Page 3 of Butch

“…three hundred dollars. How… pay?” the lady asked.

Rae’s eyes bugged out of her head as she replayed the number over and over in her head. Over three hundred dollars to just go to Las Vegas? Rae didn’t have that kind of money, and she never would. She had managed to get to Springfield, Missouri, by hitchhiking with random people and walking, which she was never going to do again. There had been way too many creepy people who’d made her feel dirty.

She was exhausted.

That was an understatement. She was so tired that she could fall asleep standing up, but she was forcing herself to stay awake. It wasn’t safe here, and she needed to find a place before she could settle down and actually sleep.

“…ticket?” She brought Rae out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Rae walked out of the line and down the sidewalk. What was she going to do now? She didn’t have nearly enough money to get the bus ticket, and she knew she only had enough money to get one night at a motel.

Maybe she could go back to the club and ask to borrow some money. Or maybe she could find a job that paid under the table. But it was risky, staying in Springfield, when Butch was here. She didn’t want to see him, but she knew if she stayed here, the likelihood of them running into each other would increase. There was no doubt that Echo had told Buch she was in town, and he would definitely be trying to find her.

Rae ran her hands over her face as she took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself down.

“You!” someone yelled.

Rae turned around to see Echo standing in the middle of the sidewalk, looking at her.

“Do you have some money I can borrow for a bus ticket or a motel?” Rae asked before she could stop herself.

Echo shook her head. “No money… club… give you money,” Echo said. Rae was exhausted from straining to hear what anyone was saying while also trying to lip read. It had never worked for her, no matter how long she couldn’t hear for. “Stay…. money… club.”

Rae waved her hands in the air quickly. “No, it’s okay. I don’t need it that badly.”

Which was the biggest lie she was telling? Her body was aching even more, and she was freezing, despite how hot it was out. The sun was beating down on her, and she could feel how warm she was under all her layers, yet she was shivering.

Not a good sign. Had she managed to get some sort of infection? Rae didn’t have any open wounds that she knew of.

She just needed to get away from Echo and anybody that was related to the Springfield Sinners so she could find a motel and sleep. But would she be able to sleep when she didn’t feel safe? Was her condition only going to get worse with how little she was able to sleep, eat, and relax?

“No… stay here. I…. money so… eat and… room…” Echo said. “Stay here… minutes… quick. No… follow.”

Rae didn’t know everything Echo was talking about, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Especially when Butch was in the same city and knew Echo. What were the odds that she had said something to him, and he would come looking for her?

“It’s really okay. You don’t need to grab it,” Rae said.

“But… help you… friend… same thing as you… help you.” Echo took a step closer. “So please… me help you… won’t… Butch… stay away… him. I…you two… he… care for you… here. But… force you.”

“Please,” Rae whispered. “Don’t tell him. I don’t need the money. I’ve got enough.”

Another lie.

“I know… wait here… minutes… money… emergency fund…” Rae tuned Echo out as she continued to talk.

It wasn’t like it would do Rae any good to listen to her when she couldn’t tell what she was saying. Straining herself was just making her more exhausted than she already was.

Rae shook her head, groaning as it started to throb. Everything around her was getting lighter, her breathing coming faster. “I don’t need it. Save it.”

She quickly turned around, making her vision spin and her head get all dizzy. Rae put her arms out to try to grab onto something, anything, but she was in the middle of the sidewalk with nothing near her.

“Raelynn!” someone yelled as everything went black.

CHAPTER 2

RAELYNN