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Drake: I have more from the other days also. Trying to get the clearest ones.
“Motherfucker,” I hiss, zooming in to get a good look at a dark-haired man talking to Antoinette.
“Axel? Are you still there?” Antoinette sounds scared and the sense of helplessness makes me want to punch a wall.
“Yeah, I’m here. Go slow. I need all the details.” I pass the burner to Blade so he can see the picture.
“He was agitated today. I don’t know if he’s on drugs or maybe he’s mentally ill. But he called me Toni and said ‘Happy Birthday.’ How would he know that, Axel?” Her voice gets louder. “My birthday? Toni? No one calls me Toni unless they’re from my past.”
“Where are you?” My voice remains steady as I go to that place in my head where I need to be.
“In the office. I’m not… feeling great. So, they wanted me to take off for my birthday. But the creeper said he saw me perform when I was fifteen… fifteen.” Her voice is hushed, as if she’s scared someone’s gonna hear.
“Babe, stop whispering.” My heart thunders in my chest. “I need you to do exactly as I say. Stay in the office until I come get you. Don’t leave with anyone but me and don’t make any calls. I’m bringing you a new phone.”
“Okay. I think the girls and Doug wanted to go to Casa Vega later—”
“We’ll talk about that when I’m there,” I say, my voice calm.
“Wait. Axel? Don’t hang up.”
My heart hurts because she knows me. Knows I don’t say goodbye. If something happens to her…
“Yeah, baby?”
“I memorized his face and everything he was wearing. I tried to see what he was driving, to get the license plate. But he must have been walking because he vanished. Which is creepy in itself. Do you think he’s after me?” I can hear her panting. My eyes shift to Blade who has his blade out carving small nicks in the wood.
“Edge is on his way. I’m right behind him, and Antoinette, I’ll never let anyone hurt you.” This time I do hang up.
Fear.
I’m assuming that’s what it is since my stomach is in knots, and I’d rather be stabbed or take a fucking bullet than live with this kind of feeling. I almost rub my chest because when she said she memorized his face… I should be paying her rather than that piece of shit I hired to protect her.
“What happened?” Blade snarls as he stabs his knife into the table and reaches for the cigarettes.
“Is it him?”
Blade’s eyes narrow on the phone. “These pictures are shit. But from what I can see… yeah, I’d say it is.”
“That fucker has been coming into the diner and sitting only in Antoinette’s section. Somehow he knew it was her birthday and her nickname.”
Blade lights up and grabs his knife from the table only to continue stabbing it again. “Why are you only hearing about this now? I thought you had a guy on Antoinette twenty-four seven.”
“I guess that will have to be addressed.” I reach for the pack he tossed and light up myself.
He looks at me. “If he’s on someone’s payroll, we need to find out before you kill him. You hear me, Axel?”
The buzzing from the old neon Budweiser sign makes me look up at the yellowed ceiling as I try to calm my racing mind and inhale, letting the nicotine do its magic.
“I know you want blood, brother.”
I open and close my fists. “Do you? Because I don’t think you comprehend that I’ve been waiting to kill this sick fuck for years. I owe it to Doc. All the other shit he’s pulling gives me the urge to make him suffer before he dies. But to find out he’s been to the diner… next to Antoinette.” I breathe out, trying not to lose my shit. “I need to go.”
“She’s the key.” Blade’s voice stops me.
I turn and nod. “I know.”
It’s why I hired a guy to watch her, protect her when I can’t be with her. But I also know Blade.
“Antoinette is not gonna be our bait. Our women don’t get involved in club business,” I state.
He raises a brow and walks to the safe, pushing the file cabinet out of the way. “True. But is she your woman? Earlier you were pissing and moaning, telling me it was time to fuck new pussy.” He tosses me a Glock and a couple of new burner phones.
“Watch it, Blade,” I hiss, because he, out of everybody, has no right to judge.
Eyeing me, he shakes his head in disgust, tucking a Glock in the back of his jeans. “So, she is your woman?”
“For right now.” My voice holds a warning not to go there.
He nods. “I don’t have time to beat the shit out of you, Axel. You want her. Fear for her. Christ brother, you haven’t even looked at another woman in over a month.”
