33. Axel
CHAPTER 33
AXEL
Placing my helmet on the bike seat, I take a moment by myself to steady my breath.
This is it. Only one of us is walking away from this and I’m determined to make sure that one is me.
I round the corner to the agreed meeting point to see Marco standing there looking smug, with eight of his men surrounding him. Typical. If the roles were reversed, my brothers would be standing with me too.
The thought of my brothers sends a pang through my chest. By now, Ant has probably found the note and I can’t help but wonder if he’s told the others and if Eva has read it.
Her face flashes in my mind and for a split second, my confidence fades. I shake my head pushing the thought of her away. I can’t afford to have any distractions right now.
Marco’s eyes meet him as I get closer, a sickening grin spreading across his face.
God I hate him.
“Axel,” He calls out, opening his arms wide. “You came alone. Is that you trying to be brave or just you being plain stupid?”
I take another step forward, making sure to have a hand brushed up against the gun hidden underneath my jacket.
“Let’s find that out should we?”
Marco barks out a laugh, clapping his hands, “Confident are we?” He takes a step towards me, closing the gap. “Now, I was impressed when you didn’t turn Ant over. I mean, he was the one that killed my baby sister after all.”
I don't react to his words, knowing that is the one thing he wants me to show.
Marco’s grin widens when I don’t respond, his dark eyes scanning me, looking for any sign of weakness. “Oh, the infamous Ashford leader.” He sneers. “You’ve always been the calm one haven’t you? The one who keeps everyone together. But I wonder… How long can you hold it in before you snap?”
I match his steps, the distance between us getting dangerously small.
“You can keep talking,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Or… we can get this over with. Your call.”
He tilts his head, obviously amused. “Oh don’t worry, I intend to talk Axel. You see, there’s something satisfying about breaking a man before putting him in the ground. And you? You’ve got so much to lose.”
He gestures to one of his men. who steps towards me holding up.a phone. My stomach clenches as I catch a glimpse of Eva laying on that cold ground, covered in blood.
Marco smirks. “She looked so beautiful before. It’s a real shame what happened to her.”
His words ignite a fire in me, and it takes everything I have to not kill him now. He wants me to lose control but I won’t give anyone the satisfaction of me losing.
“You think using Eva against me will change anything?” I ask coldly. “It just makes what’s coming to you worse.”
Marco laughs, “Big words Axel, But words won’t save her. Or you.”
The tension builds around us. Every nerve in my body screams at me to act. To do something before Marco has the chance.
I slowly move my hand inside of my jacket, making sure to not alert any of his men. Feeling the cold tip of the barrel, I wrap my fingers around it securing it tight.
“Let’s find that out, shall we?” I say, keeping my voice steady.
Marco raises his eyebrows as curiosity flickers in his eyes. But before he can utter a word, I look towards one of his men and remove the gun, pulling the trigger.
The bullet finds a target, a man standing to the right of Marco. His head snaps back before his body collapses to the floor. Blood splatters fly through the air, landing on Marco and everything around him.
No-one moves, as if the bullet froze everyone in time but within a second, chaos erupts.
“Get him!” Marco shouts, his voice echoing off the buildings around us.
I barely have time to take aim again before they’re on me. I try and turn but someone lunges at me, his shoulder slamming into my chest sending us both to the ground. The impact winds me, making my chest tighten as I gasp, reaching for air.
I reach around me trying to find my gun, but as I turn my head I see someone kick it across the floor.
A boot connects with my ribs, forcing the little bit of air I got to vanish. The kicks don’t stop as I lay there unable to move from the weight pinned above me.
Marco steps forward, towering over me. His face is a mask of fury and satisfaction from seeing me in pain. He kneels down grabbing my jaw.
“Bold,” He sneers, “But fucking stupid.”
Arms grab my wrists and the weight on top of me disappears, I feel like I’m choking as my lungs fill up after being deprived.
Two people start dragging me across the ground, my shoes scraping uselessly against it as I try and force my weight against them. My shoulders scream in protest as they yank me into an old warehouse.
A musky scent fills my nose. The only thing I can do right is to try and not throw up while the smell of death floats around the room.
I’m dropped to the floor without any warning, causing my head to smack against the cold floor.
“Not the floor you idiots, the fucking chair.” Marco shouts from somewhere in the warehouse.
Arms grip me again, pulling me up into a chair before binding my wrists to the armrests. They pull the rope tight so it forces it’s way into my skin.
Marco appears out of the darkness and begins circling me like a predator waiting to eat his prey. “Just can’t get the service these days can you?” He jokes, flipping a knife in his hand.
I don’t answer. One because I don’t want to make jokes with this bastard and two, it really fucking hurts to breathe.
“Nothing to say? It hurts that you didn’t laugh at my joke, Axel.” Marco says mockingly, placing a hand over his heart.
I stay silent, my eyes tracking Marco as he circles me. The blade in his hand glints under the faint spotlight above me.
He crouches in front of me, twirling the knife between his fingers before he points the tip directly at my throat. “You’re really no fun, you know that?” He says, his voice low. “But don’t worry Axel. I’ll get you to open up. They always do.”
I grind my teeth together as the blade pierces a line across my collarbone.
“Now, the strange thing is. Two of my men went to retrieve your darling Eva from her hospital bed but when they got there… She was nowhere to be found”
I don’t show him any emotions, but inside pride glows at the fact Ant got her to safety.
“You’re going to tell me where Eva is,” He says. “You’re going to be begging to tell me.”
“Go fuck yourself,” I spit, tasting blood as the words leave my mouth.
Marco’s smug smile disappears, replaced by anger. Without warning, the knife presses deeper, slicing another line across my chest. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of a reaction as blood rises to the surface before trickling down my top.
“Still trying to play the hero.” Marco mutters before pointing the knife in my direction once more. “I like that. It makes it more… fun.”
He steps back, gesturing to one of his men. “Bring it.”
I watch as one of his minions disappear into the shadows before returning a few moments later hauling a metal toolbox.
What the fuck?
His minion drops it to the ground, only to open it to reveal an assortment of tools used to create pain.
I think someone has been watching too much Dexter on Netflix.
Marco’s eyes gleam with excitement as he pulls out a pair of pliers, inspecting them like a craftsman admiring his work.
“Fingers,” He says, stepping closer.
The minion to my left grabs my hand, forcing it flat against the armrest. I try to fight against the restraints and the minion but he holds my hand down. Panic fills me as Marco looms over me, the pliers dancing around in his fingers as he teases.
“Last chance Axel.”
“Burn in hell,” I growl, staring him down.
“Very well.” Marco doesn’t hesitate as the pliers clamp down on my pinky finger. The pressure grows as he starts to twist which is followed by a sickening crack that echoes through the room. A wave of sickness rolls through me as a scream rips from my throat.
Marco claps at my response, “Now that , that is the sound of progress.” He says with a grin, “And look, we’ve got nine more to go. Want to speed this up?”
I glare at him as I do my best to keep the bile down. The rage in my chest burning brighter than the pain. He may try to break my body, but he’ll never break me.
Marco laughs, a low grumble sound that grates against every fucking nerve in my body. He inspects the pliers in his hand that now glow red, covered by my blood. My pinky hangs at an unnatural angle as jolts of pain shoot up in my arm with every heartbeat.
“Still nothing?” He asks leaning in close enough for me to feel his breath on my face, and it fucking stinks.
“Let me make this clear. You can tell me where Eva is. Or we will see if we can make another little piggy go to the market.” He motions to the toolbox, his grin widening. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”
I keep my mouth shut, knowing that the second I open it, it won’t just be words pouring out of my mouth.
“Fine,” Marco says, before sighing. “Have it your way.”
He tosses the pliers aside and picks up a hammer, throwing it in the air.
Before I can brace myself, he walks over and brings the hammer down on my knee creating a sickening crack. The pain in my pinky vanishes as pain explodes in my leg. I don’t have time to stop myself when another scream tears from my throat. The force of the blow sends the chair rocking back, but his minion is already there, holding it steady.
“That’s what I was waiting for,” Marco says, his voice full of mock pity. “The sound of a man who’s breaking.”
Sweat pours down my face, mixing with the blood soaked into my top. My vision goes blurry for a moment but I blink continuously, forcing myself to focus.
“Keep going,” I growl, my voice hoarse from my screams. “Let’s see who breaks first.”
Marco’s eyes darken, his smile faltering for the first time. He steps back, pacing the table in front of him. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” He throws the hammer down, “Fine. You want to play the hero? Let’s see how you feel when you’ve got nothing left to fight with.”
He waves a hand towards someone, I look around not sure what to expect when another minion steps forward carrying a blow torch. Blue flames flicker as they ignite it.
“Did you know, the human skin burns at around 150 degrees?” Marco asks, crouching down to meet my eye level. He points towards the blow torch, “But this… well, we’ll go much higher. Should we bet on how long you can last?”
He clicks his fingers and the minion steps closer as the heat grows.
Don’t break Axel. Don’t fucking break.
I clench my fists as sweat pours down my face. “You won’t win.” I spit through gritted teeth. “No matter what you do to me, you’ll lose.”
“We’ll see about that.” Marco replies before stepping back.
For a third time, another scream tears through the warehouse, this time more coarse as I feel the inside of my throat rip apart.
The smell of burning flesh fills the air as I try to fight against the restraints holding me down. The screaming doesn’t stop as Marco laughs. They move the flame down my arm and across my chest.
I squeeze my eyes tighter as the pain grows. It’s like every nerve in my body is shouting at me to tell them where Eva is, but this is my fight.
The heat melts into my flesh, combining me with a top that no longer exists. The smell turns my stomach as I throw my head forward, my vision beginning to blur.
“Still not talking?” Marco says, his voice distant and distorted, like I’m underwater. “You’re tougher than I gave you credit for, Axel. I’m impressed.”
My body trembles as I try to focus, but my silence is the only weapon I have. It’s the one thing he can’t take away.
My vision darkens at the edges as my breathing becomes shallow. I can feel my body giving up, my mind failing.
I can’t see anything around me as everything blends together, my head rolls to the side, telling me that soon it will all be over. Despite it all, a small smile creeps on my face at the thought of keeping my family safe.
It’s worth it all if it means they come to no harm.
I hear Marco shouting something as his footsteps draw closer. “Don’t pass out on me yet,” he growls, his voice dripping with hatred. “We’re just getting started.”
His words fade into a high-pitched ringing, drowning out everything else.
Is this what dying feels like? Because if it is, it fucking sucks.
A blinding light floods the room, cutting through the suffocating darkness. With what little strength I have left, I force my head up, trying to focus as the light blinds me. Blurred figures move through the doorway. Marco’s voice rises above the noise, barking orders at his men, but it’s too chaotic to make out his words.
Then it happens.
Gunshots.
The sharp sounds bounce off the warehouse walls, each one rattling through my body. Another shot rings out, silencing Marco mid-shout.
The air erupts into chaos, but I can’t focus, can’t make sense of what’s happening.
I try to move, to fight one last time against the restraints, to see what is happening, but my body has already surrendered.
My vision blurs, the edges darkening as the weight of exhaustion pulls me under.
Blackness creeps in, my head slumping forward, my breaths shallow and uneven.
And then, faintly, through the noise, I hear it.
“Axel!”
The voice cuts through everything, through all the noise, clear and desperate. The voice feels like home.
Eva.