Zoey shot forward toward her purse on the counter, her heart ready to jump out of her chest. She had her cell in her shaky hands a second later.
Elise answered on the first ring. “Hey, babeolious, what’s up?”
“I don’t even know how to explain what just happened,” Zoey managed.
Elise paused. Then, “Tell me everything.”
Zoey took a few deep breaths and knelt down, getting her bearings. She finally answered, “A woman just came into the clinic. She said she’s been assaulted by Jake too.”
“Wait…what?” Rustling came through the phone line. No doubt Elise was moving to her laptop in her bedroom. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” Zoey breathed.
“Did she mention Scott?”
“No,” Zoey said, pressing her hot hand onto the cool floor, grounding herself like her therapist had once said to do whenever things felt too out of control. The technique had gotten Zoey through those last two months of college. “Just Jake. Elise, tell me I shouldn’t be freaked out right now.”
“Don’t be freaked out.” She paused as clicking on her keyboard sounded through the line. “I’m sure everything is fine. Of course Jake likely had other victims. I just want to figure out how she knows you. Did she tell you her name?”
Zoey glanced at the card she’d dropped to the floor. “Hilary. No last name. She gave me a handwritten card with her name and a phone number on it.”
“I’m on it.” The phone line went dead.
“Is everything okay?”
Zoey glanced up, discovering Betty, the receptionist, in the doorway. Her dark, concerned eyes told Zoey she needed to lie through her teeth. “Yes. Yes. I’m sorry. Everything’s fine. The lady ended up wanting to take more time to decide the type of cut she wanted me to give her dog before we proceed.”
Betty’s brows shot up. “She seemed upset when she left.”
“I don’t think so,” Zoey said and gathered herself to give her a smile. “She said she’ll be back.”
“Oh, okay.” Betty returned the smile, obviously believing the lie. “All done for the day, then?”
“Sure am. Any plans for the night?”
Betty grinned. “I’ve got a date with Netflix. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” Zoey said, still stuck on the ground, her legs nowhere to be found.
Betty gave a final wave and strode away.
Zoey leaned back against the grooming table and released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The room swam a little. She shut her eyes and breathed past the panic creeping up her throat. She was done with lies. Having just told one made her feel like crawling out of her skin.
Her cell phone beeped in her hand. She expected Elise, but that wasn’t who texted her.
The guys and I are going for dinner tonight at Skyline. Interested in joining us?
She stared at the message from Rhys, feeling like the world was determined to keep messing with her. Was this a date? Okay, no, his friends were going. Did that make her one of his friends? Friends with benefits, maybe?
All the logical parts in Zoey’s brain fired off a hard response of “no”. Wasn’t it better to keep things strictly to Phoenix? But her head was spinning, her heart all types of confused. Both Elise and Hazel were working tonight, which meant she’d be left alone with her thoughts. Feeling a step away from falling back into that dark place she’d just crawled out of, she fired off her response. What time?
7:00 pm. See you then.
Zoey pressed her cell phone against her chest and exhaled. One breath after another, after another, after another. A few more weeks was all she had to get through. Then she could leave this city and her pain behind. Until then, she had Rhys…and his ability to help her forget everything.
Stars blanketed the sky later that night when Rhys answered his phone. “Hello, Mother.” He sat atop New York City’s hottest dinner spot, Skyline, a rooftop restaurant. Lights from the high-rises were gleaming as far as the eye could see.
“Rhys, my dear, how are you?” his mother, Alice Harrington, asked, her voice soft yet lacking the warmth Rhys had heard from other mothers.
“Things are good here,” Rhys replied, one arm stretched across the bench seating. “I take it you’ve been sent the quarterly report?” Earlier today, Harrington Finance delivered the report he knew his father had been waiting on.
“We did receive it, yes,” Alice said. “But that’s not the only reason why I’m calling.”
Yeah, right.
Rhys kept the thought to himself as Alice replied, “But since we are talking about it, your father was quite pleased with this quarter.”
“I’m sure he was.” Profit for the Harrington fortune was up ten percent for this last quarter. Rhys’ personal finances were up by twenty percent, something he kept to himself. Rhys took the Harrington fortune under his wing when he’d stepped into his father’s role at Harrington Finance when his father retired, but that stress became tiresome. Especially after Katherine’s death. Wealth had its advantages, but it could not buy happiness, and it certainly didn’t buy his. Now Rhys’ cousin William was CEO of Harrington Finance, and while Rhys was still involved in the decision making, he had taken a big step back to his father’s fierce displeasure. Now, alongside being CEO of the cigar club, he also invested his money as a silent partner in up-and-coming companies, hedge funds, new drugs and research for cancer, and real estate. Rhys had questioned his choice of walking away from his family’s powerful company, but the move had been a smart one. He now had full financial independence from his family’s wealth and zero of the stress. “Anything I need to hear on my end?” he asked, moving the conversation along.
“Nothing more than your father was pleased,” Alice said. “How’s the cigar club?”
“Profitable.” Rhys’ relationship with his parents was that of responsibility, business, and privilege. He didn’t fault them for it. He’d been raised by nannies and sent to boarding school. But he respected his parents. They were both good people, who gave back often to charities, and not only for the tax break. But the truth was, and always had been, his friends were his family.
“And a wife?” Alice inquired. “Any news on that front?”
“Nothing to report,” Rhys said in a dry voice.
She laughed softly. “I’ll take that as a no. Don’t take too long, Rhys. You do not want to be an old bachelor. You know what your father will say about that.”
Rhys didn’t comment. He never did. Some people, he owed explanations to, but his parents were not among them. As he saw Archer, Hunt, and Kieran approaching the table, he said, “I need to run, but before I do, tell me how the traveling is going?”
“Europe is beautiful, very magical,” Alice explained with an unusual sense of wonder to her voice. “We’ve been enjoying ourselves.”
“Glad to hear it. We’ll talk soon. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Rhys.”
He ended the call right as Archer took a seat to his right and asked, “How’s your mom doing?”
A soft laugh escaped Rhys, and he shook his head. His expression must have been stiff. Phone calls with his parents always brought Rhys back to that life on a very tight rope. When his parents retired and began traveling, the rope had stopped strangling him. “She’s well.”
Hunt took a seat next to Archer and gave a slow whistle. “Curiouser and curiouser.”
Rhys didn’t even have to look to know Zoey strode through the restaurant’s doors. He could see it written all over his friends’ faces. But Rhys had already decided to break rules for Zoey. There was no going back, and even if Rhys was questioning his decisions, he wasn’t about to stop where life was taking him.
Archer set a firm gaze on him. “You better know what you’re doing.”
The reprimand was expected. The rules had always been clear. No mixing personal and Phoenix business. “She’s moving in a couple weeks,” Rhys said, rising from his seat. “The risk is minimal.”
K
ieran snorted a laugh. “Keep trying to convince yourself of that, buddy.”
Rhys ignored the reproach. Right now, his intent was to show Zoey that there was so much more to life than what had been handed to her. She’d told him she couldn’t even go for dinner with a man without having a panic attack. He hoped that this dinner was a step in the right direction. His friends rose to greet Zoey when she sidled up to the table. “Hello, Zoey,” Rhys said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
She smiled at his friends then set those beautiful eyes on him. “Hi,” she said, just to him.
At that sweetness aimed his way, he knew he walked a dangerous line. He liked the warmth of her. A little too much. But as long as he stayed behind that emotional line, the risk was minimal for them both. When he backed away, he said, “Zoey, this is Hunt and Kieran, very good friends of mine, and you already know Archer.”
“Hi, yeah, I do. Nice to meet the rest of you,” she said with the innocent smile he was growing fond of. Until her eyes narrowed a little and awareness came to them, and Rhys fought his laughter. Obviously, she’d recognized Kieran from Lottie’s show and Hunt and Archer from their private show the other night. She quickly looked away, pink-cheeked, then turned to Rhys, clearly needing direction.
He took her hand, bringing her in next to him. Once she sat, he glanced at Kieran and gave a quick nod. Kieran immediately caught on and said, “We got a call out to a lightning strike today.” His friend had always been able to deliver a fantastic icebreaker. Which was exactly why he’d asked his friends here tonight. He hoped Zoey would be at ease, see that this wasn’t a date, and that she was simply joining him and his friends for dinner.
When Zoey visibly relaxed next to him, Rhys explained, “Kieran’s a firefighter.”
“Really?” Zoey said. “That must be exciting work.”
“Sometimes,” Kieran said with a slight shrug. The darkness behind his eyes said not all aspects of the job were good.
Rhys caught the eye of the waiter and gave a flick of his chin. The waiter came over and opened a bottle of white wine, as Rhys had instructed, pouring Zoey a glass from the just-opened bottled. He’d already noticed how she wouldn’t drink at the club, always requesting a can of something unopened.
He asked Kieran, “Was anyone hurt?”
“Thank you,” Zoey said to the waiter when he finished pouring.
Kieran shook his head in clear amazement. “Everyone survived, but how, is anyone’s guess. The lightning hit a tree and traveled through the roots, striking a man who was sitting out in a chair on his lawn. That same tree smashed into the house, crushing the living room. Luckily, the wife had just left the room.”
“Someone was watching out for them,” Hunt breathed.
“Definitely,” Kieran agreed.
“The man was wearing rubber shoes, right?” All eyes turned to Zoey. “That’s what saved his life. The shoes?”
Kieran nodded. “Had he been barefoot, he wouldn’t have survived.”
“Are you ready to order?”
Rhys only then noticed the waiter had returned to their table. He glanced Zoey’s way. “Surf and turf okay for you?”
“Sounds amazing,” she said with bright eyes.
Rhys smiled at her and said to the waiter, “Then, surf and turf it is for the table.”
Thirty minutes later, Rhys leaned back against the bench, sure he couldn’t eat another bite. The platter in the center of the table was empty, the plates wiped clean. However, the more he took stock of Zoey tonight, the more something seemed off about her. She stayed quiet through most of the dinner, her shoulders curled slightly.
As Archer and Hunt talked about the other night’s Mixed Martial Arts fight, Rhys slid a hand on Zoey’s knee. She jumped at the contact, but he kept his hand there. Truthfully, he didn’t know the inner workings of her mind just yet, but he didn’t take her as the type to be so withdrawn. “Is this too much for you tonight?”
“No, no.” She exhaled slowly and gave a small smile. “This is actually really, really nice. It feels good to be out with other people than Hazel and Elise and not losing my shit completely.” She nibbled her lip, obviously weighing the option of telling him more. Delight spread through him when she decided to share. “A woman brought her dog in for a grooming today, but things got weird,” she said.
“Weird, how?” Rhys asked.
She glanced around, obviously wanting to keep the conversation private, then she leaned forward and said quietly, “She told me Jake assaulted her.”
A fork clanged on a plate. Zoey jumped. Rhys didn’t even have to look to know she now had everyone’s attention at the table. He saw the panic in her expression and rushed to explain. “As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, these men are like brothers to me. We share everything, which includes any developments at the club. They knew your story before I truly knew you. Nothing you say and nothing they have already learned will ever leave this table. You can trust them, Zoey.”
She looked each man over one by one then gave a slow nod. “Okay.”
Sounding much like the detective he was, Hunt asked in a steady voice, “Do you know the woman?”
Zoey shrugged. “I have no idea who she is. I know her name is Hilary. Elise has been looking into her, but she had to work tonight, and things are moving slowly on learning more about this woman.” Her worried gaze connected with Rhys’. “I can’t figure out how she knew what happened.”
He took her hand and squeezed tight, noting the tremble of her fingers. “We’ll find out, believe me. But the question begs asking, did she know you confronted Scott and Jake at the club? Or is the timing just suspicious?” To Archer, he added, “Thoughts?”
Archer leaned his elbows on the table, gaze focused on Zoey. “It could be as simple as this woman went to the same university as you. She could have heard what happened directly. And that the timing of all this is a coincidence.”
Zoey shrugged. “That’s what Elise is looking into now.”
At that, Archer frowned. To Rhys, he still looked mildly annoyed at the mention of Elise, but he added, “More likely, she’s a member of the club and put two and two together when she saw Scott and Jake leave.” His gaze returned to Zoey, his voice softening. “Did she say what she wanted from you?”
“She wanted me to come forward,” Zoey answered. “To make Jake pay for what he did. To get justice.”
Archer’s jaw clenched, a telling sign he didn’t like what Zoey had said. “And you told her that’s not an option?”
She gave a slow nod. “I just…I—”
Hunt interjected, “Do not need to explain yourself or your choices to anyone.”
A look of pure relief washed over her face. “Thanks for that.” She sighed heavily and added, “All I want to do is put this behind me.”
Rhys had never been prouder of his group of friends. He hadn’t had a woman in his life for so long, he forgot what it felt like to not only protect her himself, but have his chosen family protect her too.
“You deserve to do that, too,” Archer countered. His head cocked as his stare became probing. “What did she do when you told her you wouldn’t come forward?”
“She gave me her card with her phone number and left,” Zoey said, voice thickening.
Rhys squeezed her thigh, the only comfort he could give.
“Did you enjoy the surf and turf?” the waiter asked, sidling up to their table once more.
Rhys nodded. “Dinner was excellent. Compliments to the chef.”
“I’ll tell him you said so, sir,” the waiter said with a proud smile. “Any dessert to cap off the night?”
Rhys looked to Zoey. She held her stomach. “I couldn’t possibly eat another bite,” she said.
Everyone at the table shook their head, so Rhys responded, “No, thank you. We’ll just finish our drinks.”
“Excellent,” the waiter said. “Enjoy them and the rest of your evening.”
When he wandered off to likely print off the bil
l, Rhys asked Archer, “Did any other victims come up in your investigation?”
Archer gave a slow shake of his head. “I didn’t dig that deep.” There will be more, his expression declared.
Rhys was determined to make sure Zoey didn’t feel pressured. Her choices were hers. Only hers. Always hers. “Did you feel threatened by her?” he asked, rubbing her thigh, not liking the tense set of her muscles beneath his hand.
“Not at all,” she replied after a moment of consideration. “I was shocked by her appearance, but not threatened. It felt like she wanted an ally.”
Rhys reached for her hand again, encompassing her fingers in his hold. The guilt, the pain, the loss of control in her gaze shattered him. He said to Archer, “Find out who she was. How all this is connected.”
“Elise is already on it,” Zoey said.
Again, Archer’s eyes narrowed, but his grin declared it was game on. He rose and was heading for the door a moment later.
Kieran chuckled. “Oh, that roommate of yours is getting under his skin.”
Zoey cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Rhys interjected, reaching for the bottle of wine to top up Zoey’s glass. “Archer lives for this shit.”
Chapter 9
“He brought you out with his friends,” Hazel said the next morning while Zoey slipped into a white-lace summer dress in the changing room of a boutique in downtown Brooklyn. The little shop belonged to a young designer who, as far as Zoey was concerned, should have been showing her clothes on the runway. She zipped it up halfway as Hazel added, “That’s a statement, girl.”
“A statement declaring what?” Zoey asked in all seriousness. “He knows I’m moving. Besides, we both know he wanted to help me get over all my hang-ups. I told him I couldn’t even date a guy without having a panic attack.”
Watch Me (Phoenix Book 1) Page 8