Watch Me (Phoenix Book 1)

by Stacey Kennedy

  Archer inclined his head, understanding the unsaid statement that Rhys wanted that investigator talked to. Zoey’s privacy mattered.

  To Hilary, Rhys asked, “Did you know who Jake was behind the mask?”

  Hilary nodded. “I did, yes.”

  “And yet, you’ve been here at Phoenix with him? Was that not upsetting to you?”

  Something haunted crossed her face. “Jake is in my inner circle of friends. I see him every weekend. Avoiding him is impossible. I’ve just grown to deal with that.”

  “I’m sorry, Hilary. That must be hard,” Rhys said gently.

  She lifted a shoulder. “I thought I could handle it, until that night I saw Zoey. After seeing her get justice, I felt shameful that I wasn’t strong enough to stand up against him. It made me want to fight back. To prove he had done something terrible to me. That everyone might not know about it, but that I knew, and it didn’t break me.”

  Archer asked, “Is that why you went to see Zoey?”

  “Yeah,” Hilary replied with a quick nod at him. “I want to tell my story, but I can’t do this alone. Who will believe me?”

  “I believe you,” Rhys said in an instant.

  “I do too,” Archer agreed.

  Hilary’s chin quivered. She swallowed deeply before addressing them again, “Thank you. I appreciate that. But I need more than just people believing me. I need another victim. We all know that. I need something more than my word against his.”

  “You need Zoey’s truth,” Rhys offered.

  Again, Hilary nodded. “Maybe once our stories are out there, more victims will come forward. If there are two of us, there must be more.”

  Rhys steepled his hands on top of his desk. “I have no doubt there are more victims, but I would ask a favor from you, regarding all this.”

  She gave him a lopsided grin. “Stay away from Zoey, right?”

  Rhys held her gaze, carefully choosing his words. “Whatever you need from me, Hilary, you’ve got it. Money. Lawyers. Investigators. Contacts. I will help you however I can, but when it comes to Zoey and what she wants out of this, I will protect her at all costs. She’s made it clear where she stands on this matter. But if you’d like, Archer can jump on board, and with his resources, he’ll help you build a case, as well as possibly find other victims who are more willing to come forward.”

  Hilary’s smile was sweet and soft. “That’s more than I can ever ask of you, but if you’re offering, I could definitely use the help.”

  “Then, it’s done,” Rhys said.

  Archer rose, and as Hilary followed, Rhys called, “Does your family know you’re planning on coming forward now?”

  “No,” Hilary said over her shoulder. A powerful hardness in her expression. “I don’t particularly care either. I’m done playing by my father’s rules.”

  Rhys inclined his head at her bravery.

  However, Archer gave Rhys a look he’d seen before. We must tread carefully. The last thing Phoenix needed was Hilary’s father finding out about Rhys’s and Archer’s involvement, which in turn, could expose the club. Rhys never took these risks. But if he could bring hellfire down on Jake, there was no cost he wouldn’t pay for what he had done to Zoey. Rhys acknowledged the unsaid between them with a nod. He rose from his desk and leaned against the large double window, staring out again into the sunny day. The sky had been the same on the day Katherine passed away. He remembered that day vividly, the lack of power he felt, and that’s what drove him to always be in control now. To help those he could. To bring happiness to those who deserved it. But the one thing he hadn’t expected was Zoey and the way she changed him. The way she made him want things he hadn’t thought about since Katherine. But the last thing he wanted was for Zoey to lose herself like Katherine did. Zoey didn’t want to stay in New York City, the reminder of all she’d been through there, haunting her. How could Rhys ask her to stay for him?

  “You deserve her.”

  Rhys glanced over his shoulder, discovering Archer back in the doorway. His longtime friend had a soft gaze, obviously reading Rhys’ thoughts as he added, “Stop punishing yourself for all the things you can’t change, Rhys. She’s good for you. And you’re good for her.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right about that,” Rhys said.

  Zoey had spent the morning packing up some of her clothes, but by noon, she couldn’t stand the familiar lump rising in her throat. She had four clients today, but they were all late-afternoon and evening appointments. Needing to get out, she headed to one of Brooklyn’s most beloved cat cafés, The Hungry Kitty. While a part of her was excited to move home to her family in a few weeks, she couldn’t stop a question from repeating in her mind: Why did I meet Rhys now?

  Why couldn’t she have met him months ago? Everything felt like it had changed. She didn’t feel like the same woman who’d decided to confront Jake and Scott. The woman who wanted to run back to her hometown. She hadn’t expected any of this, including how Rhys made her feel. He was a dream come true, a fantasy she didn’t know she ever wanted. And the thought of leaving this new life she’d found made that small lump in her throat a whole lot bigger. Because this wasn’t just erotic sex anymore; her heart felt tangled into the mix. Which was precisely why she’d asked Rhys to meet her at the café for a coffee. She could run and hide from her feelings, but she decided to confront them. See if what she felt was real, or if the fantasy of Rhys created feelings that weren’t really there.

  An older couple strode by, hand in hand, and Zoey smiled at them as her cell phone rang in her purse. One look at the screen had her feeling terrible. Zoey had already missed one call and barely answered two texts. To avoid her mother sending the police over for a wellness check, she picked up. “Hi, Mom.”

  “She’s still alive, thank goodness,” her mom joked.

  Her mom’s voice was sweet and tender and could make Zoey feel better whenever she heard it. “Yup, alive and doing well,” she replied, leaning back against the brick wall.

  “I hear that. You sound happy. Getting excited to move home?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Zoey instantly realized her mistake.

  Her mom caught on immediately. “That’s never a good sound, coming from you. Have you changed your mind?”

  Had she? Undecided, Zoey stared out at the cute pug walking its human down the street, across the road, and admitted, “There’s just a lot going on right now. I’m excited to move home, but I’ve also got this life here that’s hard to walk away from.”

  “You can always change your mind about leaving Brooklyn,” her mother said gently, the warmth in her voice seeping into the cold spots inside Zoey’s chest as she added, “Sometimes you have to test something out to see if it’s really what you want. Perhaps this move is happening too fast. You know I selfishly want you home, but we make it work with you out there. Perhaps we can all put more effort into visiting each other, though.”

  Zoey’s throat tightened, confusion making her head hurt. This wasn’t the plan. It had never been the plan. Why was she even questioning this? “I miss you, Mom.”

  “Ah, my darling, we miss you too.”

  Zoey shut her eyes, guilt nearly drowning her. There were a thousand things she wanted to say to her mother. “Tell me what you’ve been doing,” she asked.

  “We’ve been staying busy, working in the garden. Your father has it in his head that he wants to create a backyard oasis, whatever that means.”

  Zoey kept her eyes shut and fell into the sweet sound of her mother’s voice. The place was safe, where absolutely nothing could touch her.

  But then a warm finger stroked her arm. Zoey started and snapped open her eyes, finding Rhys’ concerned gaze on her.

  “All right?” he mouthed.

  Zoey nodded, waiting for her mother to finish her story. “Listen, Mom, I’ve got to run. I’ll call you back when I have a minute. Love you both.”

  “Sounds good. Love you back, Pumpkin.”

  The phone line went dead, an
d Zoey stuck her cell back in her purse. “Sorry about that. I’m okay, just missing my parents, that’s all.”

  “Understandable,” he said with a gentle smile. He took a step back then looked up at the sign on the storefront. “So, a cat café, huh?”

  She grinned big. “Surprised?”

  He sent her a sly smile in return. “Intrigued.”

  She thought that was a pretty good reaction and whisked the door open. Animals always calmed her, so she figured this was the best place for their first real date. The café was a small rectangular shape with beanbag chairs on the floor and floating tables with wooden benches beneath them. It was her favorite place to visit in Brooklyn.

  “Hi, Zoey,” Jane said with a wave as she sat behind the counter. “Your usual?”

  Zoey turned back to Rhys. “Are you okay with some snacky stuff for lunch? Cheese and meats, that kind of thing, and sweet tea to drink?”

  “Sounds great,” he said.

  Oddly enough, as much as she thought Rhys might look out of place here, he didn’t. He really did have the ability of blending in, and yet, he could also stand out like the only man in the room. “Yup, two orders of the usual, please,” she called to Jane.

  She led him to the far corner, thankful no one else was there today. She sat in the first beanbag chair, and he dropped down into the other. The moment he stretched out his legs, a cat jumped onto his lap.

  “Looks like you have a friend,” Zoey said.

  He smiled down at the orange tabby and petted the cat, who began to purr. “Did you have a lot of pets growing up? Is that where your desire to work in the animal industry comes from?”

  “I had as many pets as my parents would allow,” she explained with a laugh, reaching out to stroke a passing white cat, who didn’t seem interested in Zoey. All the animals at the café were rescues that had been brought in for socialization before finding their forever homes. For as many cats as she could see, there were just as many in hiding spots, too afraid to come out. “I’ve had a hamster, a couple guinea pigs, and a cat, Oscar, who passed away a few years ago. Did you have any pets?”

  Rhys shook his head. “Boarding schools didn’t allow pets.”

  She had assumed he was well educated. “You never went to school here in New York?”

  “No,” he explained without any emotion in his voice. “That’s just the way my family has always done things. For generations.”

  “I can’t imagine not growing up around my family. Did you like boarding school?”

  “Loved it,” he said with an honest smile. “I’m still in contact with most of the guys I knew from my years there. It’s a type of family, I suppose, just different than the one I’m sure you had. But it’s never been something I would consider if I had children of my own. I like the idea of having a family life, keeping my children at home with me,” his gaze lifted to hers, “and with my wife.”

  Her heart skipped a little at that. The scariest and most wonderful part was she could imagine a life with Rhys. A happy life. A safe and exciting life. She thwarted any serious talk and shifted the subject. “Can I ask why you got into the whole sex-club thing?” She smiled. “Was it something you aspired to?”

  “Funny,” he said with a snort, scratching the cat under his chin. “I assume Elise stumbled on the story about my late girlfriend, Katherine.”

  Zoey cringed. “She did. I’m sorry. I know that’s personal, but—”

  “It’s fair,” he interjected. “I knew things about you I shouldn’t, because of Archer’s vetting.” The cat purred louder now as he stroke its back. “Cancer was cruel to Katherine.”

  “How long did you date her?”

  “I met her the second day of college. The cancer came soon after that.”

  Zoey stroked a long-haired gray-and-white cat that strode by, taking a handful of fur with her. She blew it off her hand. “I’m really sorry, Rhys. I can’t even imagine going through that.”

  He looked at the cat in his lap again, still stroking the happy feline’s back. “It was hard. She hated fate for making her sick. Watching her life end so brutally, with so much anger inside her that she had no control over, taught me no one is getting out of here alive, so you better live your life right.” He glanced up at Zoey then held her gaze. “To answer your question, I opened Phoenix because I wanted to be a part of something that gave more to people. It also allowed for me to safely indulge in the sensual lifestyle I enjoy, and keep emotionally distant while I grieved. But after a while, something shifted and it became about more than that. Wealth gets you ahead in life, but it doesn’t bring you happiness. Sex…” He gave a devilish grin. “Well, I’ve always lived an erotic lifestyle. Only it used to be in secret with willing participants at private parties. First, in college then out of it.” He lifted an easy shoulder, glancing back down at the cat in his lap as he continued stroking him. “Now, I just provide the place and protection for others to indulge too.”

  She became jealous of that cat purring in his lap. “You know, if you’d have asked me a year ago if that made sense to me, I would have said no. Being so erotic, living that kind of life, was so foreign to me. Now…”

  He grinned. “You like it?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “It’s hard to imagine moving home and never partaking in such things again.”

  A beat passed. “Who says you have to go anywhere?”

  Oh, the loaded question hung in the air, so heavy she could barely breathe. “That was always my plan.”

  “Plans change,” he said with ease, but his eyes told a different story.

  She knew she should respond. Have some profound realization, but it never came. The lump in her throat she’d been pushing down rose up again, and her head felt cloudy, making it impossible to think clearly.

  Luckily, Jane arrived with lunch, breaking through the silence. She placed the platter on the small table next to Rhys. “Need anything else, guys?”

  Zoey shook her head and gave a smile. “We’re good. Thanks, Jane.”

  Jane smiled in return. “Enjoy.”

  As she returned to the counter, Rhys blessedly changed the subject, probably for Zoey’s benefit. “I thought you might like to know that Archer discovered the woman who came to your shop is a Phoenix member.”

  “Elise thought that might be the case.” Zoey swallowed that lump back down. Again. “Is her name really Hilary?”

  “It is,” Rhys said as the cat purred louder on his lap. “Do you want me to tell you her story?”

  Zoey started when a black cat jumped onto the back of the beanbag chair and sat on Zoey’s shoulder. She reached up to give the kitty a head scratch. “Is her story similar to mine?”

  “Yes, but it’s not the part about her assault that I want to tell you.”

  “Then, what is it?”

  “Your bravery was what made her want to come forward.”

  Zoey quickly looked back at Rhys. His strong gaze held hers. “It wasn’t bravery, what I did that night,” she countered. “It was the only type of justice I thought I’d ever get. And it was my way out.”

  “Still brave,” he retorted.

  She shook her head adamantly as the black cat headbutted her for attention. “No, it’s not. It was anger and rage, that’s all. Hilary is the one who wants her story out in public. She’s the brave one.”

  Rhys stopped petting the cat and frowned. “Just because you don’t want your story told doesn’t mean you aren’t brave. You confronted the men who assaulted you. Don’t undervalue yourself.”

  She just shrugged as her response. Brave was not hiding anymore. “Is Hilary still going to go to the police?”

  Rhys nodded. “That’s the plan.” At whatever emotion crossed her expression, he quickly added, “But you don’t have to worry, she’s going to leave you, and your name, out of this. Archer’s heading up an investigation now to help her make sure she’s got a solid case. If there are more victims, Archer will find them.”

  “Good,” Zoey br
eathed. “That’s good.” And yet, she felt like a coward, hiding behind her own fear. But the alternative, going forward, admitting what had happened to her, exposing herself again…

  Just as her head began to spin, the black cat swatted Zoey’s face before jumping onto her lap. She startled and laughed. “I’m sorry,” she said to the cat. “Am I not giving you the attention you deserve?” The cat purred, rubbing his head against Zoey’s leg. She hurried to give the animal the scratches he demanded, and he purred even louder.

  “If I purr like that, will you stroke me too?”

  Zoey shivered at the heat in Rhys’ voice. She glanced up into his knowing, devilish smile. It was as if he knew she needed the mood lightened. She didn’t know how he did that. Like, he knew exactly how to get her out of her head. Always seemed to say the right thing. To be there for her exactly how she needed him to be there. Be so in tune with her. “Purr, no, but growl? Absolutely.”

  His eyes flared. “Be careful what you ask for, Zoey.”

  Like a switch he seemed to control, all the confusion in her mind slowly lifted, his strong stare an anchor where she attached herself. Drawn into him, she leaned forward, bringing her mouth close to his. “Should I be afraid?”

  That smile returned, hotter this time. “Depends.”

  “On?” she breathed.

  His gaze greedily scanned over her lips before his smoky eyes lifted. “If you want me to take you into the bathroom and fuck you.”

  “You wouldn’t do that here.” She laughed softly.

  He leaned in, heating up the air around her by a few degrees and said, deadly serious, “Try me.”

  Chapter 12

  Incredible days had turned into unforgettable weeks. Rhys had spent his days texting Zoey, his evenings getting to know her on dates all over the city, and his nights lost deep inside her, until Rhys’ time with Zoey was coming to an end. He’d expected it, but what he didn’t expect was how torn he’d become about her leaving. In a couple days, he had to say goodbye to Zoey, and he had no idea how he was going to do that. He hadn’t asked if she’d packed. He didn’t want to know. Secretly, he kept hoping she’d see the upside to living in New York City, with him. Ever since he’d tossed the idea out to her at the cat café, he’d stayed silent about it, wanting her to make her own choices, but staying quiet was slowly killing him.