Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Six

Suddenly, a scream slashed through the silence of the evening, forcing Phoenix to break from his best friend. Following the sound, he ran to a space that appeared to be a living room, and was just in time to see Craig Dawson trying to pin a girl to the floor. She was fighting back, kicking and screaming in a desperate attempt to save herself.

Thinking that he would never stand for this behaviour were happening to his female friends and family, Phoenix pulled his weapon, keeping the safety on for now. Losing what little control he had left, Phoenix handed his gun to Kennedy before rolling back his sleeves. Grabbing Craig as soon as he was distracted, Phoenix pulled him a safe distance away. The sound of muffled cries filled the air as he let punch after punch fly into the other guy’s face.

Kennedy, who had come back to the room after checking the remaining room, caught his wrist mid-movement. She whispered softly, calling on his more gentle side to calm him down as she pulled her best friend away from the other teen.

Phoenix pulled back; his knuckles dyed red with blood. He dropped Craig to the floor, taking several deep, shuddering breaths to calm himself. Tapping the link in his ear twice to get the attention of the others, he said, "Jax, I need you to call in for a clean-up. Lukas, call me an ambulance, please. We have an innocent civ in here."

"On it," Jaxon replied.

Lukas snorted, “Damn, they were moving up? I’ll get that done now, Boss.”

Turning his head to the girl that was now huddled in a corner, Phoenix watched the tears silently fall from her eyes. His gaze roamed her shivering body, taking in her slightly torn clothing. She was shaking, horrified by what had happened. As his gaze travelled, he could see dark bruises already forming on her tender, pale skin. Walking over, he gently tilted her head up.

She tried in vain to pull herself from his iron-clad hold, but she was trapped in the corner. “No, please…”

“Hey, no. Listen, he can't hurt you anymore,” he said softly. He cupped the side of her face, ghosting his thumb across her cheek by her lips. His pained expression caught her off guard as she gasped at the light caress. Keeping his voice gentle, he said, "Can you tell me your name."

"Um, An-Andromeda," she stammered out. Fear gripped her tightly.

“Are you badly hurt anywhere? Is there someone I can call for you?” He pressed, hoping she would respond.

“Che cosa?” Her eyes wandered over him, and she couldn’t help thinking he was a feast for the eyes compared to the other boy. Her heart fluttered as she swallowed tightly.

Strawberry blond hair framed an angelically heart-shaped face in a mass of wavy curls that accented his deeply tan skin handsomely. He seemed safe to be around, but, after what happened that night, could she really trust her own judgement?

The red-head crouched in front of her, "Yo, can you talk? Did Assholio do anything more than put some bruises on you?"

Andromeda's eyes reflected her emotions as she answered, "Yes, I speak. No, he had just started when you both arrived. Grazie. Grazie mille."

"You’re Italian? Interesting," Kennedy mused. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "So, what was a girl like you doing in a s**t-hole like this with a creep like that?"

Shaking from both the chill of the Fall evening and her fear, Andromeda stared at the red-head in awe and amusement. The other girl was brazen with her words, and she wasn't scared at all when the guy she called Phoenix had just literally beaten another person into a bloody mess.

A sudden realization hit her, and she fell into a state akin to shock. Her mind reeled, recalling the rumours that had been circulating all over the school. They were fierce, fiery, and unforgiving. They had been in a few fights, somehow managing to claim the school’s halls and grounds as their own though methods unknown.

Yet, right when she needed help, they were there.

Another boy she knew from school walked down over the stairs. He held out a cell phone to Phoenix, grinning widely, "Nix! Catch."

Phoenix rolled his eyes as he caught the device. His friends were annoying and brutally honest, but he wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially when they looked out for each other like this. He put the phone to his ear, "Hi, Móðir. Yes, I know. I'm sorry that I worried you. No, none of us are hurt. We did find a civ, but I’m sending her to the hospital now. Yes, Móðir. I’ll wait for Dad, then."

Listening as his mother yelled for his brothers to stop fighting, Phoenix had to hold back a laugh. She came back on the line more flustered than before and asked if Kennedy was alright.

"She's fine," he turned his head to his best friend and grinned evilly. She held up her hands, shaking her head vigorously. "Want to talk to her?"

Kennedy's eyes narrowed as she pulled out her own phone to call her brother-in-law. The man was going to have her head if he didn't hear from her soon and she knew it.

He picked up on the first ring, "You're late."

"So is my sister's period, but I’m not hounding you, am I?" She shot back. “And you’re really going to b***h at me over five lousy minutes? Get a grip, Declan.”

The man growled, frustrated with her blatant attitude. Resigning himself to holding his temper in check, he said, "We were going to tell you at dinner, but that’s out the window. How did it go?"

Mentally doing a headcount, she concluded that all her friends were alive, "Good. All the little patsy gang members have been rounded up, and their leader got his ass handed to him by Nix. While he beat Craig bloody, he had a good reason."

"He better have a damn good reason," he told her.

"We caught Craig trying to force himself on a girl, so he handed over his gun and went to town beating him by hand," she replied. "Tell my sister I'll be home soon, and give the kids some love for me.”

Declan cursed, "I'm proud of you guys, Kenni. Callum will give you the details of your collective initiation when he gets there. In the meantime, keep our brat nephew on a leash, please?"

Her head whipped in the direction of the front door as the Dove King himself walked into the house. Behind him, David frowned at Russell, who was staring intently at Skylar. "I’m the wrong person to be telling that to. Uh, Cal just got here, want to talk to him?"

"Please," Declan replied. As she handed off the device to Callum, she walked over to Phoenix. He was still on his knees, talking to the girl he'd helped a few minutes ago.

When Callum ended the call, he turned to the crew. His mouth twisted into a frown as he noted the absence of two of the seven members. "I’m surprised Jax and Luke stayed out of this like they were told. They really do listen to you, don’t they?"

"They always do," Phoenix called out. "I didn't want my youngest members caught in any crossfire, and they understood. We also used our Bluetooth connection to keep contact."

David muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “thank God” before turning to his daughter. "Are you alright? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

Sky rolled her eyes, "Daddy, I'm as good as Kenni with a gun, and you know it. Besides, Memphis almost got shot via friendly fire tonight."

Thomas groaned, shaking his head at the news. "Let me guess, he tried to tick off Red?"

"She threatened to shoot me, Dad!" Memphis shouted as Kennedy tackled him from behind. He let out a cry of surprise as she managed to get him to the floor only to sit on his back. Using the momentum, she put him in a headlock.

Laughing darkly, Kennedy tightened her hold, choking him slightly, "Say it!"

"Hell, no! I’m not saying something so ridiculously demeaning to men,” he answered, struggling against her hold. He knew it was no use, but he tried anyway.

Again, her grasp tightened, "Say it, Memphis."

"I'm not saying it," he managed to grit out through his teeth. "Someone get this vertically-challenged b***h off my back?!"

"Not until you say it," Kennedy coaxed. She didn't care that he'd called her a b***h. It was a well-known fact among the seven friends that she owned the title and wore it well.

Finally, he accepted that no one was going to interfere, he said, "You win, you pompous heifer. Girls make the rules, and boys are the fools. Happy? Now get the hell off my back before I throw you out the freaking window!"

Releasing him, she pet his head with a grin. "I wasn't going to kill you, Mem. I just wanted to see if you black boys turn blue or not."

"You racist b***h," he muttered as he got to his feet.

Acting shocked, Kenni looked at him, "I am not racist! White people turn slightly blue when strangled, so I was genuinely curious to see if it was the same for people of colour."

Before he climbed onto his motorcycle, Phoenix glanced at his father. Turning his eyes to the back of the ambulance, he walked over to the paramedics. “Hi, excuse me, could I have a moment, please?”

The man looked up, a smile on his lips. “Sure. Any specific requests?”

“Only that you take her to T-Gen. My mother is waiting already,” he replied. When they were alone, he looked at the girl. “If… uh… if you need anything… at school…”

As if she understood his nervousness, she smiled shyly, “Si, I understand. Thanks again… for saving me.”

“Please, don’t. I’m no hero, but I just… what he was doing wasn’t right. I… uh… hope you feel better soon,” he mumbled, flushing red as he made a hasty retreat.