Page 4 of No Mistakes (No Mercy #2)

AXEL

It’s been over an hour since Eva left, and I feel lost in myself. Flynn and Ant left not long after, probably figuring I needed space to get my shit together while muttering about needing more food in the house.

Picking up my glass, I take the biggest sip, needing to feel the burn of the whiskey as it travels down my throat. I set the glass down harder than necessary, my fingers curling tightly around it.

Every part of me is screaming to go after her, to fix this, to tell her everything I couldn’t say when she was standing right in front of me.

But I know it will only make things worse because what the hell am I going to say?

That I never wanted to hurt her? That I thought I was doing the right thing? That I’m sorry ?

Sorry isn’t enough. Nothing ever will be for the pain I put her through.

Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees, rubbing a hand over my face. The half-empty whiskey bottle sits on the table next to me, taunting me, but I ignore it. Another drink won’t fix this mess I’ve made.

She had every right to walk away, but I can’t just let her go.

Pushing myself up, I walk over to the couch, ignoring the pull in my shoulder while I reach for my phone. My fingers hover over the name ‘Buttercup’ in my contacts. I could call her, but I know she wouldn’t answer. I could text her, but I know she won’t respond to that either.

I could show up… use our tracker on the car they took to track her down and demand she talk to me, but the thought takes root the longer I debate it. It’s reckless. Desperate. But sitting here doing nothing is worse.

Inhaling sharply, my thumb tightens around the phone. I need to find her. But I can’t force her into a conversation she isn’t ready for. I just… need to know she’s okay.

I scroll further, stopping at Mandy’s name. She has to be with her; she went running after her as soon as Eva left. I can’t imagine she would’ve left her alone.

I hesitate for a second, debating if I’m doing the right thing before pressing call. It rings for a few seconds, and for a moment I thought she wasn’t going to answer, but to my surprise, she does.

“ Don’t ,” Mandy answers, her tone sharp.

I tense, still taken aback from the fact that she answered. “Don’t what?”

“ Don’t call me looking for her, Axel.”

My jaw clenches as her tone confirms that she is, in fact, with her. “Mandy.” My tone stern.

“No.” I can hear movement in the background, like she’s walking across gravel by the way it crunches through the phone. “She doesn’t want to see you right now, Axel. Give her time.”

I throw my head back, pushing the need to demand where she is away, knowing that won’t get me any closer to her. “Just… tell me if she's okay. Please ?”

After what feels like a lifetime of silence, a loud sigh echoes through the phone, “She’s breathing, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Pressing a hand to the back of my neck, I do my best to stay calm. “Can you tell me where she is?”

Mandy lets out a dry laugh, “Right. So you can show up and make things worse?”

“I need to-” Then I hear it. A sharp crack. It’s distant and muffled through the phone, but there is no mistaking that sound. Gunfire.

My blood runs cold from the sound, and I stand straighter, straining to listen as I clench my fist, the phone creaking under my hold. A second shot fires out, just as faint, but I don’t miss the recognisable sound.

Mandy’s voice comes back, overpowering the background noise. “No. What you need to do is let her be angry. Let her feel it.”

I hear her talking, but it’s as if my brain can’t take her words in over the pounding sound of my pulse racing. There are two more shots, followed by another. They’re spaced out. They’re too controlled for it to be an ambush or a fight.

My eyes widen when everything clicks.

They’re at a shooting range.

Mandy sighs, “Look, Axel… She’ll come to you when she’s ready. If she’s ready.”

Her words sting, but only because I know there is truth behind them but the only thing my mind can focus on is the gunshots. On the fact, Eva… My Eva. Is standing somewhere, possibly firing a weapon right now, and I don’t know what the hell that means.

Before I can push for more information, the line goes dead, and I’m greeted by silence. I lower the phone slowly, my fingers still clenched around it. What the hell is Mandy doing with her?

I don’t have much time to process everything that has happened in the last five minutes when the front door crashes open.

“Oh, Brother, we’re home!” Flynn shouts whilst stumbling in, carrying bags. The second he makes eye contact with me, he drops the bags before bursting out laughing, keeling over himself, “Fuck Axel, you look even worse than before. I didn’t think that was even possible.”

I don’t have the energy to entertain him right now.

Not while my mind is elsewhere, worrying about a certain someone.

Ant follows shortly, throwing his keys onto the entrance table.

He pauses mid-step, pulling his brows together.

Ant is always the one to notice the subtle movements in someone's body. I guess with time, he’s learnt to read someone without words.

“Did you bring food?” A voice echoes from the top of the stairs, followed shortly by the sound of thundering footsteps.

Carter rounds the corner first, barefoot and shirtless with a towel slung over his shoulder as he rubs at his damp hair.

Gunnar follows right after, pulling a hoodie over his head, looking slightly more put together.

Both of them freeze, examining the scene in front of them. Flynn is still grinning at me like an idiot, and Ant is stiff as a board, watching like he’s trying to read my mind. Carter’s gaze keeps flicking between me and my brothers. “Okay, what the hell is going on?” He asks.

Flynn smirks, pointing towards me while pretending to be David Attenborough. “Behold, brother. The rare and elusive Axel, caught in the middle of an actual emotional crisis.” I shoot him a glare, not impressed with his attitude. “Fuck off, Flynn.”

Carter ignores my warning, “You look like someone ran over your imaginary dog.”

Gunnar seems to take this moment to be brave as he folds his arms, “Or like you’re about to break something.

” He says, nodding his head towards the phone still in my hand.

I look down, seeing my fingers still wrapped around it as my knuckles turn white.

I take the queue to put the phone away and place it in my pocket, flexing my fingers to release the tension.

Carter walks over to the table and grabs a water bottle, ignoring the half-empty bottle of whiskey.

“So. Are you gonna tell us what’s up, or are we playing twenty-one questions? ”

Flynn uses the opportunity to take the lead when I don't respond. He starts humming while tapping his chin dramatically. “Let's see… did Eva finally call you an idiot to your face?”

Carter doesn’t waste any time jumping on the ‘Let's piss Axel off’ bandwagon before asking his question. He sits down, leaning forward. “ Or … did she tell you to drop dead because you know… I would.”

I take a step towards him, and he shoots up off the chair, stumbling backwards, knocking the chair over. “If I were a woman, of course.” He says, taking another step away from me. Gunnar slaps Carter on the shoulder, looking disappointed, “You can’t say shit like that, man.”

Flynn ignores them, staring at me intensely before narrowing his eyes, “Did Mandy say something?”

I don’t respond, but something flickers in Flynn’s expression as if he saw something in my face change. His smirk fades just slightly as he watches me, waiting for a reaction.

Carter exhales dramatically, “Alright, seriously, what the fuck happened? I’m bored with this guessing game.

” I swallow hard, feeling my teeth grind against each other.

I don’t want to say what I heard on the phone because if I say it.

There's a possibility I could have lost Eva for good, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.

Gunnar crosses his arms, standing firm next to my other brothers, “Axel.” Carter follows Gunnar’s stance and copies him, crossing his own arms. “Just say it. We all know something has happened.”

I feel my jaw aching from how hard I’m clenching because of the pressure of everyone staring at me.

“Mandy took Eva to a fucking shooting range.” I blurt out accepting defeat. The room goes silent while Carter’s jaw hangs wide open. Flynn shakes his head, not believing me. “You’re joking.”

I shake my own head, confirming that it's true. He laughs slightly before his smirk fades away. “Wait, you’re not joking?”

Carter lets out a low whistle, “Damn. They’re badasses.”

I hear a robotic voice come from the corner of the room, and I turn to face Ant.

“ Are you sure ?” The voice echoes. I nod stiffly, “Called Mandy, and I heard the shots in the background.” Gunnar moves over to the table, grabbing a bottle of water from the bags that Flynn and Ant brought earlier.

“Shit. That’s… I don’t know whether to be impressed or worried for you, man. ”

I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me, but that doesn’t stop Carter from trying to lighten the mood. “Well, I guess someone is gonna have a hard time getting back into her good graces.”

I ball my fists, the image of Eva at a shooting range with a gun in her hand keeps flashing in my mind, and my stomach twists. I know she would’ve had this training to become a private investigator, but the thought of her doing it because of me? It makes my heart hurt.

I glance at Ant, who is staring back at me, his expression unreadable like usual. He looks down, typing something before holding the phone out. “You’re going after her, right?”

Gunnar drops onto the sofa, ripping open a bag of chips. “You know, if you’re planning on doing the whole ‘I’m here to fix things’ move. Now might be the time to actually show up for her. You’re gonna have to act soon. If you keep waiting, you’re gonna lose her.”

I look towards him, taking in his words, because for once, one of them said something nice, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I stay rooted to my spot, the pressure of their gazes weighing heavily on me as they wait for my next move. The confusion and regret are threatening to swallow me whole. But slowly, I nod, coming up with a plan.

“Alright,” I say, finally breaking the silence. “I’m going.”

My brothers exchange glances, and Gunnar walks over, clapping me on the back. “Good. Now go before she has a chance to do something crazier, like learning how to be a secret assassin.”

After what felt like a lifetime, I’m finally ready to leave. I pick my bag up, rolling my shoulder back as I gather everything I need to secure Eva back. We spent the last half hour working out a tactical plan with a long list of ‘what not to do’.

Carter had a lot of ideas about what I shouldn’t do, which he apparently has had experience with from past situations, and right now, I don’t know if I should be grateful or disgusted by what is written on the paper in front of me.

I glance at Ant, who’s already standing by the door waiting for me.

He raises an eyebrow, his expression calm like always, but there’s an understanding there; he knows this is a huge step for me.

And probably for Eva too. “You’re coming with me,” I say more to myself than to him, but he just nods before tapping away on his phone. “You know this won’t be easy.”

I exhale sharply, rubbing the back of my neck.

“You think I don’t know that?” I say quietly.

His eyes never leave mine, but his lips curve slightly in the ghost of a smile.

“ Then let’s go. She won’t wait forever.

” The voice on his phone says. The words hit me like a goddamn freight train, and for a second, I almost freeze before the fire inside me ignites again.

I stand taller, nodding my head once. “Let’s go,” I say, heading for the door with him right behind me.