Stone Cold - Ashby Crime Family

I dug and dug into every fucking corner of the internet to find what I could on Agent Beck even though I had another woman on my mind. Bonnie fucking Byrne with the flaming red hair was also on my mind and it wasn’t even that sweet body of hers, dammit.

Maisie had explained how she got eighty-sixed from her own house and Sadie even asked why she wasn’t here with us.

Pride, I guessed. Too good?

I was worried about her even though I knew I shouldn’t be. Hell, I had no right to be. She was nothing to me, not even someone I’d call a friend.

If only that shit mattered to me.

Thankfully my phone chose that moment to chime beside the keyboard, pulling me from thoughts and bringing me back to the here and now. “This is Cal.”

“It’s Colby. Your girl Bonnie was here. Left in a hurry but looking a little too wobbly to be safe. Thought you might want to know.”

I ignored the ‘your girl’ part of his statement and focused in on what he said. “Bonnie was wobbly?” Bonnie hadn’t gotten through even one glass of wine and barely a few sips of whiskey at every meal we shared. “Drunk or drugged?”

“Tipsy for most of the night, but maybe the guy I chased off could have drugged her, hoping to make her more compliant later.” I didn’t fault Colby his casual tone. Ma had put him there for his good looks, the way his eyes caught everything in the room, and the glee he took beating the shit out of people who deserved it. “She left a couple minutes ago but she probably shouldn’t be out there alone.”

“Why didn’t you stop her?”

“Dude, I stopped him to give her time to get away, but security said she left on foot. How the fuck should I know that, Calvin?”

“You’re right. Thanks for the call.” Speak of the redheaded devil and she will appear, at least in name. Bonnie had been through the shitter lately, so I couldn’t really fault her for wanting to get shit faced and ignore her problems. But she was a damn fool, determined to deal with being disowned by her parents and left with almost nothing, all on her own. She wouldn’t even let Maisie help, never mind an Ashby.

Stupid girl.

Even though Bonnie was a snob and a half, I grabbed my keys and shoved my feet in my sneakers and jumped in my car. She’d been staying somewhere downtown and the fact that I hadn’t been able to find out where meant she was staying at some cheap shithole that wasn’t safe. Inside or outside.

This time of night, or morning, the streets weren’t quiet but they weren’t packed with people either. Glitz wasn’t Vegas, it was where people came to stay and party when they wanted Vegas fun without the risk. Or so they thought. The streets behind Bullets & Beer led toward downtown. I drove slowly, hoping like hell I wouldn’t find anything. I hoped when I found her, she would be the pissed off, stuck up pain in the ass she always was.

When I found her because there was no other fucking option.

Just before a row of hostels and apartment buildings that rented rooms by the week, I saw a body lying very still on the damp concrete. The feet wore heels and I slammed on the brakes, jumping out of the car before it came to a complete stop.

“Bonnie!”

It took me less than a second to reach her side and confirm it was her. Unconscious on the ground. Blood on her head.

“Goddammit Bonnie. Please be all right.”

She was so still I had to check her pulse a second time just to be sure. Bonnie was alive, her pulse was strong too. She was just out cold.

“Bonnie.” I lightly tapped her face.

“Knew that girl was trouble.” The voice belonged to a tall man with a big fat belly winning the war against a red t-shirt.

“So you know her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah. She rents a room here. Came out when I heard the commotion.”

Perfect. “Pack her shit up, I’m sure you’ve been in her room before. She’s leaving.”

He folded his arms and puffed out his chest. “She still owes me for next week.”

“It’s Friday.”

He shrugged. “She owes.”

I might not be the toughest Ashby, but I was a quick study and I stood up tall and balled my hands into fists at my side while staring a hole right through his head. “Or you can refund this week, maybe last week too.”

He weighed his options and waved a hand in Bonnie’s direction with a grunt. “Bitch ain’t worth it.”

“Didn’t think so.” I turned and lifted Bonnie, buckling her into the passenger seat and locking the doors. “Is this everything?” I asked as he came back outside.