Bella Jewel - Angels In Leather

“What happened to you when you went missing for all those months?” I blurt suddenly, and then cringe at how forward I’m being.

I’ve never seen someone’s body stiffen so quickly in my entire life. It’s almost as if he jerks, he stiffens that intensely. His eyes seem to glaze over, going off into a different place. His breathing deepens, and his hands form fists. I narrow my eyes, watching him closer, taking in every movement on his face as he goes through the motions. When his eyes finally lift to meet mine, they’re wild with rage.

“What happens in my life,” he snarls, baring his teeth, “is none of your motherfuckin’ business.”

“You made it my business when you killed the only person I had left in my life. You made this my business when you decided to make me run across the country!” I protest angrily.

His eyes widen for a split second, showing his shock. But in true Axel form, he covers it quickly.

“You’re walking a fine line, Cricket,” he says, baring his teeth.

“Before all of this, before you killed my father and I was sent running, there was something between you and I. A connection. An understanding. Hell, a friendship. Now, though, you’re empty. Something eats at you, and the person I knew has been replaced with this...shell.”

“I’ve changed, and you’re pushing me over a very, very weak line right now,” he rumbles, and I catch a glimpse of his trembling hands.

“People don’t change, Axel, they simply take paths that lead them down roads which are sometimes damaging. It doesn’t change who they are, it merely adds to it. You’re there, somewhere, past all that darkness and brooding.”

“The man you knew is gone,” he says, so firmly, so icily, that I shudder.

“I don’t believe that.”

He gets to his feet, staring down at me. “Believing something is just a way of trying to convince yourself that something you so desperately want is real. You can’t make something real just by believing in it, Cricket. This,” he says, pointing to his chest, “is damaged, and there ain’t no glue in the world that can put it back the way it was.”

Then he turns, and he leaves the room, leaving me to stare at the empty door with burning eyes and an aching heart.

* * *

AXEL

I slam my fist over and over into the punching bag in the garage. They burn and ache, but I can’t stop the rage. I drive my fists into the hard leather until they’re busted and bleeding, then I slump down onto the ground, gripping my head and smothering the angry roar that’s creeping up my throat.

I need to regain my control. I need to put her back in her place.

She’s trying to fuck with my head, and no one, no one fucks with my head. I drive my fist into the bag again, and my knuckles split, sending bright-red blood down over my wrist. I snarl and hit it once more, sending a delicious burn up my arm. I won’t back down now. I’ll give her a reason to hate me, and I have the perfect way to do that.

My feet move, and I find myself heading out into the main room.

When I see Cobra, I do the only thing I can. The only thing to put a distance between us. The only thing that will stop her looking at me like she can fix me.

“Cobra,” I rasp. “It’s time to scare her into giving me the location of that USB. Prepare her. We’re going to the local bridge.”

I open my eyes when I hear the sounds of boots squeaking across the polished wooden floor. I see one of Axel’s men, Cobra, I believe, edging towards me. His eyes give me nothing. He’s staring at me as if I’m no more than a pathetic toy his boss is playing with. It’s a shame too; he’s an extremely sexy man. He’s got this longish blonde hair that falls over his forehead, and his eyes are a piercing blue. He’s got lip rings, and an eyebrow ring. All this combined gives him a dangerous look.

I see a set of handcuffs in his hands, and my entire body stiffens. What is he doing with those?

He leans down, unchaining me. He’s an idiot. There’s no other way to put it. The moment my feet are unchained, I lunge forward, punching him in the groin. With a bellow, he stumbles backward and roars in pain. I don’t wait around. I leap to my feet, and I run out the door. I get to a long hall, and I skid quickly to the left. Hearing the sounds of voices, I tuck myself into a room, breathing hard and fast.

“Yeah, I’m hearing you,” a female voice says. “He’s in a mood all right.”

“Fuck him,” another female says as they fade into the distance.

I peer around the door, and I hear Cobra bellow out Axel’s name, and something about escaping. Shit. I run back out into the hall, skid around a corner, and come crashing into Axel. His hands instantly curl around my upper arms, so tightly I’m sure I’ll bruise. He turns and slams me against a nearby wall. His eyes are wild with rage, and he’s panting. I guess he heard Cobra’s yelling.

“You just don’t fucking give up, do you?” he roars.

“No,” I snarl, bringing my knee up and hitting him in the groin. He bellows in pain and stumbles backwards. I duck around him to keep running but he lunges at me, using the power of his body to drop me and crush me against the floor.

I don’t stop fighting. I grip the carpet with my fingers, digging my nails in, and I pull myself forward, all the while kicking and twisting furiously. Axel’s body is heavy, and solid, and there’s no escaping it. He reaches up, gripping my wrists and bringing them back forcefully behind my back. I wail in pain, and snarl curses at him as I continue to twist.

“Hand me the fuckin’ cuffs,” he growls.

A moment later, the cool cuffs are snapped onto my wrists. Axel moves his body off mine and reaches down, taking hold of me and hurling me up so hard a sharp, shooting pain radiates through my back. I scream and kick out again, hitting him in the shins. He spins me, slamming me against the wall, and leaning in close.

“You’re goin’ to fuckin’ regret that.”

“Bring it on,” I spit.

His eyes grow wide with something, I don’t know if it’s hate or desire, but I’m almost sure I just made the wrong move challenging him like that.

* * *

My lips are trembling, and I can’t breathe. I want to open my mouth and scream, but nothing comes out. Even if I wanted to speak, I couldn’t. My words are caught in my throat, no doubt trapped behind the protests. Axel has me pushed against the railing of the biggest bridge he could find that wasn’t in a public place. I can see the water below. I can hear it splashing against the rocks along the side.

“Didn’t wanna have to do this, but you’re not understanding me, Cricket. I need that USB, and I need it now. If I have to toss you off this bridge a hundred times to get it, I will.”

I open my mouth to beg, but nothing comes out. I’m frozen with shock and fear. My entire body is stiff, and tingling all over. My heart feels like it’s going to launch out of my chest, and my stomach is coiling tightly. Desperation fills my body, and I want to beg frantically, anything to stop Axel from putting me over this bridge. But I can’t speak. I’m trying. I can’t.

“Answer me, goddammit,” he snarls.

I close my eyes, and angry tears slide down my cheeks. You’re stronger than this, Meadow. You can beat this fear. You can swim now. Let him throw you over the edge...let him...my eyes snap open...if he throws me over, I can swim to the side and run...I can escape. My heart rate picks up, and my body fills with that familiar adrenalin.

“Last chance. Answer me, or I toss you over.”

I clamp my mouth shut, fighting with fear and terror, fighting with my own head. This might be my only chance. I focus on trying to breathe as I feel Axel grip my shirt, shoving me forward. I swallow a scream, and my hands clench together. You can do this. You can swim now. It’s going to be fine. It’s all okay. You’re stronger, braver, better...

“Fine, have it your way,” Axel hisses, and then he shoves my body forward and I fall over the side of the bridge with a scream so loud it echoes through the night sky.

I land in the water with an almighty crack. My skin burns angrily as I struggle to resurface. It isn’t easy when I’m cuffed, but I manage to. I blink furiously, kicking my legs and using my combined fist to shove the water from my eyes. I see Axel’s men standing at the left and right sides of the bank. They’re watching me with smirks on their faces. I scream help, and begin flailing around, pretending I can’t swim. Then I take a deep breath and go under the water, heading straight under the bridge and out the other side. I ignore the tingling all over my body, and the slap-like pain that’s radiating off my thighs.

I reach the bank, and I can hear Axel’s men yelling and cursing at each other. They probably think I’ve drowned. At least, I hope they have. That was the point. I launch myself out, hitting a bunch of thick, spikey shrubs. I scramble, struggling to get to my feet without the use of my hands. My body is filled with a strange kind of power, and the fear of jumping from that bridge is gone. Instead, it’s given me a sense of strength.

I duck down, and I shove through the trees. I have no idea where I am, or if I’m going to end up over the side of a cliff running into the night like this, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I can’t hear Axel, and I wonder if he’s still making his way off the bridge. That, or he’s slowly murdering his men for being so stupid.

When I get past the shrubs, I begin running gently, cuffed arms out in front of me to navigate my way through the trees. I glimpse a light to my left, and my heart leaps into my throat. Seconds. Seconds. I turn to the right, pushing on, distancing myself from the light as much as I can. I can hear voices yelling in the distance somewhere, but I don’t want to stop and hear what they’re saying.