Chapter 5: A bone to pick

The tension in the air was raw as the storm brewed in Axe's eyes, and Jonathan Lucci clutched his throbbing hand and stumbled backward, his eyes locked onto Axe's intense gaze. 

The room had fallen into an eerie silence, broken only by hushed whispers and the occasional gasp from the stunned guests. 

Still reeling from the pain in his hand, Jonathan Lucci attempted to regain his composure and assert his dominance, glaring away from Axe. 

With a strained smile, he addressed Don, his voice dripping with a thinly veiled threat, "Mr. Vincenzo, I believe it's in your best interest to discipline your man. This sort of behavior is unacceptable."

"Jonathan, I understand your concern, but I won't be disciplining Axe for his actions. He hasn't offended me or acted out of line in any way to me or my family. If anyone feels wronged by his actions, they are free to voice their concerns and present their case." Don said calmly, resting back in his seat.

Scoffing, Lucci's eyes narrowed as he struggled to maintain his composure, clearly not expecting this response. 

"I believe the evidence is clear," Lucci retorted, his voice dripping with disdain as he gestured towards his injured hand. "He assaulted me, Mr. Vincenzo. That's a clear offense."

"You approached him, and he reacted. If you feel that he acted disproportionately, you are free to bring your case, and we will assess it accordingly." Don Vincenzo casually said, smiling faintly.

"Vincenzo, this is outrageous! Your man assaulted me!" 

For a silent minute, Don Vincenzo's gaze was cool and unwavering as he studied Lucci, and then he said, "Did he?"

"He's nothing but a glorified guard, unworthy to sit among us!" Lucci's voice rose, glancing around the room to gather support. 

Murmurs swirled among the guests, but they were hesitant to voice their thoughts in the Vincenzo family's presence.

"If you believe he has wronged you, make your claim," Don Vincenzo replied calmly. "But be prepared to defend your stance. Axe will have the same opportunity to defend himself. That's fair, isn't it?"

Lowering his glare, Lucci's face flushed with frustration, but he hesitated, realizing the weight of the situation. The room fell silent as tension thickened, everyone aware that Axe was a part of the Vincenzo family, even if he was just a bodyguard, Don raised him from a young age.

"Are you going to let your man get away with this?" He asked. "He just assaulted me, and you're not going to do anything about it?"

Gazing around the room, Mr. Vincenzo looked unfazed, and then his eyes locked onto Lucci's with a steady gaze as he said, "Axe hasn't done anything to offend me... Why should I punish him... But if anyone believes that he has wronged them, they are free to make their claim and discipline him for it. But as I said... Of course, Axe has the right to defend himself if he doesn't feel like the claim is right."

Quietly, Lucci's face flushed with frustration, but he hesitated, realizing the weight of the situation, and the room fell silent as tension thickened.

Yet, amidst the tense uneasiness, a woman, emboldened by her self-importance, stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with scorn as she faced Axe,  and the room went dead quiet.

"You think you belong here?" Her voice dripped with condescension. "You're nothing but a charity case, a speck in this world of superiority. You should know your place and leave before you embarrass yourself further."

Recognizing her as Victoria Vargas, the wife of the owner of the Vargas Family Enterprises and one of the owners of one of the largest casinos in town, Axe gave her a nonchalant stare,  and turned his attention to Mr. Vincenzo, ignoring her completely. 

The rest of the room held its breath at his act because they all knew Victoria was an egolistic  bitch with power to spare, but Mr. Vincenzo didn't seem perturbed by her remarks. Instead, he simply watched with a patient smile on his face.

"Mr. Vincenzo," Victoria said, her voice dripping with condescension, "I believe your man needs to be put in his place. He doesn't belong in the company of esteemed guests like us. His presence is an insult to our social standing."

As Axe gazed her way, his expression remained stoic as he locked eyes with Victoria, seemingly unfazed by her verbal assault. 

Growing frustrated by Axe's lack of reaction, Victoria decided to take it further. While getting closer to him, she raised her hand, aiming to deliver a resounding slap across Axe's face.

But as her hand approached, Axe moved with a speed and precision that surprised everyone. He caught her wrist in mid-air, his grip firm. With a calm but intense gaze, he stood up, towering over her, giving her a death stare that sent shivers down her spine.

"Let go of me, you brute!" Victoria exclaimed, pulling her arm backward, attempting to twist her wrist away from his grasp. 

His eyelids lowered as Axe gazed at her, his grip tightening, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she lashed out, "What's gotten into you? Let go of me, you foolish being!"

Slowly, his grip loosened, his fingers trembling slightly, and when Victoria's hand was free, she grew frustrated, lifting her foot to step on his toes, but he suddenly, kicked her leg away from him, making her yelp in surprise as her ankle twisted painfully. She staggered backward, cradling her ankle, tears welling up in her eyes as she glared at him, enraged.

"You!!!" she seethed, her eyes trembling with fury. "How dare you lay your hands on me!"

But Axe remained calm, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at her. 

"You attacked me first," he said, his voice low and steady.

"Don't you dare try to justify what you did!" Victoria snapped, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You're nothing but a lowly bodyguard, and you have no right to lay your filthy hand on me, a lady of the Vargas family!"

Leaning in towards her sister's ear, Ember scowled as she whispered to Leia, "This is ridiculous. Doesn't he know that Lady Victoria is a high-ranking member of the Vargas family? How dare he treat her like that! Even with our family backing, they will come for him. Axe might have just crossed a line he can't come back from. The Vargas family won't take this laying down, especially with their influence and power in this town."

But Leia, on the other hand, was more concerned about the guests who were now smirking and gossiping, their eyes fixed on Axe and Victoria.

"That idiot is done for," one guest said, shaking his head in mock sympathy. "He messed with the wrong people tonight."

"Both the Vargas and the Lucci will come after him," another guest chimed in. "He's as good as dead."

Leia felt a knot form in her stomach as she listened to the guests' callous remarks. She knew that Axe was in a precarious situation and the thought of him being hurt or worse filled her with dread.

Suddenly, Victoria's husband, Dominic Vargas emerged from the crowd and stormed towards them, his expression livid as he glared at Axe, his face flushed with rage.

"Don, I respect you, but your boy has gone too far. Are you going to let this continue?" Dominic demanded angrily.

"Of course, I will," Don responded firmly, his expression remaining undisturbed. 

Gasps could be heard throughout the room, shock apparent on some faces, and anger permeated through others.

"I stand by my word. The person who feels offended should be the one to throw the stone. If Axe comes at me, I will discipline him myself. I am being fair here by giving you the chance to penalize him yourself and you are offended by this?" Mr. Vincenzo challenged, his tone growing icy. "I don't want to be accused of going easy on him, or not punishing him to your satisfaction because he is my man. So, do it yourself and please your rage." 

"Father," Leia whispered to herself, turning towards him, fear rising inside her heart. "What are you doing?"

As silence settled in the room, a tense shift in the atmosphere occurred. The air crackled with anxiety, but within the quiet, a subtle murmur began to spread among the guests. 

"Mr. Vincenzo got a point, you know. The one who's got a bone to pick should handle the situation," one guest murmured, glancing around nervously.

"He's being fair. If they're so offended, let them deal with it," another replied an edge of anticipation in their voice.

"True." A voice murmured from the back of the room. "The only one who can truly punish Axe to our satisfaction is the one he has wronged."

As their eyes locked, Leia stood frozen in place, watching as her father stood firm in his decision, disregarding the potential consequences of his actions. 

But as the guests whispered and murmured amongst themselves, Leia's attention was drawn to one voice, in particular. A woman's voice, soft and gentle, but with an underlying cockiness in each word.

"I see it now," the lady said, her gaze fixed on Mr. Vincenzo. "Don doesn't care about that boy. He just doesn't want to seem evil by punishing himself, after all, he raised him. But allowing two powerful people to be the ones to do it is even more cruel than him doing it himself."

Holding her breath, Leia turned towards the woman, intrigued by her words as she continued,  "He's not being fair. In reality, he's just passing the buck. He's allowing two powerful families to fight amongst themselves, all the while, Axe is caught in the middle. That's worse than a punishment."