Stone Cold - Ashby Crime Family

Bonnie.

And possibly Brendan Rhymer.

Chapter Thirteen

Bonnie

After thoroughly searching for just one pill to get me through the day, I found nothing. Not even a little bit of powder to show I once had pills somewhere. Anywhere.

But I wasn’t focused on missing medications, I just had to figure out how to get rid of the pain. Which required me to be a little creative in scoring what I needed to get through my deal with Cal, which meant a third trip to a small unincorporated town on the edge of Mayhem.

I shut off the engine of my little blue car and gave the steering wheel an affectionate caress before I stepped out. The nondescript strip mall contained a Mexican restaurant, a pharmacy, a smoke shop, and the business that took up one third of the space, Clarendon Pain Clinic. The bank of windows had the shades half-drawn to keep out the early morning sun, yet the waiting room was already standing room only.

I took a deep breath and wrapped my hand around the flat metal door handle, letting the breath out as I stepped inside. The waiting area was mostly silent, a little musty and stuffy, with everyone focused on dealing with their pain. Getting in and out without any problems. It was the one thing that united us all, our pain.

That and our desire to find doctors who didn’t ask too many questions like how many refills have you had? How long has your pain lasted? Who is your current physician? Those were intrusive questions that would guarantee you’d walk out without what you needed. And, like I told Calvin, I was a quick study.

“Hey Travis, how’s it going?” I said, as calmly as I could. Travis was the Physician’s Assistant and default receptionist for the clinic. He was also a nice guy with long blond hair and sparkling blue eyes that today looked at me in anger. And fear.

Travis backed away from the counter and shook his head hard and fast, blue eyes filled with wariness as they glared at me. It was then I noticed the split bottom lip, the bruise on his cheek and the cast on his left arm. “Go away Bonnie. Now.”

I frowned at him. “Why? I have money. I just need to see the doctor.” We both knew that was a lie because I’d yet to meet the physician he assisted after three visits.

“I don’t give a shit.” He held up his left arm with a wince. “I got Sadie’s message loud and clear. Sell to you, and I can say goodbye to living and breathing. No thanks. So get the fuck outta here.”

Sadie? That didn’t make sense…unless Cal had told her about our agreement. “This has nothing to do with—”

“Get out, I said. Scram.” I stood there, still stunned at his words. “Go! Now!”

Travis was so angry and afraid that I began to worry, but when he nodded to someone somewhere behind me, I knew it was more than that.

A big, burly man with a shaved head wearing an oversized t-shirt made his way over to me. Quick study that I was, I put two and two together and headed for the door.

“Fine. I’m out of here. Thanks for nothing dick!”

“Right back atcha,” he called out just before the glass door smacked shut against the rickety frame.

My legs felt wooden as I stumbled back to the car, angry and stunned. Furious, in fact. I started the car and aimed it toward Glitz and Ashby Manor, mad enough to scream. As the road changed from businesses and then homes, my anxiety ratcheted up until I was a shaking mess by the time turned into the driveway and shut off the engine.

I tried to calm myself, but it was no good. Every time I tried, the only thing I could see was Travis, bruised and broken. At the hands of someone hired by an Ashby, if not an Ashby himself. My first thought was Calvin because he’d offered me a place to stay and to pay off my debt simply for staying away from the pills. And the powder.

But violence wasn’t Cal’s style. I could tell how much he’d been affected by what he’d done to Squeaker.

That left the one person I knew would issue the order without apology. Sadie. She was petite and well-dressed but it was all a façade because she was the real power behind the Ashby family. She would have no problem ordering violence to get her way. Yeah, I was frightened of Sadie, still I headed her way.

“Where is she?” I demanded when I burst into the front door.

One of the housekeepers stopped dusting abruptly and pointed to the office where it seemed Sadie spent most of her time. Doing what? I could only imagine.

Sadie looked up when I walked in, giving a slight nod to Thomas, who smiled and left without a word.