We walk into an empty restaurant. A man is standing behind the bar leaning over paperwork. When he sees us he straightens. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”
“Yeah, I’d like to speak to Phoenix.” I try to sound a lot more confident than I feel.
“Who should I say is asking for him?”
“Tell him it’s Sophie's man.”
He nods and goes into the back.
“Jesus, this is straight out of a mafia movie. If the guy comes out wearing a trilby carrying a Tommy gun, I'm making a run for it.” Billy mutters.
I smirk. He’s not wrong - itdoesfeel like that.
The man himself comes waltzing through the doors. This guy thinks he’s untouchable - the way he walks, the way he enters the room. He believes he owns everyone and everything in it.
“So, you’re Sophie's man? It was dark in the alley although it was hard to miss that you put on quite a performance,” he says, looking straight to me - he’s over six foot but I'm 6.5, so he has to look up to me slightly - but that doesn't seem to bother him.
“You don't want to fucking go there.” Who the hell does he think he is?
“Oh, don't I?” he quirks an eyebrow.
“You took her against her will.”
“Yeah, I did. I needed her father to pay attention - now he’s paying attention.”
“I don't think you understand - you do not talk to Sophie, you do not look at her - in fact, you need to forget that she exists.” I lean into him. “Do you understand?”
He smirks. I want to wipe the smirk off his face.
“I don't take orders from anyone, especially not you. Besides, after seeing her again up close and personal and finding out she’s the kind of girl that likes to fuck in alleys, well, I think I might be interested in her for more than her dad.”
I see red. I don't have a temper - or didn't think I had a temper - until now.
I wrap my fingers around his neck and push him backwards until I have him pinned against the wall. I hear the guy behind the bar shout for someone, and I feel my men at my back. “You stay the fuck away from her. If you don't, you’ll be sorry.”
“You think I'm scared of you?” he grinds out, even though it comes out strangled.
“Don't give a fuck if you are or not. You don’t do what I’m telling you to do, and you will regret it. I’m not asking you to wipe the debt. He owes you, and that’s fair enough. But he is re-mortgaging his fucking house to pay you back, so you will wait and take the payment - take whatever fucking interest you want I don't care - he got himself into this mess -but you will not talk to Sophie ever again.”
We are both silent, staring at each other - daring one another to look away first.
I release him, and he slides down the wall. He straightens himself off and has the nerve to smile.
“She must be quite a woman.” He mutters.
“You don't get to talk about her.”
“Fine. The truth is, I know I'm going to get the money now and threatening her isn't going to get it any faster. There is only so much he can do to find the money.”
I nod. “So, we have a deal? You’ll wait and get the money from her dad.”
He nods but narrows his eyes. “Yeah, I will, but we need to get something straight. You do not get away with coming into my place and threatening me. You will NEVER come in here again. I will never hear your name again. Do you understand?”
“I have no problem at all staying out of your life - just know that Soph has no control over what her father does.”
I turn around and nod to the rest of the guys and walk out with them behind me.
As I get in the driver seat of the car, I realise my hands are shaking. I’ve never done anything like that. I didn't know I had it in me.
