Chapter Twenty-Four
Axton
I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, fully expecting Belle to sneak into my bed again. Low and behold, she was wrapped up in my arms when I woke. I wanted nothing more than to stay there all day and listen to her breaths, take in her scent, and just soak in the total feel of her. She was in another one of those satin gowns, so her soft skin was right under my hand. It never felt that way with Natalie. Her hair always tickled my nose then I would quickly hop out of bed so she wouldn’t feel my morning wood.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay in bed all morning. I had to get to my office early to call the landowner to make final arrangements to buy that property. Linda Sue and Elroy wouldn’t know what hit them by the time I was finished. I wanted Natalie’s parents and brothers to burn in hell sooner than later, and after fourteen years, I had a reason to end all of it. It wasn’t about just me anymore and I had to face my past.
Belle was in a deep sleep, so I gently slid away from her and got ready for work. I thought I would be cute by running into the mess hall for fresh donuts and quickly run them back home. I sneaked inside quietly and left a note with the donuts in the kitchen for Belle to enjoy her day.
My day went as usual. Worked on finally ending the cycle of abuse in Natalie’s family, then went to the Originals meeting, made a plan for how to actually marry Belle without her having a state identification yet, worked on a few contracts, had a few meetings, had lunch in the mess hall since we couldn’t visit Miss Hoffman, went over our budget and expressed my concerns in the budget meeting I requested with accounting present, visited Addie at the K-9 training center when she returned from school, then it was finally time to go home and get ready for the Christmas concert.
I had to prepare myself before I stepped inside the house. Laying my eyes on Belle sometimes took my breath away and I knew it would be another new look, one that made her look nothing like the girl I found in that hospital bed. She was blowing my mind away with how she was diving into her new life. Koty was another story. He was spending a lot of time by himself and not socializing at all.
I heard Christmas music before I opened the door and when I walked in, the most angelic being on the planet was in the kitchen eating a cookie as she leaned against the counter. Once again, she took my breath away. Her hair was styled up, and under a black leather jacket was a black and red plaid pencil dress with black leather ankle boots. I froze as I took in the view. She didn’t look so innocent anymore. Nope, what I saw was a naughty little girl with red lipstick and a guilty look on her face when she swallowed the last of her cookie. She smiled as she threw the last crumb in her mouth. “I must look like a pig.”
I slowly shook my head as I took in what I was seeing. “Belle.” I whispered out then my eyes met hers and I took a sharp breath.
“What?” Her eyes looked side to side as if she was clueless. I shut the door behind me, then tossed down my keys into the bowl before I looked at her again then took two strides toward her.
Both of my hands were suddenly cradling her face as I studied her eyes. “You are by far the most gorgeous human being I have ever laid my eyes on.” Even her eye makeup screamed dirty girl, and it was over, I surrendered. My head dove down, my lips parted hers, and finally my tongue swept over hers and she melted into me. She tasted like sugar and vanilla, like a fucking Christmas cookie, but it was the kiss that struck me nearly blind. I wrapped one arm around her and deepened the kiss, she moaned just a little and a tiny noise that escaped her lips about did me in. Her grip on me tightened and I pressed my body against hers. I kissed her hard and deep, and my innocent little girl gave me the kiss. The first kiss I dreamed of as a kid, the intense passionate one I was cheated out of so many years ago. The one moment in time where I suddenly belonged to someone, and it was someone that gave me what I needed ever since I was a scared little boy that feared his own father. I felt safe for once. Someone was taking care of me for once. All that tenderness as we spoke, the attraction, her beautiful curiosity, and her kindness were all wrapped up in one first kiss. Our lips parted again, and my tongue brushed against her velvet sweetness, and she moaned just before I repeated the motion. Her hands went from gripping on to me, to cupping my face, to running her fingers through my hair. My heart pounded against my chest until I realized her breaths were as heavy as mine and I couldn’t tell if it was my heart or hers. I felt a need to pull back to look into her eyes briefly, but when I did, her grip on my hair tightened and she pulled my head closer and refused to let my lips leave hers. I was quickly becoming hers and once again, there were no warnings of danger ahead. Instead, my instincts said to push full steam ahead. I experienced a lot of firsts in my life, but kissing her made all the others seem insignificant. I finally pulled back and pressed my forehead against hers.
“Don’t stop.” She breathed out and that put a smile on my face.
“I have to, Belle. If I don’t stop now, I won’t be able to at all.” I was still trying to catch my breath.
“I thought dancing in your arms was my favorite thing to do, but I’ve found a new one.” She whispered.
“I believe we have several children that want to sing us a few Christmas songs.” I reminded her. “I have to go get ready. After the concert, I’d like to take you to dinner at the mess hall.”
“That sounds like the best second date ever.”
“I think I also promised you a Christmas tree.” I reminded her.
She giggled. “Even better.”
It took everything I had to rip myself away from her to go change. One last peck on the lips and I was on my way upstairs to change into Morgan’s mandated attire. No hoodies, and button ups or sweaters only. If we wouldn’t do slacks then only our best pair of jeans would be accepted. As I got ready, all I could think about was that kiss. Just the memory of it alone consumed my mind, body, and soul. I never kissed a woman that way in my life, and I knew I would only crave more of those life changing kisses. Holy shit it was powerful.
On my way out, I stopped at Koty’s door and gave it a knock.
“Come in.”
I opened the door and stuck my head inside. “Have you been in your room all day?” I asked as I spotted him lying on his back in his bed and staring up at the ceiling.
“I just have a lot of thinking to do.” He answered.
“You won’t come out to the children’s Christmas concert?”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll stay in tonight.” He still wouldn’t take his eyes off the ceiling.
“Alright, well I think there’s leftovers from last night in the fridge. If you don’t want that, you can use the control panel to call the community center and ask for delivery. Just use your badge to pay for it. The keys to the side by side are in the bowl by the garage door, feel free to take it out if you want.”
“Thanks, Mike.”
“If you need to talk, I’ll be around, alright? Maybe we can grab a beer soon.” I offered.
“Thanks.”
I shut his door and soon I had Belle in my truck, and we were on our way to the community center.
I had to admit, the concert was pretty damn cute, and it brought back memories of when I attended Kayla’s when she was little. It wasn’t always easy to pull it off, since I was too young to drive and the school was a distance away, but somehow it always worked out and I made it. Mom made most of them, she wasn’t a complete failure of a mother when she was sober. Belle and I sneaked out early to miss the crowd and get a good table for dinner. We would miss the refreshments after the concert, but we were hungry for dinner. I tried my hardest to ignore the men looking at Belle. I was proud as hell to show her off, but the way men looked at her pissed me off. I knew she could see it and it obviously made her feel uncomfortable. The marriage we were planning might not have been permanent, but she was still going to be my wife, and I would demand they show their Vice President’s wife some respect.
“We found a hiccup in getting you a state identification with the documents we received today. It turns out that a birth certificate and social security card aren’t enough to get one in the State of Indiana. We would have to prove your residence here for longer than a few days and a replacement passport is also not a quick process. We can’t get married here without a state identification. Do you happen to have an Arizona state issued identification?” I asked as we ate dinner.
“Yes, but it’s in my room back home, I think. I had to have it for college, and I needed a passport to enter Canada and they both should still be good. I don’t have a birth certificate or social security card though. My papa put them up somewhere but I’m not sure where he kept it. If my ID and passport aren’t in my room, they might be in the bag my mom packed for me and that was left in Koty’s truck.”
“Good, we have a few operatives keeping an eye on your fathers compound and they’re very well trained at sneaking in and out of places. They’re going to grab what we need tonight from your house and they’re all returning for Christmas. They should be here tomorrow. Crock already looked in the truck but didn’t find them.”
She smiled. “So, when do I get to look forward to becoming Mrs. Michael Axton?”
“That’s Mrs. Bellemy Axton, If you like, and possibly tomorrow afternoon if we can swing it. I won’t own you, Belle. This marriage will never hold you back from the freedom you will have once this is over. We would have liked to have flown somewhere, but with your injury that’s not an option. Darren Rossi helped us make some arrangements and we will go see the clerk of courts tomorrow. We will take all safety measures, and we won’t be gone long.”
She blushed. “So tomorrow it is, and I have a quick question.”
I set my beer down on the table after taking a swallow. “Sure.”
“My papa limited what I could see on my computer, but I’ve read enough books to know my family could be exposed for their beliefs and practices. That means my last name will be out there and I feel like maybe I need to distance myself from it. Would it bother you if I took your last name and kept it?”
I thought of my own father and what he did in prison. “You would be trading your last name for one that’s tied to my father. He isn’t a good man, Belle.” I warned her.
“Do you have problems where people link you to him?” She asked.
I shrugged. “Not really outside of West Virginia.”
“I don’t plan to ever live in West Virginia, and I don’t mind being linked to you. I would actually prefer it. You’re a good man, Michael.”
If she knew what I did fourteen years ago she might not have felt the same way. But she was right, nobody outside West Virginia would ask questions. Then I realized she would be Mrs. Axton and eventually Ms. Axton. I didn’t mind being linked to her at all, if anything the idea made me smile. “I think I might appreciate sharing my name with you.”
“Great, then I’ll need a new passport and identification anyway.” She was still wearing that gorgeous smile. For someone facing so many challenges, I could see she was finding excitement and happiness despite her circumstances. Being around someone that shined so brightly lit something up inside me and her mood was contagious. I always had a reason to be moody, but never really gave myself a reason to feel happy since Natalie. I used to live for the moments I got to see her, but after her death I never really had anything to truly look forward to in my life. For as long as I could remember I lived to work and not worked to truly live. I didn’t consider sharing my life with anyone since I lost Natalie. After her death it was about giving Kayla all the things and experiences I couldn’t have, and since I met Belle it suddenly came clearer that I needed to start truly living and feeling again. I had reservations about being responsible for another person. I was responsible for other people’s happiness and fighting to make their dreams come true for so long that I forgot about my own.
Belle
“So, what do you think? An angel or a star?” Michael asked as he held up two tree toppers.
I thought I wanted another one of his kisses and that was all I thought about all night, but I had to focus on his actual question.
I pointed at the star. “The star can signify us trying to find our way in life after so many changes, while the angel makes me think of papa and his prophecies. I’d rather forget the prophecies and use the star to find my new path.”
He smiled. “Awesome choice.” He placed the star in the shopping cart. We were at the commissary buying Christmas décor and some groceries.
“White lights or colored lights?” He asked.
“White lights are bland like my old life. Let’s go with colors because we need more color in our lives.”
“Perfect.” He grabbed several boxes and placed them in the cart.
I watched as he threw in garland, then he stopped in front of more décor. “Okay, so ribbon, tinsel, or more garland for the tree?” He pointed at the choices.
“Umm…I like the ribbon.”
“Nice choice.” He threw it into the cart. “Now stockings for the fireplace. Red, white, or plaid?”
“Plaid matches the house better.” I said and he grabbed three and put them in the cart.
I was surprised what all it took to decorate for Christmas, and Michael was going all out, which also surprised me. We ended up with a lot of different kinds of ornaments, a tree stand, a tree skirt, and some decorative pieces for around the house. We needed two shopping carts by the time he went to pay. Before long, they were loading a large Christmas tree in the back of his truck, and I was placing multiple bags in the back seat. We got enough groceries to stock up the pantry, freezer, and fridge, not to mention all the Christmas décor. Michael went above and beyond for my first Christmas ever.
Koty finally left his room to help bring things inside, but once they had the tree in the stand he went right back into his room.
I couldn’t help but glance at Michael constantly as we worked on the tree. He had a smile on his face the entire time we worked. I chose one ornament that didn’t match the theme of the rest of the tree, which was country rustic. It was a cross that lit up, then I chose a nativity scene to sit under the tree. I hung the cross and felt Michael’s presence behind me. I smiled before I turned and suddenly I was in his arms again, experiencing the one thing I wanted more than anything all night, which was his kiss. I never experienced anything as powerful and I felt like I was made to perfectly fit into his strong protective arms. It was a kiss that confirmed the one thing I hoped since I met him. What was happening to me with Michael had nothing to do with my papa, but definitely had something to do with God. Only God could have created something so intense and beautiful.
My papa foresaw me as a servant wife to God’s soldier. That it was a duty to serve my future husband. He warned me my entire life that strong marriages were built on a foundation of faith to our God and religion. Being in his arms and the kiss felt nothing like a duty. Michael didn’t want a servant, or to be worshipped. It was the other way around. I felt powerful and the one being worshipped when he kissed me. I didn’t doubt God was responsible, because it felt like I was made to be in Michael’s arms, and I would never fit so perfectly into anyone else’s.
He ended the kiss by tickling me and I laughed as I wiggled out of his arms. “That’s not fair, you caught me off guard!” I could barely run from him because I was laughing too hard. I ran into the kitchen, but he grabbed my arm then spun me around and into another kiss. I was still laughing against his lips as he backed me against the wall. He was laughing and I loved the sound of his laugh, even more than I loved Sam Barber’s music.
He smiled against my lips. “I love dating you, Belle.”
I giggled. “You’re really good at it, Michael. I’ve had the best days of my life so far.” I pulled him in for a deeper kiss. He chuckled, but obliged, pressing his body against mine. I shivered when he brushed his lips across my cheek then kissed just below my ear. The insane pulsating desire from down below told me that my body wasn’t just begging for him, I was wet, and it was inviting him to please touch me. It was just a kiss, but my body was preparing for Michael to make us one.
His lips dove back up for mine and out of nowhere the doorbell rang. Michael groaned then spoke against my lips. “Please pray for me, it’s late, so this could be another Drakos emergency.”
I laughed.
“Dammit.” He pecked my lips then went to the door. I dashed into the bathroom just as I heard. “Mom? Why are you here? It’s late.”
I looked in the mirror and pressed my fingers to my lips as I smiled. They were swollen, my face was red from his beard, and my hair was falling out of the hair clip. I couldn’t meet his mom that way, so I quickly pulled my hair down and ran my hands through it. There wasn’t much I could do about my swollen lips and red face, but at least my mascara wasn’t running.
I was about to meet the woman that gave life to the most amazing human being on the planet, and it made me nervous. I knew nothing about the woman because he never talked much about her and neither did Kayla. I wondered if she looked like Kayla with long brown hair and big green eyes. Kayla was gorgeous, and she had to get her looks from somewhere. I wondered if she was refined and faithful to God. What if she saw us through the window and confused what we were doing with sinning? I took a few deep breaths, and checked my image once again before I left the bathroom. I no longer had the jacket on, and my boots were off, so I hoped I could still make a good impression. The dress might have fit me like a glove but at least it was modest with three quarter sleeves and a proper neckline. After I shut the bathroom door, I stopped to run my fingers through my hair once more and straightened my dress. I held my head high and straightened my posture before I walked through the kitchen and finally to our living room, which was a mess of packaging and garland that hadn’t yet been placed on the fireplace.
I was shocked when I saw the woman. They were speaking quietly about something, and Michael didn’t look very happy, until he saw me and smiled. Their conversation ended abruptly. She turned to look at me then stood. The woman I saw had blond hair, maybe brown but definitely colored blond. She was wearing tight jeans and a tight sweater on her thin frame. She was probably absolutely gorgeous at one time, but she looked older than her age.
“You must be Belle.” She gave me a warm smile then stuck out her hand to shake mine. “I’m Pammy, Mikey's mom.”
Mikey?
I shook her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Pammy.”
“I decided to stop by because I just heard a rumor from my daughter, Kayla. I had to see it for myself. My son has never lived with any women but myself and my daughter. I was curious to say the least.”
I let go of her hand and Michael walked over to stand behind me. His hands rested on my shoulders. “My brother is actually staying here as well.” I said.
Her eyes darted between mine and Michael’s and she smiled. “My son is smiling. That must mean something.” She said.
“I am dating her, mom. Of course I’m smiling.” He squeezed my shoulders just a little.
“Your son is a good man and I’m lucky to have met him.” I said.
She looked at me and her eyes softened. “I have an amazing son. I doubt he has said much about me, and that’s not surprising. I wish I could claim responsibility for how he has turned out, but Mikey wasn’t just born a protector, he was also born as a very loving young man that is resilient and very stubborn.” She laughed a little then looked up at him. “I may have birthed him after twenty five hours of hard labor, but I wasn’t the one that gave him life. Everything you see around you is what he built and the relationships he also built without my influence. Mikey, I’ve never seen you smile so much. I know it’s not my visit making you this happy, so I presume it’s this young lady?”
“We were enjoying our second date when you arrived, as a matter of fact.” He was obviously giving her a hint.
“I should be going then, I’ve found some extra time on my hands since we were so quickly moved inside the gates temporarily and I’ve had to take time off work.” She walked toward the door. “Remember what I said, Mikey.”
“Just stay out of it, mom.” He warned her.
She gave him a wink and as smile as she stood with her hand on the doorknob. “Goodnight my sweet boy.” She then looked at me. “It was very nice to meet you, Belle.”
“You too, and have a good evening.” I said.
She left and I turned to look at Mike.
He sighed. “I realize she wasn’t what you may have expected.”
“There’s some tension there with her.” I was curious but he didn’t have to share if he didn’t want to.
“Well, in your world what we are about to do tomorrow isn’t real, but it’s a legal marriage and you deserve to know about my family and the name you’re about to take.” He walked over to a bag and pulled out some command strips for the garland.
“She looks much older than I suspect she is, so yeah, if you want to share, I’d like to know about your family.”
He walked upstairs to the loft, and I was looking up at him.
“Pam, my mother, was born into a good and hard working middle class family. They are devout Catholics in Charleston, West Virginia. That’s how my parents met. Dad, Michael Dale Axton, was a pretty good kid growing up in a crappy family. He met my mom, and they had me at eighteen, before they graduated high school. Mom dropped out, but my dad finished. Their plan was for dad to go into the military, but before he was to ship out to basic training something bad happened. My dad worked hard, but he just couldn’t make ends meet, so he moved my pregnant mom in with his family. I was born shortly after, and it was three weeks before he was to leave when there was a major drug raid and every adult in that house was arrested. I was taken into foster care, my parents were in jail, and he was still in jail when he was due to leave for Basic training. Dad didn’t drink or do drugs, but he was being punished as if he did. Neither one of my parents were drug users, but they were idiots for choosing to live with his parents. My mom’s parents offered to take me and my mom, but dad was not welcome, so that’s why they went to his parents to live. Thankfully, I was placed with my grandparents in Charleston for the first three years of my life. The charges against my parents were severe. It wasn’t just drug charges, but also prostitution and everything everyone was charged with although they never even tested positive for drugs and there was poor evidence against them.” He was wrapping the garland around the railing as he spoke.
“I am sorry, Michael.”
“Well, it is what it is, I guess. Anyway, dad wasn’t allowed in the army with that serious of a conviction. Both of my parents accepted a plea bargain so it would always be on their records. Dad took a job in the coal mines and mom as a waitress in town. They saved and finally had enough to rent the house where I grew up. They got me back when I was three and mom was pregnant with Kayla. Dad hated the world after that and started drinking, and he was a very mean drunk. He started to do drugs with his brothers, drinking all the time and he resented mom for some reason. Mom drank some, but nothing like my dad. He took his anger out on mom and she always either had a black eye or needed to be sewn up. I can’t remember her never having a mark on her. When I was eight, dad learned mom was unfaithful with a man from town and it was like he turned into a demon. He already threw her across the room, but stormed toward her with his arm pulled back to deliver a punch that probably would have killed her, but I jumped between my parents and his fist landed on my temple.”
I gasped and already felt the tears forming. My father may have been a lot of things, but he hated violence. It was why he would grant annulments if a husband ever became abusive. He would have also shunned the husband, and he would never have seen his wives or children again.
“I died, Belle. Three times my heart stopped, but I was revived, and a helicopter flew me to a Children’s Hospital in Virginia. They told my mom I was brain dead and were trying to tell her to pull the plug on my life support. Mom refused, and while that was happening, my dad was arrested, and Kayla was taken into foster care. They called me a miracle child because I eventually showed signs of life and was able to breathe on my own in only a few weeks. I had to live in a rehab center for several months so I could learn how to walk and improve my speech, but I made a full recovery. Not too bad for a boy who had several broken ribs from the CPR given to me every time my heart stopped.”
“Michael.” I was crying, but I could see he was just trying to focus on getting his story out and he wouldn’t look at me as he wrapped the garland around the wood..
“My best friend lived in the house next door, and I remember being more concerned for her and Kayla than I ever was for myself. My dad was sentenced to twenty years in prison. It took over a year for him to go to trial and I had to testify against him, which my mother resented. She wanted him back home with us. By the time I was ten, mom was drinking, staying out all night partying and I was raising Kayla. She had sober days, which were great, but I hated when she drank at home or with the neighbors. They had a daughter my age and she was my best friend. We were really poor and my grandparents in Charleston tried to help, but eventually mom became estranged from them. I worked from the moment I learned I could do things to make money. Eventually, I was the only one to take care of mom and Kayla…well Natalie as well.” He had the garland wrapped almost all the way down the railing on the steps.
“Natalie was your best friend?” I asked.
“Yes. Anyway, I was seventeen the first time mom went to rehab on her own without a court order, but she failed at sobriety several times, but the last one seemed to really help her. She has been sober for six years and still has a sponsor and attends AA.”
“What happened to Natalie?” I asked and I saw his entire body tense up and he paused from his work for just a moment.
“She’s dead.” He obviously didn’t want to say anything else about her.
“Your father was supposed to be in prison for twenty years. What did he do to be sentenced to life?” I asked, as I tried to control my emotions.
He glanced at me again as he worked. “Remember when I said my mother wasn’t faithful?”
I nodded my head.
“The man she was involved with that caused the fight that night, got into some trouble and was sentenced to thirty years in the same prison as my dad. As it turns out, he was a child sexual predator. My dad killed him in the prison cafeteria. My dad is a big man, and it only took one punch, and he was dead in an instant.
That could have been Michael. He was so much smaller but survived for a reason. God had a plan for him.
“Things are still strained with your mother?” I asked.
“When I was little and she would drink, I’d either be her very best friend, or her punching bag, not physically but mentally. She blamed me for my dad being sent away. She didn’t do that when she was sober though. I still see the woman she was when I look at her, and I wrote her off many years ago. She’s not here in Indiana with my blessing. Kayla brought her here a few months ago. I tolerate my mother, that’s about the best I can do. Just because she is sober doesn’t mean she stays out of trouble. She has a flare for the dramatic and tries very hard to insert herself into my life now. Now is not when I need her, I needed her when I was eight and Kayla deserved to have a mom when she was young. Thank God for Natalie because I don’t think I would have handled Kayla’s puberty well. Not only was I na?ve about girls at the time, Kayla has always been very shy about her body.”
“I only stripped for a year. I wanted to try to support myself in law school and not rely so much on Mikey. I only quit because I became worried, somehow he would find out and kill someone for looking at me. I am very proud to report that I was not a naughty stripper, I only slept with one client and that was a well-known professional hockey player.”
I tried not to laugh through my tears about the things Kayla said only one day earlier. I already realized that Michael was in denial about his little sister.