and already he’s lost brain cells.” The plain-spoken feminine voice that entered the kitchen surprised the hell out of me.

  “God help us all.” Madison rolled her eyes and set a blue box on the counter before hugging my mom.