by Amelia Shea
Way to blow everything the fuck up, Bailey.
He’d caught the tail end of her rant with Phoebe. It was what started this whole shit show. He didn’t even know how she knew. He was confident Meg wouldn’t say anything, and no one else fucking knew.
She stopped in front of him and blocked his path.
Her bottom lip quivered, and she gulped. “Kase, I am...”
“Bailey.” The deep warning had her glancing over her shoulder. Kase followed her gaze to Saint a few feet away. His VP stared back at her and slowly shook his head. It was a smart warning to give to his wife.
Kase always had a soft spot for her, but he was beyond capable of interacting with anything other than venom and rage. And Saint knew it.
Bailey ducked her head and maneuvered out of his way. As Kase passed, Saint nodded. Kase started through the main room, and the crowd separated, making a clear path for exit. He headed to his bike, resisting the urge to look over at Phoebe’s place.
Fuck her.
He got on his bike and took off without a planned destination. He just needed to settle, and the open road was the only way he knew how.
Chapter Nineteen
Three days.
There was only one place a person could truly lick their wounds and hide from the world. After her fight with Kase, she packed up her suitcase, blocked his number, and headed to her dad’s house. To her childhood house. Her father had remained in the house long after her mother had passed a few years ago. He talked about moving but felt as though she was very much still part of the house.
Her room remained the same as when she was in college. It was bittersweet and slightly pathetic. She spent the first day rummaging through her old room and spending time with her dad. The next few days were filled with work and dodging calls from Ghosttown, mainly Bailey, who had been blowing up her phone.
By the third day, cabin fever had set in. For the last two hours, she’d been wandering around the house in search of a distraction from her boredom. She stopped in front of the fireplace mantel, noticing the thin film of dust on the picture frame. Am I so bored I’m considering cleaning the house? Pitiful. She reached up and grabbed the frame, wiping off some dust.
Oh the irony. She stared down at the photo. It was from her wedding.
“I loved that dress,” she whispered.
Phoebe had destroyed everything from that day. Photos, favors, cards, every memento she had saved had landed in her fire pit. She donated her dress and sold her wedding rings. It was as though she was trying to erase her past. Unfortunately, she still had her memories.
Her father had several pictures from that day in frames all around the house for years. As of a year ago, only one remained. A family shot of her, her mom and dad, and Carter.
She sighed and put the frame back on the shelf. It was a great picture of the four of them. Everyone was happy, even Carter, it appeared.
Carter.
She wasn’t sure exactly what prompted her to grab her keys and head out the door. Maybe the cabin fever had made her desperate. Whatever it was, an hour later she found herself parked in the lot of his condo complex. Would he even be home? He’d probably slam the door in her face.
She sat in the car for the next few minutes. Why am I even here? She had never even been to his place, and he’d lived there for over five years. He would probably be pissed with her showing up unannounced. She snorted remembering he’d done it to her a few weeks ago. It gave her the push she needed to get out of the car. It was a short walk to his condo, and she found herself staring at his door.
“Why the hell am I here?” she muttered.
She drew in a deep breath and knocked.
She waited, and when she heard the footsteps padding toward the door, she straightened her shoulders.
Surprise, big brother!
When the door opened, it was Phoebe who got the surprise. Her breath caught in her throat, and her jaw fell open. What the fuck? It seemed she wasn’t the only one shocked speechless. They probably mirrored one another with their facial expressions. Phoebe couldn’t tell if she was turning a bright shade of red, but the familiar blonde in front of her certainly was.
The woman cleared her throat and smiled at her. “Hi, Phoebe.”
Phoebe chuckled and grinned, pausing before she spoke. “Hey, Nadia.”
Holy shit! What the hell was she doing at Carter’s place? Phoebe gazed down Nadia’s body, taking in her appearance. Nadia had a usual uniform for the club, and this wasn’t it. She had a tee molded to her chest and tiny cotton shorts. Her hair, which was usually styled was a messy bun atop her head. While she wore a conservative amount of makeup, it was definitely downplaying how she looked at the club. Phoebe tilted her head. She’d always thought of Nadia as sexy and hot, but seeing her with a more relaxed look, she really was beautiful.
“My wallet is on the table.”
The voice was shallowed coming from another room, but she recognized it as Carter’s. Nadia jerked her head and then smiled back at Phoebe.
“Uh, we ordered takeout.” She stepped back and waved her into the condo. “Come on in.”
Phoebe slipped past Nadia and stood in the entry. The door closed behind her, and she glanced around the room. It was completely Carter. It was orderly and neat. There were some pictures on the wall, but none of people. They were mostly paintings. Typical Carter. She glanced around the area until a framed picture on the corner table caught her eye. She stepped closer, glanced down, and before she knew what she was doing, she gripped it and brought it closer to her.
She smiled, remembering the day. Carter’s graduation from the police academy. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen. It was them with their mom and dad.
“I swear you don’t age, Phoebe.”
She glanced up to find Nadia leaning against the couch, smiling. Phoebe snorted.
“Ah, to be sixteen again.”
Nadia chuckled. “I was a late bloomer. Couldn’t pay me to go back in time to sixteen.”
Phoebe laughed and set the frame on the table. She opened her mouth but immediately clamped her lips when Carter came into the room. His focus was on Nadia, a smirk and a glint in his eye. When the hell had this happened? She half wondered if Kase and the club knew about it. Then the unsettling pit in her stomach grew just thinking his name. She drew in a breath and watched as Nadia glanced over at her. Carter followed her gaze, and his face hardened. Not good.
Before he had the opportunity to start yelling at her, she held up her hands. “I’m staying at Dad’s and thought I’d stop by and say hi.” She side-stepped toward the door. “Sorry to interrupt…”
Nadia reached for her arm as she passed. “You’re not interrupting, Phoebe.”
Phoebe snorted and glanced at her brother. His features seemed less stressed and more confused.
“I’m just gonna go.” She stepped away until she realized Nadia was still holding her wrist.
“What’s wrong?” Carter snapped, moving closer.
Phoebe shook her head. “Nothing.”
He furrowed his brows. “Kase do something?”
This was the last thing she needed. She had no intention of opening up to anything that had happened with Kase to her brother.
She felt Nadia’s stare bore into her, and she quickly glanced away, taking another step back. Her retreat was halted when Nadia tightened her grip.
“I just came home to visit Dad and thought I’d stop by. That’s all, nothing’s wrong.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m just gonna go.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
Phoebe drew in a breath and shifted on her feet, glancing between her brother and Nadia. It was awkward. She shrugged and forced a smile. “I wasn’t sure you’d let me come over.” There, she said it. It was the truth. It was always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Carter dropped his arm from his hips, staring at her. I shouldn’t have come here. She stepped back toward the door and hooked her th
umb over her shoulder. “I’m just gonna…”
The buzzer rang, keeping her from finishing her sentence. Carter moved through the room, continually watching her. He grabbed the knob and turned back, pinning her with his stare.
“Sit. You’re not fucking leaving.” He disappeared through the door.
Nadia giggled. “Your brother’s delivery sucks almost as much as Kase’s, huh?”
Phoebe whipped her head around. “Does the club know you’re here?” She widened her eyes, moving closer to Nadia and lowering her voice. “I won’t say anything, I promise.” She wasn’t sure what the protocol was for women who stayed with the club. Would the members be upset to find out Nadia was spending time with a detective?
Nadia smiled. “They know. I’m visiting my sister who lives here. Came up a few days ago and reached out to Carter.” She winked.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask more, but Carter came through the door with two brown bags of food. He walked over to the breakfast bar, and Nadia released her hand. It was odd to watch the two of them as though there was a familiarity. It was sweet, and she couldn’t help but smile. Nadia glanced over.
“Come on, make a plate, we’ve got tons. Carter always orders too much.”
He grunted and scowled. “I like leftovers.”
Nadia swiped her hand across his waist. “I know you do, baby.”
What. The. Fuck. Baby? Phoebe remained frozen in the middle of the living room until her brother glanced up and jerked his chin toward the food.
The next two hours were surreal. They ate Thai food, drank beers until Nadia decided they should have margaritas, and she made a pitcher. The conversation was light, and lacked the awkwardness she expected. Nadia steered most of the conversation, keeping it light. She talked about her sister and moving closer to help her out. She didn’t, however, sugarcoat anything with Carter.
“You got a handsome, sweet gentleman ask you over, you jump on the offer, am I right?”
Phoebe smiled and glanced up at Carter, who remained fixated on his food.
“Yeah. Carter’s always been pretty smart. He knows a good woman when he sees one.” It was meant to equally compliment Nadia, but she caught Carter’s gaze and the small smile playing on his lips. Whatever was happening between them was a good thing.
It was a few minutes before Nadia excused herself, leaving brother and sister alone by themselves. Phoebe licked her lips and placed her plate on the table.
“I can go.”
Carter glanced up and shrugged. “You got somewhere better to hang?”
She raised her brows. “Just Dad’s, and after a couple days, the idea of going to bed at nine loses its luster.”
He laughed and wiped his mouth. “You want the couch, it’s yours.”
She peeked up through her lashes. It was mind blowing to see Carter in another light. Not the perfect brother who was a detective. Just a guy. A nice guy.
“Thanks, Carter.”
He nodded and lifted his bottle to his lips. He took a sip, eyeing her. “Not gonna tell me what went down with Kase, are you?”
No! She clasped her hands, stalling on answering him.
“What makes you think something happened?”
He settled into his chair and stared as though he was seconds from rolling his eyes. “Ya mean, besides the fact that you’re hiding out at Dad’s, and then coming over here?”
He had a point.
He jerked his chin to the bedroom. “Her phone has been blowing up since she got here. Caught some of the conversations.” He raised his brows. “Got a lot of people looking for you.” He folded his arms, and she wondered if this was an interrogation tactic.
Her heart sank. Her intent wasn’t to have anyone worried about her; she just wasn’t ready to deal with it.
“And…” When he paused, she glanced up. “I got Kase on my voicemail asking ‘where the fuck you are’.”
Nothing could have surprised her more. “He called you?”
“Yeah.”
“W-what did you say?” She cleared her throat. The knowledge Kase had reached out to her brother looking for her made her anxious.
He shrugged. “Didn’t return his calls.” Carter smirked. “Kase Reilly doesn’t like being ignored.”
She laughed, envisioning how pissed off Kase would be. Good.
“Not gonna tell me?”
She flattened her lips and slowly shook her head. If I talk about it, I’ll lose it. Even saying very little at the moment, her heart ached.
“Okay. You want me to play big brother and kick his ass, just say the word.”
Phoebe laughed and rested against the couch.
****
Four fucking days.
He spent them all rehashing how his night with Phoebe went down. It was rare for him to have regrets. When the fuck did he become such a pussy? Everything he’d said to her had been accurate and honest. And fucking nasty.
“Uh, Kase?”
He spun around from the bay doors of the building to find a prospect hanging near the store entrance.
“Fucking speak, asshole.”
Eddie blinked and stammered his words. “R-Rourke said he’s a few miles out, so get the guys ready to unload.”
Kase clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. He was seconds away from smacking the stupid out of his newest prospect. “What the fuck does it look like I’m doing?” He lunged forward, sending Eddie pacing back into the wall. “You think I’m just hanging here for the fresh fucking air?”
“N-no, I-I just…” The lump in his throat bobbed, and his gaze skirted around the room. This guy would never make it in the club if he couldn’t hold his own.
“Kase, man. He was just relaying the message.” Gage gripped his shoulder.
Kase jerked away from his hand and moved closer, towering over Eddie. “You back down like a little bitch ever again and you’re done.”
Kase turned and patted his pocket for his cigarettes. Something had to fucking giving soon before he started beating the shit out of people. Fucking Phoebe.
She had singlehandedly in a matter of minutes pissed him off and set him on a raging course of destruction. He’d been a bear ever since, snapping and yelling at every small thing. Even at the club, the women who usually made an effort to seek him out were rushing the other way when he walked in the room. It made no difference to him; he didn’t want them. Fuck!
Gage chuckled, which was the last thing Kase wanted to hear. He turned, ready to unleash, when Caden and Rissa pulled up in the back lot with the new truck. Gage made his way out the door to greet them. Kase remained on the deck.
He watched as they got out of the truck. Kase was too far away to hear what Gage was saying, but if he had to guess, it was a warning.
Caden walked through the door with Gage and Marissa following.
“About fucking time,” Kase barked and took a drag of his cigarette.
“Ten minutes late, asshole.”
“Yeah, ten fucking minutes is money when these guys get delayed on deliveries. No wonder your company almost went under.” It was a low blow, and Caden’s jaw tightened. He stepped forward, but Gage shifted in front of him, grasping his arm.
“Kase is nursing a broken heart, so we all gotta cut him some slack.”
Kase gritted his teeth and tossed his cigarette to the ground. “Shut the fuck up, Gage, before I beat the piss outta ya.”
“Phoebe broke up with you? What did you do?” Marissa asked, which incensed him. What did he do? Offered to bail out her ungrateful ass, that’s what he did, and she turned psychotic on him. He scowled and pinned his harsh glare directly at her.
“What makes you think I did something?”
Marissa tightened her lips in a flat line and shrugged.
“’Cause you’re an asshole,” Caden snapped.
Kase jerked his head. “Yeah, such a fucking asshole that I’m out here trying to buy her place, get her ass outta debt, and she turns into a raving lunatic bitch.” H
is anger was getting the best of him.
Gage raised his brows in surprise, and Caden furrowed his brows, shifting around Gage.
“Wait, you’re buying her property? For the club?”
“No, asshole, it’s got nothing to do with the club. She put her house up ’cause she owed her brother. I was putting up my cash, not club money, to buy it. Then she goes off half-cocked about being free pussy for my taking, how I went behind her back and betrayed her, and some other bullshit.” He dragged his hand through his hair. In his frustration, he ripped out a few strands.
“That’s fucked,” Gage said. “What’s her problem?”
“Wait,” Marissa stepped closer. “Did you tell her you were buying the house for her?”
“Knew she wouldn’t go for it, so I had Meg make the offer.”
“Oh fuck, Kase.” Gage raised his brows and shook his head.
He gritted his teeth, taking in the expressions from the three in front of him. They all shared the same reaction. He’d fucked up.
“I was gonna fucking tell her, but the mayor beat me to it.” For as much love as he had for Bailey, he wanted to strangle her. Had the deal just gone through, Phoebe would have the cash to pay Carter back and they’d work out something for her living at the house. Before his plan blew up, they had spent so much time together, the natural progression would have been living in the house, the two of them.
Marissa sighed. “She had a husband who screwed her over, right? Did awful things behind her back? Left her with all his debt and a broken heart. That much betrayal, it scars people, Kase. Makes it hard to put trust in anyone because they’re afraid it will happen again.” She gave him a sad smile. “I hear what you’re saying, and I really believe your intentions were good, but you should have told her from the very beginning. Her finding out the way she did? From someone else? To Phoebe, I’m sure it felt like another betrayal from a man she trusted.”