Page 52 of What's Left of Me

“I’m going to be honest. All of this sucks, but this case is too vital and my boss, my boss’s boss, needs Phoenix to try and identify him…in person.”

Phoenix gasped, and the room pretty much fell into chaos. They wanted Phoenix to leave the safety of this house to go across town and be in the same building with this psychopath again.

“No way!” I shouted.

“We don’t have a choice. If Phoenix doesn’t come with us, we’ll have to set them free. We picked them up this morning, which means time is dwindling, Mr. Saint.”

I looked over at Phoenix, who was staring at our joined hands, his complexion almost gray.

I got up and pulled Phoenix with me. “We need a minute.” I didn’t wait for anyone to argue; I tugged Phoenix away from everyone and down the hall, not saying a word before we were in my room and all sounds of people arguing ceased.

He peered up at me with those hazel eyes so filled with sadness and fear.

“I have to, Noel. You know that.”

“You know there are other options.”

His smile was shaky. “If I don’t do this and he’s let out, Jason dies, all the people he has die, and I’d have to live with that, and I don’t think I can.”

I cupped his cheeks with my hands and kissed him until I felt my heartbeat calm.

“Then you do it with me right the fuck next to you.”

He released a breathy laugh. “I always want you next to me.”

“Then I always will be.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Phoenix

It was all very organized.The brothers decided to cover all bases just in case at any time this got away from the FBI. Angel and Four headed to the shop. Nick, Gabe, and Mason stayed at the house. Nick was dealing with all the surveillance while Gabe and Mason watched the property. Noel, Hazel, Shep, and JJ were coming with me to the police station nearby, where Carmichael had explained he’d brought Jaron’s associates.

Unfortunately, Aziza was three hours from us with a client, but Noel reassured her that they wouldn’t leave my side, and we promised to call if things got out of hand and we needed her to step in.

We drove to the police station in two vehicles. Carmichael was in Noel’s SUV with me, Hazel and Shep, and JJ went with Rose in the FBI’s SUV.

“You doing ok, Nix?” Hazel was sitting in the back with me while Noel drove, and Carmichael was the passenger.

“Nervous, but I’m okay.”

“You know what I was thinking about before?”

“What?”

“Do you remember when you were ten, and we went to that cabin on the lake for spring break? Mom filled the truck with food, and Dad got all his fishing gear, and all you wanted to do was bring your music so you could practice for the auditions coming up at school after vacation.”

I snorted. “Oh God, yeah. Even I was tired of hearing the soundtrack toJesus Christ Superstarby the time the week was up.” We laughed in unison. “But why was that memory in your head?”

“The neighbors got so tired of hearing you belt out ‘Heaven on Their Minds,’ they marched to our house and started yelling at you.”

“The Bergers, they were awful people.”

“Mmhmm. Anyway, we were all exhausted listening to your soundtrack but when Frank started at you, Mom reamed him a new one, and then Dad was arguing. Do you remember what we did for the next three nights?”

I remembered; I actually thought about those nights when I was missing my parents. They died three years ago in a car accident, and I’d thought for sure that would be the worst thing to ever happen to me until this whole Adonis thing.

“Yeah,” I whispered, but either Hazel didn’t hear me or she wanted to say it out loud.

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