Bosses and Butterflies

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-ONE
Phoenix

"You know, a smile now and then wouldn't hurt," Miller smirks next to me as we stare at the roulette table in front of us.

I would smile if I had Callie next to me, but she's not, so I'm not smiling.

I haven't seen her all evening.

"Don't need to smile," I mumble.

Miller only chuckles, used to my anti-social behaviour. I anxiously twist the fabric bracelet on my wrist, my eyes wandering around occasionally to see if I can spot our girl.

A huff leaves my mouth when I still don't see her.

I'm about to lose my patience if she's not standing next to me in the next five minutes.

"Did you get that deal sorted with Killian?" I question and Miller nods his head.

"He said he'd call in the next week. He and his girl had to go home." I slowly nod my head and look down at the ground.

"Where is Callie?" I can't help but blurt out to my best friend. The concern about her whereabouts keeps growing and the longer she's not with me the crazier I'm gonna get — especially being in this place with all these sleazy men.

I soon see River and walk up to her with a determined look on my face.

"Before you ask, she's in the toilet with Everest because he decided to get so drunk that he's now throwing up." She gives me a tight-lipped smile before walking away.

I rush over to the toilet and swing the door open to hear the sound of a retching Everest — my face grimaces.

"Oh, thank God you're here!" Callie exclaims and my eyes widen when I see her standing over him rubbing his back as he throws up in the toilet.

"You're a fucking idiot, Everest. Do you know that?" I tell him, and he replies by throwing up in the toilet again. "C'mere," I say to Callie, but she shakes her head and stays by Everest's side.

"He won't stop throwing up, Phoenix, there's even blood. I-I thought it was just the alcohol, but I don't think it is." She whispers with watery eyes and my face falls a little at her words.

"Ev?" I move Callie out the way and grab hold of Everest's face to look at him. My eyes widen in shock at his pale skin and red-rimmed eyes. "The fuck did you take?!" I hiss at him and a whimper escapes his mouth before his head falls forward.

"He's taken something?" Callie questions with wide eyes and I nod my head.

"Go get Miller, baby." She nods her head and rushes out of the toilet. "You fucking idiot!"

"I'm sorry." He croaks and I shake my head and rest it back against the wall. "My mum, she just...... said some shit."

"She is a piece of shit, but you don't allow her to make you like this," I mumble. "You need to keep away from her."

"But she's my mum —"

"Who abandoned you and your siblings!" I whisper harshly. "She doesn't give a shit about you. She's a drug addict who will pick men and drugs over you and your brother and sister any day."

His face falls at my words and I mentally kick myself.

"I'm sorry —"

"You're right." He chuckles lightly. "Forget about it."

"You've got us, we're your family." He nods his head. "Think of Callie." His eyes brighten at the mention of her name.

"I'm such a fuck up." He closes his eyes and I nod my head.

"Please flush the toilet cause it stinks of shit in here," I whisper and step away from him.

Miller walks in with Callie right behind him, a look of concern on both of their faces.

"Nix, take Callie home, I'm going to take Ev to see Landon," Miller instructs and I instantly make my way over to my Callie who is silently crying as she looks at the state that Everest is in.

"He's going to be okay." I grab hold of her face and whisper gently, wiping her tears away with the pad of my thumbs.

"You promise?" She whispers and I nod my head smiling at her.

Only for her.

Only for my girl.

The car ride home is silent, and I know her head is going a hundred miles an hour as she thinks about Everest. Even when we get home she goes straight to her room causing my heart to drop.

I decide to make us both coffees before making my way to her room. I lightly knock on the door and slowly walk in.

She smiles gently and stands up from her bed and walks over to me, taking one of the mugs from my hands.

"We haven't had a coffee date for ages." She laughs lightly, and I nod my head, mesmerised by her beauty.

I actually hate coffee.

Our Monday coffee days were just an excuse for me to spend time with her, just being in her presence made me feel calm. She might not know it, but she helps a lot with my anxiety, she is my happy place and I don't know what I'd do without her in my life.

My eyes follow her as she places the cup down on the bedside table before climbing back on her bed and patting the spare side next to her. I quickly place my cup next to hers and take my shoes and suit jacket off before laying next to her.

"Is his mother the reason he was like that tonight?" She whispers looking up at me and I bite on my bottom lip and give her a short nod. "I hate her so much for what she's done to him. She took his whole childhood from him, and she can't see that all he wants is his mother." She sniffles, and I wrap my arms around her and pull her on top of me, placing a small kiss on the top of her head.

"I know, princess," I whisper and rub her back as she cries for Everest.

My heart cracks at the sight of her in so much distress.

"Hey, he's going to be okay. You know he wouldn't be pleased with you crying." I wipe her tears again, and she sniffles and buries her face in the crook of my neck.

My skin warms at the close intimacy between the both of us.

After a couple of minutes, she stops crying. "You good?"

"Mmm." She mumbles tiredly and I chuckle lightly. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it's okay to cry, you know," I reassure her, and she tightens her arms around me.

"I say that to you all the time, Nix, and you tell me no." She pulls back a little and looks down at me with raised eyebrows — I shrug my shoulders.

"Well, I don't need to cry," I tell her, and she decides to drop the subject and begins to pepper kisses all over my face.

A moan escapes my lips when she begins to place kisses against my neck.

Fuck I love this woman so much.

•••

I stare at a duffel bag of money on the table in front of me.

Money which is covered in blood.

"What the fuck is this?!" I hiss and zip the bag back up.

"Boss, I think you want to open that bag back up." Luca points and I furrow my eyebrows and open the bag back up and dig through the money.

"What is this?" I question as I stare at the pictures of some employees at our company. Including Callie's friend, Poppy.

There are pictures of the whole family, people that are important to all of us.

But my anger rises when I see my girl and that doesn't sit well with me at all.

"There's a hit on the entire company. Someone wants to go to war with you all, Phoenix."

A/N
Oopp 💙