Breaking Free (Phoenix Rising)

Chapter 15 - Cole

"You guys think she took that okay?" I ask.

"I don't know man, she looked a little shell shocked." Paul says. He's right she really did. I rub my hand over my face.

"She just needs a minute to process." I say more to myself than to the guys.

"Sure, but we have to work Prez." Gunner says. It did take much longer to explain things than I thought it would.

When either of these two call me prez I know it's serious. I flip into business mode. "Hit me with it, What do you have now?" I ask.

"Your uncle crawled over to the 9s. Confirmed the guy he was with is their enforcer." Paul fills me in on all the details. The 9s don't have as many guys as us, half are drugged up and the other half are either not that smart or barely trained. We would have no issue taking them down, but they have allies.

"I'm not here for a war. Innocents get hurt in wars. You of all people know that."

Chris gives me a side glance, that was a bit of a low blow on my part. I rub my face again.

"None of us want war man. We just need to keep our defenses up, that's all." Gunner says.

"Fine. Do what needs to be done then." I start to head up the stairs to check on L but Tech has more to say.

"Your PI friend is snooping through some interesting stuff." Paul calls, making me stop in my tracks and turn back to him.

"Like what?" I ask.

"Graves?" He says. He pulls up pictures of this PI guy standing in front of four different graves. I'm seething.

"Please tell me you know what the hell he's doing there?"

Paul shrugs. "He was writing on his note pad at the last one. I got a still blown up."

He pulls up another picture. The pad says car accident. blame.

"Blame? The driver was high and slammed into a tree. What fucking blame?" I'm rambling thoughts and pacing the room.

"You knew who's graves those were?" Gunner asks.

"Yeah. I was 16 so L would have been 14. We were at a bonfire party with half the school. There was always booze and drugs. L and I never messed with anything hard but it was there and others did. L was supposed to be in that car to go home that night but I made her stay with me."

I hear Gunner curse and rub my face again. "That doesn't explain what he's doing there."

"Unclear, but he went into the bar shortly after opening and had the balls to talk to Beck." Paul tells us.

"She say anything?" I ask, knowing she wouldn't but asking anyway.

"Nah. You know Beck. She kept it in check too. Didn't punch him. He was asking about you mostly." Paul says.

I nod. "Let them come for me. I'd rather it be me than L."

They both look at me like I have multiple heads. "Paul, if it was Beck you'd do the same." I say.

Paul nods, we all know he would too.

"It's settled then. Keep an eye on that fuck." I order. "We done now?"

They both yeah prez me and I take the window to run up the steps. There is a water bottle on the counter but no L. I shoot her a text before I look in the living room and circle back to the kitchen to go up the stairs.

"Hi baby" Brianna's voice makes me want to gag. She slinks towards me. Did she not get the point the other night?

"Get the fuck out. You are not even supposed to be on this side." I growl at her.