Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Phoenix watched her face as the doors closed. "I know it's tough to trust anyone after being manipulated by Boyd for years."

"I don't want to be stupid again," she said through gritted teeth.

"I'll show you the information I received from our boss," Phoenix promised.

She nodded and looked down at the floor. He suspected she wanted to trust him but needed reassurance when faced with Boyd's behavior.

Moving a bit closer, he squeezed her hand. "Nothing will change our connection, Little girl."

"Promise?" she whispered, peeking up.

"I promise."

The doors opened, and he ushered her into the fifth-floor living space. "I have the flash drive in my pocket that arrived just before you did. Let's go pull it up on my computer."

He led her to the breakfast bar. "Sit here. I'll grab my computer."

Within a few minutes, he had his computer set up on the counter in front of them. He signed in, and Lyra burst into laughter at his screensaver. A meme of a man targeting a spider with a blowtorch appeared. "I really don't like spiders, though Harry's okay."

"Thanks for making an exception for him."

"Let's see what the boss sent."

Phoenix opened the flash drive, and several files opened. There were pictures of Lyra performing, stolen moments of her in the airport, entering the home of her current coach, and outside her apartment complex. He allowed her to scroll through the data as she wanted. She paused to read a report detailing her entire life history. A second profile caught her eye.

"You've gone through all of this?" she asked.

"I did."

"Whoever did this included information about Boyd. Do you know why?" Lyra asked as she scanned the documents on the screen.

"I don't. My assumption in looking at these was that my boss, Baldwin Kingsley, knew that Boyd's life was connected to yours and checked him out as well," Phoenix explained.

Several red flags had jumped out at him when he'd scanned the files that morning. Knowing what seemed significant to Lyra would help him focus on whatever merited the most attention.

"Whose bank account is that?" she asked, leaning forward to look at the display. "I don't get deposits with that many zeros."

Watching her, Phoenix could tell the exact second she found the name on the form. Her body stiffened, and she looked at him with a shocked expression.

"That's Boyd's account. Where is that money coming from? He doesn't have many clients, and I know I'm not paying him that much."

"That's probably the reason Baldwin included that information. Does he come from a rich background?" Phoenix asked.

"No. Not really. At least, not that I know of. Now, I'm questioning everything," Lyra said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Is Boyd's name on your bank accounts?" Phoenix asked.

"No. My accountant is a woman. Tracy Lacost. She has always counseled me not to give anyone access to my money. She sends him his fee every month and collects a detailed form of his efforts on my behalf."

"Sounds like you have a smart accountant."

"Boyd didn't like her, but I didn't want to hassle with changing to someone else. It would've taken me away from practicing. Besides, I always felt that Boyd did more at the end of the month when he would have to fill out that form. It motivated him to find gigs for me."

"Thank goodness you didn't allow him to pressure you to change."

She slumped back against her chair. "What are we going to do when he gets here? Should I just tell him that he's fired as my agent?"

"You could leave him a letter at the desk," Phoenix suggested.

"I'm not afraid of Boyd," Lyra stated firmly.

"I am."

She raised her eyebrows. "You could snap Boyd in half with one arm tied behind your back."

He liked how her eyes traced his powerful shoulders and down one arm. "I'm not concerned with what he'll do to me. I can protect myself. I am worried about how he'll act when he sees you."

"What can he do? I'm my own person. I completed my legal obligations and can do what I want. I wish he hadn't found me, but he already knows I'm here. Or that I've been here. Even with the tracker turned off, he'll hear my music and know I'm here," Lyra pointed out.

"The basement is soundproofed. You could practice there."

Immediately, Lyra shook her head. "I'll drive everyone crazy. I repeat the same passage over and over until I have it perfected. Then I start back at the beginning of the song and play it until I hit another roadblock."

"You did fine practicing here this morning," Phoenix pointed out. "When I passed, I saw several people stop to figure out where the music was coming from. They were transfixed."

"Boyd will recognize my style immediately." She sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter. I'll have to talk to him sometime."

"Not alone," Phoenix growled.

"I'll let you back me up if you'll let me handle him. Promise that you'll be an observer only."

"I promise as long as he's pleasant, I'll smile. If he becomes a jerk, I'll step in," Phoenix firmly stated. He wouldn't allow Boyd to hurt her in any way.

"I can live with that."

"Does this clear up any questions you were struggling with about what I know and what my motivation is?"

Lyra's gaze went back to the screen. "It's eerie to see my life boiled down to a form. There are a lot of blanks there," she pointed out.

Phoenix scanned the empty spaces. She didn't have any friends or enemies listed, no pets, no debts… It was practically devoid of all the usual things most people would have. Even playing the cello was listed on a blank spot labeled "Other." Lyra definitely wasn't compatible with the average profile.

"Thank you for sharing this with me. It felt icky not knowing what you knew and whether it was truthful. I should've trusted you. I do trust you," she quickly said, amending her statement.

"I'm glad. It's always okay to ask questions, Little girl. If you're worried, talk to me."

"Okay. I promise."

"So, you're going to talk to him?" Phoenix asked after a second's pause.

"Yes. I'll ask Sadie to set up a place and time for us when he checks in."

Phoenix felt his phone buzz. He looked at his screen and related the message. "Hawking just spotted someone fitting Boyd's description at the front door."

"I don't want to talk to him now," Lyra said, her face turning pale.

"You don't have to ever talk to him," Phoenix assured her.

When her eyes narrowed, he amended his answer. "You can meet with him if you wish, but only if that's what you choose."

Her shoulders lowered from around her ears as her fight impulse dissolved at his answer. "Thank you, Phoenix. I'm sorry, but my emotions are all over the place. I didn't see this coming, and I'm struggling to get everything resolved in my brain."

"It's okay, Little girl. You do this on your schedule. What would help you most? Playing your cello or taking a nap?"

"Cello."

"Then that's what you're going to do."

"And if he hears the music?" Lyra asked.

"The front desk would never reveal the location of any guest without their permission. He'll just have to wait until you're ready to talk to him."

"Does Sadie still want me to perform tonight?"

"I'm sure Sadie would like you to play for the guests whenever you are prepared to do so," Phoenix assured her.

"Tell her I'll play tonight at seven," Lyra said with a determined glimmer in her eyes.

"I'll do it, Little girl. I'll come get you for an early dinner," Phoenix suggested.

"Oh, no. I don't eat before a performance. I'll practice until it's time to appear. You'll come to take me to the right location?" Lyra asked.

"Yes, Crash. I'll be your escort."

"Could I have several sheets of paper? I want to fire Boyd officially in writing."

"I'll set some on the counter in the kitchen for you."

"Thank you, Phoenix. I appreciate you showing me the information you received. It's not a pleasant feeling to think everything about you has been revealed to someone else," Lyra said, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's kind of scary. I mean, I don't understand why your boss has me on his radar. I've never heard of anyone named Baldwin Kingsley."

"Kingsley has come to the rescue of every one of us, all six men and all four women. None of us knows how he discovered we needed him or why he chose to rescue us. The man seems omniscient. Sometimes, it's downright eerie, but he's always right."

"Did he rescue all of you from anything serious?"

"Yes, Little one. Very dangerous situations," Phoenix told her gently, not wanting her to panic.

She chewed on the corner of her lower lip, thinking for a moment before releasing it. "Then I guess he truly believes I'm in some kind of serious danger."

"That is my assumption, Crash." Phoenix walked forward to enclose her in his embrace. "You're my Little girl, Lyra. I'm always going to have your back."

"There's something else I want to talk about," she whispered.

"Okay. What's up?" He crossed his fingers, afraid of losing her.

"I don't want to use condoms with you. I'm on birth control, and I was tested last month at my annual exam," she blurted out, totally changing the subject.

Rocked by her request, Phoenix leaned back to look at her face. "That's a big step, Crash. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"Yes. Is it safe with you?"

"I was tested recently, too, Little girl."

"And you're okay with not using them?" she asked, watching his face.

"I can't imagine anything more intense than feeling your body around mine, Little girl. Your body, Lyra. My Little girl's wrapped around my cock."

She stared at him. "You're making my practicing hard right now."

He knew nothing interfered with her rehearsal schedule. A grin curved his lips. "How about if I get out of here so you can concentrate?"

"Good idea."

Not wanting her to wipe him out of her mind as soon as he disappeared, Phoenix wooed her with a soft and sexy kiss before stepping away.

"No fair, Daddy," she protested as he released her and headed for the elevator.

"I'll make it up to you," he promised, loving the aroused look on her face. Her resigned sigh reached his ears as he closed the door to their apartment. Hopefully, she'd choose some relaxing music to soothe her thoughts.

Leaving the fifth floor, Phoenix headed for the lobby. He needed to see the man who'd taken charge of Lyra's career and had captured her heart for a short time. As he stepped out of the elevator, he passed a man standing impatiently at the door. Polished, with not a hair out of place, he instantly made Phoenix's skin crawl.

A motion at the desk caught his attention. Sadie lowered her hand to rest on the desk, and she nodded. Phoenix turned to watch the man lean against the rear wall of the elevator. He consulted his phone before typing a rapid reply. His expression was a determined sneer that turned dismissive when he looked up to see the doors closing and Phoenix watching him.

As the panels sealed together, Phoenix clenched his fists, feeling the anger brewing inside him. He was going to make that son of a bitch pay. Moreover, he intended to solve the mystery of what could be more important than his Little girl. Something had pulled him away from his relationship as Lyra's boyfriend while he'd still maintained his control over Lyra's career. Phoenix wouldn't rest until he figured out that mystery.

"Hey, Phoenix. Thank you for coming to look at the outlets behind the reception desk," Sadie said cheerfully.

He shifted his attention to her smiling face. Her widening eyes warned him that he was attracting the attention and concern of the guests. A big guy like him standing with a glower on his face was bound to create a disturbance. He forced a rueful grin onto his face.

"Hey, Sadie. I left my to-do list back at my desk. I knew there was something I was going to do in this area. Thanks for putting me back on track."