Phoenix: Book One of The Stardust Series (7 page)

He interrupted my
thoughts, rapidly firing his questions in a sharp tone. “What’s your plan,
Haley? Think you can make it to the highway and then hitchhike somewhere? Do
you have any money? A working cell phone? Do you have any idea where your dad
is or how to find him?”

My lips tightened and I
shook my head, not wanting to listen. I didn’t answer, but he was right. There
were too many obstacles for me to make it on my own, at least until my ankle
healed. And spending time with these guys seemed preferable to other strangers.
At least they seemed to know something about my dad and what was going on, even
if they may have been the ones that caused it.

Slowly, Knox stepped
closer before sitting next to me. He rubbed his brow as if trying to massage
away a headache. His voice was deep, but his tone had softened slightly. “I
know your dad is missing and you’re worried about him. I have a younger brother
and I know what it’s like to worry about someone you love. I know what it’s
like to want to protect them.”

Despite his tough
exterior, he seemed genuine. Through the darkness, I tried to search his face
for answers. He appeared to be telling the truth.

I put my head down on
my knees and hugged them even tighter to my chest. Overwhelmed, I closed my
eyes. The world was spinning, and I wished I could open my eyes and be back in
my house with my dad. Where were those ruby slippers when you really needed
them? Even as my mind screamed at me not to give in, I heard myself whisper,
“Okay.”

Apparently that was all
he needed, because the next thing I knew, my body was being lifted from the
ground. I should have protested, but I honestly didn’t want to. Strong arms
cradled me against a muscular chest, and I was enveloped with warmth. I felt
comforted, safe.

Balancing Act

The smell of bacon
lured me out of my deep sleep. Despite the chilly room, I was warm and cozy
under the covers. I stretched my legs out of habit and cringed when pain shot
through my ankle in response.

The harsh sunlight felt
like tiny pinpricks drilling into my head, and my body ached all over. Opening
my eyes, I groaned as I realized I was waking up yet again in the cabin.
Remembering scenes from the night before, I turned onto my stomach, burrowing
into the covers and burying my head under the pillow.
I can’t go out there
,
I thought.
I can’t face them.

I briefly contemplated
another escape attempt before hunger finally got the best of me, and I swung my
feet to the floor. Standing up took significant effort; my ankle wobbled and
protested against the slightest pressure.
As sore as my ankle had been
yesterday, today it felt a thousand times worse.

Stumbling through the
forest in the dark was a great idea. And what did it even get me? I was back
where I started, in more pain, and no closer to finding my dad. At least Knox
promised me answers today. Remembering the feel of Knox’s arms surrounding me,
my skin tingled involuntarily. Hopefully I could avoid that reaction when I saw
him in person.

Still wearing Ethan’s
boxers and Chase’s sweatshirt, I ran my fingers through my hair and smoothed my
mismatched clothing. I straightened my shoulders, summoning the courage to face
whoever was on the other side of the door. Ethan? Chase? Knox? All three? Just
thinking about them made my heart beat a little faster.

I crept toward the
bedroom door and slowly turned the knob, wanting to stay invisible as long as
possible. The smell of bacon intensified and my stomach growled in response.
Peeking out, I could see legs hanging over the arm of the couch.
One guy,
check.
From the kitchen came sounds of cooking, the faint sizzle of
something hitting a hot pan, the light sound of metal clanking against a dish.
Two
guys, check.
I drew a deep breath and forced myself to step out from the
safety of the bedroom.

I took a few steps before
my ankle gave out, and I stumbled forward awkwardly.
Great, so much for
staying invisible
. Arms flailing, I attempted to catch my balance while
Chase popped up from his seat on the couch and held out a hand, offering to
steady me. His smile was warm, and for a moment I felt even more unstable. I
clasped my hand on his forearm, grateful for the support, and smiled in return.

Chase led me to the
table and pulled out a chair, patiently waiting as I sat down. Glancing around,
I wasn’t surprised to see Ethan busy at the stove. He wore a navy and pale
orange patterned button-down shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. The top
two buttons were undone, providing a glimpse of his powerful chest muscles
beneath. With his shirt tucked into his jeans, his brown leather belt
accentuated his tapered waistline in contrast to his broad shoulders. His
patterned socks made me smile; today’s choice was houndstooth.
I wonder if
his boxers match.

“Good morning, sleepy
head.” His voice was cheerful and I sensed a note of mocking.

“Smells good,” I said,
ignoring his tone. He quickly plated the breakfast and set a dish in front of
me before joining us at the table. I relaxed a little, feeling less awkward
about last night. I took a few bites and reminded myself to eat slowly, savoring
the flavors as I felt the edge of my hunger start to fade.

Knox suddenly appeared
at the sliding glass door to the deck, and I gripped the sides of the chair to
steady myself. Chase turned toward me, a concerned look crossing his face.

As Knox slid the door
open, Ethan smirked. “Don’t worry, Knox doesn’t bite.”

My mouth felt dry, and
I doubted my ability to speak even if I wanted to. In the light of day, Knox
was still intimidating. I hadn’t been imagining things last night; he really
was as solid as a brick wall. He was just a hair shorter than Ethan—who I had
gauged was close to six and a half feet tall—but he was much broader, with wide
shoulders.

Knox’s dark blond hair
grazed his cheeks and fell over part of his face. A dark V-neck shirt clung to
his chest, covered by a worn, brown leather jacket. Relaxed jeans and
motorcycle boots completed the look. If Chase looked like the blond
All-American, Knox was the blond bad boy through and through.

Surrounded by Ethan,
Chase, and Knox, I was tongue-tied. Pretending to be absorbed in my breakfast,
I observed them one by one. They were each remarkable in their own way, but
together, the three were almost more than I could take.

I was interrupted from
my thoughts by Ethan. “Haley. Earth to Haley. Feeling okay?”

I nodded, lazily
swatting away his hand that was reaching out toward my forehead as if to check
my temperature. The corner of his lip twitched upward, and his eyes flickered
with amusement as he resumed eating. After a few bites, he looked at me. “Speaking
of. How is your ankle feeling today?”

I pushed my food around
a little before speaking in a quiet voice, still focused on the plate in front
of me. “It feels fine, I guess.”

He scoffed. “I’m sure
it does after walking on it all night. Do you mind if I take a quick look at
it?”

“No,” I replied,
avoiding looking him in the eyes. I felt the most guilty facing Ethan after
running away; probably because he had taken care of me and spent so much time
with me yesterday. He very gently lifted my leg and rested my foot on his
thigh. Inspecting my ankle, he lightly pushed at the swelling before placing my
foot back on the ground.

“I think you’ll live,”
he said with a slight smile.

Ethan looked me
directly in the eye, his rich brown eyes holding my attention until he finished
giving his orders. “Stay off that ankle today, Haley. I mean it. Rest it, ice
it, and take the medicine I gave you yesterday. Don’t put any weight on it;
Chase and Knox will help you get around when you need to. We will have to get
you some crutches later.”

Before I could respond,
Ethan pushed his chair back from the table and headed toward the sink to rinse
his dish. I didn’t realize he was leaving until he walked to the door, pausing
only to grab a brown leather satchel. “I’ll see you later. Play nice.” He
winked at me before closing the door behind him.

I gulped, realizing I
was alone with Knox and Chase. Although I didn’t know Ethan well, I felt like I
knew him better than the other two. We finished our breakfast and Chase asked
if I would like to shower. I attempted to get up from the table but felt myself
falling back into the chair when my ankle refused to cooperate.

Chase shot me a kind,
understanding smile and rose from his chair. “Here, allow me.” He pulled out my
chair and then held out his hand, palm up. I grasped his forearm, enjoying the
warmth of his skin under the golden blond hair and the lean muscles that flexed
in response to my touch. Once I was standing, he turned so we walked
side-by-side and shifted his weight to bear more of my own.

I felt my cheeks redden
at the intimacy and looked toward the floor, letting my hair cover my face.
Closing the bathroom door behind him, I found that someone had laid out clean
clothes for me on the counter. Thinking back to day I met Chase at the library
and what he was wearing, I wondered if the olive-colored raglan shirt belonged
to him. With Ethan’s affinity for patterns, I would have been surprised if the
shirt and solid gray sweat pants were his.

I also noted the
addition of conditioner and a comb.
Hmm, was that a hint that my hair was a
mess?
I showered quickly, then ran the comb through my hair and put on the
clothes. After walking around in Ethan’s boxers all day yesterday, I was happy
for the sweats even though I had to roll up the waist and hem to keep from
tripping on them. I unlocked the door, tentatively wondering what to expect for
the day.

As soon as the door was
open, Chase was there to meet me. I felt his eyes glance over me and then
linger briefly before he quickly looked away. I blushed, wondering if I looked
even more ridiculous than I realized. He stepped beside me and attempted to
guide me as he had before, allowing me some space and letting me lean on his
forearm.

Although my shower had
been brief, standing for so long had taken its toll. I started to lose my
balance, and Chase reached a broad arm around me, supporting and warming me. He
drew my arm up around his shoulder, gently holding on to my waist as he helped
me hop across the room. Being so close to him was intoxicating.

A couple of days ago, I
would have gone into shock at the contact. But, I could already feel myself
getting comfortable with these guys. Well, Chase and Ethan, at least. Chase
cleared his throat. “How about the couch so you can put your foot up?” I nodded
at his suggestion then quickly regretted it when I saw Knox already sitting on
the chair nearby.

After I was settled on
the couch, Chase grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. Wrapping it in a towel,
he placed it carefully over my ankle. My stomach fluttered and I smiled
inwardly, reveling in how sweet and good-looking he was. I hated feeling
dependent on anyone, but if it had to be someone, Chase was definitely an
attractive option.

Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw Knox thread his fingers through his hair, pulling it away from his
face. Too curious about him to resist, I turned my head to take a closer look.
At least a day’s worth of scruff covered his face; it was a slightly darker
color than his hair and created the illusion of a shadow. The V-neck T-shirt
left little to the imagination, revealing powerful chest muscles beneath its
thin fabric. The hint of a tattoo snaked down his formidable bicep. I couldn’t
make out the design and wished I could see the rest of it.
I wonder if he
has any other tattoos?

My cheeks started to
heat at the thought of inspecting Knox’s bare skin for more tattoos. Instead, I
forced myself to focus on the dark leather bracelet that rested on one wrist.
He sat in a relaxed posture, one ankle rested on the opposite knee, focused on
his phone.

Suddenly he looked up,
catching me before I could look away. Embarrassed, I quickly looked down,
acting absorbed in my hands. Chase finally came to join us in the living room.
Before he sat down, Chase asked, “Need anything, Haley?”

I shook my head and
smiled. “I’m good, thanks.” Under my breath I added, “Unless you guys want to
give me some answers.”

Knox glowered at me.
“Answers, huh?” I opened my mouth, surprised he heard my comment. I pressed my
lips together tightly, unsure what to do. I felt like a boxer dancing around
the ring, waiting for my opponent to throw the first punch.

Gloves Off

Knox continued to watch
me, forcing me to return his fiery stare. The air caught in my chest; his
striking green eyes were captivating and gazed back at me with an intensity
that was unnerving. They were framed on top by broad, arching eyebrows while
dark circles cast shadows from fatigue. Distracted momentarily, he caught me
off guard with his question. “Why did you run away last night?” His tone was
aggressive and I gulped.

Without thinking, I
responded. “Why do you think?” My tone came off more defensive than I wanted,
but I felt like I was being attacked. I glared at him. “How would you feel if
you had lost your home in a fire, didn’t know where your family was, and had
been taken to a cabin in the woods by strangers?”

Chase shot me a
reassuring smile. I wanted to get off to a good start, but Knox was making it
difficult. I sighed and decided to ask a basic question. “How do you know each
other?”

Knox answered. “We all
work together.”
Wow, you’re really giving me a lot to go on here.

He narrowed his eyes.
“Where did you learn that move you pulled on me last night?” Chase sputtered,
almost spitting out the water he was sipping.

I felt intimidated by
Knox, but there was no way I was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing
it. “My dad taught me.” If he was going to give me short answers, I was going
to give him the same in return.
My turn.
“What were you all doing in the
area and at my house? You obviously don’t live in this cabin, so I’m guessing
you’re not from around here.”

Chase stayed silent as
if waiting for Knox to answer. Knox’s face was unreadable and while I couldn’t
be sure he was the leader, both Ethan and Chase seemed to defer to him. Whether
through fear, respect, or both, I could see why they may hesitate to contest
Knox’s authority.

“You’re right,” Knox
responded, “We’re not from here. The three of us live in Santa Cruz and were in
the area for our job.” He paused, making me wonder if he was going to stop
after that measly explanation. Crossing my arms, I fought the scowl forming on
my face.

After a few long
moments, Knox continued. “We work in private security and do private
investigation on the side. We came to Coleville on assignment . . . and
that’s where you come in.” He paused again. “Haley, we were hired to find your
dad.”

My pulse started
racing. Was he admitting that they were responsible for everything that had
happened? Did the guys lead the criminals straight to Dad? I couldn’t help but
feel disappointed that Chase, Knox, and Ethan were involved in some way. It was
the only explanation that made sense and suddenly I wanted to lash out at them.

Chase interrupted. “We
were hired to find your dad, but we had nothing to do with the explosion at
your house or your Dad’s disappearance. We don’t know what happened. We want to
help you, and we want to figure out what’s going on.”

I watched Chase’s face
as he talked. His blue eyes appeared clear and honest. He seemed so sincere, it
was almost impossible not to give in and completely trust him then and there.

Knox spoke then,
breaking the spell. “You didn’t appear to be carrying a flashlight last night;
it made it pretty difficult to find you.”

I scarcely held in a
laugh, surprised by the change of subject. “Oh, good. You know I wasn’t trying
to be found.”

I felt the air in the
room lighten. He scratched his chin, and I could hear the short hairs brushing against
his fingers. “Did you drop the flashlight at some point?”

I shook my head.
“Nope.” He seemed to be done interrogating me, at least for the moment.

He stopped scratching
his chin. “I’m just trying to figure out how you made it two and a half miles
in the dark.”

I grinned. “It was
simple really, I used my eyes.”

Chase laughed, but Knox
narrowed his eyes. “There was barely any light from the moon last night. You
mean to tell me you can see in the dark?”

“Sort of.”

He started laughing, a
laugh that was deep and hearty. “You’re kidding, right?”

My face felt hot now.
“No. I’ve trained myself to see better in the dark. Most of the time, though, I
use a special flashlight with red light that helps preserve my natural night
vision.” Knox stopped laughing and shook his head.

I furrowed my brow.
They had given me some answers, but I still had a lot of questions. I still
wanted to know who they were working for. Feeling braver now, I decided to push
the issue. “Last night, you promised to tell me the rest of the story. Who
hired you to find my dad?”

Knox responded, his
voice calm but direct. “I can’t tell you that. I can tell you that we did a
full background check on our client and didn’t find any reason to be suspicious
of his intentions. Now that we know men were following your dad and he has
disappeared, we are concerned about the possibility that our client is
involved.”

Knox leaned forward,
resting his elbows on his knees. He dipped his head and massaged his temples
with his fingers, eyes closed. “Haley, who do you think was chasing your dad?”
He sounded tired.

I considered the best
way to respond. Knox and Chase obviously knew a lot more than they initially
let on; maybe they were still holding back details that would help me find Dad.
With escape no longer an option at this point, I realized I may have to give
them a little information if I wanted some myself. Besides, if they were
working with the criminals, relating part of Dad’s backstory probably wouldn’t
tell them anything new.

My palms felt clammy. I
knew providing some information could help, but secrecy and silence were so
ingrained in me that any disclosure, however slight, felt like betrayal. I
grabbed a pillow from the couch, hugging it tightly. “My knowledge of all of
this is very limited; I really only know a few things that my dad told me. Long
story short, my dad used to be an undercover cop in Los Angeles.”

I paused, debating the
best way to relay the story quickly. “About twelve years ago, he and his
partner were working undercover with a criminal organization; I don’t know any
names or details. His partner was murdered after his cover was blown, but Dad
was able to get away. We went into hiding and have been living in Coleville
ever since.”

I’m not sure what I was
expecting, but neither Chase nor Knox seemed terribly surprised by this
revelation. I hugged the pillow closer, tightening my grip. “As far as I know,
our identities and location have remained a secret for all of these years. But,
Dad told me that he was spotted a couple of weeks ago in Sacramento by a former
colleague, and I’m guessing that’s not a coincidence.”

I let out a breath,
feeling relieved by sharing the story but also drained. I was getting hot and
the air in the cabin felt stifling.
I need fresh air.
Forgetting about
my ankle, I tried to stand, wanting to head out to the deck. My feet started to
give way, and Chase and Knox jumped up simultaneously.

Before I knew it, Knox
was standing behind me, his arms supporting me. Chase’s face was full of
concern. I sighed. “I just wanted to go out to the deck for some fresh air.”

I was shocked when Knox
lifted me into his arms rather than acting as a crutch like Chase had. Out of
instinct, I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for the short walk to
the deck. Chase moved to open the sliding door; the cool, fresh air was
soothing and I felt somewhat calmer.

Held close to Knox, I
was reminded of last night in the woods. A wave of heat washed over me despite
the cooler air outside. Looking toward the deck, I coughed. “Sorry I threw dirt
at your face. Are you okay?”

He grunted and shrugged
his shoulders. “I’ve had worse things done to me.” I wondered what others had
tried but imagined most opponents were eventually conquered by Knox. He was too
strong and too formidable to face many serious threats. He continued, “I was a
little surprised, but I can’t say I blame you; having a stranger approach you
in the woods at night is kind of intimidating.”

I grinned. “Yeah. Any
more of you guys going to come out of the woodwork?”

Knox said, “Not today.”
But based on his dry tone, I really couldn’t tell whether he was serious.

He carefully set me
down on the wooden lounge chair. “Thank you for sharing your story, Haley.” I
was surprised, but he continued before I could open my mouth, “Ask us more
questions and we’ll tell you as much as we can. But, the more we know, the
better chance we have of finding your dad.”

For someone who looked
so tough, he had been exceedingly gentle. His manner of speaking also varied
widely, sometimes seeming gruff and impatient, and then at other times he could
be so caring and insightful. Thinking through last night and this morning, I
couldn’t help but be intrigued by the dichotomy.

Knox headed toward the
house but turned when he had reached the door frame. “Did you know where you
were headed last night? Did you have a destination in mind?”

I nodded. “Highway 89.”

He ran his fingers
through his hair, and I was mesmerized by the array of golden strands glinting
in the sun. “I figured as much. Did you even have a map?”

I shook my head then
tapped the side of my head with my index finger. He shook his head, grinning.
Although I barely knew him, I sensed that he was impressed. “Let us know when
you want to come in.”

Lounging on the deck, I
had a nice view of the forest. I inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh, crisp air
and the sounds of birds chattering pleasantly as they flitted from branch to
branch. Although it was still slightly cool out, the sun was shining, and I was
comfortable in my borrowed sweat pants and long-sleeve T-shirt. Occasionally a
breeze whispered through the trees making the branches sway and creak, their
leaves rustling.

Forcing myself to
believe that Dad had to be safe, I debated what to do. Knox, Chase and Ethan
hadn’t really given me a reason to doubt them so much, and it was obvious to
everyone, including me, that I needed their help. And while I still wasn’t sure
who the guys were working for, they at least seemed to be on my side. Could I
trust that they really were?