by Sonja B
On the day of my graduation, my parents showed up with Nolan and Julian. I was surprised they actually came. After the ceremony, my mother broke down crying. She apologized for not being there for me after I had Alex. She also told me how proud she was that I didn’t let their negativity stop me from making a better life for me and Alex. My father choked on his apology, as he pulled me into a hug, sobbing while he told me how much he loved me. I cried right along with them. Even though I accepted their apologies and told them I loved them too, it was going to take some time for us to get back to the way we used to be.
The hospital Keirra and I interned at were so impressed with our skills and bedside manner, they offered us a job right after we graduated. With the new job and better income, I was able to move out of the housing apartment and buy the house Alex and I are currently in. Keirra moved out of her grandparent’s house and in with her on again off again boyfriend, Juan. She tried to get her grandparents to move into one of the nice senior complexes, but they declined, saying they have lived in their home for over forty years and didn’t want to move.
Just like Julian was there for me for my graduation, Alex and I were there for his. I was proud my best friend got his degree in Accounting. He worked hard to achieve it. Now he’s working as a CPA at one of the top Accounting firm’s downtown.
He’s been by my side through everything, and Alex just loves him. Once, she asked if he was her father. I promised myself that I would never keep anything from her, so I explained to her that Julian was my best friend. She should consider him an uncle like her Uncle Nolan. Then I proceeded to tell her about her father. When I was done, she looked so sad that I wondered if I should have waited to tell her about Axl when she was older. She asked if I thought if he was here, would he love her. I took her into my arms, holding her tight, as I told her that if he knew about her, she would be the center of his world, and he would love her to the moon and back. Then she asked did I ever think he would come back. I told her I honestly didn’t know, but she had her Uncle Nolan and Julian if he never did.
However, things changed between me and Julian about a week ago. He stopped by the house to pick Alex and me up to go to Sunday dinner at my parents. Julian and I were in the kitchen talking while Alex ran to her room to get her jacket. We were laughing when I walked over to the sink to put the glass I was drinking from in it. When I turned around, Julian was standing right in front of me. He caught me off guard when he leaned down and kissed me. I was so shocked. In all the years, Julian and I have been friends, he has never showed any interest in me in that way. I’ve met his girlfriends, hell I even set him up with some of my friends. Never would I have thought he had feelings for me like that. I remembered Axl saying years ago Julian had a thing for me, but I guess I never saw the signs. He was always my best friend.
I push him back. “Julian, what are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, Monica. Actually, no, I’m not sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve wanted to do that for years now. I can’t hide how I feel about you anymore, Monica. I’ve been patiently waiting for you to see that I care more about you more than just being your friend. I know deep down, you feel the same way for me. I think we would be perfect together, Monica. If you think about it, as much time as we spend together, we’re already like a couple. Alex loves me, so it wouldn’t be like you were bringing someone new around her. Just think about it, okay?”
Luckily, I didn’t have to answer him because Alex chose that moment to come back into the kitchen. I gave him a weak smile, as I moved away from him to help Alex put her coat on.
“Are you all set to go, lovebug?” I ask, zipping her coat up.
“Yes, ma’am,” Alex replies with a big toothy grin. “Uncle Nolan said he has a surprise for me.”
“He always has a surprise for you,” I say, tickling her under her chin.
“Well, let’s go so you can find out what your surprise is then,” Julian adds, grabbing his keys off the counter.
The ride over to my parents was uncomfortable for me. I barely said anything, as I thought about what happened in the kitchen. I’ve never had any attraction toward Julian whatsoever. Him expressing his feeling for me has made things very awkward for me. When we made it to my parents, he parked his SUV and wanted to talk about what happened, but I told now was not the time and got out. He got out too, calling my name. Alex jumping out of the SUV, silenced him. I straightened her clothes, telling her how cute she looked. Julian knelt, telling her the same just as Nolan pulled up. I was so ready to go inside and get this dinner over with I was starting to feel sick. After Nolan gave Alex her surprise, we went inside.
Dinner was just as awkward, as Julian sat next to me. I had to repeatedly remove his hand from my thigh. When dinner was over, I feigned a headache, so we could leave. I needed some space from Julian. I didn’t know how to deal with his new display of affection. He dropped Alex and I off, and I told him I would call him the next day, but I didn’t. It’s been a week, and I have been avoiding his calls and texts.
“Momma,” Alex's voice brings me back to the situation at hand. “Momma, who is this man?”
I glance over to her, then back eyes I fell in love with. “This is your father, Alex.”
“Her what?!” Keirra screeches.
A tear falls from his eye and lands on my neck, as I begin to shed my own tears. Without thinking, I haul off and slap the shit out of him.
“Momma!” Alex cries.
“What the hell, Monica!” Axl grunts, as he rolls off me rubbing his cheek.
I hear Keirra cock her pistol. “Say the word, Mo, and I will rock him.”
“You asshole! You left me years ago and now you here trying to kill me! Where the fuck is my gun?!” I scream before I turn and reach for my gun. Once I have it, I whirl around, ready to shoot his ass, but Alex stands in front of him.
“Momma, please don’t shoot my daddy.” Alex sobs. I stare between her and Axl. She favors him so much. Shit! I lower the gun and watch as our daughter turns to face her father.
“Hi, daddy” She greets him.
Axl peers at me then back to her before saying, “Hey, ladybug.” He reaches for her, pulling her into his big arms. This was a touching moment, but I needed to know where the fuck he’s been and, more importantly, why was he trying to kill me.
“Monica, what the hell is going on?” Keirra asks, never lowering her gun.
“This is Axl, Alex’s father. He broke into the house.” I reply, still watching Axl and Alex.
“Wait, the same mutha fucka that got you pregnant and left you?! Aww, hell, no!” Keirra snaps, as she steps further into the room.
Raising my hand to her, I say, “Keirra, lower your pistol. Axl, we need to talk.” I say, breaking up his and Alex’s hug-fest.
“Yeah, we do, but first, I need you to pack some clothes for you and Alex. Same goes for Annie Oakley there too. I need to get the three of you as far away from here as possible.” He states, as he stands with Alex still in his arms.
“Pack for what? No, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on!” I demand standing with my gun on my hip.
“Exactly! How do you expect us to leave with you, and you just broke in her damn house?!” Keirra questions.
“Listen, I promise I will tell you guys everything! But the longer we stay here, the more danger you’re in. If I don’t get you out of here now, there will be another person sent to finish the hit. Now, please pack a bag.”
“No, you need to tell me…”
“No, I need for you to do what I said! I will not let anybody hurt you. Now please, do as I asked, we don’t have much time. I promise I will tell you everything. You’re in danger, and I need to get to the bottom of it.”
The desperation in his voice let me know what he was saying was true. If someone sent him here to kill me, then we were in danger, but could I trust him? This was not the same Axl I fell in love with, but the softness in his eyes let me know he would not hurt us.
�
�Fine, give us a minute,” I tell him.
“Monica, are you sure about this?” Keirra asks with concern.
I glance at Axl then to Keirra. “Yeah, I’m sure. Axl has never lied to me.”
Axl walks over to my dresser, picking up my cell phone then dropping it to the floor before he stomps in, crushing it under his foot.
“What the hell, Axl?!” I yell.
“I don’t want anything that could be traced to you. Keirra, I suggest you do the same to yours. No one can know where you guys are at.”
I shake my head at him, as I walk out of the room to grab Alex some clothes. Keirra follows, fussing about having to destroy her iPhone 10.
As we rode to our unknown destination, Axl asked a lot of questions about Alex. He was tickled to learn that I gave her his last name. Finally, an hour and a half later, we were pulling in the driveway of a beautiful brick house. It was dark out, but the glow from the floodlights gave enough light to see that this was no cheap house.
“Where are we?” I ask, looking around.
Axl lets out a sigh, as he lowers his head. “My home.”
“Seriously, you brought us to your house. Wouldn’t we have been safer in a hotel or something?” Keirra asks from the back seat.
“There’s no place safer than here, trust me,” Axl replies, putting the car in park then shutting off the engine.
I watch him, as he gets out then opens the back-passenger door, lifting a sleeping Alex into his arms.
“It’ll be fine.” He says, trying to reassure me.
I nod, grabbing the bag I packed. Keirra and I get out of the car and trail him to the front door. Axl adjusts Alex in his arms before he puts the key in the lock, unlocking the door, then opening it. I follow him, as he steps inside. I was shocked to see that the inside was beautifully decorated. Axl must have had a woman, possibly his girlfriend helped him pick out the furniture and accents.
“Your house is beautiful, Axl. You must have had your girlfriend help you decorate.” I say on the sly.
He fixates on me before saying, “I haven’t had a girlfriend in ten years.”
I look at him with disbelief. There was no way Axl has not had a girlfriend in ten years! I mean, look at him, he’s sex on a stick with those sexy emerald green eyes, long eyelashes that curled, and Greek God facial features. Shit, he looked like he grew more since the last time I saw him. He had to be six-foot-three or four. And the way his Henley shirt was fitting on him, there was no hiding the muscles that lay under it. Yeah, this was definitely not the Axl I used to know.
“Axl, you finally made it home.” A voice yells, coming into the room. Felix.
He stops in his tracks when he sees that Axl is not alone. His eyes wander from Axl then Alex than me but widen when he sees Keirra.
“Monica?” He questions. “Keirra?”
I smile. “Hey, Felix, how do you know Keirra?”
“We met a while back.” He replies, as he stares at her with a heated gaze.
Adam enters the room and does the same thing Felix did prior.
“Felix, Adam. Monica and Keirra will be staying here for a little bit. Some shit went wrong tonight, and I need to find out what the fuck is going on.” Axl relays to them.
They shake their heads. Adam studies Alex before he asks, “And who is this?”
A smile that I haven’t seen in a longtime graces Axl's gorgeous face. “This here is my baby girl, Alex Monet Salvant, your niece.”
Both Felix and Adam stand there, shocked at the news. I can guess what they are thinking about me. They probably hate me for keeping their niece away from them, but after Axl left, I didn’t interact with them like I used to. And then when I returned from having Alex, I saw them in school one time before they too disappeared.
“Oh my God, we have a niece!” Adam cheers, waking Alex up. He and Felix rush over to Axl to get a better look at her.
“Damn, bro, she has your eyes.” Felix states.
Alex hides her face in Axl’s chest, as she whispers, “Daddy, who are they?”
The three of them chuckle together. “These are your Uncles Felix and Adam, ladybug.”
Alex raises her head, looking at the two. “Hi, Uncles”
They laugh again, as they start to tickle her.
“Mom would have been ecstatic to know about her,” Felix says.
“Would have been?” I ask. Where was their mother?
They regard me before Axl speaks. “Let me show you were you and Alex will be sleeping. I’m sure she needs to get to bed.”
I peer over at Keirra to make sure she was okay. She shakes her head, letting me know she was good. I nod back, before following Axl down a long hallway. He opens the door to a bedroom that was big enough to fit Alex and my rooms back home in. There was a king-size mahogany bed with soft earth tone bedding on it. A matching ottoman and table sat at the foot of it. In front of the large bay window was a cream-colored chaise. Dressers and chest of drawers sat along the walls. Decorative pictures hung in just the right places. The room was fit for a queen.
Axl walks over to the bed and pulls the comforter and sheet back. He lays Alex in the bed, then pulls the covers over her. She smiles up at him. He smiles back before giving her a kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll see you in the morning, ladybug.”
“I’ll see you in the morning too, daddy. Tell my Uncles that too, daddy.” Alex says with a smile, as she yawns.
“I will ladybug,” Axl tells her.
I lean over a place a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back in a few, okay?”
“Okay, momma. Tell Auntie Keirra I said goodnight. I’ll probably be asleep when you come back.” Alex says, as she gets cozy under the covers.
I smile. “I know you will be.” She giggles.
When Axl and I make it back into the living room, he gave Felix and Adam a nod, before turning to me.
“Monica, I have to go. I promise I will explain everything when I return. You guys will be safe here.” He states before turning to his brothers. “You guys know I have a time window to do a hit. I need to get some things in order since it didn’t go down. I’ve come up with something I think might work.”
“But wait, won’t Romano be pissed when he finds out you didn’t carry out the hit?” Adam asks.
Axl lets out a deep sigh, as he walks over to the end table and grabs his keys. “Hell yeah, but that’s why I need to get going. If my plan works, it’ll get the attention off Monica while I hide them out here.”
“Axl!” I call to him. He turns to face me. “Be careful.”
He winks, causing me to smile. “I will.” Peering at Felix and Adam, he says, “Keep an eye on them. Romano’s always talking about eyes everywhere, which I think is just a bull shit scare tactic, but just to be on the safe side, have your shit ready.”
“We got ‘em, bro. Nobody’s coming near them.” Felix says, as Adam gives Axl a nod.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can so we can talk,” Axl says, heading for the door. I don’t know what I’m going to find out, but something tells me it’s not going to be anything good.
Chapter 8
Axl
“What the fuck do you mean the hit didn’t happen?” Romano seethes.
After putting my plan in motion, I came back to his house to let him know the hit didn’t take place. I tried not to focus on Monica and Alex because I knew they were in good hands. Felix and Adam were built like The Rock and The Undertaker. Where Felix was skilled in handling any type of gun, Adam was just as deadly with his hands. They have often asked to go on a hit with me, but I didn’t want my brothers to become a monster like me. I wanted better for them. They didn’t need blood on their hands.
If everything goes according to plan, it will give me enough time to figure out what the fuck was going on. If I didn’t have a hard-on to kill Romano before, I sure as shit got one now for him wanting to take Monica out, and for her brother Nolan too for putting her and Alex in harm’s way.
“This is bullshit.” Rocco snarls.
I ignore his punk ass. “Mr. Romano, when I got there, some guys dressed in all black were walking someone out with their head covered. They put them into a van and left. I followed, thinking I would just take them all out. I guess they must have figured they were being tailed because they sped up. They started turning down alleys then hopped on the freeway where the chase continued. I was about to shoot out their tires when I noticed a cop car behind me with its lights on. I got pulled over and lost the van. The cop gave me a verbal warning for speeding, then let me go.”
Romano eyeballs me. I’m not sure if he’s buying my story or not. Rocco is staring at me like a mad dog.
“After the cop let me go, I circled around to see if I could find the van again, but they were gone without a trace. I went back to the target’s house to see if I might find any clues as to who took the target. I broke in, there looked to have been a struggle, but I didn’t find anything that would lead me to the target or the people who took them.” I say, trying to sound convincing.
“I don’t believe him! In all the years you’ve been sent out, you have never missed a target!” Rocco boasts as Romano eyes me suspiciously while stroking his goatee.
“Rocco does have a point, Axl. I’m wondering if you went against my order.”
I start to speak, but I’m cut off when Lorenzo bursts into Romano’s office.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Romano, but I think you need to come outside. That drug dealer is out there with some of his men yelling we kidnapped his sister and niece. He’s talking about shooting up the place!”
Romano’s eyes harden, as his face turns red with anger. He nods his head towards the door to Rocco, as he stands. They both pull out their guns, checking to make sure they are loaded and ready. I do the same.
“Looks like you might have been telling the truth, Axl,” Romano says, sliding a bullet in the chamber of his gun, then putting it back into his waistband.
I bow my head, putting my gun into the holster under my arm. Taking my sunglasses out of my jacket pocket, I slip them on. I may look different with my beard and mustache, long hair, and muscle toned body, but I didn’t want to take any chances of Nolan recognizing me.
