Everyone Can Be Bought

(21) Broken

"I see you made yourself at home." I deadpan as Axel sprawls out on my bed.

"Yeah I guess I did. You were taking forever to get here; I got bored."

"Yeah I can tell." I push him over a little so I can fall on my bed. "I've missed you." I whisper.

"Awh I missed you too."

"I'm not talking to you! I'm talking to my bed."

"Sure keep telling yourself that." He laughs and I roll my eyes. He's so full of himself.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I huff in his direction.

"You, You help me sleep at night." Axel's serious expression causes my heart to falter. Pull yourself together he's just joking.

"I'm so sure, so what do you want to know? You didn't just come here to cuddle my bed."

"How do you know I didn't? I could've missed your bed too!" He states with a childish gleam in his eyes.

"Well if that's the case get out! My bed doesn't like you." I place my hands on his arm and push him playfully.

"Oh I beg to differ. I think she really likes me."

"Well she is a he and if that's so I'll just leave you two boys alone then." I shift like I'm about to leave but Axel stops me.

"Wait! I didn't really come in here to rendezvous with your bed. I came here to talk to you." He sounds defeated but he's holding back his laughter.

"Oh, you don't say? That's interesting news. Tell me more." I scoot closer to him.

"Since I told you who I was and about your dad-"

"Monster." I correct him.

"Since I told you about Monster I think I deserve to know something about you."

I can't argue with his logic. He did tell the team crucial information today. He deserves to know at least one thing about me.

"My favorite color is baby blue. Phew I'm glad I got that off my chest. Alright that's enough for tonight goodnight." Axel won't settle for this I know but it's hilarious to play around with him. I like to make him work for answers is that so wrong?

"You're not getting off the hook that easily. Seriously though, I think I deserve to know something about you." His unique eyes delve into mine.

"How about we compromise instead. Let's take turns, you ask me a question, I'll answer it and then I'll do the same to you."

"Sounds fair enough but we have to answer the question no matter what it is and answer it truthfully."

Fine ask me something." I sigh this is not how I planned to spend my night.

"Truth or dare?"

"What are you doing?"

"Come on this makes the game more interesting truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Kiss me."

"I changed my mind."

"I thought you would."

"Truth."

"How did your mom die?" I wasn't actually expecting him to ask a serious question right away.

"Car crash." I state not letting anymore information seep from my lips.

"That's it I don't get any more details?" He asks flabbergasted by my short response.

"Ugh you're so demanding! One night Monster and my mom went out to dinner. He came back and she didn't end of story."

"Did you get to see her before she died?" His voice transforms into a softer tone.

"Are you kidding me? I didn't even see her before she was cremated."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Cue the awkward silence. "Okay your turn! How did you find me Friday night?"

"I followed you after you ran out to help Killer. You guys made such a scene it wasn't that difficult. Do you have a good relationship with your brother?"

I wince at this question. I know that Axel is going to keep pushing further and ask me more personal questions than this but...Brandon is a different subject.

"No. Do you have siblings."

"No. Why aren't you close with Brandon?"

"Axel, please, I don't want to talk about him."

"Do you hate him?"

"No of course not! How could you say something like that!" My arms fly in different directions as I blow up.

"Calm down I was just asking. You weren't giving me any explanations; I had to ask." He sputters quickly. I don't think he was expecting me to like my brother. I wonder what his father has told him about me. So am I still suspicious of him? You bet your ass I am, how can I not be? He's been working for his father who is currently working for Monster. It's like a full circle of corruption.

"I'm sorry, I just don't like talking about him." My voice quivers and I turn my face away from Axel. "Monster took Brandon away from me. After my mom died I was devastated I mean Brandon was too but it was different for me." I pause and try to calm myself down. "The whole reason why I put up with the abuse for so long was because of my love for my mom. I knew that no matter what happened she would always be there for me. She was the only thing besides Brandon that was constant in my life. Then she was ripped away from me so suddenly and then Monster took Brandon and I had no way to cope!" I flinch at the warm hand that appears on top of mine. I look at Axel and his eyebrows knit together with concern.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to...well I did mean to bring it up...but I..." he stutters.

"It's okay, It might be good to get it off my chest." He pulls me into a hug and we lay down. He doesn't let go of me and doesn't pull his eyes away from mine. "A couple days after her death Monster came home and grabbed Brandon. We both didn't know what was going on. Monster dragged him outside and shoved him in a black limo. He didn't take any of Brandon's belongings and they both disappeared. That's when I knew."

"That's when you knew what?"

"That's when I knew Monster planned everything. He knew he couldn't break me because I always had family to lean on. If they were gone he would finally be able to break me....and he did." I whisper the last sentence and curl into Axel's chest.

"He didn't break you Trinity you're still fighting."

"You're wrong Axel. He broke me a long time ago. He couldn't break me when he ordered the men to kidnap me and he couldn't kill me. But he knew what was the most important to me. People, friends, family, they're all my weakness. I care too damn much and he knows that."

It's about this time that I realize that our truth or dare game died. We were just doing truths and I had to admit we needed a few dares to clear the tension in the air.

"Truth or dare?" I grin at Axel who is currently trying to figure me out.

"You're crazy you know that?"

"So I've been told. So which is it, truth or dare?"

"Dare."