Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  I know all too well that if I push myself too far, that I’ll only be setting myself further back, and I can’t have that.

  Not with what I have planned.

  Shouting Jax, he comes through into the bathroom and goes to sweep me up in his arms, but I hold a hand out to stop him.

  Before he can speak, I quickly tell him my thoughts and we settle on a compromise.

  The understanding is that I’ll try everything independently first, under the proviso that he, or the others, can step in if they deem it absolutely necessary.

  Ever the supportive one, he inclines his head without further argument and stands in front of me so that I can use him to stabilize myself.

  Pushing myself up off the closed toilet seat, I manage to get up on my feet fairly easily and begin taking hesitant steps towards the door.

  One shaky step at a time, I build my confidence and a substantial layer of sweat across my brow. My fitness is most definitely not what it once was.

  Duh, you don’t say, bitch?! You spent three weeks laying on your back and not in a good way!

  Ignoring my inner demons -of which I have multiple- I concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other as my mind strays to thoughts of how big this house actually is.

  Seeing it during the party certainly didn’t do it justice.

  Split over two floors, you enter the house into a beautiful white marble foyer. The stairs sit directly opposite the door in the middle of the hallway and spiral up to the mezzanine balcony above.

  Behind the stairs is a cloakroom and toilet, with a hallway extending outwards on either side of the foyer.

  At the end of the right hallway is the open plan living and dining room where the party was held. Whilst the other hallway leads to the second living room where Jax looked over my ankle.

  Both rooms have extremely high ceilings and are outfitted with roaring log fires. Giving the whole place a modern chalet vibe.

  A multitude of rooms reside upstairs, spanning the length of the house, with each of their doors opening up onto the landing that forms the mezzanine balcony. Giving you a beautiful view of the foyer and hallways below.

  From what the guys told me, their rooms bracket mine.

  Linc and Micah share a room off to one side of mine, with Aus taking the room next to them. Meanwhile Jax takes the room on the opposite side to the twins, with Rick and Lachlan residing in the next two bedrooms along.

  The rest remain spare and locked ready for other guests to use. The guys very thoughtfully gave me the room closest to the stairs so that I wouldn’t have to walk too far to get anywhere.

  For whatever reason, my room was always unoccupied anyway. So thankfully, I wasn’t kicking anyone out of their own space.

  The stairs leading down to the ground floor are a beautiful spiral design, with hand crafted wrought iron railings and glass balustrades. The shiny, opaque structures suddenly have me questioning my need for independence.

  Not that I would even try to attempt walking up and down them on my own currently. I would probably just end up in a heap of flesh, bones and glass at the bottom.

  Minced Mila is most certainly not on my bucket list. No matter how eager I am to make progress, I do recognize my limits.

  Maybe.

  Jax supports me around the waist with one hand, with his other supporting me on the underside of my elbow closest to him.

  It’s probably a good job he does too, as I can already feel the energy draining from my body from just padding less than fifteen steps across the small expanse of the landing. My chest seesawing heavily with each strained breath.

  Reaching the top of the stairs, he releases me and goes to pick me up. I shake my head and he merely raises a dubious eyebrow at my protest.

  Yet, he makes good on his promise and doesn’t move to intervene.

  I throw a half-hearted glare his way before turning to fully concentrate on the stairs, planning my route carefully.

  Taking a deep breath, I try to inhale as much oxygen into my body as I can. My limbs already feel shaky and tingly, but I push that aside for now.

  Hand on the railing to your left. Jax has your right elbow and waist. Right foot first, left to follow. Stop. Re-center.

  Come on Mila, you can do this!

  Eyeballing the handrail intensely, I go to place my hand down but keep missing. The bloody thing won’t stop moving! It’s like one of those rope bridges that constantly moves in and out of reach.

  Reaching out again, I try to grab it just as it slips out of my grip and floats in and out of focus, before suddenly, everything goes dark.

  Scrunching my eyes shut tightly, I re-open them and the lights come back on. It’s only then that I realize why I feel so weightless.

  Suspended in Jax’s arms, I simply stare up at him as he chuckles softly and gives me the old I told you so look.

  I’m still trying to get my bearings as he descends down the stairs. My head remains heavy and prickly as I try to tilt it back to look up at him.

  I just don’t have the energy. Every limb feels weighed down and all noises sound far away. Giving in, I relax and let my head rest against his shoulder.

  Whelp! So much for trying to pace things, Mila. Clearly you overdid it already. Good job.

  In all fairness, it was only like twenty steps! It’s not exactly an everyday hardship. Then again, I suppose my situation isn’t an everyday occurrence.

  Jax just steps off the stairs as the clop of his shoes are accompanied by a couple of sets of hurried footsteps.

  A deep concerned rumble echoes behind us as Jax continues to walk steadily towards the second living room, not once faltering in his steps.

  “What happened? Is she okay? Why are you carrying her?!” Someone demands. My head is still playing catch up, so I can’t quite put the voice to the face. The name to the face?

  Argh, whatever! You get my point.

  Jax gives an exasperated sigh and goes to speak, but I beat him to it, cringing slightly at the sound of my slurred and pathetic voice.

  “Sorry, it was my fault. I was a bit optimistic with how effective self-encouragement and motivation can be on the physicalities of exercise.”

  Jax’s chest rumbles with amusement as a chorus of different snickers and chuffs sound off around the room. Two of which are the most hearty and beautiful laughs I’ve ever heard.

  Just about managing to gather enough energy, I open my eyes, that I wasn’t even aware I had closed, to take in my surroundings.

  My eyes search the room, trying to pinpoint the source of the melodic sounds that are so soft in comparison to the other males in the room.

  My heart briefly stutters when my eyes land on the most handsome set of twins I’ve ever seen. Recognition hits me full force as the memories from the party return in clear focus.

  As they are the only other people in the room aside from the three amigos and I, the laughs have to belong to them.

  A smile creeps across my face as I take in their joyful expressions.

  Both of them share the same height and features, being identical twins and all, yet they have very different hair and clothing styles.

  Standing at just below Aus’s height, they’re both tall and lithe. Their soft and welcoming features hint at a Japanese heritage.

  Although I’m able to recollect their faces now, I still can’t place their names.

  With most identical twins it can be quite difficult to discern between them. However, with their differences in style, I don’t think I’ll be having any problems with telling who is who.

  One of the twins suddenly seizes laughing when he catches me looking in their direction. Slamming a brick wall down on his emotions, he closes himself off completely and his stance becomes rigid.

  Aside from his features, which are now sharp as he looks at anything but me, the first thing that catches my attention is his striking bleached blond hair. Almost fully shaved on the sides, spiked and medium length on top, it’s in complete contrast to hi
s dark brown eyes that appear almost black.

  On anyone else, their coloring would look menacing. On him, and coupled with his softer features -when he isn’t puckering his asshole of course- the deep hues of their swirling brown depths give off a more mysterious vibe.

  The tramlines running through his left eyebrow, accompanied by a sharp angular jaw and a nose-ring piercing, only add to the dark feel he so desperately tries to portray.

  Looking closer, it’s obvious that he’s the less relaxed of the two. His eyes hold a wealth of repressed pain that’s contained forcefully behind a façade that he now wears proudly.

  A beautiful silver link chain hangs around his neck and although it’s understated and subtle, it screams importance. I doubt he even realizes he’s doing it, but as he stares blankly out of the window, his fingers run rhythmically back and forth across the links.

  The crisp black shirt that he has rolled up high on his muscled forearms compliments his muscular physique well and is off set by the stark white jeans that hug his thighs. Worn black combat boots with red laces finish his badass look that is the complete and utter opposite of his brother.

  Twin number two looks like the embodiment of fun and childish antics. With medium length, silky light brown hair that sweeps across his soft brown eyes, he’s the polar opposite of twin Numero Uno.

  His eyes especially are not nearly as dark as his brother’s. Instead, they radiate warmth and sparkle with flecks of honey. It’s obvious he is the more relaxed of the two and is most definitely a troublemaker.

  Clean-shaven with gentle features, he wears an orange and white printed bandana around his neck. A soft cream cardigan hangs almost daintily across his shoulders with a white tee underneath. Dark grey jeans and bright white hi-tops finish his dazzling look.

  He catches my assessing gaze and throws me a wink. Naturally, my smile widens at the mischief that twinkles in his eyes.

  He’s one to watch out for, that’s for sure!

  Jax crosses the room and passes the twins who are standing behind the sofa to lay me down facing the fire. Already roaring and spitting out with fiery intent, the heat from the blaze warms my cheeks.

  As I relax further back into the comfy cushions, my head slowly begins to clear. Footsteps approach from the side of me and I catch a glimpse of Aus as he walks past me on the way to go lean on the wall next to the fire.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, he props one foot against the wall and fixes me with a scrutinizing stare. Cue the signature badass pose.

  How adorable!

  The gruff, overprotective voice just a minute a go definitely belonged to him if his scowl is anything to go by.

  As Jax takes a seat on the floor by my feet, Rick takes the armchair to the left and the twins stand behind him.

  “Mila, this is Linc,” Rick lifts his hand towards twin number one, who keeps his gaze firmly directed towards the floor. “And this is Micah,” he hitches his thumb in twin number two’s direction, before cautioning me. “Watch out for him. He’s quite the prankster.”

  “Nice to meet you, Sayuri. It’s a pleasure,” Micah says in a silky sweet voice, throwing another cheeky wink and cute little head tilt my way. I can’t help but giggle at his cutesy look.

  Jax sighs at my feet, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. “They’re going to be trouble together. You realize that, right?”

  “Hec, yeah we are! Mila is already my sidekick in training.”

  Several groans follow his enthusiastic admission.

  “Hey!” I protest. “I am no trouble at all!” All I get in return is looks of disbelief and amusement. “I’m just fun to be around, there’s a difference. You’ll see,” I jest giving them a wink of my own.

  Micah laughs and practically dances over to me, holding his hand out for a high five. It’s a struggle, but I manage to return the action, snickering at his antics.

  His energy is so infectious. It certainly helps to soothe the nerves that are threatening to eat me alive right now.

  “Okay, serious questions before anything. I know what your parties are like here. Dare I even ask what has happened where?”

  Rick chuckles before answering in earnest. “All the rooms have electronic locks that are engaged when we have a party. The only places accessible are the two public bathrooms, kitchen, main lounge and pool area. Even the pool house is locked when we have a party, unless it's poolside. You can rest assured that no one has sullied your bed or bathroom.”

  Phew! I really hadn’t thought about it until I was actually using the bathroom.

  I’d done my usual compulsive inspection and found nothing untoward. In fact, everything was pristine. I wonder who cleans this place?

  Everyone points at Linc, who does everything to avoid making eye contact with me.

  I look around at each of them, completely baffled as to why they’re all pointing at him all of a sudden.

  “You realize you said that out loud, right?” Aus asks with a tweaked eyebrow.

  “Erm, no actually. I didn’t.” I hesitate for a second before looking at Linc. “I’m actually very impressed. I’m super OCD about cleaning and everywhere is absolutely spotless,” I praise, causing Linc to mumble quietly.

  So quiet in fact that I can’t catch what he says. The flush on his neck says everything though. It’s clear he’s not used to being in the spotlight, nor is he keen for attention, so I quickly change the subject.

  “I know this is probably all new to you guys as well, but I honestly can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me so far. Especially-” My throat constricts as the picture they brought over for me flashes through my head. “Especially for bringing the little things from home. It was really thoughtful of you all and it means a lot. Thank you,” I finish in a strained voice.

  My hand absently runs back and forth across my throat in attempts to soothe the abrasion that speaking has on my vocal cords.

  They each nod silently as I turn my attention to the fire and get lost in my thoughts. Sensing my need to just have a quiet minute to myself, they focus on their own conversations until the quiet click of the front door sounds.

  The squeak of leather shoes rebounds off the marble floors in the foyer as a set of footsteps makes its way to us. Going off the guys relaxed postures, and unless they have any other surprises in store for me, then I know it must be Lachlan.

  The thought of finally meeting him causes sharp anxiety to rear its ugly head again. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and try to calm my nerves.

  Jax rests his hand on mine as I concentrate on his closeness. Unfortunately, his soft touch does nothing to ease the pain that I’ve desperately tried to keep locked away.

  Of course, suppressing it has only led to it morphing into a hot, caustic anger that lights my veins on fire.

  Anger is a better emotion anyway. Destruction is good. It hurts less.

  Grinding my teeth, I take another deep breath as it feels like my chest has been impaled on a red-hot poker.

  Clearly this mindfulness shtick does not work for me.

  Giving up, I open my eyes to regard the man who stopped directly in front of me a good few seconds ago.

  Dimmed aqua colored eyes sit high on a soft face. An old scar runs through his left eyebrow as a couple of days old stubble graces his handsome face, sporting the same color as the salt and pepper hair that’s cut short on the top of his head.

  About the same height as the twins, he displays a well-built physique that is accentuated by the crisp white shirt that stretches across his massive arms and chest, and is paired nicely with a pair of grey slacks and formal tan shoes.

  Although appearing to be in his late forties, he’s still a decent looking guy. Something about him looks familiar too. I just can’t quite place it.

  Dropping to a knee in front of me, he regards me with gentle eyes, and when he speaks, I recognize him immediately as the softly spoken voice that I heard in my dreams. Only now I realize that it must h
ave actually been when I was waking up from the coma.

  “Good evening, Mila. It’s nice to finally meet you.” The genuine concern and sympathy that coats his words, swathes me in a warm embrace. Just like it did back then.

  Holding his hand out for me to shake, I remove mine from under Jax’s and offer a firm hold. We pump hands a few times, but instead of him letting go when I try to pull away, he places his other hand on top of mine and continues to speak.

  “My name is Lachlan Torres.” Ah, that’s why he looks so familiar. He’s Rick’s uncle. “I was once a friend of your parents. I am so sorry for your loss, they truly were wonderful people.” The sheeny gloss that descends over his eyes intensifies with every word spoken.

  The only thing I can muster in response to his condolences is a small nod of my head as I try to swallow the lump that’s formed in the back of my throat.

  “I’ll answer any questions you have for me, but first, I need to fill you in on a few things. Is that alright with you?” I nod again, still unable to find my voice.

  Although all I’ve done so far is listen to him talk, the whole meeting is a lot more intense than I imagined. Having been desperate for answers ever since I woke up, now that I’m actually offered the opportunity, I’m reluctant to ask.

  Too scared of what the answers may be.

  Releasing my hand, he stands and moves over to sit in the armchair to my right. Aus takes that as his cue and strides across the room towards us.

  Scooting me along the sofa, he sits down next to me and coaxes me to lie back against his shoulder as I stretch my legs out towards Lachlan.

  Causally draping an arm over the back of the sofa, he relaxes back. Jax remains on the floor by my hip, one of his hands resting gently on my thigh in a show of support.

  Despite not knowing the five of them all that well, their comforting presence only serves to make me feel safe and reassured. Nothing so far has been awkward or unsettling.

  “Okay, so before I start, I just want to make sure that you know that we will be here for you no matter what happens. I swore to Tr-” Stumbling over his words, he corrects himself quickly.