Phoenix Rising Issue #3 - S. R. Watson Page 0,12

him to run the company with you. I gave you controlling shares in case I didn’t survive the trip.”

“And now?” Sevyn pushes.

“I was going to wait until I got back to make my peace with Phoenix. I figured he would tell me where to shove the company if I offered him part ownership, but I was going to offer it anyway. I’m not mad if that’s what you’re wondering. How could I be? I owe you both so much. How could I blame you? I was a narrow-minded fool, and it took my terminal illness to open my eyes. Jack and Ted will make sure the three of you own the company without interference from the shareholders and board of directors if that’s what you still want.”

“And how are the suits going to accomplish that?” I ask in regard to Jack and Ted.

“Well, Jack is my lawyer, and Ted is my private investigator. Let’s just say he has some very disturbing info on a few of the shareholders that they wouldn’t want to see the light of day. They’d gladly endorse their shares over to us. We just need one more person out of the way to ensure you three own the company outright without interference.”

“One last act of treachery, eh, Pops?” I find myself saying to Claude.

“Nothing illegal, Phoenix. Just a little persuasion,” Aldrich speaks up.

I still can’t believe he’s our father. And his accent trips me the hell out—Claude’s face with a foreign voice.

“Look, I just texted the suits to come back to figure out how to best tame this media circus and keep our stocks from plummeting. I know we have much more to discuss and a long way to go to repair our relationships, but I’d like to try. I’ll spend the rest of the days I have left on this earth trying.”

Chapter Four

Harlow

Infectious laughter jolts me from my slumber. I wipe the drool from my lip and rise to see what all the ruckus is about. Lily bounces through our bedroom and yanks the blackout curtains open to let in the sunshine.

“Get up, sleeping beauty. It’s almost noon, and the guys are getting antsy to go,” she practically sings.

“I see somebody’s got the D.” I yawn.

“A lady never kisses and tells.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t say anything about kissing. I said somebody got some dick last night.”

We arrived at the five-bedroom beach house yesterday, where we’ll be staying for the next two weeks. Everyone’s got their own room except for Lily and me. She moved her things in here with me, but I’ve already deduced that she’ll be spending most, if not all, of her nights in Asher’s bed. I’m not complaining. I get to sleep in this queen-size bed, and I don’t have to sleep below Phoenix, so it’s a win-win. I actually stayed up until the wee hours of the morning working on my novel, hence why I’m so tired today. I got up long enough to snack on a couple of granola bars before dozing off on my pile of notes.

“Why do you have to be so lewd?” Lily teases. “But if you must know … I got some about four times last night and twice this morning.”

“Lalalalalalalala,” I attempt to drown out her admission. “TMI, Lil. I didn’t ask for the play-by-play.”

She smiles smugly at me, satisfied she has grossed me out.

“C’mon. Get dressed. Killian and Ren are waiting for us. The others have already headed farther down the beach to meet up with Wild Silence.” Their rental is next to ours, but a bit of land separates the two for privacy. Useless, since I’m sure they’ll spend most of their time over here or vice versa.

“Ugh, remind me why I agreed to go. I need to get some of these notes converted over to the novel.”

“Don’t be a Debbie Downer … bring your work with you. The guys combed the entire island to find a private place where we won’t be disturbed. They need this. Hell, we need this.”

I know the guys need to rebuild the band's morale, but sadly, this little kumbaya won’t do crap for the vibe between Phoenix, Asher, and me. I’ll go only so my absence isn’t a distraction. They need to focus on having a good time and not worry about why I stayed behind. Well, I know two who wouldn’t care, but whatever.

“I picked up a bottle of Jack from the little store Asher and I went to this morning,” Lily pushes.

“Fine, but I’m not