Phoenix

                                                             Book Five
                                  Paranormal Romance


Coming to Amazon Sept 24th

Blurb:

Rylee spent her life running with no intention of staying still until Phoenix walked into her bar. She didn’t know what was drawing her to him, but she wanted to find out. Two years later he was finally ready to talk and more. It may be too late. The evil that has been stalking her found her and now once again her life is in danger.

Phoenix couldn’t stay away from Rylee, and he tried. His heart was whispering mate. He ignored it to watch her from afar. He was going to sacrifice himself for his family to live. He didn’t know what form that would take. He did know a mate would complicate things.

He feared for her life.

She knew they would hurt him trying to get to her.

They each had a reason to stay apart. Time, need, and desire was drawing them together. They either fought together or died alone.

Chapter One

Rylee’s day was just like any other. She was behind the bar smiling at her regulars and filling glass after glass of beer. Now and then, she’d get an order for a mixed drink. A few executives came in around lunchtime.

The place looked like a dive on the outside, but if you came in you were coming back. The owner went out of his way to make the inside inviting. Some corners were dark enough for clandestine meetings while other corners had enough light for you to meet with your friends after work and have fun.

Then there was a special attraction. Special besides the food that the back served, it was delicious. The place was called The Vortex, there was a door that was some type of metal she had never seen before. The words on it said, ‘one-way trip to The Vortex, all humans die.’ It had thirteen locks on it. She knew because she counted them. It was also chained. She felt it was a bit of an overkill, but the patron’s loved it. There were also noises that came from behind the door. Yells and pleas for mercy. Then there were the unexpected bumps like someone was banging on it or throwing things at the door. All in all, it made for a slightly spooky atmosphere and everyone who came in ate it up and came back for more.

She jumped when a loud noise rang through the bar from the locked door. She thought she should be used to it by now. There was no rhyme or reason for when an unexpected noise would be heard. That was the part she couldn’t understand. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t time it or anticipate what would be next.

“Hey, Rylee.” A woman in a two-piece gray pantsuit slid onto the barstool.

“Gia, I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

“I just closed the biggest deal of my life and decided to give myself the rest of the day off.”

“Every time I see you, I wonder why I didn’t take business in school and work for myself. Then I remember I hated business classes.”

“Maybe or maybe you were supposed to be here to meet that hottie. Has he been in today?”

“He hasn’t been around lately. I guess he got bored.”

“He’ll be back, mark my words. Who could stay away from you? You’re like fire; he wants to be burned.”

“And that’s one of the reasons we’re friends. You want the imported wine from Sweden?”

“You know it. It’s rather loud back there today.” They both turned to look at the door that everyone was forbidden to open. Not that it could be opened with all those locks on it.

“It has been. You would think that I’ve worked here long enough that Troy would let me in on the secret. But nooo… sigh.” They both laughed when she said sigh instead of doing it.

“Mmm Troy, now there’s a fine-looking honey.”

“Eww Gia, he’s my boss. Besides, I don’t think you're supposed to call a man honey.”

“That’s the problem with you human’s you get caught up in the small things of life.”

“Girl I keep telling you that you’re as human as I am.” Rylee shook her head and went to pour a drink for her friend and customer. The liquid was pink, but it sparked with different colors inside of it as if it were a prism.

“I think you watched too many episodes of Star Trek,” Rylee said when she slid Gia’s drink in front of her.

“Come close I’ll tell you a secret. Closer Rylee, I don’t bite. Well, I do but you’re not my type.”

She bent over until her ear was right next to Gia’s mouth.

“It was the 4400,” she whispered.

Rylee’s head popped up her eyes got wide, then she laughed from her belly and had to hold on to the bar to keep from falling.

“I hate you Gia,” she said between trying to breathe.

“You say the sweetest things to me, that’s why we're friends. One night we should break into that room. I’ll keep you alive, don’t worry.”

“Because you’re not human.”

“You’re catching on.” She winked at Rylee before downing her drink. “I wish I could stay longer, but I really need some time just to myself. I’ll see you soon. When that hottie comes in, give him a kiss from me.”

“Hate to disappoint you. But if I get my lips on him, you’re the last person I’ll be thinking about.”

“That’s the way it should be, later.” She slid off the stool and walked to the door drawing every eye in the bar. There was something about Gia that commanded attention.

This was why Rylee loved her job. Friends like Gia made her want to come to work even when she had to put up with the occasional drunk.

“Did I miss Gia?”

Rylee jumped and turned around. “Troy, are you trying to give me a heart attack? You scared the bejezus out of me. When did you get here? I didn’t see you come in?”

“I like being the male of mystery. You never know when I’m going to turn up.”

“Between you and Gia I’m going to need a head shrink.” She gave Troy a once over. Gia was right, Troy was prime, but for unknown reasons, he didn’t ring her bell.

“Don’t worry hun you're about to get a one-way trip to the other side.”

“Yeah, you can keep The Vortex all to yourself, and yes, you just missed Gia.”

“Pity, she’s hotter than hell, and I would know.”

“All right, stop, wait.” She made some football gesture she’d seen one of the few times she’d watched the game. She thought it meant time out.

“I need everyone in the bar to remember they are human. If you’re not human, I need you to pretend that you are.”

“Damn it, Troy, stop bothering the bartender. I hate when I have to pretend to be human.”

Set. Match. Done. “I’m taking a ten-minute break, and no one better come looking for me.” She stared at Troy until he nodded his head.

This was when her job became frustrating. Lately, Troy had been around more often pointing out what he called the mysteries of life. When she asked him what he was up to, he would say preparing her. She supposedly didn’t have that long to accept that everything she ever believed was wrong.

She loved the break room. It contained the usual table and chairs. A large refrigerator, long countertop with a microwave and coffee machine on it. There were individual cups of her fav coffee. If that was all, it would be enough. On the other side was an honest to God couch with two chairs. The couch and chairs weren’t covered with the plastic you see in hospitals. They were soft and comfy.

That’s where she went after she retrieved her coffee. She had no idea how they kept the furniture so clean and didn’t ask. She took a large sip of her favorite brew for fortification and sank into the couch after she took her shoes off. Every job should have a perk like this, maybe she would think of moving on.

She closed her eyes and thought of the hottie Gia teased her about. He had bad boy written all over him. He tended to drink tea of all things, but once in a while he ordered one of the special bottles of alcohol that Troy imported from Sweden. She’d asked Troy about it once. He gave a typical Troy answer. It was only for aliens; humans could get addicted and die from it. Umm, that’s what alcohol tried to do. Sheesh, hopefully, he would let up on her now that she had been here for close to three years.

She groaned when she looked at the clock. Her ten minutes had turned into fifteen, and she still needed to visit the bathroom. Not that Troy would mind, he wasn’t that type of boss. She guzzled the rest of her coffee, hit the bathroom, and then walked back out front.

Troy was holding court at the bar that was typical.

“Aww here’s my Firestarter.” He threw her a wink.

She felt her heart racing before she calmed it down. “Careful Troy I may burn you.”

“Another promise from a beautiful woman, I know you won’t be keeping it. I’m not your type.”

He had her there. She was all about the dark brooding type.

“Tell me he’s been doing his job while I was taking a break?” She looked at the customers; her mouth turned down into a frown. They laughed and told her how slow he was refilling their drinks.

“So, you do need me!” She gave a happy sigh and refilled the first drink.

When everyone had a drink, they drifted back to their spots in the club leaving her and Troy at the bar.

“The best thing I ever did was hire you. I want you to know you’ll always have a job here.”

“Not this again.”

“Just listen to me. Then I’ll leave you alone for the rest of your shift.”

“You can deny something about yourself all you want; it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Fate has a way of giving us what we need even when we’re too slow to realize it. I’ve never lied to you Rylee, and I never will.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she turned around to ask him a question, he was gone. How did he do that?