Chapter 28
My mind swims, feeling the waving of movement as if I were on a boat. But as my conscious rises to the surface, I know it is simple the drugs weighing me down.
Moving my tongue feels like sandpaper and mouth taste like cotton balls. My limbs feel heavy and I recognize the haze immediately. Chloroform.
Despite my mind and body fighting off the drug, I managed a muffled shout.
"This is such a cliche!" My words are slurred and my head swings around as I try to look at my surroundings.
The cold dark room echoes back the faint sound of the slurred round of yelling. Fuck I can't believe I fell for it. Mo of all people, but the more I think about it the more it doesn't make sense. She was so normal when I met her. Quiet and shy but had a mouth that knew how to make you rethink your entire life. It wasn't even until recently that she was starting to act evasively.
She never gave anything away, no clue or hint to make me doubt her. "I'm so sorry Blaze." her desperate apology eats at me. My Aunt must have gotten to her, I don't know when or how, but I know Mo and she wouldn't do this. Not unless she had too.
Axel's father's questions suddenly hit be full frontal. I truly did not know much about Mo or Eric, but Axel did. He must know something that had him so guarded around them and also why he wasn't surprised by his father's accusations of his 'friends.'
Fuck that bitch of an Aunt she plays so dirty and now she's got me. I know she wants to kill me. So what's stopping her? Why am I tied down to a chair and not being scooped out of a river?
I flinch at my own imagery, unwilling to admit this is the end. It can't be. Not after I found...
God, I hope he is alright.
I wonder if he is upset or worse if he is angry. I know about his temper, he tries to keep it hidden and doesn't often act out of anger. Once he told me he didn't like how angry he got because it reminded him of his father.
Is he looking for me? My mind briefly doubts he is, his father might have convinced him that I am not worth it. But then as I fight off the last of the drug haze I recall how his arms felt, how he smiled at me. He wouldn't leave me. He was going to come for me.
Realization hit me. He was going to come for me to put his life at risk. I had to get out of here before he could even find me before he could get hurt sticking his nose into my past.
Eric and Mo are enemies, that much I know for now. So if either of them shows up I play pretend, surprised by their betrayal. Play dumb until they leave their guard down long enough for me to have the upper hand.
As I search the darkroom for an exit my mind races with one thought: I am not the type to wait around and be saved, not Snow Blaze White.
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Axel
"Axel," John says as I begin to calm down.
I snort at the thought. Calm. Like fucking hell, I am anywhere near calm. I am livid. I am lethal. I am explosive. I am goddamn desperate.
And I hate it. I hate feeling like this.
"She is starting to regain consciousness," a voice from across the room informs and I grunt in response heading to Hazel's bedroom.
I haven't called the others to tell them anything, but from what I hear dad has round the clock eyes on their hotel. They are blissfully ignorant and I need it to stay that way. I do not need more on my plate right now.
The door opens slowly and I watch as a man with grey hair and a white coat checks her IV and vitals quickly and quietly, trying to leave the room before we start to interrogate her. Years of being a Mafia's doctor has taught him to never stay long enough to hear them talk. Curiosity will get him killed.
Moving my gaze towards the small brunette that lays on the old comforter, her skin bruised and bloody. Dark circles are under her eyes and I realize I haven't seen her in about a week the same time I lost tabs on Eric.
I do not doubt Eric would sell his own mother for some quick cash, so I know if he is involved it would be no surprise, but from what the bodyguard told me it seemed like Mo was trying to warn us.
Slowly Mo's eyes open squinted at the bright daylight seeping into the room, it is morning and Blaze has been missing for 15 hours. Just the thought of that makes my stomach turn and my fists clench.
I was supposed to save her, be this hero in her eyes. Some part of me was so obsessed with how she thought of me that it would do anything to prove myself to her.
"Axel?" Her voice comes out as a whisper and my head snaps up to her as her eyes take in the room.
"Yeah, it's me," I bit out more coldly than Blaze would have liked. She swallows taking in my no doubt disheveled appearance, hair standing in every direction from running a frustrated hand through it as I discuss with my father on what to do. Dark circled under my eyes from lack of sleep.
Her eyes shot to the ceiling unable to meet my broken ones anymore, "They have her don't they," she asks softly and again my answer holds much more bitter than she might deserve.
"Yes, they fucking took her. Was that the plan? Were you the distraction?" I ask watching a single tear roll across her red cheek.
"I wouldn't do it," she mumbles and I wait as patiently as I can, "They wanted me to call her and ask her to meet me somewhere alone. Then they would jump her."
I curse harshly under my breath, but she continues as if expecting it, "But I said no and so they... they..."
"Beat you up?" I finish for her and she nods slowly.
"I didn't realize that they would follow me to your house when I escaped. They wanted me to, and used me."
I run a hand down my face groaning at her idiocy, "Of course they did."
There was silence for a moment and the doctor took this time to run out of the room past my father and I as we watch the girl crying and bruised before us.
"They said they would put my mom in prison. Had evidence of her drug abuse," she muttered.
I nod, "Yeah, I figured as much."
She shoots her head towards me, "My mom can't survive prison, much less withdrawals and I can't survive foster care. I did it to protect-"
Her words sparked the already blazing fire within me and as soon as my glare met hers she realized her mistake.
"No. You sacrificed your friend in order to survive because that is all your heroin-addicted mother has ever taught you. survival. You did this for yourself not to protect anyone! You know who I am. You could have come to me, but you didn't," I hiss getting dangerously close to her and she immediately looks away, "And because of that I lost someone I swore to protect. The same person that has had your back since she blew into town."
I am seething, seeing red when she whispers, "Don't tell Jackson."
"What?" I hiss out.
"Don't tell him I'm here or that I'm alive," She says softly.
"Don't worry I won't have to," I say, "because the second you're walking, you are out of this place. I don't want to see your face."
She lets out a strangled gasp as I turn away unable to keep my anger at bay much longer, "You can't do that!" she hollers at me, "Blaze wouldn't want that!"
At the mention of her name, my body goes rigid as if recognizing its sound and waiting for her soft touch, "Well she isn't fucking here and we have you to thank for that. She can't save your ass anymore."
I leave the room and let my father ask her questions further about where she was and who she saw. The minute I enter the hallway I realize that those words, this anger, that punishment it was my father, the man that raised me. I truly am my father's prodigal son.
And without Blaze, there is no one to pull me back.
As if on cue I hear the clicking of heels walk around the kitchen floor and into the living room alone with the soft voice that knew how to manipulate the men in front of her.
Cursing I rush around the corner just in time to see fake blonde standing in my living room. Her skin tanned from her tropical getaway and her wrinkles lifted from botox. The small figure glances around the room at Hazel's art hanging on the wall, then to the worn furniture laid throughout the small room.
"Mom," I call out and she perks up at the call.
Her head swings towards me and those blue eyes catch mine as a bright smile spreads, "Oh Axel!" She cried opening her arms, "Mommy's home!"