Page 18 of Fatal Attraction

Now I was cocking my head at Phoenix, my brows raised. “What the hell is he talking about?”

“Oh, Phoenix never told you?” he asked, bellowing out a boisterous laugh when my hand met Phoenix’s chest again, pushing him back. “Phoenix was a Rolling Rebel back in the day, way before he decided to abandon us and follow my sister off to college. He was known as ourBonecrusher, and trust me, the nickname fit true to his capabilities.”

“Is this true?” I asked Phoenix, gaping at him in utter disbelief.

“It was a long time ago,” he muttered, the admission knocking the air dead out of my chest. “But yes, it’s true.”

Crow clicked his tongue then and began eyeing over our shoulder. “Oh my. And who do we have here?”

Phoenix and I spun, finding Charlotte standing behind us.

“Hey,” she said nervously, sliding her hands down the sides of her black dress. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Chief and Cap told me to tell you to meet them at the precinct. They wouldn’t tell me why, but they said it’s urgent.”

“Think about it,” Crow said before he fired up his bike, revving the engine a few times. “I expect your answer within seventy-two hours.”

He took off down the side road in the cemetery, and as I glared at Phoenix, he sighed and gave me a look that signaled only one thing—that we’d discuss it later.

“Is… Is everything okay?” Charlotte asked.

“It’s fine, baby.” Phoenix swept her up in his arms and kissed her. “Are you okay?”

“I guess so,” she murmured, though we could both see it was a lie. “Is it okay if I hang out with Carter for a little while? You two have to work and—”

“That’s fine,” I said before Phoenix could dare open his mouth. “It’s not safe for you to be alone anyway.”

“Promise to update me?”

I took a step forward and pulled her close to me, pressing sweet, tender kisses along her mouth and jaw, earning a soft moan in return.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she whispered, her cheeks pinking as we parted.

Phoenix didn’t look at me, much less breathe a single word as we made the trek back to his car, my dark eyes fumingly daggering him when we were in and I’d slammed the door shut, the impact slightly shaking the car.

“Bonecrusher?” I sneered; my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. “Just who the fuck are you exactly? What else have you been hiding from me?”

“I’m not that person anymore,” he muttered, sighing through his nose as he fetched his keys and fired up the ignition. “That was over twenty years ago and—”

“What else have you been hiding from me?” I growled.

“Nothing!” He threw up his hands and scoured them down his face. “I was fifteen, Spike—hell, maybe sixteen when I joined. I was young, stupid, and worst of all, I did it to impress Crow and Kendall’s father. To show himandCrow that Kendall wasn’t dating some pussy who couldn’t handle himself or ensure Kendall’s protection just in case she ever found herself in a position to need it.”

“And?” I pressed, my brows furrowing.

“What the hell do you want me to say? I did a lot of fucked up shit, Spike. Things that I’m still to this very day, not proud of. I was nicknamedBonecrusherbecause, hell, why do you think? I was good at breaking and crushing bones. I was the one Crow and his father sent inside to torture information from our enemies. There, are you fucking happy now?”

“What happened? Why did you leave?”

“Because of Kendall,” he said, and it was that response alone which made me realize I’d asked a stupid question.

“She wanted you to leave?”

“Kendall never wanted me to join in the first place. Come senior year in high school, she’d given me a choice. Her, or the Rolling Rebels. Despite all of the horrible shit I was involved in, I was, for the most part, a good kid. I got straight A’s in school and, come graduation, I had multiple scholarships to pay my way through any college I wanted. So, instead of staying behind and most likely landing myself in jail for the rest of my life, I chose to chase love and pursue a different path. I don’t expect you to understand, but I had to do something good with my life to make up for all the horrible things I’ve done.”

I still wasn’t happy. Not the slightest fucking bit. But regardless of how angry I was, I had to try and focus on the brighter side of the situation. On the facts. Had Phoenix chosen differently, I never would’ve met him that following year in college. He never would’ve become a cop and—as Phoenix wisely stated—he probably would’ve ended up in prison or worse, dead.

“And now?” I had to ask him. “What are you going to do now that Crow is trying to pull you back in?”

He said nothing at first, just clipped on his seatbelt and double checked the mirrors. We were back on the road a minute later. “I don’t think that’s what he’s doing. Crow told us he was trying to go legit, get rid of all the drugs and whatnot. If he’s seeking my help, then it likely has to do with whoever’s been smuggling them in. It’s possible he’s captured a lead and whoever it is, isn’t giving anything up.”

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