“I told you. Clothes.”
“No. Computer, a phone, a warehouse, and a good investment person. Someone who doesn’t work inside a huge financial company…someone who can make trades discretely without disclosing who they’re working for.” He shot her a look. “You know anyone?”
She pursed her lips, shook her head. “But I can find someone.” She cast him a sidelong glance. “So, got some money, did you?”
“My parents’ investment accounts have over ten million in them. They’ve just been growing the past thirty-plus years. The bank has been investing, buying, growing, and keeping the funds dynamic. Apparently they’ve been in contact with my guardian.” He wiped his face. “I have a guardian. I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Griffin.” Phoenix changed lanes. “I’m willing to bet Griffin is your guardian. He used to be a front man for Borgati, a liaison with the parents, that kind of thing. Probably still is.”
“Probably. Where are we going?”
“To a mall in the Valley. We’re going to set you up at the Apple store. iPhone, iPad, a laptop of some sort.”
“Do you need a new phone?”
She sputtered. “What?”
“If you need a new phone, let’s get one. Let’s just do it.”
“You don’t need to do this.”
He bit back the retort and waited until she navigated traffic and parked in the mall lot. Once she shut off the engine, he took her hand.
“Listen. I don’t know how long I’ll be here. I don’t know what I want from you. But I know what I need to do. Consider the phone as a repayment of sorts.”
She twisted out of his hold, turned in her seat, and held his face between her hands. There was fire in her eyes, and he admired her for it even as he craved the feel of her hands on his skin.
“Listen. We are bound, somehow, you and I. Whether it’s in a weird romantic way or not doesn’t matter. Whether it’s for just a minute or two, or for something longer, I don’t know. What I do know is that, right now, we are a team. Do you understand?”
The air sparked between them, and it wasn’t Elliott’s gift. He reined in his libido.
“I understand. I also want to look at warehouses with you. The sooner we get a place set up for Borgati’s runaways, outcasts, and leftovers, the better off for everyone.”
She sat back in surprise, her hands leaving his face. It shocked him how he missed her touch. In a violent movement, he left the car, the door hanging open behind him. He stood there under the hot sun and blinked.
Heard her get out and shut her door, then his. When she came up next to him, she didn’t touch him, didn't say a word until he looked down at her.
Even through the darkness of the sunglasses he could see the compassion clearly on her face.
“I’m sorry. You feel like a part of my life, and I’ve only known you for a handful of hours, plus stolen time, years ago. It’s tough, up here in the sun. There are too many choices. Too much freedom.” She inhaled, shook her head. “If you need me to slow down, just say so.”
Her black eyes held such kindness, such sweetness, that once again emotion caught at him. He drew her against him, held her close, and just breathed her in. Felt her soft curves against his rock-hard body.
They stood there under the sun and held each other, uncaring of and unnoticed by the rest of the world. The longer she held him, the harder it was for him to keep the emotions at bay. Tears rose and streamed down his cheeks, silent witness to the beauty of the moment there, with her. He tightened his arms around her, pressed her closer.
“I never cry.”
The fierce words merely had her tightening her hold on him.
“It won’t hurt you.”
When his nose began to run, he sniffled and pulled back finally. She dug in her bag and handed him a tissue.
He wiped his eyes, blew his nose, too embarrassed to look at her. “You’re right, it’s overwhelming.” Elliott eyed the mall. “Maybe we should mail order everything.”
“We could do that. Or we can go in there and get what you need. After that, we’ll hit the food court for a late lunch, and I’ll call my real estate person. Later, we can look at warehouses.”
“Yeah.” He shoved the tissue in his pocket. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go do this. But you’re doing the talking, as you know all the right things to say.”
She nodded and when they turned to the mall, she reached for his hand.
All through the hours they spent in the Apple store, Elliott watched her. Remembered how sweet it felt to walk through a busy shopping center, holding her hand. As he’d warned, he left all decisions to her, his only involvement when it came time to write the check.
Thanks to Griffin, he had a driver’s license to back up the check, even though the check didn’t have an address on it.
Their hands full of packages, Phoenix checked her watch and clucked her tongue.
“Let’s skip the late lunch, and instead head to the warehouse I have in mind. It’s late enough now, and we’re having the going away party for Tigger and Shawn, so there’ll be plenty of pizza later.”
“That works.”
Phoenix sent a quick text to her realtor, who promised to meet them, and they were on their way.
“Do you like where you live, in Hollywood?”
Phee shot him a curious look. “Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of perfect for a living space. But I need so much more.”
“What about buying the warehouse, and the apartment building?”
She snorted out a laugh. “Oh come on. What are you, mister moneybags or something?”
Elliott shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the thought. “Ten million. I told you. Investments up the wazoo. Some of the dividends will be automatically deposited into my bank account. I have cash flow.”
“I guess I thought you were joking.” Phee pulled into a non-descript lot that had row upon row of warehouses. They were at the northeast end of the Valley, and the 170 Freeway wasn’t far.
He looked around at the bland, empty area. “So this is it?”
“Don’t let it fool you.” She parked and got out of the car.
There was a feeling of joy, a sort of sparkle throughout her whole body. Elliott got out and watched her moon over the front door of number three.
She turned to him. “See this boarded up window? After I replace the glass, I’ll be able to dress up this space, make it inviting. Not actually put samples there, because they’d die in the sun, but…dress the place up. Inside there’s just enough room for a sweet storefront. But it’s the back, and especially upstairs, that I love.”
Another car pulled up and parked next to them. A woman got out, her Bluetooth in her ear, talking rapidly in Spanish. She waved at Phoenix, eyed Elliott with curiosity, unlocked and opened the door to the warehouse. She waved them in and turned away, still occupied with her call.
Phee caught Elliott’s hand and tugged. “Come on.”
The place had been vacant for what felt like a long time. It was dark and dank. But as she had described, there was enough room for a small storefront. She led the way down a short corridor. A couple doors led off it, but she went straight to the door in the back and opened it up.
The place was massive. Skylights lit the far half of it, a good two stories high. She tugged him further into the room, and their footsteps echoed in the emptiness.
At the middle of the room, she turned and pointed back the way they came, but up.
“There. That’s the prize.”
“They built out a second story?”
“Someone lived there. Technically this isn’t zoned for residential, but there’s a loft up there that I could easily live in. Or you could live there. Shower, bathroom, kitchen, everything. But another reason this place is perfect? Look at the built-in workbenches along the far wall.”
He turned and saw the row of workbenches. Sniffed the air. “Motor oil, though they did their best to clean it up.” He sniffed again, and frowned. “
You’re going to need to do some serious cleaning in here. I smell mold.”
“That was probably from when the front glass broke. Bad rainstorm a year or so ago.”
He caught her hands, looked deep into her eyes. “How long have you wanted this place?”
“For a year. Or so.” Her eyes lost focus for a bit. “I dreamed about it here. I dreamed it. Tigger thinks I foresaw it, because less than a week after dreaming, here it was. Waiting for me.”
She refocused on him. “I’ve seen it look fabulous.”
“Hm.” He released her and wandered around. “You don’t think it’s too much space? It’s got to be, what, thirty thousand square feet?”
“Twenty thousand. It just looks bigger because there’s nothing in it. Look, this area is depressed. This place has been empty for almost a decade. We can probably get it for much less than their asking price.”
The Realtor walked in then, her heels clip-clipping across the concrete. “Hello hello. Phoenix, it’s delightful to see you again. And who did you bring with you?”
“The pocket book,” Elliott said. “I want to buy the warehouse.” He dug into his jacket pocket, pulled out a band of hundreds. “Here’s ten thousand dollars earnest cash. How quickly can you put together the documents?”
Surprise was the least of the emotions on the Realtor’s face. “Well. That’s delightful. I…how are you financing the building?”
“Fifty percent down, the rest a loan from my bank.”
“I see. Today is what, Tuesday? I think we can get everything squared away with your banker and my client no later than Friday.” She blinked at him, still bewildered.
“Good. May I have the key? You do have more than one, right?”
“Oh my goodness, of course. Here.” She handed over the key without protest. “I mean, it’s not protocol, but…”
He shoved another ten grand in her hand. “There’s your protocol.” Elliott sent a half-smile to Phoenix. “I like having money.”
Phee burst into laughter; after a moment, Elliott joined her. The Realtor looked from one to the other, an anxious smile on her face.
She cleared her throat. “Um, it’s getting late, and we should be going. Almost dark, you know. My name is Candy Thompson. You are?”
Elliott reached into his coat pocket and pulled out one of his banker’s business cards. “Do you have a pen?”
He scrawled his name on the back of the card, and after a moment added a number. “I’ll pay this amount, no more.”
Candy took the card and checked out the back. Blanched a bit at the number, and took a breath. “Mr. Jones, it’s very nice to meet you. I will bring your tentative offer to my client and we’ll go from there.”
“Ms. Thompson, I’m sure your client will be happy with my offer.”
“Yes, well. Shall we? It’s getting dark.”
They followed her out. Elliott locked the door, and before he could turn around, Candy had left, her tires almost squealing as she pulled out of the lot.
“Fascinating.” He followed Phoenix out to her car. “Is she always that skittish?”
“I’ve never been here this close to sunset before.” They got into the car and she started the engine. “I’ll have to ask around, but I can’t think of any reason this area would spook her. What amount did you put on the card you gave her?”
“The woman was thinking about the asking price of the place, how it was too high, and thought about the amount she believed it would sell for. I just put that second price down. She had no barriers in her mind.”
“Most normal people are pretty open.” She shook her shoulders and headed toward the freeway. “At any rate, we have a party to put on tonight. Ciro’s pizza, and champagne, and cake…all parties must have cake.”
“Sounds good.” But he slumped into the seat and stared out the side window. He couldn’t make any sense of the Realtor’s behavior. Not from the minute she saw him, to the way she fled after taking twenty grand in cash from him.
“Do you think she could be one of Borgati’s minions?” Phee merged onto the freeway and did the normal stop and go rush hour dance. “I mean, I’ve never sensed anything off about her, and I’ve been coming around here for over a year, so…”
“I don’t know. But it’s strange. We’ll just have to be careful.”
“At least we have a key! Good news to tell the others. They’re going into production with me. Well, the two of them that are staying. That’s the price for their room. It’s part of the contract they signed with me.”
Elliott raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t sign a contract.”
“Yeah, well you’re paying for pretty much everything around here at this point, so I’m not going to worry about it until I have to. Here.” She tossed him her new phone. “Call Ciro’s and I’ll tell you what to order, so by the time we get there, the pizzas should be there, too.”
They stopped by the grocery store to pick up several bottles of champagne, two cakes, and some lemon-lime soda for Marie. By the time they had gotten back to the apartment and unloaded all their purchases, the pizza had been delivered.
The next hour flew by. Elliott ate and watched the dynamic between the group. Gavin brooded in a corner; Tigger and Shawn were alternatively laughing and wiping tears from their faces as Phoenix toasted them.
Marie sipped her lemon-lime, ate pizza and cake, and stayed very much present.
Phee had also bought them some gifts earlier, which she now brought out. “Open, open! Two for each of you.”
Shawn opened his gifts first. “Oh Phee, you shouldn’t have, but I’m so damn glad you did!” He jumped up and hugged her.
Once he’d sat down again, he pulled the handgun out of its box. “A Smith & Wesson Bodyguard Revolver with Crimson Laser Trace. I love it.”
“The other box is ammo.”
Tigger looked at his packages and anxiety poured off him. “Well, this is too big to be a gun.”
Phee laughed. “I’d never get you a gun, sweetie. You know that.”
He giggled and tore into the wrapping paper. Gasped in delight. “My own Insta-Food! I’ve been wanting one of these.”
“What were my first ten clues?” Phee nodded to the other package. “Cookbooks. Because everyone I’ve ever talked to about these things says you’d better use a cookbook until you get used to the weird way pressure cooking does things.”
Tigger clutched the box to his chest and blinked. “I can’t believe we’re leaving. It’s like a dream come true. Not that you haven’t been the best, because you have. Still. Thank you. So damn much.”
Elliott jumped up. “I think this calls for more champagne. And does anyone want more cake?” He pulled the bottle from the ice bucket and filled glasses.
“Gavin? More champagne?” Elliott offered the bottle, but Gavin shook his head.
“I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Before he left the room, he nodded to Tigger and Shawn. “It was good to meet you. Good luck.” He disappeared into one of the back bedrooms.
Marie cleared her throat. “I need to…” she gestured vaguely to the staircase, gave both Shawn and Tigger a quick kiss on the cheek, and went upstairs.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Phoenix frowned. “What went wrong?”
“It’s fine, Phee. We’re planning on just slipping away in the middle of the night, anyway, so we’ll get some sleep now, too.” Shawn stood and stretched. “Thank God the car is packed.”
Elliott set the champagne bottle down. “Wait, I haven’t given you my gift yet. I know you’re going to a job, and you’re starting a new life together. I’m assuming you’ll need stuff like furniture. So…here.” He tossed them each a bundle of hundreds. “There’s ten grand for each of you. Save it, spend it, do what you want to with it.”
Another round of tears. Tigger would have hugged Elliott, but his sharp step back was warning enough. Instead, Tigger hugged Shawn. “This is too much. It’s all too much. We’re leaving family, Shawnie. How can we leave?”
>
“It’s too dangerous to stay. It’s better for you to go. Good job, far away from the Compound. You know where I am, and how to reach me, and I hope you keep in touch.” Phoenix kissed them both. “Now, take your prezzies and get some sleep.”
Once the two of them left, she slumped against the couch. “I love them. I’m going to miss them, so damn much. But it’s better that they go.”
Elliott filled his glass and settled back into the chair he’d vacated earlier. “Yeah. It’s better that they go.”
“That was kind of you. Giving them the money.”
He shrugged, uncomfortable. “I have more than I can spend in one lifetime. Why shouldn’t I give them some?” He sipped at the champagne. Sighed. “I suppose I should let you know that it takes a lot to get me drunk.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Yeah? How much is a lot?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Don’t want to find out, either, as it would probably kill me.”
“Nah. You won’t be that lucky.”
He snorted. “Gee, thanks for that.”
“No, it’s just…I don’t know.” She looked down at the glass in her hand, almost empty. “These aren’t the first I’ve taken in, you know. But Shawn and Tigger? They’re the first to really thrive. Survive. I’m not going to be able to breathe easy until they make it to Washington.”
Elliott held out the bottle, and she nodded. He refilled her glass, topped off his own, and set it aside. “What aren’t you telling me, woman?”
“I’ve had people disappear on me. Just…they walk out the door, leaving all their stuff behind, and disappear. A couple times they hit the news…murdered in Echo Park, or victim of a hit-and-run. I’ll see their faces, but I won’t see their names, because they have no identification on them. And I don’t go to identify them, because I’m too scared.”
She met his gaze. “I’m too scared that the protections I carry will wane someday, and that I’ll be the one murdered, or hit by a car.”
Elliott set his glass aside, moved to the couch, and opened his arms. She climbed into his lap, turned her face to his chest, and her silent tears dampened his shirt.
She was warm. Smelled exotic. Her softness against him had the typical effect, but he didn’t make a single move other than to stroke her back, her hair, while keeping his other arm firmly around her waist.
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