Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Twenty-Five

"I'll ask Amber to bring up some meds to keep her under so she can rest up." Callum called to Declan as the man turned to leave.

Scowling deeply, David sighed in aggravation. "No kid should have to face the s**t she's been through.”

The blond huffed. "I still can’t believe she took six damn days to break. Not even the older gens would have lasted that long."

"Just goes to prove that she’s an asset we can't afford to lose to another mob," David said as he took his cigarettes out.

"Did you really dislike them?" Callum asked as he followed David out to the front of the building.

David lit up, taking a deep drag. Grinning, he said, "Yes."

"You're an asshole," Callum laughed.

"I was a little jealous that a little girl basically stole my job, but your son couldn’t have made a better friend," the brunet retorted.

Callum nodded – there was something to be said about the way his older friend worded things. Leaning against the reinforced wall, he sighed, "Phoenix told me straight up that he’d gladly walk if that’s what it took to protect his girl."

Snickering, the other man said, "That surprises you? Your kid is your personality brought to life – no doubts about it. When you pulled that stunt with your father, he didn’t realize just how serious you were. I expect you were a little more understanding?"

“Oddly enough, we ended up having a level-headed conversation, and I helped him work through the emotions that were new to him,” Callum confided

"You're a good man, an amazing father, and a first-class husband to that violently vicious banshee you call a wife," David told him. Exhaling a stream of grey smoke, he continued, "Not that it bothers me, but why are you so interested in fixing s**t with the Italians?"

"I know I'm doing something right if my kid is willing to fight me to protect a girl," Callum replied.

******

Up on the higher levels of the Tower that served as the family’s housing, Declan growled in frustration as he watched Phoenix and Andromeda walk up to the bed. Once he put the redhead down and covered her unconscious body, they swooped in with Phoenix in the lead. His whole body tensed as he waited for the girl to take offence to the gentle way the boy treated his best friend. "Did you not hear your mother, or are you looking for a fight you won't win?"

Andromeda's eyes widened at the unspoken threat of violence. She squeaked as the man turned a glare in her direction. “Perdon? Ha-have I done something wrong?”

"Stop it, Uncle Declan. Besides, Mom won’t bother telling me off over this. My best friend’s been gone for six freaking days," Phoenix hissed out. "I just want some quiet time with her while she’s unable to b***h at me for taking care of her for a change.”

His face neutral, Declan watched Phoenix tenderly brush Kennedy's red locks away from her face as she slept in a medically induced coma.

Andromeda moved to the other side of the bed, adjusting the blankets as she glanced at Phoenix’s face. "Poor girl. She seems to have been through a lot. You really love her, don’t you?"

Declan’s lips twitched. He was expecting the blond girl's animosity toward Kennedy, not her understanding. He’d been looking for any reason to hate the girl his nephew was head over heels for. Yet, as he stood watching them, he saw acceptance written in everything the girl said and did. He folded his arms over his chest, sighing heavily. Looking over at Temperance, he opened his mouth to complain, but she spoke first.

"I already called Amber, and she said to let him be. Granted, my sister is likely going to rip him a new one, but that's his issue, not ours," his wife murmured as she kissed his cheek.

She was right, of course. Kennedy would flip when she figured out Phoenix had doted on her. He knew the girl well enough to know she hated it when people treated her like she was breakable. "We raised her the best we could, honey. She was basically our test child."

His wife gasped, laughing quietly. "Declan! That's not nice to say!"

"But it’s true," he commented as they left the room. Getting to the hall, he turned to close the door.

"She's so strong," Andromeda whispered.

He stopped, listening as Phoenix laughed, "You got that right. I'm the only one in the group that has the skill to make her break real easy, but they never let me try."

Andromeda inhaled sharply, "You would torture someone so close to you?"

"No, not torture," Phoenix replied. "Our conversations are unique, quirky, and have a way of re-centering each other faster than normal. We've been doing it for years, but try telling that to the higher-ups and see how fast I get shot down. They’re so concerned about my safety that they don’t realize she’ll never turn on me."

Declan cursed under his breath. He should have known Phoenix and Kennedy had been each other's anchors since childhood. They were too tightly knit for anything to stop them.

"Your love for her is so clear to me, Phoenix. Yet, I can see that it’s the platonic love of a friendship that spans years. I can tell she's very important to you." The girl breathed out.

Declan swallowed the tightness in his throat. From what he'd seen so far, she was precisely the way Phoenix described her. As he walked down the hall, he was met with Callum, who was just heading into the spare room they were using for Andromeda. The blond man was holding a little red bear with a little red heart in its paws. Clearly written on the heart was #1 Mom in Italian.

"He said she never sleeps without it," Callum whispered. "Her mom passed away from a stage four brain tumour called Glioblastoma. It happened within two weeks of Mother’s Day, and Andromeda was only six at the time."

Declan winced, "How did you find that information?"

"I had a meeting with Francesco earlier this week, and he told me about Gabriella. He was initially supposed to marry Angelica, but he dodged a bullet, and got a sweet little girl out of it."

Callum put the bear on the pillow. Taking a deep breath, he grimaced at his brother-in-law. "Don't hate me, okay?"

"Hate you? Me? You only say that when… oh, crap. What did you do, Callum?" The auburn-haired man asked darkly.

Callum feigned innocence, "Why do you think I've done something? Who says I didn't let Nix negotiate the terms?"

Declan seethed. "Did you really sell out your kid for a partnership with the Italian's?"

"The truth is he sold himself out, not that we could have stopped him. He's as stubborn as his mother. Once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it, but he does have the best intentions," the blond said with a laugh.

Narrowing his gaze, Declan sighed, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, my friend. So, how did the negotiations go anyway?”

Callum smirked, "Phoenix agreed to the contracts terms and conditions, then gave Francesco a piece of his mind.”

"Let me guess,” Declan muttered, rolling his eyes. “He used my 'treating women with respect' speech, didn’t he?"

Callum laughed, “You bet he did.”

"I can only imagine what kind of reaction that got out of the Maestro," Declan chuckled as they walked into the kitchen.

"He laughed and said that the way Nix jumped to defend his daughter was all the proof he needed to know she would be well-cared-for. He told Nix he would rather have them together than let her end up in the hands of some i***t who would only abuse her." Callum explained as he grabbed a glass of juice from the fridge.

His aversion to alcohol never changed over the years, but he didn’t mind it if his friends drank. Despite Justin leaving a significant mark on him, Callum knew Declan was nothing like his father. He had years to turn on him, but the man kept his stance and consistently aided Callum’s efforts.

"Want a beer while I'm in here?" He called out to the auburn-haired man.

"Yeah, if you don't mind grabbing me one," Declan replied. He pursed his lips, "She doesn't act like a spoiled brat."

Callum grinned, "She's not. Francesco told me that, from an early age, she would run around trying to help everyone that needed it."

"Interesting," Declan said as he popped open the top of the can. "You know, she's not even jealous of Kenni and Phoenix’s relationship."

Callum coughed, choking on the milk he was drinking. "I damn near pissed myself that time. She's not jealous?"

"I'm dead serious, man. I overheard them talking a little while ago. However, I also learned that the team has a special method for dealing with their dark sides." Declan filled his brother-in-law in on what he'd heard.

Callum shook his head, laughing hysterically. "He found her, bro. My dad met my mom at eighteen, I met your sister at seventeen, and now my kid meets his possible meant-to-be at the same age. What else did I end up inheriting, I wonder?"

"The ability to sweet-talk your way out of trouble, brat," a familiar voice said.

The two men stilled, turning to the door where Ambrosia was standing with the Columbian Godfather.