Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Twenty-Nine

Jaxon walked with a new-found confidence as they entered the school building. He was sure they would get tormented when the other students caught sight of how Markus was holding his hand now. Mark, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered by the stares they were getting.

After an extensive debate with his father over his choice of boyfriends, it was his sister who finally got the man to relax and let Jaxon make his own choice. Hilariously playing on his fear of someone hurting his son, Skylar told their father that Jaxon could have ended up with some unknown guy from school who was addicted to some random street drug while sporting an STI or two.

Lukas stopped to flip off a group of guys, who were pointing and snickering about his jock-ish brother and nerdy best friend. Clearing his throat, he called over to them, "I know a few toddlers that have more sense than you washed-up wannabe's."

One of the guys stepped toward the fifteen-year-old, “The f**k did you say?”

“That I can steal your girlfriend,” Lukas shot back, earning a wave of giggles and laughs from the surrounding students.

The older teen took another step, but, when he let his gaze flicker to Phoenix, the glare on the blonds face had the other kids scattering. His arm tightened around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her closer as his eyes scanned the crowd. They narrowed, locking onto the guy he wanted to put six feet under for putting marks on Andromeda’s body. "He's here.”

“Don't worry about it," Kennedy spat matter-of-factly. "I managed to talk Cal into getting my schedule changed after you named me as Andromeda’s guard. Craig won't have a chance to get close to her if I have anything to do with it. In fact, I might just finish what you started the night you put his ass in the ICU.”

Andromeda turned her gaze to the girl who had hardly said two words to her before today and sighed. "Thank you, Kennedy."

"I'm doing this for Nix, not you," Kennedy shot back. She was irritated that she had to babysit the heiress.

Skylar laughed, "Don’t worry about it, Ms. De Luca. Kenni's just not a morning or a people-person.”

Thinking over the brunette's explanation, Andromeda nodded in understanding. “You can all call me Romie if you wish. I don’t mind."

Kennedy smirked as she and Sky broke from the group. Cornering Andromeda by her locker, the red-head sneered. "You actually got close enough to have him issue the order of protection. That’s out of character for him. You know, he’s dated a few girls, but you’re the only one he’s pulled out all the stops for. I wonder why.”

Ignoring Kennedy’s goading, Andromeda pulled out her first and second period books. She smiled, knowing exactly what Kennedy was doing. “You know, I really love his sister. She is such a beautiful little girl."

Skylar smirked, “Nicely done.”

“He told me about the other girls already, Kennedy. They are in the past, yes?” The blond replied.

Sky pushed Kennedy, “You’re such a b***h, Red. Yes, Andromeda, the other girls are in the past, but they never had a chance with Firebird once they showed their true colours. Failing the Emily Test did them in completely after they demanded he drop us from his friend group.”

Andromeda rolled her eyes, “You're both friends of his, and I hope to be friends with you as well. Each of you have a place in his life and heart that I could never be able to take, and that’s okay. I’m fine with that.”

Blinking, Kennedy was speechless for the first time in her life. She looked at the girl who had wormed her way into Phoenix's heart. Unable to get under the girl’s skin the way she always got to everyone else, she asked, “There’s something wrong with you, isn’t there? You got some kind of mental issue or something?”

"Did you really get your schedule changed?" Andromeda countered calmly.

“We both did,” Skylar replied.

"No s**t. Of course we got it done. This way, you have a female companion at all times during the day. Sky and I are your guards. Period. So stop asking questions and do as you’re told," Kennedy said. She moved a few doors down and opened her own locker. "I'd do anything to see Boo happy. Even if it means putting up with you."

Giggling, Andromeda lightly smacked Kennedy on the arm. "You know he hates that nickname, right?"

The redhead tried not to show how much it bothered her to be touched unexpectedly. "Oh? Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, I live to piss people off? I’m trained to make people lose their s**t. The problem is, I actually like it, and that’s what really scares the big bosses."

As they went in the opposite direction of Skylar, Kennedy noted the blond beside her even looked different than the walking toothpicks Nix tried dating in the past. Andromeda had a pear-shaped body with rounded out hips, and an ass Kennedy only wished she had. Slightly jealous, she looked over her shoulder at her own behind and frowned. Despite her obvious beauty, the other girl was more like a deer in the headlights compared to Kennedy.

However, comparing herself to the heiress was like comparing a flower to lava. Knowing her friend preferred meat to bones, it wasn’t hard to see what drew his attention to the girl in the first place.

They walked into class, and she could hear several female students snickering, gesturing at the girl with her while whispering among themselves. She watched as Andromeda curled deeper into herself, hugging her books tightly. Taking a glimpse around the room, she glowered at the smug look on Craig's face and knew he was the one behind all the chatter. She would have to fix that.

Locking eyes with him, she said, "You know, I had no idea they allowed rabid dogs to attend school here.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Craig narrowed his eyes on the red-head. He gestured to Andromeda’s seat, "Come here, baby. Don't be shy. Everyone knows you belong to me now, so just slide that sweet ass over here."

Trembling, Andromeda tried to hide herself behind Kennedy. Rolling her eyes, the shorter teen snorted a laugh at the absurdity of it. To her, it was like a bear trying to hide behind a tree. "Be assertive, Romie. Don't let this creep walk over you. If you want to be with Nix, then you need to buck up. Take control of your fear instead of letting it control you."

Her deep blue gaze flickered from Kennedy to Craig as she struggled for control. Taking a deep breath, the blond girl squared her shoulders. Nodding, she said: "I wish I'd never said yes to going out with you. I really, really wish Nix had put you in the hospital for longer than he did. You deserved every punch he delivered for hurting me."

A slow clap filled the air, and the two girls twisted to see Declan standing quietly by the door. His face was smug, but Kennedy knew that he heard what she said to Andromeda. "Ms. De Luca, you will switch seats with Ms. Rubin for the remainder of the year. That said, I will not be putting up with s****l harassment in my class. Am I clear, Mr. Dawson?" Declan demanded calmly.

Craig paled as the red-head dropped to the seat next to him. His hand shot into the air, fear flickering in his eyes. "Um, Mr. Reyes?”

“Yes?” Declan didn’t even turn from marking instructions on the whiteboard. He smirked at the fear lacing Craig’s voice while Kennedy sat quietly next to him. It was comical just how much the boys in the school were so terrified of the tiny, five-foot-something girl he raised.

Craig cleared his throat, his eyes darting to the desk next to his anxiously. “I was just wondering, but why the seat change, Sir?"

"My nephew, Phoenix Callumsson, told me everything that transpired to cause your absence from school the last few weeks. Needless to say, as an upstanding member of the male populace, I’m incredibly disappointed in your behaviour,” Declan said as he wrote out the daily lesson on the board.

Craig scoffed, "I didn't do anything. We were having a great night until that jealous jackoff decided to start beating my face in."

Testing the weight of her English book in her hands, Kennedy looked at the boy with an evil smirk on her face. “I wonder how hard I have to swing this to break your lying jaw? I was there, Craig. Or did you forget I was the one who pulled my best friend off of you?”

Watching his sister-in-law out of the corner of his eye, Declan continued to write on the board. He knew if Craig decided to push her further, he'd have to send the boy to the nurse's office. "Ms. Rubin, do not attempt anything in my classroom. You wouldn’t want to deal with me ticked off at home, would you?"

The warning was clear: start anything and she would regret it significantly. She begrudgingly sat down.

Declan suddenly remembered what Callum had said that morning before he left. "By the way, I almost forgot to let you know you have work this evening. There’s some… clean-up that needs your particular expertise."

Something in his tone told her they were ready to let her deal with Fabian. She smiled calmly, nodding in compliance. "Thank you for telling me, Sir.”