Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
PHOENIX
As soon as I heard my name, I knew Harper was right, but I held back, pressing my ear further against the door.
They were talking about me; my mother’s voice was low and calm, but the mayor’s voice wasn’t.
It was raised, threaded with steel. Whatever news she had shared, he was less than happy about.
Grinding my teeth together, I heard the word 'paternity tests,' and it all became sickeningly real after that. A split second later, my instincts forced me to make a move. Raised voices and a crashing sound were my cues to barge into the room. Something was kicking off, and that gave me immediate permission to intervene. I stole a glance at Harper as she stood with Alex. I could see from her forlorn expression that she’d heard the commotion, and she nodded, reinforcing my decision to get the fuck in there.
I did that without knocking, grabbing the handle, and shoving the door wide before storming inside. I fisted my hands by my sides. I didn’t know what to expect or what to say; I just needed to be there.
“What’s going on?” I questioned as my eyes searched the room, quickly finding my mother and the mayor.
Luna was standing on one side of a desk, and Summers on the other.
An overturned phone was on the floor, possibly the reason for the noise.
My mother was wearing jeans and sneakers, and the mayor was wearing the same pants, shirt, and tie he’d worn earlier.
She held onto her purse so tightly that her knuckles were white.
Both their faces were flushed. “Phoenix,” my mother gasped, shock and puzzlement bursting from her mouth.
“Did he hurt you?” God knew why I suddenly felt so protective, considering the bitch wanted nothing to do with me.
Her mouth dropped open as she nodded frantically, her gaze traveling back and forth between me and the douche that was probably my dad. Or should I say the sperm donor?
My eyes narrowed as my head whipped towards Dominic Summers as I closed the distance and strode over to the desk.
“Well?” I snapped, shooting them both a glare.
“Well, what? Your mother and I were in the middle of a private conversation,” Mr. Summer’s replied, clearing his throat; his body language had lost its usual ego.
The broken note of his voice suggested he was flustered, and I swallowed, suddenly anxious as the mayor stared at me like he had never seen me before.
His suggestion that I was treading where I didn’t belong was unbelievable.
And then it hit me. How had I never noticed how alike we looked?
We were a similar height and build, our bodies packed with muscle, but where I was tatted, Mayor Summer’s skin was unblemished.
He may be big and, from what I’d heard, could handle himself, but he didn’t want to pick a fight with me.
No right then. I was itching for a reason to lash out.
Their private meeting felt dark and gritty, and a fresh dose of pissed off burst through me. I arched an eyebrow. “A private conversation about what exactly? What useless parents you both turned out to be?”
This snapped the mayor’s head towards my mother, and his expression told me everything I needed to know. He was my father; there was no doubt about it now, and he knew it. Paternity tests be damned. Heat started to rush up my neck.
Summers looked astonished, as his eyes drilled into my mother's. “I didn’t say anything. He must have found out another way,” she panted, one shaky hand pushing flat against her chest. I could see how stunned she was.
There was a beat of uncomfortable silence as we all watched each other warily.
Rolling my shoulders, I released a sound, and it whistled through my teeth. “So, it’s true. You knocked up my mother and paid her to get rid of me?” I snarled, taking a step forward.
The man I now knew as my father went to move around the desk, holding up his hands as if to deny it, his gaze still fixed on my mother as he stuttered. “That’s not—"
“Don’t lie to me!” I boomed, banging my fist on the desk. I only did it to get his attention, as he couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than her.
He stopped moving, and his mouth dropped open as he turned to look at me, ashen-faced. I had never seen such an important man at a loss for words before.
“Well?” I hissed, crossing my arms over my chest so I didn’t go for his fucking throat. I was so angry at that point.
My piece of shit father’s face contorted into tight, painful lines. “It wasn’t like that, son, you have—”
“Don’t call me son!” I growled out. I knew he didn’t mean it like that, but I hated the sound of that word on his lips. My eyes narrowed as his jaw started to tick.
My yell must have called in the reinforcements, as I heard Harper say from behind me. “Phoenix, please.”
“Yes, please. Calm down.” Summers replied, holding up his hands in a gesture to match his words. He did a double-take between Harper and me. “Sorry, who are you?”
I bit back my rude retort. “I’m Harper. You need to lower your voices,” she explained as she came further into the room. “You’re upsetting Alex.”
“Whose Alex?” Summers bit out, jamming a hand through his hair.
My mother’s shoulders stiffened, “My son—my other son.”
“And nothing to do with you,” I spitefully added. My father’s eyes were hard on mine, pinning me to the spot, like I wasn’t the injured party there. The tension rippled in the room as Harper came to my side, placing a hand on my arm. This caused me to drop my hands to my sides.
“Are you OK?” she whispered, and I glanced down. I was far from OK, but I didn’t want to take out my black mood on her.
Swallowing, I dashed a hand down my face and nodded.
Forever the diplomat, Summers held up his hands again and said, “Look, I think we all need to calm down. I’m as shocked as you are, but could I suggest that we discuss this like civilized human beings?”
“Oh, I’m far from feeling civilized.” I reared back and then turned my venom on my mother.
“So, it’s true. This is the dangerous man who fathered me?”
“Dangerous?” I heard the mayor echo, but I wasn’t listening to him.
Luna took a step towards me. “Yes. He’s your father, Phoenix.” Her eyes took in every feature on my face, and my cheeks felt warm.
“What?” I snapped, feeling self-conscious.
Her eyes widened. “Now that you’re here together, I can’t believe how similar you are. You both have the same eyes.”
“Well, at least he gave me something.”
I noticed how pale my father’s good-looking face was. Those eyes she mentioned now shuttered, his chest rising and falling as I added. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter now.”
Dominic Summers’ eyes shot open, and he slid further around the desk, placing a hand on the surface, almost as if to steady himself.
We both jumped as a beeping sound came through the phone, an alarm to state it was off the hook.
I watched as my father leaned down and picked it up from the floor, carefully placing it back on the desk before he said.
“I understand why you’re upset, and I’m sorry, but I am still processing the news myself.
There are reasons why I did what I did back then, and I can explain them.
But for now, could I suggest that we call a timeout?
Sleep on it, calm down, and get our heads straight?
You should come by the house tomorrow, both of you. ”
“What’s the point?” I sniped.
“Please, Phoenix. At least give me a chance to explain.” At those words, he made a move to get into my space. Not a good idea. “Please, son,” his voice was distorted as he said that word again.
Thankfully, living with Ma and my brothers had taught me some self-restraint.
The woman I called mother embodied those values in me that helped me to fight without using my fists.
However, kicking the shit out of someone who deserved it always hit the spot.
“I suggest you stay away from me.” The man stopped, the desk bumping the backs of his thighs.
I twisted my head towards Luna and emphasized.
“Both of you. Or who knows what could happen.”
My father blanched, his cheeks turning red. “What do you mean?”
I held his gaze, wanting to draw his agony out.
My threat may have been silent, but it was there in the way I watched him with a slight smirk on my lips.
If news of my parentage were to get out, the mayor could probably kiss his next campaign goodbye.
I imagine his elected officials wouldn’t embrace the news that the man they held in such high regard was a cheating scumbag. And one that embraced abortion, too!
“We’re done here.”
“Phoenix!”
“Let him go, Dominic,” I heard my mother whisper.
Her use of his first name added fuel to my fire, and I made sure she knew that as her comment snatched my focus.
Luna swallowed, torn between confusion and despair.
Her eyes were burning right through me, but I didn’t care.
Neither she nor the man who sired me could hurt me now.
At least, that’s what I told myself. As I turned away, there was a flicker inside me, like a match being struck in a darkened room, but I kept going.
I knew I needed to keep a cool head, and the only way to do that was to get out of there.
Spinning on my heel, I grabbed Harper’s hand and tugged her from the room, slamming the door and not looking back.
Her palm was so small in mine, but the amount of support I felt zapping through it was calming.
She was shaken up but wasn’t scared for herself.
I knew that straight away as she motioned towards my little brother.
Alex had tears in his eyes as he stood nervously bouncing from foot to foot, and I knew I needed to rein it the fuck in.
“What’s happening?” he asked, taking a step forward.
“It’s fine, Alex. Don’t worry,” Harper added, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Fuck, he was just a kid. How much had he heard?