Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

ANI

I head down to the dining room in a house that has never felt welcoming. It might as well have a No Trespassing sign hanging on the front door for people like me. I am beneath a house like this. I am too poor to enter, and it knows it. But it’s not like my life and my current situation gave me much of a choice.

As I descend the staircase and adjust my slim skirt, I suddenly wish I’d gone with one that was longer and dowdier. Maybe I should have just stuck with my go-to jeans and sun-faded tee. I don’t think it’s smart to appear at all sexy around Phoenix Godwin. And who knows how much of my body he’s seen without me knowing.

I stand in front of the dining room door, looking down at my shoes for the briefest of seconds. They’re worn, but not dirty. So at least I won’t track Eastside filth into the pristine manor. Although my outfit may be too sexy, it is as impeccable as I can get—a black blouse and gray skirt from a secondhand store that costs less than the loose change that can be found hanging around the inside of Olympus. My favorite hair clip—my only hair clip—that was a gift from Daphne sits jauntily atop my onyx hair. The ivory clip is the only thing I have on that is of any real monetary value. I never asked Daphne how much it cost when I accepted it as a birthday gift. She knew to not make a fuss over money, or expensive items, or I wouldn’t accept it. But the clip shows real thought and care had gone into the gift, and I couldn’t turn it away. I saw how much Daphne wanted me to keep it .

Overall, I don’t mind being poor that much. I never have much money, so I don’t miss it. I am different from my sister. She wants the money. She dreams of the wealth. She’ll do whatever it takes—and has—to get close to money. Me? I feel no need. I’ve known who I am from the moment I attended my first day of school and was called white trash. Yes, I know my position in society, and I don’t fight it.

I am a realist, while Daphne is a dreamer.

I knock on the door and wait with a pasted-on smile. I’m not sure if I should just open the door and enter. I’m sure I look like a redneck hillbilly for doing it, but I also don’t want to simply assume I’m welcomed in all parts of the house.

The door opens, and someone from the staff greets me with a polite smile. “Welcome, Ms. Parker,” she says, as she leads me into Olympus Manor’s grand dining room. The marble floors gleam in the light, and the chandelier overhead sparkles like a constellation of stars.

I don’t belong here.

As the woman leads me toward my seat, I can’t shake the feeling I’m being observed. Phoenix’s eyes seem to be everywhere, always watching, always judging. He’s the king of this kingdom, and I’m nothing but a peasant in his presence.

I take a seat at the table and try to steady my breathing. Phoenix’s footsteps echo as he descends the stairs, and my heart is pounding. I’m not sure what to expect, and I feel that this is a test. Like he wants to see if I’m worthy of his time and of his help.

I’m second guessing my stubborn pride about calling my sister last night.

He enters the room, and my breath catches. He’s even more imposing closer up, with his height and thick body. It’s as if a six-foot-six brick wall entered the room. He’s dressed in a tailored suit that accentuates his power and wealth. He’s the epitome of perfection, and I am small and insignificant in his presence.

“Welcome,” he says, as he takes a seat across from me. “I’m glad you took me up on my offer.”

I nod, unable to form words. He’s so overwhelming, so intense.

I try to gather my thoughts and speak, but my voice comes out not much louder than a whisper. “Thank you for inviting me,” I manage to say.

Why am I being nice to this man? Isn’t he the one who just got caught spying on me? And yet, I’m nervous that I’m not saying or doing the right things around him .

Rich people make me sweat.

It results from growing up on an island where the Godwins were treated as actual Gods, and we were mere mortals praying they wouldn’t strike us down with one of their mighty lightning bolts. They owned all the land we lived on, which meant they essentially owned us . Or at least that is how it often felt.

Phoenix’s eyes seem to bore into mine, as if he’s trying to read my thoughts. I fidget with my hands with a sense of unease. It’s like he’s trying to uncover my secrets.

Secrets no one should ever know.

I need to be careful; I must not show any weakness in front of him. I have to keep telling myself that I know him… or I know him through marriage. He’s not a God. He’s still a man who can bleed just like me. There must be good in him, even if it’s blanketed in all the darkness that almost seems to swallow him up.

“Are you hungry?” He motions for the staff who has been standing by the door to bring the food into the dining room.

I nod, not daring to move my eyes away from his. I’m too mesmerized by him, too entranced. His mere presence is intoxicating. Plus, I’ve been trained to never turn my back on a wild animal if it’s getting ready to attack.

Will Phoenix attack?

How wild and feral is he?

The food arrives, and the smell of delicious herbs and spices fills the room. The tension between us is palpable, and I wonder if he’s feeling the same. Am I making him as uncomfortable as he’s making me?

“I didn’t mean to scare you last night,” he says after entirely too much awkward silence passes.

“I didn’t realize you were in the attic. Is that where you”—I swallow the food in my mouth—“stay?”

“I like it up there.”

I wait. And I wait. Is he going to offer some sort of explanation or apology for having a secret video camera on me?

Apparently not.

“Why were you filming me?”

“There are cameras everywhere in this house other than a few rooms.”

“Is there a camera in the room my sister was staying in?”

“No. That’s Apollo’s room. It’s private. ”

“But my room isn’t private?”

“It’s not your room. It’s a guest room. It houses strangers. Not Godwins.” He tilts his head and studies my face. “If you want me to try to defend my actions, it’s not going to happen. I oversee security for Medusa Enterprises and for my family. My job is to watch. I’m not going to apologize for it.” He pauses, inhales deeply. “But I do apologize if it frightened you. That was not my intent. My goal has always been to keep everything safe. To remove the fear. Not add to it.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I am a guest. I didn’t ask his permission to stay. Though Apollo said I was fine being here, this is still the Godwin family estate. Who am I to judge what Phoenix does in his house? And his actions seem far from sinister.

“Who did that to you?” Phoenix points to the fading bruise on my cheekbone. He’s not the first person to recognize bruising on my body, but the first one to be so bold as to ask.

“My ex.” There’s no point in lying about it. Phoenix saw me recover in the bed for weeks. He knows I didn’t simply fall or have a minor accident.

“Where is he now?”

I look down at my food and shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.” Phoenix puts down his fork and leans forward. “Where is he?”

I glance up at him, surprised to find him caring. “He’s gone. For good.”

Phoenix sits back and steeples his fingers together at his chin. I can’t tell if he’s questioning what I’m saying, or if he’s just allowing it all to soak in.

I feel the need to add, “He was my husband in name only. We never actually wed legally, so there’s nothing I need to do with a lawyer or anything. He… left. So, I don’t have to worry about dealing with him ever again. It’s over.”

It’s odd that I’m being so free with my information to a basic stranger, but then again, I’ve been living under the man’s roof for weeks.

The rest of the meal passes in a blur. I can’t focus on the food or the lack of conversation. I’m too aware of Phoenix’s gaze on me, of the way he’s studying me, trying to read my every move. He doesn’t smile, but he’s not exactly mean. It’s as if Medusa has turned his face to stone.

“What’s your plan now?” He finally breaks the silence in the room, and I’ m grateful.

“My sister doesn’t want me going home, but it’s time. I’m going to call her today?—”

“You don’t need to call your sister,” he snaps. “I can help you.”

“I don’t want to put you out.” But his offer is tempting.

I don’t want to call Daphne and have her rushing back to Heathens Hollow from Seattle. She’s excited about the big changes in her life, and I’m also not sure if she will resist me on going back to the Eastside. But after hours of thinking about it last night, I’m going to need some help. I have zero money, and even if I got a job right away, I wouldn’t get paid for at least a week. There is no food in the trailer, and I have no way of getting there. Whether I like it or not, I’m going to have to call Daphne and ask for help.

“Your sister just left you here.” Phoenix says the words with disgust, and I can see he’s not happy with her, judging by his expression. It appears as if he’s smelled something bad.

“She and Apollo are busy?—”

“She doesn’t deserve your defense.” The harshness in Phoenix’s words has me flinching.

“I get the feeling you don’t like my sister. Why?”

“Correct. She doesn’t deserve to be a Godwin.”

The familiar rage from last night builds inside of me. “Because we grew up poor on the Eastside? What? She’s not good enough to marry into your family?”

He sips from his coffee calmly, staring at me with hooded eyes beneath long lashes. “I couldn’t care less where she lived. This has nothing to do with what side of Heathens Hollow she lived on.”

Still feeling as if I need to defend her, I say, “My sister is a fighter. She’s had to be her entire life. She was never one to settle and had big dreams. You may not like her, or feel she fucked her way into your family, but Daphne would throw herself on a sword for those she loves. Can you say the same?”

“I can,” he replies simply. “Any Godwin would.”

I’m thrown off by how easily he counters my words. “You shouldn’t judge what you don’t know.”

“I know enough.”

I wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin on my lap and stand. “I really need to get going. I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

Phoenix mimics my actions. “Allow me to drive you home.” His voice is low but demanding.

I open my mouth to argue, but him driving would save me the hassle of trying to get money from Daphne for the cab ride and waiting for it to arrive somehow. Feeling trapped and with no options, I nod. “Thank you.”

Phoenix remains in place, forcing me to have to walk by him to go upstairs to get my stuff. I can feel the heat radiating from his body, and I’m overcome with an intense feeling of?—

He reaches out to push away a strand of hair from my face. I only come up to his chest, and our height difference is obvious when I have to completely tilt my head back to look up at his towering face. Our eyes lock for a moment too long for my comfort. Feeling as if I’m breaking a powerful spell, I quickly make my way to the guest room for the last time.