Hooked on a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

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  Copyright © 2018 by Ashlyn Chase

  Cover and internal design © 2018 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

  Cover design by Aleta Rafton

  Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.

  Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

  (630) 961-3900

  Fax: (630) 961-2168

  sourcebooks.com

  Contents

  Front Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  An Excerpt from Never Dare a Dragon

  About the Author

  Back Cover

  To Peggy and Dave, my favorite Canadian couple.

  (Hey, what do you want? I’ve run out of family and American friends to dedicate books to.)

  Also, Peggy is my fabulous beta reader who has kept my series bible up to date, so I don’t forget the details of past characters. It may be six hours between books for a reader, but it’s six months between writing one to the next. I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday, never mind what color Drake’s eyes were five books ago! According to Peggy, his eyes are green, and I had a muffin yesterday morning.

  Chapter 1

  “Do you want everyone to hear us? Keep your voice down,” Gabe whispered to Parker Carlisle, his best friend since childhood. He scanned the celebrants at his brother Jayce’s Christmas Eve wedding reception. No one was paying any attention to them—until his mother looked up. She didn’t have paranormal hearing like her sons and husband, but that never stopped her from knowing exactly what was going on. Her smile faded as she took in Gabe’s serious expression.

  Gabriella Fierro wandered over to the son named in her honor.

  Gabe muttered, “Oh, shit. My mother is coming. Look at the cake or something. Act like nothing is wrong.”

  “Nothing is wrong, except you’re being an idiot.” Parker was wearing his dress uniform, probably for the first time. The guy was fresh out of basic training but looked like a national hero standing there beside the dance floor.

  “We’ll talk later…”

  Mrs. Fierro looked radiant in her teal-blue mother-of-the-groom evening gown. Her short, freshly colored auburn hair made her appear years younger than fifty-five. “Is everything all right over here?”

  “Hi, Mom. We’re fine.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Parker. Don’t you look handsome and grown-up in your uniform. It’s been, what, five or six years since you moved from the neighborhood?”

  “Ten, but who’s counting?” Parker smiled.

  “Really? Ten years since your parents… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bring up such a sad event at a happy occasion like this.” She touched his arm gently.

  “Don’t worry. It’s been a long time, and Misty and I have adjusted.”

  Gabe snorted. He wants me to spy on his sister while he’s gone. He calls that adjusting?

  Mrs. Fierro frowned at her son. “Gabriel?”

  Damn. His mother never had to say more than her children’s names, and they’d fess up to anything. She just kept her gaze on him and waited. It never failed. But this time, he wouldn’t give up any information. No. Matter. What.

  She glanced back and forth between her son and his best friend. “What’s going on here?”

  After another uncomfortable moment of silence, Parker caved. “It’s nothing to worry about, Mrs. Fierro. I just asked Gabe to keep an eye on my little sister while I’m overseas.”

  Gabe clenched his jaw. That was enough to get his mother involved.

  “Overseas? You’re being deployed?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Not yet, though. I have to go through some specialty training before going to Afghanistan.”

  “Oh my goodness! Gabe, did you know about this?”

  He sighed. “Yes, Mom. I did. I just don’t want to be responsible, you know, all the time.” I also don’t like the idea of spying.

  Gabriella jammed her hands on her hips. “Gabriel Peter Fierro. How dare you? You’re a firefighter. You’re responsible for people every single day. Are you telling me you can’t be there for Misty? She’s practically one of the family.”

  Gabe looked away.

  When he didn’t answer, his mother bristled. “Don’t think you can pull that strong silent type thing with me. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” She turned to Parker and took his hands in hers. “Of course he’ll keep an eye on Misty. We’ll all be there for her, if she needs anything. Anything at all.”

  Parker let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mrs. Fierro. I’ll rest easier knowing she has someone here in the city who cares about her—and your whole family to turn to.” He glanced at Gabe. “She shouldn’t need anything, anyway. She wants to be independent. She’s not here tonight because she’s volunteering at a homeless shelter. She insists she’s old enough to take care of herself, but she’s only twenty-two. I know she’s technically an adult, but…”

  Mrs. Fierro smiled. “I understand. We were all twenty-two once. At that age, kids think and act like they’re immortal. But as firefighters know, that’s not the case.” She gave Gabe a stern look. As if reminding him that he and his brothers were nearly immortal but their friends were not.

  “Ma. It’s not just that.”

  She stared at her son and waited. When he didn’t continue, she crossed her arms. “Then elaborate!”

  Gabe was saved by his older brother—the groom—excusing himself from a dance with their aunt to come over and drape his arms around Gabe and Parker. “Why the serious expressions? This is a celebration. You’re all supposed to be happy…for me!”

  Mrs. Fierro broke into a grin and cupped Jayce’s cheek. “We’re very happy for you, darling. I was just telling Gabe he should be next. I want grandchildren!”

  “Oh, Christ.” Jayce rolled his eyes. “Why d
on’t you wait until one son is on his honeymoon before you start hounding the others?”

  “You’re right, darling. Now get back to that beautiful wife of yours and give her a hug for me.”

  Jayce looked over his shoulder and spotted Kristine talking with her mother and new stepfather. He grinned. “I think I’ll do that.”

  Gabriella narrowed her gaze at her younger son. “I gave you an out, but I want more detail,” she demanded. “Not that I don’t want you to have a wife and children, but that’s not what this is about. We’ll have that discussion another day.”

  Gabe groaned.

  “Will you excuse us for a moment, Parker?”

  “Of course.”

  “Come, Gabriel. Dance with your mother. And smile!”

  Gabe muttered under his breath. He knew he was in for it now. At least on the dance floor, she wouldn’t smack him upside the head. She took one look at the Joker grin he had plastered on his face and said, “Dear God. That smile is frightening. Never mind. Just wear a neutral expression.”

  When he obliged, her voice took on a sympathetic quality. “Talk to me, honey. What’s really bothering you?”

  When she used that tone of voice, he had to open up. She was nothing if not the most understanding woman on earth. She might not like whatever he told her, but she’d put herself in his shoes before reacting.

  He sighed. “You’re right that I’m a firefighter and I can be responsible for strangers for a few minutes. But this is different. I can’t handle taking care of someone long-term—especially someone special to us, like Misty.”

  “Why not?”

  He hung his head. “You know. I’m just not good at taking care of…things.”

  “Is this about the dog?”

  Gabe bit his lip and nodded.

  “Oh, honey. That was years ago. You were a kid. Don’t tell me you’ve been holding on to that all these years.”

  “Mom. That dog was my responsibility, and while you guys went skiing, I made up an excuse to stay home and lose my virginity.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I remember. You were fifteen, and you paid the price long ago. As I recall, we grounded you for a month, and you grounded yourself for another one.”

  “Nothing you and Dad could have done to me would have been worse than my own guilt over leaving Buddy outside where anyone could untie him.” He felt a burning behind his eyes. Before tears could leak out, he straightened and took a deep breath, steeling himself against the emotional threat.

  His mother squeezed the hand she held. “I recognize that reaction. Your father would do that occasionally when he told me about some horrific thing that happened on the job.”

  He couldn’t speak. He just let his throat close up, staring off into the distance over the happy crowd. Fortunately, his mother didn’t press him. This wasn’t a stranger they were talking about. It would devastate him if he let something happen to Misty.

  His mother was right. She was almost part of their family. She’d followed Parker everywhere after their parents died. When she wasn’t occupied with dance class or school, she wanted to be part of whatever he was doing.

  Parker had never treated her like a tagalong kid. She wasn’t underfoot, so Gabe hadn’t really noticed. The elderly Carlisle grandparents tried to keep everything as normal as they could, but eventually, they couldn’t pay the taxes on a pricey South End town house and support all of them on a fixed income. So they moved to the suburbs.

  Recently, Parker and Misty had lost their grandparents. Now Parker was trusting Gabe to take care of the only Carlisle family member left—while he was halfway around the world serving their country. Gabe was screwed. They both were.

  * * *

  Gabe had tried to come up with a plan that wouldn’t look suspicious. Nothing like opening a new bank account at a branch about as far away from his place of work as he could get…

  Misty worked in the financial district as a bank teller. He understood why she’d moved from Saugus back to Boston. Once this city was in your blood, it almost never left. The suburbs must’ve been pretty dull for a fun-loving twenty-two-year-old. According to Parker, she’d spent the last few years taking care of their elderly grandparents. The girl deserved some fun.

  Parker had given him her address before he returned to Camp Lejeune for additional training. She couldn’t afford the pricey financial district, so she had found an apartment in an old building in the North End. Gabe worried about her living there. He had heard about some rapes in that neighborhood, and as much as she claimed to be an adult, from Parker’s description she was still an idealistic kid.

  Gabe had taken the subway to North Station. Before continuing on, he surfaced and tromped around the old Italian neighborhood, looking for her address. Sandwiched between other old buildings, it wasn’t the worst place on the block, but it wasn’t the best either. He hoped there was a way to figure out which floor she was on. She’d be safer on an upper floor.

  He quietly crept up the stairs to the small porch and saw two mailboxes. One said Carlisle. At least she was smart enough not to use her first name, indicating a female living alone.

  Gabe was in the mood for a walk. It wasn’t that far to the financial district, and he needed to clear his head. He had racked his brain trying to think of some other way to casually keep an eye on her. He came up empty, so he walked to the bank to open a new checking account.

  He’d just tell her he was being transferred to the nearby fire station soon and wanted to have a handy place to do his banking. If that didn’t tip her off, his coming in person to deposit his paycheck probably would. He’d just have to worry about that later.

  When he finally made it to the bank, he tried to look casual as he scanned the tellers, looking for a little girl with long brown braids. Naturally, she’d look a little different by now, but that’s how he remembered her.

  When he didn’t see anyone who could have been that girl, he was afraid he might have come on her day off. He checked the tellers’ nameplates and was shocked to realize the gorgeous brunette with long wavy tresses and a slammin’ body was in fact Misty.

  Whoa. His dick twitched. This can’t be happening. His best friend’s little sister was a grown woman. The first woman in a long time to rev up his libido. Shit. Now what?

  He got in her line, despite it being the longest, and waited his turn. He could probably have approached one of the offices and asked for the manager, but doing it this way would give him a chance to “accidentally” discover she was there.

  Oh my. What a surprise. Who knew you were working here? It sounded stupid, but it was all he had.

  When it was finally his turn, he did his best acting job—not that it was very good. “Hello, miss. I’m here to… Wait a minute. I know you…” Then he made it look like he was staring at her name tag, but he was actually staring at her full breasts. His breath caught, and he had to get ahold of himself in order to speak without squeaking like his fourteen-year-old self. “Misty? Misty Carlisle?”

  Recognition lit up her hazel-brown eyes. “Gabe? Oh my God. What are you doing here?” Then she laughed. “Well, obviously, you’re doing your banking, but I didn’t realize you lived around here.”

  “Oh, I don’t. I was just…thinking of moving to the area, because it looks like I’m going to be transferred to your local firehouse.”

  “I guess you’re following in the family tradition, then?”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said proudly.

  “Well, now I feel even safer, knowing you’re on the job.” Her grin could melt the polar ice cap, or whatever was left of it after global warming and his inner heat had done its work.

  The fact that she always felt safe in a city this size and volunteered at a homeless shelter suggested that she might still be a little idealistic or naive. The guys in the shelter were sometimes
hardened criminals. Some of his cop buddies had told him stories that raised the hair on the back of his neck.

  Dammit. No wonder Parker wanted someone to keep an eye on her. And yet she wanted to be independent. This was no easy assignment.

  “That’s sweet. I take it you live around here?”

  “Not really. I live in the North End. It’s a short walk, and I enjoy it on pleasant days.”

  “There aren’t many of those at this time of year.”

  “If anyone would know that, it’s you firefighters. I can’t imagine working in some of the conditions you have to go out in.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, there are times I kind of wish I could sit behind a desk, but most of the time, I love my job.”

  She smiled shyly. “I like what you do too.”

  Someone behind him cleared his throat.

  Gabe realized he’d better get down to business. “So, how do I go about setting up an account here?”

  “I’ll get the manager for you.” She left her window and exited through a side door, coming around to the customer area. “Just follow me.”

  Her black pencil skirt hugged her perfectly formed bottom, and her hips swished as she walked. He could almost feel himself salivating. Good God. I hate you, Parker.

  Misty poked her head into an office marked ADAM FORSYTH, MANAGER. “Hi, Adam. My friend here would like to open a new account.”

  The manager frowned at Gabe. That didn’t seem like a very friendly reaction to a new customer.

  “Friend?”

  “Yes,” Misty said. “This is Gabe Fierro. I’ve known him forever.” She smiled at Gabe, and he couldn’t help smiling back.

  The manager sat up straight and said, “Well, come in.”

  During their chitchat, when Gabe revealed the fact that he was a firefighter, the man’s demeanor softened. Yup, Gabe thought. Everyone loves a firefighter. And yet his youngest brother, Luca, wanted to be a cop. He knew of at least fifteen cops who had become firefighters just because they were tired of being hated.

  It only took about twenty minutes and his most recent paycheck before he was all set and ready to be on his way. He glanced back at Misty before leaving and saw a terrified expression on her face.