"Baby G, you gotta wake up." Axel's voice breaks through the light sleep I had slipped into on his couch. Last night, well into the early hours of today. With a slight groan, I rub my eyes tiredly and pick up my head to look at him.
"What time is it?" I mumble as my eyes focus on him and the soft smile that rests on his exhausted features.
"It's close to eight in the morning Baby G, you gotta get up and get something in you." I stare at him for a moment and sigh, sitting up carefully.
"Do I have to eat?" Axel nods with a soft smile.
"Yeah, I got you some fruit, try to eat some of them at least." He holds up the bowl and I nod, fighting the urge to refuse the fairly small bowl of food.
"Was I asleep long?" I grab the bowl, moving to give him space to sit on the couch. Axel smiles, moving to sit next to me, pulling me closer to him.
"A few hours at most, you needed it." I nod slowly with a sigh; last night was hell, the leading days are only going to be worse. I've spent the past few hours thinking, heavy thinking. I have to do it. It's for the club, it's going to protect everyone else. My stomach churns at the thoughts and decisions I've made over the hours. It's been a painful process to work through on my own. I refuse to let more people perish because of my demons. I have to stay strong to win. Axel has said he's going to protect me.
How can I believe that when they want to take this to court? These monsters have been stalking me for years. Why would a cold metal cell stop them? Nothing has stopped them, after years and years of this; why would that be the thing that halts their obsession? It wouldn't. If anything it'd make them even madder, work against their temporarily dormant abusive nature. Their drive would kill me, not before making me sit and watch everyone and everything I love die in cold blood.
I can't live with that; I refuse to accept that. "Rhines is supposed to call today, right?" Axel nods, watching as I take a bite of my food, chewing slowly.
"Yeah, shouldn't be too much longer now." He stops and stares at me for a moment. "Are you sure you want to do this Baby G? I understand if you don't." He says tenderly and I look away, hiding the guilt as his words settle poorly on my soul. I feel awful doing this. I want him to trust me, but I know him well enough. He'll fight this tooth and nail.
"I think so." Swallowing harshly, I stare at my bowl, taking a bite. "I want this to be over. I'm tired of hiding." I can't stand the idea of the MC being torn apart by my demons. Being the sole person to ruin an MC, a large group of amazing men and women sucks, I don't want that weighing me down. I know that my demons won't be kind enough to let me die after they've slaughtered everyone and everything I love. No, that'd be too kind.
"Baby G, I'm proud of you. I know it's taking a lot for you to do this." Axel murmurs softly and I wince, setting the bowl of fruit down to turn towards him, wrapping my arms around him, seeking comfort. I'm a horrible person. Maybe I just tell him, get it over with. I don't want to break his trust.
"Thank you." I whisper to him softly, terrified of breaking as I hear his sweet words. Can I do this? Before I can second guess myself, the phone rings and I tense, pulling away stiffly. No turning back now, stiffen the lip and handle it. I'm the only that needs to be hurt now, I can't hide. If I die, then I die, I'm tired of running and hiding in shame and fear. To live a life, I'm proud of, I have to fight for it. And it starts today.
"It's alright Baby G, I'll be with you the whole time." I nod and sigh softly, standing we both move to settle at his desk answering the call. "Axel." He calls out curtly, garnering attention and respect with ease. I grab his hand tightly, trying to calm my breathing and settle my stomach.
"Axel, do you have Angel with you?" The strong voice of Detective Rhines gets straight to the point, not bothering with pleasantries. Axel squeezes my hand soothingly.
"Yeah, she's with me." Rhines clears his throat before I can hear two strong beeps come across the lines, tones of two new callers entering the call.
"Good, I want you both to meet Agent Thompson and Agent Ross, they're both FBI agents working on taking down the MC's in question." My stomach curdles at the thought of them working to take them down. How long have they been failing to take them out?
"Miss Smith and Mr. Woods, we hear that you have some damning evidence against the two organizations?" One man with a deep and gruff voice asks, sending a sharp shiver down my spine. Not someone I want to be pissing off.
"Excuse my partner." One man chuckles softly, his voice sounding much more pleasant and welcoming. "I'm Ross and that was Thompson." I hear a stark grunt from Agent Thompson, brushing off his partner's teasing tone.
"Yeah. Do you have evidence or not?" It's Axel's turn to grunt, making me look up at him briefly. "We don't have time to waste with fake evidence." My stomach churns as I hear his accusatory tone. They won't believe me, they never do.
"You have a lot of fucking nerve coming in her and saying shit like that. I'm not afraid to walk away and handle shit on my own terms." Axel wraps an arm around me, pulling me to his side to sooth the churning nerves as quickly as he can.
"Axel, calm down, don't jump our shit, we have to be careful. We can't go around half cocked with faked evidence." I look away, whimpering as a harsh blush coats my cheeks. Why did I think they'd believe me?
"Don't tell me to calm down, you call me to ask if I'm - if my woman is bullshitting you. I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you better step the fuck back asshole." I glance up at Axels' angered face, jaw ticking as a vein pulses in his neck and I squeeze his hand, worried about him. Axel glances at me, kissing my forehead.
"Axel, stop. I've seen the evidence myself, it's good." I wince and my stomach churns violently. It's good. How is that evidence good? It's appalling. How is it good to watch a little girl abused, beaten and violently broken by a man's sick and twisted desires?
"How good is it?" One of the men asks and I fight the urge to cry, run screaming from the room. Stiffen the lip and the spine, you'll be fine.
"It shows abusive acts against Miss Smith. A brief torture session with Davis." Rhines clears his throat and I close my eyes, shaking my head softly. This is painful. It's only going to get worse. Axel rubs my arm softly, forcing himself to calm down for my sake.
"Can you identify faces in this evidence?" The deep gruff voice of Agent Thompson comes across the line again. I don't like this man.
"A few of them. Miss Smith has already agreed to come into court and testify against the organization." Rhines answers quickly, covering for whatever Axel could've added.
"Alright, we'll pander for now. What do you have on them, Miss Smith?" I freeze up, hearing the bored tone. The plain drawl makes my blood curdle. They won't believe me.
"Asshole, you are toeing the line way too close to comfort." Axel warns as he moves me to his lap, resting a hand on my leg. "Various pictures and video recordings of them harming her." Axel growls, glaring at the phone. I take the cowards' route, turning to bury my face in his neck, wrapping my arms around him.
"How many years has it been?" I remove my head from Axel's neck to look at the phone; speaking up for the first time.
"Eighteen years." My voice is soft, almost unheard, nervous of what their response is at this point. I'm met with silence.
"That's an issue." Agent Thompson murmurs across the line as if he's talking to his partner, not the rest of us. I tense as I glance back at Axel, worried. What does that mean? Axel glares at the phone, keeping his silence.
"A bit, but there's still kidnapping." Agent Ross reasons and my heart sinks. "That only gets one or two of them though." A whimper leaves my lips and I shiver at the implications. I'll never be free.
"Unless we use bait." I pause and look at the phone.
"Me?" I asked nervously, feeling Axel's hand tighten on my waist as if telling me to hush.
"They've already gotten their sights on you; this will be the best way to take them out completely." Agent Thompson settles and I feel Axel stiffen.
"Fuck that! I'm not letting her walk right in there-"
"I'll do it." I interrupt Axel, everyone falls silent as I close my eyes and swallow harshly. "I want this to stop." I whisper and Axel tightens his grip on me.
"No, Baby G, I'm not letting-" I shake my head as I turn to him, taking a shaky breath as tears surface.
"I have to fight them; this is the only way. They'll get out, get away like always. I'm tired of letting them win." I swallow harshly as I stare at him. "It needs to end." My voice cracks, his hands cup my cheeks and he shakes his head, a fire in his eyes.
"Baby G, there are other ways. We can figure something out."
"Axel, this is the best way to take them out. You'll be brought in to help handle the club." Rhines speaks carefully, breaking out moment Axel glares at the phone hanging up without another word to them.
"I told you I'm not going to let you get hurt." He growls and I nod, I can't hold back my tears anymore.
"I know you won't." I struggle out shakily. "This is - I need to fight, I can't think of any other way. I don't want them in jail, they'll hurt me, us. I need to fight for my future, I want with you." Crying, I struggle to wipe away my tears. "Maybe it's cruel to say, but I want them dead. I don't want to look over my shoulder waiting for the moment they escape prison, to hunt me again."
"Baby G, you don't have to. I'll come up with something." Axel speaks as he shakes his head even as realization dawns in his dark green orbs.
"Fighting is the only way. I'm - I can't hide anymore, I want to be with you, happily and peacefully." He rubs my eyes as I hiccup, my gut churning painfully, stabbing into my heart. I feel like I'm betraying his trust, wanting to be bait, not letting him protect me. "I have to do this, I can't let you or the MC get hurt. I can't risk that." Crying, the phone rings again and he grunts, pulling me closer to kiss me harshly.
"I'm not letting you do this alone. I'll figure out a way to keep you safe, you won't be hurt." He growls and answers the phone, letting me cry silently into his shoulder.
"The fuck do you want?"
"Are you on board?"
"We're doing this on my terms, on my time, with my people. You don't like that, then walk the fuck on. You ain't getting my woman killed with this fucking stunt." I tighten my hold on him, pinching my eyes shut. I need to do this!