Phoenix (Own The Skies Book 2)

by Emma Nichole

  Arya reacts to the noise, barking wildly, searching for me.

  “Arya! No! Stay!” I shout, but my dog, my ever loyal dog, worms her way down beneath the grate into the drain to help me.

  She disappears under the water and my world stops.

  Silence for one second.

  Two seconds.

  Three seconds.

  Four seconds.

  Five seconds.

  And then her little head breaks the surface just a few feet from me.

  “Arya! I’ve got you. I’ve got you girl.” I reach out and grab ahold of her collar, holding on so tightly.

  She is barking and crying. Clearly terrified and confused. I try my best to comfort her, but she’s wiggling around, whimpering.

  “Shh. Shh. It’s okay. I’m here. We are okay.” The lies leave my lips painfully.

  The water is lapping at my mouth, inching higher and higher.

  I try to move again, but my leg is useless. There is no strength left.

  This is it. This is where my story ends.

  I pull Arya closer, scratching her face. “I’m sorry, girl. I’m so sorry.” I kiss her head, trying to soothe her as best I can. “I love you, Arya. You are a fucking fantastic partner.” She is scared. She doesn’t understand what is happening. She was only doing her job. She was only protecting me.

  The water kisses my lips before finally overtaking my nose.

  My chest begins to ache, to constrict in panic. I can hear the faint sound of sirens above us, but they won’t get to us in time.

  I close my eyes, accepting my fate, and all I see is Nora’s smile.

  Chapter 27

  2 Weeks Later

  Nora

  I stand outside of the large event hall, staring at the wooden doors, willing myself to go inside.

  The warm Georgia air is caressing my skin. I’ve missed it so much. It took me longer than I care to admit to finally work up the courage to come back here after I found out what happened to him, but when Amelia gave me the date of the ceremony, I knew I couldn’t miss it.

  I need to be here. I need to be present. It’s only right.

  I’m scared he won’t even want me here after the way I left him.

  That fear alone is what is keeping my feet planted to the ground.

  Police officers and their own K9 partners are filing through the doors on either side of me. I am in the way now.

  Get a grip, Nora. Just go inside.

  I adjust my black wrap dress, inhale, exhale, then take a step forward. One foot in front of the other, through the large wooden doors, across the marble lobby area, letting the click of my heels and the chatter of the crowd be a talisman for me. The white noise keeps me grounded.

  I spot Amelia, Grayson, and Cadence sitting toward the front, but I don’t go sit with them. They do not know I’m here yet. I need to get through this alone before I lose my nerve and bolt.

  My eyes travel along the sea of blue uniforms. So many officers love him. So many officers respect him. The power of the image truly is incredible.

  I never felt this type of love and energy from my father’s peers. Maybe it was because I was looking through the eyes of a jaded little girl, but now, as a grown woman who adores the man all of these people are here to respect, I’m brought to tears.

  A man dressed in a black uniform comes to the small microphone on the stage, and the crowd instantly falls silent.

  “Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. We are here today to honor two of Savannah’s very own who showed tremendous amounts of bravery during the horrific storms that ravaged our little area two weeks ago. Had they not reacted the way they did, in spite of fear, we would have lost a Savannah native at far too young an age, so it is with great pride, I award Officer Case Carmichael, and K9 Officer Arya with the Savannah Medal of Strength and Bravery.” An applause overtakes the room when a man stands from a seat just off the side of the stage. I don’t need him to turn around for me to know exactly who he is.

  My Case.

  He stands slowly, and I can tell he’s in a bit of pain. Amelia filled me in on what exactly happened to him, and I can’t imagine.

  A piece of rebar went into the back of his thigh and the tip started to emerge on the front side. It missed anything major, thank God, but they had to repair his muscle. And save for some healing scratches on his face, he’s perfectly unharmed.

  Thank God.

  He walks carefully with a bit of a limp, not accepting help when anyone offers.

  Stubborn ass.

  Arya walks proudly next to him with her little nose held high.

  I love them so much. Both of them.

  Case makes it to the microphone and shakes hands with the chief of police before accepting his medal, bending forward so it can be placed around his neck. He pats Arya’s head before the chief attaches a medal to her collar.

  The applause doesn’t even begin to die down. It only builds until hoots and hollers are added in. I look toward Amelia and see Cadence standing on her chair, cheering for her favorite uncle.

  The pride I see on Case’s face as he takes his place at the microphone solidifies my feelings and chases away any doubts I have.

  I am unequivocally in love with him.

  I watch his chest rise as he inhales, leaning into the microphone as the crowd quiets down.

  “Thank you, Chief Maddox. This is a tremendous honor that I do not accept lightly. I am truly humbled you would award me, us.,” he pats the top of Arya’s head, “for simply doing our jobs. We protect and serve. That’s what we did that night.”

  He looks so handsome in his uniform and hat. There’s a bit of scruff on his chin that he slides his fingers against as he ponders what to say next.

  "A very special woman once quoted Mark Twain to me. ‘Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.’ I kept repeating that in my mind over and over. Not because the words applied to that particular situation, but because her voice in my head kept me moving forward.”

  My heart stops beating in my chest and tears fill my eyes before falling down my cheeks like rain.

  “Courage is standing up to your demons, and if I may quote the greatest television show in history, ‘Not today.’ Thank you for the honor.”

  He backs away from the microphone as applause erupts once again, but I don’t move. I’m frozen, quietly crying with a hand pressed into my chest, but also laughing. He would quote Game of Thrones right now.

  I love this man so much it hurts me, and all I want to do is bolt from this chair, straight into his arms.

  So that’s what I do.

  I shimmy past the few people who are in the chairs beside me and step into the empty aisle. I need to get to him. I have to get to him.

  “Case,” I say, louder than I intend and all eyes turn toward me...including his.

  “Phoenix?” He matches my frozen stance, as if he can’t believe I’m standing here.

  My eyes leave his for a moment to find Amelia and Grayson. They both seem a mixture of confused and surprised, but there are smiles on their faces.

  You could hear a pin drop in this room. It’s completely silent, save for the click of camera shutters, no doubt waiting for drama to unleash.

  I take a step forward, one foot after the other, toward him on that stage.

  With the help of his chief, he steps off the stage and starts toward me. I pick up into a run. Nothing else matters right now except getting to him. Holding him. Touching him. Making sure he’s okay.

  He’s a mere foot away from me when I begin to speak. “Case, I—”

  I don’t get a chance to finish, because once he is able to get his hands on me, he pulls me into his body and lays a deep kiss directly on my lips, ending my sentence right then and there.

  The world disappears around us. We are floating alone.

  You know the big kiss at the end of a romantic comedy, where the couple makes up and has their big, final kiss? And the camera spins around them showin
g the kiss from all angles?

  That’s what this kiss is like. It’s what I feel. It’s sweeping me off my feet.

  When he finally ends the kiss, he keeps his hand on my cheek and caresses my lips with his thumb.

  “Sorry for interrupting you. I’ve just fucking missed you—and I almost died—so if you were going to leave me again after saying what you needed to say, I at least wanted one more kiss.” He smiles that wicked grin I can’t get enough of. “You can continue now.”

  But I, once again, am interrupted by the hoots and hollers of the crowd around us. At the end of the day, everyone loves a love story.

  I push up on my toes and speak into his ear. “Can we talk somewhere private? I mean, I don’t want to steal you from your ceremony or anything, but...” I lower myself back to my feet and stare up into his eyes.

  “Ceremony is over. I’m just expected for a dinner later this evening.” He takes my hand. “Come on, we can talk back here.”

  He leads me across the front of the crowd, pausing to whisper something to the gentleman who presented him the medal, giving me a chance to finally talk to Amelia.

  “What the hell, Nor? What’s going on?” She hugs me tight.

  “I promise, I’ll come find you later and explain everything, okay?” I say, kissing her cheek.

  “I hope not. I hope he keeps you busy and convinces you to stop being stubborn,” she says, before she swats my ass. “Go. Your man is waiting.”

  I turn around to see Case and Arya waiting for me at the side of the stage. I take a breath and march toward him and slide my hand into his.

  Case

  I don’t know what is happening. I don’t know why she’s here, but now that she is, I’m not letting her go.

  We walk side by side, granted a little slower due to my fucking leg, all the way down the hallway to a smaller ballroom on the other side of the building.

  “What is this place?” she asks, looking around at the tall walls and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the botanical garden in the back.

  “It’s an event center. It used to be a train depot, but they converted it years ago. Now it’s used for ceremonies, proms, weddings.” I unhook Arya’s leash, allowing her to roam the small room freely, then I tuck my hands into my pockets.

  I watch Nora explore the room, all the way to the windows where she simply stares out.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.” She thinks I’m talking about the garden, with its roses and lilies, but I’m not. I’m talking about her. With her black dress and her red wedge heels.

  She turns to face me, giving me a perfect view of her face, with her signature red lips and light makeup. Her shoulders rise and fall as she inhales deeply. She’s nervous.

  “Come sit with me.” I carefully limp my way toward a table in the corner and lower to the seat. She comes to take the seat beside me.

  “First thing I want to ask is, are you all right?” She is staring down at her hands, sliding her thumb over her tattoo.

  “I am. My leg is a little fucked, but it will be perfectly fine in the end.”

  “What happened, Case? Amelia told me what she knew, but I want to hear it from you.”

  I reach across the table to take her hand in mine. “You knew about the storms, right? Well, it caused incredibly intense flooding. The worst I’ve seen in my life. I was on shift down by the river. Long story short, a nine-year-old boy had gotten trapped in the storm drain. He went in to get something he had dropped. He slipped, hit his head, and couldn’t get out.”

  She squeezes my hand but doesn’t speak.

  “I went in after him. The water was rushing through and it kept rising. I knew I didn’t have time to be afraid. I managed to get him most of the way out, but I slipped. I fell into the water and the current slammed me into a wall. Rebar went into my thigh. Nothing major was damaged. In and out, really, like a bullet. Just some muscle repairs and stitches.”

  “And Arya?”

  “She used her rescue training and pulled the boy the rest of the way from the drain, then came in after me. I thought we were gone, Phoenix.” My eyes meet hers. “I really did.”

  She wipes her eyes with her free hand and sniffs. “I’m so happy you’re not.”

  “Is that why you came back? To make sure I was okay?”

  She nods. “But it’s more than that.”

  I scoot my chair closer and turn hers so we are facing one another.

  “Talk to me.”

  “I’m so sorry for leaving you the way that I did. I was a coward, and I feel horrible about it.”

  “It hurt me, badly, but if it’s what you wanted, I was letting you go.”

  “I didn’t want that. I was scared...so scared.”

  “Of me?”

  “Of losing you. I was scared to love you because you could leave this world in an instant with your job.”

  “Baby, anyone can leave this world at any time, regardless of their job, but that doesn’t mean we stop living.”

  “I quit my job... put my apartment on the market.”

  My heart begins to pound.

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to be here. I want to be in Savannah. I didn’t even know if you’d want me after what I did, but I knew, regardless, I want to be here. Savannah feels like home to me. I’ve already got three interviews lined up in private practices here. One-on-one patient care.”

  “And your writing?”

  “I’m never giving that up. It’s still part of me and it always will be.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  She smiles with large tears dripping down her face. “I love you, Case. I need you to know that.

  “I love you too. I told you in the pool that day and I meant it. I fell in love so quickly my head spun.”

  “I did too, I was just too stubborn to admit it and just let it happen.” She sighs.

  “But you left—again. Without saying a word—again.”

  “I know. There’s nothing I can say to take it back. I don’t have an excuse other than I was just giving you a chance to love someone who could accept all parts of your life.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “I didn’t. Not at first. You are a protector in your career, but that carries over into your day-to-day life. That’s how I lost my father. I can’t bear the idea of losing you too. So, when I realized how much I loved you, I panicked. I just...whatever decision you make, whether you want me or if you tell me to fuck off, just know I love you.”

  “Are you finished?”

  She sits back, looking confused and defeated. “Yes.”

  “Good because my decision was made the minute I saw you stand up in that crowd.”

  I pull her from her chair and onto my lap, astride me, wrapping my arms around her body, keeping her as close as I can, not even caring about the sting in my thigh.

  “You’re mine, Phoenix. You always have been. I just needed you to accept that.”

  I push her hair from her face and kiss the tip of her nose.

  “I’m yours,” she whispers. “And this is exactly where I belong; the only place I ever want to be.”

  Our lips connect, blending with the heat of fire and the power of water.

  The two forces that changed our lives forever as children now fuel the passion between us.

  It’s simply perfect.

  The way it’s meant to be.

  Epilogue

  Four Months Later

  Nora

  “Oh. My. God,” I groan against his hand as he thrusts into me from behind.

  “Shh,” he whispers. “They’ll hear us.” He slides a hand over my mouth.

  We are standing in a coat closet, his front to my back, while the New Year’s Eve party Grayson and Amelia are throwing at their home moves on without us. The hand not on my mouth is roaming my body, caressing my sides, legs, stomach, and the space between my thighs.

  “I don’t care who
hears us at this point, Case. Just fuck me,” I beg, planting my hands on the wall for support.

  “Someone is eager,” he says, slowly pumping in and out, clearly teasing me.

  “Someone hasn’t been touched by their boyfriend in four days—because he’s worked four overnights in a row—while she works during the day. Now remedy that and make me come.” I look over my shoulder at him with a smile. “Please.”

  The last four months haven’t been as smooth as some love stories would like to make you think. The move from California to Georgia was stressful. Getting started at my new job at a pediatrician’s office was a challenge. Finding our routines around one another was taxing. Learning to get over each other’s flaws was work, but at the end of the day, we always curled up together in bed, knowing even with all the growing pains, we were exactly where we wanted to be.

  “I suppose I can do that since you asked so nicely.” He begins to move at a deep, sharp, even pace.

  We are both still half-dressed, him in gray button-down and jeans shoved to his thighs, and me with my jeans only on one leg, still in my heels, and my sequined tank top shoved down to expose my breasts for his taking.

  I reach my hand around to grip the back of his head, digging my nails in to keep from screaming in pleasure, causing a sharp groan to vibrate against my ear from his lips.

  Our breathy sighs begin to build with each push of his body into mine, and we hear the countdown to a new year happening right outside the door.

  “Come with me into the new year, Phoenix. Literally.” I feel his lips turn up in a smile and I would laugh, but he hits that spot deep inside of me, so all I can do is cry out in pleasure.

  “5...” he whispers.

  “4...” I sigh.

  “3...” he grunts.

  “2...” I moan.

  “1...” he growls and with a flick of his hips, my body detonates around him in a flutter of contractions.

  “Happy New Year,” I moan as the sound behind the door muffles all noise we could be making. “Fuuuuck.”