The Gang Leader's Girl

32. Empty Gold

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."

- Pablo Neruda

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Without another word, Axel grabs my arm and drags me out of the car.

"Let go of her." Clayton snapped, now opening his car door.

Axel shot him a confused look before smirking in a devilish way, I felt as his hand unwraps itself from my arm while he kept his sole attention on Clayton.

"Who exactly are you talking too? I know it isn't me." He said pointing to himself.

"Obviously I'm talkin-" Clayton started, but got cut off.

"Don't give me any more reasons to give you another black eye, I'm already holding back on your scrawny ass." Axel continued, walking slowly towards him, almost as if Axel was a cat and Clayton was an unsuspecting mouse.

"Let's get one thing straight here and I'm going to tell you this exactly one more time," Axel said through gritted teeth, holding up his index finger.

"If I see you causing bullshit trouble again, I'm not going to be as nice. If I see you around Mia again or even think you are up to some loony bin shit, you're over Jackson. I don't care who your father is and you out of all people should know that by now." Axel threatened.

So Axel does know about Dave, he knows my father. Axel knew who my father was and didn't tell me.

Clayton rolled his eyes at Axel before backing up a few steps with his hands up like he was surrendering.

"Doesn't matter," Clayton stated. "You've already lost her." Now was his turn to smirk at Axel. Both boys looked over at me with both very different expressions on their faces.

Clayton looked at me almost victoriously, like he had just somehow won a long waging war, while Axel looked at me with worry clear in his eyes and maybe a tad bit of regret. My head felt like it was being pulled into two, I wasn't sure who to believe or how to feel or even know how to make this situation better.

Axel shook his head to himself before walking from Clayton towards me. He immediately grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards his car.  

"Wait!" I said, slipping my hand away from him.

"For the love of everything holy, what possibly do I need to wait for? Do you think I'm letting you stay? Here? With him? Absolutely not. You've caused enough trouble already, do you even think? Huh? What's the point of having a brain if you don't use it?" Axel snapped poking at my forehead.

"Is there anything in here? Hello? Anyone home?" He asked looking at my forehead, now knocking gently on it.

"I was just going to say that I needed to get my phone." I cleared my throat awkwardly while opening the backseat door and grabbing my phone.

"Got it, we can go now," I stated, shaking the phone in front of him.

Axel's eyes widen in realization "Oh." He said, seeming a little embarrassed for his outburst.