Rage of the Phoenix

by Elizabeth N Harris

  “This is Tyelar, he hates Tyelar so we call him Tye. He’s seventeen and eleven months.” She teased the boy, “Tye’s aiming for the Blackhawks, a try-out promised when he reaches eighteen.”

  “Dudes, welcome to our home and Ma ain’t no try-out, I’m a shoo-in. Gonna be right wing.” The kid was built like an outhouse and again mixed race, half white and half Mexican. Another damn good-looking kid. The teen had another Maine accent.

  “My daughter Jodie who’s seventeen.”

  “Hiya, welcome. Eddie no!” The girl moved and caught the little girl ready to make a run for it. The girl had another English accent. Drakes confusion deepened.

  “My second daughter Serenity. She’s just turned sixteen.”

  “Welcome to our home.” Another Maine accent.

  “My son Harley. He’s fifteen.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The boy replied, his gaze narrowing over their shoulders at Hellfire. Drake followed his gaze and saw Hellfire were sneakily re-arming themselves. Maine accent again.

  “My son Cody, he’s fourteen, my son Christian, who’s twelve, my son Jared aged ten and my son Aaron who’s nine.” They said hello, Cody in what Drake thought was Colorado accent and the other three in English accents.

  “My terrible daughter Eddie and her younger twin brother Tony. They’re four.”

  “Too’s!” The little girl squealed. South Dakota accent.

  “No too’s baby, too’s later.” Chance said firmly and received a pout.

  “She’s tattoo mad.” Phoenix explained. “My babies, Timmy and Scout, ten months and Jake and Garret, six months.”

  “Good to meet you.” Drake said swallowing his confusion. Similar greetings followed and then the kids scarpered.

  “Shit.” Fish muttered as a water bomb narrowly missed him.

  “I suggest you come to the porch, it’s a no fire zone because of the babies.” Phoenix bent and picked up two car seats with one set of twins. Phoe carried them to the hammock swing she had been relaxing on. She set the car seats down, turned to get the other set of twins and found Drake carrying them up the steps. Phoe placed them facing outwards and let them watch.

  “Mrs Ames would you mind the babies for a moment?” Phoe asked serenely and the older woman that Drake had met came forward. She nodded and settled on the swing and began rocking. Phoenix turned to them.

  “Have you eaten?” She politely asked. Some of Rage shook their heads and others nodded. “Follow me. I’ll take through the house to the kitchen, it’s safer.” Phoe said and started walking into the house. “Eddie don’t you dare!” She spoke over her shoulder and Rage looked around and discovered the little girl had crept up behind them with water balloons. Eddie gave a cheeky grin, twisted and got Chance straight in his face and ran.

  Drake chuckled and followed Phoe into the house, she led them straight into the kitchen were trays of pastries and sandwiches were being put out.

  “Please help yourself. It’s early still, so lunch will be around one o’clock. Snacks are constantly replenished, those guys are going to work up appetites.” Drake watched a few of his brothers step forward and grab paper plates. Plates piled high, they stood around chatting although it was kinda subdued Drake thought. None of them had been expecting this. Rage felt out of their depth and he didn’t like it.

  “Bring your plates.” Phoenix said with a smile. She stepped out of the folding kitchen doors and led the way onto the porch. Drake followed after her, admiring her ass in her jeans. She had a hell of an ass.

  “The swimming pool is just over there,” Phoe said pointing. “If you need short’s we’ve new ones never worn, in the pool house, in all sizes.” She carried on walking around the side of the house. “ATV and dirt bike shed there, help yourselves to them, fun shed there, it includes water fun, balloons, guns, hoses etc. Please keep that second shed locked, it’s the paintball shed and Eddie gets carried away.

  We’ve the adult rope bridges in that direction, the Ewok village over there. Rivendell there, and general carnage on my front drive. We’ve the hot tubs in that direction near the pool. Fridges with beers and soft drinks are outside the kitchen if you didn’t notice them. Food is available all day, lunch is at one and we’ll start the cookout at around five.”

  “What’s over there?” Rock asked, pointing at a few paths.

  “The first leads to the Hall’s formal gardens, they’ve been restored so have a wander if you want. The walled garden is locked at the moment. The second leads to Carmines’ baseball diamond, and Tye’s ice rink. Want to see them?” She asked. Phoe got several nods, so she took them down the path. Drake followed behind definitely impressed. Fuck, he was beyond impressed. The woman had established something here.

  “You had this built?” He asked.

  “Carmine has a gift with a ball and bat. He constantly hits it out of the park. I want my boy to succeed and I’ll give him what he needs to do that. Tye has a talent on ice that has several teams looking at him.

  When I got him three and a half years ago, he couldn’t skate. I took him once and witnessed a miracle. Never seen skill like Tye’s, not for someone who’s been skating for three and a half years. Tye’s partial to the Blackhawks because I am.” Phoe showed them the rink, they left after a few minutes admiring it. Drake’s ears had perked up when Phoe had mentioned getting Tye a few years ago. There was a story behind Phoe and her kids.

  “What’s down there?” Fish asked pointing at another path. Drake followed his arm.

  “Tennis courts. Jodie and Serenity like skating and baseball but they prefer a gentler workout where their brothers are not squishing them. Although I’ve seen Serenity slam Tye a few times.” Phoe giggled. Drake remembered the slim girls and could understand why she found it amusing.

  “Over there?” Apache asked.

  “Our garages, bikes and cars, ones we use daily.”

  “This is like a luxury hotel.” Slick said.

  “I hope not. It’s home, it’s huge, I need it huge, I’ve got sixteen kids. I got Hellfire, I got my HQ people. Obviously, we need somewhere big to meet up for weekends like this. We try to get together at least once a month. When winter kicks in and it’s too brisk, we’re going to need those games rooms, cinema and bowling alley the house boasts.” Phoe looked up and bit her lip and then turned and faced them. She squared her shoulders and Drake tensed.

  I looked at Drake and Rage and saw varying expressions on their faces. I centred my shoulders and took a deep breath. There was no doubt they were judging me over the Hall and its excesses.

  “I’m rich. One could say I’m stinking rich. I’ve sixteen kids, five of those kids I gave birth too, eleven I adopted over the last four years. Yeah, I got money, it’s a gift. I can help those kids I adopted have a better life and I’m damn well going to do that.

  Some of my kids were on the street, some were dumped unwanted because they were born the wrong colour to a white mother. The twins are mine because their incubator mothers abused them in the womb and force fed them drugs and booze.

  I took them on, they’re mine, I’ll fight and die for them. I bought an enormous house not because I wanted to be flash or shove my money in people’s faces but because I’ve a large family. Don’t care how anyone judges me, I want my family, which consists of my kids, HQ and Hellfire. I needed space for them.

  No one would know but I’ve had it rough, eating shit for years and so did my kids. Every single one of them, I’ll give them what they need to be happy and I don’t care what it costs. If building Tye an ice rink is excessive, so what? It means my boy can practise when he wants so he gets to sign for the Blackhawks. That’s what matters.

  I build Carmine a diamond so it means he gets his dream after eating years of shit, that’s what I’ll do. My kids are happy and well-adjusted after years of terror. Harley decides he wants to play NFL, I’ll build him a damn field, so he can. You want to judge me so be it, but I’m opening my home and everything that’s in it, to you. The toys her
e aren’t just for my kids, they’re for everyone.” Drake stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. He gently tilted my head up towards him and I saw warmth in his eyes.

  “What a woman. What a fuckin’ woman.” Drake whispered. I blinked. “How much love you got inside ya? How big is your heart?” He mumbled something else I couldn’t altogether catch, it sounded like ‘Do you have enough to save us too?’

  “Chance told us about the charities you set up. Didn’t tell us shit about your kids but if you think that is off puttin’ you’re wrong Phoenix. I thought you couldn’t get any more amazing after finding out about what Trusts achieve. Now I find out, you adopt eleven kids to give them a life free of shit. To make their dreams come true, you build ice rinks and baseball diamonds. Jesus Phoe.” Drake said approval deep in his voice. I blinked away tears.

  “This is my world. This is what family means to me.”

  “I guess we are gonna get a weekend we didn’t expect. If my fuckin’ cousin can bounce around on a child’s hopper, I guess we can as well. Paint balling sounds fun with Eddie.”

  “Watch her, Eddie’s a tattoo fiend, she’ll have you stripped before you know it.” I whispered back. His eyes held me mesmerised, and I knew I was weakening against him. Drake was worming his way into my good books.

  “Wish Marsha was here to see this, she’d have loved it.” Fish muttered.

  “Your old lady?” I asked him. Fish nodded.

  “The old ladies are welcome, not skanks. Don’t want skanks anywhere near my children. My kids have been exposed to enough ugly in their life’s and from what I saw Rage skanks are freaking ugly!” I told him as he whipped out his phone.

  “Give Silvie a call, she’ll adore this.” Apache said. “She’s not a skank, she’s an old lady but doesn’t have an old man.” He explained. I gave a nod, confused, but I’d take his word for it she was a good person. Although I was curious how Rage had an old lady who didn’t have a brother. It was unheard of, Rage had their own secrets!

  “What’s Rivendell?” Mac asked. My eyes lit up, and he gave me a smile. Slick snorted and grinned, I guess he knew what Rivendell is!

  “It’s the Elven village off Lord of the Rings, Eddie loves it. Come, I’ll show you it.” I told him.

  “Prefer the Ewok village.” Texas muttered with a half manic grin.

  “We can do that too.” I began leading the way, not seeing Chance step out of the trees and give Drake a chin lift of approval. Drake gave him one back.

  ◆◆◆

  Drake had his ass on a chair and was watching a four-year-old child trace his arm tattoos with reverence. Phoenix hadn’t lied about her daughter, Eddie was a total tattoo demon. She’d had half of Hellfire stripped down to the waist so she could examine their ink and the brothers hadn’t flinched.

  Eddie was now trying to convince him to take his tee off for her. The twin, Tony he thought was sat batting water balloons at those in the pool. Most of which seemed comprised of Phoe’s security team. They’d been introduced, but it was too many names to remember.

  He glanced over and noticed Apache in the treeline with Slick and Texas and a couple of Hellfire, from his distance it looked like Bear and Celt. Phoenix was lazing on a lounger by the pool, wearing cut-off jean shorts and a floaty top. She was chatting to Marsha, Silvie, Emily and two other women, he thought their names were Susan and Diana.

  “Mama Phoe has too’s.” Eddie suddenly told him. He looked down and hooked her up with one arm and sat her on his lap.

  “She does?” He asked his eyes sliding over to her mother.

  “Yup. She got lots’a too’s. She got a secret too.” The little girl slyly said. He saw Phoenix look over and her eyes narrowed.

  “Eddie.” Phoe said with a warning in her tone, which made Drakes curiosity perk up.

  “If you show me your too’s, I’ll get Mama Phoe to show you her secret one.”

  “Eddie!” Phoe snapped and Drake was amused to see a tinge of red on her cheeks.

  “Nope baby girl.” He said smiling.

  “Mama Phoe has a too in a real secret place. Not even Unca Chance has seen it.” Eddie coaxed, Phoe turned even redder.

  “Honey, come play with Tony.” Phoe said, clearly trying to distract the child. Eddie sent her a scornful look and Drake couldn’t stop his chuckle escaping. This little girl was something.

  “You show me yours, Mama Phoe will show you her secret one.”

  “Eddie I will not!” Conversation was dying as people began listening. Drake wondered where the secret tattoo was. By the look on Phoe’s face it was somewhere private.

  “Mama Phoe, he won’t show me his!” Eddie shot back looking disgruntled.

  “That’s life sweetheart now come and play.” Eddie leaned forward and Drake wrapped his arm more firmly around her.

  “He has too’s!” Eddie snapped. “You show him yours, I get his.” Little girl logic.

  “Eddie we’re not discussing my too’s.” Phoe replied. Eddie turned to him with huge eyes. Drake’s heart melted. She was adorable and then he recognised the glint in her eyes and changed adorable to cunning.

  “Mama Phoe has a nice ass, Uncle Chance says so.” The little girl shouted. Diesel choked on his beer and spat it out. Luckily, he hit one of the plant pots. Chance chuckled.

  “Yeah, she does.” Drake warily agreed, not knowing where Eddie was going. He’d try to stop her putting his neck in a noose. Although by the glint in Eddie’s eye, he wasn’t going to have much success.

  “Bet you want to see her too.” Eddie carried on trying to bribe him. Phoe, eyes narrowed, was getting to her feet.

  “Yeah, I suppose so.”

  “Show me yours.” Eddie coaxed him one more time. Drake shook his head. Phoe gained her feet and began walking towards them.

  “No.” He told Eddie.

  “Mama Phoe has one on her ass!” Eddie hollered at the top of her lungs as Phoe got within arm’s reach. She flung her arms around Drakes neck and clung to him. “No Mama Phoe, you show him your ass, he’ll show me his too’s.” Silence. Pure silence and a completely horrified and mortified woman!

  “Oh my god Eddie!” Phoe finally exclaimed bright red.

  “Get your ass out, Mama Phoe!” Eddie shrieked. Chance gave up the ghost and began laughing out loud, Diesel, Tiny and Levi also began laughing, fuck even Ace broke a smile.

  Drake looked to Rage and saw Gunner, Mac, Rock and Blaze laughing. Stefan and his husband were howling to one side. His mouth twitched and Phoe’s eyes shot to it and narrowed. Drake couldn’t help it. His laughter broke out of him as a beautiful child glared at her mother, clearly expecting her to get her ass out.

  “You don’t use the word ass!” Phoe finally snapped grabbing onto something desperately.

  “Get your tushie out Mama Phoe. I dop’ied you, you get your tushie out!”

  “Hush.” Phoe said mortification growing.

  “You show him your tushie, I get too’s.” Eddie continued. Micah swept in and took Eddie from Drake.

  “I’ll show you my new one if you stop with Mum and no I don’t have to get my ass out Eddie.” Micah sent a sly look at his mother who glared at him. Micah began walking to the pool with Eddie. She shrieked with glee and began grabbing his tee to look down it.

  “My daughter, the tattoo fiend everyone.” Phoe said bright red still.

  “Darlin’. I dread to think of that child in ten years.” An older man, well into his sixties, grinned.

  “Albert, I’m leaving the country when she hits thirteen.” Phoe said with a smile.

  “And I’m coming with you.” Albert agreed with a nod. Drake studied them, the children had introduced him as Grandad or Grandpa. Yet from their relationship he’d deduced that Albert and Phoe were not blood relations. There was a story there, he wouldn’t mind knowing. In fact Phoe had a lot of stories he’d like to listen to, the issue would be getting her to open up to him. Mr and Mrs Ames alternated between calling him Mr Wilkes or Mr Albert. />
  “I not dop’ing you again Mama Phoe, you are a let-down!” Eddie shrieked over Micah’s shoulder.

  “Fine by me.” Phoe muttered.

  “Dop’ing?” Slick asked approaching. Slick had a child under his arm, Aaron, Drake thought. The kid was laughing himself hysterical.

  “Eddie means adopting, she can’t say it properly. Eddie was one and a half when I met them. Instead of them letting them know I picked them, I let them think they picked me. Well, she marched her eighteen-month-old tushie up to me and told me I was her new Mama. I had to adopt Eddie after that. Eddie thinks she adopted me.” Phoe smiled. “Over time, we’ve learnt with Eddie it’s best to give her lots of leeway.”

  “Can understand that. She’s a bright kid.” Texas said nodding.

  “Eddie’s either going to be a criminal mastermind or President one day. I’m not sure which.” Phoenix laughed. Mrs Ames waved and Phoe walked over to her. There was a gong on the patio by the door, Phoe belted it twice and kids appeared from everywhere and shot into the kitchen.

  “Two gongs mean kids come and eat, three means the adults.” Chance said. “Kids always go first, even the older ones or Phoe loses her mind. Seriously loses her fuckin’ mind.”

  A few minutes later, kids reappeared with laden plates and Aaron bitching loudly he wanted cake. He was told in a don’t mess with me tone, by Carmine that once everyone had eaten, then they got dessert. Aaron glared at Carmine and went to sit. From a yet another storage shed Hellfire, HQ and Rage had dragged out large fold up tables and chairs. With the masses of patio furniture and wicker sofas and swinging hammocks there was plenty of seating.

  Drake fast came to realise that Phoe needed these weekends and did it at least once a month, if she could twice a month. Everything he had seen so far was about comfort and fun for her family. Drake realised that the people here, needed this time together to strengthen the bonds they had created.

  Hellfire was rough and ready, same as Rage but here they let it hang out. No one cared if they were snapped on a phone, on a child’s hopper bouncing around. It was the most basic principle of both clubs, family. Drake could understand why the woman who held his interest was the heart and soul of Hellfire. Damn he wanted that for his own guys.