by Ava Harrison
“I think you know nothing.”
“Pity,” I say, before turning and walking away.
“That’s it?” she asks from behind me.
“Yep.” I turn my head over my shoulder. “But …” I pause for emphasis. “If you have a different answer for me, I’ll be back tomorrow. Same time. Same place.” And with that, I walk away, right out of the VIP area and then right out of the club.
Once we step outside, I stop. Turning to the right, I look at Cristian.
“Yes, Boss?”
“Her name. Her social security number. Find me everything there is to know about that woman by tomorrow.”
He doesn’t ask me why I need the info. I plan to fuck that girl, but I don’t touch anyone without doing my due diligence.
3
Phoenix
I did it.
I can’t believe I pulled it off.
The moment he turns and walks away, I refrain from the need to slump to the floor and let out the breath I have been holding through the entire exchange. I’m not sure if he’ll turn around again, so I have to stay composed for a few more moments.
Come on. Come on. Leave already.
I watch intently as his body disappears in front of me. His men flank his side, a layer of protection that is intimidating. My heart is hammering in my chest, as the fear I was keeping at bay rattles inside me like a snake ready to attack.
They’re almost completely out of sight, and then I can breathe. Then the panic will subside.
Maybe a few more moments.
The time passes slowly as I wait, like tiny grains of sand that get stuck in an hourglass. I want to shake it to make it go faster, but I know it’s no use. Instead, I inhale deeply and will my hands not to tremble.
One, two, three, four … By the time I hit ten, they have faded into the crowd, and there is nothing left other than a throng of women who desperately want that handsome man to return. Not me. No, it doesn’t matter how completely devastatingly handsome that he is; I’m happy he’s gone. Because now I can finally let out the breath I was holding.
My gut reaction is to run out of here and go straight to my hotel to call my father. But I don’t allow myself to do that.
I need to act cool and collected, just in case.
With my shoulders pulled back, I walk to the bar. I’m still in the VIP area, so there’s no wait. Most of the guests in this section have bottle service at their tables. As easy as it is to just sit with some desperate man to get a drink, I don’t. Not after my time with Alaric Prince.
On the outside, I might have looked cool and collected, but inside I shook the whole time we spoke. I wasn’t prepared. Photos didn’t do him justice. I knew he was attractive, but what I met at the bar tonight was so much more than attractive.
The word god springs to mind.
Like a real-life Poseidon. King of the ocean.
I knew from pictures that he had brown hair, but what I couldn’t see in a picture was that nestled amongst the brown locks were streaks of blond from his time on the yacht. Sun-kissed features and crisp blue eyes.
He’s gorgeous. Although, that might not be even strong enough of a word.
Needing to calm myself from the interaction, I smile at the handsome man behind the bar.
“Tequila.” My hands still shake beside me.
“Any brand in particular?”
“Your best.” Whatever will take the edge off. I don’t normally drink this much, haven’t since I graduated from college, but this calls for one or two. I wish my best friend Hannah were here. She would know how to talk me down from my crazy.
My nerves knot up tight. My breaths lodge in my throat from fear that I would misstep.
This is my time to show my father that I can help him. I know I don’t have to, but after everything he’s done for me, I want to.
It’s not long before I’m settling my tab and heading to my hotel. I’m not drunk per se, but I’m not sober either. I have a large tolerance to alcohol despite my size. I’m short and petite, a combo that shouldn’t bode well for heavy drinking, but I can hold my own. I thank my days at boarding school for that. No matter how much I have, I never really get drunk. Now with a healthy buzz going on, I just want to relax and climb into my hotel bed and fall asleep.
I’m not sure how long I’ve slept, but when I open my eyes, streams of light peek in through the curtains.
Turning to my side, I swipe my phone and look at the time. It’s eleven a.m. I must have had more to drink than I thought.
Even though it’s late, I have plenty of time to get ready. Tonight is the night that I approach him again, but first I have to call my father.
The phone only rings once before he answers. I pace the floor as he says hello.
“Hi,” I respond, more timidly than I want. I’m not afraid of what he will ask of me. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint him.
“I was worried about you.” He has every right to be. I’m sure I’ll wear a hole in the carpet with all this pacing back and forth. He can’t see it, but I’m just as nervous as he is.
I stop in front of the mirror across from the bed and stand stiffly, holding my body.
Not a good look for me. Nope. This face has seen better days. I look tired. My eyes are normally harder, but now I just look exhausted.
“I’m good.”
“Did you make contact?” he asks. He wasn’t on board with my plan, but it was the only one we had.
“I did,” I respond, and it makes me smile. I hadn’t thought about it yet today, but I did it. I did what I was supposed to do. I contacted Alaric Prince. “I set the bait.” My voice already sounds stronger with purpose.
“And what exactly is the bait? Please tell me you—”
“I have it under control. I did nothing but stand there. He did the rest.”
“The rest being …?”
I can hear the concern in his voice. My adoptive dad might have sent me away for half my life, but he’s always shown how much he cares for me. His voice is inaudible and reminds me of when I first came to be in his custody.
The muscles around my heart tighten, but I shake my head. I will not go there right now.
I push down all my past and think about the future. The future, meaning tonight.
“Phoenix, tell me what you have planned.” He practically begs me.
His nerves make mine flare. “He’s invited me to the club tonight. I plan to drink and find out more.”
“You truly think he will tell you where my guns are?” I can hear the doubt in my father’s voice, and it makes me want to work that much harder to succeed.
“Well, no, obviously not. But maybe I can find a way to get to his phone—”
“This is too dangerous. I’ll send—”
I know what he’s about to say—he’ll send his men in—but that would be war. When I saw Alaric yesterday, he had a minimum of twenty men with him, and that was only the ones I could see. The man has an entourage larger than any celebrity.
“You can’t send anyone in. I saw it last night. There is no getting close enough to him. Unless you want a war.”
“I don’t want that. There have already been too many casualties. I want to shut him down, but I don’t want to kill innocent people …” His voice is soft and sad. He doesn’t sound like the businessman I have grown to know over the years. Yes, he has always loved and cared for me, but this is different. I just don’t know why. I shake off these thoughts and let out a breath.
“I promise I’ll be safe. I’m just going to find out where he’s staying. Try to figure out a way to get his phone. It shouldn’t be that hard.”
Lies. It will be impossible, but I’ll figure something out. I’m resourceful.
Like my namesake, they burned me to the ground, but I rose. That’s why I go by the name Phoenix.
From the ash, I was reborn, and I have no intention of failing in this.
I owe Michael Lawrence, my father in every way that matters, for my life, and if ending this war is h
ow I can repay him, then that’s exactly what I will do.
4
Alaric
It doesn’t take long for Cristian to arrive. I employ as many men as I do because they all have a unique skill set that I need. When he opens the door to my office, I recline in my chair and continue to drink a glass of scotch.
We’re docked, so the boat only sways slightly but enough for the amber liquid to resemble a wave.
“What do you have for me?” I ask between sips.
“Actually, a lot,” he answers, and that’s when I notice his hands aren’t empty. That fact alone has me placing the glass down and leaning forward. I place my elbows on the desk in front of me, tilting my head to signal for him to sit.
The sound of the chair pulling back echoes through the space as he takes a seat. “Remember that adoptive son you’ve been searching for?”
I know exactly who he’s talking about. Word around town is my enemy has one weakness. A man with no family has a secret son. I’ve been searching for him ever since my brother died.
An eye for an eye—or in this case, a brother for a son.
“Phoenix, right?”
But that’s all I had. No last name. Nothing. Word has gotten back that Phoenix means something to Michael, but no one knows more than that. Since Michael ignited the flames of war four years ago, no one has seen him. He has been a complete recluse, which makes seeking vengeance nearly impossible.
“Well, it seems we had a few of the details wrong.”
“Speak.” My voice comes out rough and abrasive, but I have waited years to find ammunition to use on him.
Sure, I have bled him dry by stealing his merchandise as often as I could, but affecting his profit margins doesn’t pack a punch. It stings, but it doesn’t burn.
I want to burn this motherfucker to the ground.
Take and torture whatever he holds dear.
We only just got word six months ago that there might be a son.
A lot of chatter, but no location. I’m not sure that this has anything to do with the task at hand, but I’m intrigued.
“He doesn’t have a son.”
That can’t be right. We had good intel on this “Phoenix.” My jaw tightens, and I can feel myself becoming impatient. Why is he telling me this, especially if it will only lead to a dead-end?
“Then how does this help me?”
His lips spread, and an enormous smile appears on his face.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“It appears he has a daughter. An adoptive daughter named Phoenix Michaels. She doesn’t even have his last name.”
He throws the file down, and staring back at me are the big blue eyes of the goddess from last night. Her image is attached to the front of the file with a paper clip. I open it and see the school transcripts. It appears she went to a private school in Switzerland.
I keep turning, but there isn’t much there.
“She wasn’t formally adopted.”
That piece of information has me placing the file down on my desk and looking up toward Cristian. “Then how do you know she’s important to him?”
“He paid for her school. We tracked her credit card, and from there, we got a name. It wasn’t too hard to piece two and two together once we knew where to look. Plus, it can’t be a coincidence that she uses his first name as her last name.”
My fingers begin to tap a rhythm as I take in this information. A habit that makes me think of my brother—and apparently, I’ve picked up as my own after losing him. “Seems too easy.”
“Not if we didn’t know Michael had a son. That was a stroke of luck. The man gave no indication that anyone meant anything to him.”
I nod my head. It’s true. All these years, I could never find a thing, and now, she found me.
“It can’t be a coincidence.” Cristian bobs his head in agreement.
“No. It can’t.” We both fall silent as I continue to stare at the exotic beauty. Last night she was gorgeous, but in this picture, she’s even more so.
Full lips, small freckles dot her nose, long wavy dark brown hair falls to her breasts, and bright blue eyes.
She was a knockout last night. Someone I could imagine myself drowning in, but seeing her without a stitch of that shit on her face is better. She looks innocent, and it makes me want to corrupt her even more.
“What are you going to do about it, Boss?”
I lean back in my chair. Thoughts and ideas run through my brain a million miles a minute.
What to do with Phoenix? The name isn’t really fitting for her. She’s too small and weak. What to do with the little dove?
I look up and reach for my glass, lifting it to my mouth and taking a long swig.
What to do?
What to do?
I’m halfway through my glass, and I meet Cristian’s stare.
“You have that look, Boss.” He laughs.
“Grab a glass.” I’ll need a few minutes to concoct a plan, and while I do that, we’ll have a drink. Cristian stands from his chair and moves over to the side table, followed by the sound of the tumbler being lifted and then scotch pouring into the glass. When he finally takes his seat in front of me again, I lift my own to make a toast.
I don’t offer words, just a wicked and devious smirk. She came to me, and she will get what she deserves, but first, I’ll play with my new pet.
“So, what will it be?” he asks. His brow furrows as he waits. He leans forward, and I smile brightly, placing the glass down. Standing, I walk to the door to return to my stateroom so I can get ready for the night. My hand reaches for the knob, and I pull open the heavy door, but just as I’m about to step through, I turn, looking over my shoulder at Cristian.
“Isn’t it obvious?” My lips pull up into a sardonic smile.
“Not to me,” he responds.
“Well …” I like the idea more and more the longer I think about it. “Obviously, we are going to catch a bird.”
“And once we do?”
His question makes me laugh.
“We put her in a cage.”
Someone rarely pulls one over on me. It’s even rarer that I find myself surprised. But here I am.
She doesn’t know that I know her.
I do.
I know everything.
Including her face.
If she thinks she can pull a fast one on me, she is wrong. Deadly wrong.
The thing is, she has no clue, and I plan to use that weakness against her. So here I am at the club in the VIP lounge yet again—trap set.
She’s not here yet, but if I know anything about her, I don’t expect her to be. No. No, she will make me wait.
Lure me in.
Maybe another guy would be fooled, but another guy isn’t me.
I almost find it insulting that Michael thought this plan would work. That he thought he was clever enough to use his daughter against me.
Shows just how desperate he must be.
I take a seat on the soft velvet bench of the banquette that Mathis reserved for me. Women dance to the left and right of me, but I don’t have eyes for any of them. I’m waiting for one bird, a little dove.
That’s what she is. She might think she’s a phoenix, but to me, she’s a small, helpless little bird that Michael tried to pull out of his hat for a trick.
As if she can hear my inner ramblings, she enters. Now that I know who she is, I shouldn’t find her as gorgeous as I do. But even if she had a knife to my heart, she’d still be the most beautiful woman in the room.
Tonight, unlike in the pictures, she’s wearing makeup. Soft streams of light bounce around the room, hitting her with each step she takes.
With shoulders pulled back, she stands tall and proud. She’s sexy as all fuck with her regal persona. Now that I know who she is, it fits.
She’s the dethroned king’s princess. But that’s not necessarily true, I tell myself. She was hidden away. Like a fairy tale. Far away in a tower. But I’m not a prince
, and she’s not my princess.
No, instead, she’s the means to an end.
I’ll bait her to fall into my trap and use her to kill my opponent.
It’s time this war ends once and for all.
She gets closer with each step. She hasn’t noticed me yet, which allows me to admire her from afar without her knowing. My disdain is probably palpable at this moment. As gorgeous as she is, I hate her with every fiber of my being.
No, hate is too strong a word. I don’t give a shit about her. I hate her father.
The world stops when our eyes finally lock. She’s an exotic beauty. Blue eyes stare at me as if I have all the answers in the world, which is impressive. She must be a talented actress.
I stand and place my glass down, heading over to where she is. She stops in her tracks as I approach, making me come to her.
Well played.
If I were a normal fool, I would eat that shit up and be desperate to have her in my arms. But like her, I know the game I’m playing.
Unlucky for her, she’s ignorant.
If she thinks she can get the upper hand on me, she is dead wrong.
Once in front of her, I stare down at her, not smiling and not welcoming. But I don’t smile often, and anyone who knows me knows this.
If my intel is correct, she knows I’m lethal, and anything more than a smirk would give me away.
“I wasn’t sure you would come …” This time, the smirk reaches my eyes. Lies. I knew she would come.
“You didn’t leave me time to answer. You were in a rush to leave.”
“I had business,” I respond before turning toward the table. “Sit,” I instruct, and she gives a small nod. “I’m Alaric.”
“Raven.” Another lie. They slip off her tongue with little resistance. Impressive.
She takes a step forward until our bodies are side by side, and I reach out my arm and splay my hand on the small of her back. My fingers touch the soft slope of her spine until it rests on her warm skin.
I can’t see her full dress, but from what I can tell from my touch, it’s open in the back. Without further delay, I lead us back to the table and have her sit beside me.