Page 36 of The Saviors: Part One
“You know you don’t have to work all the time, right? You can take a break to enjoy your food.”
He shrugs. “I don’t mind working.”
I reach over, take his phone, and slide it into my pocket. “Eat. Work can wait.”
He looks ready to argue but thinks better of it. We pay him good, but that doesn’t mean he needs to work himself to death. The rest of us do that enough.
Ever since Axel took over the Saviors, we vowed to run it differently than his dad. Charlie was evil and ruthless. He didn’t give a fuck if you ate, got enough sleep, if you had a family, or if something major was going on in your life. He trained you to work for him, and that’s all he cared about.
Getting Charlie out of the Saviors wasn’t easy. But between Axel and me, we flipped ninety percent of them over to our side so we could. The other ten percent met an untimely demise, which turned us into people we never wanted to be. Murderers. It changed us in ways we never thought possible, but instead of going after just anyone like Charlie, we started going after the bad guys, which is what the name should have stood for to begin with. Now it’s time to take down the worst one of all.
“Are the Saviors going to be okay?” Nolan asks quietly, breaking me from my thoughts.
I smile and hope it looks convincing. “Of course, man.”
I just hope I didn’t just lie to him.
Chapter12
Nolan
Ifollow Cole into the house, listening for any sign of Axel. It’s complete silence here, which isn’t always good. We sit in the living room, and Cole turns the TV on.
When they found me, I thought for sure I was dead. I was sitting in my basement, cleaning up some files when Ghost busted through the door. He had me knocked out before I could even open my mouth. Waking up and coming face to face with Micah Poletti, the man I was blackmailed into helping take down, was probably the scariest moment of my life. Digging into them, I’ve seen what they’re capable of, but none of that fits what I know now. They’re not saints, but they’ve always been good to me.
Being with the Saviors has been awesome, no matter how stressful it is sometimes. I’ve learned a lot from the best there is. When they first took me to the training center, Axel said I would be there awhile, and I was okay with that. I’m not going to argue with the man who saved my life. But they pulled me shortly after when they realized I didn’t need that much help. I just needed to cover my tracks better. Now I work with them daily, and I couldn’t be happier.
But I’ve felt the tension around the house the past two weeks that wasn’t there before. Axel’s been on edge, Cole has been quiet, and Sean and Kai stay to themselves. It sucks to see because they truly are more than a team. They’re a family.
“Where’s your head at?” I turn to Cole’s voice, and he’s looking at me like I’ve had a stroke.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve said your name like four times. What’s up?”
I shrug. “Just thinking.”
“Is this about what you asked me at the restaurant?” I nod, and Cole sighs. “Look, I know shit is fucked up right now, and it sucks. But there is a lot of bad history behind Axel and Charlie, and it’s bound to fuck with his head.”
“What about you? You have a history with him too.”
“I do.” Cole rolls his neck, showing his agitation. “But he’s not my dad. That asshole will be gone, and we can get the hell away from here.”
“Will we stay at the next place we go?”
“It’s not safe for us to stay in one place,” Cole says softly. “It’s easier to pin us down that way.”
“Who’s the girl you guys keep mentioning?” The look that Cole gives me has me backpedaling fast. “Nevermind. Forget I asked.” I tune into the TV and think about everything that I need to do.
My software is still working on the encrypted hard drive, pulling files once it’s worked through it. The notifications at the restaurant didn’t give me much other than more information on Daybreak which we already found out from Ari’s contact. I’m really hoping that this is the breakthrough that they need. I know Sean set his sights on him at the warehouse, but they couldn’t go after him without risking Charlie going into hiding again, which is where he’s been for the past six years, knowing Axel is after him.
My parents might not have been the best, but they’re nothing like Charlie. They were neglectful and all-around assholes regarding how they treated me, but they never hurt me. Neither did my grandparents. I ended up living with them when my folks decided their image meant more to them than me when I was sixteen. Not many would agree, but I think I ended up with a better life now that I live with the Saviors.
Axel walks into the living room and sits in the chair across from me. “Are you done with that hard drive?”
“Uh…” I don’t know what to say because Axel still scares the shit out of me. “It’s running stuff now. I’ll go check it.” I go to stand up, and Axel stops me.
“Nolan, man. I was just making conversation. You don’t have to sit on the thing twenty-four-seven. Sit down.” I plop my ass back in the chair, and he chuckles. “I know you’ve got programs that run it in the background. You’re good.”
