The Sinner Redeemed (L.A. Sinners MC), page 15
“If it’s reluctantly, why the fuck are you doing it and why the fuck should we trust you?” I ask, not holding back.
“Because you’re the lesser of two evils,” he answers. “I’ve been an agent for a long ass time, kid. I’ve seen this city be torn apart by crime, and over the past few months, I’ve watched that crime rate decrease. Apparently, that’s because of your club. I want it to stay that way.”
“How does one agent make that happen? You can’t stop the governor,” Harco says.
Agent Redmond looks over to Lucien. “I can make sure your product gets delivered to you. The how’s of that aren’t your concern. If I make that happen, you keep the drugs out of all schools and college campuses. No selling to minors. And no more bloodshed.”
“We aren’t fucking boy scouts,” I snicker.
“And I’m not a miracle worker.”
“We will keep the bloodshed out of the streets,” Lucien says. “That’s an order.”
And one we can keep. Blood doesn’t have to be shed in the streets. Doesn’t mean it won’t be shed.
Phoenix
I am always nervous when I go to knock on Lucien’s door. I’m unsure why. Yes, he’s intimidating, but not once has he been rude to me. He’s always welcomed me in. Always had his club take care of me. I shouldn’t be afraid of him, but I still am. I suppose it’s the power he exudes. I suppose it’s because I know he can give an order to any one of these men, and they will follow it without hesitation, Reid included.
“Can I talk to you?” I ask once he lets me in.
“I don’t have very much time, but yes.”
“I want to bring the governor down,” I say, getting straight to the point. “And I know how to do it.”
He stifles a smile. I can see the corner of his mouth slightly tilt. “I’m aware it was your idea to bring in the DEA. Smart thinking. I appreciate that.”
“Governor Chaise won’t stop. You know that. And I want him stopped.”
“How do you propose we bring down a political figure like him?”
“You left this tracker in me for a reason. Let him take me. He’s watching me. He has to be, otherwise, Donovan wouldn’t have shown up at the library.”
“And why would he think you’re suddenly without my club’s protection.”
I look down to where I’m fidgeting my fingers. “Because you’re going to pull my protection detail.”
“Reid won’t like it.”
“You’re the president,” I say and see his jaw clench in annoyance.
“And what the fuck do you think is going to happen after he takes you? That we burst in and save you again?”
“Yeah, kind of. I hadn’t really gotten past those initial plans.”
“Jesus. We can’t just ride our bikes onto his estate and rescue you. He has security everywhere.”
“What about the police? I can wear a wire or something.”
“Phoenix, he has more police in his pockets than we do. We have the chief; he has the whole damn station.”
I bite my bottom lip. “There has to be a way − the FBI, CIA, something. We can’t just let him walk. You may get your deliveries, but he’ll figure out another way to hurt the club. You know that.”
He taps his fingers on his desk and then grabs his phone. I don’t know who he’s calling, but I sit back in the chair and listen.
“Hey, Linc. Yeah, the guns are great. We don’t need another shipment yet. I do need another favor, though. Does Sully still keep in contact with the FBI agent? The one who raided Governor Chaise’s mansion before. We’re ready to take that fucker down once and for all.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Reid
I reach for Phoenix only to find her side of the bed cold. It feels strange to even think of anyone owning part of my bed, but now that she’s been in it, I can’t imagine having another woman lying here. It is her side of the bed. Even on the rare occasions that she stays at Mackenzie’s place when I’m out on patrol, I don’t sleep on her side.
But for the past three mornings, I’ve reached for her, and she hasn’t been there. I’m getting fucking tired of that shit. Tired of waking up alone. I’ve done that the majority of my life. It didn’t take me long to get used to having her beside me.
Christ, I’m a fucking pussy ass motherfucker.
I roll out of my bed and pull on a pair of jeans, not bothering to button them up. If I get my way, I’ll be pulling them back down in just a few minutes and ramming my cock inside my woman. That’s a damn good way to start off my morning.
We could use a good morning. So far, Agent Redmond hasn’t come through for us. Mackenzie has assured us he will, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Braga is pissed and has put us on a timeframe. We have forty-eight hours, and our product goes to the next highest bidder. I would put my money on it that Governor Chaise just might be that bidder. If he controls the drug flow, he controls us.
“Hey, you seen Phoenix?” I ask Fletcher, looking around the clubhouse for any sign of her. I usually find her sitting on the sofa, reading a book.
He stacks a set of plates into the cabinet and turns to face me. “She left about half an hour ago. Said she was going into the city to run a few errands.”
I frown. “Who was on security detail?”
He shrugs. “No one.”
“The fuck you mean no one?”
“Lucien pulled the detail. Said she didn’t need it anymore. She borrowed a vehicle and took off.”
“Fuck!” I yell and march straight over to Lucien’s office.
I know better than to fling the door open without knocking, so I pound my fist on the door twice and wait for him to give me the green light to enter.
“Figured I’d be seeing you sooner or later,” he grumbles. “And I don’t want to fucking hear it.”
“So, you know why I’m here?”
“We don’t have the manpower to keep tabs on her anymore,” he states. “I’m putting everything we have into trying to figure out a way to get our product across the fucking border.”
I cross my arms, pissed. “And I thought Agent Redmond was handling that.”
“You think I’m going to put everything we have on that? If shit goes south, we’re left with nothing. We didn’t work this hard to have that happen. To lose it all.”
“And I didn’t do everything I have for this club, all the fucking killing, and shit, to lose her.”
“I informed her I would be pulling the detail. She didn’t have an issue with it.”
“It wasn’t her fucking call.”
“And it isn’t yours. We have bigger problems to deal with. Harco is keeping an eye on the governor. He’ll notify us if he does anything fishy. We’ll fucking deal with it then.”
“Yeah,” I nod, walking away.
I’ve done a lot of fucking shit for this club. I thought they were my family, my brothers. Yet, when it comes down to it, what’s important to me isn’t really that important to them. Lucien didn’t even respect me enough to have a conversation with me about his decision. To tell me he was pulling the detail.
And apparently, Phoenix didn’t think she should tell me either.
Phoenix
Now that I know I have the tracking chip in my neck, I can’t help but wonder if I’m being watched. If Governor Chaise is always following me. I suppose that is the plan now, but how often does he have eyes on me? When will he take me? Damn it, will he even take me?
Today is the first day I ventured out alone. The past few days, I have woken up before Reid and eased out of bed, going out to the main room to read. Only today, I borrowed a vehicle and left.
Lucien knows exactly where I am. He had GPS on the vehicle and my phone, even though he can’t access the tracker in my neck. He knows I was going to UCLA to re-enroll and do what I have to do to finish my classes. I need to start living again, and finishing school is the first thing on my list to accomplish. It’s normal and not something out of the ordinary for me to want to do. It won’t appear to the governor that I’m trying to set a trap for him. Going to school is perfectly routine and going without a bodyguard or security detail is even more normal.
I finish up at the registrar’s office, ignoring yet another call from Reid. To make my errands look more official, I stop and grab breakfast, getting some food for both me and Reid. I know this isn’t going to be easy, and it sure as hell won’t be fun, but it’s something I have to do. I can’t live the rest of my life in fear and that’s exactly the way things will be as long as the governor is free.
When I arrive back at the clubhouse, Reid is outside tinkering on his bike, cigarette in his mouth. It’s hard to believe it’s even the same bike I escaped the governor’s mansion on. The new paint job makes it look completely different, with these hues of purple shining through the black paint when the sun hits it.
“I got you some breakfast,” I say, approaching him as if me coming and going as I please is no big deal.
He keeps doing whatever the hell he’s doing with his bike, not paying me any attention. I shift on my feet, moving the bag from one hand to the other. He exhales a puff of smoke, cigarette still dangling from his perfect lips. I expected him to be angry, annoyed. I didn’t expect his indifference. After everything we’ve shared, I didn’t expect this at all.
“You want to take a break and come eat with me?”
“No.”
I look away from him, unable to stare down at him, at how damn beautiful he is, and know that he’s shutting down. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I knew he would be upset about the club pulling my protection detail. I even concocted this plan that maybe I would push him away, but I knew deep down that I would never be able to go through with it. I just figured I would get away one day, and the governor would make his move because pushing Reid away was just something I wouldn’t be able to do. Him pushing me away is a whole other matter.
He wasn’t supposed to react like this. I can handle the anger and frustration. Yell at me. Scream at me. But don’t shut me out.
I keep standing there, like a complete dumbass, and he keeps right on ignoring me. Accepting that I can’t change this, can’t change him, I bend down and kiss the top of his head before going inside.
I start classes back tomorrow. Every part of me wants to tell him that. Wants to celebrate the fact that I’m getting my life back on track. That a part of the old me is still in here. That I’m taking control and doing something.
And that I still want him with me. To tell him everything I have planned. But I’ll do this with or without him. I only hope he can understand my reasons. I only hope he can be proud of me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Reid
I throw down my wrench and use the hem of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my brow. I don’t even know why I’m out here fucking around with my bike. Been at this for over an hour. There’s nothing at all wrong with my bike. I’m avoiding Phoenix.
She left the clubhouse this morning with no fucking security detail, no damn protection, and acted like it was no big deal. Didn’t even tell me Lucien talked to her about pulling it. Well, he didn’t talk to me about it!
Frustrated, I get up and head inside. Phoenix is sitting on the sofa, book in hand. The breakfast she bought me is on the bar, probably as cold as witch’s titty in a brass bra by now.
“You going to eat that?” Harco calls out, playing a game of pool with Wiggie.
“Keep your fucking hands off,” I snarl, taking a seat and opening the container.
“That’s what she said,” Wiggie jokes.
I turn on my barstool, facing the two pricks. Phoenix glances up from her book and back down.
“You want to know what she said, Wiggie?” I ask, my tone only halfway playful. I look over to Phoenix and say, “Fuck my pussy until I come! I need to be fucked! I’m your dirty fucking whore! I want to come all over your cock!” I smirk and see Phoenix drop her book onto the sofa. “That’s what the fuck she said, motherfucker.”
Wiggie and Harco start laughing, not realizing I’m talking about her, and go back to their pool game. Phoenix, however, gets up and walks to my room, slamming the door shut behind her.
“Oh shit,” Harco mumbles. “You’re such a fucking asshole, man.”
I turn back around and go back to eating my breakfast, ignoring the pissed-off look Fletcher gives me. If he was into chicks and not dicks, I might be worried about him taking her from me.
“Fuck off.”
“She is the best thing that ever happened to you, and you’re fucking it up,” he says, shaking his head.
Before I can respond, Phoenix emerges, bag in hand. My bag. Can’t have much in it, but she has left a few things here since she’s been spending more time here than at Mackenzie’s. She marches past me and right out the front fucking door.
“Shit,” I mumble and chase after her, something I never thought I would do. Chase after a damn woman. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“Wherever the hell I want to go. I’m a free woman, remember?” she calls over her shoulder.
I catch her and grab her arm only to have her turn and knee me right in the damn nuts. Son of a bitch. That hurts.
I wheeze, trying to get a good breath as I cup my balls in my hands. I don’t think females understand just how much pain this brings us. Labor pains. I’m talking labor pains. At least, I think a knee to the nuts is right on par with labor pains.
She opens the door to the car and tosses the bag inside. I manage to make it to the door before she can get in, caging her against the car.
“Don’t go.”
“I’m going to work.”
“You packed a bag.”
“Then, to Mackenzie’s.”
I sigh, not knowing how to handle this shit. She’s pissed. I’m pissed. Can’t we just go back inside and fuck it out? Pretty sure I would forget why I’m pissed if I busted a nut.
“You’re leaving me.”
She looks away. “Seemed you were the one who did the leaving.”
I drop my hands to my sides and take a step back. I can’t argue with her. She kept something from me, as small as it might be, and those walls she tore down went right back up.
Phoenix
He takes another step back, and I take that as my cue. I get in the car and close the door. Without looking back, I drive off. The tears don’t come until I can no longer see him in the rearview mirror.
While I work, I replay the past three days to try and figure out what I did wrong. Two mornings he would find me on the sofa reading. Both times, he came out of his room and joined me there. He read a few lines of my book out loud, teased me for reading ‘smut,’ and then told me to, and I quote, reenact some of that shit with him.
Today is when everything changed. I left without telling him. I ignored his calls. He realized I was alone. I didn’t tell him Lucien pulled my security.
But why not yell at me? Why not talk to me? Instead, he humiliated me in front of Wiggie, Harco, and Fletch. He told them private details about our sex life. Things that are meant to be kept between only us. I wouldn’t betray him like that.
Warren warned me he would fuck up. I don’t mind that. I can handle that. What I can’t handle is Reid not knowing he did. Does Reid think I’m the only one who did? We can’t get through it if he doesn’t meet me in the middle.
“Phoenix? Is that you?”
I glance up from the computer and see someone I used to consider one of my old friends standing in front of me. She seems genuinely surprised to see me. I suppose she is. From what I was told, Tiara, as well as Valerie and everyone else, thought I went to live with my cousin again.
“Hey!” I reply and get up to go give her a hug.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?”
How should I answer this? Oh, I never really left town. One of our friend’s dad was holding me as his sex slave prisoner?
“I only just got back in town. I start classes back tomorrow. Really haven’t had time to get settled.”
The lie rolls off my tongue easily. So easy, even I almost believe it. I wonder if I tell the story enough times, will I actually start to. Will I be able to convince myself that I did leave town and live with my cousin? That I wasn’t raped and tortured.
“We have so much to catch up on. Did you hear about Donovan?”
“I did. I’m so sorry to hear about that. How are you? How’s Valerie?”
“She’s holding up. His dad says he’s going to find out what happened to him, but this is L.A., you know? No one saw anything. It’s super scary.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Hey, it’s almost lunchtime. Do you get a break? We could catch up. I don’t have a class until two.”
“I should be able to. Let me just make sure Walter is back.”
I check with my co-worker and let Tiara know I’m good to go. It feels strange to be able to simply walk out, no cares in the world, but that is exactly what I do. What I would’ve done months ago.
I get my phone out to send a text to Reid, even though he hasn’t called or texted, but we get to Tiara’s car first, so I shove it back into my purse. I climb into the passenger side and shut the door, putting my purse to the side and buckling up.
“I’m so glad we ran into each other. What are the odds?” I ask as Tiara gets in beside me.
“Pretty fucking high,” she replies and jams a needle into my neck.
I wince and slap at the syringe. I fumble around for my purse, desperate to find my phone, pressing buttons and praying it does some good.
“What did you...what did you do to me?”
“He’s had my mother for far too long, Phoenix. It’s time he let her go. I’m sorry.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Reid
I pull up to the library, seeing that the loner car is still there. Fletcher is riding shotgun. I didn’t tell him he was right earlier. Just told him I needed him to come pick up a vehicle with me.
“Because you’re the lesser of two evils,” he answers. “I’ve been an agent for a long ass time, kid. I’ve seen this city be torn apart by crime, and over the past few months, I’ve watched that crime rate decrease. Apparently, that’s because of your club. I want it to stay that way.”
“How does one agent make that happen? You can’t stop the governor,” Harco says.
Agent Redmond looks over to Lucien. “I can make sure your product gets delivered to you. The how’s of that aren’t your concern. If I make that happen, you keep the drugs out of all schools and college campuses. No selling to minors. And no more bloodshed.”
“We aren’t fucking boy scouts,” I snicker.
“And I’m not a miracle worker.”
“We will keep the bloodshed out of the streets,” Lucien says. “That’s an order.”
And one we can keep. Blood doesn’t have to be shed in the streets. Doesn’t mean it won’t be shed.
Phoenix
I am always nervous when I go to knock on Lucien’s door. I’m unsure why. Yes, he’s intimidating, but not once has he been rude to me. He’s always welcomed me in. Always had his club take care of me. I shouldn’t be afraid of him, but I still am. I suppose it’s the power he exudes. I suppose it’s because I know he can give an order to any one of these men, and they will follow it without hesitation, Reid included.
“Can I talk to you?” I ask once he lets me in.
“I don’t have very much time, but yes.”
“I want to bring the governor down,” I say, getting straight to the point. “And I know how to do it.”
He stifles a smile. I can see the corner of his mouth slightly tilt. “I’m aware it was your idea to bring in the DEA. Smart thinking. I appreciate that.”
“Governor Chaise won’t stop. You know that. And I want him stopped.”
“How do you propose we bring down a political figure like him?”
“You left this tracker in me for a reason. Let him take me. He’s watching me. He has to be, otherwise, Donovan wouldn’t have shown up at the library.”
“And why would he think you’re suddenly without my club’s protection.”
I look down to where I’m fidgeting my fingers. “Because you’re going to pull my protection detail.”
“Reid won’t like it.”
“You’re the president,” I say and see his jaw clench in annoyance.
“And what the fuck do you think is going to happen after he takes you? That we burst in and save you again?”
“Yeah, kind of. I hadn’t really gotten past those initial plans.”
“Jesus. We can’t just ride our bikes onto his estate and rescue you. He has security everywhere.”
“What about the police? I can wear a wire or something.”
“Phoenix, he has more police in his pockets than we do. We have the chief; he has the whole damn station.”
I bite my bottom lip. “There has to be a way − the FBI, CIA, something. We can’t just let him walk. You may get your deliveries, but he’ll figure out another way to hurt the club. You know that.”
He taps his fingers on his desk and then grabs his phone. I don’t know who he’s calling, but I sit back in the chair and listen.
“Hey, Linc. Yeah, the guns are great. We don’t need another shipment yet. I do need another favor, though. Does Sully still keep in contact with the FBI agent? The one who raided Governor Chaise’s mansion before. We’re ready to take that fucker down once and for all.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Reid
I reach for Phoenix only to find her side of the bed cold. It feels strange to even think of anyone owning part of my bed, but now that she’s been in it, I can’t imagine having another woman lying here. It is her side of the bed. Even on the rare occasions that she stays at Mackenzie’s place when I’m out on patrol, I don’t sleep on her side.
But for the past three mornings, I’ve reached for her, and she hasn’t been there. I’m getting fucking tired of that shit. Tired of waking up alone. I’ve done that the majority of my life. It didn’t take me long to get used to having her beside me.
Christ, I’m a fucking pussy ass motherfucker.
I roll out of my bed and pull on a pair of jeans, not bothering to button them up. If I get my way, I’ll be pulling them back down in just a few minutes and ramming my cock inside my woman. That’s a damn good way to start off my morning.
We could use a good morning. So far, Agent Redmond hasn’t come through for us. Mackenzie has assured us he will, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Braga is pissed and has put us on a timeframe. We have forty-eight hours, and our product goes to the next highest bidder. I would put my money on it that Governor Chaise just might be that bidder. If he controls the drug flow, he controls us.
“Hey, you seen Phoenix?” I ask Fletcher, looking around the clubhouse for any sign of her. I usually find her sitting on the sofa, reading a book.
He stacks a set of plates into the cabinet and turns to face me. “She left about half an hour ago. Said she was going into the city to run a few errands.”
I frown. “Who was on security detail?”
He shrugs. “No one.”
“The fuck you mean no one?”
“Lucien pulled the detail. Said she didn’t need it anymore. She borrowed a vehicle and took off.”
“Fuck!” I yell and march straight over to Lucien’s office.
I know better than to fling the door open without knocking, so I pound my fist on the door twice and wait for him to give me the green light to enter.
“Figured I’d be seeing you sooner or later,” he grumbles. “And I don’t want to fucking hear it.”
“So, you know why I’m here?”
“We don’t have the manpower to keep tabs on her anymore,” he states. “I’m putting everything we have into trying to figure out a way to get our product across the fucking border.”
I cross my arms, pissed. “And I thought Agent Redmond was handling that.”
“You think I’m going to put everything we have on that? If shit goes south, we’re left with nothing. We didn’t work this hard to have that happen. To lose it all.”
“And I didn’t do everything I have for this club, all the fucking killing, and shit, to lose her.”
“I informed her I would be pulling the detail. She didn’t have an issue with it.”
“It wasn’t her fucking call.”
“And it isn’t yours. We have bigger problems to deal with. Harco is keeping an eye on the governor. He’ll notify us if he does anything fishy. We’ll fucking deal with it then.”
“Yeah,” I nod, walking away.
I’ve done a lot of fucking shit for this club. I thought they were my family, my brothers. Yet, when it comes down to it, what’s important to me isn’t really that important to them. Lucien didn’t even respect me enough to have a conversation with me about his decision. To tell me he was pulling the detail.
And apparently, Phoenix didn’t think she should tell me either.
Phoenix
Now that I know I have the tracking chip in my neck, I can’t help but wonder if I’m being watched. If Governor Chaise is always following me. I suppose that is the plan now, but how often does he have eyes on me? When will he take me? Damn it, will he even take me?
Today is the first day I ventured out alone. The past few days, I have woken up before Reid and eased out of bed, going out to the main room to read. Only today, I borrowed a vehicle and left.
Lucien knows exactly where I am. He had GPS on the vehicle and my phone, even though he can’t access the tracker in my neck. He knows I was going to UCLA to re-enroll and do what I have to do to finish my classes. I need to start living again, and finishing school is the first thing on my list to accomplish. It’s normal and not something out of the ordinary for me to want to do. It won’t appear to the governor that I’m trying to set a trap for him. Going to school is perfectly routine and going without a bodyguard or security detail is even more normal.
I finish up at the registrar’s office, ignoring yet another call from Reid. To make my errands look more official, I stop and grab breakfast, getting some food for both me and Reid. I know this isn’t going to be easy, and it sure as hell won’t be fun, but it’s something I have to do. I can’t live the rest of my life in fear and that’s exactly the way things will be as long as the governor is free.
When I arrive back at the clubhouse, Reid is outside tinkering on his bike, cigarette in his mouth. It’s hard to believe it’s even the same bike I escaped the governor’s mansion on. The new paint job makes it look completely different, with these hues of purple shining through the black paint when the sun hits it.
“I got you some breakfast,” I say, approaching him as if me coming and going as I please is no big deal.
He keeps doing whatever the hell he’s doing with his bike, not paying me any attention. I shift on my feet, moving the bag from one hand to the other. He exhales a puff of smoke, cigarette still dangling from his perfect lips. I expected him to be angry, annoyed. I didn’t expect his indifference. After everything we’ve shared, I didn’t expect this at all.
“You want to take a break and come eat with me?”
“No.”
I look away from him, unable to stare down at him, at how damn beautiful he is, and know that he’s shutting down. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I knew he would be upset about the club pulling my protection detail. I even concocted this plan that maybe I would push him away, but I knew deep down that I would never be able to go through with it. I just figured I would get away one day, and the governor would make his move because pushing Reid away was just something I wouldn’t be able to do. Him pushing me away is a whole other matter.
He wasn’t supposed to react like this. I can handle the anger and frustration. Yell at me. Scream at me. But don’t shut me out.
I keep standing there, like a complete dumbass, and he keeps right on ignoring me. Accepting that I can’t change this, can’t change him, I bend down and kiss the top of his head before going inside.
I start classes back tomorrow. Every part of me wants to tell him that. Wants to celebrate the fact that I’m getting my life back on track. That a part of the old me is still in here. That I’m taking control and doing something.
And that I still want him with me. To tell him everything I have planned. But I’ll do this with or without him. I only hope he can understand my reasons. I only hope he can be proud of me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Reid
I throw down my wrench and use the hem of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my brow. I don’t even know why I’m out here fucking around with my bike. Been at this for over an hour. There’s nothing at all wrong with my bike. I’m avoiding Phoenix.
She left the clubhouse this morning with no fucking security detail, no damn protection, and acted like it was no big deal. Didn’t even tell me Lucien talked to her about pulling it. Well, he didn’t talk to me about it!
Frustrated, I get up and head inside. Phoenix is sitting on the sofa, book in hand. The breakfast she bought me is on the bar, probably as cold as witch’s titty in a brass bra by now.
“You going to eat that?” Harco calls out, playing a game of pool with Wiggie.
“Keep your fucking hands off,” I snarl, taking a seat and opening the container.
“That’s what she said,” Wiggie jokes.
I turn on my barstool, facing the two pricks. Phoenix glances up from her book and back down.
“You want to know what she said, Wiggie?” I ask, my tone only halfway playful. I look over to Phoenix and say, “Fuck my pussy until I come! I need to be fucked! I’m your dirty fucking whore! I want to come all over your cock!” I smirk and see Phoenix drop her book onto the sofa. “That’s what the fuck she said, motherfucker.”
Wiggie and Harco start laughing, not realizing I’m talking about her, and go back to their pool game. Phoenix, however, gets up and walks to my room, slamming the door shut behind her.
“Oh shit,” Harco mumbles. “You’re such a fucking asshole, man.”
I turn back around and go back to eating my breakfast, ignoring the pissed-off look Fletcher gives me. If he was into chicks and not dicks, I might be worried about him taking her from me.
“Fuck off.”
“She is the best thing that ever happened to you, and you’re fucking it up,” he says, shaking his head.
Before I can respond, Phoenix emerges, bag in hand. My bag. Can’t have much in it, but she has left a few things here since she’s been spending more time here than at Mackenzie’s. She marches past me and right out the front fucking door.
“Shit,” I mumble and chase after her, something I never thought I would do. Chase after a damn woman. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“Wherever the hell I want to go. I’m a free woman, remember?” she calls over her shoulder.
I catch her and grab her arm only to have her turn and knee me right in the damn nuts. Son of a bitch. That hurts.
I wheeze, trying to get a good breath as I cup my balls in my hands. I don’t think females understand just how much pain this brings us. Labor pains. I’m talking labor pains. At least, I think a knee to the nuts is right on par with labor pains.
She opens the door to the car and tosses the bag inside. I manage to make it to the door before she can get in, caging her against the car.
“Don’t go.”
“I’m going to work.”
“You packed a bag.”
“Then, to Mackenzie’s.”
I sigh, not knowing how to handle this shit. She’s pissed. I’m pissed. Can’t we just go back inside and fuck it out? Pretty sure I would forget why I’m pissed if I busted a nut.
“You’re leaving me.”
She looks away. “Seemed you were the one who did the leaving.”
I drop my hands to my sides and take a step back. I can’t argue with her. She kept something from me, as small as it might be, and those walls she tore down went right back up.
Phoenix
He takes another step back, and I take that as my cue. I get in the car and close the door. Without looking back, I drive off. The tears don’t come until I can no longer see him in the rearview mirror.
While I work, I replay the past three days to try and figure out what I did wrong. Two mornings he would find me on the sofa reading. Both times, he came out of his room and joined me there. He read a few lines of my book out loud, teased me for reading ‘smut,’ and then told me to, and I quote, reenact some of that shit with him.
Today is when everything changed. I left without telling him. I ignored his calls. He realized I was alone. I didn’t tell him Lucien pulled my security.
But why not yell at me? Why not talk to me? Instead, he humiliated me in front of Wiggie, Harco, and Fletch. He told them private details about our sex life. Things that are meant to be kept between only us. I wouldn’t betray him like that.
Warren warned me he would fuck up. I don’t mind that. I can handle that. What I can’t handle is Reid not knowing he did. Does Reid think I’m the only one who did? We can’t get through it if he doesn’t meet me in the middle.
“Phoenix? Is that you?”
I glance up from the computer and see someone I used to consider one of my old friends standing in front of me. She seems genuinely surprised to see me. I suppose she is. From what I was told, Tiara, as well as Valerie and everyone else, thought I went to live with my cousin again.
“Hey!” I reply and get up to go give her a hug.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?”
How should I answer this? Oh, I never really left town. One of our friend’s dad was holding me as his sex slave prisoner?
“I only just got back in town. I start classes back tomorrow. Really haven’t had time to get settled.”
The lie rolls off my tongue easily. So easy, even I almost believe it. I wonder if I tell the story enough times, will I actually start to. Will I be able to convince myself that I did leave town and live with my cousin? That I wasn’t raped and tortured.
“We have so much to catch up on. Did you hear about Donovan?”
“I did. I’m so sorry to hear about that. How are you? How’s Valerie?”
“She’s holding up. His dad says he’s going to find out what happened to him, but this is L.A., you know? No one saw anything. It’s super scary.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Hey, it’s almost lunchtime. Do you get a break? We could catch up. I don’t have a class until two.”
“I should be able to. Let me just make sure Walter is back.”
I check with my co-worker and let Tiara know I’m good to go. It feels strange to be able to simply walk out, no cares in the world, but that is exactly what I do. What I would’ve done months ago.
I get my phone out to send a text to Reid, even though he hasn’t called or texted, but we get to Tiara’s car first, so I shove it back into my purse. I climb into the passenger side and shut the door, putting my purse to the side and buckling up.
“I’m so glad we ran into each other. What are the odds?” I ask as Tiara gets in beside me.
“Pretty fucking high,” she replies and jams a needle into my neck.
I wince and slap at the syringe. I fumble around for my purse, desperate to find my phone, pressing buttons and praying it does some good.
“What did you...what did you do to me?”
“He’s had my mother for far too long, Phoenix. It’s time he let her go. I’m sorry.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Reid
I pull up to the library, seeing that the loner car is still there. Fletcher is riding shotgun. I didn’t tell him he was right earlier. Just told him I needed him to come pick up a vehicle with me.
