Page 105 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two
Axel swivels in his chair to face his controller but doesn’t pick it up.
“You’re lucky, you know. Some of us don’t get to find our person. You did. Try not to ruin it.”
Axel’s words stick in my throat like a damned redfish bone, and just like that, something shifts. I picture Shae’s face on the plane, how she looked when we fucked back in my hotel suite.
I see, with stunning clarity, that my anger towards Shae has no point.
Not if what I truly want is my family.
Not if what I truly want is her.
“You done?” I ask, voice flat as I try to push down the spinning thoughts in my brain.
He chuckles bitterly. “Not even close. But you look like you’re at capacity.”
I hum, choosing to change the subject.
“Do we have eyes on Lakeland yet?”
He exhales and turns back to the surveillance screens. “Not yet.” I can tell this fact frustrates him. “I’ve pulled in a few resources to help search. I know a few folks who have more sophisticated technology that can help.”
I tap my index finger on my thigh to keep it from shaking. Sure, it’s only been a few hours, but something tells me finding Lakeland this way will take too long.
“There’s another big purchase event on Isla Cara,” Axel says. “There’s a good enough chance he’ll show there. If we can get someone on the inside, we could take him down, but….”
I pause tapping. “But what?”
Axel blows out a breath.
“Riale’s worried about the big picture. There are still too many loose ends. He feels we need to lie low until we’re able to really drop a bomb—not just on Lakeland, but his enterprise at large.”
I roll my eyes. “Him and what fucking army? At this point, we’ve already shown our hand. Lakeland knows where my loyalties lie, and he’s already sent the first shot by attacking Shae.”
“I know, I know,” Axel says, putting his hands up. “I hear you, and I hear him, too. It just feels…wrong to just let the depraved shit that Lakeland’s tied up in continue. It’s not like the stuff he’s into will die with him.”
I take in a deep, soothing breath.
“Nah, we couldn’t get that lucky,” I grind out. After a beat, I say, “Let’s put someone on Isla Cara. See if we can get some intel.”
“Already on it,” he says. “Riale’s handling point on that.”
My jaw ticks.
“Don’t say it,” Axel warns. “You want someone you can trust, you don’t get better than him.”
“He lied to me.”
“He followed your orders,” Axel shoots back. “Don’t punish him for doing what you couldn’t.”
I say nothing because that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Before the silence can settle too deep, the security monitor pings with movement at the front gate. My eyes immediately locate the screen, and my heart jumps in my throat.
“That’s—that’s them,” I mumble, and Axel jumps up.
“Yooo, am I about to meet your offspring? Wait—what should they call me? Uncle Axel feels right. Do they have a godfather? I’d for sure be down to be their godfather,” he rambles.
I shake my head and move toward the front door to greet them with Axel right behind me.
