I shook my head quickly. “No, he’s not.” He’s the good guy, I thought to myself.
Wave stepped in. “Nathan, can you go inside and pack an overnight bag for you and Taylor? You two are staying at the clubhouse tonight.” Nathan nodded and went into the house. “Before he comes back, is there any chance that anyone else has discovered her location or possibly followed you?”
“If you’re talking about Octavius, then no, he's dead. Has been for over a year now.”
My hand flew to my chest. “What?” I breathed. Octavius was dead? I suddenly felt very unsteady on my feet. My body swayed to the right. I reached out for Wave or Token to steady myself when I felt Phoenix wrap his muscular arms around me to hold me steady.
I couldn't help myself. I melted into his broad chest, my arms circling around his waist. He smelled just like I remembered, a mix of leather, spice, and something woodsy. Before I could stop it, another sob escaped, followed by a torrent of tears. I had missed him so damn much.
I felt my body being lifted and moved. Phoenix’s deep voice whispered softly into my ear, “Just taking you inside, doll face.”
Doll face. How I had longed to hear him call me that over the years. He called me doll face the first day we met and continued to do so the entire time we were a couple.
Phoenix gently placed me on my sofa and sat down beside me. Nathan came running into the room. “Mom! Mom! What's wrong?” my son frantically yelled. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
I felt Phoenix’s body stiffen, but I had no idea why. I was in such a state, I couldn’t even scold Nathan for his foul language.
“Nathan, calm down,” Wave commanded. “Your momma’s okay. You know neither Token nor I would ever let anything happen to her. She just got some shocking news, that’s all.”
I sniffled and looked up at my son. “I’m fine, honey. You know how I can get when I’m really tired. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
He studied me for a long minute. “I’m not sure I believe you, but I’ll drop it for now. Are we ready to go to the clubhouse?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. I needed to talk to Phoenix, and, honestly, I didn’t want to go anywhere without him, but I knew Wave had a party planned to celebrate Nathan’s new contract and I didn’t want to miss that either.
Making the decision for me, Wave answered, “I think it would be a good idea if we all went back to the clubhouse. That okay with you, Phoenix?”
“Sure, man. Whatever you think is best,” Phoenix replied.
I went to the bathroom and freshened up my appearance, grabbed a few more things for the night, and rejoined everyone in the living room, more nervous than I had been in years. I couldn’t even begin to figure out how Phoenix found me and more importantly, why he found me.
I followed the men outside and glanced between the bikes. I desperately wanted to ride with Phoenix, to cling to his waist and bury my nose in his back. Phoenix leaned down and whispered into my ear, “Go ride with your boy. I’ll be right behind you.”
Reluctantly, I climbed on behind my son. I glanced back at Phoenix several times before I finally told Nathan I was ready. Once we were on the road, he started talking. “Mom, who is Phoenix?”
I sighed. This was not a conversation I wanted to have with my son. I had to choose my words carefully, particularly until I saw confirmation that Octavius was indeed dead. I didn’t think for one second that Phoenix was lying to me, but I wanted proof. No, I needed proof.
“Phoenix is someone I knew in high school. I haven’t spoken to anyone from my hometown in a very long time. I don’t know why he’s here, but you know Wave wouldn’t have invited him to the clubhouse if he didn’t trust him.”
“So, if he is just some old friend of yours, why were you so upset?”
“Honey, I’d really rather not have this conversation while we’re on your bike. Can we table this for now?” I asked.
He reluctantly agreed and we rode the rest of the way to the clubhouse in silence. My mind was flooded with memories from the past, memories that made my heart ache with the thoughts of what could have been.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Phoenix
I don’t know how I managed to keep my bike upright as I followed Wave to his clubhouse. After almost 20 years, I finally found my Annabelle. Only, she wasn’t my Annabelle anymore. She was an older version of my Annabelle going by the name of Taylor Davis. And she had a son. A son that wasn’t my son. That thought had me grinding my teeth and tightening my grip on my handlebars.
My mind was flooded with questions I desperately needed answered. How could she have another child and leave two children behind? Was this kid Octavius’s son or did someone else father that child? How old was he? How in the hell did she end up under Wave’s watch? Oh, fuck me, was Wave that kid’s father?
By the time we pulled into what I assumed was Wave’s clubhouse, I had managed to get myself all worked up. I wanted to throttle Annabelle and kiss her at the same time. How could I feel so relieved to have finally found her while simultaneously being so damn angry with her? I didn’t have a strong handle on my emotions. Part of me wanted to head back to my hotel room and try this again the next day while the other part of me wanted to never let her out of my sight again. The latter part of me won that battle.
I followed Wave into his clubhouse. It appeared to be an old indoor storage building that he converted to house his brothers. It was pretty shabby looking from the outside, but the inside was a different story. The front doors opened into a large room with tables, sofas, a few pool tables, and a bar at the back of the room. “Welcome to the Knights of Neptune’s Clubhouse, Phoenix.”
“Thanks, man. Nice setup you got here.”
