Phoenix (The Broken Book 5)

by Serena Simpson

  Phoenix caught her drawing her against his solid chest.

  “Is a reaper the same as an angel of death?”

  “Yes, and no.” He led her onto his floor.

  She looked around seeing the kitchen off to one side. Why did he have a kitchen? Then he showed her the living room. The carpet was plush, much grander than any she had ever seen. There was no furniture.

  “Where is your furniture?”

  “I never got around to getting any. Mekhi and Akron thought black leather wasn’t the way to go.”

  “Why black, why leather?”

  “Black so that it wouldn’t clash with wild red hair or grass-green eyes. Leather, because the salesman said all the single males of this planet bought that for their houses.”

  She was still on wild red hair and grass-green eyes. Did he just describe her and say that he wanted something she would look nice sitting on?

  “Are you talking about me?”

  “Who else could have hair this color of red and eyes that see the world looking like new spring grass.”

  Her heart squeezed, it was painful, but it was also a reminder that she was alive. She could hear Troy murmuring in her ear that she would have to accept what was happening around her and to her, fast.

  “Black leather isn’t my preferred style.”

  “I’m not such a hopeless case after all.”

  Nothing hopeless about him.

  He reached over and took Elfin from her arms placing him on the floor. “Explore, you can have the run of the place except for my bedroom. There are litter boxes around for you.”

  Phoenix walked deeper into his space and opened a door. “This is your room whenever you're ready for it. Tell me what you would like, and we’ll get it for you.”

  Elfin started talking as he walked around the space looking for hidden intruders. That’s when she realized he had been abnormally quiet. The one thing she found out today was that Elfin loved to talk.

  “The reaper,” she prodded as Phoenix led her around showing her the empty rooms. Finally, they stopped in the bedroom.

  “You can sleep in here; I'll sleep on the floor.”

  “The reaper?” she asked again as she walked over to the bed and leaned a hip against it.

  “There is a world full of them. The reapers are known as the collectors of souls. The created do not have a soul.”

  “I don’t believe that. If you have no soul, then neither do I.”

  “You have a soul Rylee; I can feel it, see it. I can almost touch it.”

  “Then you have one too.”

  He let it go with a simple bow of his head. He didn’t want to argue with his little mate. Not when she was standing in front of him with her pants framing her wide hips and her shirt tugging over her small breast and her flat belly. How was she still single when she was shaped with such curves?

  “Why is he coming after you?”

  “He killed my brothers. He killed all of our original brothers all but Slade’s.”

  Rylee walked around the bed aware that Phoenix was watching every move. She placed her purse on the nightstand and her shoes on the floor before she jumped up on the bed. It was higher than normal. A step stool would have been nice.

  He walked to his closet and pulled out what looked like a custom-made step stool that fit perfectly against the bed. She didn’t ask, and he didn’t volunteer any information on it.

  “Another alien from a different planet?”

  “Yes. You need to get some sleep.”

  “So do you.”

  “I will sleep in the living room.”

  “I have a problem with that.” She frowned not wanting to put him out of his bed. He didn’t owe her anything; she learned that lesson a long time ago. It made life inestimably easier when you realized you were on your own.

  “I’m used to sleeping on the floor.” He turned to leave the room.

  “So am I. I’ve slept on park benches and in warehouses. I’ve slept outside in the park hoping no one stumbled across me. I’ve spent the night in homeless shelters. Sleeping on your plush carpet won’t be a problem. I’ll join you, but I won’t put you out of your bed.”

  She didn’t know why she was pushing. Thanks, and see you in the morning should be coming out of her mouth. The thought of not caring enough bothered her when it came to Phoenix. That scared her. The only person she cared about recently was Troy. It was hard enough to have one liability. Phoenix would make two.

  “We have an impasse.” He frowned looking at the bed and then staring at her. “You’re not what I thought you’d be.”

  He spent a good amount of time wondering what his mate would be like. He spent time wondering what Rylee was like. Getting a drink from her or even talking in the bar didn’t do her personality any justice. It also didn’t clue him in to the fact that she was stubborn and brave. Those were the things you only learned when you spent time with a female or she was placed in danger.

  He knew these things because her association with him placed her in danger. He turned and left the room. Tomorrow he would find her some place safe to stay until he either dealt with the reaper or he made the ultimate sacrifice for his family.

  He laid down in the middle of the floor. He was already dressed in a tee and joggers. Rylee came stumbling into the living room through the dark. A faint glow came off her giving her enough light to see. In her hand were a pillow and a cover off the bed.

  “You really are stubborn.”

  Her words should have made him think. She was dressed in one of his tee’s. Her pants must have been left in the room. He found that the sight of her legs, and her ankles stirred a desire deep inside of him. There is no way a pair of ankles was making him react, but his dick was trying to dance in his joggers that were too loose.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Here as in your apartment or here as in the living room.” She laid down next to him. “I’ll have you know I trust no one.” Having said that, she spooned against him, her crazy cat trying to suffocate him as it laid on his face. They were both out with a good night.

  He closed his eyes and laid perfectly still. So, this is what it’s like to hold his mate close. He fell asleep with a small smile gracing his lips.

  Rylee moved then groaned. “Why are we asleep on the floor? I’m too old for this.” She stretched making his tee inch up her body showing more of her shapely legs.

  “Ahh, don’t look at my thighs, they’re huge.”

  “Nice,” Phoenix said. His voice was so low she almost didn’t hear him. “Soft.”

  She no longer hated her body. She got over that eventually, but she was the classic pear-shaped woman. Small on top with huge hips and thighs. When the girls were running around showing off their bikini bodies, she was hiding in a one piece with a cover-up. She rarely wore a dress because of her shape.

  Her stomach roared from hunger, which made her remember she needed to feed Elfin.

  “Beggars can’t be choosy and all that, but did you say something about having food and a litter box for Elfin?”

  “He’s already found the litter box.”

  Phoenix stood; he stretched his hands over his head allowing the muscles in his stomach to flex. Rylee forgot what she was thinking as her tongue came out to lick her lips. She wanted to taste him.

  “Really? I’m hungry.”

  Her hand went to her chest as she looked around the living room.

  “Rylee?”

  She gave Phoenix a startled look. “I’m okay; I think yesterday is finally catching up with me.” She took the hand he offered and stood.

  “I’ve been told this is the best cat food on the market. I have hard and soft.” He pulled out an unopened bag of food as well as cans when they reached his kitchen.

  “How come you have so much cat food?”

  “We have four, now five cats. You never know where they will end up. They’re not good about privacy and personal space.”

  “Cats own you not the other way aro
und.” She opened a can of wet food and put it out. There was no sense in opening the dry food if they weren’t going to be there long.

  “We can go downstairs for breakfast.”

  “Let me go change my clothes.” They walked into the bedroom. She picked her clothes up and went into the bathroom he showed her. She wished she had clean clothes and a chance to use his large shower or to soak in his deep tub.

  “Your bathroom is a masterpiece.”

  “You can use it; we can always have breakfast later.”

  “Thanks, I don’t have any clothes with me. I’ll have to go back to my apartment soon.”

  He took her down the elevator explaining that Akron lived on one. Slade lived on three, and the G was for garage and the L for the living room.

  “The setup is the same on the other wing, but they have a K for the kitchen, not an L.”

  “This is a lot of space.”

  “We need it. We are all different, and we need to be able to allow our natural selves to come out.”

  “Because you’re not biological brothers?”

  “Exactly.”

  She shook her head. She may have said the right thing but had no idea what it meant.

  When she got to the kitchen, she froze in the doorway. She knew that he had a large family. He was one of six brothers. Several of his brothers, four if she remembered correctly had mated. What she didn’t expect was the children of varying ages. Where did they get teens from? Shouldn’t all the children be babies?

  The girl who was calling Quinn mom had to be thirteen or fourteen. Maybe she had a child before she met Mekhi?

  “Rylee come in, join the madness we call breakfast,” Serenity invited her in.

  “We’ve got French toast, eggs, cream of wheat, bacon, and sausage. If there’s something you’re dying for, and we don’t have it just ask,” Brandi told her as she took several pieces of French toast off a griddle.

  “That sounds delicious. Way more than I would make if I were home alone.”

  “These guys can eat.” Brandi handed platters of food to Jabari to place on the table.

  “What’s this?” The teen who called Quinn mom asked.

  “French toast,” Rylee told her.

  “Tee…”

  “It’s Tia mom; you have to use my human name.”

  “I swear I thought she would be older than me. How did this happen?” Quinn muttered looking at Tia.

  “Alien DNA,” Mekhi told her.

  Tia looked at her with a glint in her eyes. Rylee was sure that she was planning trouble.

  Tia picked a piece of the French toast that Quinn cut for her.

  “Don’t say it,” Quinn told Mekhi. “I am not giving her a knife.”

  “You have to put syrup on it to make it taste good Tia.” David handed her over the bottle.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s sweet you’ll love it.”

  She nodded at David and placed it on her plate. Then she dipped a piece of French toast into it. She placed it in her mouth. Her eyes got wide, and she jumped up from the table. “What is this taste?”

  “It’s sweet.”

  “More.” She sat at the table and poured the syrup out on the back of her hand and started licking it up, like a cat.

  “Tia,” Quinn hissed at her.

  “Is this wrong?” She looked up at her with wide green eyes.

  “No baby,” Quinn hugged her. The smile and the soft look in her eyes told of her love. “It just tastes better on the French toast.”

  “Gremlins,” Rylee repeated softly to herself.

  “Did you say something,” Piper asked.

  The knock at the kitchen door kept her from answering.

  Chapter Eight

  Slade moved to the door. He gave Akron a glance that said sit down before he answered it.

  “The last time Akron tried to answer the door, he did it with a butcher knife in his hand,” Phoenix said loudly drawing a glare from his brother.

  Rylee kept her face neutral not sure if she had stepped out the frying pan and into the fire.

  Serenity laughed before she leaned over and gave Akron a long lingering kiss.

  Rylee felt her shoulders collapse. Being here was like working around the craziness at The Vortex. The thing was, she liked it. If she stayed here long enough she was going to like, no love Phoenix’s family.

  Slade opened the door. Troy was standing outside.

  “Are you going to let me in?” Troy demanded.

  “No.” Slade went to slam the door.

  “I’m not leaving. Do not make me curse you.”

  “You can’t if I separate your head and then place it outside as a reminder for demons like you to stay away from my family.”

  “You’re not fast enough, and I’m not a demon.”

  “You want to try me?”

  “I’m jealous,” Lysander said as he walked up the path. “Troy you have now entered a sacred circle. There are only two of us that have been threatened with death or dismemberment for knocking on the created door.”

  “Dad!”

  “Baby girl!” Lysander smirked up at Slade before Serenity slammed into him. He picked her up and twirled her around.

  “Put me down! What have I told you about doing that it makes me dizzy?”

  He might have listened to her if she wasn’t grinning from ear to ear.

  “Come in,” Slade snarled. “You,” he pointed to Troy. “Watch yourself.”

  Troy’s eyes flashed amber before he crossed the threshold.

  “Troy,” Rylee stood wringing her hands.

  Troy walked to her and took her into his arms ignoring the growl that escaped Phoenix.

  “You know about the fire?” Rylee’s voice was low and weak.

  “Yeah, and your nocturnal visitor.”

  “Oh. It wasn’t my fault I swear.”

  “I know that.”

  She sagged in his arms. Troy was the only one who knew about her. Which meant that his thoughts about her were important.

  “Your place is toast. The fire was contained to your apartment alone. The firemen are calling it a lucky break. Nothing survived but your lockbox.” He set her aside and picked up the fire and water safe box that she kept her important papers in.

  “Just this?”

  “I’m sorry Rylee.”

  “I’m alive that’s what’s important. Well, me and Elfin. He’s my cat; you'll love him.”

  “I have more news.”

  She frowned. There was a clawing feeling along her spine as she looked at Troy’s face.

  “There were several men asking about the occupant of the apartment that burned. They also showed up at the club wanting information on you. No one except myself has that type of knowledge; I was mysteriously absent. I don’t think it would be wise for you to come back.”

  She was going to have to run. Why now? She knew the answer to that. Never stay in one place too long that was her motto. When she found Troy and The Vortex, it was supposed to be for three or four months. Enough time to pocket some money before she moved on. It would have worked if she hadn’t felt safe and protected there.

  Then Phoenix walked in. Her imagination and her libido were captured. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make herself run. Now Troy, and maybe Phoenix and his family would pay for her sins.

  “I won’t be coming back.” Her mouth bled as if she was chewing ground up glass as those words came out. Everything she worked for was gone. “Thank you for everything.”

  “Rylee don’t.” Troy stopped when she shook her head.

  She took her lockbox. She was out of the kitchen, and through the living room before anyone moved. The last thing she wanted to do was run, but too many lives were at stake if she didn’t.

  “Elfin,” she called out as she walked into Phoenix’s place. She looked around aware she already had half-formed dreams of helping him decorate so it didn’t clash with her red hair or green eyes. A twitch of a smile touched her
lips before reality came crashing down.

  “Where are you baby? We have to leave.”

  “No! I’m not leaving.”

  She sank to the floor with her head clutched between her hands. An explosion of noise went off, and she was sure she had a concussion.

  “Sorry.” The voice came again. “Too loud.”

  “What’s happening?” She lifted her head, there was a small trickle of blood coming from her nose. Then there was a cat flying into her arms. Little paws were batting at the blood like he was trying to clean her up. Remorseful eyes looked up at her.

  She looked down and damn, didn’t she see a soul and a world in the eyes of her cat.

  “I’m sorry Rylee. Sometimes I get scared, and I forget and shout.”

  She felt the apology in every part of her being. “Elfin are you talking to me?”

  That was impossible, right? But Phoenix and his family were aliens. Troy was an alien. That was obvious now. How she kept herself from acknowledging that was a mystery.

  “We have to leave Elfin. If we stay here, we will die and so will everyone around us.”

  “They can protect us, Rylee. Look at Phoenix, he is so big and powerful.”

  She turned to find Phoenix in the door. He moved so silently she never heard him come in. He was big, bigger than she remembered from the kitchen.

  “My cat is talking to me, real words, not meows.”

  “Elfin is a talented cat. Then again, so are all the other cats.

  “I haven’t seen a cat yet.” She did see the litter boxes, but they were out of the way.

  “You met them all at breakfast. Tia is Quinn’s cat. Fie they haven’t picked a humanoid name for him is Brandi’s cat. Ivory is Piper's cat, and Amani is Serenity's cat.”

  “Those are cats? They are teens and well an eight-year-old.”

  “They are also cats. Tia is the only one didn’t originally have a humanoid shape. Ivory took care of that. Do you know what that means?”