Family Ties (Ashby Crime Family)

Speaking of filthy, I reached into the shower and started the water. I needed to get the come off my chin. Out of my hair. I stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash off the remnants of Roadkill.

This baggie had to have been from a different batch ‘cause I was nodding. Oh yes, sweet sleep may come tonight. I shut off the water and wrapped the threadbare used-to-be-white-now-gray towel around me and fell onto the bed.

I was too high. My mouth felt funny. My heart was beating slowly but thumping hard. Too hard. Yes! Come take me away.

I laid there and willed for death. Euphoria, fear, high and then higher. High enough to end my suffering forever. I didn’t want this feeling to end. I reached for the drugs again just as the door burst open and a really big man I’d never seen before entered the motel room.

“Fuck! What do you want, man?”

“Aww, baby girl. Is that how you talk to your Daddy?” he said and locked the door behind him.

Oh, no. Not another crazy.

I spread my legs because sex was what they all wanted. He shook his head and said, “No girl, I don’t want that used up skanky pussy.”

“Then what do you want?” I asked through the haze that was finally letting up. The groggy haze I was hoping would kill me just a few seconds earlier.

He reached into a backpack and pulled out some rope, zip ties and a bottle of something I couldn’t identify. Then he turned to me and smiled a creepy as fuck smile.

“I said I’m your Daddy now, bitch.” The last thing I saw was a big meaty fist flying into my face.

.

Chapter Three

Charlie

“Were we ever that young?” Jameson sat beside me, an ice cold beer in his hand as we watched the younger kids burn off energy playing football in the field behind the clubhouse. He shook his head and barked out a laugh. “It’s impossible to believe we were ever that kind of young.”

“No fucking way.” Jameson laughed and shook his head. “On a Sunday afternoon like this, we would have been figuring out how to sneak a few beers to some older girls in hopes they’d show us their tits.”

He motioned to where Stone and Baby Jax hovered over a tablet with his free hand. “Not playing video games for sure.”

“Well, I’m happy to know my daughter wasn’t out showing her tits for a couple cans of shitty beer.” Vivi’s voice took us both by surprise, a fact that thrilled her judging by the smirk on her face.

“Looking good, Vivi.” These days her hair was dark purple, which only seemed darker against her pale skin.

“Yeah, thanks kiddo. Don’t think you can charm me with those beautiful gray eyes, El Presidente.” She dropped down on the stool between Jameson and me and gave us a beaming smile.

She spread her hand out to include the entire party. “Look at this family. Everyone is so grown up now. You and Jameson. Now Maisie’s getting married. Y’all are growing up too fast.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, it is, smartass.” Vivi smacked my thigh and arched a brow, her expression practically a dare. “When you finally have kids, you’ll know what I mean.”

Jameson looked away, some kind of uncertainty swimming in his eyes before he covered them with sunglasses. That left me to deal with Vivi’s knowing gaze. “I hear ya, Aunt Vivi. But kids aren’t on the horizon right now.”

“Good. Take care of yourself. Love you, Baby Face.” She grabbed my face and smacked a loud kiss on my cheek.

“Yeah, love you too. Crazy woman.” She laughed and I joined in just as everyone turned their attention to my mom. “Who’s ready for some food?” she said with a platter of hot sizzling barbecue in her hands. “Fresh off the grill,” she added.

The back door of the clubhouse smacked open and Maisie appeared in the doorway, dressed up like she’d just come from her job at the casino. “I can’t stand the shit show,” she shouted. “A fucking cluster fucking shit show!”

“Language,” Peaches said from behind her as she gave her ass a loud smack. “Little ears are around.”

“My bad,” she said, though she didn’t look even a little apologetic. “But this is a real life emergency, Peaches. Like, life or death.”

Peaches wrapped an arm around Maisie and shook her head. “You look great, but damn you’re skinny, and I’ve missed you so much.” She squeezed Maisie again, the way she had every time the girl she raised as a daughter came into her field of vision.

“Drink this and then tell me what’s wrong.” Peaches handed her a shot of bourbon and folded her arms, an expectant mother expression on her face.

Maisie nodded and picked up the glass before she sniffed it and poured it down her throat with a satisfying sigh. “There’s been a fire. At my caterers. My caterers!” Her blue eyes went as wide as saucers and I could tell she was moments away from panicking.