by Day, Laura
“No, I’m not coming back with you. Not ever.”
“Oh yes you are. Let’s go. Time to get in the car.” Axel swung the door open moved into the room. His arms and limbs were loose; he was ready for whatever might come. MMA fighting wasn’t boxing; it was real fighting, street fighting. He didn’t need to be a ring to win a fight. He looked at his opponent. Austin St. Clare was tall and thin. He had a sparse head of short dark hair and a clean-shaven face. He was wearing a black suit and a skinny tie and Axel could see the bulge of a gun under each arm.
“Holy shit,” the man said, he was reaching towards Marie, but his hand had stopped in mid air. “You’re Axel Connelly,” he stood up and ran his hands through his hair nodded at Axel before coming towards him with his hand outstretched. “You won me five hundred bucks in the last match.”
His hand hung in the air between them as Axel looked down at it and then over at Marie. She looked shaken. Her face was pale. Cate was hiding behind her knees and there were two suitcases next to her. “This is my girl, Marie,” Austin said he put his hand down awkwardly as Axel clearly had no intention to shake it. “But you can ignore her, she doesn't know anything about MMA fighting. She probably doesn’t even know who you are.”
“Who are you?” Axel said, although he knew all too well.
“I’m Austin St. Clare of St. Clare Security,” he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a card that he tried to hand to Axel. Axel looked at the card then back up at the man. Austin smoothly moved the card back into his pocket and continued, “We’re just in town for a few days.”
He wanted to hit him. He wanted to punch him right in his smarmy face. But Axel held himself back. He would get arrested for that. His getting arrested would upset Marie and that was what he was trying to avoid. Besides, he knew guys like this. They talked the talked, but the second someone hit them they’re running to their lawyers and you're getting sued for assault. He wasn’t worth it.
“Marie, you ready to go? Car’s out front,” Axel said. He stared into her eyes. He willed her to understand what he was thinking. He understood everything, he knew Austin was here to take her back and he was offering her a safe refuge. He just needed her to take it.
“What’s this now?” Austin said turning from Axel to Marie. His smile turned into a grimace as he looked between the two. “You been seeing someone else, Marie? Did you really cheat on me?”
“We’re not together anymore, Austin. You know that.” Marie said and Axel was proud to see her look him in the eye.
“Look, babe, I know we had a couple of fights, but just come home and we’ll talk about it. We’ll work it out. We always do.”
“No,” Marie said. “I’m leaving.”
Axel tensed as she grabbed her bags and moved to walk past Austin. Axel watched and waited and he was ready when Austin’s arm shot out at Marie’s. Axel darted forward easily grabbing the other man’s arm before he could touch Marie. “Don’t do that,” Axel said and then he squeezed Austin’s arm with his strong hand. He could feel Austin’s arm start to twitch. The other man grimaced in pain and Axel held on for a moment longer before finally letting go.
Marie and Cate were on the other side of him. Axel and Austin stood and faced each other. Austin massaged his wrist and glared at Axel. “Don’t be an idiot,” he said. “I’m a powerful man. You don’t want to anger me.”
“I’m not that worried about it,” Axel scoffed.
“Really?” Austin demanded. “You think everything is a fight in a ring with a ref. Not where I’m from. In my business attacks can happen anywhere at anytime. You could be asleep and alone in your bed when BAM! the hit comes. You have to always be on your guard. Sometimes it’s snipers; sometimes it’s poison. Rarely does a man ring a bell before the fight begins.”
“Stay away from her. Marie doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Axel said ignoring the other man’s threats. He turned around and with Marie and Cate in tow they made their way to the front door, passing a terrified looking Leslie and into Axel’s car.
“Get back here!” Austin screamed. He came running around the sidewalk. He was in good shape and his lithe body moved quickly and easily. “I am not done with you.”
“Get in,” Axel said taking Marie by the elbow and ushering her inside. He buckled Cate in the backseat and headed for the driver’s side. From behind him he saw the flash of a gun as Austin drew his jacket aside. But Axel was already at his door and he slid between the wheel and peeled out before Austin did something he would regret.
“Mommy...” Cate cried from the back seat.
Axel looked over at Marie and she was staring at him. She was breathing heavily and almost in shock. He reached out and took her hand, feeling her pulse racing on her wrist. “It’s okay.” He didn’t know why he was saying that. Things were far from over. But it was all he could think of and it seemed to work. “It’s okay now,” he repeated as Marie managed a weak smile.
She closed her eyes for a moment before turning back to look at her daughter. “It’s okay, Cate,” she repeated. It was like a mantra they were sharing between themselves.
Cate held out her arms and cried out again and Marie sighed and undid her seatbelt. The car was moving but she slid between the seats and made her way to the back where she gathered Cate in her arms and rocked her back and forth.
He could see her eyes in the rearview mirror and she could see him. She mouthed the words thank you and he nodded. For a while he drove around in circles. He was looking for a tail, trying to see if he was being followed. He also wasn’t sure where to go and the movement of the car was soothing to Cate who was dozing in Marie’s arms. After twenty minutes of aimless driving he parked his car in the parking lot of a local grocery store and waited.
Finally, confident he hadn’t been followed, Axel headed for the forest. He left the small downtown behind and headed for the long dark stretches of road that led out of town. The streets got thinner and the trees closed overhead. Everything was quiet, sounds muffled by tree limbs thick with summer leaves. He drove instinctively towards the only place he could think to go.
The road was familiar. There was his old bus stop. There was the busted-up, abandoned Trans Am he and Hayden used to play in when they were boys. They were planning to be racecar drivers back then. He made his way slowly down the long dirt road. As the house came into view his mother came out onto the porch. She was drying her hands on a dishrag and craning her neck to see who it was.
“Where are we?” Marie whispered from the backseat as Cate slept in her arms.
“My mom’s house,” Axel answered as he parked the car. He watched as Mare looked around at his childhood home. He wondered what she was thinking of when she saw it. Did she see the peeled and chipped green paint on the front of the house, the lovingly tended garden out front? He tried to imagine the place as she saw it. Was it as warm and inviting to her as it was to him? “We can stay here until this is all sorted out.” The day was still bright above them, but old pine trees shaded the house as they made their way inside.
Axel lifted Cate and held her as Marie stood up and got out of the car. Mrs. Connelly raced towards them and held out her hands and quickly took Marie’s. “Mom, this is Marie. Marie, this is my mother, Elizabeth.”
Marie managed to let out a weak hi. She was still struggling to hold back tears. But that was all that was needed. Mrs. Connelly embraced Marie in a long hug and then took her by the shoulders and led her inside to the house locking the deadbolt behind them.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Elizabeth bustled about the room. She was supposed to be making tea, but mostly she was picking things up and putting them down nervously. Marie sat at the kitchen table with no idea what to say or do. Axel was doing his own version of his mother’s action. He was closing and locking every window, drawing the shades closed and turning off any unessential lights.
Marie wished they would stop, or at least give her something to do. She was sitting at the kitchen t
able waiting for tea she didn’t really want. She wished she were doing something, but every time she tried to move Elizabeth and Axel would both tell her to sit and relax. Behind her Axel moved to another part of the house. Marie quickly wiped a tear away hoping no one had noticed she was crying. She hated that she had brought this violence to this nice woman’s house. Hayden was right. She was infecting things. She was ruining lives.
She should just go. Except, what about Cate? If it were just Marie, she would go back with Austin just to make it stop. But she couldn’t bring Cate back to that. It wasn’t safe. Her stomach roiled beneath her; she felt as if she were going to sick.
Finally, the teakettle began to sing and Elizabeth quickly poured the steaming water over loose leaves in a strainer. She let it soak for a moment and then added honey and brought the drink to Marie. “Chamomile mint,” she said with a smile. “It’s my own blend. I grow the leaves in my garden. It’s very calming.” She gave Marie a reassuring smile.
The minty smell of the tea wafted up towards Marie and she closed her eyes for a moment and focused on the smell. She took a sip and the warm water flowed through her. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation and the smell and the taste and she found it was calming. Her heart slowed, her hands stopped shaking, and she was finally able to breathe without the threat of sobs overtaking her.
“I’m so sorry for the fuss,” Marie said as there came a slamming sound from somewhere as Axel closed a door. “I didn’t mean...”
“Oh, dear, I don’t want to hear another word of apology come out of your mouth, do you understand? What, do you think we would toss you out into the cold? That wouldn’t be very Christian of us, would it?” She crossed herself and looked to the sky for a moment. “You consider this house your house.”
“Thank you,” Marie said.
“You’re welcome. And I’ll admit I’m eager to meet this new girl who has my son breaking all his rules.”
Marie’s stomach dropped and she looked away. Hayden had been telling the truth. Axel was breaking the rules for her. Was his training falling behind because of her?
“Um...” Marie said with no idea what she was expected to say. Twenty minutes ago she was planning on never seeing Axel again and now she was in his mother’s house.
“Not that I mind, of course. I never agreed with all of Hayden’s rules.”
Marie looked up hopefully. “Has Axel not been doing well recently?” Marie asked.
“Oh no, to hear him tell it this is the best he’s ever been. He’s ready for the match. That makes one of us, of course. I can barely stand to watch the fights. It’s hard for a mother to watch her son get hit.”
“I thought maybe he had been slacking off in practice...”
“Not to my knowledge. He’s been training every day and coming here and doing hard labor on the weekends, until recently that is. Now he spends all his weekends with you, not that I mind.”
“Sorry,” Marie said blushing.
“Don’t be. You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m happy, is what I’m saying. Axel deserves a good and honest girl, someone to keep him grounded. Someone to love him for him and not for his title or his money.”
Marie nodded. “Sometimes I forget he has the title.”
“Me, too,” Elizabeth said. “I’m forever surprised when people know more about him than I do. The other day the boy at the checkout counter was asking me how much Axel ate in a day and he started telling me how much time my own son spent in the gym. He had Axel’s full itinerary down. It was a little unnerving, honestly. But to a certain set of people, he is very famous.”
“I didn’t know that when I met him,” Marie said.
“I know. He’s told me quite a bit about you, Marie. You’re the only girl who’s ever managed to get him to willingly go to a dinner at the historical society.” Marie smiled and Mrs. Connelly continued, “It’s always been just me and Axel for the longest time. I’ve always wanted us to have a bigger family and now we can.” She reached over and put her hand on Marie’s cheek.
Marie leaned into Elizabeth’s frail hand and smiled at her. “I have a small family, too,” Marie said. “It’s just me and Cate. My parents are gone and Cate’s dad is…not a good dad,” Marie said. “I always wanted a big family, too.”
The two women smiled over the table as Axel finally joined them.
“What now?” Marie asked Axel.
“We wait. He’ll try and get it touch with you and then we can get rid of him for good. You and I will sit down with him and explain to him that it’s over and you’re never going back.”
He sounded so confident. She knew he could do it, but could she? It was hard for her to imagine saying no to Austin. He was scary when he was mad, sometimes he was terrifying. There were fights where Marie had feared for her life. She never wanted to feel that way again.
“I’m gonna go check the garage. Stay here,” Axel said. They watched him go. His energy seemed boundless while Marie only wanted to take a nap.
“I know this is hard,” Elizabeth said. “I can only imagine how hard. But you have to have faith and be strong now. My son cares for you very deeply and I know he won’t give up on you. But you can’t give up on him or yourself. You can stand up to this man. You have to.”
“But what about Cate, and Axel?” Marie said. She had a sudden image of leaving Cate here. She could allow her daughter to be raised by this nice woman. Marie would go back to Arizona with Austin. Cate would be safe. It was a twisted fantasy and one she quickly dismissed. She would never leave her daughter.
“We’ll be strong for each other and we’ll look out for each other,” the other woman said.
Marie looked into Elizabeth’s dark blue eyes and nodded. She was right. This was the only way. Marie had to trust in Axel. She had to make a stand.
“I knew my son made a good choice with you.” Elizabeth said. “He was different the day he met you. All of the sudden he had this starry-eyed, far away look on him. Like he was always thinking of someone else. He fought it, but I knew he would eventually open himself up to you. And I’m glad he did. He’s been a better son since he’s been with you. The only person who’s gone sour is Hayden.”
“Hayden!” Marie repeated. He had something to do with this. He had to. He had warned Marie her husband was coming. He had lied to her about Axel’s training. Was he the one who contacted Austin? Marie stood quickly and said. “I need to talk to Axel, now!”
“Wait just one moment, dear. He’s checking the garage and he asked us to stay here. We should wait for him to come back. We don’t know what might be waiting out there.”
Then there was the sound of tires crunching on gravel. Marie hurried to a window with Elizabeth right behind her. She hunched down and peered over the ledge at a black truck that was pulling into the driveway. She couldn't see the driver, but she recognized the truck. The man who she that had been taking her picture had got into a truck that looked just like this one. Her heart stopped as the door was opened and Hayden jumped down to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Austin stood outside of Axel’s gym and waited. There was another team at Axel’s apartment, but no one had shown up there either. Where were they going? Where could she be? He walked over to the hood of his black SUV and peered over the map spread out in front of him. Paper maps were still in use in Austin’s business. Sometimes he needed a bigger view of his surroundings. He needed to think of all of the places where his mark could be going.
The various streets and highways slid along streams and rivers on the paper below him. There were train tracks still in use in this area, as well. There were two major roads that led to one major highway. They were near hunting grounds and there were miles of nameless roads dotted with hunting cabins. Marie could be at any one of those.
“Axel fucking Connelly,” he said shaking his head.
“It’s crazy,” Charlie said next to him.
Austin was drinking an energy drink and his stomach was
starting to hurt from want of a good meal. It had been a long flight with a long and miserable layover in Charlotte. They had arrived in Philadelphia about two hours ago. Austin had been in a foul mood ever since. He wanted to take a shower, his suit was rumpled, and he had been stuck sitting on the floor for the layover. Marie was going to be in a lot of trouble for all of this.
Hayden had been sitting at the bar, one of only two patrons there. Austin had marked him right away. He was sitting, hunched over, desperately clinging to a beer and looking around nervously.
“H?” Austin demanded.
Hayden had jumped and then stammered an introduction that included his first name. He cursed his own mistake and Austin smirked at him and waited for him to make another.
“You got the money?” Hayden demanded in a harsh whisper. His hand was resting on a manila folder and he drummed his fingers nervously on it.
“Yes, I do.” Austin said. He remained calm. He looked at Hayden directly in the eye. He only said what he needed to say.
