21. Axel
CHAPTER 21
AXEL
I bang on Ant’s door, “Let me in Ant.”
Pressing my ear against the door, I listen for any sign of movement but it’s as if he isn’t even there. A shadow casts underneath his door from the light inside, it shifts slowly confirming he is just behind the door.
“Come on Ant, It’s just me… Please open up.” I beg, resting my head against the door.
It’s been years since I’ve seen him have a panic attack, the last one was at our parents funeral and it took about a week to bring him to us. Seeing Mandy triggered this and I need to find out why, but for now. It can wait. The only other question remaining is, why did they both look so shocked to see each other?
“I’ll be back soon, I’ll bring you some food.” I tell him before walking back towards the living room.
Mandy sits in the middle of the sofa with Carter and Flynn on either side of her. Gunnar is standing in the corner of the room, coffee in hand, staring at me as I enter. He knows something is wrong.
When he first arrived, I sent him to his room informing him that I will tell him everything in the morning, except the commotion between Ant and Mandy caught his attention. Pushing himself off the wall, Gunnar walks towards me with determination, “Are you going to tell me anything yet brother ?” He stands in front of me, arms crossed as he stares me down.
Normally this would be seen as a challenge for Leader but seeing as he doesn’t know anything, I’ll let him off. Next time though, I’ll kick his ass.
I match his stance, keeping eye contact as I stare back, “You’ll know soon.” I tell him sternly before walking away to face the pissed off woman on the sofa. I think back to the training my father gave me but this, this is something completely out of my league. She’s an innocent, not someone we’ve taken to torture. I take a deep breath, offering my hand out to her, “Welcome, I’m Axel.”
She looks at my hand is disgust before swatting it away, “Well Axel, what the fuck do you want?”
Her response takes me by surprise, I watch her for a moment. Fascinated by the fact she isn’t scared of us. Taking a seat on the coffee table in front of her, I lean forward, “You’re not scared of us?”
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, mocking my tone with a dramatic flair. “Ooh, not scared of us! ” She raises her eyebrows as if I’ve asked the most obvious question in the world. Flynn snorts, Carter chokes back a laugh, and I feel like I’m the only one not in on some joke.
She leans forward, closing the gap between us, “You really think I’ll be scared of you guys?” She points to Flynn on her right, “This one, was singing Barbie girl all the way here. Full volume may I add,” she points to Carter, “And he, don’t even get me started on him complaining about the girl he was just banging a few hours ago.”
This time I’m the one laughing as I switch between Carter and Flynn, both sitting there staring at her with their mouths open. “I don’t know what you’re laughing at pretty boy, you’re the least intimidating of them all.” She says sharply.
I smirk at her, fluttering my eyelashes. “Pretty boy, you think I’m pretty ?”
She rolls her eyes with a groan, mumbling something about stupid boys. I already know we’re not going to get anywhere with her at the moment and I need food. The clock sitting on the wall behind Mandy tells me it’s lunch time, one of my favourite times of the day.
“Flynn, or should I call you Parker ? get some food in for everyone. I have a few things I need to do.” I tell him as I stand up.
Sensing Gunnar staring at me, I gesture for him to meet me in my room so we can talk, something that should have been done years ago. “On it boss. And don’t call me that name again.” I hear Flynn shout as I close the door behind me and my younger brother.
I gesture towards the chair in the corner of the room, “Sit.”
Gunnar doesn’t move, deciding to take a stand against me. Literally. He stands there staring at me, testing the limits to see how far he can go. If he wants to be brought in to this world, it’s about time he learnt a few rules.
I walk over to him, standing just a few centimetres away as I tower over him. Dropping my tone lower, I point towards the chair one more time. “I said… Sit.”
His eyes give him away, as a flicker of doubt shifts through them. He lingers in front of me for a few seconds before doing as he’s told.??As he finally sits, I keep my gaze steady on him, not giving him any room to breathe easy.
“Do you know why we’re here, Gunnar?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest. He looks up at me, a flicker of defiance still in his eyes, but he doesn’t answer. Silence. Just what I expected.
“I’ll take that as a no.” I pace a little, letting the tension sit heavy in the air. “You want in on this world—our world—but you don’t get to just walk in and pretend you know the rules. You don’t know the sacrifices, the choices I’ve had to make. You’re my brother, and I’ll protect you. But loyalty? Respect? Those are things you’re going to have to earn.”
He shifts in his seat, his fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest, but he stays quiet. Smart move.
“And if you want any chance of surviving out there, you’ll start by showing it right here,” I add, leaning down to meet his gaze. There’s a pause, just long enough to see that hint of doubt surface again in his eyes. Good. Maybe he’s finally realising this isn’t some game.
“So, Gunnar,” I say, dropping my voice even lower, “are you ready to learn?”
By the time Flynn knocks on my door, announcing the food has arrived, the confident boy who sat across from me at the start is long gone. In his place is someone smaller, almost fragile—a glimpse of the kid he once was. Sighing, I move to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Look, I know this is a lot but… It’s our life Gunnar and you wanted in. There’s no backing out now.”
He hasn’t said a word since he sat down a few hours ago, his face drained of colour at all the stories I told him. The kidnappings, the murders… and how he will have to be initiated into the family business. I feel nauseous at the thought of sending my little brother out to do the devils work, but if anyone is going to prepare my family for what is about to happen. It can only be me.
“Let’s go eat, you’re going to need it.” I tell, opening the door.
“What… What are you going to get me to do?” Gunnar blurts out, his voice full of fear. I pause in the doorway, walking back towards him. His question hangs in the air between us like a weight neither of us is ready to carry.
“Gunnar…” I start, choosing my words carefully, “the kind of work you’ll be doing—it’s not going to be easy. But I’ll be there to guide you, step by step.” I let the words sink in, though I know they offer him little comfort. “I’d never ask you to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”
His eyes search mine, looking for some kind of reassurance, something to make all this less terrifying. But there’s no sugar coating it; this is the life he’s chosen and there is only one way out of it.
“Just trust me, alright? I’ll make sure you’re ready when the time comes.” I give his shoulder a firm squeeze, hoping to transfer some of my own steadiness to him, even if it’s barely holding together. He swallows hard and nods, though he still looks like he’s barely keeping himself together. “Okay,” he whispers, almost too low to hear.
I nod back and offer him a faint, reassuring smile. “Let’s go eat,” I say again, leading him out of the room. “We’ll start tomorrow.”
It doesn’t take long for Gunnar to fall back into his old habits, diving straight for the sofa where the food waits. I glance around, checking if Ant has shown up, but then I notice someone else missing.
“Where’s Mandy?” My voice tightens with concern. How the hell have they managed to lose her already?
Flynn points behind him toward Ant’s room. “She went to go see Ant.”
My head snaps toward him, and I stare, speechless. “You let her go see Ant? Are you out of your fucking mind?” I shout.
He throws his hands up defensively. “Have you seen her when she’s mad, Axel? I don’t think so!”
I don’t respond as I turn and quickly make my way down the hallway, my pulse racing. As I approach, soft music floats through the now open door. I exhale, relieved—at least he’s not blocking the door any more. I near the open door, slowing my steps as I lean around the corner, cautiously peeking inside.
My gaze lands on Ant, sitting on the floor beside the bed with his back flat against the wall, his eyes on Mandy, who’s sprawled out on his bed, fast asleep. I blink, trying to process the scene. Of all the things I expected to find, this wasn’t one of them. Ant, the last person I’d picture being comfortable with anyone in his space is just… sitting there, calm and watchful. It’s almost peaceful.
I shift my weight, and the floor creaks beneath me.
Ant’s head turns, and he catches me lurking in the doorway. He rolls his eyes at my sudden appearance, which practically screams, Would you stop hovering? She’s fine. I’m fine.
I straighten, trying to look un-bothered as I clear my throat. “Just checking,” I mutter, glancing again at Mandy’s sleeping form. Seeing her so at ease in the calm that Ant rarely shares with anyone feels almost surreal. Part of me wants to march in and drag her out of his room, but another part of me just stands there, taking it all in.
Ant glares at me, his eyes all but ordering me to leave. I take the hint and step back, leaving him to whatever he wants to call… that.
A few hours have passed since Flynn and Carter took Mandy from her home, and now it’s my turn to go comfort the girl of my dreams. Wasting no time, I grab my mask off the living room table and head for the door.
“Where are you going?” Carter asks, his attention mostly on the burger he’s lifting to his mouth. I don’t bother telling him everything, so I just throw a quick, “Out. Don’t wait up, kids!” over my shoulder as I shut the door behind me before racing down towards my bike. I can’t help but feel the guilt for taking Mandy away from Eva suddenly.
When Carter and Gunnar arrived at the apartment, I sent Gunnar to his room and filled Carter in on what has happened. The second I told him about the photo I had to restrain him from running out the door to find out who was behind it, he may be younger than me but fuck , I definitely felt the weight behind the punches that connected against my arms. He wasn’t impressed when I told him of our plan to kidnap Mandy but we had no choice. They know who she is, they know she is an important piece of our life. It would only be a matter of time that they connected her relation to Eva and I’ll be damned if I let any harm come her way.
She’s mine, and I’ll be damned if anyone plays with what belongs to me.
I shouldn’t have left her alone after we got that photo. But I couldn’t spare anyone while we waited for Carter and Gunnar to arrive. I had to be their leader, had to prove they could trust me. Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fucking terrified something might happen to her. Especially now. Alone in that house. God, I pray she’s still alone in that house.
The garage feels colder than usual, or maybe it’s just me. Maybe after all the years of bad, karma is catching up to me. My bike sits waiting, steady and dependable, a stark contrast to the chaos brewing inside me. Swinging my leg over the seat, I exhale sharply, trying to steady my nerves.
I twist the key, and the engine roars awake, filling the silence with its deep, rumbling growl. The vibrations ripple through my body, colliding with the unease tightening my chest. My grip on the handlebars is tight as I think of Eva, but I can’t let go.
Fear. Anticipation. Anger. It’s all tangled together, clawing at me from the inside. I want to scream, but instead, I rev the engine, Letting the sound drown out all the thoughts in my head before I pull away.
“I’m coming Buttercup, I’m coming to get you.” I say out loud as if she can hear me.