Page 12 of Dangerous Silence
I had grown up hearing all about how amazing Axe was, how he could be better than any professional, how he knew animal anatomy even better than Dad did. But whenever I tried to lift a cleaver, Dad pushed me away.It’s not a business for women, he would say.You need to do something better with your life.
But Dad, I—
You need a better life, Demi. Not cutting up meat like your old man.
“Give me your phone,” he said.
“What?” I asked. “No. I—”
“I’m not going to ask again, Demi,” he said, venom in his tone.
I don’t know why, but a gut instinct took hold of me. As soon as my eyes landed on the knife block on his counter, I went towards it. I grabbed a steak knife, but right as I did, Axe ripped it from my hand, the blade scratching my palm, leaving a faint white line in its wake. The movement surprised me, made me forget to breathe. Axe held my wrist.
“Make no mistake, Demi. I made a promise to your father that I will watch after you. Keep you alive.” He put the knife down on the counter, still holding my wrist. “But for the next few days, we’re doing this my way. That means you don’t leave this apartment unless you’re with me. And there will be no alcohol or drugs. No phone calls. No text messages. Nothing. Got it?”
“What the hell? I’m not a—”
“You are under my rule.” He tightened his grip around my wrist so hard I thought it might bruise. He slipped a hand into my sweatshirt pocket, removing my phone and putting it into his own pocket. “I expect you to listen,” he said. “In return, I will help you.”
He let go. My wrist throbbed. I stared up at him. He narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t underestimate me, Demi, and I won’t underestimate you.”
CHAPTER 3
Axe
By the time the funeral came, I was itching to be back into my normal routine. Sharing a space with an eighteen-year-old who, most of the time, refused to talk to me, was easy. But watching over her, while a war raged outside of the apartment, was difficult. I was almost relieved when the funeral came, except for the fact that I hated large gatherings.
Because Shep was mafia, we had a plot at the cemetery lined up for him—we knew the owner personally—but when it came to the service, we had it at the Adler House. It was a large, but older home that had been in the family for generations. I gave Demi a quick tour, showing her the bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room, as well as pointing to where Shep’s casket waited in the study. I asked if she wanted to see him then; she shook her head. I grit my teeth. Today was not the day to be resistant.
“Don’t be afraid of death,” I said.
She scowled. “I’m not,” she said. My jaw twitched, and she turned toward the kitchen. I let out a deep sigh. For such a sheltered young woman, she certainly had Shep’s bold attitude.
I stood at the edge of the yard, a beer in my hand that I didn’t plan on drinking. I scanned the area, looking at the different arrivals. Plenty of older men and women. Some were probably from Shep’s stint in the military before he was dishonorably discharged. And many were from our own team, the enforcing staff, all in one place, honoring one of our greatest men.
Which made the event an easy target.
The woods surrounding the Adler House were miles deep. Luckily, we owned most of the property, which gave us space to do what we needed. But because of the war, we had a large unit of men guarding the woods. The trees stretched up, the scent of pine mixed with a hint of savory dishes. Comfort food.
Wil, my younger brother, hit me on the back. A classic suit was fitted to his muscular body.
“Looking sharp,” Wil said. My hair was styled for once, and I wore a dark blue suit with a red tie, like Shep would have worn. “How are you doing?”
He expected me to be upset, as most people would be if their mentor died. But in the beginning, Shep had taught me to let go of all connections, even with him; you never knew when someone would leave you, so you couldn’t let anything hold you back. It was better that way; it gave me a chance to watch while everyone mourned.
I ignored his question. “How are the wedding plans?”
A smile lit up Wil’s face. “I swear, Ellie is the best,” he said. “There isn’t a lot to plan. Makes it easy on us. I can’t believe it’s already here.”
That was good for them, but I didn’t care to hear the details.
“Did Derek tell you about Cannon?” I asked, changing the subject. Wil lifted a brow. I figured Derek hadn’t. There had been too much going on, and Wil was a busy man. He took care of the gambling hall, Jimmy’s, as well as oversaw the dealers that sold our product. “Muro’s army is led by a man named Cannon.”
“Is that his real name or a nickname?”
I shrugged. “I can’t get anything else out of them.”
