The tension in the air was raw as the storm brewed in Axe's eyes, and Jonathan Lucci clutched his throbbing hand and stumbled backward, his eyes locked onto Axe's intense gaze.
The room had fallen into an eerie silence, broken only by hushed whispers and the occasional gasp from the stunned guests.
Still reeling from the pain in his hand, Jonathan Lucci attempted to regain his composure and assert his dominance, glaring away from Axe.
With a strained smile, he addressed Don, his voice dripping with a thinly veiled threat, "Mr. Vincenzo, I believe it's in your best interest to discipline your man. This sort of behavior is unacceptable."
"Jonathan, I understand your concern, but I won't be disciplining Axe for his actions. He hasn't offended me or acted out of line in any way to me or my family. If anyone feels wronged by his actions, they are free to voice their concerns and present their case." Don said calmly, resting back in his seat.
Scoffing, Lucci's eyes narrowed as he struggled to maintain his composure, clearly not expecting this response.
"I believe the evidence is clear," Lucci retorted, his voice dripping with disdain as he gestured towards his injured hand. "He assaulted me, Mr. Vincenzo. That's a clear offense."
"You approached him, and he reacted. If you feel that he acted disproportionately, you are free to bring your case, and we will assess it accordingly." Don Vincenzo casually said, smiling faintly.
"Vincenzo, this is outrageous! Your man assaulted me!"
For a silent minute, Don Vincenzo's gaze was cool and unwavering as he studied Lucci, and then he said, "Did he?"
"He's nothing but a glorified guard, unworthy to sit among us!" Lucci's voice rose, glancing around the room to gather support.
Murmurs swirled among the guests, but they were hesitant to voice their thoughts in the Vincenzo family's presence.
"If you believe he has wronged you, make your claim," Don Vincenzo replied calmly. "But be prepared to defend your stance. Axe will have the same opportunity to defend himself. That's fair, isn't it?"
Lowering his glare, Lucci's face flushed with frustration, but he hesitated, realizing the weight of the situation. The room fell silent as tension thickened, everyone aware that Axe was a part of the Vincenzo family, even if he was just a bodyguard, Don raised him from a young age.
"Are you going to let your man get away with this?" He asked. "He just assaulted me, and you're not going to do anything about it?"
Gazing around the room, Mr. Vincenzo looked unfazed, and then his eyes locked onto Lucci's with a steady gaze as he said, "Axe hasn't done anything to offend me... Why should I punish him... But if anyone believes that he has wronged them, they are free to make their claim and discipline him for it. But as I said... Of course, Axe has the right to defend himself if he doesn't feel like the claim is right."
Quietly, Lucci's face flushed with frustration, but he hesitated, realizing the weight of the situation, and the room fell silent as tension thickened.
Yet, amidst the tense uneasiness, a woman, emboldened by her self-importance, stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with scorn as she faced Axe, and the room went dead quiet.
"You think you belong here?" Her voice dripped with condescension. "You're nothing but a charity case, a speck in this world of superiority. You should know your place and leave before you embarrass yourself further."
Recognizing her as Victoria Vargas, the wife of the owner of the Vargas Family Enterprises and one of the owners of one of the largest casinos in town, Axe gave her a nonchalant stare, and turned his attention to Mr. Vincenzo, ignoring her completely.
The rest of the room held its breath at his act because they all knew Victoria was an egolistic bitch with power to spare, but Mr. Vincenzo didn't seem perturbed by her remarks. Instead, he simply watched with a patient smile on his face.
"Mr. Vincenzo," Victoria said, her voice dripping with condescension, "I believe your man needs to be put in his place. He doesn't belong in the company of esteemed guests like us. His presence is an insult to our social standing."
As Axe gazed her way, his expression remained stoic as he locked eyes with Victoria, seemingly unfazed by her verbal assault.
Growing frustrated by Axe's lack of reaction, Victoria decided to take it further. While getting closer to him, she raised her hand, aiming to deliver a resounding slap across Axe's face.
But as her hand approached, Axe moved with a speed and precision that surprised everyone. He caught her wrist in mid-air, his grip firm. With a calm but intense gaze, he stood up, towering over her, giving her a death stare that sent shivers down her spine.
"Let go of me, you brute!" Victoria exclaimed, pulling her arm backward, attempting to twist her wrist away from his grasp.
His eyelids lowered as Axe gazed at her, his grip tightening, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she lashed out, "What's gotten into you? Let go of me, you foolish being!"
Slowly, his grip loosened, his fingers trembling slightly, and when Victoria's hand was free, she grew frustrated, lifting her foot to step on his toes, but he suddenly, kicked her leg away from him, making her yelp in surprise as her ankle twisted painfully. She staggered backward, cradling her ankle, tears welling up in her eyes as she glared at him, enraged.
"You!!!" she seethed, her eyes trembling with fury. "How dare you lay your hands on me!"
But Axe remained calm, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at her.
"You attacked me first," he said, his voice low and steady.
"Don't you dare try to justify what you did!" Victoria snapped, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You're nothing but a lowly bodyguard, and you have no right to lay your filthy hand on me, a lady of the Vargas family!"
Leaning in towards her sister's ear, Ember scowled as she whispered to Leia, "This is ridiculous. Doesn't he know that Lady Victoria is a high-ranking member of the Vargas family? How dare he treat her like that! Even with our family backing, they will come for him. Axe might have just crossed a line he can't come back from. The Vargas family won't take this laying down, especially with their influence and power in this town."
But Leia, on the other hand, was more concerned about the guests who were now smirking and gossiping, their eyes fixed on Axe and Victoria.
"That idiot is done for," one guest said, shaking his head in mock sympathy. "He messed with the wrong people tonight."
"Both the Vargas and the Lucci will come after him," another guest chimed in. "He's as good as dead."
Leia felt a knot form in her stomach as she listened to the guests' callous remarks. She knew that Axe was in a precarious situation and the thought of him being hurt or worse filled her with dread.
Suddenly, Victoria's husband, Dominic Vargas emerged from the crowd and stormed towards them, his expression livid as he glared at Axe, his face flushed with rage.
"Don, I respect you, but your boy has gone too far. Are you going to let this continue?" Dominic demanded angrily.
"Of course, I will," Don responded firmly, his expression remaining undisturbed.
Gasps could be heard throughout the room, shock apparent on some faces, and anger permeated through others.
"I stand by my word. The person who feels offended should be the one to throw the stone. If Axe comes at me, I will discipline him myself. I am being fair here by giving you the chance to penalize him yourself and you are offended by this?" Mr. Vincenzo challenged, his tone growing icy. "I don't want to be accused of going easy on him, or not punishing him to your satisfaction because he is my man. So, do it yourself and please your rage."
"Father," Leia whispered to herself, turning towards him, fear rising inside her heart. "What are you doing?"
As silence settled in the room, a tense shift in the atmosphere occurred. The air crackled with anxiety, but within the quiet, a subtle murmur began to spread among the guests.
"Mr. Vincenzo got a point, you know. The one who's got a bone to pick should handle the situation," one guest murmured, glancing around nervously.
"He's being fair. If they're so offended, let them deal with it," another replied an edge of anticipation in their voice.
"True." A voice murmured from the back of the room. "The only one who can truly punish Axe to our satisfaction is the one he has wronged."
As their eyes locked, Leia stood frozen in place, watching as her father stood firm in his decision, disregarding the potential consequences of his actions.
But as the guests whispered and murmured amongst themselves, Leia's attention was drawn to one voice, in particular. A woman's voice, soft and gentle, but with an underlying cockiness in each word.
"I see it now," the lady said, her gaze fixed on Mr. Vincenzo. "Don doesn't care about that boy. He just doesn't want to seem evil by punishing himself, after all, he raised him. But allowing two powerful people to be the ones to do it is even more cruel than him doing it himself."
Holding her breath, Leia turned towards the woman, intrigued by her words as she continued, "He's not being fair. In reality, he's just passing the buck. He's allowing two powerful families to fight amongst themselves, all the while, Axe is caught in the middle. That's worse than a punishment."
Looking back at her father, Leia's eyes widened in realization as the woman's words hit her like a ton of bricks. She had never thought about it that way. Her father's decision was not just unfair, but it was also cruel. It was like he was setting Axe up to be caught in the middle of a power struggle between the two families. As she was lost in thought, Jonathan's voice interrupted her, and she turned to face him, her mind still reeling from the woman's words. Clearing his throat, Jonathan's eyes were fixed on Axe, and his face was etched with disgust. Then he turned to Don with a small smile, saying, "Well, for your sake, I will let him go. After all, you saw him fit to be in here with us, so why don't we end the matter here? What do you say?" When Mr. Vincenzo didn't answer, he turned away from him, shoving his hand into his pocket to stop his fingers from clutching into fists, and rage slowly burned in his eyes as he thought, 'Now that I know how irrelevant you are to Mr. Vincenz
A tense silence hung heavy in the atmosphere as Axe and Mr. Vincenzo got into the black car, the engine humming softly in the background, the two inhaling the scent of leather mingled with the faint aroma of cigar smoke. In the silence, Axe's knuckles were raw and bloodied, but he did not attempt to tend to his wounds. His eyes were still ablaze with a fit of seething anger, his jaw clenched tight as he stared out the window, lost in his own thoughts. The events that had transpired had unleashed a storm within him, and it raged on, threatening to consume him entirely. Sitting next to Axe, Mr. Vincenzo looked at him with a mix of concern and admiration. But silence stretched between them, the only sound the steady hum of the engine and the occasional distant honking of a car. Finally, unable to bear the weight of the silence any longer, Mr. Vincenzo broke it, his voice gentle yet firm. "I am sorry." "For what?" Axe asked gruffly, his gaze never leaving the road ahead. "The life
The drive back to the Vincenzo mansion was filled with an unsettling silence. Axe's grip on the steering wheel was tight, his bloody knuckles getting pointy as his mind continued to replay the events of the evening. The car seemed to glide through the empty streets, the city lights passing by in a blur, but Axe's focus remained solely on the road ahead. As they reached the grand gates of the mansion, Axe glanced at the three women in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Ember, her usually vibrant green eyes now clouded with worry, stared out the window with a cold expression. Mrs. Vincenzo, her face pale and lips pressed into a thin line, clutched her daughters' hands tightly. And then there was Leia, her stormy hazel eyes filled with unshed tears, her jaw set in a firm line. Minutes later, once they entered the mansion, Axe escorted the women inside, his protective instincts on high alert. for almost an hour, Axe personally made sure every room was checked, every window sec
The atmosphere in the club shifted as Azrael's cruel command hung in the air. The surrounding customers glanced over, their curiosity piqued by the tension that crackled between the two men. Some employees, who were familiar with Azrael's reputation, exchanged worried glances. They knew better than to interfere, but concern etched deep lines on their faces.The waitress, trembling with a sense of fear and defiance, stood her ground. With a quivering voice, she responded, "I-I can't do that, sir. It would be inhumane. It's not right to treat someone like that."Scoffing, Azrael's eyes narrowed, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. In one swift motion, he raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap across the waitress's cheek. The force of the blow caused the delicate glass to slip from her grasp, the bubbling liquid cascading onto the table and floor as she cowered from the impact, tears welling up in her eyes as pain radiated through her cheek."Bitch!" Azrael spat, hi
Time seemed to slow, stretching each passing second into an eternity as Axe's words reverberated through the room, sinking into the marrow of every bone.Darting his gaze, Azrael's eyes flickered with a desperate plea, as the broken wine bottle pressed even tighter against his throat, the sharp glass biting into his skin, threatening to slice open his jugular with even the slightest movement. Blood trickled down his neck, staining his crisp white collar, as his every breath became a precarious dance between life and death.Around them, the club's customers stood frozen, their wide eyes reflected a mixture of fear, awe, and unsettling excitement.The silence shattered as one of the thugs, emboldened by the growing numbers, stepped forward, and his voice trembled. "You don't scare us. You are just one man."As His grip on Azrael's hair tightened, eliciting a choked gasp from him, Axe's lips curled into a chilling smile, and whispered, "Oh, my friend, you greatly underestimate the wrath
Suddenly, Leia turned her back to the door and said, "Sorry... I am leaving."As she took a step to walk away, Axe grabbed her wrist, his grip tight but gentle. When she turned to look at him, her eyes filled with frustration and hurt, he let out a heavy sigh.Without a word, he led her into the house, his grip on her wrist never loosening. They walked past Mia, who watched them with wide eyes, her towel wrapped tightly around her trembling form. Not looking back, Axe guided Leia upstairs, his footsteps echoing, until they reached his bedroom, and he led her inside, then shut the door behind them.The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with tension, suffocating both Axe and Leia as they stood facing each other, their emotions threatening to spill over."Do you know what time it is?!" Axe lashed out, as he ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair, frustration evident on his face."I called you, and you didn'
Stepping out of his pickup, wearing a white shirt and black pants, no belt, and black shoes without socks, Axe shoved his hands into his pocket, staring up at the skyscraper, that raised at 2,073 ft. He sighed and walked over, entering the building of SpiritsHaven, once he walked into the lobby, he was heading for the elevator as two beautiful girls stood by, watching him. Seeing how Hannah was staring at him, Natalie chuckled and said, "Hey, you have been rubbernecking at him since you started working here. Why don't you talk to him?" "I am not looking at him," Hannah whispered, her eyes glued on Axe. "You liar. Yes, you are." "No... I am..." Silence settled between them, and then Natalie said, "Why don't you go and ask him out? The worst he can say is 'No." "It's not like that," Hannah whispered. When Natalie raised a brow, she sighed and then said, "Fine. I will go talk to him." Tightening her fist, she marched over to Axe, and just then, he was about to walk into the eleva
Suddenly, the liquor faded from Jasper's eyes, his gaze darkening as he said, "Kaine... Iron Talons' leader."A shudder ran down Axe's spine, the name triggering a flood of memories and a surge of tension. Iron Talons, the notorious criminal syndicate that had plagued the city for years, was a name spoken in hushed whispers. They operated in the shadows, their influence stretching far and wide, their actions leaving a trail of blood and destruction in their wake."Singing my praises already," Kaine mocked, his voice laced with a sinister edge."The fuck I am, you dirty rat!" Jasper lashed out as his fists clenched at his sides."Hmm... That's not a very nice thing to say, Mr. Larkwood," Kaine drawled, a twisted smile playing on his lips.Scowling, Axe tore his gaze away from Kaine and locked eyes with Jasper, concern etched on his face. "You two have dealings?"Hesitating, Jasper's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and regret as he nodded slowly, saying, "My father... He got involved