Axel

IX

IX

The History

A X E L

             "Care to explain what that was all about?"

I strung out a sigh, pinching my nose as I let my eyes close. I had a feeling of where this conversation was headed and I definitely knew I wouldn't like the outcome. I heard the bedroom door close behind me and we both stood in the room. Even with my back to her, I could feel her coming closer to me. Mi angelita.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied nonchalantly, slipping my leather jacket off and throwing it on the chair before sitting on the edge of the bed. I did, in fact, know what she was talking about. I had seen the shocked look she shot me when I reinforced that I hadn't initially wanted to run the... family business.

"Now, we both know that's bullshit so why don't we just skip to the end," she responded and when I glanced at her, I noticed her arms were folded across her chest and a frown on her lips. "Why would you not want the cartel?"

I inwardly scoffed at the question. Why wouldn't I want it? Everyone in that room knew why. It was just this business. This life. It led to nothing but darkness and despair the higher up you went. It had been nothing but poison to me. It had taken so much away from me. My mother, Valentina, my friends... Caroline.

Two things bound men to power: fear or loyalty. My father always preferred fear. Said if men feared you, feared the consequences of their actions, that they would never betray him. He was a dramatic man, he always was. He would put on a show for everyone to see what happened to the traitors of the cartel. The few barbaric men worshipped the ground he walked on, but the remainder knew better than to get on his bad side.

"Would you?" I threw back at her. "Look at what it's done to you. To us."

She fell silent and I knew her mind would've drifted to her memories of the kidnapping. Of how we, the cartel, stole three years of her life like it was nothing. This life ruined us both. We were puppets being pinned against each other by our parents, letting this life corrupt us to no end. I shook my head at the ludicrous idea, closing my eyes and slouching so my elbows rested on my knees.

Our lives were beyond fucked up.

Her mother had plotted to have her kidnapped by the cartel, leaving her to the fate of the cartel. That had to have an effect on you, no matter who you were or what you were trained to be. It had to. My father had almost killed Caroline. Let's not even start with what he did to Valentina. He didn't trust women, that was his main problem, and after all the stories about how he changed after the death of my mother, it didn't surprise me. He viewed women as a weakness until they proved themselves otherwise. Ravenna, for example. She'd been with him since I was a baby. Mind you, I had no idea what she was to him or the cartel, but she had been there by his side no matter what.

"Yes, we've seen how fucked up it can be and maybe you can change that, I don't know, but you have to be willing to try," I heard Trinity answer me.

"There's —"

"This had to have meant something, Axel," she interrupted as she walked towards me, "I didn't go through what I went through for nothing. Our friends didn't just die for nothing. Sure, my mother's a first class bitch and your father's a cold-hearted bastard but maybe we can change everything and make things better. A fresh start."

I looked up at her when she stopped in front of me. Her hand maneuvered around my neck, her fingers tangling themselves in my hair and pulling, forcing me to look right at her. I could see the fire in her eyes lined with vengeance and determination. A look that made me realize she always will be my burning torch throughout the dark times.