by Sonja B
“Hey, Mo,” Axl greets, startling the shit out of me, causing me to cut my finger.
“Shit.” I hiss dropping the knife.
“Damn, Monica, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare on you like that,” Axl says, as he rushes over to me. He grabs my hand, pulling me to the sink then turning on the cold water, sticking my finger under it. “Shit, my bad Mo.”
“It’s okay, Axl. It’s only a small nick.” I tell him.
He pulls my finger from under the water, examining it before putting it back under the water. “Hang tight, let me grab the first aid kit.”
“Seriously, Axl, it’s not that bad.” I declare.
Axl ignores me, as he goes over to the stove and turns off the burners. He returns to me at the sink then stoops down, opening the cabinet. When he rises, he’s holding a first aid kit. He opens it then takes out a tube of Neosporin and a band-aid, placing them on the counter next to him. Axl doesn’t say anything, as he takes my finger from under the water again, drying it with a paper towel. Once it's dry, he applies the ointment, then carefully puts the band-aid on.
“There you go,” Axl says, but never letting my hand go. “I found out some stuff when I went to check in with Romano. Come have a seat.”
Axl leads me to one of the high back chairs that sit at the island. Taking a seat, I wait for him to sit before I bombard him with questions. He sits, lowering his head as he lets out a deep sigh. Axl runs his finger through his beautiful mane, before he slowly looks up at me, locking me in his gaze.
“When I left here, I put my plan into motion. I went back to your house and threw some stuff around to make it look like there was a struggle. Then I paid someone to take a note to your brother stating that you were kidnapped. The plan worked, because after I got to Romano’s, your brother showed up shortly after, threatening to shoot the place up.”
I gasped, covering my mouth with my free hand. I can’t believe Nolan rode up on Romano like that. Was he freaking crazy?!
“Imagine my surprise when we get outside, and there’s Julian standing next to Nolan.” Axl fumes.
“What? Why would Julian be with Nolan? He’s a CPA at one of the firm’s downtown. He must have been there because he wanted to know where I was too.”
“No, Monica. He was there because he is working with your brother. No right-minded CPA will involve themselves with big-time drug dealers. Plus, the gun that was on full display in his waistband would let one know he was associated with your brother in some kind of capacity.”
I sat there in disbelief. Julian was working with my brother. He’s been lying to me this whole time. Before I started avoiding him, there were times I would call him, and he would say he’d have to call me back because he was going into a board meeting. That lying piece of shit. I thought he and Nolan only interacted when we were all together. Now shit is starting to be clear because there were times the two of them would sit off to the side, talking in hush tones.
“Not only that, earlier when Romano and Nolan were going back and forth, I noticed Julian and Romano’s right-hand man, Rocco, gesture to each other.” Axl relays.
“So, what does that mean?” I ask, confused.
“It means they are working together to overthrow Romano and your brother. I followed Rocco when he left Romano’s to see if my suspicions were correct.” He pulls his cellphone out of his pocket. “They were. I was able to get this footage of the two them meeting up.”
Axl loads up a video on his phone, then hits play. I could not believe what I was seeing. Julian appeared on the video with a guy I recall seeing him speak with not too long ago while we were out to dinner. They stood there, discussing the demise of my brother and Romano. The more I thought about their interaction, the more pissed off I was getting.
Julian took Alex and me out for dinner one night, and everything was going fine. About a half-hour into dinner, a scary-looking Italian guy came in and sat at the bar. He seemed like any other patron, so I ignored him, until I noticed he kept looking over our way. Julian suddenly stood, saying that he needed to use the restroom. I didn’t think any of it, as I nodded and continued to eat. A few minutes later, while I was admiring the décor of the restaurant, I noticed Julian and the same guy from the bar walking from the direction of the restroom. It seemed as if they were having a serious conversation by the stern looks on their faces. They stopped when they reached the bar. More words were passed, then Julian shook the guy's hand and headed back to our table. When he made it back and took his seat, I asked if he knew the man. He said he didn’t. He said the guy wanted his opinion on what was good on the menu. I shrugged it off because this was one of Julian’s favorite restaurants, and he knew the menu like the back of his hand. I assumed the guy must have changed his mind about eating at the place because a few minutes later, he was walking out the door. Thinking back on it now, he was there to do business with Julian.
I sat there, shocked, as I continued to watch Julian sound so heartless, talking about Nolan the way he did. I wanted to puke when they started talking about me being the target of a hit, and Julian claiming me to be his. That shit would never happen. I’m glad Axl brought us here because if I was to be anywhere near Julian right now, I’d probably shoot him in the dick.
When the video ended, I sat there, feeling betrayed, hurt, and angered. “So not only has Julian been working with Nolan all along, he’s teamed up with one of Nolan’s rivals, and they plan to take him and this Romano fellow out. And you were the person that was assigned to take me out, to do the hit?”
Axl nods. “If I would have known sooner what was going down, I would have gotten you and Alex someplace safe before now.”
“I can’t believe everything I thought I’ve known about Julian is a lie,” I whisper.
“Julian has always been a phony in my eyes, and this proves it even more. Now Romano is about to go to war with your brother, normally I wouldn’t give a shit, but now that it is involving you, I have to find a way to stop it or kill them all.” Axl replies.
“No, promise me you won’t hurt my brother! Please, Axl?! I know the way he makes his money is a shitty way, but he is still my brother. Promise me?” I plead with tears in my eyes.
Axl hesitates before speaking. “I promise, Monica. But if he gets in my way, I will hurt him.”
“But, Axl…”
“I said hurt him, Monica, not kill,” Axl interjects.
I lower my head, rubbing my temples. “I can’t believe I never saw the signs. We have been put in the crossfire of a war. I can’t let anything happen to Alex, Axl.”
Axl easily lifts me from my seat, as if I was light as a feather, sitting me on his lap. “No one is going to hurt you or Ladybug, I promise. I would give my own life before letting any harm come to the two of you.”
“Julian has been my best friend for years. I never would have thought he’d be dealing with my brother on that level.” I whisper, as I place my hand on Axl’s chest. He stiffens, as I feel raised skin under his shirt. I move my hand slowly up and down his chest, feeling the many bumps and ridges. “Tell me what happened to you, Axl.”
“It’s not a pretty story, Monica.” He lowly says.
“I need to know. Please tell me, tell me why the love of my life was taken from me all those years ago.” I plead.
Axl takes in a shallow breath, as he begins to tell me of his past. “That night, after we made love, I went home…”
Chapter 10
Monica
When Axl was done telling me the horrific tale of what he went through, I sat there on his lap with my hands over my mouth, as tears fell from my eyes. The things he had to endure, no person should ever have to go through that. I knew it was going to be hard to hear the truth, but I needed to know, especially now that Romano has put a hit on me.
“Why didn’t you come to me when he let you go?” I ask. Besides Felix and Adam, I would have thought I’d been one of the first people he would have come for.
“Monica, what I went t
hrough was hard on me. I have those scars to prove it. I was gone for so long I assumed you would have moved on with your life. Then Felix told me what my father said to you, and I knew then all was lost. But I had to see you. I remembered your family always had Sunday dinners at the same time every week, so I decided to take a chance to see if you’d show up. I came by one Sunday, hoping to see you, and I did.”
I gasp. “When, why didn’t you say something?”
“It was a couple of weeks ago. I was parked a couple houses down. You pulled up in a white SUV and got out on the passenger side. Then that dick Julian got out. I told you he always wanted you. He just couldn’t wait till I was out of the picture to make his move. I was about to get out of my car and beat his ass, but then Ladybug got out next. I thought she was you guys' daughter. I couldn’t see her face, but seeing you and Julian together, with a child, confirmed to me you moved on.”
“I remember that day. That’s the same day Julian picked me and Alex up to go to dinner at my parents. And it’s also the same day he told me he wanted more with me.”
“I see,” Axl says.
“Axl, Julian and I could never be together. You know I have always considered him as my best friend, nothing more. That day you saw us, he told me before we left my house that he has always had feelings for me. You were right after all these years, and I never saw it. I’ve been avoiding him since that day.”
Axl smirks. “Well, damn. Now I really want to beat his ass. If it had been any other guy, I might’ve left it alone, maybe, but since it was his snake ass…”
“Let me see them,” I tell him, concerning his scars, as I begin to caress his skin through his shirt trying to memorize every scar.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Monica. Those scars are one of the reasons why I didn’t come to you when Romano let me go.” Axl laments, rubbing my back.
“Let me see them, Axl. You might have thought that you went through all of that by yourself, but I suffered right along with you. I lost my best friend, my soul mate, and daughter’s father in one night! My scars might not show on the outside, but they’re here.” I tell him, as I place his hand on my chest right above my heart.
He placed his forehead against mine. I release his hand, as he brings the other from behind my back and begins to unbutton his shirt. When he gets to the last button, he pauses.
“It’s okay, Axl,” I whisper.
He unfastens the last button, opening the shirt. I hold in my gasp, as I look at the scars scattered upon his chest.
“I want to kill them for what did they do to you, Axl,” I whisper as I began to run my fingers over them. Axl closes his eyes, taking in a deep breath. “These scars are a testament of what you have been through, Axl. They put you through their worst, and you survived. Don’t ever be ashamed of them to me or anyone else. They are your badges of courage. You withstood everything Romano threw at you, and you still came out on top. You are a champion.”
Lowering my head, I place a kiss on the scar that is right above his heart. His breath hitches. I kiss the one under it, as I delicately caress the others on his torso. Axl trembles at the affection. Slowly, I kiss my way up to his neck, as I begin to feel his approval start to grow under my ass. Even though we spent one special night together that blessed us with the most beautiful daughter in the world, I never forgot how patient and gentle Axl was with me. It didn’t matter who I dated or tried to get close to in the past, my heart, my body, my soul always cried out for him. Axl was my forever. Even if he hadn’t shown back up in my life, no one, not even Julian could ever replace the love I had for him.
Axl growls, as he takes a handful of my hair and balls it in his hand, tilting my head back.
“I am a monster, Monica. You are too good for me.” He says before he lays one hell of a domineering kiss on me. A moan escapes me, as I grip his shirt in my hands, pulling his body closer to mine. His kiss is like coming home but new at the same time.
“Ahem….”
Axl and I both look up to see Felix standing in the doorway.
“As much as I like to watch a good show, I have to draw the line on seeing my brother and sister in law-making out in the kitchen.”
I laid my head in the crook of Axl’s neck with embarrassment, as he wraps his arms around me.
“Shut up, Felix. Where have you been?” Axl retorts.
“I ran out to get some air.” Felix replies, going to the refrigerator and taking a beer out of it.
When he turns around, I notice his shirt. “Felix, is that blood on your shirt?”
He looks down and sees the spot I’m talking about. “Oh, naw, I grabbed something to eat while I was out and must have spilled ketchup on my shit. I’m gonna take a quick shower. I’ll see you guys in a lil bit.” He glances at Axl and smirks before leaving out of the kitchen.
“I think Felix might’ve done something to Keirra’s ex-boyfriend. He found out earlier that Juan, the ex, put his hands on her, then he and Keirra had some words. She got pissed off and went to bed while Felix left out, claiming to ‘get some air’. Apparently, they have some history that she never told me about.”
Axl grunts before saying, “He probably did. Remember back in the day when I used to tell you how my piece of shit father was with our mother? Well, we have an issue with men putting their hands-on women. And as far as them having history, I do recall Felix telling me about a beautiful African American woman he met that would someday be his wife. I don’t know what she did to him that night, but she definitely put some shit on his mind.”
“I’ll say. If you could have seen the heat between the two, wow. Looks like Keirra and I are gonna need to have a long talk. Anyway, let me finish making breakfast. Alex will be up soon, and I know she’ll be hungry.” I say, trying to get up, but Axl tightens his grip on me.
“We’re gonna have a long talk to when all this is over with.” He says, nuzzling my neck.
A shiver runs up my spine from his touch. We definitely needed to have a long conversation because knowing what he does for a living puts us in just as much danger as being around Nolan and Julian. I refuse to have Alex around any of that. Unfortunately, that is what the rational side of my brain is telling me, but I wish it would relay the message to my heart.
Chapter 11
Axl
Eventually, I let Monica up and helped her finish cooking breakfast for everyone. We laughed as we recalled some of the fun times we used to have. The flow between us seemed so natural, you would have thought we’ve done this many times before.
As if on cue, everyone starts to file into the kitchen with their appetites. Monica and I got the food on the dining room table, and once everything was in place, we sat at the table and began to dig in. Alex sat in between Monica and me, asked if I would make her plate, and even though it was a simple task, I took great pride in fixing my daughter’s plate.
When I had my fill, I sat back, looking at everyone at the table as they conversed among each other like a family, my family. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight surrounding me.
“Axl!” Felix shouts.
“Yeah, what? I mean, what’s up?”
“How did you end up with Monica, Alex, and Keirra? Monica wouldn’t tell us.”
Shit. I peer over Alex’s head to Monica, then nod my head at Alex. I didn’t want Ladybug to hear what I was about to tell my brothers. Even though she was there, I felt bad that she had to witness it.
Monica wipes her mouth, before addressing Alex. “Come on, Alex, so we can get you set up to take a bath.”
“Okay, momma,” Alex says, before wiping her mouth and hands too. When she’s done, she leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek.
“I’ll be back, daddy.”
“Okay, Ladybug,” I tell her. I don’t think I will get over how awesome it feels every time she calls me daddy. When they leave the room, I begin to tell Felix, Adam, and Keirra what happened.
“Well, you know I got the call earlier, so when I went to
Romano’s, he gave me the address of the hit. He said some wannabe drug dealer had taken out a couple of his guys and was trying to take over his territory. I really didn’t care about the specifics because I only have one job to do. Well, I went to the target’s house, got inside, and was shocked as shit when the target turned out to be Monica.”
“What?!” Felix and Adam roar at the same time.
“Wait, you’re a fucking hitman?!” Keirra shrieks.
“Yes, and the hit was on Monica. I didn’t know it was her until she flipped on the light after damn near shooting me.” I raise an eyebrow at her, as she steps back in the dining room.
She snickers. “You shouldn’t have broken into my damn house.”
“Exactly! We’re single women, we have to protect ourselves.” Keirra adds.
“Single?” Felix grunts, shoving a forkful of eggs in his mouth. Keirra rolls her eyes at him.
“Damn bro, Monica almost took you out, huh? You must be getting rusty.” Adam chuckles.
“Whatever. I’m curious though, Monica, how did you know I was there?” I probe.
“Before I moved out of my parent’s house, it was broken into by some people looking for Nolan’s stash. I moved Alex and I out shortly after because I didn’t want her around all of that. I took a gun training class and got my license to carry. After I got my nursing degree, I bought the house we’re currently in. Along with a security system, I had motion detectors and hidden cameras placed around the house. You triggered it when you stepped in the backyard. I saw you on the monitor in my room and waited to see if you were going to be stupid enough to break in my house.”
I shake my head. Yeah, I fucked up. I knew I should have checked for cameras and wires. That was an amateur mistake.