Chapter 27 #2
I thought of Luc and the promise I made to keep him in the loop. I hadn’t done a good job of that at all.
“Leave your car here. I’ll bring Cooper later to pick it up,” Phoenix offered. I got into his truck and he drove off. He picked up my hand. “Has Riley ever acted this way before?”
He watched me, waiting for an answer.
“Elyna?”
“At first I just thought he was possessive. I was tending bar. I got lots of attention from males. I thought Riley’s jealousy was cute but when he asked me to quit my job, I realized he wasn’t cute anymore.
He was controlling. By that point I got pregnant with Braden and Riley moved on, but he still checked in on me.
There were times he offered me some money but it wasn’t often.
By the time I was eight months pregnant, I learned about his gambling habits.
He works in a large brokerage firm in Montreal.
He wears a nice suit. I thought he was something else.
But I was wrong, Phoenix. Like I said, I made my share of mistakes, and now my boy has to pay for the fact his father is a loser,” I said, and the tears started falling.
Phoenix leaned over to hug me, but I stopped him. “There’s more.” I swiped at my eyes and sniffled.
“I’m listening,” he assured, watching me in the intense way he always did.
“Riley convinced me to take him back. He told me he wanted us to be a family and he was going to get his shit together. I believed him. Then when Braden was about one month old, my friend, Harmony Bellerose, gave me a call. She told me she heard I had gotten back together with that loser Riley. She wanted me to know he was at a bar with his tongue down some chick’s throat and her hands in his pants. ”
Phoenix hissed from beside me. He didn’t look at me in a judgmental way. He just seemed angry at Riley’s behavior.
“After that, I told him we were done. But then he didn’t have money to keep his apartment and he used the are you going to let the father of your child live on the street card with me.
So I had him sleeping on our couch, not contributing and barely helping me with Braden.
Then he told me I had to leave town because some bad people were threatening him.
That’s it. . .the whole story. He isn’t responsible.
He doesn’t know how to take care of Braden.
I should’ve never left him with Colette when I first came to town, but I was out of any good options, and well, you know what happened with that.
When I saw her smoking around Braden, I worried about her taking care of him.
Now I know she’s angry about my mom’s affair, well that just made matters worse. ”
“Honey, you’re a strong woman,” Phoenix said, surprising the hell out of me.
I burst into nervous laughter. “That is what you took from my sob story?”
He watched me with such empathy it was gutting me. His thumb swept once across my knuckles, one small anchoring touch.
“Wildflower,” he said.
“Huh?” I was confused.
“You’re as beautiful and strong as wildflowers. Think about it. They grow without being planted and survive the harshest conditions, yet they are so beautiful,” he said. His words gutting me and putting me back together again.
“Phoenix.” My voice was breathy.
“Don’t argue with me, Elyna, because that’s what I see when I look at you,” he insisted.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I also meant what I said last night.” His gaze flicked to my mouth, then back up. “Tu n’es plus seule.”
You’re not alone anymore.
I nodded, because my throat wouldn’t let anything out, and watched him stride around the hood, all contained fury and purpose.
There was a time I would’ve told him I didn’t need rescuing.
Maybe I still didn’t. But I wasn’t foolish enough to think I didn’t need an ally.
We got out of the truck in front of the brewery, and we headed inside.
The warm clatter swallowed me whole. Cooper was at the end of the bar, already slipping around to meet me, and Dominic lifted a chin in my direction. “We’ve got you,” he said like a promise. I breathed once, twice, and stepped forward.
Behind me, my phone buzzed again. I didn’t look. Not yet. Instead, I looked around the restaurant, where Cooper was behind the bar preparing drinks. Dominic was close by dealing with a table and Phoenix was also not too far, always checking in on me with soft glances and assured nods.
I inhaled, exhaled, taking in the warmth of Maple Valley’s brewery. For the first time since this began, I let myself believe what Phoenix had told me.
I wasn’t alone. Not anymore.
He came back with me to the daycare at the end of the day to get Braden.
I saw the police car parked outside. Back at the loft, he insisted I stay inside while he checked the perimeter.
I stood by the window, arms wrapped around myself, watching him move, deliberate, focused, protective in a way that both calmed and terrified me.
When he came back in, he looked grim. “No sign of anyone.”
Then my phone buzzed again. Unknown number. I opened it slowly.
Delivery Notification: Package arriving at Maple Valley Loft Stairwell tomorrow between 4 and 5PM.
Phoenix’s eyes met mine.
He swore under his breath. “Someone’s watching you.”
Pierre’s cruiser rolled up minutes later. Becket joined him, his phone still in hand.
“Daycare cameras show a man loitering across the street. Hoodie. We can’t get a clear face yet.”
Pierre’s gaze hardened. “We’ll post a car on the lane tonight. Elyna, you and Braden stay close to Phoenix.”
“What about the delivery text?” Phoenix asked.
Pierre frowned. “Could be someone trying to spook you. Or to see who answers the door.”
I swallowed. “What if it’s both?”
Pierre placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find out.”
After they left, the loft felt smaller, like the walls themselves were listening. Phoenix busied himself setting up the extra cameras, muttering curses under his breath, while I tried to hold it together long enough to put Braden to sleep.
When I came out, Phoenix was still standing by the window, phone in hand.
He crossed the room, wrapped an arm around me, and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Whatever happens, you’re not alone.”
I nodded into his chest, but inside my mind was spinning the texts, the odd phrasing, the delivery message. Riley was playing a game, but none of it made sense.
“What if the people who were coming after Riley followed him here, to Val-Du-Lys?”
“I had that thought, but let’s not jump to conclusions,” Phoenix assured.
“How can we not? Maybe the danger is a lot bigger than we realize?” I stated, my chest feeling like it was being squished by an elephant.
“I’m here, Elyna. No matter what, I’ll protect you and Braden,” he said his words, sounding like a promise he meant to keep.
The only problem was, the only promises I ever knew had been broken. Why would this time be any different?