Phoenix Rising Rock Band: The Series

by Kathryn C. Kelly

  “Kiln, stop.” Without waiting for him to comply, I wrap my arms around his waist and press my chest against his back. “This is my battle. You can’t…my brother’s dead,” I whisper. “Sean confirmed it today.”

  He sucks in a breath and stiffens. “My condolences,” he says in a tight voice.

  “Thank you.”

  “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “Yes, don’t go out there. I don’t want you to die, too. I can get away on my own in the morning and you can go, now, and not risk your life.”

  “This is what I do, sweetheart, and I’m damn good at it. The only thing I want you to worry about is following my directions. That’s it.”

  Easy enough. “I can do that.”

  “Tell me, does the Sean you know happen to have an asshole named Vince working for him?”

  The words stun me. Kiln doesn’t seem to be the type of man who’ll associate with criminals. “You know Sean?”

  “Yeah,” he grunts. “I know motherfuckers from all walks of life.”

  I nod.

  “Fuck Sean,” he growls. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand and start walking again. By the way, you can keep your arms around me. I’m not complaining.”

  I take him at his word and don’t stop hugging his waist. It seems to take forever, but we finally reach the sidewalk. Dogs bark and a siren wails, all out of sight. From some nearby building, music is playing.

  But the streets are almost empty, without many vehicles traveling the roads. Curbside spaces are wide open, except for a car or two.

  “Okay, sweetheart. I’m going to pull you to my side and we’re going to walk like we’re just any other couple, enjoying the fresh air.”

  I step to his right, which puts me on the outside, close to the street. He grabs my shoulder and guides me to his other side, then settles his arm on me.

  “Men are the protectors, Raine.”

  “Montana always had me walk on the outside.”

  “The asshole’s a fucking jerk,” he snaps.

  “You’re the jerk for disrespecting my murdered brother in that manner.”

  He growls, tightening his hold on me. “Now isn’t the time to argue.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  There’s a silent agreement to drop the subject, so we do. He places his hand on the back of my head, then cradles it against his chest, steadily walking forward. His fingers begin a slow, steady massage on my scalp and I breathe in deep, inhaling his scent, warmed by his body heat.

  When we pass the spot where all the music is coming from, it is so loud I can barely hear myself think. But we walk by quickly enough.

  “Car coming up on us and is slowing down,” he tells me a few moments later. “No stoplight in sight.”

  “Shit.”

  Even though my head is down and my cheek rests against Kiln’s chest, the headlight gleaming against his T-shirt, hits my eyes.

  “Keep walking.”

  As long as he is, I will. We walk forward, but I feel him slow down, so I do, too.

  “Two assholes straight ahead.”

  At the announcement, my pulse accelerates.

  “Fuck,” he grits out. “Thank fuck it’s too dark to really see your features or your clothes. I want you to stagger a little, then collapse. I’m going to lift you and throw you over my shoulder. On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”

  As if I’m auditioning for a movie role, I stumble and trip, then allow myself to fall to the ground. In the nick of time, Kiln catches me and throws me over his shoulder, just as he said he would.

  I see feet going in the opposite direction. They don’t pause, but continue on. Win for us.

  “I can’t shake this fucking car.”

  Of course not. Every few feet, we’re bathed in light from street lamps, allowing us to be seen. And, possibly, recognized.

  Bouncing along, I have an upside-down view of the world, which helps me to lose track of time a little more. He curses a blue streak for blocks, until I feel his breath escape.

  “The car just turned,” he says in a voice filled with relief. “I’m setting you on your feet, giving you a minute to get your bearings, then we make a fucking run for it. I have no fucking idea why we were followed, but I’m not taking any chances.”

  Fuck getting my bearings! The moment he sets me on my feet, I grab his hand. “Go, go, go!” I urge.

  Together, we race ahead. His legs are longer than mine so he’s always slightly ahead of me. Yet, we make it to his car intact.

  Gasping for air, I jump up and down. “We did it!”

  “Not yet,” he says, breathing heavily. “We still have to get back to the house and make sure nobody’s tailing us.” He unlocks his door, then frowns at me, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Fuck it. That’s what car cleaning is for.” He walks to the passenger side and opens my door.

  I’m not sure how long he’s had this Ferrari, but there’s a clean, new-car scent that hits me. And I reek of garbage and sweat. Without hesitation, I yank off my sneakers, wiggle out of my jeans, then take off the shirt, leaving them in a heap on the road. I’m only in the pretty bra and panties, but my body’s cleaner than my clothes, so fuck it.

  “Jesus Christ, you’ve managed to surprise me.”

  “Imagine that,” I say with sass, as if we’re out of danger, and slide onto the leather seat.

  He just laughs and slams my door shut. After walking around to his side and getting in, he starts the car, then zooms away.

  Hopefully, our danger is far behind.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As I speed down the road, the image of Raine eating out of the fucking dumpster haunts me, so, without asking her, I pull into a McDonald’s.

  I place my order of fries and a Big Mac, then glance in her direction. “What do you want?”

  Her eyes light up. “A strawberry milkshake.”

  That’s no kind of sustenance. “Give me a large fry and a milkshake. Make sure the fries aren’t salted.”

  “I like salt on my fries,” she calls.

  Ignoring her, I respond to the voice speaking to me through the microphone. “Yes, that will be all.”

  “I like salty fries,” Raine repeats the moment I drive toward the window for payment.

  “You’ll get salty fries,” I promise, stopping my car, unbuckling my seatbelt and lifting up so I can dig my wallet out of my back pocket. “The trick to getting freshly cooked fries is to ask for no salt on them. The moment they are poured from the frying basket, they are salted.”

  “Oh.”

  “What? No lip from you?”

  “Not right now.”

  I pay the tab with my American Express, drive to the next window and collect our food. When I hand her the shake, she digs a straw out of the bag. While I get back on the road, she stuffs my straw into my drink. She pours salt and ketchup on her fries before stuffing a handful into her mouth.

  “You know,” she begins, around a mouthful of food, “it’s a goal of mine to go to the restaurant where you found me dumpster diving. Their food is delicious. I can only imagine how it tastes cooked especially for me.”

  “Raine, you amaze me.”

  She turns a frown to me. “Is that a compliment?”

  “I’m not sure,” I answer with honesty. “After all that you’ve been through tonight, you’re talking about a restaurant you want to go to.”

  She belches and pounds on her chest. “What am I supposed to talk about? The fact that I’ll never go to said restaurant since I’m leaving town in the morning?”

  Says who? “You’re not leaving town.”

  “I beg to differ.” She eats more fries, then shrugs. “What do I have here but death waiting in the wings?”

  “You have me here.”

  When I sidle a glance at her, I see her surprise. Then, she bursts into peals of laughter. “You’re so funny,” she giggles. “No fucking way am I living at your whims. One hour, everything’s fine, and the next, it isn’t.�
��

  My temper heats and I growl.

  Besides,” she continues, ignoring my rising anger, “you go back on your word all the fucking time.”

  “Raine…” I say in warning.

  “Bite me. It’s true. How can I or anyone else trust your dumb ass? You have everything. I’m at rock bottom, so I have only one way to go. Up. Keep lying and you’ll bring yourself down.”

  She sucks up the last of her strawberry shake. She has to know I’m fucking seething. As usual, she doesn’t give a fuck.

  “For a bitch who needs me to save her life, you’re pushing shit.”

  “Kiln,” she starts, her softening voice turning the sound of my name into a sweet drawl. “I just need somewhere to crash tonight, then I need to borrow five hundred bucks to get out of town.”

  “Borrow?” I sneer, like a big asshole. “You just said you have nothing. How do you intend to pay me back if I lend the money to you?”

  She stiffens. I’m surprised I haven’t fucking crashed. My eyes are more on her, than on the road.

  “Fine. Let’s start with the basics. You want to fuck me, you’re paying me five hundred dollars. Problem solved. No loan.”

  She frustrates the living fuck out of me, pushing me to say things I regret, which is rare. I say whatever comes up, and fuck whoever my words upset. As a matter of fact, the more vicious they are, the better I feel. Usually. However, Raine’s been through enough tonight. I wrestle my temper under control and state a fact instead.

  “You like fucking me, doll. If I want you to ride my cock, you will, free of charge.”

  She laughs at me again. Laughs. “I’m not fucking you ever again. How’s that?”

  A note catches in her voice, one that tempts me and piques my interest. Bravado fills her words, but so does vulnerability. “Why not, sweetheart?” Incredibly, I hesitate, unsure if I should make my next statement

  . My uncertainty annoys me. I grip my steering wheel and forge ahead. “That’s what you do. Fuck.” My words aren’t mean. They’re…searching.

  “You…” Her voice trails off and she stares out the window. “I didn’t expect you to be so thin-skinned.

  I’m positive she wanted to say something else, but then she backtracks and revisits an issue we’ve already addressed.

  “You told me I could stay, then you threw me out because I spoke my mind. I’m not stifling myself for you or anyone else. It’s best if I go somewhere where I won’t always have to look over my shoulder.”

  “For the rest of your life, you’ll live with that worry.”

  “That’s not exactly how I envisioned when I ran away with my brother,” she admits quietly.

  “Suppose I told you I’d pay you five thousand dollars.”

  She snaps her head around to me and widen her eyes. “For what?

  “To stay with me.”

  “Oh. Well. Another five grand, huh, jerk? Remember, the other five grand you promised me?” She licks her lips and releases a deep breath, ignoring my scowl.

  “That was to pay for Montana’s release. Not to put into your hands.”

  “Score for you. However, there’s principles and then there’s stupidity,” she admits. “In this case, I’m going for stupidity. Just as I did this morning when I left the money that you threw at me on the floor. Say you were honestly going to give me five grand, I couldn’t take it. Even though you’re the biggest fucking prick alive, I-I like you, too, Kiln. I’m attracted to you. And you’re so fucking awesome in bed.”

  My ego inflates from assholey to unimaginable.

  I shake my head and let out a small laugh. There’s so many things I wish I could tell her. So many things I want to tell her. I refrain.

  “Montana’s death is all the more reason for you to come back with me, instead of leaving town for wherever, all alone.”

  “Wrong. His death is all the more reason for me to decline,” she counters. “Somebody offered to protect me, but I’m leaving town thanks to his henchmen.”

  Yeah, fucking Sean’s goons. I have a thing or two to address with that motherfucker. I need to put a bug in Cash’s ear…My thoughts slam to a halt and Raine’s words taunt me. She says she can’t trust me because of my actions. What if she knew my intentions on my mother’s behalf? If I find a solution to this without harming Sloane and he ever discovers what I was planning, he’d never forgive me either, and never believe in me again.

  Without harming Sloane? Where did that thought come from?

  What the fuck am I thinking and why the fuck am I allowing Raine’s words to interfere with my mother’s well-being?

  “I want you to stay with me for two months,” I tell her. “Until Sloane and Georgiana return. That should be enough time to get on your feet.”

  I try to focus on the road. However, I see her out of the corner of my eye. She’s staring at my profile, assessing me. If she knew the full story, she’d run far away. I’m involved with something I believe she’d never condone if she knew, just from the way she worships Montana. I also know the brother she’s mourning so deeply is alive.

  “Don’t worry about anyone else right now,” I urge. “Look after yourself.”

  “Life isn’t about that. It shouldn’t be selfish and greedy. We should love each other and take care of each other, especially lovers and families.”

  “Family crushes your soul. And this isn’t a lover’s arrangement. It’s a fucking two-month business deal.”

  “Families crush your soul if you allow it.”

  I nod.

  Somehow, I’ve gotten us to the road leading up to the mansion.

  “I can’t stay with you for that long,” she whispers. “I just want the five hundred dollars. There’s something about you that could break down all my defenses and…and I’m scared, Kiln. I might read more into it, then there is.”

  Her words disgust me. S

  he sounds like a woman, who has dreams of finding Mr. Right. Except those women are few and far between.

  “I’m a normal girl. I want a husband and babies, too. I don’t think I’ll ever have either, but I can dream. Who’d want me for a wife? As mother of their child? But, here, you charge into my life, like a white knight, offering your protection…I can’t. I’ll become dependent on you and that’ll give you power over me. I want to leave while my nickname for you is still dickhead.”

  After rolling down my window, I punch in the code to the gate and wait for it to open.

  “I’ve had enough of your bullshit,” I growl, zooming forward. “You’re staying with me and that’s a goddamn order.”

  “Unless you intend to kidnap me and keep me tied up, I’m not fucking staying with you, douche pipe. You’re not fucking luring me in under the pretense of overwhelming concern, then toss me aside if I say something you don’t like.”

  I swerve to a stop, then kill the engine. Turning fully to her, I grab her chin and gaze into her eyes. “What the fuck do I have to do for you to agree?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “I asked, didn’t I?” I growl.

  She falls silent for so long, I turn on the lights to better see her. Her face is red.

  “What, sweetheart?” I ask gruffly, bringing her head closer to mine.

  “Only one thing will allow me to keep my distance from you.”

  “What?”

  “No sex,” she announces, shocking me into speechlessness.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sex-for-hire is my trade. Without looking at Kiln, I know he’s shocked. It wafts from him in tense waves. My breath catches. For the first time since I left my mother’s house, I feel the need to offer a detailed explanation. Instead, I clamp my mouth shut and cross my fingers, as if I’m a small child. I want him to ask my reasons, before he blows up and throws cow shit my way.

  He’s so fucking predictable.

  “Excuse me? I didn’t quite catch that,” he manages, as if he didn’t hear me, when I know perfectly well he had. His entire body has stiffene
d.

  “I don’t want us to have sex,” I repeat in a strong, clear voice.

  “Maybe, Sean’s goons fucked you up more than I imagined. You must have hit your fucking head.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Then you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. There’s no fucking way you’re not giving me pussy, especially if you want money from me.”

  “I want to leave town,” I argue. “You made the other offer.”

  “How the fuck do you think you’d get the money to leave?” he snaps. “Especially from me. If you’ll recall you offered to fuck me.”

  “Kiln.” Drawing in a deep breath, I gather my thoughts. “I’ve been earning money on my back for two years. Suddenly, you come along and you’re offering me a small piece of security. I just…I just want us to get to know each other outside of bed.”

  He remains silent until he stops the car on a curve of the circular driveway. His gaze pauses on the car parked a slight distance ahead. He doesn’t seem concerned, so neither am I.

  The outside lights flood Kiln’s car, allowing me to see him without hindrance. His blue-green eyes narrow, burn with intensity.

  I lift my chin and give my own narrow-eyed look, daring him to insult me.

  He opens his mouth, snaps it shut, and glares at me. “Did you really think I’d go for that?”

  “Yes.”

  Bitter laughter bursts from him. “You really think your cunt’s so good that I’d donate money to you on the basis of one fuck?”

  “You really think your cock’s so good that I have to open my pussy to you when you snap your fucking fingers?”

  He offers me his familiar smirk, a look that I’m coming to like a lot. “My cock is that good.” He’s remorseless. “Know how I know?”

  “Yes. Because my dumb ass told you.”

  He laughs at me. It’s so infectious that I begin to chuckle.

  “You’re a little shrew,” he says softly, tangling his hands through my hair, before caressing my cheek.

  “And you’re a big oaf.”

  Shaking his head, he laughs again. “Will you ever let me get the upper hand?”

  “Nope. Not if I can help it.”