～Axton～

"Get this crap out of me!" After opening my eyes, my first instinct made me snatch out the IV catheter from my hand.

"Take it easy, Ax," Dave said, walking toward me.

I stood up in bed, and while I took a band-aid on the spot where the catheter was, I asked, "What's the damage?" I couldn't care less about the throbbing pain that shot through my wound site with every movement I made.

"The bullet went through one of the guards and hit you. It was removed without issue. Dr. Stevens prescribed a course of antibiotics that you just stopped. Other than that, the wound is stitched and expected to recover quickly."

"Are you alright?" While I asked, I removed the ridiculous hospital pajamas I had been put in.

"Here," Dave said, handing me clothes. "Mrs. Giselle left them here for you." He then answered my question. "I am alright, Ax. I left the place, following your order."

David was one of those who proved his loyalty to me over the years. After the explosion, I allowed my man to leave the Darks. A few did so as this was something impossible when my father was in charge—once one bonded to the Dark family, they would stay till their last breath. But most, except those who decided to follow Grayson, refused to leave; to run away from troubles contradicted our beliefs.

That's why I needed to know that my people were safe. It was my responsibility to keep them safe.

"What about those in the club?"

Dave hesitated for a moment—no point in it, tho—I was on the verge anyway, and he knew that. "Five dead, seven injured. I am sorry, Ax."

I buttoned up my jeans and adjusted the gun to my belt while Dave was obviously waiting for my reaction.

"Where the hell is Cade?"

"He came out about an hour ago. Said he wouldn't be long."

I grabbed my phone and shirt and hurried toward the door.

"Axton, you need rest. Please, lay down." 

"I'll rest when I die," I answered Dave. "All is good now, you can go home." 

I left the bunker and went upstairs. Just as I entered the living room, Cade walked into the house.

"You son of a bitch!" I yelled and hurried toward him, swinging my fist at his face.

He blocked the punch, grabbed my arm, and twisted it behind my back. "You don't want us to perform those moves right now, bro."

My wound could not allow me action at this time. Cade knew that. I knew that. But the urge to break his nose raged through my system at full force.

I moved my head sharply back, causing it to crush into his face.

Cade's instinctively reaction to touch the hit spot freed me from his grip, but while I turned around to swing again, his fist reached my cheekbone first.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Dave stood between us, separating us with both hands.

Blood was dripping from Cade's nose, and I could imagine my cheek going purple as well. But I gave a little bit of calm to my nerves.

"What's going on here?" Dave asked.

"The asshole being a fucking asshole, that's what is going on," Cade replied, whipping with a hand his nose.

"Shut your mouth before I put the muzzle in it! How could you let her go back?"

As Cade reached behind Dave to give me his gun to challenge me to do as I said, Mrs. Giselle approached us.

"Mr. Dark, I see you are better now. Let me tell you how happy I am."

Mrs. Giselle spoke elegantly and with a big dose of restraint, but I knew that the tension was taking over inside. She had learned to be, or at least try to appear emotionless, but this was the woman who had raised me, the one who was like a second mother to me. Knowing how I would feel if she was the one injured now, it wasn't hard to imagine how worried she was.

I pulled away from Dave and nodded to Mrs. Giselle.

"Agent Smith is outside. He's coming for the third time. Should I invite him in?" she asked.

I looked at Cade questioningly. Why the hell didn't he start with the fact that Thomas Smith is sniffing around?

"Invite him in," I replied to Mrs. Giselle.

Dave, probably relieved that he wouldn't be needed anymore, said his goodbyes and headed for the door with Mrs. Giselle while Cade sat on the couch and stretched his legs on it. His response to my judgmental look before.

But Thomas Smith came in, and my focus shifted to him. "To what do I owe your visit, Agent Smith?"

"Isn't a shooting in the heart of New York reason enough?"

Thomas walked slowly with his annoyingly stilted gait. Not towards me, not even looking at me, but past the panoramic windows, looking at the backyard.

"Since when does shooting come under your jurisdiction, Smith?"

"Since the name Dark popped up in my files. What's the deal, Ax?"

Thomas stopped and stared out. Mrs. Giselle handed him a glass of water, but he declined and continued to look outside.

I stood next to him and looked at his reflection in the glass. "You tell me. Five bodies, seven wounded, eight plus me." My unbuttoned shirt revealed the bandage on my stomach. He looked at my reflection as I did, to scan the spot I mentioned about.

"Far from the heart."

"Not far enough from my guard's heart. What do you want, Tom? Why don't you harness your unuseful cop friends to catch the perpetrators instead of paying me social visits?"

"This is a friendly visit, Dark. And we'll do our job if you cooperate. Are you able to do that?"

"I forgot how funny you are. It's been a long time since I've been able to call you a friend."

Still staring at each other's reflections, I looked into his eyes. For a moment before my sight appeared those of two six-year-old boys, he and I, when we used to gather at my father's house and play criminals and policemen. He was the policeman, I was always the criminal—who would have guessed then that the game would turn into a life path? We were taking from my dad's guns; good thing he never found out about that. And we were friends then, yes, innocent, childlike, but that time has passed.

I chuckled to myself. I didn't even know why did I remember that. Dr. Stevens probably overmedicated me.

"Well, do you have something meaningful to say, or are you just going to waste my time?"

Thomas turned to me. "Since you seem to be all right, colleagues at the police station will be expecting you tomorrow for a statement." He tapped me on the shoulder. "Don't stall the investigation, Dark. It will be to your advantage."

I have never doubted Thomas Smith's beliefs. He was a man of honor, and I could say that even when he appeared to stand as my enemy. But I wasn't that fool to believe that the corrupt police would do any work in a case like this. They were worse, even than criminals, and most, I had no doubt, worked for the very person behind the shooting at my club.

"Mrs. Giselle," I turned to her without responding to Tom. "Walk out our guest, please."

"No need." Tomas walked toward the door but turned to me before reaching the handle. "By the way, Dark, a witness is stating that near the club, a woman with black hair has threatened him with a gun to drive her and her wounded friend to this address. Do you, by any chance, know something about that?"

"Never heard about that. Black-haired not to my taste." I waved my hand through the space. "Do you see any here?"

"Like I thought. Well, we'll see that."

Thomas went out, and Cade asked from the couch. "What did Ella do?"

I buttoned up my shirt and started to the garage without giving an answer to Cade.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have work to do. You'll drive."

Cade growled but followed me. We entered the Bently, and he turned the engine on.

"Care to tell me where to?"

"To the highway."

For about thirty minutes, the ride was uneventful. I stared at the road, letting the speed reduce the bloodlust that was raging inside me as I waited for Sebastian's answer.

"She jumped out of the car," Cade said out of nowhere. "Your girl. She jumped while I was driving. To come back for you. If it wasn't she, you would have been dead. Because of me." He looked at me, repeating with a shout. "Do you hear me, you fucking stubborn bastard? Because of me! Because I left you there!" 

"Your job was only to get the girls out. I can deal with the rest. But you failed even on that." 

"You can deal with everything until you can't! You can't while your blood bleeds the hell out of you!" 

"My blood will bleed out. But then! Then I should know that the ones under your protection are safe with you!" 

"It's all about Ella right now, isn't it? Say it out loud. You are pissed because Ella went under your skin! And she is doing whatever she wants, not giving a fuck about if should." 

"I promised her protection. And I keep my word. Something you know nothing about." 

"You wanted her, so to use her to your advantage. Fuck you, Axton!" 

I smirked. How fucked was I? 

"That was brave of her." Cade's tone lowed down. 

"That was not brave. That was reckless. Damn it! Fucking Ella Zanova."

Cade slowed down the speed and looked at me again. "I couldn't risk Dahlia's life, bro. I didn't know how many they were. I couldn't risk going back for Ella."

"I know. You did the right thing. That's what I asked for. Next time just lock the fucking doors, okay?"

"Next time, I will put your girl in the trunk. Okay?"

In the meantime, my phone signaled for a new text, and I looked at the screen. Moore responded sooner than I thought.

"Well. Will you finally give me a specific direction, or are we about to drive meaninglessly?"

"Is your nose broken?" I asked Cade as I waited for the following message.

 "Your head is too soft to break my nose."

I looked at him with the side of my eyes and smirked. "You are lucky that you are my brother. Otherwise, you'd meet the heavy part of my head." After I looked again at the phone's screen, I added. "Drive to the trackage behind the East train station."

"Did I have to get the arsenal with me?"

"Just drive."

We were at the place in less than forty minutes—long enough for Sebastian to get there, too.

"Park next to the black Audi."

Cade stopped and looked out through my window. Moore stepped out of his car, and I motioned him to get in the back seat.

"You didn't mention we had a company."

"Nothing to worry about, bro. This is Cade."

"I know who he is," Sebastian answered, still looking unsecured.

"It's all good."

"If you say so. Anyway, I have not much time. I am glad you are okay."

"What happened?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Good thing Gary, one of the guys we are hanging out with, has a big mouth. After checking his watch, he raised a toast to the punitive mission in which Grayson had sent a squad to your club. I couldn't give you any better warning at that moment."

"It's okay. Thanks, bro. Where is Grayson now?"

"He flew by out of the country the morning before the shooting."

"Of course. Can you find out the names of the shooters?"

"It's getting increasingly difficult to keep track of the Grayson's people, Ax. But I'll do what I can."

"I need at least five. Okay?"

"I'll contact you when I have something."

"Stay safe, bro."

"You too, Ax."

After Sebastian left off, Cade drove off as if he hadn't witnessed anything. If there was someone that I could trust with Sebastian's safety, it was only Cade.

"Dahlia asked when we are going back. She wants me to drive her to the house. So far, I don't allow her to walk out alone."

"That's good. Bring her tomorrow. Get some people with you. At least one car escort in front and one behind yours."

"Said the targetted person, who walked out only with his one-eyed friend."

"I am tired of you today. Drive me back and get out of my sight."

"With a great pleasure, bro!"

***

After I got home, I put a waterproof bandage on my wound and went straight into the shower. I leaned my hands against the wall, letting the hot water wash over me.

A memory struck me like lightning—that fucking memory that I was trying to forget. When I had my gun pointed at Grayson's head. Pull the trigger, I ordered in my mind. But the memory didn't change. My finger trembled on the trigger, praying Grayson wouldn't hit the remote's button. If only I knew that he would sacrifice all those who were family to him... If only I'd known he was actually going to push the damn button anyway, I'd have dragged him to hell with me. Because then I died, though I survived.

A part of me died with Hunter. The other part disappeared as my sister did.

And Grayson was still alive.

So many different scenarios were running through my head, but nothing could change the past.

A knocking on the door interrupted my thoughts. Probably Mrs. Giselle was bringing me food.

But then a second knock followed, and the door opened right after that. Mrs. Giselle would never do that.

I turned my head to see Ella standing at the doorway. Her gaze dropped to the floor after seeing me under the shower.

But I was not in the mood to give her an easy time.