Family Ties (Ashby Crime Family)

“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.

“Fine,” she shrugged and hoisted the trash bag over her shoulder. “I’ll figure it out on my own. Thanks for…just, thanks.”

Thanks for nothing. The words hung in the air, unspoken, but I heard them anyway. “What do you mean if I knew you weren’t welcome here? Everyone was at the wedding.”

She barked out a laugh but kept walking toward the freeway on the other side of the parking lot. “Everyone but your Bitches, you mean. Doesn’t matter, Charlie. I’m no longer your problem. Or your hostage.”

“A hostage?” I put my hand up. “You got me all wrong, Savannah.”