Marco The Phoenix Novels & Stories

Behind him, I could hear the rhythmic thump-thump of Council boots breaching his inner den. "Phoenix! The mist is falling!" Marek shrieked, his amber eyes wide with a terrifying, unadulterated awe. "They’ve taken three of my pups! They say they’re 'redundant files'! Help us! I’ll kneel! I’ll burn the Covenant! Just save the children!" I looked at Marek—the man who had wavered, the man who had looked at the Phantom with hope. I looked at his blood-stained face and I felt... nothing.

"This wedding is absolutely magnificent." "Thank you. Julian and I wanted to celebrate with everyone who's supported Phoenix-Gray Industries." "Speaking of Phoenix-Gray, I heard you're expanding internationally?" "Our London office opened last month, and we're planning offices in three more countries next year." "Impressive. You've built something remarkable." I looked around the reception hall, at the crystal chandeliers and elegant flower arrangements and tables full of powerful people who respected my success. This was the life I always wanted. Wealth, status, love, security. Everything Marcus tried to steal from me, I built for myself.

Old contacts from the underworld, new informants he paid in cash and silence, all of them whispering the same name: Phoenix Society. A splinter group. Former Ouroboros members who said Marcus had gone soft. They wanted the trafficking network rebuilt, bigger, meaner, untouched by cops or ex-lovers. And their first target wasn’t a warehouse in Sydney or a dock in Melbourne. It was Lily. Not as a hostage this time. As a symbol. As the future face of the new empire.

The Phoenix server was completely silent now, the data stream stable. The heavy glass double doors at the end of the room clicked open. Marcus walked in. He had changed into a clean black suit, his tie knotted tightly against his throat. The exhaustion from the previous night was still visible in the dark circles beneath his eyes, but his posture was rigid, the chaotic energy completely contained. He didn't sit down. He walked straight to the window, his large hands resting on the low sill as he stared out at the waking city. “Elara signed the partition agreement at four AM,” Marcus said, his voice a low, rough baritone that carried cleanly through the empty room. “Higgins Logistics surrende

Marco replied shortly. "Then why do you know so much about penguins?" Letta asked again. "Come on, dear, it's basic knowledge from our school days. Many people know about penguins and their facts, even if they're not penguin enthusiasts," Marco said, still with a relaxed face, making Letta convinced that her husband really had a sharp mind. That's why he was the manager of the renowned Jovanka assets in many prominent countries. "Are there no bears in the South Pole?" Letta asked again, making Marco shrug.

Alonzo’s limousine sped away into the night. “Are you okay?” Markos asked, his tone softer now. I nodded, though my hands were still shaking. The thought that something could have happened was appalling. “Thank you. I don’t know what he was planning, but it didn’t feel right.” Markos’s expression hardened. “Alonzo is a sex trafficker, Hazel. You need to be careful.” I furrowed my eyebrows at him. “How do you know?” He didn’t answer me. Instead, he opened the passenger door for me and gestured for me to enter. The tension between us was palpable, the silence was heavy, filled with unspoken words and unresolved feelings.

“I won’t tell. I know I like to gossip, that’s fun. But I understand when something is important. I’m not stupid.” “Kenzo,” Ajax growls, but Phoenix reaches out and places our hand on his arm. “He’s telling the truth, Ajax,” she says. Kenzo ignores Ajax who has him pinned against a tree. “What are you?” he asks me. Ajax turns and looks at me, finally releasing his hold on Kenzo. “I am a phoenix,” she says.

Marco waited by the door, his face grim. “How is Salazar?” I asked with a venomous tone. “What’s the situation?” Marco took two steps forward, his eyes glistening with rage and frustration. “He’s been hitting us while you were out,” he said, his voice low. “Five days ago he bombed our shipment to Mexico worth two million and he’s been bragging about owning Miami now that you’re down and out of his way.” I smirked, my Beretta heavy in my holster, a knife strapped to my ankle. “So he thinks I’m really dead?” I said, my voice ice. “Let’s remind him who runs this city, shall we?”

Dialed Marco's number. He answered on the third ring. "Em. Everything okay?" "Everything's fine. Great actually. I'm calling to ask you something." "What?" "Axel and I are getting married. In six weeks. Small ceremony here in Oregon. Will you come?" Silence. Then: "You're getting married?" "Yes." "To Ghost?" "No, to the mailman. Yes to Axel." Marco laughed. "Smart ass. Of course I'll come. Wouldn't miss it." "And will you walk me down the aisle? Give me away?"

Marcus came and sat beside her. "It will get better," he said. "Will it?" Maya asked. "The Phoenix is still out there. Still recruiting. Still hunting. How do we protect him? How do we give him a normal life when there is no such thing?" Marcus did not have an answer. Because there was no answer. The Phoenix was not something you could defeat in a single battle. It was something you had to manage. Contain. Fight constantly. A new threat that never fully went away. At federal headquarters, Cross was reviewing security footage.