Chapter 25
Phoenix
I don’t usually find myself driving toward the police station located on Rue de la Rivière in the middle of the day.
The police station wasn’t my place, it was Dad’s and Becket’s.
But today I pulled my truck into the small lot beside the squat brick building, parking between Dad’s cruiser and Becket’s motorcycle.
The sight alone was enough to make me hesitate. What the hell was I doing here?
I sat there, knuckles white on the wheel, Elyna’s voice echoing in my head. He knows about you. He said he has friends in town. He knows where Braden goes to daycare.
No one was taking that boy on my watch. No one was making Elyna cry like that again.
I shoved open the door, slammed it shut behind me, and forced myself inside.
The lobby smelled like burnt coffee and disinfectant.
A couple of uniforms glanced up as I walked past, their expressions shifting from surprise to quiet curiosity.
Everyone in Val-Du-Lys knew I didn’t make social calls to the station.
Bill, the officer at the front desk, straightened.
“Phoenix Thorne,” he said, eyebrows climbing. “Don’t see you in here much.”
“I need to see my dad, Bill. Is he in?” I asked. My voice came out lower than usual, steady but rough.
He nodded, still watching me like I was some strange animal that had wandered in off the road. “Yeah, go on back.”
I went straight to Dad’s office. Memories of coming here as a kid flooded my mind.
They were good memories. I’d always looked up to Dad like he was a hero, and in a way he was, always putting the needs of this town first. After Mom left, I came to resent it when it meant I had to step up and take on my share of responsibilities.
When I finished high school and told Dad I wanted to travel, he wasn’t too pleased since I was the one holding the fort down when he was at work.
By that time Eric was old enough to step into my shoes.
He was definitely better in the kitchen than I was.
Dad’s open office door brought me back to the present.
He was behind his desk, uniform jacket draped over the chair, sleeves rolled up, glasses perched on his nose as he studied a stack of papers.
Dad’s head snapped up when he saw me.
“Phoenix, what’s wrong?” were his first words.
Pierre Thorne had Spidey senses. I don’t think it was because he was a cop.
He was just so in tune to all his children, which always made me wonder why he wasn’t in tune to our mother and what she was going through.
Were there signs before she left that us kids missed?
I blinked the thought away since I had more pressing issues to tend to.
Becket walked up to the door a moment later. In his uniform he looked like a younger version of Dad.
“Bill said you were here,” Becket said, walking into the office.
“Close the door,” Dad ordered him.
“Phoenix.” Dad set down his pen slowly, studying me. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve got a problem.”
Dad leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and his eyes sharp. “Sit,” he ordered.
Becket took a seat, and I dropped into the chair beside Becket, the old wood creaking under my weight.
My hands itched, restless. I’d rather be working a wrench or hauling kegs than sitting here.
But this was bigger than me. I told them everything.
About Riley’s debts in Montreal, the men who came after him, the threats that pushed Elyna to run.
About the phone calls, the demands for money, the thousand dollars she sent just to get him off her back.
About this morning’s call, Riley saying he had friends here, accusing her of parading me around Braden.
And then I told them about Colette showing up at my restaurant.
How she sat at one of our tables like she owned the place, smiling that razor-blade smile, telling Elyna she knew where Braden’s daycare was and hissing about Braden being Chabot blood.
When I finished, the office was quiet except for the hum of the ceiling fan. My fists were clenched so tight my knuckles ached. Dad exhaled slowly, a French expletive slipping out under his breath. “Tabarnak.”
Becket whistled low. “Riley Jansen. That skinny little punk. Always thought he’d end up face down in trouble, but dragging Elyna and her kid into it?” He shook his head. “That’s another level of garbage.”
Dad’s gaze locked on me. “She told you all this today?”
I nodded. “She was working a shift at the brewery, and I found her in the backroom shaking, Dad. I’ve never seen her like that.”
Something in his face softened for just a moment before it hardened again. “All right. Here’s what we’re going to do.” He laid it out like he was moving pieces on a chessboard.
“First, we need documentation. Every call, every message, every visit from Riley or Colette needs to be recorded. Exact words, times, dates. Without a record, we’ve got nothing to work with.”
“Already started keeping them,” I said. Growing up with a police officer for a dad meant we all knew certain parts of the law, either from Dad telling us stories about what was going on in town and what had to be done, or because he liked to ensure we knew the law.
“Good. Keep it meticulous.”
“Second, you and Elyna need to go to the daycare in person tomorrow. Bring photos of Riley and Colette. Make it clear only Elyna picks up Braden. Daycare staff get soft hearts for grandparents, but one mistake can cost them.”
“Not happening,” I cut in. “We’ll make it clear.”
Dad nodded. “Third, the loft. What’s her security like?”
“Deadbolt. That’s it.”
“Not enough. Reinforce the doorframe. Install a security bar. If you can manage a camera feed, do it. Nothing fancy, just enough to send a message that she’s not alone.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Becket gave me a sideways look. “Guess you’re playing house then, huh?”
I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “This isn’t a joke.”
His grin faded. “Didn’t say it was. Just pointing out you’re already halfway moved in, brother.”
Dad ignored him and I tried to also because I knew what he was saying.
I’d gone from being anti-relationship to dating a single mom.
“Fourth, you don’t escalate. If Riley shows his face, you call us.
Do not try to handle him yourself. He’s reckless, yes, but that makes him unpredictable. Let the law handle him.”
My jaw tightened. Every instinct in me wanted to break Riley’s nose the second he set foot in town. But Elyna didn’t need me in cuffs, she needed me steady.
“I understand,” I said the words, even though they felt like I was tasting gravel.
For a long moment, the three of us sat in silence.
Then Becket leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees.
“You know what this means, right? You’re in it now.
Elyna’s not just someone you’re warming the sheets with.
She’s yours. That kid. . .” His voice softened, rare for him.
“That kid already looks at you like you hung the moon.”
My throat went tight.
Dad’s voice cut in, quieter but firmer. “You’ve always been the serious one, Phoenix. The steady one. Elyna doesn’t need a savior; she needs someone who shows up. Every day. No matter what.”
Show up.
Two simple words, heavier than anything I’d ever carried.
I nodded. “I will.”
“Okay, I have paperwork to deal with. We have a plan in place. If Jansen shows up, you call us.”
“I’ll keep an eye on things around town,” Becket said.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”
“No need to thank me, that’s what family’s for. Elyna always liked to do things on her own, but she has the Thornes behind her,” Becket continued.
“She’s going to appreciate that now. She was really shaken up,” I said.
“I imagine so,” Dad said. “Now skedaddle.”
I stepped back into the warm afternoon air, the weight of their advice settling over me like armor. Document everything. Warn the daycare. Reinforce the loft. Protect them, but don’t escalate.
Show up.
I sat in my truck, staring at Elyna’s name glowing on my phone. She was still at the restaurant, probably finishing her shift. I pictured her serving food with Colette’s words still echoing in her ears, and my stomach twisted.
I hit call.
She answered on the second ring. “Phoenix?” Her voice was tired, frayed around the edges.
“Hey.” I kept mine steady. “How’s it going?”
“Busy,” she said automatically. The clink of glasses and low hum of voices buzzed in the background.
“You sound tired.”
A soft laugh. “I’m emotionally drained, it’s different.”
I sighed. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Silence stretched. Then she spoke, but it was so soft, “Thank you.”
I leaned back against the headrest, staring out at the fading light over Val-Du-Lys.
“Listen. Tomorrow we’ll go to the daycare together. Make sure they’ve got photos of Riley and Colette. After that, I’ll come to the loft to install a camera and reinforce the locks. I don’t want you or Braden unprotected another night.”
“Phoenix—” Her hesitation was there again, fragile.
I cut in, “I’m not asking. I’m telling you. You and Braden matter to me. I need to know you’re safe.”
A long pause. “Okay.”
Relief slid through me, loosening the knot in my chest.
“When’s your shift over?” I asked. Even though I was the boss, I didn’t look over schedules. That was Dominic’s job.
“I just finished up. I’m heading to pick up Braden now.”
“Good. I’ll meet you at the loft.”
Another pause, then a soft, almost trembling, “You’re too good to me.”
“Not possible,” I said firmly.
She laughed, it was small and shaky, but real. It hit me square in the chest, the kind of sound I wanted to hear every damn day.
“See you soon, Phoenix.”
“Yeah,” I said, voice rough. “See you soon.”
I ended the call and sat there for a moment, the phone heavy in my hand.
Tomorrow we’d handle the daycare. Tonight, I’d start with the loft.
And when the locks were changed and the frame reinforced, I’d talk to her about me staying there with her to keep her safe.
At least until Riley was out of the picture, or until Elyna could breathe without fear.
Until Braden could sleep safe. I pictured myself living with them.
Going to sleep together, eating breakfast together, playing with Braden on the floor, or giving him his nighttime bath.
None of it seemed scary. Not at all. It even made me feel at peace and that said something bigger than words ever could.
I was all in with Elyna. She needed stability and I wasn’t going anywhere.