Page 50 of The Holy Ghost
“I hurt too much tohave sex,” I blurted.
His headreared back, and he looked confused as hell.“What?”his voice scratched out.
I shrugged ashoulder, embarrassed. “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “It justfelt like this moment shouldbe followed up with some good sex.” Phoenix blinked his brighthazel eyes at me a few times in stunned fascination before hestarted to laugh.
The asshole.
“Quit laughing atme,” I snapped, our perfect moment obliterated.
Hecalmed down, but his smile wasstill in place. “I’m not laughing at you, Frankie,” he lied.“I…just wasn’t expecting you to say that."
I ignored hisobviouslie, because we bothknew he was laughing at me, and got off his lap. He reached for mebut calmed down once he realized I was just trying to getcomfortable in his arms. He waited patiently as I sat on the couchand snuggled under his arm.
We sat thatway for a few moments, justbasking in the security of our truce before I finally asked, “Whatabout Robbie?” Phoenix let out a deep sigh and I worried that wewere going to be thrown back into another fight. I wasn’t going tocave on the topic of Robbie. She was one of my dearest friends, andI was not going to walk away from her.
“Right now,I’m not sure, Frankie,” heanswered honestly. I wanted to jump up and kick off her defense,but the second he felt me jerk, he tightened his hold on me,keeping me in place. “You can call her and talk to her all youwant, but you are forbidden from going to Cedar Creek.”
“Phoenix,I-”
“Frankie, we can’t haveyou in Cedar Creek so soon after three people have gone missing,”he explained. “It doesn’t matter that that all three were nothingbut dirt. They were still humans. And, with that, the Cedar Creekpolice are obligated to investigate their disappearance, shouldanyone care enough about any of them to report themmissing.”
“So, I’msupposed to just hang out in Morgan city, safe, while Robbie’sstuck in Cedar Creek handlingall this alone? Is that it?”
“I honestlydon’t care what she’s dealingwith, Frankie,” he remarked. “I don’t know the woman. She’s nothingto me.”
This time, Ijerked out of his hold and sat up to face him. “But she’s someonetome,Phoenix.”
“And that’sthe only reason she’s still alive, Frankie,” he stated bluntly. “Do you honestly believe anyof us as ever left a live witness around?”
“She’s a goodperson, Phoenix,” I promised. “I swear it.”
“We’ll see now,won’t we?” And that’s when I knew.
They were testingher.
They weretesting her and waiting to seehow she was going to handle the situation. I should have figured itout earlier.
But that wasokay.
Robbie was going topass their test with flying colors.
Chapter 25
Phoenix~
“Leogave him the numbers this morning,”Luca stated. “And numbers don’t lie.”
Frankie was asleep in ourbed downstairs in our apartment while Ciro and I were in animpromptu meeting with Luca. She had taken a hot bath and hadneeded to take her pain medication, so I knew she would be in adeep sleep for the rest of the night.
I hadwanted nothing more than to take herto bed after our talk, but even if she hadn’t mentioned herinjuries, I knew she wouldn’t have been able to withstand what Iwanted to do to her. Besides, I had the rest of our lives to bedher.
Ciro snorted.“I bet that went overnicely.”
Luca lifted thetumbler in his hand and drank. After emptying the contents, hesaid, “The bastard had the audacity to tell Leo he wasn’t worriedabout it.”
“What did Leo say?”I asked.
Luca glancedat me and smirked. “Leo’s not stupid. He knows the direction in which the wind’s blowing”he said. “He’s not going to create any animosity or cause issueswith unsolicited opinions.”
