Sunshine

7. i know what you did that summer

"Well I'm just glad you're back Sarge," Spencer smiled.

The girls settled into a comfortable silence, letting the drive pass them by. Sawyer was beyond grateful to see the rolling hills and mountains that lined the road, shooting off into the distance. Sure she loved the city as much as the next girl, but it wasn't the same as being home.

"Have you talked to him?" Sawyer asked, her entire demeanor shifting as her voice dropped in volume.

"Talked to who?"

"Jackson."

Spencer hummed. She hadn't, although that had been entirely her doing. Jackson had helped her in the end, sure, but everything that led up to that had felt like too much to make up for. His betrayal of her, helping kidnap Sawyer, being involved with Dustin at all, it still felt too fresh to Spencer.

"No, although he's certainly tried to reach out."

Sawyer nodded along, "He came to one of my shows, ya know? He apologized and everything, but- I don't know, Spence."

"He's your brother, always has been and always will be," Spencer gave her friend a soft and sad smile. "Trust me, they are known to royally fuck up everything all the time. But you're always going to love him, even if he breaks your heart."

Sawyer's hair bobbed up and down for a moment, hiding her face from Spencer. So Spencer waited, giving her friend the time she needed as they pulled into town. She spotted Roarke's sleazy coupe as she parked, grumbling as she pulled Sawyer from the car.

"No time to catch you up on everything, but the asshat inside, we don't like him. He wants land from the ranch and Beth's been working her ass off to fight him. It's been working but I'm sure he's pissed."

"You had me at asshat," Sawyer's grim smile turned wicked as she followed Spencer into Chauncey's.

Beth's smirk grew as she locked eyes with her sister, and was even more thrilled to see the tiny powerhouse of a blonde at her side.

"I'd hate to tell everyone here I watched you put a roofie in my sister's drink, Roarke. I wonder how the investors would react to that. I heard you weren't packing as much this morning because of it. Stage fright?"

Roarke turned, his menacing smile plastered to his face. Spencer was sure he had Botox done to make it look like that. "If it isn't my favorite female Dutton. Oh look, you brought a friend, so lovely to meet you Miss-"

"Taylor. Sawyer Taylor."

The only hint of concern Roarke showed at Sawyer's name was the faintest raise in his eyebrows.

"You powerful ladies like to stick together around here, don't you?"

"Harder to get picked off by your hook when we do," Beth chuckled as she downed her glass of wine.

"You two are playing a very dangerous game." Roarke added, looking between the two redheads. "This little dance you think you're concocting, it's all for nothing. Market Equities can still buy Schwartz and Meyer outright ten times over. Then what's stopping me from coming after your land? Nothing. All I'm asking is you two sit down, and figure out a number that's more than fair. I'm trying to be the good guy here!"

"The last person who said that to me ended up in jail," Spencer laughed as she stepped closer to Roarke. "And maybe I should give up, let you have the land, make my sister and I billionaires. But we don't give a shit about your money, Roarke. We never have, and we never will."

"Besides," Beth chimed in ,"God knows where that shits been anyway."

Roarke's frustration was growing evident on his face. Sawyer smirked and chuckled softly at Spencer's side.