Page 49 of Bruised MC Bear

23

Axe

Axe wokeup to Nancy’s enthusiastic knocking on his guest room door. He opened one eye and checked the time on the clock. Six-fifteen in the morning. Fuck, was this the time people in the burbs got out of bed?

“Alexander,” Nancy called through the closed door. “We have to get going. Kade says the two of you need the afternoon to get some things done.”

“Coming,” he groaned. “Give me ten minutes.”

Rolling to Angel’s side, he pressed a kiss on her forehead and got moving. He was showered, dressed and in the hallway in eight, just in time to see Nancy take the stairs down to the main floor, dressed as though they were about to join an executive board meeting.

“Morning,” he greeted her from the top of the stairs. “What’s with the power suit?”

Nancy looked down her body. “Oh, this old thing?”

Axe grinned as he took the stairs. “It’ll be an old thing when we’re done sorting through a gazillion boxes and pieces of furniture. Seriously, throw on some jeans and a t-shirt. Oh, and grab some work gloves for that manicure you just got.”

“Oh no.We’renot organizing a gazillion boxes today,” she said, pointing her finger back and forth between them as he made it to the bottom of the stairs. “You’reorganizing a gazillion boxes today. Do you want to know why?”

Axe folded his arms across his chest. “Let me guess. Does it have anything to do with the fact that you just got your nails done?”

Nancy stared at him for a long beat. “You’re doing it all because I’ve had to visit that depressing place once a year every year to renew the lease. You think your nightmares are bad? Try physically walking into them once a year and being reminded of every little detail.”

“Hang on, who told you I was having nightmares?”

“Like you have to ask,” she huffed, turning to leave through the front door. “Let’s get this over with.”

Axe followed her outside. “I don’t even know why you hung on to Mom and Dad’s stuff for all this time. You should have just gotten rid of it. We don’t need the reminder. I sure don’t. And you’re not hard up for money.”

She stopped in the middle of the driveway and spun around. Tears were in her eyes. “They’re still our parents, Alexander,” she cried. “They may be gone, but that’s all we have left of them. You can’t just fixate on the night we lost them, you know? What about all the years before that?”

Axe was beside her and had his arms around her shoulders that very instant. “Come on, don’t cry,” he begged, rubbing down the side of her arm to console her. He leaned Nancy’s head on his side. “You know I can’t take it when you make that little whimpering sound…or that choking noise…oh God, the sputtering too,” he half-joked. “Awww crap, now you’re humming like a beached whale.”

“Stop that, you little shit,” she whined. His comment got him a punch in the chest, but at least her crying had turned into a gurgle-like laugh. “Okay, let’s go.”

“No. You stay here,” Axe told her. “You’re right. You’ve had to deal with this on your own for far too long. Just give me the address and locker key. I’ll take care of it.”

“I don’t think so, brother dearest. Let’s do something together for a change.” She walked around to her Ferrari California T convertible. “Get in.”

“One sec.” Axe unlocked his bullet-riddled truck and dragged out a wad of napkins from the glove compartment. “Here,” he offered as he jumped into the passenger side of her car. “Your mascara’s running, and there’s a bit of snot smeared on your cheek. Not pretty at all.”

Nancy smiled, but snatched the napkins from his fingers. “Awww, how sweet and tactless all at the same time.” She flipped the sunshade down and checked her facial cleanup effort in the mirror before starting the car. “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed a bit, big brother.”

“Where’s the locker?” he asked as she reversed into the street.

“About twenty miles up the highway.”

Axe stared out the window. “Any chance we can open this baby up?”

Nancy turned onto the main street and fish-tailed the sports car as she sped up. “You mean like that?”

He smiled. “Uh huh.”

They were on the highway within minute. During the short drive, they sat in silence. Axe could just sense the questions forming in Nancy’s head. He knew that familiar expression that flitted across her face and quickly disappeared. After a while, she glanced over at him. “So... you and Angel, huh?”

“Sorry, what?” He wasn’t expecting that question. “Oh. Yeah well, we’re getting to know each other.”

“Bullshit.”