Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  Taking Lachlan’s offer really is a no brainer. The opportunity will provide me with the resources I need to complete my task and who knows, maybe I’ll develop some useful skills along the way.

  It also provides me with an income, which I will definitely need now that I’m orphaned.

  Shit. I’m orphaned.

  I quickly shelve that thought for later before it takes root and turns me into a blubbering fool again.

  Going back to my original problem, I’ve been struggling to decide on what to do at University anyway, so I really have nothing to lose.

  “If there is an offer for a place on this team,” I say hesitantly, “I would gladly accept. If the team is alright with it, that is?”

  Focusing on the guys in turn, I make sure to include them all when I ask the question. Rick may be the team leader, but they should all have a say.

  I’m slightly taken aback with the mixture of expressions that greet me. Anger and trepidation are the most prominent, with the odd look of elation and excitement thrown in.

  After consulting with his team, using silent looks and head bobs, Rick faces Lachlan and nods his head in affirmation of their newest member.

  “Welcome to Alpha Race, the top-rated junior team in Census!” Jax congratulates delightedly with a toothy grin that looks really good on him.

  Giving him a small smile back, mine falters slightly when I realize that there are so many more questions I want to ask.

  Why did my biological parents abandon me? Who attacked me and my family? What were they after? Why did Dad say they were after me?

  Being a part of this group only serves to make that list grow even longer.

  For now though, question time is over. My body is practically screaming at me to rest.

  Yawning, I lean back against Aus as I listen to the excited murmurs and conversations happening around me due to the new addition to the team.

  Rick and Lachlan talk logistics as Micah and Jax discuss the new ways in which my presence on the team can be used to the best advantage.

  It’s nice.

  A sense of family and belonging fills me to the brim for the first time since this whole nightmare started.

  Feeling safe and content, I allow my eyes to close as I listen on to the conversations going on around me, and it isn’t long before I’m teetering on the edge of sleep.

  “Come on, Lila. You need some proper rest,” Aus coaxes.

  Unable to even mutter a goodnight to the others, I don’t object when he lifts me from the sofa and cradles me to his chest. Sleep claiming me before we even make it out of the room.

  14 Mila

  One week later...

  Nearly a week has passed since my first night in the house. I thought it would take a while for me to relax around the guys, but we’ve already settled into a pretty good routine.

  As per my new, normal routine, we are all sat around the breakfast bar indulging ourselves in the tastiest and fluffiest pancakes known to man.

  From just a week of living side by side, I’ve uncovered a lot of interesting facts about my new housemates.

  The most impressive one being that not only is Linc an amazing cleaner, but he’s an epic cook too. Despite being outwardly broody and quiet, he takes to cooking with an air of refinement.

  As expected, I’ve lost a lot of weight and muscle mass, so Linc took it upon himself to deliver the most enjoyable meals he could think of. Not only did he want to make sure I gained weight, but he was adamant I do it the right way too.

  Of course, that meant coming up with a strict regimen to ensure I was getting the correct amount of nutrients required for a fast and efficient recovery.

  His obsessiveness led to an abundance of tasty, calorific meals that were balanced with an air of healthiness. Much to my dismay.

  Honey, maple syrup, bacon, strawberries and a healthy coating of lemon juice with sugar on my pancakes definitely equates to a balanced diet, right?!

  Well, in my mind it does. You have a variety of different carbs, fruit, vitamins, sugars and protein all thrown into the mix. You couldn’t get any closer to perfection if you tried!

  Linc doesn’t question the pile of added extras on my plate this morning. Apparently I’m allowed to indulge myself this time round since I’ve been so good at sticking to his regimen so far.

  Who am I to object to his praise?!

  He currently tends to the pancakes on the stove as we sit at the breakfast bar behind him, waiting eagerly -and not so patiently in my case- for delicious food. Aus and Jax talk together quietly as Rick scrolls through his phone doing whatever he usually does.

  Thinking back on the week, I realize I haven’t really had the chance to spend much time with Rick or the twins. The only interactions we’ve had were when we were together, as a group.

  Aus and Jax have been splitting themselves between babysitting duty and as always, Rick has been more or less absent, doing whatever he needs to get done as team lead.

  The twins, well…I have no idea what they’ve been up too. Apart from my good morning’s from Micah, they have been as elusive as ever.

  At first, I thought that living together with a bunch of guys that I barely knew was going to be quite an awkward affair. Yet, in actual fact, it’s been rather pleasant. It’s almost like being a part of a family again.

  I have my own space and bathroom, and the majority of the time, they are doing their own stuff anyway, leaving me to my own devices.

  One thing that has remained a constant though, is my need for a personal guard for the day. So far, Jax and Aus are the only ones with that particular job description.

  Despite my reticence to being followed around all day, I must admit that I ‘ve quite enjoyed having one on one time with each of them. It’s made it that little bit easier to get to know them.

  Spending nearly twenty four seven in someone’s presence, you tend to pick up on a few things.

  One of the things that is extremely noticeable throughout the whole group, is how closed off they all seem to be. Myself included.

  There’s a hidden depth to each of the guys that remains untouchable, even from one another, and I am determined to get to the bottom of it.

  Aside from Linc, Aus appears to be the quietest and most reserved of the bunch.

  Having said that, he has actually begun to open up a little to me over the last few days. Allowing me a little more insight into his deep, dark soul.

  Yeahhh…there is nothing deep and dark in sight. He’s a big fluffy teddy bear through and through. No doubt about it. He just likes to play hide and seek with his inner self is all.

  Learning he’s an avid musician who prefers classical music pretty much solidifies those thoughts.

  All his interests are in complete contrast to the bad boy image he tries to portray. Just the other day we were in his room looking over his music collection when he hesitantly brought out a beautiful acoustic guitar and started playing.

  He was hesitant at first, but as soon as I started to sing along, he began to relax. Revealing a completely different person underneath that sharp exterior. An extremely talented one at that!

  Whether planned or not, he’s been the one to help me out with the majority of the physical aspects of my rehab. Each day, whether he has babysitting duties or not, he takes me through my exercises and pushes me to my limits.

  Our hard work has already started to pay off as I can now walk freely to the bathroom and around smaller areas.

  All. By. Myself.

  Minimal progress, I know. But, everyone’s got to start from somewhere though. It beats being supervised for every step you take, that’s for sure.

  Now, I only have to have someone glued to my side when I try to tackle the stairs or go for longer walks.

  Whoopie!

  Overall, my muscle mass and stamina has improved, just not enough to bring me back to normality yet. It will take time and I know that.

  I do.

  But honestly, it’s completely f
rustrating and downright humiliating not being able to do basic everyday tasks on your own.

  Nevertheless, Aus has been a godsend. Not once has he complained about having to support me. In fact, he’s been extremely patient and understanding with all of my hang-ups.

  He doesn’t treat me like a damsel in distress or a helpless idiot. Instead, he’s encouraging and proactive in my training and treats me more like a PT client.

  It’s refreshing.

  He even ran me through some simple, low effort, self-defense moves when I got irate because I couldn’t work out like I used to.

  Despite knowing most of the moves already, having something simple to focus on really helped to curb my anger. The recap was more than welcome, and surprisingly enough, seemed to have assisted in engaging my muscle memory too.

  Alas, the wonders that the mind is capable of when logic is in the driving seat, not emotions.

  Who would have thought it?!

  On the other end of the scale, we have Jax. As a man who is candid and open with most things, we spent the majority of our time together playing chess and simply chatting.

  Taking the opposite stance to Aus, Jax has helped the most with the mental side of things. Especially in getting me past some triggers that I somehow seem to have acquired. All of which are Meat Man related.

  Go figure!

  Guiding me through a range of coping strategies, he’s sat patiently with me for hours on end, never once making me feel as though I have to deal with any of this alone.

  Admittedly, I thought his teachings were all a load of baloney at first. I gave him a lot of stick for it too. That was, until three or four days down the line where I realised I hadn’t experienced even a hint of a trigger.

  Despite my near constant complaints, not once did he ever give up on me. Even after all of the strops and tantrums I threw in his direction, he simply continued to bear the brunt of my irrational accusations and helped distract me from myself.

  On a particularly bad day, we’d exhausted nearly all methods of distraction available when he sat us down to play Chess.

  Having played it since I was a little girl, where Dad and I would play for hours on end, it acted as not only a good distraction from my thoughts, but as a comforting presence that I was sorely missing.

  Playing Chess makes me feel that much closer to a family that I no longer have and helps to quell some of the loneliness that no one -other than my absent family- could alleviate.

  It was an altogether amusing experience. I thought I would be at least a half decent competition for Jax. As it turns out, either Dad was going very easy on me, or Jax is just insane at the game.

  The score currently stands at twelve-to-three…to Jax. Not bad really, considering I haven’t played for about a year or so!

  Coincidently, it turns out that Jax is also a national medal-winning swimmer. Who knew?!

  It’s not like you could tell from his lithe, drool worthy physique. Nope. Not. At. All.

  Head out of the gutter, Mila!

  So, yeah…erm, he likes swimming. Bonus points for me as I get to-

  Ahem.

  I get to have private swim sessions. Yup...totally what I was going for!

  Scrub up that dirty mind of yours, Mila.

  Anyhow….moving on! Once my wounds were fully healed and I was allowed in the water, he took me through some aqua aerobics. It was actually quite fun.

  Let’s be honest, the amazing view totally made the whole experience just that extra little bit better. Who doesn’t like drooling over dripping wet, chiseled men?!

  Jax’s sweetness didn’t stop there either. Oh no, being the amazingly considerative person he is, he even kept notes in college for me and contacted my tutors for reading materials. All so that I could keep myself busy and not fall behind.

  As unfortunately, fate has chosen to fight against me, yet again!

  Despite my extenuating circumstances, it was decided by the board that my finals would not be delayed. So, I’m taking them with the rest of the year in just under three months time. I cannot wait.

  Cue the sarcasm.

  I was hoping that I’d be able to at least go back to college soon, but before I do that, I need to be able to walk on my own and at least function somewhat like a normal human being first.

  Although I’m not too far off achieving that, I definitely have a fair way to go. I also still need to put a hefty amount of good weight on.

  Yesterday, I finally managed to look at my reflection without crying like a baby, so the guys kindly re-installed my mirrors.

  Now that the bandages are off, the various scars that should litter my body are even less evident. As in nothing. My skin is completely unmarred.

  The same can’t be said for the different lengths of hair on my head where they had to shave it off to get to my injuries though. That one still irks me. A lot.

  Yet, it doesn’t affect me anywhere near as much as when I first arrived home. Maybe I’ve gotten so used to seeing small glimpses of my new look that it doesn’t come as much of a shock anymore, or maybe something else is just taking my focus.

  Who knows?! All I know is that right now, I’m a stick figure who looks like freakin’ patch the dog.

  Fortunately, the hair is easily fixable. Most of the shorter areas are towards the middle and bottom of my head, so I can easily hide them by tying my hair up.

  My physique on the other hand, is something I’m still working on. Finishing my second helping of delicious pancakes with a side of vanilla latte and two sugars certainly helps in that regard.

  All in all, I can’t say it’s much of a burden trying to put weight on. I’m enjoying indulging myself in Linc’s cooking far too much.

  Thanking him as he slides another scrumptious pancake onto my plate, I glance around the table for the Nutella and reach over Jax to grab the jar of sugary goodness.

  As I sit back and enjoy food heaven, I can’t help but notice how quiet it is. Then it hits me.

  Micah’s missing.

  Although I haven’t really spent any one-on-one time with him, he was the first one, aside from Jax of course, that I’d begun to open up too. With such a relaxed attitude, he’s had me at ease from the very start.

  It’s easy to assume Micah is the scatterbrain of the group when you experience his friendly and excitable attitude. What other people fail to see, is how he uses that visage -very cleverly may I add- to hide his observant and intellectual nature.

  Micah quickly cottoned onto how much I enjoy my vanilla latte’s, and ever since, I’ve been woken with a coffee in bed. Hence the reason why I woke up later than usual this morning when he never turned up.

  I wondered if I’d done something to upset him, but then got distracted with getting ready for the day and never gave it a second thought after that. I just assumed he’d got somewhere to be this morning and left it at that.

  It’s strange really, the house feels so empty without him. I hadn’t realized until now, just how much he lightens the atmosphere and how relaxed I feel when he’s around.

  “Guys, where’s Micah?” A round of shrugs is my answer.

  Okayy.

  Well, I guess he’s fine doing whatever he’s doing if the guys aren’t overly concerned about his absence.

  I’m about to dig back into my pancake when I notice Linc turn to look at something behind me. Noticing me staring, he quickly turns back around and continues cooking like nothing ever happened. Leaving me to question whether I just imagined what I saw.

  Downing the last bite of my pancake, sad that all my delicious food is already gone, I decide to go look for Micah myself.

  It’s only as I go to stand that I remember that I need someone to go with me.

  So gods help me! I swear, if this doesn’t end real soon then I am going to go insane. For real!

  Huffing, I go to ask for help when a set of large hands wrap around my waist and start tickling the sides of my stomach. Screeching and giggling, I desperately try to get away,
but whoever has me is relentless.

  “There’s your answer,” Linc says gruffly as he slides another pancake onto Jax’s plate.

  Huh…oh!

  “Micah! Micah, stop!” Attempting to get my words out in between gasping for oxygen and my awkward squawks of laughter, I try desperately to drag in a lungful of air.

  “Please, Mic- Please, it’s…please, stop!”

  “Say the magic words, Lala,” he taunts, all the while still tickling me and chortling at my helplessness.

  “That’s an awful nickname,” I snort-gasp. The sound is most definitely not the most attractive thing I’ve ever heard. “Please, please I beg you! I don’t know the magic words,” I shriek.

  “Cheesy toes,” he declares with such seriousness that I can’t help but bust out into more hysterics as someone else chokes on a laugh.

  A stitch begins to form in my stomach as the pancakes I’ve just eaten threaten to make a re-appearance.

  “You can’t be serio-” Clearly, he doesn’t think I’m struggling enough for breath as he intensifies his efforts. “Alright, alright! Cheesy toes. Cheesy toes. Cheesy toes! Please Micah. I give! I give!”

  Grinning in victory, he ceases his attack and places a sloppy kiss on my cheek before moving to take one of the empty seats next to Aus on my right.

  That’s another thing he’s taken to over the past week, granting me a sloppy kiss every time he greets me. He actually reminds me a bit of those gigantic slobbery Saint Bernard’s.

  An absolutely beautiful breed of dog are Saint Bernard’s. They’re enormous creatures that are amazing at giving cuddles and are extremely loyal, but they’re also terrible dribblers that make a huge amount of mess.

  What makes the whole situation with Micah’s affection even more hilarious, was when he started doing it to the guys as well.

  Unlike me, they weren’t exactly too keen on the show of endearment. A few bruises and busted lips later and that trend quickly ceased.

  I don’t mind though. It makes me feel like part of the family. Family or team? Group?

  Bah, whatever you want to call us! You get my point.

  Micah sits down and Aus smacks him upside the head, which sets off my giggles again and makes it even harder for me to draw a breath.