Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Nine

Phoenix was visually upset when he realized that the girl he saved was nowhere to be seen. Not really thinking about his lessons, he completed his work before pulling out the other assignments he needed done. By the time the last bell rang, he was able to put all of his books in the locker he shared with Memphis.

He was about to leave the class when the instructor stopped him. “Ah, Phoenix, could I borrow a moment of your time?”

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Well, it’s unfortunate, but Ms. De Luca is unable to make it school for the next little while due to personal issues. Would I be able to bother you with a small task?” The man asked, his eyes watching the teen cautiously.

Phoenix’s eyes lit up at the mention of the blond girl. “Yeah, of course! Let me guess, you need me to drop off some books to her?”

“You know I do side work for your father, right? If we could keep this between us, it would be grand. I don’t want to lose my head or anything, so,” Mr. Cole began.

Cutting him off, Phoenix raised a brow. “I know nothing. I’ve seen nothing. You and me? This conversation never even happened. So, where’s the work you need dropped off.”

“Why?” Cole breathed, shocked that the teen was so easy to deal with. “I mean, I’m not complaining.”

“It’s cool. Mom wanted me to learn how to be normal, right? Well, isn’t it normal to drop off a classmates work?” The teen asked.

Laughing, Mr. Cole offered the boy a smile. “You’ll be a great man someday, Phoenix. May peace find your path.”

An hour later, he found himself staring at the door of the apartment in front of him. The questionableness of his idea hit him suddenly as he thought about the request he was going to make. Could he actually go through with tracking down the blond girl he'd saved? If he did, would he really be able to do what he needed to do?

"I gotta be out of my mind," he muttered. Shaking his head clear of the thought, he raised his hand and knocked.

He could hear David arguing with someone, and grinned. The man opened the door, ushering him inside without so much as a glance. Having grown up around David, Phoenix knew there were only four people he would bicker with.

"No, not a chance." The brown-haired man said testily. "Come on, man, he's got the hots for my daughter, and you know it. What if he pulls something? Yeah, so? Seven years is a drop in the bucket. Your boy is at my place right now.”

Phoenix laughed, knowing that the call was about Sky and his Uncle Russell. What David didn’t know was that the team had been hiding her secret crush for years. Now that the girl was technically a legal adult, his uncle was slowly gravitating toward her. After a few well-placed whispers in his father’s ear, they succeeded in coaxing him into setting up a false mission so that Russell and Skylar could finally clear the air.

Walking down the hall to Jaxon's room, he sighed with a soft smile. After knocking twice, he heard the faint voice of his youngest friend call out. Stepping into the neatly kept, scarcely decorated room, Phoenix grinned at the Korean teen. “I need your help with something, and I don’t really want the ‘rents finding out what I’m up to until I’m done with the task. That way, I can’t be stopped before I complete my personal mission.”

Jaxon twisted in his seat and stared at the blond in shock. "A personal mission? Should I be worried?”

"I just want to know where Andromeda De Luca lives. I don't want to know anything except her address. That’s it," Phoenix said. He grabbed the sponge basketball off the desk, knowing that Jaxon hated having any of his things out of place. Tossing it into the air, he caught it effortlessly as he spoke. "She hasn't been in school since yesterday, and offered to bring her homework to her."

Jaxon wiggled his brows suggestively, "Are you just taking her the homework, or are you trying to take her home to work out?"

"Dude! A little respect would be appreciated," Phoenix scowled. He threw the ball at Jaxon, who caught it effortlessly. "That's a girl, not a conquest."

"Right," Jaxon grinned, showing off his perfect teeth.

"So, how're your classes going?" Phoenix asked.

Frowning, Jaxon glared at the door of his room, "I don't want to be there. I'm not being challenged like I was at our other school."

"Yeah, I know," Phoenix agreed. "We only have to make it through one year. Then we all get to take the provincial exams that determine if we can graduate early or not."

"Me too? And Luke?" Jaxon asked in surprise.

Phoenix chuckled under his breath, "Yes, you too. You're part of my team, and that's how it's going to stay. I didn't lie when I said those things the day Dad was instated as the new Don."

"I know," the other teen said as he typed a few things into his laptop. Screens filled one corner of the room. The corner behind the door was covered floor-to-ceiling with books blocking the shelves; all ranging from Quantum Physics to how to repair just about every kind of tech.

Jaxon groaned, obviously not liking what he had found in the system, "I'm not sure if I should tell you, Nix. Are you going alone?"

"Yeah," the heir replied. "I'm bringing her the homework she's missed out on, not casing the joint. Why?"

Blowing out his cheeks, Jaxon jotted down the address and handed it to Phoenix. "Just saying, but I think this is a bad idea."

"We'll see," Phoenix murmured. "I'm playing it safe until I know more, but thanks for the warning all the same. I'm heading there when I leave here, but if I don't message you in half an hour, call me.”

Jaxon nodded, "Alright. If you don't pick it up before it gets to voicemail, I'm sending your dad and mine after you."

Laughing, Phoenix agreed and left the room.

As he made his way to the elevator, he took out the paper Jax had handed him and memorized the address. Shifting the bag on his back, he snapped the chest buckle in place. The elevator dinged, the reinforced steel doors sliding open to reveal the spacious underground parking lot.

Moving to the wicket, he glanced at the guard and asked her to radio for his bike.

"Sure thing, Nix," the woman said as she called for his motorcycle to be brought around. "When should we expect you back, Sir?"

"I should be no more than two and a half hours at the most. Any longer than that, call in my father." He told her.

"You know it," she laughed. "Donna Ambrosia's not going to like that you're headed out without back-up, though. Why are you leaving?"

He swallowed, "I'm bringing one of my classmates her homework. She's missed a few days, so I volunteered to take it to her."

"Well, I guess that's safe enough," she told him.

As he put his helmet on and straddled his bike, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now that he was older, and trained to fight back, he was able to come and go without a tail most of the time. The other ninety-percent of the time, he had at least one of his friends - usually Kennedy - at his back.

The evening brought a small amount of peace with it as he rode his bike through the ever-darkening streets of rural Ontario. There was just something so freeing about it. The control that it took to keep the motorcycle upright made him glad that he had the muscle to back up his mental prowess. The danger of following in his father's favourite pastime made him feel alive. His mother hated it, but he loved it.

Finally pulling the bike to a stop, he stared, transfixed by the large manor that met his dark brown gaze. He pulled out his phone and texted Jaxon to be sure he was at the right address.

A minute later, he got the response, 'Yes, that's the place.'

"I'll be damned," he whispered. Parking his bike, he took off his helmet and walked over to the intercom by the gate.

"Yes?" A male voice crackled over the intercom.

"I'm here to see Andromeda De Luca," Phoenix replied. "I have some homework from our teachers at school for her."

"Miss De Luca is not available," the voice said with an edge of darkness.

Phoenix ran a hand through his hair, "Okay. I understand. Is there someone I can give it to, then?"

The gate buzzed, the wrought iron slowly opening to grant him access. He could feel several sets of eyes watching his every move as he cautiously walked his bike up to the front step.

Making sure to stay where the people in the shadows could clearly see him, he nudged the kickstand into place and moved to knock on the door. Before his hand connected, it opened to reveal an armed man who hauled him inside the foyer.

"Hand over the bag," the man said as he eyed Nix. "Stand over there and keep your hands where I can see them."

Nodding, Phoenix gestured to the cell phone in his hand, "I'm expecting a call in ten minutes."

"Take it, but that's it."

In that one instant, he knew he was inside the home of a mob family. If he wasn't mistaken, this was the Italian mob's house. He stood still, not wanting to give them a reason to start a war with his family. This was not going to end well when his parents found out, but he was the type who would rather beg forgiveness than ask permission.