Fragments of Grey [Book Five of The Alexis Stanton Chronicles]

by Phelps, J. C.

Jake wore a scowl, and Eric looked amused.

  “You two ready to go?” Eric asked.

  I didn’t realize I had a grin on my face until Eric confused me with his question and I screwed up my face to ask, “Go where?”

  “We always go out bar hopping after we get home from a gun battle,” Jake said.

  “Oh. I think I’ll pass. I still have Africa all over me.” I patted my pant leg and a plume of dust rose up.

  “That’s the point,” Joe said. “The bus is ready?” he asked Eric.

  “Yep. I even talked the girls into joining us.” Eric wagged his eyebrows.

  “Yo!” Eric yelled to get everyone’s attention. “The bus leaves in two minutes. Everyone better be on board. You see those two over there, bro?” Eric pointed for Joe’s benefit. “They’re waiting for us.”

  The two girls sent flirty waves our direction.

  Joe looked at me, as if to ask permission. I smiled and mimicked Eric’s eyebrow wag.

  I couldn’t stop a giggle after he scurried away with Eric.

  “What was that about?” Jake asked me, still scowling.

  “Looks like Eric and Joe might get laid. You might want to go nail some of that down.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Shall we?” He made a flourish with his arm toward the bus.

  “I told you, I’m not dressed for it.”

  “You are going. This is a ritual, and you will not mess with ritual.” He took me by the elbow and gave a rough tug.

  “Joe! Alex says she’s not going,” Jake yelled across the mob of men piling onto the bus.

  “Hell no!”

  I found myself swarmed by men, and being lifted onto the bus.

  Someone yelled, “Our sniper bitch ain’t sitting out of the hard part!”

  I grinned and allowed them to pass me through the doors, dust and all.

  The half-naked women were just as affectionate to me as they were to the men on the bus. I was already tipsy from the champagne by the time we reached the first bar.

  The lush bus seat was hard to leave, but I didn’t linger. I wanted to avoid being carried off the same way they’d carried me on.

  Once inside, I went straight for a table. Jake followed me and the rest of the men created a long line around the bar, waiting to be served.

  Jake sat beside me, not saying anything as we watched the scene unfold around us.

  Was this truly my new home? Were these the people I’d be spending my time with? When I took the job, I hadn’t intended to stay long. Just kill some time until something happened to get me back to where I belong. That something hadn’t happened yet, and it had been almost a year of waiting. A third of that time I’d spent with this company. I hadn’t made friends with any of the men, except Jake and Joe, but I was getting comfortable.

  I still ached to go back to White and Associates and be Penumbra on the side, but I couldn’t imagine how that would come about.

  Should I put it all aside and embrace this life? I looked over at Jake. He was watching me. I didn’t have to worry about a huge secret any more. That opened up so many more opportunities for my love life. I could date him, or Joe, or anyone else. Maybe, expecting a man to give me the same chills White gave me was expecting too much.

  I let my eyes wander to Joe. His lap was filled with the busty girl from the bus. What if I was her? I wouldn’t sit on his lap in public and let him fondle me.

  I looked back toward Jake, but he was gone.

  Where did he go?

  I caught myself straining my neck to see around the room. He was at the bar. A wave of relief settled over me when he came into sight.

  Have I really become that attached to him?

  My alarm at not knowing where Jake was confused me. I’d thought of Jake in the carnal sense, but never as a serious partner, at least not consciously. Yet, if I didn’t think of him seriously why would I feel panic when I didn’t know where he was? How could something like this sneak up on me?

  I watched Jake walk back toward our table, a beer in one hand and a shot in the other.

  “If you want anything else, there’s a running tab at the bar.” He handed me the shot. “Posner always lets the guys have a night out on the company after a job like the last one.”

  “Ones in which his people are killed?”

  “Not just the ones where people are killed, but the jobs that include actual gunfire with the enemy. He understands the men need to blow off steam after something like that.”

  “I think I’ve had enough.” The thought of drinking on Posner’s dime was repulsive. I set the shot on the table.

  “You have to drink it. We’ll be toasting our lost friends and it’d be disrespectful not to join in on the toast.”

  The group of men started surrounding our table. In a matter of seconds, we all had our drinks in the air. Not a word was said and the silence made it feel more profound. Even if Posner had no respect for his men, they respected one another.

  We only stayed long enough for the men who’d ordered something other than a shot to finish their drinks before we were off to the next establishment.

  “Jake?” I asked once we’d taken our seats on the bus after the fifth bar.

  “Yeah?”

  “How many bars are we going to hit up?”

  “As many as we can before they close.”

  “I won’t be able to make it through.” I was already slurring my words and could feel my stomach churning.

  “You’re with me. You’ll be fine.”

  “Seriously, I can’t. I can barely focus right now.”

  “Stop drinking the champagne on the bus and I’ll take care of you at the next bar. Promise.” He gave my hand a squeeze as he took my champagne glass away.

  I’d been drinking a lot more since I’d taken up with these men, but the repeated shots of whiskey mixed with the champagne was more than I could handle.

  I went through the motions of getting out of the bus and finding a table to occupy while the men made their orders. It seemed like an eternity before Jake came back with my shot. I needed that eternity to be able to focus on taking it from his hands.

  “Last one. I promise,” he said when I glared.

  The men had congregated once again and we silently drank down our tribute.

  As soon as the booze hit my stomach I could feel it trying to work its way back out. Jake was already by my side helping me up.

  He stood at the door while I hung my head over the toilet in the women’s restroom.

  “That’ll get rid of what you haven’t digested yet. It should give you at least another hour before you’re at your limit again.”

  “What the hell was in that shot?” I asked between my retching.

  “Peppermint schnapps. I figured the peppermint would either settle your stomach, put you over the edge or bring about this reaction. You must really be drunk if you couldn’t taste it.”

  I groaned and he laughed.

  When my stomach settled somewhat, I came out of the stall and washed my face in cold water while Jake watched on.

  A couple of women walked in past him with disapproving looks. I received the same looks when they saw me staring at my wet face in the mirror.

  “Jake. I’m done. I can’t lose control like this.” I patted my face dry.

  “That’s the point, Alex. You need to rely on us to protect you and this is an easy test of that trust.”

  “I think I trusted you all well enough in frickin’ Sudan. Holy shit. We had people shooting at us and you didn’t see me hiding because I was afraid you guys didn’t have what it takes.”

  “You didn’t hide because it’s against your nature. So, don’t try to convince me you trust us because of that. It won’t hurt you to get shit-faced with us.” He was starting to slur as much as me. “And,” he added, “we shouldn’t discuss jobs inside a public women’s toilet.”

  “Whatever. I am shit-faced. Consider me done. If we’re all here to protect one another, as you say, then you should resp
ect me when I say I’m done drinking.”

  “Whoa. You don’t cave to peer pressure very well.” He let the bathroom door shut after I walked under his arm. “Fine. Bottle of water at the next bar?”

  “A bottle of water would have been perfect at this bar.”

  “I was hoping to get you as drunk as I did the first time we went out drinking.”

  “I think I’m past that point.”

  “Should we start a fight?”

  “You’re the only one I want to punch right now.” I gave him a shove and he lost his balance. Thankfully, he stumbled into Eric and not the huge guy standing next to Eric. I didn’t know who the big guy was, but I knew he wasn’t part of our group.

  “Watch it, man!”

  Eric shoved Jake back my direction. Jake fell into me, I lost my footing and ended up on the floor with him on top of me.

  Someone lifted Jake off me and gave me his hand.

  “This is familiar,” Helix’s voice came to me through my fog.

  “Helix?” I squinted and recognized him.

  “Hey, babe. You okay?”

  He moved his hand to the back of my head and felt around. It stung.

  “I’m fine.”

  I pulled away from his prodding.

  “Does this look fine?”

  He held his hand in front of my face. It was covered in blood, a lot of blood.

  “Shit. How did that happen?” I reached back and felt the hot blood on the back of my head.

  “You hit your head, babe. Let’s get you out of here, okay?”

  Helix’s voice was quiet and more gentle than I’d ever heard it. He put his arm around my waist and started to lead me away.

  “Hey! Where you going with her?” I heard Jake demand from directly behind us.

  “Your drunk ass knocked her into that table over there and she banged her head a good one.”

  I started to feel even more wobbly. If Helix hadn’t had a good hold of my waist, I would have probably fallen to the ground.

  “You want to come along to the hospital or do you want to stay here and party?”

  “I’m coming,” Jake said, all signs of a slur gone now.

  “I’m fine.” I tried to squirm away, but the dizziness got the best of me.

  Jake took my hand and showed me the blood on it.

  “I don’t think you’re fine. You need stitches and you might have a concussion. I told you, you needed to trust us.”

  The two men led me out of the bar and into the back of Helix’s Cadillac.

  “This is a brand new car. Helix, you better let me out before I get blood all over it.”

  “Jake. Get your ass in the back seat and keep her there,” Helix ordered as he slid into the driver’s seat.

  He turned around in the seat and grabbed my arm while Jake pushed me further into the car by my legs.

  “Leather seats, babe. They clean up good.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Keep her awake, Jake. I swear man, if she’s seriously hurt I’m gonna kick your fucking ass. And, when I’m done, you’ll have all her ex-partners on your ass, and worse.”

  “Her fucking partners?”

  “Hey,” I said weakly. “I don’t have any partners any more. I quit working for them—” I tried to calculate the time that had passed, but couldn’t. “Ages. I haven’t worked with them in ages. It’s been so long I can’t even count that high. They piss me off, anyway.”

  “Girly,” Helix said, his tone softening for me, “you just relax. I’ve got your back.”

  “Helix, shut the fuck up and just drive,” Jake said.

  “Don’t rile me up, Jake.”

  “Helix. I’m fine.” I sat up straighter, lifted my chin, and tried my best to not let my eyelids droop.

  “We’ll see about that soon enough.” Then he growled, “Jake. Keep her awake.”

  “I’m awake,” I opened my eyes. “I just have a headache.”

  “Sensitive to light?” Jake asked.

  “No, just a throbbing head.”

  “Are you still dizzy?” Helix asked the next question.

  “Yeah, but I think that’s the alcohol.”

  They fired questions at me all the way to the hospital. I had to answer those same questions again while the doctor shined a light in my eyes, and stitched me up. I did get a few seconds to myself after Jake’s ringing phone made me wince. The doctor gave Jake a reproving look when he took the call.

  “You’re going to be fine, Ms. Grey. Just keep the wound clean, and don’t drink so much next time.”

  The doctor started giving Helix and Jake further instructions so I took the opportunity to curl up into a ball on the bed while I waited. He’d given me something for the pain, but it hadn’t kicked in yet.

  I found my way to the bathroom with no trouble before I realized I was back at my room at Mesa. I hovered over the toilet for a few minutes then stood up and brushed my teeth.

  “Everything okay in there?” Jake’s voice came through the door.

  “Go away. I’m fine.”

  “We need to know if you’re getting sick.” Helix’s voice came through next.

  I opened the bathroom door before I spit out my toothpaste. “What are you doing in my room, Helix?” I tried not to sputter out too much white toothpaste foam in my shock.

  He smiled and wiped a couple of splatters off his shirt. “I’m protecting your virginity.”

  “I’m not a virgin!”

  “Nice to know.”

  I sighed and went back to brushing my teeth. The men hovered at the door until I finished.

  “I’m going back to bed,” I announced.

  “It’s noon,” Jake said.

  “Noon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do we have plans today?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m going back to bed.”

  “You sure you’re fine?” Helix followed to the side of my bed.

  “I’m hung over, but I’m fine.”

  “I’m talking about your stitches. Do you remember that?”

  “Yes. I remember that. Dumbass Jake,” I pointed at him, “knocked me over and I hit my head. You had a fit in your car. Oh, your car. Let me pay to have it cleaned. I’m so sorry, Helix.” I got up off the bed and pulled out some cash I had in a jar on the dresser.

  I pressed the money into his hands as he objected. “No, beautiful. It’s all good. That’s what friends are for.”

  “What’s that? Bleeding all over your pretty leather seats? No. You take this and if you have to replace anything, let me know. Jake might have been the dumbass who knocked me over, but I’m the dumbass who got that drunk.”

  “Nah. It’s all good. Jake already had it detailed. Plus, he told me about the job in Sudan. No one can blame the lot of you for needing to tie one on.”

  He took the cash and put it back in my jar.

  “You shouldn’t leave this much cash on your dresser, girl.”

  “I suppose not.”

  “You’re in good hands. I’m going to get outta here. I had to call someone to open the gym. I’m a little afraid to show up this late.”

  “Thanks, Helix.” I took his hands in mine again.

  “That’s not good enough.”

  He reached down and picked me up into a gentle hug. His gentleness never ceased to amaze me because of his size.

  I couldn’t help it. I kissed him on the cheek.

  “I knew I’d get another one of those if I got you close enough.”

  He set me down tenderly. His smile dropped from his face and his brash speech lessened as he lowered his voice.

  “If you ever need me, don’t hesitate to call. For anything, you understand?”

  I reached up and took his face in my hands. I had to stretch to the tips of my toes to get where I wanted to be. The kiss I gave him this time was on the lips. It was a gentle thank you and I was certain Helix would understand its meaning.

  “Thanks again, Helix,” I said when I went
back to my natural height.

  “That’s my girl.”

  Helix drew me in for one more gentle hug before he left me alone with Jake.

  “You should go get some sleep, Jake.”

  “Helix was the one who stayed up all night. I fell asleep on the couch. He didn’t trust me to watch over you, I guess.”

  “I am going back to bed. I have a headache,” I complained.

  “I ordered some food. It should be here any time now, so you can’t go back to bed. Besides, the doc told us not to let you sleep too much, anyway.”

  Jake handed me a couple of pills.

  “Tylenol. He said you shouldn’t need anything stronger.”

  He walked to the mini refrigerator and brought back a bottle of water.

  “Thanks.”

  I sat on the couch and Jake joined me.

  “Here, turn a little.”

  I did as he instructed and he started to rub my shoulders.

  “I didn’t mean to knock you over.” His voice was so low I almost couldn’t hear him.

  “Not a big deal. I didn’t even get a concussion,” I said.

  My door opened and Eric walked in. “I bet you aren’t moving too fast today.” He smirked.

  “I’d like to not be moving at all, but Jake won’t let me go back to bed.”

  “You whine too much.”

  This statement made me raise my eyebrows and stopped me from saying any more.

  “Joe’s bringing the food,” Eric said as if he hadn’t just been a jerk. Then he plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV, making sure to put the volume up louder than it needed to be.

  I took the remote from him and turned the volume down. “I take it you didn’t get laid last night?”

  “I got laid,’ he said. “Just think you’re milking this head injury crap.”

  “Okay, then. If you call wanting to go back to bed because I have a headache from the hangover as much as the bump on the head milking it—”

  “No. I don’t care if you want to sleep the day away, but why do you need an outside bodyguard?”

  “You mean Helix?”

  “Yeah, I mean Helix.”

  “I didn’t ask him to stay. I was passed out.”

  “It’s just funny that now you’re here, we’ve had a run-in with Black. And now Helix.”