Sizzle (Bad Boy Rockers) (Volume 1)(50)

She chuckled and kissed my chest.

“As soon as I realized they planned on grooming Liam for the law firm, which he so did not want to do, I changed and started to follow what they’d set out for my brother so they’d leave him alone...and they did. I rebelled in my own way, hence the tattoos and piercings’ that nobody knows about, that’s why I always wear long sleeves. My parents would flip if they knew what I was doing here with Donovan and Reece. I know I’m a grown man and shouldn’t worry about what they think, but having never had their approval for anything...I’m just used to staying silent.”

Fuck, I felt like a girl admitting most of that to her, but I needed her to know what my life was like.





Chapter 38


Thalia


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As I listened to Jack, who’d become Phoenix to me, I wanted to cry for him...and myself for falling for him when he wasn’t free to be with me. Yeah, we’d just had the most amazing ‘almost’ sex...in a storeroom at the back of Kix, which shouldn’t have happened, but was inevitable.

A giggle burst forth, which I tried to contain by slamming my hand over my mouth, but no such luck, as the giggle became a full belly laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he asked with an unreadable expression.

I grinned. “Us, practically having sex in the back room, in there.”

“We did have sex in there.”

“You didn’t come inside me, so it doesn’t count...I still want you Phoenix, so much.”

He shuddered against me. “You’re driving me crazy. All I want is to take you home with me and keep you forever...but I can’t.”

Standing up he pulled me up with him and was moving in to kiss me when Liam appeared in the doorway looking pissed as hell.

“Where the f*ck have you two been?”

“What’s it got to do with you?” Phoenix replied.

“Well, Phoenix,” Liam emphasized, “Ryder wanted to know why you weren’t on stage.”

“He was talking to me,” I yelled, anger making my tone ice cold.

“Yeah, well, it looks like you were doing more than talking,” Liam replied.

His gaze moved to his brother. “And you’re engaged, damn-it. How could you do this to Mia?”

Phoenix looked at Liam with a frown and looked about to say something in reply to him, but then seemed to change his mind and looked between the both of us. “My heart wants Thalia, and I can’t stay away from her.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Can I rely on you both not saying anything about this to anyone?”

“We won’t. Right Liam?”

“Why keep it a secret? We’re not kids anymore.”

“Can you imagine the grief I’ll get from Dad, and Lewis for that matter? I’m supposed to be a respectable soon-to-be-lawyer, not someone who hangs around bars in a band full of body art.”

Liam cursed under his breath and replied, “They’d probably be worse than what I imagine.” He grinned. “I’ll keep it quiet. But if word gets out I didn’t know anything about it; otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Phoenix nodded his head then met my eyes before looking away again.

“This is just so f*cked up...I need to leave...I’m sorry Thalia.”

With those words my heart broke as I watched him walk off into the forest.

Liam walked over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

“I’m sorry Thalia. I really am. Let me take you home.”

“Okay. I’m sorry as well. How long have you been in love with Mia?” I asked trying to hold my tears back.

Liam opened the car door for me and practically shoved me inside before climbing into the driver’s side. He just sat looking out through the window with his hands gripping the steering wheel.

“We’re the same age and our parents have been friends since before me and Jack were born, so it was natural for us all to grow up together, especially me and Mia.” He sighed and let his head fall back against the seat. “She’s the first girl I kissed and the only girl I’ve...well, you know.” He blushed and obviously hadn’t realized just what he was saying until the end.

To say I was stunned at his admission was an understatement. He’d only ever slept with Mia? With a shake of my head I studied him; I didn’t know what to say. Without knowing the whole situation it seemed stupid. “Liam, if you love Mia and she obviously has feelings for you, then why haven’t you both put a stop to the wedding...or why aren’t you the groom?”

Without answering he put the key in the ignition and turned the car in the direction of his home while I tried not to think about the last words Jack had spoken to me or how he’d looked.

My tears started running down my cheeks. Did he regret touching me? Just before he turned away from me I saw his face and he looked more in pain than sorry.

What the hell did Phoenix’s father have over him to make him go through with this ridiculous arranged marriage? Because that’s what it was.

I swiped at my tears as I climbed out of Liam’s car and made to walk up the porch steps only to be stopped by Liam.

“Will you be okay?” he asked wiping the tears that were still leaking out of my eyes away with his thumbs.