Deep In You (The Phoenix Series Book 1) Read online

  My feet pounded the pavement, and I let my mind wander as I hit my stride. This was a great idea, no focus required. I just had to pay enough attention to not get hit by a car. After that dismal practice session, my thoughts inevitably turned to Lily.

  That bitch had tricked me into giving a shit about her when she had been playing me the entire time. Despite all that, I still had some insane desire to clear the air between us. I’d nearly called her so many times, but my own stubbornness had stopped me. I knew I didn’t like feeling like this. I didn’t love her, but I definitely felt something for her. Was it just lust? The only way to find out would be to try to continue our relationship. Only problem was I couldn’t control her. It drove me insane. I had tried; I told her to get in the car and she’d refused.

  Had she just been jerking me around for her article? I hadn’t seen one, but I hadn’t really looked, either. No one paid any attention to tabloid articles, so why should I care? Furthermore, what was with me and reporters lately? Newspaper reporters, tabloid reporters… they were all bad news. I should steer clear.

  I neared a bar and grill with outdoor seating, and I slowed to a stop.

  A balding man with wire-rimmed glasses and a bad comb-over sat with a young woman. They both looked so familiar. I doubled over to catch my breath, sneakily looking closer.

  Holy shit. Mr. Retirement Fund… and Amara.

  Did she know who he was, or was this a chance encounter? Did he know she was a tabloid reporter? Was she setting him up? Was he planning to attack her? I turned my back, dropping down to tie my shoes, trying to listen in.

  “… it wouldn’t be so hard to get to her if you hadn’t screwed it up in the first place,” Amara hissed, her tone accusatory. They were a fair distance away, and the street noises made it difficult to hear them. I strained my ears, still crouched on the ground, all pretext of tying my shoes gone. “I paid you good money to take Lily away and get those pictures of her. Now how am I going to guarantee I get the promotion?” That last word was almost an unintelligible shriek.

  I couldn’t believe it. It sounded like Lily getting drugged wasn’t a random incident; it had been orchestrated by her friend. Over a job. I was shocked that anyone could stoop that low. I straightened up to my full height and opened the gate separating the covered seating area from the passersby.

  “Amara.” I bit out her name and nodded to her, my arms crossed. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Xander!” she gushed. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise? This is my business associate, Carl Franco. Carl, Xander Phoenix. Please, won’t you join us?”

  “This isn’t a social visit. I heard what you two were talking about.”

  Amara’s face contorted in rage, while Franco’s already pale complexion lightened further. “And what do you think you heard, exactly?”

  My hands clenched into fists. I had to keep my cool. She would not provoke me. She didn’t want to dance with me, not here, not in public. I raised my voice. “I heard you say that you paid this m–”

  “Keep your voice down!” Franco jumped to his feet and lunged around the table as though he were going to run. I was faster. His shirt clenched tight in my fist, I jerked him toward me and punched him. Pain, sharp and hot, raced through my hand as I felt his nose give way, submitting to the force of my blow. His body went slack. He fell hard to the ground, knocking a metal chair aside.

  The noise of the other guests died away, leaving a bubble of silence only broken by the road noise nearby. Amara pulled out her smartphone, the screen flashing to life. I held out a hand to stop her.

  “Don’t even think about it. Either of you. Just so you know, I have full toxicology reports on both Lily and myself. We have witnesses. I know what you did. You, Franco, are in deep shit. My advice? Get the fuck out of here.”

  “It’s your word against ours, Xander.” Amara’s voice was pure malice. “Do you think Lily would testify against me?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. I know she would against your friend here.” I pointed at Franco with my uninjured hand. Blood gushed from his nose and covered his face, rendering him unrecognizable. “Deep shit, asshole. Remember that.”

  I stomped out the gate without a backward glance, waving off an indignant looking waitress.

  Blood leaked out of small gashes in my sore knuckles. Shit. Sam was going to kick my ass when he caught wind of this. I flexed my hand, wincing. I’d gotten off lucky. I didn’t think anything was broken except the skin.

  I’d worry about my hand soon enough. First, I needed to see Lily. I broke into a jog, my thoughts a jumbled mess as I thought about what I would say to her.

  I trotted up the stairs and flung open my bedside table, searching without success for the card she had given me. I knew it had to be in there. Just when I was starting to get really aggravated, I found it.

  I quickly programmed the number into my phone. I should have done this long ago; it just never came up. I punched dial and waited. It went to voicemail.

  “Um, hi. Lily? It’s Xander. Listen, I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but I need to talk to you, and it’s kind of important. Give me a call at this number when you get my message. Thanks. Bye.” I hit disconnect and stared at the phone, half expecting it to ring immediately. Turning the volume way up, I set the phone on the bathroom counter and switched the shower on. I had no idea if she would call me back in five minutes or five hours, or if she would even call me back at all, but I wanted to be ready if and when she did.

  I showered quickly, toweling off my hair and body before wrapping the towel around my waist. Fishing out a bandage, I wrapped my hand, then grabbed my laptop off the bedside table.

  Pulling it up, I used their search box to find articles Amara had written. Thank God her name hadn’t been Susan or Cathy or something common. Pausing over the large listing of articles, I highlighted her name. Amara Dagher. I opened another window and typed her name into the search bar. Dozens of pictures of her came up. Professional pictures, candid pictures, old MySpace pictures. I scrolled through them all, searching for any that might have Mr. Retirement Fund in them. Clicking on a Facebook photo, I opened up her personal page.

  Like mine, her page was wide open so the whole world could see it. Not sure why she hadn’t tightened it down or made it friend only, but so much the better for me. I quickly flipped through her pictures and started reading her status updates.

  The phone rang, startling me from my concentration. I jumped and knocked the phone onto the floor. I bent to pick it up with a shaking hand, my heart pounding from the shock.

  Lily.

  My mouth went dry.

  What the fuck is the matter with me?

  “Phoenix.”

  “Xander, it’s Lily. I was returning your call?” She sounded hesitant; her voice was breathy and brought to mind the way she sounded when I was inside her. Focus, Xander.

  “Lily, yes. I found out something about…” Shit, what was I going to say? How could I bring this up? “About… Lily, can I see you?”

  Silence was my answer. Finally, “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

  “Lily, I need to talk to you. It’s important, and this is really hard to discuss over the phone. Please?”

  Lily paused. “All right. Meet me in the IHOP you took me to. Do you remember which one?”

  “Yes. When?”

  “An hour?”

  “I’ll be there. See you soon.”

  I ended the call and returned to my search.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My search hadn’t pulled up ay relevant information. The name Carl Franco had brought up hundreds of names, and cross-referencing with Amara’s profile had been another dead end. She wasn’t friends online with anyone by that name. Whatever. Had I found actual proof that they knew each other, it would have been great, but I wanted Lily to believe me over her lying bitch of a friend, even without proof.

  Perhaps I should have brought flowers. Oh well, too late now. I entered the diner and requested
a table by the front window. I ordered each of us a glass of water with lemon and settled down to wait.

  Every time a car approached, my pulse sped. Why was I such a nervous wreck? Sure, I had information for her that she wouldn’t like, but why would that have any effect on me? I took a deep breath and checked the time.

  She was fifteen minutes late. I sighed in frustration. She said she would be here, but where was she?

  Suddenly, there she was, walking around the building and in front of my window. A frisson of excitement jolted through my veins. Even in the yoga pants and loose-fitting oversized top she wore, she was sexy. Her eyes were bright, and her pink cheeks made her almost look like she was glowing. I realized I was glad to see her. I rose to my feet as she entered and approached my table.

  “Xander… you look good.”

  “So do you. Please, sit down.” I held out her chair.

  “Sorry I was late.”

  “No problem. I wasn’t waiting long.”

  “What’s going on?”

  I hesitated. “How have you been?”

  What looked like alarm passed over her lovely face, but it disappeared quickly. “I’ve been fine. You said you needed to talk to me, that it was important.”

  “How have things been with you and Amara?”

  “You brought me here to discuss Amara?” she demanded, her voice low and dangerous. She tapped her fingernails against the tabletop.

  “Has she called you recently?”

  “Why? You want to hook up with her now? You think I’m your way in?”

  “Lily, it’s not like that. Hear me out before you get mad, okay? This is important. Yeah, this is about Amara, but it’s about you, too.”

  Lily folded her arms in front of her chest, almost as if she were protecting herself from me. “Fine, go on.”

  “How long have you known her?”

  “Why?”

  “Answer me?”

  “Why should I?”

  I stared at her, my annoyance building. I was trying to have a conversation with her, but she insisted on becoming so defensive. Thinking back, she was always defensive when it came to Amara. Time to shock her. No more pussyfooting around.

  “I saw her with the man who drugged you. His name is Carl Franco.”

  Lily froze. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

  I nodded. “Yup. That’s what I wanted to say. I wanted to ease you into it, but I don’t know why you’re always so defensive.”

  “Sh–she was… did you warn her?” Lily snatched up her phone and started tapping the screen. “I have to make sure she’s okay. Why wouldn’t you stop her?”

  Shit! She thinks he was going to drug her. I placed my hand atop hers. “Lily…”

  She scowled and jerked her hand away.

  “Lily, she hired him to take pictures of you in a compromising position. To blackmail you so she would get the promotion.”

  “No…”

  “No?”

  “She wouldn’t.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

  “What do you mean she wouldn’t? Lily, the woman hit on me right in front of you. In fact…” I furrowed my brow, thinking, “In fact, that second night in the club, Chrissy told me that guy had approached her but ran off when those two bozos from outside joined her. I’d assumed he’d chosen her for his next mark, but obviously not.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I caught them together while out jogging. I stopped and listened in.”

  “You were eavesdropping?”

  “Yes, and aren’t you glad I was?”

  “I’m sorry, but all this is just a little hard to believe.”

  And there it is.

  “Well, believe it, baby. After I heard what they’d done, I confronted them and broke his nose.” I sighed. “Look, we haven’t spoken in a month. I’ve missed you, I admit it. I don’t think lying to you would be the best way to win your affections back, do you? I’m telling you the truth; I have never lied to you. Focus on what’s important here, Lily.”

  All the fight went out of her. She looked so lost and forlorn.

  “She isn’t your friend,” I continued. “She paid some guy to drug you. Over a job. That’s insane.”

  She said nothing, merely sat frozen.

  “Lily?” I wanted to be closer to her, wanted to take her in my arms and comfort her, but I didn’t. No matter how much I wanted her, we still had more to discuss about us before I dared touch her.

  “I have nothing left,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “I have nothing left. Michael, Allison, Amara, you… and if all this is true, I don’t have a place to live, either.”

  “Come again?”

  “She’s my roommate. The apartment is hers.” Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly at a loss. “I can’t take this anymore, the backstabbing, the rivalries. It’s too much.”

  Damn it! I hadn’t seen this coming. What the hell was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to handle this? I sat back in my chair and rubbed my temples. “What will you do?”

  Lily threw her hands up in the air. “What can I do? I have nowhere to go. My parents are separated, moved on. They don’t live locally. My dad has a single bedroom apartment. My mom has her new family. They have no room for me. I have no friends I can trust, apparently. All I can do is keep going on and just let her have the promotion. Then maybe this will end and she’ll leave me alone. I can look for another job and place to stay in my spare time.”

  “So you aren’t going to confront her? She just gets away with it? You’re just going to keep living with her after what she did?”

  “I don’t enjoy sleeping on the streets, so yes.”

  I knew what I needed to do, knew how I could help her, but I held back. “Lily… tell me about the article. I have to know.”

  Confusion marred her beautiful face. “What article?”

  “Me.”

  “There was no article. I scrapped everything.” Noticing my frown, she leaned forward and placed her hand in mine, her brown eyes meeting my blue. “Xander, I was writing about you before we ever met. I was determined to expose your big secret. I have a source who claimed she knew your sister. Her version of the months leading up to the accident was fascinating to say the least.”

  Fuck! She did find out. I fought to keep my expression bland, not wanting to lend credence to the story.

  “I almost told you about it so many times that weekend,” she continued, “but we were having such a great time, and I didn’t want to risk it. Then you punched that guy in the club.”

  I grunted. Not my best moment.

  “That was sweet and took me by surprise. No one has ever punched anyone else over me before. That said, Amara saw everything. She knew who that guy was,” Lily chuckled. “In fact, she did his friend that night. She could have written God only knows what about what she witnessed, and then that man would have recognized you. Could have sued you. I said I was writing it to throw her off the scent. Her limited article would have been boring compared to the dirt I had on you, and she knew it.”

  “Why would you cancel your article for me? I know we had an awesome weekend and all, but one weekend is hardly life altering.” Despite my words, the relief washed over me. Lily wasn’t going to blast my life, or my family’s, in front of the world to sell her story after all.

  She bit her lip. “It was for me.”

  That settled it.

  I couldn’t let her stay with that treacherous twat she called a friend. Not now.

  “Have you folks decided?” I glanced up at the waitress. Where had she been all this time? I had decided, all right. I rose to my feet and held out my hand to Lily.

  “That won’t be necessary. We’re leaving.”

  “We are?” Lily asked.

  “Yes.” I tossed a few bucks on the table.

  “Where is your car?” I asked as we walked outside.

  “I walked here.”

  “Do you actual
ly have a car? I’ve never seen you with one.”

  “No.”

  “I’d have picked you up, Lily. You didn’t need to walk.” I opened up the passenger door. “Get in the car.”

  “A ‘please’ would be nice.”

  I stared at her in stony silence, but she just crossed her arms and glared right back.

  Damn it. “Please get in the God damned car.”

  She slid gracefully in, and I shut the door behind her. Climbing in the driver side, I hit the button for the ignition. Damn, it was stifling in here. I cranked the air conditioner, even though it blew hot air.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Back to my place, to plan.”

  “Plan?”

  “Well, you didn’t think I’d let you go back to the woman who could have killed you, did you?”

  “Xander, I told you. I have nowhere to go.”

  I ran my thumb along her lower lip. It was so plump and soft. I put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot.

  “Move in with me.”

  “Wait, what?”

  I glanced at her, nearly chuckling at the look of shock and horror on her face.

  “You heard me.”

  “You’ve gone insane since we last met.”

  “Hardly. Lily, I’ve missed you. I haven’t even admitted to myself how much. Have you missed me?”

  “Well, yes, but–”

  “I’ve thought of you every day. Listen, even if you don’t want to have a relationship with me, you can move into my spare room for a while. At least until you have everything worked out. Okay? You can put in your notice and start looking for a job. I’ll take care of everything in the meantime.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  I shifted the car into sixth as I merged onto I-5. “Why not?”

  “We barely know each other.”

  “Clearly, you barely knew Amara. I, at least, want what’s best for you. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Just move in with me.”

  “What’s the hard way?”