by K E Osborn
Phantom is following close behind as I exit, and I let out a small groan. Zero closes the door behind Phantom, leaving Neon and Zero in the den.
I turn to Phantom with a grimace. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I don’t think he likes me very much.”
“He doesn’t know you. His tech domain is very personal to him. He’s a good guy.”
“Everyone is grouchy besides you.”
Phantom chuckles. “That’s because I’m the fun one, and because they have no idea who you are. These people are family oriented, and someone coming in they have no idea about always makes for some awkwardness. Give ‘em a chance.”
When he places his hand on my lower back, I can’t help but smile. He leads me toward the end of the bar, through giant double doors where we head to an outside area. It has a firepit, a bunch of seating, a cookout zone, and a huge old cedar elm tree. The entire area gives off a warm and inviting feel. He ushers us over to some oval outdoor chairs, complete with comfortable padding, and we take a seat around the lit firepit. It’s not freezing, but the night is turning chilly, so sitting around the fire is really freaking nice.
“So, Billie, it’s Christmas. What were you doing out and alone on Christmas afternoon? You should be spending it with someone you care about.”
He’s prying, trying to understand why I was there. I need an excuse!
“I don’t really have any family. The few friends I have, are all spending the day with their families, and I was feeling a little caged in at home. So, I went for a walk and ended up just walking and walking to clear my head. Christmas is typically a shitty time of year for me.”
He raises his brow. “Why’s that?”
With a deep breath, I feel all that emotion well inside me wanting to explode. “My mother died giving birth to me… my father didn’t cope. He tried to stay around for as long as he could, but on Christmas when I was four, he took his own life, so he could be with my mom.”
Phantom widens his eyes, staring at me. “Jesus… I’m sorry.”
Sniffling, I shake my head from the memory of me walking in to find my dad dead on the floor with half his face blown away.
Rage never forgave me.
The asshole blames me for our parents being dead. He says I killed them both. They had me later— I was the accident they never saw coming, and they regretted me every day. Rage was ten when I was born, so naturally, he took on looking after me. That’s why when Dad died, Rage turned bitter. Something inside him shifted, and that’s when he began to despise me. Even though our grandma helped us, Rage always felt like I was a burden and that him having to take care of me, especially when I was the cause of our parents’ deaths, was like pure punishment for him.
He vowed, at the time, to find a way to make me suffer.
When Grandma died, that was when Rage really ramped up his hold over me. I had no way out. I still don’t. That’s why I’m currently in this fucked-up mess I find myself in.
“It is what it is… life has been a battle every second of every day. I guess it’s just how you roll with the punches that gets you through.”
Phantom turns to gaze up at the overcast sky. “Life certainly knows how to throw punches.”
I snort. “Oh yeah…” I turn to face him. With the amber flames of the fire flicking up against the dimming hues of the evening sky, I can’t say I have seen anything so beautiful in a long time. “So what about you? Any family you should be spending Christmas with?”
A pained expression crosses his face. “I called my parents this morning and spoke to my sister, Tee. My dad and I don’t have the best track record. They all know the club is home and know that right now we all need to band together because of Prinie and Wraith. They were fine with me not coming home… they’re always fine with me not coming home.”
There’s a story there, but if he wanted to delve into it more, he would have. So, I will move on. “Prinie and Wraith?” I ask.
“The reason we were at the hospital. Prinie had her baby, but he was a premie. They delivered him by C-section while Prinie was in a coma.”
My eyes almost burst out of my face as I gasp. “Holy shit! Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah, Prin’s awake now, and baby Leo’s doing good. It’s been… tough.” The hurt in his eyes is evident while he talks animatedly.
What is his connection to this Prinie woman?
“You and Prinie are friends?”
“We were.” He grimaces.
“More than friends?”
He lets out a small exhale, turning up his lip. “I thought it was heading there… I was very wrong.”
“Ouch.”
“It’s fine. She has her family now and is happy… that’s all I want for her.”
“Well, from what I see, she’s an idiot for not choosing you.”
His lips turn up into the brightest of smiles, which somehow makes the fire more luminous, like the clouds part and the heavens shine down on him showing how divine he truly is.
Reaching out, I grip his hand in mine. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm, slamming into my chest when my eyes meet his. “I can’t say I know much about you, Phantom, but the generosity you’ve shown me in the last couple of hours has been astonishing… honestly, you really are one of a kind.”
His thumb brushes against my skin, the sensation warming me from within. “Then maybe you should get to know me?” he states with a sly wink.
Yeah, maybe I should.
I shake my head with the thought. Focus, Billie. Don’t forget why you are here and what will happen if you fail!
BILLIE
While sitting back in the chair, relaxing in his company, I let out a small laugh. “Okay, well then, tell me this… Hubcap Grill or Keller’s Drive-in?”
Phantom grunts like I’ve just insulted him. “You’re asking me to choose between the best burgers in Houston or Dallas? I’m born and bred Houston, baby. I gotta stick to my roots.”
“Even if Keller’s allows biker clubs and car enthusiasts at their drive-in?”
“Even then…” He smiles. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to Keller’s, and their shit is good! But I gotta cheer for the home team, you know what I’m saying?”
His enthusiasm for Houston is infectious. “I hear you. And now I really have a hankering for a burger.”
Phantom chuckles. “Well, no burgers for dinner tonight. We’re gonna have the full Christmas experience, but maybe tomorrow I’ll take you down to Hubcap Grill, and we’ll grab a Quadruple Clogger.”
“I think you’re going to be a bad influence on my figure, Phantom.”
His eyes wander up and down my body. That simple gesture makes my insides quiver. “There’s something else I could say about your figure, but I’m gonna leave well enough alone right now.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“We’re getting along real good, and I don’t want to come off as bad. Just know it would take more than a Christmas dinner and a burger to ruin your figure, Billie.”
My stomach flutters. “Oh…”
He rests his hands behind his head like he’s completely relaxed. “Favorite color? Though, I think I can guess.”
“Green… obviously.”
Phantom leans over, picking up a strand of my hair. The movement sends goosebumps through my whole system. “Does it take a lot of work to get it this color?”
“At the start, yeah. I had to bleach it, then get it the right shade. Now I just change it to whatever mood I am in. Most of the time it’s green, though.”
He tilts his head. “This is interesting. Colors to suit your moods. So, what are the colors I need to look out for?”
“Well, green is when everything appears to be going normally, just my run-of-the-mill normal life. Pink is when I’m uber happy. Red is anger, obviously. And blue is reserved for when I am super sad.”
“Gotta keep my eye out for that red hair then,” he jokes.
“It takes a lot to get me angry.”
I let out a snort. “Don’t I damn-well know it?”
“What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but never have?”
Smiling, this one is easy. “Go to a music festival.”
He jerks back like my answer shocks him. “What? Really? Out of everything in the world you could do, it’s something that simple?”
Little does he know Rage would never let me go anywhere, always keeping me near to do whatever it is he needs or wants. I am his puppet, and he is the puppet master. Something as simple like a music festival is the one thing a girl like me can only dream about. “I’ve just never been able to go, so it’s a bucket list thing for me.”
Phantom’s lips turn up. “I’m gonna take you one day.”
Letting out a snort, I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I’m gonna make it happen!”
Weakly, I smile because I would love nothing more, but I know I can’t. It won’t happen because by the time it might, he will have found out who I really am. Then, he’ll want nothing to do with me.
“You know something… I don’t even know your real name?”
He exhales. “It’s Cannon because I’m explosive.” He laughs at his lame joke.
“Like diarrhea?” I smirk.
“Wow, okay, I see how it is... I offer to take you to something on your bucket list, and you make fun of my name. Right, I see how we’re playing this.”
Letting out a giggle, I love the banter between us. “Sorry… I really like the name Cannon.”
He mock glares at me. “Uh-huh, backtracking now just so you get your bucket list item. I’m clued in on you, Miss Bradshaw.”
Swallowing hard at hearing my fake name fall so easily from his lips, a comfortable energy falls over us while we stare at each other.
“You wanna see something cool?” he asks.
Shrugging, I nod. “Sure.”
Following his lead, I stand, and his hand slides to the small of my back once again as he leads me over to the giant cedar elm tree. The thing is huge, the branches all bare for the winter months ahead, the tree becoming dormant, waiting for spring to bring it back to life. I can only imagine how lush and beautiful it must be in the height of the warmer months.
Phantom strides up to the rugged trunk, running his hand over something carved into the wood. I narrow my eyes on it, and he grins. “Zero and Cherry got married beneath this tree a while back… it was this whole big thing, and it’s a story for another day. But this spot means so much to them that they came back after the wedding and carved their married initials into the tree.”
I scan up at the carving.
K W + R W
“What are their names?” I ask purely out of curiosity.
“Krew and Rayne Walker.”
My hand shifts up to rub over the engraving, a slow smile crosses over my face. “I hope I have a love like theirs one day.”
Phantom steps in beside me, our sides touching as we both stare at the carving. “Me too.”
My fingers brush against his when I drop my hand, and I turn to look at him. His electric blues meet mine, and a flood of adrenaline rushes within me. My body tingles as a shockwave of endorphins surges through my veins. I can’t stop the overwhelming wave as my breathing quickens. My eyes blink rapidly as I realize there’s chemistry growing between us. Then it hits me, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as my palms become clammy in fear.
This isn’t supposed to be happening.
I’m not meant to be attracted to a member of the Defiance MC.
Phantom is nothing like I expected to find when I came into this.
He’s the complete opposite of everything the Heathens are, what they stand for, and that’s where I’m coming undone.
This was supposed to be easy.
Defiance was supposed to be so-called assholes.
I was supposed to hate them like I despise the Heathens.
But I don’t.
I find myself intrigued by them and how they run their club and fall over themselves to help people. To help me. And what am I doing? I’m here, spying on them, gathering information, and stabbing them in the back.
I hardly know them, but I have already grown loyal toward them.
Toward him!
How is this possible?
Phantom’s fingers gently brush mine. “You okay in there?”
Clearing my throat, I take a much-needed step back from him. Distance is what I require to keep my focus right now.
His face scrunches like I’ve punched him in the stomach.
As an attempt to keep my shit together and gain the control I need, I say, “I… ah… should go check out my room.”
“Okay, I’ll come with. Make sure you settle—”
“No!” His eyes bulge out of his head. “I just mean I need a second to decompress. I’m at a bikers’ clubhouse. That kind of shit doesn’t just happen every day.”
“Understandable.” He bobs his head. “But I’m here if you need me. And dinner won’t be far away… if you want to join us, that is.”
“Thank you… for everything you’re doing for me.”
He grins with a cocky lopsided smirk. “My pleasure.”
“So, I ah… do need you to show me where my room is, though?”
Phantom chuckles before leading the way back inside and straight for the stairs.
Texas observes me with his untrusting eyes as I go. I know I’m going to need to be careful of him. That man is going to watch me like a hawk.
We enter the hall, Phantom leading me to a room, then he opens the door. I step inside and what stands out is how clean and pristine it is. There’s a huge bed, a set of double doors open to a balcony, and even an adjoining bathroom. I let out a slight sound of awe in the process of walking around the space. “This is my room?” I ask.
He shrugs. “It’s not much. It’s mainly for our guests.”
“This is better than my bedroom at my apartment. Actually, it’s better than my whole apartment.”
Phantom rolls his shoulders, and I know I have made him uncomfortable. “I’ll let you get settled in. There will be clothes in the closet if you feel like getting changed. Fresh towels are in the bathroom and the sheets are clean, so no worries there.”
“This is all so… unexpected.”
“We look after people who stay here…” Phantom heads for the door. “I’ll see you for dinner?”
Nodding my head, I walk over to the bed the second he closes the door behind him. I let out a relieved sigh as I slump onto the crazy soft mattress and lay back. Staring at the ceiling, I grit my teeth, and dread falls over my entire being.
Can I really do this to these people?
Betray them when all they’ve been to me is so damn welcoming?
Suddenly, my back pocket starts vibrating, and it shocks me. I roll over slightly, yanking my cell out to Rage’s name flashing in front of my eyes.
“Fuck!” Swiping to answer, I put it up to my ear. “Yeah?”
“Is that any way to greet me?”
“I’m kind of busy right now.”
“Do you have any Defiance around you making it hard to talk?”
I glimpse at my door. “No, we’re clear right now.”
“Good! Now, tell me, what have you found out so far?”
My stomach swirls with nausea at the thought of doing this.
The problem is Rage is my brother.
He holds all the power.
The choice is no longer mine to make.
“Neon has a tech den that’s full of computers and gadgets… all kinds of shit. I was in there, but only for the briefest of time. I couldn’t see anything of use, and Neon’s pretty clear it’s not somewhere I will be frequenting. He actually told me it was none of my business when I pushed a little.”
“Then I need you to go in there and check it out on your own.”
“It’s in the middl
e of the clubroom, where everyone can see the door. There is no way for me to get in that room without being seen.”
“Then you go at night. This shit is pretty simple, Billie. Use your brains, you halfwit. You have some in there somewhere, right? What else?”
“I haven’t been here long enough to gather more intel, Rage. Gimmie some time.”
“What the hell have you been doing?”
Slumping my shoulders, I take a deep breath. “Talking to them. Getting to know them. Building trust. You know how that works, don’t you?”
He grunts out, “Don’t be smart with me, little sister. And don’t let them fool you into thinking they’re the good guys in this, either. You know what they did. How they came at us. I want intel, and I want it now. Fucking get it, or I will out you myself. They will have no hesitations in burying you alive.”
I don’t say anything when Rage lets out a long exhale. “Billie, you have to be on guard with these assholes. They will make you think they’re nice, that they want to take care of you. But the second they find out who you really are, they will have no hesitation in killing you. Don’t you forget that for one single second.”
He’s right.
I know he is.
If they knew who I am and why I have come here, there’s no way I would be leaving unless it is in a body bag. So, no matter how much I despise what I am doing, no matter how much I like Defiance, I have to do this to keep myself alive at this point. I know Rage’s threats. He’d have no hesitation to out me to Defiance if he thought for one minute I was deceiving him or not following his orders.
“Okay, okay… once I’ve had a look around, I’ll call you back. But it will be late.”
“I’ll be waiting. And Billie…”
“I know, I know… don’t get caught.”
“And if you do… you’re on your own.” He ends the call. The click is so loud I wonder if he smashed his phone, and it makes my breath catch in my throat.
Fucked if I do, fucked if I don’t.
Even though I know Phantom wanted me to, I couldn’t find it in me to make my way down to celebrate Christmas dinner with them. It all felt like too much of a charade. So I stayed in my room, trying to come up with a plan if I get caught in Neon’s den tonight. But nothing, absolutely nothing I say in my mind, sounds plausible. The only thing which has any scrap of credibility is that I’m trying to find information on who might have been the guy to do this to me. To say I’m trying to do some vigilante shit of my own.
