Page 10 of Axel (Riders of Retribution #1)

Hazel

At the first sound of gunfire, I duck behind the van.

The cacophony of the rival MC’s shouts and the pulse of their weapons fills the air.

I take deep breaths, trying to center myself.

My experience in the emergency department helps me calm down, but my entire body still shakes with anxiety at the thought that Axel is in danger.

I wasn’t able to hear the conversation, but I can only assume that Axel was trying to get inside. Or maybe they were arguing about the debt if those guards decided to bring it up. It doesn’t really matter, though. All I know is that the exchange led to this.

Every once in a while, I hear Axel’s voice in the mess. It helps ease my worry just a little bit. He’s still alive, he’s still fighting. That’s all that matters. As long as he’s alive at the end of this, it doesn’t matter what happens. We’ll figure this out. If we’re together, we can do anything.

As I’m leaning against the van, I hear rustling from the inside. I press my ear against the side, straining to listen to what’s going on inside the vehicle. There’s a man inside yelling, though I can’t make out what he’s saying. The voice, though… It's familiar.

My dad. It’s my dad in the back of the van.

A wave of level-headedness washes over me. Now that I have a task, the gunfire fades into the background. I need to get him out of here and away from the fight. Maybe whoever threw him in here was stupid enough to leave the keys in the ignition.

With swiftness, I run to the back of the van and pull on the handles. Thankfully, they were in such a rush that the vehicle is unlocked. I breathe a small sigh of relief as I throw myself inside, closing the doors behind me.

The sound of the gunfight is slightly muffled in here, but it’s still deafening. My father’s screams get louder, my name falling from his lips. He’s restrained, struggling against the duct tape that’s holding him in place.

“Jesus Christ, Dad,” I say as I rush to him. I begin to pick at the tape around his wrists. “What the hell happened?”

“They showed up looking for you,” he says, eyes wide with fear. “I told them you weren’t here, and they told me to call you, but as soon as I hung up they grabbed me and threw me back here.”

“Shit,” I curse as I get his wrists free from their binds. Immediately, he tries to work on the tape around his ankles. Fear has him too uncoordinated to be of much help though, so I swat his hands away. “Dad, just let me.”

“We need to get out of here,” he says, still grabbing at the tape his ankles.

“I know ,” I say, pushing his hands away again. “Let me help you out of this and then we’ll leave.”

“No,” he says urgently, finally letting me free his feet. “We need to leave , Hazel. They’re going to send you away. Maybe me too. I don’t know.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” I ask, my heart rate picking up dangerously.

“They know something’s up,” he replies, rubbing at his wrists.

They’re red and raw from where he was struggling.

“I don’t know if they know we’re planning to leave or if they’re just upset about what happened yesterday, but they don’t want to let us get away.

They kept saying things about how much you’re worth. ”

The words hit me hard. I knew these guys were involved in some shady shit.

They’re connected to the cartel, pushing hard drugs and illegal weapons directly into the community they claim to serve.

They extort people who come to their gambling operations, squeezing more and more money out of them before shifting their attention to their families.

This… this is something completely different.

That ends today. I’ve given them more than enough. I’m not running from them anymore, and I’m not going to let them get away with this bullshit.

“Hazel, wait!” my dad yells as I turn around and march to the back of the van, flinging open the doors. “Don’t!”

I ignore him, because if I say anything to him right now, I’ll probably tell him to shut up. I’m about to walk into the middle of this gunfight. The least I can do is make sure my last words to him aren’t something mean.

With all of the command I can muster, I yell, “Everybody stop! Right fucking now!”

I’m not expecting it to work. At the very least, I thought I’d be ignored. At worst, I thought I’d be shot. Instead, the gunfire ceases, and everyone’s eyes turn to me.

My gaze sweeps through the crowd, lingering on Axel for a few seconds before I find the president of the Apex Runners. I hold my chin up high and take a few steps toward him.

“You have a lot of nerve. I’ve saved your lives multiple times,” I say before pointing to the men I’ve worked on one by one.

“He’d be dead if it weren’t for me. So would he.

Him too! And you. I’ve made house calls for your family.

I’ve done so fucking much. I’ve been accommodating and given more than you asked for.

The debt is settled. Now. It’s gone beyond repayment. It’s extortion.”

The president scowls, taking a step toward me and puffing up his chest. He says, “You don’t get to decide when the debt is paid off, bitch.”

Before I can say anything, before he can get any closer, Axel darts forward. He reels back, wielding his gun in his right hand. It comes down hard against the president’s face, and he goes straight to the ground. He lies there like a rag doll, and the quietness of the crowd stretches on around us.

“We’re finished here,” Axel says, voice commanding. His eyes sweep across the crowd gathered. “The debt is fuckin’ settled. So take your fuckin’ president and get out of here.”

I hold my breath until the Apex Runners start moving. One of them steps forward, scooping their unconscious president from the gravel. As they walk to their bikes and the van, I say, “And let my dad out before you leave.”

They do as I say, and my dad scrambles out the minute they open the van. He runs through the crowd to the house, standing on the front porch with his hand on the doorknob. When I shift my gaze to Axel, he’s watching my father with a puzzled look on his face.

The Riders of Retribution stay silent as the Apex Runners leave my yard. Then, the man I can only assume is the president starts barking out orders. He asks who’s wounded, and when they start to gather, I hop into action.

“Dad, get my first aid kit,” I yell as I start triaging the injured bikers.

“Are you a nurse or something?” the president says as I drop onto my knees next to a man with a bullet in his shoulder.

“I am,” I confirm, glancing at the doorway where my dad is running toward me with my kit. “I’m going to stop the bleeding here, then I’m going to move this whole operation inside.”

“And you’re Axel’s girl?” he asks.

I feel Axel’s eyes on me as I answer his question. With pride, I say, “I am.”