Relative in distress I saved (3)
I believe the answer is:
sis
'relative' is the definition.
(short for sister)
'in distress i saved' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'SIS' can be found hidden inside 'distress i saved'.
(Other definitions for sis that I've seen before include "Secret Intelligence Service (abbr.)" , "spies ..." , "relative" , "Little sibling" , "Family member (informal)" .)