I huffed. “My world has been completely upended this past week. I met my children, as my children, for the first time today. Not to mention we just rode halfway across the country on a motorcycle, survived a tornado, and drove the rest of the way in a box truck. I think I have a right to be tired!”
He stalked closer to me. “Yeah, you do have a right to be tired, but none of the things you just spewed has anything to do with what’s bothering you. You gonna tell me or do I need to make you?”
“Fuck off, Phoenix. Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m a child!” I yelled.
He placed his hands on my hips and held me in place. “Then stop acting like one and start talking.”
I turned my head to the side and muttered, “I don’t want to go to the farm.”
He engulfed me with his arms. “Oh, baby, I didn’t realize you were scared to go back there.”
“I’m not scared. I just don’t want to.”
He lightly chuckled. “You’re scared and that’s okay. Listen, Ember and Coal live there. Do you think I would let my kids live somewhere that wasn’t safe?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “A few of the club members work for Ember and some even live out there. Kathleen and Jeff still live there. Plus, a lot of things have changed. Parts of it don’t even look the same.”
I knew he was trying to help, but there was little to nothing he could say that would make me feel any better about the whole thing. Or so I thought.
“How about I go with you? Not to hover over you and the kids, but just so you know I’m there. We’ll ride over in my truck and you can keep the keys so you can leave whenever you want,” he offered.
I nodded into his chest. “That sounds good.”
He took a step back and met my eyes. “All right, now that that’s settled, you need to check your phone before you get in the shower. It’s been ringing a lot. It’s downstairs in your bag. Want me to get it for you?”
When he returned with my bag, I picked up my phone to look at the missed calls, but it started ringing in my hand.
“Hello,” I answered, inwardly cringing when I realized who had been calling.
“Hell, girl, you’ve damn near given me a heart attack! I haven’t heard from you in days. Token and I were getting ready to come looking for you!” Wave barked into the phone.
“I’m so sorry! I’m fine, really. The trip didn’t go as expected, but we made it to Croftridge a few hours ago,” I rushed out.
“I see. Well, start talking, half pint. Tell me all about it.”
I was on the phone with Wave for well over an hour. He was like the father I never had but always wished for. He wasn’t old enough to be my father, but that was the role he played in my life. By the time we were finished, I was exhausted. I sent a quick text to Nathan and decided to skip the shower. Minutes later I was fast asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Annabelle
Phoenix held my hand with a firm grip as we approached the gates to the farm. He was right, the place did look different, but that didn’t stop my mind from telling me to run as far and as fast as I could from the Gates of Hell.
“What’s with the guards at the gate?” I asked.
He grimaced and shifted in his seat. “We had a situation a month or so ago and the club decided having men on the gate was the best way to secure the property.”
I stiffened. “What kind of situation?”
He sighed, clearly not wanting to tell me. “My club brother’s kid was kidnapped by his estranged wife’s sister. Kathleen was watching him when he was taken. We never figured out how she got onto the property, so I put measures in place to make sure no one else unwanted could get in here.”
We drove past the place where Octavius’s house used to be, the place I used to live, and I was shocked to see nothing but grass. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Where’s the house?”
Phoenix laughed, but it was a laugh filled with hate. “Blew that fucker up the first chance I got.”
I smiled. “Good.” Learning that the house I was forced to live in with Octavius was gone relieved some of my fear about returning to the farm.
We pulled up to a house on the property that had not been there during the years I spent on the farm. “This is where Ember and Dash live. You go on up and I’ll go busy myself in my office. If you need me, just call my cell or Ember can show you where the office is. See you this evening, doll face.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek and strolled away while I fought the urge to wrap my limbs around his leg like a child and beg him to stay with me.
It took me several minutes to get myself together enough to get out of the truck. I warily approached the house, waiting for some unforeseen boogie man to jump out and grab me. Raising my shaking hand, I lightly knocked on the door.
