Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Eight

Mr. Wolfe's eyes bulged in their sockets once he turned only to realize that almost every student had their phones out. "Anyone with a phone in their hands at this moment will have detention with me after school."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Kennedy snorted. She gave Mark a silent signal that went unnoticed by everyone else. At his slight nod, she smirked. He would contact Diablo for her, and, between the two of them, the literal wolf in sheep’s clothing would be made to face the consequences. "I'll happily pay anyone here a hundred bucks for their video proof."

"That's bribery!" The teacher exclaimed, his voice holding an edge of certain fear. He grabbed for her, but she scoffed. Her foot slamming into his torso as she mule-kicked him. "In this case, it’s called collecting evidence. A clear difference.”

A little while later, she was sitting on the hard plastic chairs in the office while she waited for her name to be called. A dark-haired boy in ripped jeans and a Hedley T-shirt sat across from her while she finished off her homework for the day.

"What are you in for?" He asked her with a smirk.

She shrugged nonchalantly, "Beat the crap out of the grade twelve history teacher."

"Mr. Wolfe? Not that anyone would complain, but what'd you do that for?" A female teen asked.

The boy who spoke first said, "Gang ain't gonna like it if our leader gets in trouble before taking over. We got enough heat on our backs as it is with the freaking mob."

She looked over at him, her expression blank. "What gang?"

"Don't play stupid, Rubin. I know who you are to me," he replied.

The principal poked her head out of the door, narrowing her gaze on the boy. "Leroy Sampson – again? I thought I told you I didn’t want to see you in my office for the rest of the week?"

As Leroy walked into the office, Kennedy's eyes locked onto the MC symbol tattooed on the shoulder of his right arm. Her father's symbol. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the impending explosion.

Nothing happened.

A few minutes later, he walked out of the office with a grin, "Apparently, you're the star this week. I was busted smoking pot out behind the gym, but you're the one they really want."

"I can't imagine why I'm so popular," she replied dryly with a roll of her eyes. Falling silent, she continued to wait for the decision of what would be done with her.

The main door to the office opened, and her sister walked in with a scowl on her face. "Kenni, I thought we agreed that you would not cause trouble this year."

"This is not what it looks like, Sissy. I have proof that my actions were justified, and I’ll reveal it at the right time. Don’t worry. I didn’t do this on purpose," Kennedy told the older woman as she sat down.

“Well, I can only assume that you and the teacher you’ve been having an issue with finally butt heads,” Temperance muttered. “I’d love to know what his deal is.”

Kennedy reached over, her hand splaying over her sister’s stomach. “Auntie’s little bean.”

“For someone with such a horrid reputation, you’re a softie with children. God, you remind me of Dad,” the older red-head murmured softly.

Her smile faltering, Kennedy nodded stiffly. The comparison stung, but she knew her sister wasn’t trying to hurt her. “I don’t really remember much about him. Sometimes, I think I can still hear his voice, and Mom singing to me, but the good stuff is overshadowed by the incident that twisted me into what I am, Tem.”

“Oh, baby,” Temperance pulled Kennedy into her arms. “Hold onto their voices, and remember that you still have me and our new family now.”

Declan waltzed in, his face expressionless. He held out his hand, and she wordlessly gave him the phone without argument. He looked at her questioningly, knowing that it was not the one he’d bought her. There were times when, as a precaution, the team would swap phones with each other. Knowing that this one was Markus’s, he shook his head.

Declan's voice was stern, but curious when he spoke. "Is everything you need to contest what Mr. Wolfe is saying here?"

Kennedy narrowed her eyes as the man in question strode into the office. Declan followed her narrowed gaze, noting that the damage dealt by the teen girl was minimal compared to what she could have done. Grown men didn't usually walk away from a beat-down by the girl in the chair.

They were usually hauled off on a stretcher.

"Mr. Reyes, not that I’m complaining, but what are you doing in the office?" The principal smiled.

Clearing his throat, Declan indicated Temperance as he said, " Mrs. Greene, this is my wife, Temperance Reyes. We’re Kennedy's legal guardians since their parents passed away."

The smile fell from the woman's face as she stepped aside, calling all the involved parties into the room. As Kennedy passed the man, she felt his hand brush her backside.

Stiffening, the teen snarled, "Would you like to lose your hand?"

He smirked, "You see, Mrs. Greene?"

"Ms. Rubin, that's enough out of you." The principal snapped. She sat behind her desk and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Reyes, but your sister has been causing a lot of trouble for Mr. Wolfe."

Declan's azure gaze slid towards Kennedy, who was leaning against the wall with her head down. Her backpack was slung over one shoulder, and he knew she was waiting for her crimes to be called out. She wasn’t the type to strike without reason, so he knew something was up. "What exactly do the allegations entail?"

"Not handing in homework, failing to comply with class rules, disturbing other students, and making unreasonable demands are the complaints from Mr. Wolfe."

Kennedy snorted a laugh, "I was expecting something more creative than that."

Temperance scowled at the teacher, “If that’s the case, then I have a problem with how he’s been talking to my sister. She's here to learn, not to show the boys her assets, so it's none of his concern how my sister dresses as long as it’s within the school’s dress code."

Mrs. Greene clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes. “Then she should have made a complaint. She hit a teacher today, and that is something we cannot tolerate."

"He changed the answers on my test knowing that I would get mad and call him on it. Then he called teen girls sluts," Kennedy snapped, her blue eyes darkening slightly. "That's way more criminal than what I've been doing. Oh, and why the hell am I practically failing? I went to St. Augustus’s, a prep school, so I know how smart I am."

Declan glared at his young charge before her words registered in his head, "Failing? That's not possible. She could’ve gone to college this year, but the school board wouldn't allow it based on the principle of graduating with her peer group."

He opened the phone and pulled up the video of the encounter, listening as the replay confirmed Kennedy’s story. Paling, Mrs. Greene looked at the other teacher before turning her gaze to Declan again. "I have to confiscate this phone."

"No, you don’t, Mrs. Greene," Kennedy retorted, "It belongs to another student in Mr. Wolfe's class. When I was leaving, there were about six others who also had their phones out recording."

"She bribed them with a hundred dollars to back up her crazy scheme!" Wolfe all but shouted.

There was a knock on the door, and the secretary popped her head in with a grimace. "Mrs. Greene, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are six other girls wanting to lodge complaints against Mr. Wolfe. They say he's been physical with them, but they never dared to stand up to him before until Ms. Rubin did it first."

Wolfe paled as he glanced out at the other girls, who were standing at the front desk. He turned to the principal, his eyes wide. "I swear these girls have it in for me."

Temperance raised a brow. "You're damn lucky to be still standing. My sister could have put you in the hospital, and that is not a joke."

Declan rose to his feet. "I'm willing to keep this scandal under wraps if he is dismissed from his post today. If not, then this information goes public. I don't think you want your position to be threatened when the Chairman of the school board finds out what's been going on."

As he left the room, he signed for Kennedy to go back to her class and await further orders. Nodding, she gathered her books and did as commanded. Just after the door closed behind them, the entire office could hear Mrs. Greene yelling at the male teacher.

“Pack in your things and get the hell out of my school! I don’t give a good God damn what you think they’re up to. More than one girl has lodged complaints against you, and you’re still trying to play the victim? Grow up, James. I’ll make sure you never teach again, even if I have to contact every single school board in the country myself. I want you out of my school in twenty minutes or less, before I get the police involved.”

Declan smirked at his wife and her sister, “Just goes to show that no matter who you are or what you do, Karma will always find you. Don't worry about him. He'll get his due, Ken. Go to class and behave for the remainder of the day. Understood?”

"Yes, Sir," the teen replied as she left the office.