“Axel, my boy, how are you?”
I’m confused. Axel knows him?
“The fuck are you doin’ here?” Axel breathes, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles are white. He steps in front of me. I hear shuffling behind me, and imagine the guys are lined up to show their support to their president.
“I got transferred. Thought I’d pay you a visit. Let you know I’m in town.”
Axel doesn’t say anything.
“What?” the cop says, stepping forward with a grin. “You’re not goin’ to give your old dad a hug?”
I feel like I’m going to pass out.
Did he just say...dad?
Silence falls behind me, and it sounds almost like the guys have stopped breathing. I guess they didn’t know Axel’s father is a cop. Oh my God, he’s a fucking cop.
“I got nothin’ to say to you, but fuck off,” Axel hisses. “This is my grounds, and unless you got somethin’ you need, old man, then you can get the fuck off my lot.”
The man grins, and tilts his head, looking behind Axel and connecting eyes with me. He seems familiar, somehow, but maybe that’s just because he looks a little like Axel.
“Meadow, long time no see.”
What? My mind is spinning now. I’ve never met this man before. How the hell does he know my name?
“Step back, and don’t you fuckin’ speak to her,” Axel snarls.
“Don’t be like that, boy. I have a right to speak to her. You know you can’t stop me.”
Why does he want to speak to me?
“Step around here, Meadow. Let me see you.”
I look up at Axel when he glances down at me, unsure what I’m supposed to do. He nods, and I step around him, trying to avoid walking funny. I stop in front of the big man, and he smiles warmly down at me, but there’s something tricky lying behind that smile. He extends his hand, and I hesitate, staring down at his long fingers for a long moment.
“I don’t bite,” he assures me.
I reach out, and put my hand in his. He curls his fingers around mine, and shakes my hand. “I know you don’t remember me, but I’m Raide.”
My head snaps up, and my eyes widen. He chuckles.
“So you have heard of me? I believe you had something for me, though I imagine my son, here, has convinced you not to give it to me.”
The USB. This is the Raide my father wanted me to give the information to? Raide is Axel’s father...I don’t...I don’t understand.
“I don’t know you,” I say in a small voice.
“No, you wouldn’t remember me. You were only young. We need to talk, Meadow.”
“You can refuse him, Cricket,” Axel says from behind me. “You don’t owe him nothin’.”
Raide looks up at Axel, and his eyes harden. “Now, don’t make her mind up for her, boy. This ain’t your business.”
“It is my fuckin’ business. You’re on my soil.”
Raide chuckles. “I see nothing changes.”
I look between the two, confused. I honestly don’t know what’s going down, but I don’t want to be a part of it.
“I’m not going to stick around here pressuring you. But I do need to speak with you, Meadow. I have a lot of answers to your questions. You call me, when you have time,” he says, tucking his hand into his pocket and bringing out a card. He hands it to me, and I take it.
“You done?” Axel barks.
Raide lifts his eyes, and for a moment, I see a look of longing. I don’t know what went down between the two but whatever it is, it was bad. I look at Axel, and I’m angry he lied to me. He told me Raide was dead. Why would he tell me that? I don’t understand it, but right now, I’m trying to process so much information I just can’t do it all right now. Raide calls his boys back to their cars, and with one last look at Axel, they drive away.
Axel turns back to the guys, and his eyes harden. “It ain’t your fuckin’ concern, and I ain’t discussing it.”
Then he walks inside, not giving anyone the chance to argue.
~*~*~*~
AXEL
“Don’t fuckin’ start on me, Cobra,” I hiss, storming down the hall.
“You knew the boys were goin’ to find out eventually, Pres...”
“Yeah, and that cunt showing up wasn’t how it was meant to go down.”
He grips my shoulder, and I spin around, lashing out at him, and slamming him against the nearest wall. “Don’t you fuckin’ put your hands on me.”
“They’re good with it, Pres,” he grunts. “They’ve got your back.”
I search his face, and then shove him back, letting him go. He rubs his throat where his shirt pressed against his skin. I shoot him one more glare before retreating to my office, and slamming the door. He doesn’t follow me, but the minute I sit down, the door swings open and Meadow walks in. She’s staring at me with eyes that are all betrayed and angry.
“You lied to me,” she whispers.
I clench my jaw. “Wasn’t your business, Meadow.”
“You. Lied. To. Me.”
I get out of my chair, and charge over, backing her up against the nearest wall. Her lips part, but her eyes hold that same determined glare.
“Don’t you fuckin’ come in here, throwin’ your weight around. I wasn’t obligated to tell you shit, but I did. I gave you somethin’ earlier. I just left one thing out. And I don’t owe you that, ’cause it ain’t your concern.”