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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: OFF-ROAD.
Last Updated:
2024-12-24 02:30:55
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AXEL’S POV:Cedric's words felt like a heavy burden that was hard to shake off. I wanted to dismiss him outright, but his voice carried sincerity. He looked at me, not as a feared man or a killer, but as someone he cared about—like a father would a son.I forced a dry laugh. "That's rich, Cedric. God? For someone like me?" I shook my head, incredulous. "You’ve been with me for years, patching up my men, stitching the ones I tortured just so I could tear them apart again. You’ve seen it all. Yet you think God has room for someone like me?" I sought. "If He does exist, where was He for the ones I’ve killed? The ones who begged for mercy? Explain that to me."Cedric’s expression didn’t change. He placed his briefcase down and leaned closer, his hand firm but warm on my shoulder. "Axel," he began, "you’re right. I’ve seen what you’re capable of. I’ve seen the destruction you’ve left behind. But God doesn’t weigh your sins when He’s offering to save you. That’s not how it works. You’re dyi
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"Mr. Blackwood," he started, "sorry for barging into your office—" "You better be," I cut him off. "And it better be for a damn good reason." The man straightened, trying to recover. "I'm Detective Harrington Smith," he said. I tilted my head, unimpressed. Surveying the man at the front of the pack, I was able to tell that he was middle-aged, balding, and reeked of bureaucratic arrogance. He tried to look confident, but his shifting eyes gave him away. "And?" Slowly, I removed my hand from the button and clasped it with the other, resting them on my desk. "I know you don’t often get visits like this—" "Because I’m a very busy man," I interrupted again, my patience thinning. "And I hate being interrupted by people who can’t justify their presence. So, tell me why you’re here and get the hell out." Detective Smith hesitated, then placed a document on my desk. A search warrant. I didn’t touch it. My eyes skimmed the bolded text as he continued. "We’re here because a woma
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AXEL’S POV:The day started innocently enough, with my little girl and I engrossed in one of her endless imaginary tea parties. She giggled as she poured invisible tea into a porcelain cup, her laughter infectious. Then Logan called, and my mood shifted instantly. Sea’s laughter still echoed in my mind as I picked up Logan’s call, unaware of how quickly the day would shift from innocence to chaos“Turn on the news,” he said, his tone clipped but carrying a hint of satisfaction. I did as he instructed, not out of curiosity, but because I demanded loyalty and obedience from those who served me, and Logan never disappointed. His handiwork lit up the screen of my phone, a blaze of chaos wrapped in polished headlines. Avery’s face stared back at me, plastered across every channel, with fabricated accusations that would ensure no corner of the earth was safe for her. A smile tugged at my lips. Logan had played his part well. I’d told him to light the match, and he’d set the fire where
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AXEL’S POV:“I would’ve followed you anywhere,” Avery whispered, her hands slipping around my neck, her body tightening beneath me. “I have died beside you, Axel. That should be enough proof.”I stilled inside her, the weight of her confession pressing down on my chest like a curse I couldn’t outrun.“Why now?” she asked, panting as she wrapped her arms tighter, pulling me toward her. “Why have this conversation now, Axel?”The urge to push myself all the way back in was infuriating, but I didn’t move an inch, savoring the way she begged with her eyes and her body.I tangled my hand in the back of her hair, holding her gaze. “Because it’s been eating at me.”Her eyes narrowed, suspicious. “What happened back there? Why did you miss the aim? One thing I know for certain—you’re a great shooter. If you wanted that man dead, he’d have dropped before I even arrived.”That was the thing. I was exceptional. Precise. Deadly.I slammed back inside her.“I don’t know,” I admitted, the words for
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AXEL’S POV:As Baron left, the room finally settled into silence. I leaned back, the material creaking beneath me, shadows from the light stretching across the floor. My mind wandered—first to Sea, and how she’d surprised me. There was no tantrum, no cold stares. Just quiet acceptance. A daughter who’d been confused for years but chose love over resentment. She was more like Avery than I realized.Speaking of her—Avery sauntered into the living room like a flame in the dark, barefoot, legs bare, wrapped in a blood-red satin nightie that clung to her body like it had been painted on. Thin straps kissed her shoulders, the silk dipping low enough to tease the soft weight of her breasts. Every sway of her hips pulled me to her. Desire pooled low in my stomach, uncoiling like a fuse waiting to be lit.She walked over without a word and slipped onto my lap, her legs curling around me. Her lips found mine in a soft kiss.“Sea’s asleep,” she mumbled against my mouth.I wrapped an arm around
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AXEL’S POV:As Baron left, the room finally settled into silence. I leaned back, the material creaking beneath me, shadows from the light stretching across the floor. My mind wandered—first to Sea, and how she’d surprised me. There was no tantrum, no cold stares. Just quiet acceptance. A daughter who’d been confused for years but chose love over resentment. She was more like Avery than I realized.Speaking of her—Avery sauntered into the living room like a flame in the dark, barefoot, legs bare, wrapped in a blood-red satin nightie that clung to her body like it had been painted on. Thin straps kissed her shoulders, the silk dipping low enough to tease the soft weight of her breasts. Every sway of her hips pulled me to her. Desire pooled low in my stomach, uncoiling like a fuse waiting to be lit.She walked over without a word and slipped onto my lap, her legs curling around me. Her lips found mine in a soft kiss.“Sea’s asleep,” she mumbled against my mouth.I wrapped an arm around
THE WIFE YOU LEFT REMIND THEM WHO THE DON IS.
AXEL’S POV:Avery was bent over Sea, her brows tight with focus as she ran test after test to make sure our girl was okay. Her hands moved gently, like she was touching glass that might shatter. I stood close, arms crossed, jaw clenched, watching every emotion on Sea’s face.“Did anyone hurt you?” Avery asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from Sea’s forehead.“Did anyone ever touch you in a way you didn’t like?” I added, trying best to stay in control while waiting for her answer Sea looked up at us. Her eyes were bright but calm. She looked older than her years—seven years had done that.“No,” she said quietly. “Ryan never hurt me. He was always... kind. Protective. Present. He took care of me. Always made sure I had what I needed. He taught me things, helped me grow up. Like a father should.”I exchanged a glance with Avery. A bitter taste bloomed in the back of my throat.“And the marriage?” Avery asked gently. “Did he force you to marry that man?”Sea shook her head. “No. He
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY-NINE: WHOLE AGAIN.
AVERY’S POV:All this time, Baron and the rest of the guards stood still—positioned with militant stillness, their eyes never drifting from Axel and Ryan. They weren’t statues, though. You could feel the readiness in their posture, in the way fingers hovered just near triggers, how Baron’s gaze scanned every shadow like he expected a war to break out.Me? I kept scanning too. Old habits. But I didn’t feel cornered. Not with Axel here—and not with the numbers we brought. He’d made sure we had enough men. If this turned bloody, it wouldn’t end well for Ryan.Still, something in the air told me we were far from done.Defensively, Ryan snapped, “Her father kept her a secret to shield her from attacks.”Axel’s brows narrowed. “If you found yourself a mafia princess, why couldn’t you stick with her? Build your alliances the right way instead of giving away my daughter?” His voice turned lethal. “If her father is truly who you claim, then why not use that leverage?”Ryan’s jaw flexed. “Becau
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY-EIGHT: TRUE COL6.
AVERY’S POV:“No peace is worth her dignity,” I snapped, my fists clenched so tightly they ached. “You sealed her fate to get yourself out of trouble.”Ryan shook his head violently. “Don’t twist this. You weren’t here. Enemies were striking from all sides. The Russians in Tampa. The East Coast Syndicates in Italy. Everyone thought Axel was dead and Miami was up for grabs. I was just a name. They smelled weakness.”“You were weak,” Axel snapped. “And stupid. You believed that dirty-bag wouldn't touch her? You believed some overweight, power-drunk animal wouldn’t lay hands on my daughter the second she was his?”Ryan’s lip curled. “You think I didn’t struggle with it? That I didn’t weigh every option? I was desperate, Axel. Desperate to hold together what was left of your kingdom while you were dead. I didn’t have the luxury of morals. I had to survive. We all did.”“And for that,” Axel said slowly, stepping toward him until they were nearly nose-to-nose, “you offered her like a gift o
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY-SEVEN: GLAD I NEVER LISTENED.
AVERY’S POV:Thank God I didn’t listen.Something told me not to. The moment Axel walked out that door, tension still rolling off his back, I couldn’t sit still. My body wouldn’t let me. So I grabbed my bag, ignored the hesitant grumbles from his guards, and followed.Good thing I did.If I’d been a minute late—hell, a second—who knows what that fat slob would’ve done to our daughter or to Axel.As soon as I reached Axel, I caught him saving him from collapsing. He was trembling. The man who once bathed in the blood of enemies without flinching now couldn’t stomach the sight of one dead body. The irony was bitter.The place was chaos. Screams echoed from the hallway. People tripped over chairs, others bolted for the exits. The guards outside barked orders, trying to herd the crowd into some kind of formation, but it was like trying to sweep water uphill.I stayed inside, watching the mess unfold from behind the glass balcony window above. The moment was frozen in chaos—and then my eye
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY-SIX: THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE.
AXEL’S POVAs I leaned back in that leather chair, the scent of sandalwood and fresh polish settled into my nose. The office was polished. Immaculate. A clean display of taste, ambition, and new money. But my gaze wasn’t interested in decor—it anchored to the walls, to the shelves, to the little details most wouldn’t notice but I did.The picture frames.Dozens of them.Sea.Just Sea.Her tiny fingers wrapped around a paintbrush as she sat cross-legged in an art class. Sea grinning beside Ryan at a science museum, both wearing matching safety goggles. Her in a frilly tutu, mid-spin on a recital stage, wings on her back like some kind of seraphim. Ryan, lifting her on his shoulders as they fed a giraffe. Sea asleep on a couch with a book clutched in hand. Sea in a football jersey, cheering from the sidelines. And then Sea again—older—taller, her baby face giving way to teenage edges, beaming next to a golden trophy. Every phase of her life, etched in photographs, trapped behind glass.
THE WIFE YOU LEFT CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY-FIVE: FACING MY REFLECTION.
AXEL’S POV:Clearing my throat, “Cedric,” I said, my tone shifting as I stood up, brushing invisible dust from my slacks, “we have more to talk about. But for now, I have somewhere to be. Some examples to set.”I nodded toward him in thanks. “Thaddeus will take you back. I appreciate your help.”Avery blinked as I moved, her joy giving way to confusion. She stood too. “Wait—we’re leaving already? I thought…”I turned toward her, placing both hands gently on her shoulders. “Avery, there’s no ‘we.’ You’re staying home. Rest. I’ve been careless with you—almost lost you one too many times. I won’t make that mistake again. Take care of my child.”She tilted her head, stubbornness rising behind her eyes. “Axel… we’re a team. It’s you and I against the world. You’re not going anywhere without me.” “Avery, remember what I told you the first time we met?” I leaned in slightly, my voice dropping. “I. Hate. Repeating. Myself. Stay home and relax. We’ve been through heaven and hell.”She exhaled
