Chapter 9 Poppy
POPPY
I think I’m in shock. That’s the only thing that makes sense. I let Phantom hold me, wipe away my tears, and then pick me up and carry me to my car.
I don’t even know who I am right now, but in some ways, that’s a good thing. I don’t want to be a woman who is experienced in this kind of situation. The break-in, the police.
So many things in my life changed the night we lost Michael, and my sense of safety in this world, the bubble I’ve created for Jax and me, just popped.
We don’t speak during the drive, but Phantom’s fingers are laced tightly through mine. He doesn’t let go, and I don’t want him to. I’m already growing used to the rough feel of his skin, the size, heat, and strength of his hands.
I’m a mess, but if I have to go through this, is it really so wrong to accept help?
What makes me most worried isn’t just the fact that I am accepting help from this man I hardly know, but the fact that I’m liking it.
I’m not used to leaning on anyone anymore.
I thought I’d been through it all in the last eight years, but this… This is uncharted territory.
I watch Phantom as he stares straight ahead, steering with his left hand while he holds mine with his right.
His lips twist as if he’s muttering curses under his breath, and wrinkles form around his eyes as he glares. I feel like he’s as angry for me as I am, and something about that makes me feel better. He’s not just doing this for me. He’s going through this with me.
I look away and stare out the window, trying to make sense of how I got here. But the gorgeous view distracts me. I recognize the neighborhood as we make the fifteen-minute drive from my side of town toward an area I never even dreamed I could afford.
When we pull into the driveway, my breath catches in my chest. My house is a run-down but well-maintained little place. But his place is an absolute fantasy.
While Phantom gets out of the car and rushes around to my side, I look at the two-story glass-and-concrete structure. The home has a mid-century vibe to it, with sharp angles and big windows.
“This is your home?” I ask, marveling again at who this man is. “It’s stunning, Phantom.”
“And yours for now too. Come on.” He holds his hand out to me and, feeling steadier, I take it, but then I release it. I’m getting way too comfortable holding on to this man.
He punches in a code, and the garage door opens to reveal the motorcycle I saw him on the other day. The garage is perfectly organized and neat, with tools and equipment lined up on shelves on one side and an impressive home gym setup on the side opposite where the bike is parked.
He motions me inside, closes the garage, then unlocks the door that leads into the house.
“Dais. Hols. Jax. We’re home.”
He nods at me, and I walk inside before him.
We enter into a really nice mudroom, where Phantom kicks off his boots.
I toe off my shoes and follow him barefoot into a massive living room with sliding glass doors that overlook a large lawn and a dock out back.
The three kids are sprawled out on blankets and sleeping bags on the floor, watching a very loud action movie on a huge flat-screen television.
“Yo!” Phantom shouts over the noise.
Holly jumps up and reaches for the remote, then cranks the volume down a few notches. “Hey, Dad. Savage is in the kitchen.”
Daisy scrambles up from her bright-purple sleeping bag and crashes into her dad for a hug. “Can we finish the movie, Dad, please? It’s like twenty more minutes.”
Jax comes over to me and gives me a hug. I have no words. I just hold him close and breathe in the familiar scent of his hair. “Hey, baby.” It’s all I can manage. Thankfully, Jax fills in the silence for me.
“Mom, this movie is the one we were going to watch together, but I didn’t think you’d mind.” He looks up at me apologetically. “Is it okay?”
I nod. “Of course, honey. It’s fine. Are you having fun?”
“Yeah,” he says, and he does sound happy. His shoes are off, but he’s still wearing his dress pants and shirt. I didn’t even think to grab him a toothbrush or pajamas. My stomach sinks at what a shitty mom I am, but then Holly is at my elbow.
“We don’t have any boy clothes, but I pulled out some basketball shorts with laces and a T-shirt from my dad’s closet.” She motions to Phantom. “Dad, you had like three new toothbrushes in the bathroom vanity, so I set two out for Jax and Poppy.”
Phantom nods. “You mind finding Poppy something to change into? I want to talk to Savage.”
Holly jumps up and is about to head upstairs, but I stop her. “It’s all right. Finish your movie, honey. I’m just going to sit a minute.”
Holly looks to her dad, who nods, and then she gives me a smile. “Okay, we moved all the furniture around when Daisy and I moved in, so there’s a guest bedroom upstairs with twin beds. I’ll grab you some clothes before we go to sleep.”
I nod, and Phantom comes beside me.
While the kids turn the volume back up on their movie, Phantom leans close to my ear. “I’ll be right back. You want a drink or something? Water?”
“Water would be great.” I turn to follow him, and he holds up his hand as if to stop me, but then he seems to think better of it.
We head into the kitchen, where the blare of the movie masks Savage’s low voice. He nods at me.
“Who responded?” Savage asks.
“Callahan.” Phantom’s eyes never leave his phone.
“Good,” Savage says. “I got King and two other prospects over at the house now. Viper’s supervising.”
“King,” I mumble to myself. “Prospects?”
Savage smirks. “Phantom will fill you in later.”
They talk about contacts, and then they trade looks. Phantom fills a glass of cold, filtered water from a pitcher in the fridge, and then he hands it to me.
“Poppy.” His voice is edged in something I can’t identify. “Do you have any idea who’d want to do this to you? Do you have any enemies?”
I feel my knees wobble again, and I lean back against the cool granite countertop. I take a long sip of water, then shake my head. I rub my forehead, pinching my eyebrows together. Between the drinks and the stress of tonight, I’ve got a killer headache taking shape.
“Do you mind if I sit?” I motion toward a wooden kitchen table with four chairs around it.
Phantom is at my elbow in a heartbeat, taking my glass and leading me to a chair. He leans forward, his eyes dark as midnight. “It’s all right,” he says. “Take your time.”
I swallow back more cold water and grip the glass to keep my hands from shaking. “My mother is Lori Davis,” I explain.
“County Commissioner Davis?” Phantom asks, as though he’s heard of her.
I’m surprised, but I probably shouldn’t be.
Our county board is a small organization.
The commissioners are elected, but Mom has not had an opponent in over a decade.
The position isn’t one of any real power, but the county board does have oversight into some country programs and funding.
Mom’s personal passion is safety and public welfare.
She’s served on the parole board, parent-teacher association, the library board, and contributes to just about any community enrichment program you can imagine.
Take Back the Night walks. Cookie sales.
My mother is the reason we have security lights and cameras in all the privately owned commercial spaces.
The reason I have a timer on the lights at my house.
Although I deluded myself into thinking in a town this small I wouldn’t need one, and I’m regretting that decision now.
Even worse, the fact that Lori Davis’s daughter’s house was broken into will be big news in this small city. That’s why the first call I made tonight was not to my mother. What happened at my house won’t just be personal for Mom.
I nod. “I kept my married last name after Michael died so Jax and I would have the same last name. Easier for school registration and everything.”
“Does your mom have enemies?” Savage asks. “The commissioners don’t do much but plan parades and make sure the senior center’s pancake breakfast stays on budget.”
Phantom shoots his friend a lethal look, and Savage goes quiet.
“That’s not exactly true,” I say. “I mean, Mom takes the job seriously, but you’re right. It’s not like she has political enemies.” Now, Michael, on the other hand… I open my mouth to say something, but it seems ridiculous even now.
My husband’s death was ruled an accident.
Even after the insurance company hired someone to prove there was no way Michael could have slid off that bridge and sustained the damage to his car that he did, in the end, the police closed the case.
There was no one to go after. No reason to do anything but accept the reality that my husband was gone.
“Poppy, if there is anything else I should know about…” Phantom’s voice is low, and the protectiveness of his hand on my knee sends the tiny hairs on my arms to attention. “Anyone who could be behind this.”
He tightens his fingers around my knee when he says “anyone.” The thin fabric of my dress separates his hand from my bare skin.
I’ve always been able to take care of myself and my son, but this is too much. Who’s ever prepared for the kind of mess that someone left in my house?
I rally my courage and meet Phantom’s eyes. If he’s going to help me, I want to be honest. Could there be any connection between my husband’s accident and this? There can’t be, but I don’t want to hold anything back.
“There was a concern when Michael died that he might have been run off the road intentionally. An investigation was done, and the police determined that it was just a terrible accident. I can’t imagine that anyone would wait eight years if they have some kind of grudge against my family.
That wouldn’t make sense. Nothing’s changed.
I live in the same house. Nothing about my life is new. ”
Nothing except my totally irresponsible attraction to this man.