Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Phoenix stopped outside the gates of the high school before climbing off his motorcycle. The school boasted three floors, a basement, and a rooftop garden. Though it seemed innocuous enough, he knew this place was a special kind of hell for teenagers from every walk of life. Sometimes he felt like he was better off not knowing what it would be like to exist outside of his little bubble of friends, but he knew his mother and father had his and the teams best interests at heart. They wanted him to experience being a typical teen, even if he didn’t think he needed it. Normal was for people who didn't learn how to use a gun at ten. It was for people who lived in pretty little houses and high-rise apartments that didn't have lock-down blinds over the windows as a precaution. It was for people who could go through their lives without watching their backs for an assassin waiting to end them in a heartbeat. He was the heir to a mafia whose name alone caused grown men in leather to piss themselves, but it wasn’t as if he was bothered by it. Walking his Ninja to the space next to his best friend's Jeep, he groaned. The red-haired girl he'd been best friends with since childhood got out of the vehicle. He watched as she made sure she had everything she would need for the day before shutting the door. From the passenger seat, another girl slipped out and stretched her limbs. "Look who finally decided to show up, Kenni," the brunette said with a grin. Rolling her eyes, Kennedy turned to the blond teen and sighed. "I can't believe Ambrosia's making us do this. To drag our butts up out of our nice, cozy beds, and go to this prison of a place should be a crime in itself." "They want us to have the typical teen experience, including going to a freaking public high school." He replied. The brunette grimaced. "Dad just wanted us to stick together, but he's worried that I'm going to get hit on here." "Uncle Russ not enough for you, Sky," he asked. She flipped him off, "Russell is the only one I want, so the punky little horn-dogs around here better stay out of my way. Do they really have metal detectors at the front doors? What if my purse sets them off or something? I don't want these people bullying my little brother either." "Sky, chill," Memphis walked over from where he'd parked his Kawasaki. Two more joined him from the Mercedes parked next to Kennedy's Outlander. Shrugging out of his jacket, one of the other boys looked over at their leader. "We're in this together, remember? Morning, Phoenix, is walking around with your fly down the new trend?" Phoenix breathed deeply, "Today is not your day, and tomorrow ain't looking that great for you, Memphis. What do your schedules look like?" After comparing their paperwork, they knew that Markus and Lukas’ father had a hand in making sure each teen had at least one other team member in every class. Feeling relieved that he would be able to rely on his friends no matter what, Phoenix relaxed a little more. Memphis groaned as a few girls walked by in clothes that left little to the imagination. "Can the girls here at least leave something to the creativity of the mind's eye. I can see pretty much every asset. I mean, don’t public schools have a dress code for students?” “Normally, yes,” Markus replied dully. “Honestly, they look like they just walked out of Whores R’ Us.” “I wonder what the going rate is,” his brother muttered, continuing the joke. One of the girls stopped, turning to step up to him and raised her hand. Sky grabbed her by the wrist, a demonic grin twisted her lips. "If you want to keep those nails on your pretty little hands, don't ever do that again. Otherwise, I’d be happy to tear them off one by one for you." Wrenching her arm from the Skylar’s grasp, the blond said, "Don’t interfere! I’ll tell the Principal about you and your threats! Besides, calling me and my friends whores? How audacious!” "He's got six witnesses to your three," Kennedy scoffed. "Who's the Principal going to believe in this equation?" Stumbling back, the unknown girl was left gaping as laughter rippled through the group as they made their way inside. Walking in through the main doors, they spotted Declan Reyes standing next to the secretary’s desk. He watched as they walked through the doors of the school like they owned the place. Their strides were purposeful and light, while their eyes searched methodically for threats while they laughed and joked like regular teens. No one would ever know what the seven teens were up to just by glancing at them. Every one of them, save for their two youngest members, gave off a don't-mess-with-me vibe. They were all things they'd learned from him while in training. Things they'd been raised to do since they were old enough to hold a weapon. His nephew looked up, catching his uncle's dark blue gaze. "Good morning, Sir. We’re all here." Nodding, Declan handed Phoenix a small black book. "This is for you to keep track of anything you might notice here. Mark it down, then give the book back at the end of each week. Follow the rules, and don't start any s**t here. Especially you, Kennedy." "Tell the brats here to keep their sights off my friends, and I won't have a reason to lose my shit." The red-headed girl snapped. "C'mon, guys," Phoenix said as he slid the book into his backpack. " Mom and Dad don't want us in any kind of trouble that might put me on a targeting radar." Waiting until he no longer saw them, Declan reached down for his briefcase and followed them down the hall to his new Level Three English class. Like always, he was there to both work, and to protect his nephew. As he walked into the class, the first thing he noticed was that Kennedy was already into another fight. He took a deep breath and placed his case on the desk. Holding his fingers to his mouth, he let out a shrill whistle. Most of the students covered their ears as confusion took over the classroom. Kennedy dropped the male student she was threatening and turned, ready to face the next threat. He fought a smirk at the way her bright blue eyes narrowed, scanning the room. He smirked, seeing her training in action. "Sit down, pay attention, and do not speak while I’m teaching," he said, arriving at his desk. He leaned against it. "Those are my class rules, and I expect them to be followed. You do the work that's handed out, or you get a zero." A student scoffed at him, "Dude's a drill sergeant." "Raise your hand to speak. Otherwise, I will not acknowledge you. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. Flirting will not get you better marks, but it will get you a free pass to the office. I expect a modicum of self-control from each and every one of you. This is grade twelve, not daycare, so don't expect me to sugar-coat anything." Declan said as he walked the rows of desks. "Hands and feet are to be kept to yourselves," he continued. "This is English 3201, not Phys. Ed. You are solely responsible for how well you do in my class. You put in the work, you get the grade you deserve." Walking up to the whiteboard, he grabbed a marker and wrote his name in big black letters. "My name is Declan Reyes. Sir or Mr. Reyes is how you will address me, am I clear?" Someone knocked on the doorframe. "I don't think any of the other teachers made anything so clear." "Principal Greene, I was just laying the foundation of the rest of their year. I don't believe in sugar-coating anything because they should be able to understand and follow simple commands at this age." Declan said stoically. "If I'm up-front about my expectations, then they can't complain that I didn't give a fair warning." The woman grinned seductively at him. "In any case, it's good to have you here, Mr. Reyes. I hope to see more of you." "My no flirting rule is for the staff as well. I'm a married man, and not the cheating type," he scowled. The tell-tale sound of Kennedy snickering from the third row, nearly made him laugh. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a class to teach, and only so many minutes to teach them in." Her face red from embarrassment, the woman all but ran from the room. When she was gone, Declan turned to Kennedy, "You nearly made me laugh. So now we're going to play the Introduction Game. Each of you will stand and tell the class a little about yourself. You get sixty seconds to give basic info about yourself, so don’t waste it. Ms. Rubin, since you were the one snickering, why don't you start us off, then we will go alphabetically." "Are you serious, Declan?" Kennedy's jaw dropped. He held up one finger, letting her know that his three-strike rule was in effect. "I'm sorry, Mr. Reyes. I overstepped," she rose to her feet to walk to the front. "My name is Kennedy Rubin, but my friends call me Ken or Kenni. Mr. Reyes is my brother-in-law, and no, he's not kidding when he was talking about his rules. Just to make sure we all know what we’re dealing with, he also has a three-strike rule. If you break three rules, you're kicked out of class." He nodded, satisfied that she'd caught onto the fact that she was no different than the others around her. "Thank you, Ms. Rubin, for reminding me of that one. I had forgotten about it." As Kennedy sat back down, she caught Sky’s pointed glare toward Declan and stifled a laugh.