A Million Tiny Pieces (38 page)

“Fuck
yes,” Tarik moaned. “Deeper. I want to feel you all the way inside me.”

Phoenix
pushed in farther, until his pelvis rested against Tarik’s ass. He didn’t want
to wait, didn’t have reason to ease into him, so he began pumping his hips,
fucking Tarik slow and easy, keeping a steady rhythm while Tarik’s ass
stretched around his cock.

Tarik’s
hand came up, wrapping behind Phoenix’s neck, and he leaned down until their
mouths were just a breath apart.

“Fuck
me, Phoenix,” Tarik commanded. “Fuck me hard.”

Phoenix
met his gaze, studying him as so many thoughts swamped his head. Thoughts of
doing this forever, having Tarik and Mia all to himself for the rest of his
life. It was enough to make his cock jump eagerly.

“I
own you,” Phoenix told Tarik roughly. “And I don’t mean just right now.”

Tarik
nodded as Phoenix began to drive his hips forward, pulling them back and then
driving them forward again. He began pounding into him, Tarik’s ass clenching
around his dick, the pleasure driving every thought from his brain.

“Always,
Tarik. I own you, always.” Phoenix couldn’t stop the words. Tarik’s hand
tightened behind Phoenix’s neck, their foreheads touching, their breaths
rushing between them as Phoenix fucked him harder. “Say it, Tarik. Tell me you
understand.”

“You
own me,” Tarik said on a primal growl. “The same as I own you. Fuck! Coming!”

Phoenix’s
hips stilled as his release shot from him, filling Tarik’s ass at the same time
his words pierced his heart. Tarik was right. Tarik owned him the same way Mia
owned him.

GETTING
BACK HOME to Mia had been the only thing on Tarik’s mind since he’d woken up
that morning. The last few days away from her had been hell, and he was
beginning to wonder how they were going to keep doing it. If he had his way,
she’d be traveling with them, but with her classes, he knew that wasn’t an
option.

For
most of the time they’d been gone, Phoenix had been preoccupied, with the
exception of when they went to bed. And then they were too busy undoing one
another for anything else to intrude. Except when they were finished, they
would talk about Mia, about getting back to her.

When
she’d called Phoenix to tell him she was having dinner with Ellen, Tarik had
thought Phoenix’s head was going to explode. Her assurance afterward that
things had gone well was the only thing that had saved him. Tarik found it all
amusing, which Phoenix hadn’t found at all funny.

Now,
as he drove to the condos from the private airport where Phoenix kept his
company jet, Tarik’s anxiety level was rising. They had both received a text
from Mia that morning, informing them that she needed to talk to them as soon
as possible. And not by phone, which had filled him with an overwhelming sense
of dread.

“Did
she answer your text?” Tarik asked, referring to the fact that Phoenix had
texted Mia as soon as the plane had landed. As he drove, he tossed a glance at
Phoenix, who was typing something into his phone.

“No.
Not yet. I’m just gonna call her.”

Phoenix
put the phone to his ear, and Tarik returned his attention to the road.

“Mia?
Hey. Where are you?”

Tarik
couldn’t hear Mia talking on the other end of the line, and he desperately
wanted to know what she was saying. After the text they’d both received that
morning, he knew whatever she had to tell them wasn’t going to be good.

“Okay,
baby. We’ll be there in a few.”

“Where
is she?”

“At
her condo. Alex and Johnathan are there with her.”

Tarik
darted another look at Phoenix.

“So
is my mother,” Phoenix added, his face grim.

“Did
she tell you what the hell is going on?” Tarik asked, his voice rough.

“No.
So pay attention to the road and fucking drive.”

Tarik
knew Phoenix was feeling the same dread he was, so he brushed off the harsh
words and focused on the road.

Twenty
minutes later, Tarik was knocking on Mia’s front door, Phoenix standing beside
him. When the door opened, Ellen greeted them, her face lined with worry.

“What’s
going on?” Phoenix demanded as he pushed past Tarik and Ellen on his way to
find Mia.

The
second she saw them, Mia was off the couch and rushing toward them. She walked
right into Phoenix’s arms first but then released him and headed for Tarik. He
was surprised that she stayed in his arms a little longer. The feel of her
against him soothed that restless energy that had been pulsing since her text.

“Someone
really needs to tell me what the fuck is going on,” Phoenix demanded.

Mia
pulled away from Tarik and turned to face Phoenix.

“I
was served with papers this morning. Apparently, Damien is suing me for three
million dollars.”

“What?”
Phoenix roared. “He’s lost his fucking mind.”

“No,
he’s hard up for money,” Alex said softly. “I mean
really
hard up.”

“Damien’s
in the process of suing Mia for the three million he paid her in the divorce.
He claims that she was the one cheating on him; therefore, she shouldn’t have
received the money,” Johnathan explained.

“That’s
not all,” Ellen said.

Tarik,
along with everyone else in the room, turned his attention to Phoenix’s mother.
She was sitting on the edge of the chair, her hands clasped together in her
lap. “Phil asked me to provide some of your father’s handwriting samples. He
had some, but he wanted a few more. Damien’s lawyers told Phil that they would
be sending him the document showing that Sid did make a deal to sell the
Arrows.”

“I’ve
got to sit down,” Phoenix said, sounding defeated.

Ellen
stood, then went to him, easing down beside him when he dropped to the sofa.
Tarik watched the scene before him for a moment.

Tarik
leaned down to Mia’s ear. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”

She
nodded, and with that, Tarik walked out the door. It was time to put a stop to
this shit once and for fucking all.

»»»»»♥«««««

“I’M
SO SORRY, Phoenix,” Mia said when the door closed behind Tarik. She had no idea
where he was going, and she didn’t have the good sense to ask, either. She was
too focused on Phoenix. He looked as though he was going to lose it any second
now, and she didn’t know what to do.

“You’re
sorry?” Phoenix asked, disbelief in his tone, his turbulent green eyes lifting
to meet hers. “Come here.”

Mia
made her way across the living room, fear making her move slowly, carefully.
She hated that Damien was doing this, and she couldn’t help but think this was
all her fault.

Phoenix
took her hand and tugged her down beside him, placing his arm over her shoulder
and pulling her against him as he leaned back against the cushions. His lips
brushed her hair, but he didn’t say anything.

The
room was silent, and Mia felt all eyes on her. For the last couple of hours,
ever since the man had shown up at her door with papers that she’d had to sign
for, she’d been shaking. Damien was suing her, insisting that she was the one
who had cheated. With Phoenix, at that. He claimed he had proof.

She
hadn’t known what to do, so she had texted Tarik and Phoenix, knowing they were
in flight back home. Then she’d called Alex but had to leave a voice mail. She
had considered calling her mother, but didn’t want her to worry until Mia knew
what she was going to do, so she’d done the only thing she could think of.
She’d gone up to Ellen’s condo and knocked on the door.

After
explaining to her what had happened, they had sat at Ellen’s kitchen table. That
was when Ellen had received the phone call from Phoenix’s lawyer, Phil, asking
about handwriting samples. The bottom had dropped out of Mia’s stomach at that
point. Everything had snowballed from there. When Alex called her back, Mia and
Ellen had returned to Mia’s condo to meet them.

And
here they all were. Mia had no idea what to do or what to say. She wanted to
fix this, but she didn’t know what that entailed.

Confusion
wracked her, made her thoughts mushy, her head ache.

Phoenix
lifted his head and glanced around the room while Mia curled up against him,
inhaling him, drinking him in. She never wanted to let him go. She felt safe in
his arms, although she knew that things were still falling apart around them.

“Where’d
Tarik go?” Phoenix demanded, sitting upright instantly, obviously just
realizing he’d left.

“He
said he’d be back in a few minutes,” Mia told him, forced to sit up, too.

“Why
didn’t Phil call me?”

Mia
realized Phoenix was talking to his mother.

“He
said he tried,” Ellen said calmly, that authoritative tone once again in place.
“I assume you were on the plane.”

Phoenix
turned to Mia, cupping her face in his hands before pressing his lips to her
mouth. “I need to find Tarik. I don’t want you to worry about any of this.”

Mia
cocked an eyebrow. Right. Like that was even possible at this point.

“I’m
serious, Mia. We’ll get it taken care of. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Mia
nodded and pressed her lips to Phoenix’s when he kissed her gently. When he
withdrew his lips, he pulled her head to his shoulder and pressed his lips to
her ear. “I love you, Mia. You have nothing to worry about.”

Her
heart stopped beating. It actually stopped in her chest for a moment before it
resumed, kicking harder than she’d thought possible. Phoenix pulled back and looked
at her before pressing his lips to hers once more.

“I
love you, too,” she whispered, forcing her eyes not to water. She wasn’t going
to cry. This was a good thing.

Phoenix
smiled.

And
then he was gone.

She
stared after him, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. Her heart claimed she
had, the too-hard beat making her chest hurt. Her stomach swirled with a
mixture of hope and love and everything she’d kept bottled inside for the past
few weeks. She’d told Tarik that she loved him and she’d meant it. Although the
opportunity hadn’t presented itself — until now, apparently — Mia had been
trying to find a way to tell Phoenix how she felt. Now that she had, she wasn’t
sure what to do.

“Are
you okay?” Alex asked, coming to sit beside her, taking her hand.

“I
will be,” she said, conviction backing up her words.

Mia
met Ellen’s eyes, and she noticed the older woman was smiling. She’d heard what
Phoenix had said.

»»»»»♥«««««

PHOENIX
DIDN’T BOTHER going to his penthouse when he left Mia’s. He went straight to
Tarik’s, needing to find out what the man was up to. When he walked in, he
wasn’t surprised to find Tarik on the phone, speaking gruffly to whomever was
on the other end.

Pushing
his hands into his pockets, he stood in the living room, watching Tarik.

“This
is your chance to make things right,” Tarik said. The ruthless tone he used had
the hair on the back of Phoenix’s neck standing on end. “Technically, you owe
her, and I assure you, you’ll never be able to repay her for what she’s been
through. Never.”

Phoenix
watched as Tarik listened to whomever was on the other end. He turned and met
Phoenix’s eyes as he said, “Good. I’ll meet with you first thing Monday
morning.” Tarik paused for a moment. “Yes. Pierce Industries. I’ll have her
lawyer there.”

Tarik
disconnected the call.

“Who
was that?”

“Harrison
Abbott. Looks like the guy is up for a good deed.”

Phoenix
smirked. He knew that Harrison probably had had a little helping hand in coming
to that conclusion. Tarik could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be.

“So
what do we do now?” Phoenix asked, curious as to what Tarik had in mind.

“We
schedule a meeting with Landry and his lawyers for Monday afternoon. And then
we wait.”

MIA
HAD THOUGHT she would be nervous, had even wondered whether or not she was
going to be sick when she had considered the meeting she would be attending on
Monday afternoon.

The
meeting she was sitting in now.

Tarik
and Phoenix had driven her to Pierce Industries early that morning to meet with
Phil, the lawyer who was currently managing her side of the lawsuit that Damien
had instigated just last week. They had settled into a conference room, and
she’d answered a number of questions. Shortly thereafter, Phoenix and Tarik had
taken her to lunch, and now they had returned. Same conference room, only this
time, they were seated beside her. One on each side, and the three of them were
waiting for Damien and his legal team to arrive so they could discuss options.

No,
she wasn’t nervous, but her stomach was churning. It wasn’t from the
cheeseburger she’d scarfed down at lunch, either. This was from anger and hurt.
It had erupted in her belly as soon as she had returned to the room, realizing
that she would have to face Damien today.

A
knock on the door had Mia looking up. Phoenix took one of her hands in his
beneath the table while Tarik took the other, both reassuring her that things
were going to be fine. She had no reason not to believe them, and that was what
it all boiled down to. She trusted them.

A
little ironic that she had to face a man who had destroyed her trust with his
deceit only to find herself being consoled by the two men who’d proven to her
that not everyone was like Damien.

Three
men in suits came into the room, none of them saying a word as they took a
chair on the other side of the table. Damien followed behind them, his gaze
moving from one person to the next, a cocky smile forming on his lips.

“Are
we all here?” Damien asked as though he were the one directing the meeting.

“Take
a seat, Landry,” Phoenix commanded.

Damien
glared at Phoenix but took a chair between two of the suits across from her.
Mia made a point not to meet his gaze. She didn’t want to look at him.

“Well,
you called this meeting,” Damien said. “Might as well get down to business. I assume
you aren’t just wasting my time here.”

Phoenix’s
hand tightened on Mia’s, but he kept silent.

Phil
cleared his throat. “I want to start out by listing what Mr. Landry is
currently seeking with the multiple lawsuits, to ensure we are on the same page.
His original suit for five million in damages from Mr. Pierce has been amended
to the amount of ten million. Is this correct?”

“That’s
correct,” one of the suits across the table said.

“And
then there is the matter of the lawsuit against Mia Cantrell in the amount of
three million. The grounds are that Mia was awarded three million in her
divorce settlement for the three years she spent with Mr. Landry. According to
the lawsuit, Mia did not deserve this money due to the fact that she was
unfaithful during the marriage. Is this correct?”

“That’s
correct,” the same suit said.

Mia
continued to stare at the lawyers, refusing to look at Damien.

“It
has been advised that there was a legally binding contract signed by Sidney
Pierce and Damien Landry, executing the sale of the majority share of the
Austin Arrows franchise back in March of this year.”

“That
is correct,” Damien said firmly. “This is all information we already know. I’m
not sure the reason to rehash it here and now.”

“It’s
important to establish the authenticity of the document signed by Sidney
Pierce,” Phil continued as though Damien hadn’t spoken. “We are requesting a
copy of this to compare signatures against those on file. We’ve hired a third
party handwriting expert to handle this for us.”

Mia’s
gaze did slip to Damien’s, and the way his brow furrowed told her he wasn’t as
confident that his paper was going to hold up in court.

“I’m
not sure why this is necessary,” Damien said, although it lacked the heat it
should have, in her opinion. For a man who’d walked in there so self-assured,
he seemed to be retreating somewhat.

“It’s
justifiable,” one of the suits told Damien. “If they ask for it in court, the
judge will allow it, considering Sidney Pierce is deceased.”

“The
longer this takes, the more I’m going to ask for,” Damien said snidely.

“If
I may ask, what proof do you have that Ms. Cantrell was unfaithful during the
marriage?” Phil asked, the question directed at the lawyers.

“We
have people who are willing to state that they saw Ms. Cantrell with Phoenix
during the marriage.”

Phil
nodded, jotting something down on the paper. “And I assume they are willing to
testify in court, correct?”

“Yes,
that is correct.”

“Do
you have the names of these witnesses?” Phil asked.

“That’s
not important at this time,” one of the lawyers said.

Phil
had already informed Mia that they would say that. They did not have to
disclose them until it was necessary.

Phil
wrote something else on the paper.

As
was planned, Tarik lifted their clasped hands and rested them on the table,
effectively pulling Mia slightly closer to his side. Phoenix continued to hold
her hand beneath the table.

Damien’s
eyes instantly went to their joined hands, confusion marring his expression.
Mia fought the urge to smile.

Phil
addressed the lawyers directly. “As I mentioned on the phone earlier, I wanted
to inform you of the conclusion we’ve come to.”

Damien’s
gaze slid to Phil’s, his interest apparent.

“We
are in the process of filing a countersuit on behalf of Ms. Cantrell. She’s
countersuing Mr. Landry for an additional ten million dollars, which, according
to the prenup, she would’ve been awarded in the event that Mr. Landry was
unfaithful.” Phil paused as the door opened.

Damien
twisted in his seat as all eyes turned to the two newcomers. Harrison Abbott
and his ex-wife, Michelle, made their way into the room, both of them taking a
seat at the end of the table.

“What
the hell is this?” Damien grumbled.

“Thank
you for joining us. It’ll be just a minute,” Phil told Harrison and Michelle
before turning his attention back to Damien’s lawyers. “In addition to the ten
million, Ms. Cantrell is seeking three million in damages.”

“Under
what claim?” one of the lawyers asked, sternly meeting Phil’s stare.

“Defamation
of character. Mr. Landry accused Ms. Cantrell of being unfaithful during the
marriage, and we also have witnesses to back her claim. At the same time” —
Phil motioned to Harrison and Michelle — “we have witnesses who will testify in
a court of law that Mr. Landry was unfaithful when he had an affair with
Harrison Abbott’s wife.”

“
Ex
-wife,”
Harrison noted.

Mia
smiled to herself.

Phil
sorted the papers in front of him, pulling another page to the top. “As for Mr.
Pierce, we will also be filing a countersuit in the amount of five million
dollars for damages.”

“Five
million?” Damien snarled.

“I
didn’t want to be greedy,” Phoenix said roughly, a smirk drawing up the corners
of his mouth.

Mia
squeezed his hand beneath the table.

“Is
this what you really want?” Damien asked, his question directed at Phoenix.

“No,”
Phoenix said, sitting up and pulling Mia’s other hand, still clasped with his,
onto the table. “
She
is what I want, but if I recall correctly, you
informed me we could do this the easy way or the hard way. I’ve never taken the
easy way out of anything. I certainly don’t intend to start now.”

The
door opened, and in walked several more men wearing suits, along with Ellen
Pierce, Alex, and Johnathan, as well as Teresa Somerhaus’s father, Charles.
They eased into the room and came to stand behind them. Damien’s eyes roamed
from one face to another.

“Welcome
to the hard way,” Mia told him. “We didn’t feel the need to hold out. We’d like
to introduce you to our legal team. As well as the upstanding citizens who are
willing to testify on our behalf. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got some
things to take care of.”

“Did
I mention we’ll be asking for legal fees?” Phoenix added, glancing behind him
before meeting Damien’s bewildered gaze. “And
this
is going to cost
you.”

Mia
pushed her chair back and got to her feet, Phoenix and Tarik standing with her.
Mia didn’t bother looking at Damien as they walked out. The last thing she
heard was one of Damien’s lawyers asking if they could have a few minutes alone
with Phil.

»»»»»♥«««««

TARIK
FOLLOWED MIA and Phoenix out of the room. He only released her hand so that she
could move in front of him as they exited.

“You
did well,” Phoenix told Mia when they went into Phoenix’s office.

Tarik
closed the door, effectively shutting out everyone else who was now filing from
the conference room behind them. He knew some of them would want to talk, but
for now, he wanted a moment alone with her and Phoenix. They had agreed to wait
for Phil, knowing that he would finish up the meeting with the lawyers
regardless of the outcome, otherwise Tarik would’ve suggested they go back to
the condos.

“Do
you think he’s going to drop everything?” Mia asked as Phoenix led her over to
his desk.

Stepping
behind her, Tarik placed his hands on her shoulders and urged her to lean back
against him. He suddenly needed to feel her.

“I
don’t think he’s going to have a choice. Damien Landry is a bully. His first
mistake was thinking that I wouldn’t come back with something. Proof that he
doesn’t know me very well. Nor did he know my father.”

“Sidney
would’ve buried Damien in debt if he were alive,” Tarik informed Mia. “Not that
Landry hasn’t done a good job of that already.”

Phoenix
perched on the edge of his desk, holding one of Mia’s hands. “Now, I will say
that according to Phil, there is a good chance you could win a countersuit
against him for the ten million,” Phoenix informed her. “Even if he does drop
all of it, we can still go after that.”

“No,”
Mia said adamantly. “I just want him to go away. I didn’t want his money when I
asked for the divorce, and I don’t want it now. I want to move on with the rest
of my life.”

Tarik
really liked the sound of that. Although he wasn’t quite sure just what that
entailed, he had a few ideas.

A
knock sounded on the door, and before he could move, Phoenix called out that it
was unlocked.

Phil
stuck his head in the door. “Can I talk to you a minute?” he asked Phoenix.

“I’ll
be right back,” Phoenix told them both before following Phil out into the
hallway and once again closing the door.

Tarik
turned Mia in his arms and pulled her against him, resting his chin on the top
of her head.

“Thank
you,” she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face against his jacket.

“I’m
not sure what you’re thanking me for,” he said, pulling back and tilting her
head so he could meet her eyes.

“I
know you did this. I know you’re the one who called Harrison, and you’re the
one who convinced Phoenix to file a countersuit if Damien was going to keep
moving forward. So, thank you.”

“I
don’t need any thanks, Mia,” Tarik told her.

“I
know why you did it,” she said softly, her small hands coming up to cup his
cheeks. He leaned into her touch, his eyes locked with hers.

“Why’s
that?”

“Because
you love us.”

Tarik
shifted his gaze away from her, unsure what to say to that.

“Look
at me,” she said, her tone just as soft but much more commanding than before.
“You can pretend that’s not the case, but—”

“I’m
not pretending, Mia,” he told her sadly.

“Maybe
not, but I’m here to tell you that this” — her hand slid down to rest just over
his heart — “this feeling you get when the three of us are together, that’s
love.”

He
swallowed hard.

“You
might think it’s a foreign emotion, but it’s not. You feel it just the same as
we do. You didn’t grow up with someone showing you what it was to love someone
or even how to do it, but you figured it out on your own. You’re a good man, a
strong man. And you feel from
here
.” Mia patted his chest again. “You
might not understand it, but that’s love.”

“I…”
Tarik had no idea what to say to her.

“You
love me,” she said, a smile forming on her pretty pink lips. “That’s all there
is to it. You love me and you love Phoenix. You might as well admit it now,
because I won’t rest until you do.”

An
answering smile formed on his lips because he couldn’t help it. This woman, she
had found a spot inside him, and she’d burrowed there, filling him with that
unnamed emotion that, yes, might be love. She
and
Phoenix had made him
feel things he didn’t understand.