AXEL

Silk

Blondes were always his favourite.

Creamy gold strands that shimmered under the buzzing white lights. This woman, in particular, reminded him of a china doll with her ivory skin and rosy lips. Her cheeks stained with a peachy powder to compliment her fruity scented perfume that hung around her. He lifted one eyelid to look at the emerald green eyes that hid beneath them. Her lashes coated with a thick layer of mascara that now blended into the foundation underneath.

He hummed lowly in approval at the woman in front of him and pulled on his latex gloves, wriggling his fingers in anticipation. 

"Pretty little doll," he whispered as he dragged a finger down the woman's bare arm and he held her wrist. He traced over her hand, knuckles and stopped at her fingertips. Her painted red nails matched the stain that bled through her silk blouse. The blood seeped through the fabric like rain dripping down a window pane. Beads of crimson curved around her body, following the dip of her hips and it latched onto her flesh like a parasite, slowly taking the life from her. 

Harsh brush strokes swept across her nails, the edges no longer clean cut but chipped. A faint mark circled one finger, a thin gold wedding band hung from a dainty chain around her neck. He grabbed the chain in one hand and snapped it off to look at the ring. The engraved names on the inside of her ring had outlived her too easily. 

Life is fragile he thought as he gently placed her hand back on the table.

He lifted the silk blouse, holding the hem between two fingers and rolling it back to take a look at the wound. He wriggled his nose in annoyance at the uneven stitch work lacing the gash up. The dark thread pulled on the skin, already bruising it as it failed to stop the bleeding.

Taking the scissors in one hand he dug the sharp tip underneath each stitch, cutting the dodgy work away. The blades of the scissors sliced through the stitches and each thread he cut matched the pulsing vein that throbbed on his forehead.

The snap of each cut echoed through the room and his teeth sunk into his bottom lip just as her crimson blood began to spill out from the gash. His hands pressed down on the wound as he attempted to stop it escaping through his fingertips. He tried to push the image of her flesh splitting like the seams of a garment ripping open but failed.

He packed the gash with clean rags, taping it up for now until he could get some professional help. The low rumbles of laughter rolled off of his lips as he imagined Axel clenching his jaw at the shoddy work, the familiar ticking always gave him away when he was annoyed.

His fingers danced along her ribcage as if they were playing the ivory keys of a piano. Leaving behind a trail of red splotches whenever his touch lightly connected with her skin. He tilted his head to the side to read the small tattoo that curved under her bra, the cursive writing mocking her lifeless body with the word breathe.

The tattoo made him release a deep breath as he turned away from her to collect a bucket of water. He dipped a rag in the water and twisted it before washing the stains from her pale skin. The red never really faded and he scrubbed away until her flesh was a tint of pink, the only warmth to grace her. He tossed the rag into the bucket, water splashing onto her cream silk blouse to reveal pink dots.

He stood back to study the woman, the tracks of tears cutting down her face to reveal a paler complexion and point to the rings of black and blue that circled her throat in the pattern of fingers. He tightened his fist and stretched it out repeatedly as he tried to calm his breaths but every time he saw the body he lost it again. He never marked what was his and didn't appreciate that Henridge had taken what was his.

"I'm going to kill him...No, I'm going to kill all of them and then. And then I'll come to you Henridge!" He yelled out in frustration, his voice bouncing off the walls along with the echoes of glass shattering to the floor.

He covered the woman up with a sheet, his boots crunching on the shards of glass beneath him as he stared at the white board in front of him. He bit the lid off, balancing it between his teeth and wrote Henridge in the middle. Like every other job he planned it down to every detail, he put down every acquaintance, worker that Henridge had. He threw the pen across the room when it began to squeak along the board, the tip dry where he put too much pressure on it. He raked his hand through the drawer to find another black pen but gave up when he found a red one.

The last connection he had to write was the only one that stood out.

In red letters like the damming of blood read Danvers.

Henridge would fall to pieces.

No Henridge would watch his world crumble.

He peeled off his gloves and swiped his touch screen phone open, catching a glimpse of the blood smudged across his brows. He rang the only contact saved to his phone and waited for the rings to finish.

"I have two jobs for you Axe," he said pacing up and down.

"Knox, don't play games with me. State your business first," Axel snapped. He could hear the light taps of Axel drumming his fingers impatiently as waited for him to reply on the other end of the line.

"One is a pretty little blonde bleeding out on the table..." He chuckled to himself as he teased Axel with the details he didn't want.

"You need medical advice? Or for me to stitch the wound?" Axel interrupted him before he could describe the beauty that laid on the table not far from him.

"Stitch Axe...Stitch Axe," he said pinching the bridge of his nose at Axel's raised voice blaring in his ear. He pulled the phone away from him to massage his ear and soothe the pain.

"Don't call me Axe!"

Knox winced at the high pitch tone screeching through the speaker, his eyes clamping shut as he tried to calm Axel down. Axel was nothing but colourful language, swearing at God knows what and Knox perked up at the sound of a female voice in the background.

The Grimm had company. There is life in him after all.

"The second is a private discussion," he said finally interrupting Axel's tirade of cursing.

"I have to decline on such a matter. I have other clients..." Axel replied quickly not even giving it a thought. Knox tightened the hold on his phone, knuckles turning white as he grunted in disproval. He glanced up at the ceiling, a little habit he got from Axel in his time of frustration.

"Trust me Axe. This one will be on your list too. It's just a meeting," he said with a smile stretching on his lips, dimples appearing as he thought about the plan.

His tongue swiped along his dry lips as if he could already taste sweet revenge.

"When?" Axel sighed in defeat. He knew Knox was playing on his curious nature and all he wanted to know was if this target was really on his list.

"Give me ten days, I'll send the blonde to you," he said as he marked the date on his calendar. He rolled back the sheet to look at the girl one last time. He combed his fingers through her silky hair, breathing in the last remainders of her fruity perfume.

"Fine, ten days," Axel said pulling Knox out of his trance.

"Oh and bring your friend in the background," he said hanging up before Axel could reply.

Author note: sorry for the long wait but I was so unsure about this chapter...introducing a new character who is important. I hope it's not too boring...Kit and Axel will be back in the next chapter.