Page 80 of No Mistakes
I sit on the edge of the mattress, letting her keep hold of me. My free hand brushes the hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “You’re safe,” I murmur, my voice low. “No one touches you, Buttercup. Not while I’m breathing.”
Her eyes close, and a single tear slides down to my thumb. I wipe it away softly, catching it before it falls because there is no way in hell I am letting her tears fall for a man like him.
For a while, we stay like this, her holding on to me while I do everything inside to hold on to my patience, as my pulse hammers against my ribs, the ragebeggingto be let free.
I look at her, watching as she sleeps peacefully next to me, as I remind myself that she’s here. She’s safe. And that’s all that matters right now.
When she finally exhales, it’s steadier. I shift further onto the bed, sitting back against the headboard. She stirs, moving her head onto my lap, and my heart swells at the fact that she wants me here, even though I don’t deserve her.
Her head moves to rest against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her, covering as much of her as I can.
“I’ve got you,” I say into her hair. “Always.”
Her fingers curl into my shirt, and for the first time since Gunnar’s message, I feel my own heartbeat slow.
A hand rests on my shoulder, shaking me awake.
I blink against the dim light, my body instantly tense until I see Mandy leaning over me. “Go get something to eat or drink,” she says quietly. “I’ll stay with her.”
I glance towards Eva, sleeping next to me. She hasn’t moved, still curled in my bed, my blanket pulled to her chin, her breathing shallow even in sleep.
Leaving her now feels wrong. My chest tightens with that restless need that’s been clawing away at me since I pulled her out of the car. Every instinct I’ve got is screaming to stay, to keep watch, to make damn sure no one gets close to her again.
“Axel,” Mandy whispers, and I look towards her, seeing her expression steady, unshaken. She’s been with Eva through everything, supported her when she had no one else. If there’s one person I trust with Eva, it’s her.
“I’ll be back soon,” I say, my tone hushed. I lean down, placing a gentle kiss on top of Eva’s head before slowly sliding away from her.
The hall outside is cold and quiet, shadows stretching across the floorboards. December’s early darkness presses against the windows, and the air feels heavier somehow, like the house itself is holding its breath for what is about to happen. I follow the low hum of voices until it draws me to the games room.
We never used this room much when we came here; it was always the room our father brought his friends to, where they had adult parties, and fuck knows what else, but it’s exactly what you’d expect from a house that once belonged to a mafia boss. Warm wood paneling. A long bar stocked with more liquor than a high-end club. A pool table in the middle, the green felt worn atthe edges. A dartboard in the corner, one dart stuck dead centre, the rest scattered like someone got bored halfway through. The air smells faintly of aged whiskey and old cigar smoke.
My brothers are scattered across the space, each one of their voices overlapping as they talk to each other. Carter leans against the pool table, idly spinning a cue in his hands. Gunnar’s got a beer, his shoulders tight, pacing by the bar, his gaze locked on the floor. I look to the other side, spotting Flynn perched on a stool, legs stretched out, looking too relaxed for the tension in the room. Ant’s in the far corner, laptop open on the bar, a glass of whiskey sitting next to it.
I clear my throat. The sound cuts clean through the noise like a blade. They all look over, rising to their feet in unison as the room falls silent.
“Is she okay?” Gunnar asks first, his words sharp.
“She’s resting,” I say, not wanting to give them too much insight into how Eva is.
Gunnar’s jaw works as he takes a step towards me, his hand guiding me towards the door. “Then let’s go.”
Carter’s grin is already forming as he goes to follow Gunnar. “Yeah, let’s pay Benny a little visit.”
“Calm down, attack dogs,” Flynn drawls, tipping his bottle towards them. “Maybe we can talk about not going in like a pair of overcaffeinated psychos for once?”
Carter throws him a look, Gunnar ignores him entirely, but Ant’s already typing, pulling up a file for me to see. I walk over, my hands leaning against the gold railing that surrounds the bar.
“Benny Romano,” I start, “Forty-six. Married, two kids… One is in college, one is still in high school. Owns a side business moving ‘unclaimed’ warehouse stock to third parties. ” I drop my head, looking towards the floor as I try and remember who he used to work for. “Didn’t he use to run for the Cobra’s?” I ask, directing my question to Ant.
Flynn answers first, joining me as he leans against the bar, throwing his empty glass into the bin. “No, that was Bryce. Benny used to work for Francesco, not sure who he runs for now though.”
We spend the next thirty minutes going back and forth, each one of my brothers telling me what we should do. Carter is pushing for confrontation, Gunnar is suggesting that we drag him somewhere quiet, Flynn is arguing for patience, and Ant… well, he’s just observing, amused.
“Axel, what do you want to do?” Flynn says, looking towards me. The room falls silent as all eyes land on me, waiting for a verdict.
“We do it the Ashford way,” I say finally, letting the words hang. “Fast, clean, and loud enough, he knows exactly who came for him.”
Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn to see Mandy, her hand on Eva’s arm like she’s trying to hold her back.
