Page 46 of Guarding The Phoenix: Vol. 1

Chase’s hand against my back grounded me as he steered me inside. He directed me into the living room.

I sat at his urging. He lowered himself beside me, then hauled me back onto his lap. And I burrowed inside the shelter of his arms. I wanted to ignore the rest of the world and the tasks awaiting me and stay just like this within the safety and comfort of Chase’s arms.

“The house is secure. Alarm is set. Talk.” Gideon demanded, striding into the room.

I relayed what happened when we left the last store. Then Chase corroborated my story and Luka’s bold as brass move in broad daylight. Because he believed he was untouchable.

“Good thinking, designating yourself as her boyfriend. I’m assuming he didn’t care for the news,” Gideon asked, his brawny arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Not at all. The fucker looked like he wanted to kill me with his bare hands,” Chase admitted. “He’s definitely fixated on Kylie.”

“And now you’ve got a target on your back.” Gideon swore and paced.

“Like I do with every case. It’s fine.” Chase shrugged like it was no big deal.

But it was and Chase shouldn’t dismiss it. The worst part was it was all my fault. Tears slipped down my cheeks. For once in my life, I had just wanted some normalcy. But who was I kidding? My life had never been normal.

“It’s not—Kylie, honey, talk to us.” Gideon crouched in front of me, his eyes full of concern.

“He’s never going to stop, is he? He’s just going to keep coming.” Wetness splashed against my cheeks as tears fell like rain. I seemed to be made to endure the worst parts of humanity.

“Look at me, babe.” Gideon waited until I lifted my eyes to meet his before continuing. “We won’t let anything bad happen to you. I swear we will do whatever is necessary to ensure you survive.”

I inhaled a deep, fortifying breath. “Okay. I trust you guys.”

Something flashed through Gideon’s eyes briefly, but then was gone before I could recognize it. “Good. The four of us need to have a meeting.”

“In a minute.” Chase tipped my face up. He wore a lopsided grin. “Come on, beautiful. You need to experience some fun.”

I glanced at all the guys and then at him. “What did you have in mind?”

My body revved to life. Would they give me my deepest, darkest fantasy to pull me out of the pit of despair I had entered the moment Luka made his presence known?

I admitted I wanted all of them. Each man held a physical appeal for me. Chase hadn’t hesitated to comfort me. Axel looked like he wanted to shove Chase out of the way and hold me himself. Gideon’s jaw was clenched even as he tried to comfort me, because he was tasked with keeping me alive. And even Mateo was solemn, appearing like the soldier he’d been, ready for battle.

Would I be able to handle having all four men at once? I didn’t know, but want to try. Which made me a damn slut. In his eyes, he seemed to know what I was thinking, if his deep rumbling chuckle was anything to go by. Well, that and the fact that there was lust in his gaze.

“Just put yourself in my capable hands,” Chase ordered, a challenge lighting his gaze.

And I did. Because whatever they wanted to do, I was game—anything to alleviate the mind crushing fear.

Chapter twenty-six

Parachute

Kylie

“Ican’tbelieveIlet you talk me into this.”

I should have asked more questions when he told me to put myself in his hands. Like, what did he have in mind?

Because Chase’s idea of a good time was taking me skydiving. He thought it would calm me down after Luka Santos' sudden appearance. I didn’t see how jumping out of a moving airplane from a high altitude would cultivate serenity.

When I agreed to put myself into Chase’s hands, I thought I would experience my first foursome, not be headed to an airstrip where I’d willingly fling myself out of a moving plane while praying the parachute opened.

“Trust me. Skydiving will give you a whole new perspective on life,” Chase murmured with a wry grin from his spot in the front passenger seat.

“That’s if I don’t splat against the ground,” I snorted. Considering the way my luck veered, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

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