by Sonja B
Dominic, who runs the Eastside, nods before saying, “Yeah, a hip-hop club called Black Pearl. It’s packed on the weekends. I heard a lot of celebrity’s party there.”
“Excellent. It would be quite unfortunate if Nolan’s little hot spot went up in flames, now wouldn’t it?” Romano insinuates.
Dominic chuckles. “It sure would, Mr. Romano. I’ll have it taken care of.”
Romano points to Marco, Gio, and Philip. “I want you to send out a few of your foot soldiers to knock down the doors on his drug spots. He’s about to find out he messed with the wrong mother fucker. He wanted a war, now he’s about to get it!” He bangs his fists on his desk, as he stands. Everyone else except for me and Lorenzo cheer him on. This shit was about to get real ugly. “You all can go except for you, Axl.”
Romano, Rocco, and I were left in his office once the others left, which was about five minutes ago. I’ve been standing here waiting for him to finish up a phone call that he received when the others were leaving.
“Great, great, keep me posted,” Romano says, before ending the call. “Axl, I’m trying to get a location on Nolan’s home. Once I have it, I’ll message it to you. I don’t want to waste time with you having to come back here to get it. So be ready, if I can’t get to him, I have a plan B just in case. You can go.”
I bow my head, then turn to leave. If I was a betting man, I’d bet all my chips on Romano’s plan B was Monica and Nolan’s parents. I needed to set shit up with Nolan quick as fuck.
Chapter 15
Axl
As soon as I was off Romano’s property, I called the cell Nolan still had in his possession. It was time for me and him to have a talk. We needed to come to some type of understanding of how we were going to proceed with handling Rocco and Julian. I’m sure Rocco has contacted Julian and told him what’s about to head their way.
The phone rang a few times, before he finally picked up.
“Yeah?” He answers.
“I need you to listen to me and listen to me clearly. I’m going to give you an address, and you are to be there in one hour. I’m sure now that you have seen the video, you are aware you have a rat in your camp, which is why it is imperative that you come alone. A shit storm is coming your way, normally I wouldn’t give a shit, but now that Monica has been involved, I have to keep her and Alex safe.” I convey to him.
“Who the fuck are you, and why should I trust what you are telling me?” Nolan questions.
“Because you have no other fucking choice!” I snarled into the phone. “Look, if you don’t want to meet up with me to put an end to this, then I’m telling you now you won’t see Monica or Alex again until all this shit over with. I won’t let you put them in any more danger than they’re already in.”
I listen to Nolan’s heavy breathing on the phone. I know he’s pissed, but I meant what the fuck I said.
“Fine, I’ll be there, but you make sure Monica and Alex are there too! What’s the address?” He relents.
“1401 Industrial Lane, park in the back when you get there. One hour.” I tell him, then end the call.
I called Felix next and told him to get the others up and bring them to the warehouse. I hated to wake Ladybug up in the middle of the night, but I wanted Nolan to see that she and Monica were fine and not being held against their will.
I made it to the warehouse fifteen minutes before Monica, and the others showed up. Felix pulled his car inside and parked next to the Corolla. Alex was knocked out, so I got her out of the car and took her into my office and laid her on the couch I had in there. I grabbed a blanket out of the closet, then draped it across her, before going back to join the others.
“So, do you think he’s going to show?” Adam asks, leaning against the Corolla.
“He said he would, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” I reply, as I walk over to Monica and give her a quick peck on her soft lips.
“Oh, I’m sure she will show. The question is whether he shows up alone or with his crew in tow.” Felix says.
“He’ll come by himself self he knows what’s at stake. Nolan has always been a man of his word.” Monica states, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“I hear a car pulling up.” Felix whispers.
Unwrapping Monica’s arms from my waist, I tell them, “You guys go in the office with Ladybug. Let me talk to him first, then I’ll have you guys come out.”
“No, Axl, I think I should stay out here with you. Nolan might freak if he sees you.” Monica pleads.
“He doesn’t know it’s me, remember? We’ll be fine. Now hurry!” I state, ushering her and Keirra to the office. “Felix, Adam, you already know what’s up.” They nod, as they enter the office, leaving the door cracked.
Before everyone had arrived, I went into my clothes closet and pulled out one of my black hoodies and put it on. I knew if Nolan saw my face right away, he would recognize me as one of the men who stood with Romano when he came to his house. Pulling the hood over my head, I hit the button to dim some of the lights. When Nolan knocked on the garage door, I hit the button to raise it.
After the doors were up, he walked in. I stood in the open area where he could see me. I noticed he had a fire piece in his right hand hanging to his side. When he was fully inside, I hit the button to let the doors down. Nolan turned to look at the doors when the sound of the doors behind him caught his attention.
“Relax, no one is trapping you in,” I tell him, walking into the dim light.
He continues to stare at the doors, momentarily before focusing on me. “Where’s my sister and niece?”
“They’re here, safe.” I simply reply.
“I want to see them.” He declares.
“You will, but first we need to talk about a few things.”
Nolan walks further into the warehouse, looking around, as if he’s analyzing his surroundings.
“I really hope you came alone, I would hate for innocent people to lose their lives because you couldn’t follow directions,” I tell him, stepping more into the limited light.
“Look, I’m by myself, let me see my sister and niece, then we can talk.”
“Not before we talk.”
“Fine, then you show your face. I like to look into the eyes of the man I’m talking to.”
It’s too soon for me to show my face, but I know he won’t continue unless I give this to him. He’s on my stomping ground, so I have to give him something. With reluctance, I reach up and slowly remove the hoodie from my head. Nolan's eyes grow big. I know he realizes I am one of the men that stood with Romano when he came to confront him. And just as the thought crosses my mind, Nolan pulls his gun, causing me to pull mine from the back of my waistband.
“This is a fucking setup. I knew this shit was too easy. Y’all might take me out, but I promise I will take out a bunch of you mutha fuckas before I fall.” Nolan snaps.
“Look, Nolan, this is not a setup. Yeah, I was there when you came to Romano’s, but believe me, he and I are not the same. So please lower your gun so we can talk.”
“Naw fuck that! Do you think I’m stupid?! How bout you drop yours, then we can have a conversation.” He counters.
Letting out a deep breath, I think about Monica on the other side of the office door. I know Felix or Adam is trying to hold her back from coming out here. With a deep sigh, I lower my weapon.
“You a dumb mutha fucka,” Nolan says with a smirk. “I would have never lowered my piece.”
“I’m just trying to show you, I mean you no harm but if you don’t lower your gun, you will be shot. There are guns trained on you, and I would hate for one of them to shoot you. Monica would be pissed.”
Nolan looks around the warehouse, trying to spot the shooters. “If my sister is here, have her come out, then I’ll consider lowering my gun.”
Keeping an eye on his gun, I call out to her. “Monica, come on out!”
A few seconds later, she walks out of the office and comes to stand by my side. Irri
tation and confusion mask Nolan’s face.
“Monica, what are you doing? Come over here, sis.”
“Nolan, he’s here to help. He’s the one who recorded the video of Julian and Rocco. You need to listen to him.” She tells him.
“Monica, this mutha fucka works for my enemy! He’s the enemy! How can I trust what he says? How do you…” Nolan seethes, shaking his head.
Monica looks up at me then back to Nolan. “You can trust him because this is Axl.”
He abruptly stops shaking his head. “What did you say?”
“I said this is Axl, Alex’s father, my ex-boyfriend.” She relays.
I whip my head in her direction. “I’m not your ex, I’m your forever.”
“Now’s not the time for that, Axl.” Monica whispers.
Nolan snaps just as I was about to address Monica. “Move, Monica! Move right the fuck now. I told you I was going to kill this mutha fucka if I ever saw him again for leaving you heartbroken and pregnant! So your bitch ass has been working with Romano this whole time while my sister and niece struggled!” He has his gun trained on me as he walks towards us.
When he’s close enough, he says, “Naw, shooting your ass would be too easy…” He drops the gun and swings on me. I duck while pushing Monica out of harm’s way than catching him with a punch to his ribs. He winces but throws another hit catching me in the chest. Monica is screaming for us to stop and calling for my brothers to break us up. I ignore her, as I land a quick chop to his throat, causing him to clutch his throat as he gasps for air. He bends over, trying to catch his breath. At this point, the Snatcher of Souls has taken over, and I want to end him. With him momentarily defenseless, I go in for a death strike only to be stopped when arms lock around me from behind.
“That’s enough, brother. You don’t want to do this. Think about Monica and Alex, if you do this you will lose them.” Felix warns, as he struggles to keep me in his hold. I cease my movements when Monica rushes to his side. Fuck.
“Nolan, are you okay?” She asks, rubbing his back as he slowly catches his breath.
“He…he…he tried to kill me.” Nolan heaves, rubbing his neck, giving me the death stare.
“Uncle Nolan,” Ladybug calls out, catching everyone’s attention as she rushes to him. He scoops her up, hugging her close to him.
Felix lets me go, as Adam and Keirra come to stand by our sides. He knows I won’t kill Nolan with Ladybug in the room.
“Hey, Alex, I missed you.” He rasps out.
“I missed you too, Uncle Nolan, but I’ve been spending time with my daddy and my other uncles.”
“Your other uncles?” Nolan questions, then peers over her shoulders to finally see Felix and Adam. He squints his eyes when they fall on Keirra. “You’ve been with them too? I went by your little boyfriend’s house to see if you knew where they were, and he said you moved out. I should have known you were with them.”
Felix grunts. “He’s not her boyfriend.”
Monica clears her throat before saying, “Now, if you two have gotten your testosterone under control, maybe we can talk about why Nolan is here. Axl?” I continue to glare at Nolan. “Axl!”
Taking a deep breath to clear the images of his lifeless body from my mind, I say, “Look, Nolan, here’s the deal, I didn’t leave your sister. I was taken away but now is not the time to get into that. I’ll let Monica fill you in on that later, right now you need to listen to what I’m about to tell you.” He nods, so I continue. “Monica, Alex, and Keirra are with me because Romano put a hit out on Monica and Alex in retaliation for what you did. I was sent to do the hit.”
His face contorts from hearing that. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Monica, you’re with him, and he was sent to kill you?! What the fuck?!”
“Calm down, Nolan, I didn’t try to kill her. She actually tried to kill me, but anyway, when I found out the hit was on her, I took the three of them to my house for safety.”
Nolan sneers. “So, you knew where they were when I came to Romano’s, and you said nothing?”
“I couldn’t say anything because I had to throw them off, which is why you received that note. I was the one who sent it. Romano’s focus is now on destroying you and not Monica.” I tell him.
Nolan puts Alex down, as he regards me. Before he can say anything, I tell her, “Ladybug, go in the office for a little bit while we talk. The remote for the TV is on the desk.” She nods, before going back into the office.
When she’s safely back in the office, Nolan bellows, “You’ve created a fucking war!”
“No, Julian and Rocco created a war! They want you and Romano to kill each other so they can take your spots. You saw the video, you heard what was said. You played right into their fucking hands listening to Julian, so don’t blame that shit on me. I’m just glad I was the one that was sent to Monica’s because if it had been someone else, they would’ve ended up dead. Romano is about to hit you hard, so if you can stop throwing the blame at other people, I’ll tell you everything!”
He closes his eyes, then tilts his head back. His hands are balled into tight fists.
I take a step closer to him. “Nolan, you need to get on the phone with your people and put them on high alert at your spots. Romano’s planning to have them hit. He’s also going to try and destroy your club, Black Pearl. But most importantly, you need to get your parents away from here. He’s trying to find where you lay your head, and if he can’t find out where, then I think he’s going to go after your parents next.”
Monica gasps, covering her mouth. I know that was something neither one of them was prepared to hear.
“When? When is all of this going down?” Nolan asks.
“Soon, hell, they’re probably gearing up for it now. You need to send your parents on a trip or something. Matter of fact, they can take Alex with them.” I state.
“What, no Axl!” Monica shrieks.
“I know you don’t want her to go, but it’s for the best, Monica. At least if she’s not here, we won’t have to worry about anything happening to her.” I tell her.
“But Axl, I would feel better if she was with us.” Monica whispers.
“He’s right, Monica,” Nolan says. “If what he’s saying is true, then Alex doesn’t need to be around here, Monica and neither do you or Keirra.”
“I’m not going anywhere!” She hisses. “Fine, I’ll let Alex go, but I’m staying.”
Keirra wraps her arm around Monica’s shoulders. “I’ll go with Nolan to make sure they get off okay.”
“Bullshit!” Felix barks.
“Man, let me make some phone calls. That fucking Julian, I’m going to kill his ass.” Nolan vows, as he walks away with his phone in his hand.
“Hey, Nolan, try not to let on that you know what’s going down. I’m sure Rocco has called Julian and told him everything.” I yell out. He raises his hand, as he continues on with his phone to his ear.
Felix stalks to Keirra and grabs her arm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Relax, Felix, they’re not looking for me, they're looking for Monica. Alex will be more at ease if I rode with them. How do you think she’s gonna be once she finds out Monica is not going with them?” She asks, jerking her arm out of his grasp. “Plus, I don’t know why you think you have any say in what I do anyway. I am not or ever will be your woman!”
“Yeah, you keep on thinking that.” Felix counters.
Ignoring their little show, I go to Monica and take her hand, pulling away from the others. “Are you sure you don’t want to go with them? It’s gonna get ugly.”
“Deep down, I know I should, but as long as Alex and my parents are safe, I’ll be fine.” She replies, clutching my shirt in her hands.
Nolan rejoins us, as he ends his call. “Okay, everything is taken care of. I’ve added extra men to my spots and have a few of the boys in blue that are on my payroll keeping an eye on the Pearl. I even called that pussy Julian and told him that shit was getting too h
ot, so I was going underground for a bit. This mutha fucka was all too eager to take over the reins while I’m out. Bitch ass. So, what’s your plan, Axl?”
Felix, Adam, and Keirra come to stand with us. I regard each and every one of them before I say, “We’re going to war.”
Chapter 16
Axl
Nolan and Monica talked to their parents and told them what was going on. They got them set up with flights to go to Georgia and stay with relatives till this blew over. They were not happy about the situation but knew it was for the best. Once we had that taken care of, we had to say goodbye to my Ladybug. My heart was aching because even though she just came into my life, I didn’t want her to leave. I knew this was only until we got things squared away, but just the thought of her leaving had me feeling like I did when I was taken from my mother and brothers. This time though, I knew I was gonna see my Ladybug again. No one was going to keep me away from her. I would burn this mother fucking world down for her and the rest of my family.
Monica hugged her tight, as silent tears fell from her eyes. Alex sobbed, as she tried to convince her to let her stay. I had to go over to them and take her from Monica. She wrapped her little arms tight around my neck as she cried.
“Ladybug, I need for you to be a big girl and go with your Uncle Nolan. It’ll only be for a little bit. Momma and I will be right here when you get back, okay? We all will be here. Your uncles and Auntie Keirra will be here too, and when you come back, we’ll all go on a trip together, okay?” I tell her, as I rub her back. “And I think somebody said something about a puppy.” That quieted her sobs, as she lifts her head from my shoulder.
“A puppy, daddy?” She asks between sniffles.
“Yeah, a puppy, but you have to go with your Uncle Nolan to spend some time with your grandparents. How about this…when you get back, momma and I will take you to pick one out. How does that sound?” I hated to bribe her, but I didn’t know what else to do.
“You promise?” She asks, wiping her eyes.
“Yes, I promise,” I reply, as I adjust her in my arms so I could use my free hand to cross my heart. I’d give this little girl anything she asked for without having to bribe her.