Page 128 of Thorns of Silence

My heart skipped a fucking beat at the intensity of it and everything stilled inside me like it did when I fucked her at the club.

No demons. No ghosts.

A giggle sounded and I yanked away from her.

I shook my head and smiled, then draped an arm around Phoenix’s shoulders as we walked to the hotel, looking like the family I never had.

* * *

Growing up under my father’s rule, paranoia was instilled in me.

I fought like hell not to be like him, but the moment we arrived at Phoenix’s hotel, old demons emerged. I’d like to say I wasn’t a control freak, but with her, it’d be a lie. I wanted her in my vicinity and in my sight at all times. I couldn’t risk her escaping me again.

The white stone building stood tall in the foreground as we argued, Phoenix’s hands balled into fists and my jaw rolling painfully.

“I’m going with you to your room.” I noticed Skye wasn’t as good as Phoenix at reading lips, so I stuck to mouthing the words, determined not to scare her.

Skye and Nix stood by the hotel door, Nix attempting to block my passage. As if she could ever hold me back. Skye shifted on her little legs, her big blue eyes darting between us hesitantly.

“You’re not. Wait here.”

I gritted my teeth. There was no chance in hell that I’d risk her slipping away from me. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Dante and I can wait here,” Skye chimed in, signing in perfect ASL. The girl had a killer sixth sense.

“Yes,” I agreed.

“No.” Nix was determined to fight me at every step.

“Either we all go in,” I signed, my hand movements jerky due to my tension. I couldn’t even mouth the words because of how hard I was biting the skin inside my cheek. “Or leave her with me and we’ll wait for you to pack up.”

We stared at each other, both of us too stubborn to back down, when a little hand slipped into mine.

“We all go,” Skye signed, smiling widely, and I watched as tension left Nix’s shoulders and her face softened. God, the kid was amazing. I’d have to ensure I always had her on my side when I wanted to win an argument. I also knew right then and there, Skye would be our neutralizer. We would always do what was best for her first and foremost.

It was peculiar though. Nix claimed to have lost her memories, but she still fought me at every turn as if it was ingrained into her DNA. Not that I was a hundred percent convinced she wasn’t lying. I remembered waking up in the hospital with amnesia, and for a brief moment, my hate and anger at my father eased. Until I started remembering and it came back stronger than ever.

“Okay,” she agreed.

My heart raced as we walked through the little lobby of the quaint hotel. The reception desk was crowded as the three of us bypassed it and made our way up the stone stairs that had seen better days.

Why isn’t she staying somewhere nicer?I wondered.

She withdrew two million dollars before she took off. It’d only been two months. She couldn’t have blown through that money already.

We came up to one of the doors on the top floor and Nix dug through her little satchel, pulling out a key. Pushing it into the keyhole, she unlocked the door and the three of us entered.

My eyes traveled over the room. Two twin beds, a dresser, and a private bathroom. No AC. A clean but basic room. There wasn’t even a TV in here.

Phoenix’s eyes filled with regret, as though she wished she could have hidden this from me. She could barely look at me, and I didn’t miss the flush creeping along the apples of her cheeks.

I kneeled down and signed to Skye while speaking softly. “Can you grab all your stuff and put it in the suitcase? Don’t worry about making it pretty. Just shove it all in and we’ll worry about it when we get to my place.”

Skye nodded eagerly and then went to work.

I rose to my full height and lifted my index finger to Nix’s chin, tipping her face toward mine. Her reluctant gaze met mine, and it was filled with defiance. If things weren’t so serious, I’d probably smirk at her attitude.