Axl

by Sonja B

  I sat there in shock from what I just saw. Monica and Julian were a couple, and they had a daughter. I wished Felix had never brought her up. I was doing fine staying away from her. Now, after witnessing this, I felt anger, heartbroken, jealousy, and rage. I needed to channel these feelings into something. Without a second thought, I picked up my phone and made a call. When the person on the other end answered, I only had one question for them. “Who’s next?”

  Chapter 6

  Axl

  Today my mother’s birthday and Felix, Adam, and I were going to her grave to pay our respects. We’ve done this every year since they’ve been back with me. The first time was hard on all of us, but we got through it together. When we got to the cemetery she was buried in, it took us a while to find her grave because she had one of those small generic grave markers the funeral home gives to the deceased when there is no family to take care of the arrangements. I was so pissed that the next day, I ordered a new headstone in the shape of an angel because I know she is walking around heaven with the most beautiful angel wings.

  Anyway, we sat there for hours, laughing, talking, and crying, as we recalled stories of our mother. Neither one of us mentioned our father. It was like he never existed. One night during dinner, they told me that after I was taken from the house, they heard our parents arguing in their bedroom. My mother was screaming, ‘how could you do that to your son’ and my father screamed back ‘because he is not my son’. That shit floored me. Maybe what my mother said that night was true and if it was, fuck both of those monsters. Felix continued and said our father started drinking more, and when he was drunk, he would go off in a fit of rage, attacking anyone in sight. Right before he died, he told Felix if he ever saw me again to say to me he was sorry for what he had done, and he hoped one day I could forgive him. There was no way I would ever fucking forgive him for what he did. Because of him, I lost my girl, my mother, and damn near lost my brothers. So, fuck him. May he rot in the pits of hell for all eternity. I told Felix and Adam that night I never wanted to hear about him ever again. They had no problem with it because they felt the same way I did. It was decided then that we would never speak of Sergio Salvant again.

  “Are you guys ready?” I yell out, as I put my coat on. Felix and Adam were still in their rooms, getting ready.

  “Yeah, here we come,” Adam shouts back.

  I reach for my keys when my cellphone rings. Pulling it out of my pocket, I groan when I see the name on the screen. Romano. Fuck, not today. As much as I don’t want to answer the phone, I know there will be repercussions if I didn’t.

  Letting out a deep sigh, I hit the accept button. “Hello.”

  “Mansion, one hour,” Romano says through the receiver before the line goes dead.

  Fuckkkkkk!! Of all the days he had to call. I knew shit had been too quiet. It had been almost two weeks since my last hit, and I had to go out of state for that one.

  “We’re ready, bro,” Felix says behind me.

  I turn to face him and Adam. Damn, they are gonna be pissed. “Yeah, why don’t you two go ahead and go. I just got a call to come into work.”

  “Are you serious? Did you not tell him what today was? Fuck, he couldn’t call somebody else?” Felix fumes.

  “You know that’s not how it works, Felix,” I reply.

  “So, you’re just gonna go even though you know its mom’s birthday? Shit, you shouldn’t have answered your phone when you saw it was him calling.” Adam harps.

  “Look, I know it’s fucked up, but I have to go. I’ll go by there as soon as I’m done, okay.” I say, trying to calm them.

  “Yeah, whatever Axl, it's six now, and it will be dark soon. You’re not gonna make it today. Sometimes you act like you are at Romano’s beck and call. He calls, and you run. You know what, whatever, let’s go, Adam.” Felix says, walking towards the door. Adam glares at me shaking his head before joining him.

  I stand there pissed and shocked. Pissed because Felix was right, Romano calls, and I run. There was nothing I could do about it. If they only knew that I was doing this to keep them safe. If I didn’t, there’s no telling what Romano would do. I was shocked because neither one of those little shits ever talked to me like that before. They have never expressed how they felt about my ‘job’. I didn’t know that’s how they felt about it. Now I feel even worse. Not only would I miss going to the gravesite, but my brothers thought I was some type of puppet, and Romano pulled the strings.

  They will just have to get over it. Until I figure out a way to get out from under Romano’s thumb, this was how things were going to be. I grab my keys and leave out the door.

  Forty-five minutes later, I was parking my car in Romano’s driveway. Lorenzo was waiting on me when I got to the front door.

  “What’s up, Zo?” I greet, shaking his hand.

  “Some heavy shit with a bigtime drug dealer has Mr. Romano going crazy. I didn’t hear all of it, but it was something about the dealer taking over parts of his territory and took out some of his men. Mr. Romano is madder than a mother fucker. So, don’t do or say anything to add to it.” He warns.

  “I don’t say shit.” I counter.

  “No, you don’t, but you know Rocco likes to push your buttons, so try to remain cool. You know he still has it out for you.”

  “Fuck, Rocco. We both know he has had it out for me since day one. He thinks Romano shows me too much favor. Fuck them both, I didn’t ask to be here. The only reason Romano still has his grips on me is because I don’t want shit to happen to my brothers.” I tell him walking into the mansion heading to Romano’s office.

  The door is closed, so I knock twice before it’s opened by Rocco’s dog face. I smirk, staring at his still crooked nose, as I step in. Romano is sitting at his desk, as usual, yelling and cursing into his phone. He sees me and tells whoever is on the other end he’ll call them back.

  “Ahh, just who I’ve been waiting for,” Romano says, before standing, then coming to the front of the desk sitting on the edge with the envelope in his hand. “It seems like we have a problem. Some wannabe thug thinks he can take over my territory. I want to send a message to him that I am not one to be fucked with. Inside this envelope is the address of your hit. There will be two targets there. Take them out and make sure you leave some kind of memento letting them know it was me.”

  I take the envelope from his hand. There’s nothing for me to say, I take orders nothing more nothing less. I turn to leave, but Rocco had to add his two cents.

  “Don’t go soft on us, pussy.” He chuckles.

  “Rocco, that’s enough.” Romano snarls, ceasing Rocco’s laughter. “Go handle my business, Axl.”

  “Yes, Mr. Romano,” I reply, leaving out of the room. Lorenzo’s propped up against the wall when I exit.

  “You need to be careful, Axl. I heard these people are not to be taken lightly.”

  “Damn, Zo, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you cared about my wellbeing.” I tease going to the front door.

  “Whatever fool, I’m just saying watch your back.”

  “Never been a problem before, don’t see it being one now,” I tell him, as I stroll towards my car. “It’s a hit, just like any other. In and out.”

  “Yeah, okay, in and out. Did you go to the cemetery today?” He questions.

  “Naw, I got the call just as we were about to head out. Felix and Adam are pissed, and I don’t blame them. Hell, I’m pissed too, but what could I do, tell Romano ‘no I can’t carry out your hit because it’s my mother’s birthday’? Hell no. I’ll go when I’m done with this.”

  Lorenzo lets out a deep sigh. “Their feelings are valid, Axl.”

  “I know, Zo, but what do you expect me to do? Look, let me get out of here. I need to go and get geared up. I’ll call you when I’m done.” I tell him, as I get into my car, placing the envelope on the passenger seat.

  “Alright, Axl,” He states, stepping back from the car. I give him a salute, before I start the c
ar and take off.

  It didn’t take me long to get to my warehouse. I hit the button on the sun visor, as I drive up, opening the garage door. Once inside, I park my car then secure the door again. Grabbing the envelope of the seat, I get out going to my gear room. I type in the code on the electric lock, opening the door. Inside hanging along each wall are various tools that I have to choose from. Most of the time, my selection depends on what type of mood I’m in, and today I’m in the mood to do a slow, painful soul snatching.

  Stepping into my changing area, I begin to undress. Neatly, I hang my suit on hangers, then hang them up. When I’m finished, I switch my dress socks with a pair of thick, black crew socks then put on a pair of black cargo pants. Next, I slide on a black Henley shirt and black Doc Marten’s.

  Reentering the gear room, I peruse the walls trying to see which tools I’ll have the pleasure of using tonight. Being that I will have to do the hit at the location, I won’t be able to take my case so I have to choose items that will fit on my persons.

  I take my 9mm from the wall, tucking it into the back of my jeans. Next, I select the wire cord, brass knuckles, and my M48 Cyclone knife. Carefully, I place the knife in its sheath then attach it to my waistband. The last item I chose was my lock picking kit that I placed inside one of my cargo pockets. Now fully dressed, I leave out of the room, securing it again.

  Walking past the Barracuda, I grab a set of keys hanging on the wall. After I got the Barracuda, I decided I wasn’t going to use it when I went out on hits. It was too noticeable and loud. So, I bought an old ’98 blue Toyota Camry. It was an ordinary simple car that no one would think twice about if they saw it. Jumping in, I crank it up, then hit the garage door button heading out as the Snatcher of souls.

  Two hours later, I’m sitting down the alley across from the hits house, which happens to be on the outskirts of my old hometown. I did some recon around the house and determined which rooms were which. I wonder who from here had the balls to go up against Romano. Oh well, not my business. I just follow orders.

  There was a light on in the back room of the house, which was the kitchen. Whoever the hit was, they were still up because I saw movement just a minute ago. Just as I finish screwing the silencer on my gun, the light goes off. Perfect, now I could do what I came to do.

  Getting out of the car, I place my gun back in the waistband of my pants, as I quietly close the door. I stay hidden in the shadows as I creep up to the house. There was no fence separating the backyard and the alley, so I had a clear path to the backdoor. Taking out my lock picking kit, I get to work on the knob. Seconds later, I have it unlocked and opened. The house was one story which made it easy getting to the master bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Removing my gun, I inch the door open. There is a silhouette of a body under the covers in the bed. Lightly, I step inside with my gun aimed at the target. Two steps in, and I hear a click to my right.

  “What took you so fucking long?” An unknown female voice says right before they pull the trigger of a gun with a silencer. Quickly, I dropped to the ground, just barely missing the bullet. I roll to my side taking aim at the person. What was a fucking female doing here? I know she can’t be the target. Romano has never sent me to take out women.

  “Look, lady, you need to lower your weapon before you get hurt,” I tell her.

  “Fuck you! You just broke into my house, and you want me to put my weapon down? Are you fucking crazy? I’m about to call the police on your ass!” She yells.

  Fuck, that’s what I don’t need right now. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. How about we both lower our weapons, and I’ll leave out the way I came in, deal?”

  “Naw fuck that!” She hisses, as she lets off another round that whizzes past my head.

  “Fuck!” I growl. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if you keep shooting at me, I’m gonna forget that my mother raised a gentleman and shoot back at you.”

  “Fuck you and your momma!” She says, moving to the side of the room.

  See, now why’d she have to be disrespectful against my mother? I growl, as I rush her. I crash into her just as she flips on the light. That face, that beautiful face.

  “Monica,” I whisper, as we hit the floor hard. Nolan was the fucking drug dealer that crossed Romano. Fuck.

  Chapter 7

  Monica

  Did this mother fucker just say my name, I think to myself just as we hit the floor?

  “Umph!” I groan. We fell so hard the impact caused me to lose the grip on my gun. Shit.

  “Monica.” He says again.

  I begin to wrestle under him. I had to get his big ass off me. I try to bring my knee up to hit him in the balls, but he twists his body out of the way. Pissed, I reach up and try to scratch at his face. His big hands grab my wrists, bringing my arms above my head.

  “Damn it, Monica, stop!” His voice booms.

  “Fuck you! I don’t know you, so stop saying my name.” I sneer ,as I squirm under him.

  “Momma!”

  “Monica!”

  The intruder and I both whip our heads toward the bedroom door where my daughter, Alex, is peeking around my best friend Keirra, who has her gun trained on the intruder. Alex’s beautiful green eyes are round with fear.

  Shit Alex. I stop squirming. The intruder continues to stare at her, before he slowly looks down at me. Eyes that are the same emerald green color lock with mine. His eyes remind me of someone that was once dear to me a long time ago.

  “Please don’t hurt my baby,” I beg. A lone tear escapes my eye. He surprises me when he lets go of my right wrist and wipes the tear away.

  “I would never hurt you or our daughter.” He whispers, his eyes now with unshed tears in them. “It’s me, Monica. It’s Axl.”

  No, it can’t be. Axl has been gone so long, I started to believe he was dead. When I went to his house the next day after we made love and his father said those hateful things to me, I prayed that they weren’t true. I hoped he would come back and tell me everything his father said was a lie and that he loved me. Days turned into weeks, and he still hadn’t come back, so I started to think maybe what his father said might have been true. That day Felix tried to talk to me in school, I was so hurt and angry I didn’t care what he had to say. Thankfully, Julian was there for me to lean on. Then the shock came when I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t know what I was going to do. My parents wanted me to have an abortion, but I decided I was going to keep my baby. She was conceived out of love despite what Axl’s father said. My parents took me out of school when I started showing and sent me to stay with my grandparents until she was born. They felt I let them down by becoming a teen mother. When I went into labor, they didn’t even come. My grandmother was in the labor room with me. After I had her, the nurse put this beautiful baby girl in my arms; all I could do was cry. She was the most precious thing I had ever seen. She had curly dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. She looked just like Axl. I named her Alex Monet Salvant. My parents didn’t care for her name when they learned of it.

  A month after giving birth, Alex and I moved back with my parents so I could finish out my senior year. Nolan deflected some of my parent’s harshness towards me, but he couldn’t be there twenty-four seven. He would help me with Alex whenever he was at home. My parents didn’t help me with anything concerning Alex. I ended up having to get a part-time job and state assistance to help cover her daycare and other expenses. I don’t know what I would have done without Julian. He helped me so much that I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend.

  Even though I knew how Nolan made his money, I didn’t want any part of it. My parents could look the other way, but I couldn’t. I loved my brother, and I adored his relationship with Alex, but his lifestyle started to affect our lives. Like one time, the house was broken into with people looking for his stash. I couldn’t have my baby around that, so when I was eligible for housing, I moved Alex and me into our own place. Julian helped with the move and surprised me when
he bought everything for Alex’s room.

  I graduated high school with honors despite continually hearing from my parents that I wouldn’t. I proved them wrong and kept doing it as I used the scholarships I earned and enrolled in the local college for nursing. It was hard, especially when Alex or I would get sick, plus having to work and study. But nothing was going to stop me from getting my nursing degree.

  While attending classes, I met my best friend, Keirra Davis, who was also studying to become a nurse. We were placed in the same study group and clicked. She was feisty and spoke her mind. Finding out we had a lot in common, we quickly became close friends. Keirra lived on the rough side of the city with her grandparents. They got custody of her when she was younger because her parents were too far gone on drugs. She was determined to make a better life for herself and help her grandparents move from their neighborhood. There were many nights she slept over at my apartment because we were having late-night cram sessions or she just needed to get away. I pushed her, and she did the same to me.

  Julian seemed to be a little jealous because Keirra and I were together a lot. At one point, I thought it might have been a good idea to try and hook them up, but Keirra declined saying he was not her type. So, I tried to placate Julian by including him on some of our outings, but he would always decline, saying Keirra was ghetto and too loud, which she definitely was not. We would end up arguing with me, telling him just because she came from the rough side of town did not make her ghetto or loud. In the end, I would tell him, he and I would hang out with him some other time. I don’t know what he had against Keirra, but I was not going to end my friendship with her just because he didn’t like her. Keirra had helped me out just as much as he had. Plus, I liked having a girlfriend I could talk to about girl stuff.