Phoenix Bar: A Steel Demons MC Novel (5 page)

Chapter 5

Abby

              Since that first day the crews started working, Mac and I made ourselves scarce. We took the guys’ lunch every day, but other than that we really just focused on tying up loose ends in New York. “I have a meeting with a potential buyer for the company in Amarillo later today, so I won’t be back until later tonight.”

              “Who is it?”

              “Philip Worthington from Worthington International. He was on Grams’ list and had a star by his name, so he’s the first one that I contacted. He’s flying in to Amarillo. We will meet at one for a late lunch.”

              “Ok, I’ll take lunch to the guys and check on progress. I’ve already placed orders for equipment for the kitchen and I’m trying to decide on colors and whether I want to keep the dining experience casual or a slight step up from casual. Also, as far as drink ware goes, how much of what are you going to need? I can just order it with what I’ll need.” I estimate what I think I’ll need to start with, but knowing how things go in a bar, I tack on extra to pack away in storage.

              This is pretty much our routine every day; we discuss what we are planning for the day, it’s been fun having my best friend back. “Alright. Well, I’m going to take a shower and get dressed before I head out. Oh and if it gets too late, I’ll crash in Amarillo and head back in the morning. I might go see a movie or something. The offer is still open, you can come with me.”

              “Nah, too much to do here. Go have fun, I’m getting lunch together for the guys.”

              I overslept a little, so I was rushing to get ready. I wanted to be on the road by eleven to make sure I had plenty of time. I fixed my hair, put light makeup on, and donned my black wrap dress. The sleeves cut off at the elbow and the skirt flared out and ended just at my knee. I decided to add to the ensemble with my red stilettos and silver jewelry. I looked good and felt good. It had been a while since I had dressed to impress someone. Nowadays, I was in jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers or boots. It was nice to feel like a woman.

              I was grabbing my purse and phone when I noticed the battery was dead. The charger cord was messed up and had been on its way out. I had just been too busy to get to the store for a new cord. Now, I was kicking myself for that. I hopped in the car with my duffle and my purse and headed to the restaurant.

              I walked into the restaurant first and, as I expected, they were all standing around and Mac was handing them food. “Ember,” I drew attention to myself. I ignored the stares from the guys, though I felt Brice’s gaze on me as if he was touching me. “Hey, I need you to switch phones with me. Mine didn’t charge last night and is almost dead and I didn’t get a new cord from the store yet, mine has been acting crazy. Hey guys,” I said like it was an afterthought.  I had to force myself to not look at Brice, however, I gave Titan a big smile.

              “Where are you headed, baby girl?” he asked sending a sidelong glance at Brice.

              “I’ve got a meeting up in Amarillo.” Ember brought me her phone from her purse and took mine from me. “I’ll stop and buy a charger that fits your phone when I get there. You got mine?”

              She nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Drive safe and I’ll see you in the morning” Her grin looked a little too devilish for my liking, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. I had to get going.

              “Bye,” I said, turning and heading back to the truck. I was climbing in when the passenger door was wrenched open. I looked up to see Brice climb in the cab.

              “Um, Brice?” I questioned him not sure what he was doing.

              “Let’s go, you have to get to your meeting” the way he said meeting was sarcastic, like he didn’t think for a moment that that was where I was going and what I was doing. It was almost an accusation. 

              “Brice, you can’t come with me.”

              “The hell I can’t. You don’t need to drive any distance by yourself. What if you broke down on the side of the road? What if you get a flat tire?” He seemed angry for some reason, but I had no clue as to why.

              “Look, Brice, I appreciate the offer, but–“, I cut off when I saw his face. His jaw was clenched tight and the fierceness in his eyes made him look like he was barely containing his anger. “Alright, you can ride with me, but you cannot attend my meeting. Deal?”

              “Where’s your meeting at?” He asked. I told him the hotel and the restaurant, and I swear, for some reason, that seemed to make him even angrier “I won’t be at your table, but I’ll be in the same damn room.”

I sighed, this is the same guy who virtually fucked me with his eyes at our first meeting then proceeded to act like I don’t exist for the next few months. Now, after all this time, he has the nerve to- Wow! He’s jealous. He’s jealous and assuming that I’m going on a date. I don’t know whether to be flattered or highly annoyed at his behavior. What a jerk? 

              We were thirty minutes into the drive when he finally asked what I knew was driving him mad, “what kind of meeting do you have?”

              “It’s a business meeting.” I was not going to give him the satisfaction of details.

              “I thought the bar and grill were your business.”

              I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, “its old business that needs to be dealt with, so I’m dealing with it.”

              “What’s your name, Phoenix?”

              I was not expecting that. I mean, I knew Titan was curious, he had been asking me for weeks about mine and Mac’s background. He was damn subtle about it, too. I caught myself a few times almost giving him too much information. He would get me talking about how Mac and I met and the stuff we used to do. It was like he was slowly trying to put a puzzle together. Brice went in guns blazing.

              “Phoenix. I go by Phoenix”

              He studied me, then nodded. “You don’t trust me yet, I get it, but you will and when you do, Phoenix, I will want it all.”

             
All of what?
I thought. That statement could be taken so many ways. I was silent while I thought of what he meant by wanting it all. The tension in the cab could be cut with a knife. To try and ease it and relax before the meeting, I switched on the music. The sound of George Strait’s voice filled the space as he sang about men on steel horses.
I softly sang along with the lyrics, clearing my head and relaxing my mind before this meeting that would decide what was going to happen with the company.

              “You’ve got a decent voice.”

              “Thank you. I love to sing. I know I’m ok and not the best, but I love to do it. That’s how Ember and I met, you know? We were in sixth grade and met in choir at school. We’ve been best friends ever since.” I was rambling a little. I knew it. Brice just put me on edge.

              “She’s a great girl.”

‘
So am I,’
I thought,
‘but you would know that if you wouldn’t pretend I didn’t exist.’
I wanted to say, but didn’t. It stung. For the first time in my life since the sixth grade, I was jealous of my best friend and it didn’t sit well with me. “Yeah, she’s the best,” I said instead, hoping my voice wasn’t as shaky as it sounded to my own ears. Brice must not have noticed, because he didn’t acknowledge it further.

Chapter 6

Brice

              When Ember came in with lunch but without Phoenix, I was curious. I casually asked what she was up to today and Ember said she had something she needed to take care of. I didn’t give it another thought. I was chatting with Ember as she was handing out plates. This was the first job the guys and I had where we were fed and God, Ember could cook.

              If Titan hadn’t already shown his interest, I think some of the other brothers would snatch her up on her cooking alone. When you add her beauty, wit, and sweet personality to it, she was perfection, but as wonderful as she is, I wanted Phoenix.

              I was facing the door, so I noticed Phoenix immediately.
“What the fuck? She looked like she was headed on a date”
my mind raced, thinking about who the hell I was going to have to beat the shit out of. She asked Ember about switching phones, but it wasn’t until Ember’s comment about seeing her in the morning that I about snapped.

              I threw my food in the trash and followed Phoenix out the door.
“Over my dead body was she about to go somewhere to have sex with some man. The only man that was about to fuck her sweet pussy was me.”
I was trying to hold onto my anger. Did I have a right to be angry, no? No, I had been fucking the club girls more the last few months more now than I had in a while, but she was mine, damn it, and if I didn’t claim her as mine, I was going to lose her. It only took a few minutes after I climbed into her truck to convince her that I was going with her. She was irritated, but that was ok. I could definitely help her work off her irritation later in my bed.

              We had very little conversation on the ride there. When she pulled up in front of the nicest hotel in Amarillo, my blood was boiling. “I’m supposed to meet him in the restaurant at one. So, I’m going to check in before I head there. I guess I’ll see you later.” She moved to hop out of the truck, but I stopped her.

              “Let me get your door.” I said with a deceptively calm voice. Then I hopped out and moved to her side of the truck. I opened the door and held her hand as she made the small hop from the seat. It was after I shut the door that I made my move. I crowded her against the side of the truck, sandwiching her body between me and the door. “I don’t know what your meeting is about,” I said, brushing her bangs that had fallen over her eyes back, “but, I do know that you will be thinking of me while you discuss whatever business it is you have.”

              I caged her jaw in my hand and slanted my mouth over hers. I nipped at those plush silky lips and groaned at their softness. I pushed my tongue into her mouth and became intoxicated on the taste of her. One thing I never did with the women at the club was kiss them. In fact, it had been about five years since I kissed a woman, since Monica. This practice served two purposes; one, it kept women at arm’s length, and the second and most important in my mind, you never know when one of the girls at the club last gave head to one of the brothers and no way in hell would I want to kiss a woman who recently blew a brother.

              She whimpered when my arm snaked around her waist and brought her closer to my body. I let go of her jaw and moved my hand down to her neck cupping it in my palm and I traced her jawline with my thumb. Her arms circled around my neck to bring me even closer. I tore my mouth from hers and kissed my way to her neck, sliding my hand over her shoulder and down to her breast where I squeezed the full firm globe. Her breaths were quick and shallow, her breasts rising and grazing my chest with every inhale, I brushed my thumb over her nipple. A shutter wracked through her body. Her fingers tunneled through my hair and a moan escaped her lips.

              A throat cleared, bringing my attention away from the woman in my arms. I pulled back slightly while she cuddled into my chest. I turned to a familiar face that held eyes full of anger and disappointment.

<<<<<>>>>>

              Whatever business Phoenix was taking care of, she had included Gavel. He wasn’t happy to see me with my tongue down his girl’s throat and I’m sure that I would be hearing about it later. I was out of place in the restaurant, still in my work clothes, but frankly, I didn’t care. I sat at the bar drinking a beer and watching Gavel speak with Phoenix. I hadn’t seen him around the last few days, but that wasn’t unusual. He was part of the club but set apart at the same time because of his work.

              I watched as a man approached the table they were at. He was in a suit and had a wealthy look about him. I watched as he raked his eyes over Phoenix. My hand tightened around my beer. He said something that made her smile widely and laugh softly. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her. He was a little too appreciative for my comfort. Though I couldn’t blame him. She looked like a delectable dessert I couldn’t wait to eat. 

              It seemed that they got down to business, because Gavel handed them a contract of some kind to sign. I had the quick thought that maybe they were married and signing divorce papers, but that was quickly put to rest. I’d seen my share of people getting a divorce and they did not meet for lunch or hang around after the papers were signed.

Phoenix started talking first, whatever she was saying, and the guy in the suit did not like it. His shoulders were tense and face drawn tight. He looked angry. Phoenix looked composed, but her eyes seemed like they were pleading for him to understand something. I looked at Gavel to see his reaction to the conversation. He remained focused on what was being said.

The conversation between the two kept going. I was surprised when they were still talking two hours later. I ended up ordering lunch for myself and after two beers I switched to water. The waitress kept trying to get my attention and flirt with me and normally, I would have flirted back and most likely ended up in her bed tonight. Now, with the taste of Phoenix still on my lips, she didn’t appeal to me in the least.

I was just finishing my food when I saw movement at their table. All three of them stood up and shook hands. Phoenix was nodding at whatever he said. Gavel handed him a packet of papers. The man took a step toward her leaned down and said something in her ear. It took all my strength not to go over there and rip him away from her. If I hadn’t been watching, I would have missed his eyes flick toward me before he touched his lips to her cheek. The bastard knew I was watching and he knew I wanted her. Whoever this fucker was, he was playing with fire.

Gavel and Phoenix talked for another minute after he walked away and then moved toward me in the bar. “Everything go as planned?”

“Yes and no. I’m meeting him for breakfast in the morning, so I will know more then.”

I took a deep breath reminding myself that it was a breakfast business meeting not breakfast in bed. “We’ll get a double room for us tonight and we’ll all head back to Belle after breakfast.” Gavel was looking at me as he spoke.

“That works.” I nodded at him. Message received loud and clear. He wanted to make sure that I spent the night in my own bed without Phoenix.

“So, what do you gentlemen want to do tonight?” Phoenix asked. Such a loaded question and nothing gentlemanly about my real answer.

“Well, since I didn’t bring any clothes. I’ve got to run to a store to get some, but other than that, I’m all yours.” I let the innuendo hang and Gavel growled.

I’m not going to lie, I got a kick out of Gavel’s protectiveness of Phoenix. Gavel looked at his watch then spoke. “It’s now 4:30, if we may use your truck, we will head out to get Grit some clothes and we will meet you down in the lobby at 7:00. Perhaps we can go for a few drinks.”

Gavel was definitely going to ream me when Phoenix was out of earshot and he was going to play chaperone while we went for drinks. Honestly though, I didn’t mind. He cared about her and was looking out for her. At least I have peace of mind that if whatever he is keeping tabs on in her life, if it starts to come back on her, he will take care of it or let the club take care of it.

              “Sure, I’ll get you both a room. When you go to the store would you mind picking up a charger for Ember’s phone?”

              “That’s alright. He doesn’t have business here. A double room for us to share will be fine, and yes, I’ll get you a charger.” Gavel was being adamant that we share a room.

<<<<<>>>>>

The minute Phoenix headed up toward her room, Gavel lit into me. “Damn it, Grit, what the hell did I tell you, boy? I told you not to fuck with her. She is not a club girl. If you want to get your dick wet, it better not be in Abby!” He cut off realizing his mistake. Then he started cussing at himself.

              “Abby.” I liked it. It wasn’t much, but at least I finally had a real first name. Not that I didn’t like Phoenix, I did, it suited her also, but knowing her real name was different somehow. I watched Gavel fume at himself and at me for a few minutes before I decided to talk. “Gavel, if all I wanted was to fuck, any woman would do.”

              He stopped and studied me for a moment. “You’re sure?”

              “No, I’m not sure about anything, other than the fact that I want her in a way that I have never wanted another woman.”

              Gavel shook his head. “The first word is all I’m concerned about. Until you can answer my question with a definitive ‘yes’, you don’t touch her.”

              “Come on, Gavel, you’re a part of an MC, I know you aren’t a saint and never have been. Be realistic. I want her and if our kiss is any indication, she wants me as well.”

              “I’ve not asked many of the members for anything in my life, Grit, but I’m asking you this. Don’t fuck with her unless you are damn certain you’re in for the long haul.”

              “What happened to her?” I asked him. His attitude toward her was fiercely protective. There is something in her past that he knows about and whatever it is, it’s big. I had a suspicion and the thought made my blood boil with rage.

              “I can’t tell you that, Grit. Attorney client privilege, which, by the way, I have already broken by telling you her name.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

              “I’ll get her to tell me herself, eventually, but until then, she won’t hear it from me.” 

              “No, I have to tell her you know, but you cannot tell anyone else. Not even Titan. I’m watching the situation from afar and if it starts getting out of hand, I’ll suggest she tell you or allow me to tell you what is going on. But I’m warning you now, getting her to tell anything will be harder than pulling a heist. She won’t talk easily. If her Grandmother hadn’t told me everything to begin with when I was helping her with her will, I probably wouldn’t know anything at all.”

              The gut feeling I told Titan I had, got worse. Something was going on and Phoenix and Ember were somehow attached to it. Now, I couldn’t even tell Titan the minimum information that I had from Gavel –which was basically nothing. Fuck!