Page 81 of The Way We Are

Ryan

“Where did you get this money?”

Savannah frantically zips Damon’s backpack closed before scanning the park we are sitting in. Because our get together was delayed by Damon’s disclosure, she has changed into her favorite denim shorts and green spaghetti-strap shirt. Well, I thought they were her favorites. Only now do I realize she doesn’t have a choice but to wear them often.

Confident we don’t look any more suspicious than the regular Ravenshoe teens who mill around playgrounds, Savannah returns her massively dilated gaze to me. “Did you rob a bank?”

The straightforwardness of her question causes me to laugh. She knows me well enough to know I made this money illegally, but not well enough to know it was earned in fighting rings not organized by Axel’s uncle.

“No,” I answer when Savannah shoots me an evil glare, peeved by my delay and dash of laughter in my voice. “I earned that money.”

“Legally?” she asks, her voice as high as her arched brow.

When my Adam’s apple bobs up and down, she murmurs, “Ryan, what did you do?” Although she's asking a question, the truth smacks into her before I can reply. “You fought again, didn’t you?”

She cuts me off for the second time in less than thirty seconds. “I told you not to get involved with those men. Once they have their hooks into you, theyneverlet go. Even though you won, in their eyes, you havetheirmoney, and they’ll do everything in their power to have it returned to them.”

“Then we’ll give it to them,” I imply with a shrug.

Savannah stares at me like I’m a lunatic. She looks like she wants to say something, but her mouth is refusing to relinquish her words.

Although her confused expression is nearly as cute as the faces she pulls at the height of ecstasy, I explain, “You know these men. You know how they operate. So you’re the best person to turn this fifty grand into a quarter of a million dollars.”

Savannah’s mouth forms a large O, but she remains as quiet as a mouse. If there wasn’t tension stealing oxygen from the air, I’d find something to fill the hole. It would be as corrupt as all the other roguish thoughts filtering through my mind the past ten minutes.

“How many months did you attend the fighting ring with Axel?”

I’m hoping since I’ve asked a question, she’ll be forced to interact. Unfortunately, I’m left stumped for the fifth time today when she remains silent.

It takes another thirty seconds before Savannah’s mouth finally cooperates with the prompts of her brain. “Buy-ins are capped at twenty thousand. The organizers did that to ensure no one is taken for a ride by an owner introducing a professional into the circuit. If you’re thinking you’re going to earn in excess of two hundred thousand in a night by fighting, you're sadly mistaken. The most you’ll take home is twenty, perhaps forty thousand if you can find two owners willing to match your purse, but your chances are low, Ryan. Veryverylow,” she advises, her knowledge strengthening what I already assumed: she’s deeply imbedded in the scene.

“Furthermore, I don’t want you to do this... I’ll find a way to get the rest of the money my mom owes... I don’t want you dragged into this...” Her pitch lowers with every sentence she speaks.

Like a light bulb switching on, the entirety of our situation dawns on Savannah. “Why do you need a quarter of a million dollars?” As she has done many times today, she answers her question on my behalf. “Holy shit, you know about the missing money? How do you know? No one is supposed to know about the money my mom stole.” Her voice is barely a whisper by the end of her rant.

The late afternoon sun bounces off her hair when she moves out of the tree line so she can nervously pace. “If Col finds out about the missing money... oh god... he’ll...” She plunks her backside onto the bench at the edge of the playground.

I hook Damon’s backpack onto my shoulder before joining her on the wooden seat. “No one knows.” I place my hand under her chin to lift her eyes to mine. “No one knows about the missing money but me, you... and Axel.” It's the fight of my life not to sneer when mentioning his name.

Savannah’s head bobs up. “Does he know you know?”

“Axel?” I clarify, wanting to ensure we are on the same page.

When she nods, I nod. I thought my confession would ease the panic flaring in her eyes. It doesn’t. Not in the slightest. She looks more panicked now than when Axel was screaming her name at the top of his lungs this morning.

“Does he know I didn’t tell you what you know?” She's talking in riddles, confusing me more.

Spotting my bewilderment, Savannah explains, “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about the missing money. That was the first term of our agreement. He said if anyone found out what brought us together, our agreement would immediately cease. If he thinks I told you about the money, he’ll end our arrangement.”

Her reply corroborates what I had suspected: Axel bribed her to be his girlfriend.

“You don’t need to worry about breaking the terms of your agreement. Axel and I discussed a new arrangement this morning,” I enlighten her, my ticking jaw matching the beat of my heart.

Savannah’s glistening eyes dance between mine as she waits for me to clarify. I don’t know if shock is rendering her speechless, or the fact I said we discussed an arrangement instead of me pounding one into him like I really wanted to.

“If we hand the remaining money to Axel by Sunday, your agreement will be fulfilled,” I explain, hopeful the plan I devised on the drive here will pan out.

Savannah nods. “That’s always been my objective. It’s just taken a lot longer than I was hoping.”

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