Phoenix, p.1
Phoenix, page 1
PHOENIX
GEMS OF WOLFE ISLAND SIX
WOLFES OF MANHATTAN ELEVEN
HELEN HARDT
CONTENTS
Phoenix
Dedication
Also By Helen Hardt
Praise For Helen Hardt
Warning
Prologue
1. Kelly
2. Leif
3. Kelly
4. Leif
5. Kelly
6. Leif
7. Kelly
8. Leif
9. Kelly
10. Leif
11. Kelly
12. Leif
13. Kelly
14. Leif
15. Kelly
16. Leif
17. Kelly
18. Leif
19. Kelly
20. Leif
21. Kelly
22. Leif
23. Kelly
24. Leif
25. Kelly
26. Leif
27. Kelly
28. Leif
29. Kelly
30. Leif
31. Kelly
32. Leif
33. Kelly
34. Leif
35. Kelly
36. Leif
37. Kelly
38. Leif
39. Kelly
40. Leif
41. Kelly
42. Leif
43. Kelly
Epilogue
Savage Sin Teaser
Bonus Content
A Note From Helen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
PHOENIX
GEMS OF WOLFE ISLAND SIX
Helen Hardt
This book is an original publication of Helen Hardt
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work that have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized by, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Copyright © 2023 Helen Hardt, LLC dba Hardt & Sons
Cover Design: The Killion Group, Inc.
Edited by Eric J. McConnell
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952841-22-4
For Eric, my editor and son!
ALSO BY HELEN HARDT
Follow Me Series:
Follow Me Darkly
Follow Me Under
Follow Me Always
Darkly
Wolfes of Manhattan
Rebel
Recluse
Runaway
Rake
Reckoning
Billionaire Island (Wolfes continuation)
Escape
Gems of Wolfe Island (Wolfes continuation)
Moonstone
Raven
Garnet
Buck
Opal
Phoenix
Steel Brothers Saga:
Trilogy One—Talon and Jade
Craving
Obsession
Possession
Trilogy Two—Jonah and Melanie
Melt
Burn
Surrender
Trilogy Three—Ryan and Ruby
Shattered
Twisted
Unraveled
Trilogy Four—Bryce and Marjorie
Breathless
Ravenous
Insatiable
Trilogy Five—Brad and Daphne
Fate
Legacy
Descent
Trilogy Six—Dale and Ashley
Awakened
Cherished
Freed
Trilogy Seven—Donny and Callie
Spark
Flame
Blaze
Trilogy Eight—Brock and Rory
Smolder
Flare
Scorch
Trilogy Nine—Brendan and Ava
Chance
Blood Bond Saga:
Unchained
Unhinged
Undaunted
Unmasked
Undefeated
Sex and the Season:
Lily and the Duke
Rose in Bloom
Lady Alexandra’s Lover
Sophie’s Voice
Temptation Saga:
Tempting Dusty
Teasing Annie
Taking Catie
Taming Angelina
Treasuring Amber
Trusting Sydney
Tantalizing Maria
HH Vintage
Reunited
Loving the Dragon
Blood Wolfe
Misadventures:
Misadventures of a Good Wife (with Meredith Wild)
Misadventures with a Rockstar
The Cougar Chronicles:
The Cowboy and the Cougar
Calendar Boy
Daughters of the Prairie:
The Outlaw’s Angel
Lessons of the Heart
Song of the Raven
Collections:
Destination Desire
Her Two Lovers
Non-Fiction:
got style?
Cooking with Hardt & Soul
PRAISE FOR HELEN HARDT
WOLFES OF MANHATTAN
“It's hot, it's intense, and the plot starts off thick and had me completely spellbound from page one.”
~The Sassy Nerd Blog
“Helen Hardt…is a master at her craft.”
~K. Ogburn, Amazon
“Move over Steel brothers… Rock is everything!”
~Barbara Conklin-Jaros, Amazon
“Helen has done it again. She winds you up and weaves a web of intrigue.”
~Vicki Smith, Amazon
FOLLOW ME SERIES
“Hardt spins erotic gold...”
~Publishers Weekly
“22 Best Erotic Novels to Read”
~Marie Claire Magazine
“Intensely erotic and wildly emotional...”
~New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones
“With an edgy, enigmatic hero and loads of sexual tension, Helen Hardt's fast-paced Follow Me Darkly had me turning pages late into the night!”
~New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner
“Christian, Gideon, and now...Braden Black.”
~Books, Wine, and Besties
“A tour de force where the reader will be pulled in as if they're being seduced by Braden Black, taken for a wild ride, and left wanting more.”
~USA Today Bestselling Author Julie Morgan
“Hot. Sexy. Intriguing. Page-Turner. Helen Hardt checks all the boxes with Follow Me Darkly!”
~International Bestselling Author Victoria Blue
STEEL BROTHERS SAGA
“Craving is the jaw-dropping book you need to read!”
~New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones
"Completely raw and addictive."
~#1 New York Times bestselling author Meredith Wild
“Talon has hit my top five list…up there next to Jamie Fraser and Gideon Cross.”
~USA Today bestselling author Angel Payne
“Talon and Jade’s instant chemistry heats up the pages...”
~RT Book Reviews
“Sorry Christian and Gideon, there’s a new heartthrob for you to contend with. Meet Talon. Talon Steel.”
~Booktopia
“Such a beautiful torment—the waiting, the anticipation, the relief that only comes briefly before more questions arise, and the wait begins again… Check. Mate. Ms. Hardt…”
~Bare Naked Words
“Made my heart stop in my chest. Helen has given us such a heartbreakingly beautiful series.”
~Tina, Bookalicious Babes
BLOOD BOND SAGA
“An enthralling and rousing vampire tale that will leave readers waiting for the sequel.”
~Kirkus Reviews
"Dangerous and sexy. A new favorite!"
~New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day
“A dark, intoxicating tale.”
~Library Journal
“Helen dives into the paranormal world of vampires and makes it her own.”
~Tina, Bookalicious Babes
“Throw out everything you know about vampires—except for that blood thirst we all love and lust after in these stunning heroes—and expect to be swept up in a sensual story that twists and turns in so many wonderfully jaw-dropping ways.”
~Angel Payne, USA Today bestselling author
WARNING
The Gems of Wolfe Island series contains adult language and scenes, including flashbacks of physical and sexual abuse. Please take note.
PROLOGUE
LEIF
Kelly stares down at her lap, her hands clasped together. Is she thinking? Is she getting ready to strike?
I don’t think she’s getting ready to strike because she doesn’t think before doing that. If she were going to strike again, she would ve already done so.
Then the ding of a text.
Kelly reaches for her small purse and pulls out her cell phone.
Then she gasps.
“What is it?”
“Another one.” She hands the phone to me.
You will get what you deserve, you traitorous bitch.
“You’re truly off the hook now, Brindley,” Leif says.
“Oh my God, is it another one of those texts?” Brindley asks.
I nod, and Kelly stays quiet.
“I’m sorry you got this,” I say. “But I swear to God I will protect you. And now… Do you believe that it’s not Brindley?”
“Why should I? She could have someone sending them for her.”
I sigh. “Kelly… Please.”
Finally, she looks up at me, her gorgeous eyes laced with sadness. “Who’s doing this to me, Leif? Who? And why?”
“I don’t know, baby. But I swear to God we will find out.” I turn back to Brindley. “I’m sorry we bothered you.”
“It was no bother. I’m happy to have any kind of chance to prove my innocence. I guess it doesn’t matter now. Whoever texted Kelly proved it for me.”
“Kelly?” I say.
She looks to Brindley. “It’s not you, is it?”
“No, it’s not. It never was.”
I don’t expect Kelly to apologize to Brindley, so I rise and offer her my hand. “You want to go home?”
“Yeah.” She stands as well, and then she turns to Brindley. “I… I’m sorry.”
Brindley drops her jaw.
And I keep from dropping mine.
“I’m just glad my name has been cleared,” Brindley says. “I do hope you find out who’s doing this to you, Kelly. You don’t deserve it. None of us deserves any more pain for the rest of our lives.”
Kelly simply nods, and then she walks toward the door. I follow her.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Brindley.”
“Any time. Both of you are always welcome here. I get kind of lonely.”
“Will you be returning to your family soon?” I ask.
“Sadly, I don’t have a family,” Brindley says. “I grew up in the foster system. I got kicked out of that when I was eighteen, so with no place to go, I ended up on the streets. In a bizarre way, the island saved me. At least I got enough to eat every day.”
Kelly drops her jaw. “I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t ask me.”
“You’ve never talked about it in group therapy,” Kelly says.
“You’ve never talked about your childhood in group therapy either.”
Kelly closes her mouth then.
“I’m sorry to hear about that,” I say to Brindley. “If you need anything, I’m in the apartment next to Kelly’s.”
“That’s kind of you, but the Wolfe family has made sure I have everything I need. And Macy is a wonderful therapist. To be honest, this is the best home I’ve ever had. I’m not in any hurry to leave it. Good night.”
She closes the door, leaving Kelly and me in the hall.
“I didn’t know,” Kelly says.
“I know you didn’t. Everyone has a story. Everyone is so much more than what they seem on the surface. You are way more than what you seem on the surface, Kelly. Deep down inside you are an amazing person, and I hope one day you see that.”
Her lips tremble. “Why are you so nice to me?”
I open my mouth, but she interrupts me.
“It’s your job, isn’t it?”
“My job is to protect you, baby. Nothing in the job description says I need to be nice to do that.”
That actually gets a smile out of her.
But then she looks at her phone, and the sadness returns.
“I don’t understand,” she says. “Who could be doing this?”
The elevator dings then, and we get on and go down to the fourth floor.
Kelly’s phone dings again.
Her lips tremble. “I’m almost afraid to look.”
I take the phone from her.
And I widen my eyes as my heart nearly beats right out of my chest.
“What?” Kelly demands. “What is it?”
I love you.
The words don’t come out, but I feel them more than ever…along with a raw instinct to protect her. And to take out whoever’s threatening her.
Because this last text?
Whoever sent it means business.
1
KELLY
“It’s nothing,” Leif says. “Just some spam.”
I hold out my hand. “Give me the phone.”
He taps on it a few times and then hands it back to me. The last text is the one I’ve already seen.
You will get what you deserve, you traitorous bitch.
Anger crawls up the back of my neck. “You fucking erased it!”
Brindley opens the door again. “Everything all right out here?”
“Yes. Fine.” Leif walks back into Brindley’s apartment. “I’m sorry about this, Brindley.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe you erased my text.”
“No,” Leif says calmly. “I forwarded it to my phone, and then I deleted it from yours.”
“The message was for me,” I grit out.
“Kelly…”
“What did it say, Leif? Give me your damned phone.”
Brindley’s eyes are wide, and her lips tremble slightly. “What did it say?” she asks softly.
“That’s none of your fucking business, is it?” I whip my hands to my hips. “You’re not sending these texts after all, so none of this has anything to do with you.”
Leif sighs. “Come on, Kelly. There’s no reason to treat her that way.”
Leif is right, of course. I hate it when Leif is right. Because right now I’m angry, and I’m not angry with Brindley. I’m angry with Leif. And with myself. No matter how hard I try, I end up regressing to my old ways. I strike out. I lash out. I spew nasty words. Nasty words that I want to take back.
And then I’m forced to apologize, and apologizing is so difficult for me.
But an apology isn’t what’s first on my mind. It’s the text—the text Leif won’t let me see.
“Why?” I demand. “Why did you delete it?”
“You know why, Kelly.”
“No, I really don’t.”
“To protect you.”
“Right.” I scoff. “Because protecting me is your job.”
Brindley’s gaze darts from me, to Leif, to me again. Her eyes are wide, her lips still trembling. She’s frightened. Brindley is frightened for me.
As I regard her, I wonder how I ever could have thought she was behind this. She’s so young. I’d say naïve, except that anyone who spent any time on that island knows way too much about the world to be considered naïve.
