3. Axel
I secured the vest across my body. It only weighed ten pounds, but it was thick enough to stop a bullet or a knife. When I’d gone to the factory to save my wife, I hadn’t had the time to put it on, so I’d gone in blind and vulnerable. Now I had something to live for, so I was careful to watch my back and my front.
I hadn’t seen Scarlett most of the day, so I texted her. Baby, where are you?
In the kitchen.
I went downstairs to the bottom floor and into the second kitchen in the rear. It’d been a long time since I’d had a party, but whenever I did, people liked to congregate in the kitchen and on the barstools. So, I had a kitchen for entertaining and a kitchen for the actual cooking. I stepped inside and found the kitchen island covered with ingredients and hot pans on the stove. It smelled divine, and my stomach tightened even though I’d already had dinner.
I leaned against the counter and stared at her.
She stirred the contents of one pan before she moved to the other and flipped a piece of chicken.
“I wish I’d known you were cooking. Would have skipped dinner.”
She gave a slight flinch like she didn’t know I was there. “Shit, you scared me.”
“I just asked where you were. You didn’t think I was on my way?”
“Guess I was distracted.” She finished what she was doing before she dragged her dirty hands down the front of her apron.
“What are you making?”
“I got this idea for a recipe and wanted to try it out.” She moved to the sink and washed her hands free of the oil and butter that had caked her fingers. “The more I think about it, the more excited I get about running a restaurant. How cool would it be if I got a Michelin star?”
“That would be cool,” I said. “But you already have the Michelin star in fucking, and no one likes an overachiever.”
She rolled her eyes, but my comment made her smile.
I smiled too.
She dried her hands before she leaned against the counter and looked at me.
There were moments like this when the light hit her in just the perfect way that her eyes shone like emeralds. Her skin had a natural glow that made her look like living gold. The world got quiet, and I knew I could stare at her forever. “I’m going out tonight. Not sure when I’ll be back.”
“Oh…”
Ever since I’d gotten married, I’d rearranged my schedule to be home with her in the evenings. I didn’t like the idea of her sleeping alone in my bed. Abandoning her during the most vulnerable time of the day made me feel like an inadequate husband. But tonight couldn’t be helped.
“Some of my guys are going to be on the property while I’m gone. I ask that you don’t leave.”
“Okay…now you’re making me worry.”
“Nothing to worry about.”
“You’ve never left me with a small army before.”
“After what happened with your father, I’d rather be cautious.”
Her arms crossed over her chest. “That means you’re doing something dangerous tonight.”
“Everything I do is dangerous.”
“No, it’s not,” she snapped. “Most of the time, you attend snobby cocktail parties and make deals in the back room.”
“Baby, it’ll be fine.”
She ignored what I said. “What are you doing?”
“I have a meeting with the Colombians.”
“The ones who just tried to kill me?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
“Jesus… Life goes on, doesn’t it?” Her arms tightened over her chest, and she gave a sigh.
“They’re the only supplier that can meet our standards of quality and our quota. It’s worth trying to mend the relationship.”
“What if you’re walking into a trap?”
“Then they’re walking into a trap too.”
Her eyes were furious now, bright and agitated, but they somehow gave her this irresistible beauty. “I don’t like this.”
“It’ll be alright.”
“These men should be with you, not me.”
“I’ve got my guys, baby.”
She continued to look flustered, her food cooking on the stove without her attention. The smell started to change, like it was burning, but she didn’t seem to notice or care. “Can’t this happen on the phone?”
I gave a slight smile. “No.”
“Axel, I don’t like this?—”
“It’ll be fine.”
“My father is going with you?”
I nodded. That rat was always a step behind me.
“And Theo?”
I still didn’t like it when she mentioned my brother, because I knew she was attracted to him, had invited him into the bed where I used to sleep. It was immature and childish, but it still bothered me to this day. “Yes.”
“This could be a plot to get their revenge?—”
“They’re our biggest supplier, but we’re their biggest client. We need each other.”
“How do you know they’ll be so reasonable?”
“I don’t. But it’s stupid to attack someone when they’re prepared for it.”
She looked at the stove, seeing her culinary delicacy beginning to burn from being exposed to the heat too long. She turned off the burners and took the pans off the heat so the oil would rest.
“I’m sorry if I ruined your project.”
“I don’t give a shit about the food.” She wiped her hands on the apron before she turned back to me. “Just don’t want to burn down the house.”
I leaned against the counter as I looked at her, seeing all the distress on her beautiful face, the way she struggled to accept what I was about to do.
“Text me the second you’re on your way home.”
“I will.”
“Please be careful.”
“Always.”
Her eyes were full of despair, despair that couldn’t be resolved until I walked back through the door. They continued to plead with me, like her silent begging would make me decide to bow out and let the guys go without me.
But I was no coward. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Hours?” she asked, dismayed.
“Sorry, baby.” I moved to her, my hands gripping her arms before cupping her face. “I’ll be hungry by the time I get back. Make me something.”
Her eyes were focused on my chest, heavy in sadness.
I brought her close and kissed her forehead before I pulled her into me, my chin resting on the top of her head. After my divorce, I hadn’t thought I’d ever want to be married again, to be vulnerable to another woman’s talons of betrayal. But I loved it. Loved every moment of it—even the hard parts.
We met in the heart of Tuscany, in a villa on twenty acres of property, far away from everyone and everything. It was one of my properties, a place I used when Florence became too busy in the summertime. But I hadn’t been there in a long time.
“Where’s Russell?” Theo asked when we pulled up to the villa. The lights in the three-story villa were on. The landscape lights were on too, showing the majesty of the property. Most of the greenery was dead from winter’s bite, and the jasmine flowers wouldn’t bloom again until spring. But it was breathtaking, nonetheless.
“I left him with Scarlett.”
“He’s your best guy.”
I got out of the car and walked up to the property. “That’s why I left him.”
Dante hadn’t said a word since he’d gotten in the car. Hardly looked at me, the accusation heavy in his energy.
We moved to the back patio, the stream of lights across the terrace bathing the potted trees in a glow. The fountain was on, the sound of running water soothing. The pool was in the distance, ice-cold in the season.
I’d have to bring Scarlett here in the summertime.
A table with several chairs was set up on the patio, so we took a seat.
The guards were placed around the property, carrying machine guns. The ones inside were snipers, so they could take out the guys through the windows. It was a chilly night, the fog visible even in the darkness, but to me, it was refreshing.
One of the guys lit the bonfires, so soon, the terrace was bright and filled with a bit of warmth.
Theo looked at his phone for a few minutes before he slipped it into the pocket of his coat.
Dante still hadn’t said a word, his eyes on the closest bonfire.
I preferred Dante quiet, so I didn’t coax him into conversation.
Minutes passed and nothing happened.
Theo lifted his sleeve and looked at his watch. “They’re late.”
Dante kept his eyes on the fire. “They are coming all the way from Colombia.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “You want to do business with us, then be on time.”
“Maybe they don’t want to do business,” Dante said coldly. “Just going to show up and blow us all to hell.”
Theo turned to me. “Is he always this pessimistic?”
“Yep,” I said. “Debbie Downer.”
Dante gave us both a razor-sharp stare.
Theo decided to make small talk. “How are things with the wife?”
“Good,” I said. “Whenever her father isn’t meddling, it’s always good.”
Dante said nothing to that.
A moment later, one of the guards raised his hand and gestured to me across the terrace.
“It’s showtime,” I said.
“I’ve got backup if we need it,” Theo said. “Just down the road.”
Dante stayed silent.
Footsteps were audible, even over the noise of the fountain, before they became visible. A group of men approached, five of them in total, all dressed in t-shirts like they didn’t take our winter weather seriously. Two of them had face tattoos, and another one had eyes so wide it looked like he had a direct view into the horrors of the underworld.
We didn’t rise from our chairs. Just watched them with indifferent eyes.
They moved to the other side of the bonfire, where the chairs were scattered. They dropped into them and stared at us, taking several moments to evaluate us as opponents rather than business partners.
My guys had checked them not only for weapons, but for explosives wired to their clothing, in case this was a suicide bombing. We’d even installed a metal detector to catch anything they could have. Even if it was an innocent piercing, it had to go.
The standoff ensued, them sizing us up as we did the same in return.
I was the one to break the silence. “Tensions are heavy. Hatred is rooted in your bones. It’s understandable. But none of that would have happened if Christian hadn’t foolishly attempted to take a business from men he greatly underestimated—and touch one of their wives. I’m not sorry he’s dead, not after he made my wife bleed, but I am sorry that our thriving partnership has turned to shit.”
The one in the middle stared at me harder than the others, like he had an imaginary knife to my throat. He had tattoos in the corners of his eyes.
“We have two options here. We can let bygones be bygones and continue our partnership that has flourished for twenty years—or we can start a war. What do you want to do? Avenge a family member who crossed us or make money hand over fist?” I scanned them all, looking for reactions and weaknesses.
None of them looked at one another. None of them whispered to one another. They seemed to have had a game plan before they’d walked in. The one in the middle had his mouth covered with his hand, but he dropped it to speak. “An apology would be nice.”
“An apology for what?” I asked coldly.
Dante turned to me but didn’t say anything.
The man scooted forward to the edge of his chair. “We asked for ten percent—and you disrespected us.”
“Ten percent is awfully generous when you aren’t a part of this business.”
“Our product has allowed you to have a business,” he snapped. “It’s a small price to pay to stand on our spines. My cousin would still be alive if you’d just honored the request.”
“No,” I barked. “He would still be alive if he hadn’t threatened to rape my wife and nearly broke her nose. That’s why he’s fucking dead. And I’d kill him again—right in front of you—for what he did.”
“Axel.” Dante spoke under his breath.
The Colombian’s stare remained composed, but there was a flare to his nostrils he couldn’t restrain.
“However,” Theo said, jumping in to mitigate the damage I’d caused. “We would like to offer the ten percent and include you as a partner in the business going forward, as a sign of respect and sympathy. Business would continue as it always has, but you’ll receive a bigger piece of the pie. Do you accept?”
My temper had gotten the best of me, but I couldn’t see straight when it came to Scarlett. I would always remember her bloody face because it was carved into the backs of my eyes. The image appeared in my dreams, in the quiet moments as I sat in front of the fire, in the times that I felt at peace. It was a sick torment.
Their spokesperson looked down at the fire, slouching back into his chair, arms hanging down in a relaxed pose.
If he tried to negotiate for more, he would be denied, so I hoped he wouldn’t waste his time with that.
“If you’d just offered this in the first place, my cousin would be alive right now.” His eyes lifted to look at me, daggers in that stare. “All you had to do was agree, but you chose to be arrogant.”
“Christian had a lot of other threads he could have pulled to get what he wanted,” Dante said. “He could have left the meeting and withdrawn his product until we were forced to come to the negotiation table. Trying to take the business, along with my daughter and me, was not the right hand to play. Don’t blame us for your cousin’s foolishness. What happened was tragic, but we are in no way responsible for the bloodshed. The smart thing to do is move forward and continue this business arrangement. It’s obvious we need one another. We need you as our supplier, and you need us as your biggest client. Let’s learn from the past and not squander millions because of our tempers.”
Moments like this reminded me that Dante wasn’t completely useless. Unlike me, he could keep his temper, or at least halt it until the appropriate moment. When his eye was on the prize, he was focused like the point of a laser.
The Colombian considered the offer in silence before he straightened in his chair. “I accept your offer.”
“Great,” Dante said. “We are glad to continue this partnership?—”
“But I want him dead.” The guy continued to stare at me, aiming a bullet at my face without a gun. “An eye for an eye.”
I knew there would be some stupid stipulation. The Colombians were all about family, and to think they would let Christian’s death go unpaid was unrealistic. But asking for my head was more than unrealistic—it was ridiculous.
“I shoot him—and we have a deal.” He looked to Theo and Dante for agreement.
I knew Theo wouldn’t fold on me. This would work out perfectly for Dante, however.
“Then we have no deal,” Theo said. “The only reason Axel was there was because his wife called for help. You can blame Axel for pulling the trigger, but his actions were reactionary. Christian was the one who instigated the whole thing.”
“You’re prepared to lose this partnership?” His eyes flicked back to me. “For him?”
“Yes,” Theo said immediately. “It’ll take time, but you can be replaced. My brother can’t be.”
He looked at Dante next. “You agree with this?”
Dante remained quiet for several seconds, his eyes on the bonfire, his legs crossed. “It doesn’t matter whether I do or not. I’m outvoted.”
“I still want to know your answer,” he pressed, like he picked up on the tension between the two of us.
Dante gave a sigh. “I know my daughter cares for him…so no.”
I wondered if that was really his answer or if he was being diplomatic because his vote didn’t matter anyway.
The man gave a nod then clapped his hands against his thighs. “Then our business has concluded. Hopefully you can find a supplier to fulfill the demand.”
“And hopefully you can find a client who can move product the way we can,” I said. “It’d be a shame for all of that to go to waste.”
The men rose from the chairs then left the terrace, moving between the buildings to the entrance of the villa so they could pile into their cars and drive off.
We sat there, rigid in our seats, our muscles stiff from the cold. Minutes of silence passed.
I texted Scarlett because I’d promised I would. Meeting is over. I’ll head home soon.
Her message was instantaneous, like she’d been staring at her phone, waiting for my dots to appear. Thank you.
Dante was the first to speak. “Well, that was a shitshow.”
“They’re bluffing,” Theo said. “We can always find a way to make more product, but they can’t sell in this territory without being butchered. They’re walking away from a lot of money solely out of pride—and that’s fucking stupid.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s stupid,” Dante said. “If this isn’t a bluff, it’ll set us back a year.”
“They’ll cave,” Theo said simply.
“And if they don’t?” Dante asked.
“We’ll shoot Axel in the head,” Theo said sarcastically. “Problem solved.”
Dante gave a sigh.
“I agree with Theo,” I said. “It’s a bluff.”
“A stupid bluff,” Theo said. “Like we’re going to really shoot you.”
“It’s not about Axel or revenge,” Dante said. “It’s a power play.”
“Which is a game,” Theo said. “And I don’t play games.”
“Then we wait for them to contact us,” I said. “In the meantime, we find an alternative. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find something better than the partnership with the Colombians.”
Theo rubbed his jawline. “That gives me an idea.”
“Let’s hear it.” I could go for a cigar right now. It would be perfect in this evening chill.
“We pursue an alternative, whether it works or not, and when the Colombians come back to us, we say we’ve already found a new supplier. The only reason we would take them back is if they offered a better price. And then we bring them back to their original fee.”
I released a short laugh. “Fuck, that would be hilarious.”
“And stupid,” Dante said. “You just said you don’t play games.”
“They made their power move,” Theo said. “And I’ll make mine.”
“If that happens, we should just take the deal,” Dante said. “Get back to our old lives.”
“These guys would have killed you if Axel hadn’t shown up.” Theo sat up and pivoted in his chair, staring down Dante on the other side of me. “Did you ever think of that? That they would have tortured you until they got everything they wanted and then killed you? They would have raped and knocked up your daughter with a Colombian baby?—”
“Don’t.” Dante looked at the bonfire, his face so hard all the veins in his temple and neck popped out. “Fucking don’t…” His fingers tightened into a closed fist before he rested it against his lips.
I turned to Theo and shook my head slightly, telling him to back off because I could feel Dante’s agony through the air, feel his combustive rage and his profound terror.
Theo listened and gave a nod. “They crossed you. And you should make them pay, Dante.”
When I walked in the door, it was nearly two in the morning—but she was wide awake.
On the couch in her little silk shorts and one of my t-shirts, she looked exhausted from staying awake long past her bedtime, but she also looked happier than I’d ever seen her. Relief swept across her eyes, and she took a deep breath as she finally allowed her body to relax. “I’m so happy you’re home.” She left the couch and came to me, diving into my chest like it was a mattress and a pillow.
My arms circled her, and I held her close to me, my hand sliding up the baggy shirt to feel her skin against my fingertips. I held her there for a long time, letting her rest her cheek against my chest for as long as she needed.
She pulled away. “My father’s okay?”
I nodded.
She breathed another sigh of relief. “How did it go?”
She’d decided to leave the business, so I wouldn’t concern her with the details that didn’t matter. “Fine. Did you make me something?”
“Do you ever think about anything besides my cooking?”
“Oh, baby,” I said with a grin. “You know what else of yours I think about…”
She dropped her look, her cheeks immediately flushing like tomatoes ripe on the vine. “I made you chicken fricassee. It’s a French stew.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It’s in the fridge downstairs,” she said. “Take a shower, and I’ll have it ready for you.”
“Wow, it’s nice having a wife.”
She smirked as she headed for the door. “Be back soon.”
I took a quick shower and scrubbed my hair dry with a towel before I pulled on a clean pair of shorts and walked into the dining room.
She had the bowl of stew on the table, the steam rising to the ceiling. She sat quietly, still looking tired but relaxed.
I sat across from her. “Go to bed, baby. You don’t need to stay up with me.”
“I want to see if you like it.”
I scooped my spoon in the creamy stew and took a bite, immediately tasting the culmination of several flavors that blended together without overpowering the dish. The chicken was tender. As with all the things she cooked, it was a delicacy. “It’s delicious like everything else you make.”
“Really? I was thinking of having this on the winter menu.”
“And I would order it.”
She smiled. “You aren’t just saying that?”
“No. If it sucked, I would tell you.”
“Really?” she asked, her eyebrow cocked.
“Yes.”
“You would look me in the face and tell me it sucked?”
“I would say it nicer than that, but yes.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“I want your restaurant to be a success. I wouldn’t let you make a fool out of yourself. But that doesn’t matter because this shit is good and you have a gift in the kitchen.” I took another bite then wiped my mouth with the napkin. “And the bedroom.”
“That’s awfully generous since I don’t do much in the bedroom.”
“Being sexy is your contribution.” I continued to eat, arms on the table, feeling the cold fade away as the warmth filled my stomach.
She watched me eat in silence. “So, did the Colombians agree to come back?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?”
“You said you wanted out.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not curious.”
When I took another bite, I took my time getting it down, trying to decide how to play this. “They said they weren’t interested in continuing a partnership. But Theo thinks they’ll change their minds.”
“Why would they change their minds?”
“Because they’ll realize they can’t substitute us with another client or several clients. We move far more product than anyone else, and they fucking know it. And they can’t take this territory themselves or partner with someone who can take this territory. After they bleed so much money, they’ll come running back.”
She gave a slight nod in agreement. “They need you more than you need them.”
“Should have just left it alone.”
“Men get greedy.”
“They get stupid is more like it.” I ate from the bowl until there was nothing left. It was warm and delicious, far better than anything my chef could make and better than anything I could order at a local restaurant. It shocked me that she had no professional training, that her approach to cooking was so natural and organic. No pun intended. “We should start looking around for a spot for the restaurant. Location is everything.”
“I was thinking close to the market. People get hungry after they do their shopping.”
“Then we’ll start there,” I said. “But first, let’s go to bed. I need to thank you for the dinner you made me.”
The flush moved into her cheeks again, but a smile was there too. “It’s late. Let’s go to sleep?—”
“No, I want some dessert.” I rose from the chair and came around the table to grab her. “Something sweet.” I scooped her into my arms and lifted her from the chair to carry her to the bedroom. “Something pretty…”
It was almost dark when I arrived at Dante’s property.
It was one of the darkest days of the year, so the light was gone just shy of five o’ clock, and it was fitting for the occasion because anytime I was in this man’s presence it felt like a nightmare. I was escorted into the parlor but not offered a refreshment, treated like an enemy rather than an ally who had saved his life.
He entered a moment later and took the seat across from me, the displeasure pulsing in his eyes like a flickering lightbulb. His arms were on the armrests, and he crossed his legs like he was a stuffy museum curator. “Have the Colombians reached out?”
“I’m not here to talk about business.”
“Then what are you here to talk about?”
“You know what.” There was one thing that connected us now. Or, I should say, one person who connected us. “I love Scarlett, and she knows I do because I told her.” I’d told her when I should have told her sooner. Instead of playing it cool because it was too soon in the relationship to drop the L-bomb, I should have just straightened my spine and spoken my mind. “But she won’t say it back…and I know why.”
Dante had the presence of a statue—devoid of all emotion.
“I’m going to tell her everything.”
His stonelike gaze hardened at the threat. His expressions were always subtle and nuanced because he kept his emotions the way he kept his cards—close to his chest. But the anger was unmistakable.
“As a courtesy, I’ll give you the opportunity to speak to her first. Word it in whatever way you want to make yourself look as good as possible. I don’t care. My agenda is not to show her what a horrible man you are, but to prove that I’ve always been faithful to her, that she’s all I’ve ever wanted since the moment I met her. I’m tired of living with this cloud over my head and watching it pour down on our sunshine.”
Dante said nothing, bringing his hands close together, wearing a ring on each hand. “I meant what I said. Tell her—and your parents are dead.”
I was surprised, but not entirely so. “I saved your ass, Dante.”
“My ass wouldn’t have needed to be saved if you’d just given them the ten percent. I’m not an idiot. I know that was on purpose.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I would just do it myself,” I said. “In fact, I’d prefer it.”
His expression remained hard.
“I saved your daughter. You at least owe me that.”
“Again, you decide to fuck with the Colombians?—”
“And you decided to bring her there. That’s all on you, Dante. As manipulative and deceitful as I think you are, I know you love your daughter very much.” I saw it in the way emotion overcame him in certain moments, the way he’d begged for her life instead of trying to save his own. He did some shitty things, but if it came down to her or him, he would take the bullet so she could walk away. “Tell her, or I will.”
“Then I’ll shoot both of your parents through the fucking eye.”
If only Scarlett knew half the shit that came out of his mouth. “I can tell Scarlett the truth, and if something happens to my parents, you’re the cause of it. You lose your daughter.”
“Then I may as well take your parents so we’re even.”
I hadn’t expected that at all. “You would let innocent people die just to be spiteful?”
“I don’t give a shit about innocent people,” he snapped. “Tell Scarlett the truth, but know that it’ll come at a price. If I lose my family, you lose yours. So you have to decide what’s more important to you. Your marriage or your parents.”
This man really was a sick fuck. “I’ve proven myself loyal to your daughter. It would suit my best interests if I killed you, and while I could snuff out your life without her ever suspecting me, I would never hurt her like that. I would never deprive her of her father. I wish you would grant me the same respect by supporting my marriage to your daughter. She deserves to know the truth—that I would never even look at another woman.”
He blinked a few times, his stare resembling boredom. “As there’s no way to accomplish that without incriminating myself, I can’t help you. You seemed to have done a remarkable job earning her trust, because she’s told me how much she cares for you.” He said it with a hint of disdain, like it made him sick to know that her feelings for me were genuine.
“She married me because she felt like she had to,” I said. “But now she’s married to me because she wants to be. I know that must kill you.”
He returned to his stoniness, looking at me like he felt nothing at all.
“You know I’m innocent. You know I didn’t do any of the things I was accused of.”
“Found guilty of. Big difference, Axel.”
“You think your daughter would love me if any of that shit were true? If I ever treated her that way?”
“She’s never said she loves you. You’re assuming.”
“I know she does,” I said softly. “I told her she could leave me if she wanted, that I would continue this business with you, just to see what she would say. And you know what? She decided to stay. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
Now he looked away, knowing he was defeated.
“I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her, Dante.”
He continued to avoid my eyes.
“We’re going to open a restaurant together. Have a family together. Do it all together. I know I have no other choice but to accept you as an accessory to our lives. Why can’t you do the same for me?”
His stare came back. “It’s clear that I tolerate you.”
“I deserve to be more than tolerated. I deserve to be fucking celebrated for the way I treat your daughter. I do all the gentlemanly bullshit like open doors and pull out chairs, but I do a lot more than that, like remain faithful to her because I want to be faithful to her, protect her with my life the way I did when I faced the Colombians without a bulletproof vest. I fucking love your daughter, and you should be grateful that I care for her so deeply. It’s a dream come true, if you ask me.”
“You make it sound like she can’t do better.”
“No man will ever love her as much as I do,” I said. “I loved her the moment I saw her.”
Dante looked away again. “What do you want from me?”
“Tell her the truth.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ll tell her to forgive you, and she will. It might take some time, but it’ll happen.”
“Not worth the risk.”
“Dante—”
“Axel.” He looked at me again. “The answer is no. I won’t change my mind. Do what you want, just remember what the consequences will be. There’s nothing left to discuss here, so you can show yourself out.”