“You own me,” Tarik said on a primal growl. “The same as I own you. Fuck! Coming!”
Phoenix’s hips stilled as his release shot from him, filling Tarik’s ass at the same time his words pierced his heart. Tarik was right. Tarik owned him the same way Mia owned him.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
GETTING BACK HOME to Mia had been the only thing on Tarik’s mind since he’d woken up that morning. The last few days away from her had been hell, and he was beginning to wonder how they were going to keep doing it. If he had his way, she’d be traveling with them, but with her classes, he knew that wasn’t an option.
For most of the time they’d been gone, Phoenix had been preoccupied, with the exception of when they went to bed. And then they were too busy undoing one another for anything else to intrude. Except when they were finished, they would talk about Mia, about getting back to her.
When she’d called Phoenix to tell him she was having dinner with Ellen, Tarik had thought Phoenix’s head was going to explode. Her assurance afterward that things had gone well was the only thing that had saved him. Tarik found it all amusing, which Phoenix hadn’t found at all funny.
Now, as he drove to the condos from the private airport where Phoenix kept his company jet, Tarik’s anxiety level was rising. They had both received a text from Mia that morning, informing them that she needed to talk to them as soon as possible. And not by phone, which had filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread.
“Did she answer your text?” Tarik asked, referring to the fact that Phoenix had texted Mia as soon as the plane had landed. As he drove, he tossed a glance at Phoenix, who was typing something into his phone.
“No. Not yet. I’m just gonna call her.”
Phoenix put the phone to his ear, and Tarik returned his attention to the road.
“Mia? Hey. Where are you?”
Tarik couldn’t hear Mia talking on the other end of the line, and he desperately wanted to know what she was saying. After the text they’d both received that morning, he knew whatever she had to tell them wasn’t going to be good.
“Okay, baby. We’ll be there in a few.”
“Where is she?”
“At her condo. Alex and Johnathan are there with her.”
Tarik darted another look at Phoenix.
“So is my mother,” Phoenix added, his face grim.
“Did she tell you what the hell is going on?” Tarik asked, his voice rough.
“No. So pay attention to the road and fucking drive.”
Tarik knew Phoenix was feeling the same dread he was, so he brushed off the harsh words and focused on the road.
Twenty minutes later, Tarik was knocking on Mia’s front door, Phoenix standing beside him. When the door opened, Ellen greeted them, her face lined with worry.
“What’s going on?” Phoenix demanded as he pushed past Tarik and Ellen on his way to find Mia.
The second she saw them, Mia was off the couch and rushing toward them. She walked right into Phoenix’s arms first but then released him and headed for Tarik. He was surprised that she stayed in his arms a little longer. The feel of her against him soothed that restless energy that had been pulsing since her text.
“Someone really needs to tell me what the fuck is going on,” Phoenix demanded.
Mia pulled away from Tarik and turned to face Phoenix.
“I was served with papers this morning. Apparently, Damien is suing me for three million dollars.”
“What?” Phoenix roared. “He’s lost his fucking mind.”
“No, he’s hard up for money,” Alex said softly. “I mean really hard up.”
“Damien’s in the process of suing Mia for the three million he paid her in the divorce. He claims that she was the one cheating on him; therefore, she shouldn’t have received the money,” Johnathan explained.
“That’s not all,” Ellen said.
Tarik, along with everyone else in the room, turned his attention to Phoenix’s mother. She was sitting on the edge of the chair, her hands clasped together in her lap. “Phil asked me to provide some of your father’s handwriting samples. He had some, but he wanted a few more. Damien’s lawyers told Phil that they would be sending him the document showing that Sid did make a deal to sell the Arrows.”
“I’ve got to sit down,” Phoenix said, sounding defeated.
Ellen stood, then went to him, easing down beside him when he dropped to the sofa. Tarik watched the scene before him for a moment.
Tarik leaned down to Mia’s ear. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”
She nodded, and with that, Tarik walked out the door. It was time to put a stop to this shit once and for fucking all.
»»»»»♥«««««
“I’M SO SORRY, Phoenix,” Mia said when the door closed behind Tarik. She had no idea where he was going, and she didn’t have the good sense to ask, either. She was too focused on Phoenix. He looked as though he was going to lose it any second now, and she didn’t know what to do.
“You’re sorry?” Phoenix asked, disbelief in his tone, his turbulent green eyes lifting to meet hers. “Come here.”
Mia made her way across the living room, fear making her move slowly, carefully. She hated that Damien was doing this, and she couldn’t help but think this was all her fault.
Phoenix took her hand and tugged her down beside him, placing his arm over her shoulder and pulling her against him as he leaned back against the cushions. His lips brushed her hair, but he didn’t say anything.
The room was silent, and Mia felt all eyes on her. For the last couple of hours, ever since the man had shown up at her door with papers that she’d had to sign for, she’d been shaking. Damien was suing her, insisting that she was the one who had cheated. With Phoenix, at that. He claimed he had proof.
She hadn’t known what to do, so she had texted Tarik and Phoenix, knowing they were in flight back home. Then she’d called Alex but had to leave a voice mail. She had considered calling her mother, but didn’t want her to worry until Mia knew what she was going to do, so she’d done the only thing she could think of. She’d gone up to Ellen’s condo and knocked on the door.
After explaining to her what had happened, they had sat at Ellen’s kitchen table. That was when Ellen had received the phone call from Phoenix’s lawyer, Phil, asking about handwriting samples. The bottom had dropped out of Mia’s stomach at that point. Everything had snowballed from there. When Alex called her back, Mia and Ellen had returned to Mia’s condo to meet them.
And here they all were. Mia had no idea what to do or what to say. She wanted to fix this, but she didn’t know what that entailed.
Confusion wracked her, made her thoughts mushy, her head ache.
Phoenix lifted his head and glanced around the room while Mia curled up against him, inhaling him, drinking him in. She never wanted to let him go. She felt safe in his arms, although she knew that things were still falling apart around them.
“Where’d Tarik go?” Phoenix demanded, sitting upright instantly, obviously just realizing he’d left.
“He said he’d be back in a few minutes,” Mia told him, forced to sit up, too.
“Why didn’t Phil call me?”
Mia realized Phoenix was talking to his mother.
“He said he tried,” Ellen said calmly, that authoritative tone once again in place. “I assume you were on the plane.”
Phoenix turned to Mia, cupping her face in his hands before pressing his lips to her mouth. “I need to find Tarik. I don’t want you to worry about any of this.”
Mia cocked an eyebrow. Right. Like that was even possible at this point.
“I’m serious, Mia. We’ll get it taken care of. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Mia nodded and pressed her lips to Phoenix’s when he kissed her gently. When he withdrew his lips, he pulled her head to his shoulder and pressed his lips to her ear. “I love you, Mia. You have nothing to worry about.”
Her heart sto
pped beating. It actually stopped in her chest for a moment before it resumed, kicking harder than she’d thought possible. Phoenix pulled back and looked at her before pressing his lips to hers once more.
“I love you, too,” she whispered, forcing her eyes not to water. She wasn’t going to cry. This was a good thing.
Phoenix smiled.
And then he was gone.
She stared after him, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. Her heart claimed she had, the too-hard beat making her chest hurt. Her stomach swirled with a mixture of hope and love and everything she’d kept bottled inside for the past few weeks. She’d told Tarik that she loved him and she’d meant it. Although the opportunity hadn’t presented itself — until now, apparently — Mia had been trying to find a way to tell Phoenix how she felt. Now that she had, she wasn’t sure what to do.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked, coming to sit beside her, taking her hand.
“I will be,” she said, conviction backing up her words.
Mia met Ellen’s eyes, and she noticed the older woman was smiling. She’d heard what Phoenix had said.
»»»»»♥«««««
PHOENIX DIDN’T BOTHER going to his penthouse when he left Mia’s. He went straight to Tarik’s, needing to find out what the man was up to. When he walked in, he wasn’t surprised to find Tarik on the phone, speaking gruffly to whomever was on the other end.
Pushing his hands into his pockets, he stood in the living room, watching Tarik.
“This is your chance to make things right,” Tarik said. The ruthless tone he used had the hair on the back of Phoenix’s neck standing on end. “Technically, you owe her, and I assure you, you’ll never be able to repay her for what she’s been through. Never.”
Phoenix watched as Tarik listened to whomever was on the other end. He turned and met Phoenix’s eyes as he said, “Good. I’ll meet with you first thing Monday morning.” Tarik paused for a moment. “Yes. Pierce Industries. I’ll have her lawyer there.”
Tarik disconnected the call.
“Who was that?”
“Harrison Abbott. Looks like the guy is up for a good deed.”
Phoenix smirked. He knew that Harrison probably had had a little helping hand in coming to that conclusion. Tarik could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be.
“So what do we do now?” Phoenix asked, curious as to what Tarik had in mind.
“We schedule a meeting with Landry and his lawyers for Monday afternoon. And then we wait.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
MIA HAD THOUGHT she would be nervous, had even wondered whether or not she was going to be sick when she had considered the meeting she would be attending on Monday afternoon.
The meeting she was sitting in now.
Tarik and Phoenix had driven her to Pierce Industries early that morning to meet with Phil, the lawyer who was currently managing her side of the lawsuit that Damien had instigated just last week. They had settled into a conference room, and she’d answered a number of questions. Shortly thereafter, Phoenix and Tarik had taken her to lunch, and now they had returned. Same conference room, only this time, they were seated beside her. One on each side, and the three of them were waiting for Damien and his legal team to arrive so they could discuss options.
No, she wasn’t nervous, but her stomach was churning. It wasn’t from the cheeseburger she’d scarfed down at lunch, either. This was from anger and hurt. It had erupted in her belly as soon as she had returned to the room, realizing that she would have to face Damien today.
A knock on the door had Mia looking up. Phoenix took one of her hands in his beneath the table while Tarik took the other, both reassuring her that things were going to be fine. She had no reason not to believe them, and that was what it all boiled down to. She trusted them.
A little ironic that she had to face a man who had destroyed her trust with his deceit only to find herself being consoled by the two men who’d proven to her that not everyone was like Damien.
Three men in suits came into the room, none of them saying a word as they took a chair on the other side of the table. Damien followed behind them, his gaze moving from one person to the next, a cocky smile forming on his lips.
“Are we all here?” Damien asked as though he were the one directing the meeting.
“Take a seat, Landry,” Phoenix commanded.
Damien glared at Phoenix but took a chair between two of the suits across from her. Mia made a point not to meet his gaze. She didn’t want to look at him.
“Well, you called this meeting,” Damien said. “Might as well get down to business. I assume you aren’t just wasting my time here.”
Phoenix’s hand tightened on Mia’s, but he kept silent.
Phil cleared his throat. “I want to start out by listing what Mr. Landry is currently seeking with the multiple lawsuits, to ensure we are on the same page. His original suit for five million in damages from Mr. Pierce has been amended to the amount of ten million. Is this correct?”
“That’s correct,” one of the suits across the table said.
“And then there is the matter of the lawsuit against Mia Cantrell in the amount of three million. The grounds are that Mia was awarded three million in her divorce settlement for the three years she spent with Mr. Landry. According to the lawsuit, Mia did not deserve this money due to the fact that she was unfaithful during the marriage. Is this correct?”
“That’s correct,” the same suit said.
Mia continued to stare at the lawyers, refusing to look at Damien.
“It has been advised that there was a legally binding contract signed by Sidney Pierce and Damien Landry, executing the sale of the majority share of the Austin Arrows franchise back in March of this year.”
“That is correct,” Damien said firmly. “This is all information we already know. I’m not sure the reason to rehash it here and now.”
“It’s important to establish the authenticity of the document signed by Sidney Pierce,” Phil continued as though Damien hadn’t spoken. “We are requesting a copy of this to compare signatures against those on file. We’ve hired a third party handwriting expert to handle this for us.”
Mia’s gaze did slip to Damien’s, and the way his brow furrowed told her he wasn’t as confident that his paper was going to hold up in court.
“I’m not sure why this is necessary,” Damien said, although it lacked the heat it should have, in her opinion. For a man who’d walked in there so self-assured, he seemed to be retreating somewhat.
“It’s justifiable,” one of the suits told Damien. “If they ask for it in court, the judge will allow it, considering Sidney Pierce is deceased.”
“The longer this takes, the more I’m going to ask for,” Damien said snidely.
“If I may ask, what proof do you have that Ms. Cantrell was unfaithful during the marriage?” Phil asked, the question directed at the lawyers.
“We have people who are willing to state that they saw Ms. Cantrell with Phoenix during the marriage.”
Phil nodded, jotting something down on the paper. “And I assume they are willing to testify in court, correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Do you have the names of these witnesses?” Phil asked.
“That’s not important at this time,” one of the lawyers said.
Phil had already informed Mia that they would say that. They did not have to disclose them until it was necessary.
Phil wrote something else on the paper.
As was planned, Tarik lifted their clasped hands and rested them on the table, effectively pulling Mia slightly closer to his side. Phoenix continued to hold her hand beneath the table.
Damien’s eyes instantly went to their joined hands, confusion marring his expression. Mia fought the urge to smile.
Phil addressed the lawyers directly. “As I mentioned on the phone earlier, I wanted to inform you of the conclusion we’ve come to.”
Damien’s gaze slid to Phil’s, his i
nterest apparent.
“We are in the process of filing a countersuit on behalf of Ms. Cantrell. She’s countersuing Mr. Landry for an additional ten million dollars, which, according to the prenup, she would’ve been awarded in the event that Mr. Landry was unfaithful.” Phil paused as the door opened.
Damien twisted in his seat as all eyes turned to the two newcomers. Harrison Abbott and his ex-wife, Michelle, made their way into the room, both of them taking a seat at the end of the table.
“What the hell is this?” Damien grumbled.
“Thank you for joining us. It’ll be just a minute,” Phil told Harrison and Michelle before turning his attention back to Damien’s lawyers. “In addition to the ten million, Ms. Cantrell is seeking three million in damages.”
“Under what claim?” one of the lawyers asked, sternly meeting Phil’s stare.
“Defamation of character. Mr. Landry accused Ms. Cantrell of being unfaithful during the marriage, and we also have witnesses to back her claim. At the same time” — Phil motioned to Harrison and Michelle — “we have witnesses who will testify in a court of law that Mr. Landry was unfaithful when he had an affair with Harrison Abbott’s wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Harrison noted.
Mia smiled to herself.
Phil sorted the papers in front of him, pulling another page to the top. “As for Mr. Pierce, we will also be filing a countersuit in the amount of five million dollars for damages.”
“Five million?” Damien snarled.
“I didn’t want to be greedy,” Phoenix said roughly, a smirk drawing up the corners of his mouth.
Mia squeezed his hand beneath the table.
“Is this what you really want?” Damien asked, his question directed at Phoenix.
“No,” Phoenix said, sitting up and pulling Mia’s other hand, still clasped with his, onto the table. “She is what I want, but if I recall correctly, you informed me we could do this the easy way or the hard way. I’ve never taken the easy way out of anything. I certainly don’t intend to start now.”
A Million Tiny Pieces Page 37
