Sweet Hope

Austin suddenly pushed my duffel bag to my feet. “I came to see you today to tell you that you’re gonna be an uncle, a Zio, Axe. Lexi’s pregnant. We’ve been trying for two years but because of the damage to her body through her anorexia, they weren’t sure we’d be able to ever have kids. She woke me up this morning to tell me I was gonna be a papa. A fucking papa, Axe. Against the odds, we’re having a baby. It’s a fucking miracle… and the only two people I couldn’t wait to tell were you and Lev.”

My heart beat faster… Austin was gonna be a papa.

A fucking thrilled smile pulled on my lips, but Austin didn’t see it, he was too busy glaring at the floor.

“I can’t have you here no more, Axe. I got more important things than you to consider now.” His dark eyes met mine. “I need you to leave. I can’t have my baby, my wife, dragged into all the dealing and gang shit… my kid’s gotta have a better life than we did… they’ve gotta be safe. We all need to be safe.”

Levi lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, his face pale and he rushed up the stairs.

“Lev… I can exp—”

Levi immediately stopped on the stairs, but never looked back. “You swore to me you wouldn’t do anything to take you away from us again. I let you in, I opened my heart to you again, and you have to fuck it all up! I let you in, Axe… and now I’ve lost you again…” he snapped and disappeared from sight. Austin turned his back on me and walked up after Levi.

Feeling real fear run through my veins, I stepped forward and called, “Aust…” but my foot landed on the bag of coke, busting the fucking thing open all over the floor.

Austin, hearing the bag split, sighed and, without looking back, said, “Just leave, Axe. Just fucking leave…”

My entire body filled with ice at how cold those words sounded coming from his mouth. I looked down at the mess of coke at my feet and felt nothing but shame… shame that I’d had a moment of weakness and bought this coke all those weeks ago.

But I was so fucking angry they hadn’t heard me out.

They didn’t even fucking let me speak.

Turning on my heel, I left my bag of clothes where it was and fucking raced outta the house, my head reeling.

What the fuck was I thinking in coming back here?

I was done. So fucking done with trying to make shit right.

I drove my Camino fast through the falling rain—a perfect fucking reflection of my mood—and headed for my studio. In my rush to tell Austin and Levi about my art, I’d brought nothing with me, not even my damn wallet or cell. I was getting them and then getting the fuck outta Seattle. And I wanted Ally to come with me. Just her, me, and the fucking road.

Letting the heavy metal music from my stereo fuel my rising anger, I didn’t realize for a good few miles that the black car was tailing me. Frowning, my suspicion back, I turned down random streets just to see if it would follow—this time it did.

Feeling my pulse spike, I narrowed my eyes and picked up speed. The car followed, its bumper almost rear ending me.

“Fuck,” I hissed under my breath. There was only one fucker I knew would be after me like this: Remo.

SHIT!

I pulled my car to a stop on a quiet road, a pit in my stomach as I realized this was it. He was here for my blood. The heavy rain bounced off my windshield like bullets and I cut the music, eyes glued on my hands.

I always thought I’d die at the hands of my crew. But what was tearing me apart right now was picturing Ally. I couldn’t even call her to tell her goodbye. FUCK! I’d just gotten my shit together, finally making some fucking headway in my life… and now…

The sound of a car door opening made me sit up straighter, and for the first time ever, I felt fear. Real fear. Today I had something to lose, the thought of leaving Ally behind, fucking terrified me.

Wrenching open my car door, I jumped outta the car just in time to see Remo Marino strutting my way. He looked older. Had gained weight, gained lines on his face, but he was still the intimidating fuck he’d always been. My stomach dropped… This fucker had been trailing me for days.

I stood my ground and watched as Remo’s lips pulled into a smirk. “Fucking, ragazzo!” he said, faking a laugh and smile. “Almost didn’t recognize you with the fucking hippy hair and beard covering your Heighter tattoos on your neck. It’s taken me a few days to make sure the lead I was given wasn’t bullshit.” He waved his hand at me. “And your stidda, Axe? You lost that too?” he nodded in approval, “You done a real good job of hiding yourself from me. Almost had me thinking my intel was wrong. But when I saw Austin and Lev again, I knew for sure it was you.”