Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 72937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“What’s this?” I said as I eased myself off the back and pointed at the home, only lit by the golden bulb fixed above the porch.
Charlie’s long leg swung around the bike a moment after he killed the engine, and then he turned to me with an almost charming smile. “This is home.”
If I was still capable of being charmed, that smile would have worked. Definitely.
CHAPTER TEN
Charlie
I’d stumbled upon Savannah fucking Rhymer. What were the odds? Especially since we’d just snuffed out her brother.
I hadn’t recognized her at all until she told me her name because the woman asleep in my guest room was rail thin with hollowed out cheeks and sunken eyes, but underneath the dirt and attitude, she was there. Savannah Rhymer. And she was with Tits Stepanova, the chick who managed Lucky Lopez. And Jasper owned Lucky Lopez. How were they connected?
It was too much to unravel this morning. I’d barely been able to sleep after getting Savannah settled, trying to figure it all out.
Since today was Maisie’s wedding, I’d be gone most of the day. And I needed to get some answers before I mentioned this find to anyone. Still, I wondered how Tits had Savannah and Jasper didn’t know.
Was she the one who opened the back door to Lucky Lopez?
I took a quick shower, still pondering how this puzzle fit together, and then unlocked the guest room door where Savannah was already awake.
“Thanks for letting me out of my cage,” she said, following me into the kitchen. Her voice was low and husky, still a little thick from sleep.
I laughed and shook my head with an unapologetic shrug and pointed to the tracks on her arm. “You’re a stranger and a junkie, not to mention a Rhymer. Would you give me freedom to roam your house?”
“I guess not,” she said and dropped down into one of the wooden chairs my mom had decorated with black and silver cushions. “Are you making coffee?”
“Nope.” I shook my head at her question. “Keurig. Pods are here, mugs are there, creamer’s in the fridge and sugar is beside the pot. Help yourself.” I watched her movements, slow and deliberate, as if she were trying to hide pain that went beyond withdrawals.
“How do you know Tits?”
She reached into the cabinet for a mug; the move revealed pale creamy skin marred by bruises, which only added to the list of questions I had for her. Savannah shrugged as she turned to me.
“Mutual friends, I guess you could say. How do you know her?”
That vague answer didn’t satisfy me one bit, but I decided to swing back to it later. “She runs a titty bar, and I like titties.”
I might have fucked a few girls from the Lucky Lopez, but I’d never gotten close to Tits. Not my type.
Savannah kept one hand wrapped around her midsection as her coffee finished brewing. She stirred in the sugar, taking her time before she turned back to me.
“So, what am I doing here, Charlie? Really.”
I shrugged and sat back in my chair. “Resting, I hope. Healing from whatever is wrong with you besides detoxing off that fuckin’ horse. And whatever else you’ve been shooting up. What do you need? Anything? Tylenol? Booze? ”
I knew who she was, but what I didn’t know was where the fuck she’d been the past six or so months. She looked like shit, so chances were she hadn’t been lying low out of self-preservation.
“What do I need?” She repeated the words aloud as she took the seat across from me, her gaze occasionally swinging to the door behind her. “I need a million bucks and a new identity. Can you get that for me, Charlie?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Not at the moment, but I can offer you a safe place to sleep, if you keep your fucking mouth shut. Good food to eat and the best fuckin’ weed in Nevada. Is that good enough for you?”
“For now,” she said, looking relieved and laughing me off with a shrug.
“Good,” I said, “because I gotta go, and I can’t leave you here alone.” I didn’t want to lock her in the guest room all day since the wedding and reception would likely go into the early morning hours. And the only bedroom with an attached bathroom was mine.
“I get another babysitter? No thanks. You can just drop me off downtown, and I’ll find my own way.”
The look in her eyes gave me a clue about what had happened to her, but I wouldn’t speculate until I heard it from her lips. “I’ll get my things.”
“Not another babysitter,” I told her between clenched teeth. “I’m taking you someplace safe for the day.”
Her blue eyes went wide. “The whole damn day?”
“Yeah, my cousin is getting married today.” As I thought of where to keep Savannah safe and unable to escape, I had a new appreciation for Jasper’s words last night. This wedding couldn’t be over with soon enough.