Trial By Fire - Bouncing Back, Book 1

Eleven

Memphis rolled over on his bed, his mind blank as he glared at the books littering the floor of his bedroom. Like Lukas, he had the skill known as Perfect Recall, meaning he could recite anything he read or heard with flawless clarity.

After Kennedy took care of the b***h that assaulted him, he was sure he’d lost her. Then, she was called into a meeting at the Den. When he tried to call her later that day, he found out her phone was off. Nearly four whole days had passed since then, and his mind was a whirlwind of possibilities – none of them good.

There was a knock on the door, and his father walked in, noticing the room was messy. This time it was books, writing equipment, and photocopied practice tests scattered everywhere instead of clothes and nicknacks. “Did a tornado hit?”

“No, I was looking for a sheet of terms, and the stack fell over. What’s going on with Ken? I haven’t heard from her in a while,” Memphis said as he sat up. Leaning over, he picked up the books and stacked them neatly on his desk.

Frowning, Thomas tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t heard from her since the day she offed Ana. Do you know what’s going on?” He asked again.

His father shook his head. “Memphis, she’s not avoiding you. She had to go to the club for a few days to do an overhaul with her uncle. Callum didn’t give her a chance to do much else after he got her to sign the contract. She likely turned off her phone to avoid distractions.”

The teen shoved his father to the side and bolted from the room when he heard the doorbell echo through the house. Nearly falling over the stairs to get to the porch, he threw open the door only to come face-to-face with his girlfriend.

“Hey,” he breathed.

“Hi,” she replied. Eyeing him cautiously, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Four days,” he said. He watched her eyes go wide as she realized what he was talking about. Scratching the back of her head, she blushed. Snickering, he said, “Careful, your hair is getting jealous.”

Taking a breath, she smiled, “Can I come in? I’ll explain everything, I swear.”

Stepping aside, Memphis turned to see his father’s angry glare. The man’s gaze settled on Kennedy, and he grinned. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” she answered.

Stepping into the house, she felt the atmosphere change from chilled to warm. As she followed them into the bowels of their two-story house, she smiled as she watched them move around. Unlike how he was with her, Memphis was jerkier in his movements around his father. It was as if the fear of making a mistake held him back from his carefree ways.

Thomas looked at her, taking in the way she was watching his son. He saw the little smile lift the edges of her mouth, and the sparkle in the pale blue depths when his son would turn to glance at her. Though they appeared to hate each other in training, it was obvious to him now that they really cared for one another. He indicated the table, telling her to take a seat.

“Thanks, it’s been a heck of a few days for me,” she said. “I had to go to the clubhouse to settle some accounts, and the leader of the Horsemen showed up. He had his people shoot up the house, so I called in a Mafia favour and replaced the windows, doors, and locks. That’s why you didn’t see me for a few days. On top of that, I’m waiting to see if Luke and Jax can save my phone.”

“Not again,” Memphis breathed. “Let me guess, the kids ganged up on Auntie Kenni and one of them stole the phone to hide it?”

She laughed, “Bingo. I found it two hours later in the mop bucket. The only kid that went into hiding was Everett, so I knew who did it. I can’t even get mad because they’re just kids. No one got hurt, and tech is replaceable. They are not.”

“You got the patience of a saint dealing with the littles, but not with adults?” Thomas asked as he barked a laugh. “You eat yet, honey?”

“Yeah, breakfast. It’s almost five, so I’ll take what you’re offering,” Kennedy answered. She stretched, taking off her jacket as she sat down at the table. Nervously glancing around, she licked her lips. “Um, Thomas, would you mind if I cooked? I need something to keep my mind off the raid my crew is planning. Yes, before you ask, Callum knows.”

“I want in,” Memphis said, sliding into the chair beside her. “We work well together.”

Scoffing, she c****d a brow at him. “The other’s said the same thing. Yes, you’re in. I need you guys at my back, and Nix already said he’d beat my ass for going alone.”

Thomas smirked, watching them closely. “Kenni, if you want to help me cook spaghetti, you can. Just so you know, my son can’t cook anything past basic soup and sandwich stuff. You’ll watch his back, right?”

“Of course, I will,” She told him. Getting to the stove, she took over the pasta while he worked on the sauce. Laughing, she shook her head. “You know, I really could get used to this.”

“Oh? Are you planning to be here more often?” Thomas asked.

Memphis laughed, his previously dreary mood vaporizing into nothing as he enjoyed the way his girlfriend and father were getting along. It shocked him, but it seemed that the relationship between his stickler dad and Kennedy had gotten better since he started physio with her. He hadn’t said it in so many words, but Memphis understood what he meant.

He leaned back in his chair, his honey-coloured eyes dancing with glee as he watched his father get on Kennedy’s bad side. So far, their arguments were minor and non-violent.

“What the hell? Give me back the salt!” Thomas growled.

Scoffing, Kennedy danced out of his reach. “Pry it from my cold dead hands. Too much of this s**t is going to kill you, Tommy.”

Oh crap.

“Ken…”

His father snarled, now completely pissed off. “You little brat! This is my house, and, while you’re here, you will go by my rules. Now, give me that damn shaker!”

“Oh, I see. You don’t like the name? Okay, then let’s make a deal,” she replied. “You lay off so much salt, and I won’t call you Tommy. You’re all Memphis got, so think smartly about your own health as well as everyone else’s. What’s that you’re always drilling into our heads? Look out for number one?”

Thomas paled as her words sank in past his anger. Pulling out a chair, he dropped down and sighed as he rubbed his forehead. “Fine. You win, Kennedy. In fact, why don’t you take over cooking when you’re here to avoid further arguments? Seems like you enjoy cooking healthy foods.”

Memphis laughed, shaking his head at his father. “You know, when she really wants to make a point, and someone is being a d**k or a hypocrite about the topic, she tends to pull her genius out. No one ever expects a girl with a foul mouth to be super smart, so the backlash hits them right where it hurts. Yet another reason I love her: I don’t have to fight her battles. I just need to make sure I’m there if she needs me.”

“You’ve seen what happens to people who disrespect me, Mem. I’m not a damsel. I’m a Boss that takes care of business.” Kennedy laughed.

Taking the suggestion Thomas gave her seriously, she dug through the cupboards and fridge. Grabbing a few more ingredients, she felt it when Memphis moved up to her side. Wordlessly handing him the knife, she stirred the sauce while he chopped the vegetables she was adding.

Watching them, Thomas shook his head. He’d never noticed it before, but they moved in sync without even trying. A small smile graced his lips as he saw how they used their height difference to their advantage as Memphis grabbed the pot of noodles to strain them.

“I’ll dish this up while you finish the sauce,” Memphis said softly. “It smells great, by the way.”

Kennedy flushed, “Uh, thanks. My sister taught me.”

Turning off the stove, she moved into place behind Memphis and dished the sauce over the noodles. Grabbing the plates as she finished, her boyfriend put them on the table while she grabbed the silverware. Shaking his head, Thomas got up to grab a few cans of soda and the shredded Parmesan from the pantry.

Digging into the food once it was stirred, his eyes went wide. It was a far cry from gourmet, but it was definitely better than his cooking. Chewing slowly, he clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Ken, I’ve had my doubts, but damn, girl. Memphis, a woman that can cook, clean, train, defend herself, and not be bothered by a broken nail is a keeper. Anyway, can I get the recipe off of you?”

“Sure,” the young woman replied. “I’ll write it down before I leave. So, Memphis, how was that Science test you had last week?”

“Thanks to you, I aced it. I was wondering if you had your English paper done?” He hinted as he enjoyed the food.

Thomas scowled, “Don’t even think about using your dyslexia as an excuse to slack off.”

“Hey, Thomas, assuming makes an ass out of you,” Kennedy commented. “I've got the next three months worth of assignments done already. I just have to hand them in. You wanna study here or my place?”

“Here,” Memphis answered, smirking at his father’s pouting face. “And I wasn’t going to, Dad. I was confirming that she would have time to help me study, nothing else.”