Chapter 3: A Buried Past

Reaching into his pocket, Marco withdrew a knife, brandishing it at Leia menacingly as he took a few threatening steps closer to Leia. 

Her heart pounding in her chest, she struggled to keep her breathing calm, to fight the overwhelming urge to scream as Marco's knife flashed dangerously closer to her.

"Help!" Leia finally screamed. "Somebody help! Somebody help us!"

The group broke into laughter again, and Nico's expression darkened as he glared at her, and said with a smug smile, "Why do you think the music is so loud, sweetheart?"

"Right! Now, let's see how strong you are, little missy. How dare you defy us?!" Marco yelled,  waving the blade in his hand.

Just then the door bash opened, and Axe stepped inside, his eyes that of a bull that had seen the color red as he glared at  Marco, Nico, and their friends. 

"You don't want to deal with me. Let the girls go. I am going to say this once." Axe growled, his dark glare fixed firmly on Marco.

Pointing the knife at him, Marco laughed mockingly, and said, "Oh, so you too want to try playing hero? Why don't you join the others?"

"Axe, don't! They have knives!" Leia cried desperately.

As he glanced at her, he scowled slightly and signaled her to get behind him. 

Knowing that look in his eyes, Leia timed Marco and the others' attentions, and seeing that they were focused on Axe, she made a run for it, rushing for him and jumping behind him.

Her move made Nico, Marco, and their friends mad, and they rushed to attack Axe with their weapons, Leia's heart pounded in her chest as she clung to Axe, her body trembling with fear and adrenaline. 

With a swift motion, Axe pushed her outside the room and slammed the door shut, leaving her alone in the dimly lit hallway. 

Just then Marco swung his blade for Axe, but  Axe sidestepped it, his muscles bulging as he swung his fist backward, punching Marco square in his jaw.

Blood splattered out of Marco's mouth as his head snapped sideways. He staggered backward, clutching his face while spitting blood and teeth, then he glared at Axe, his eyes flashing maliciously.

"Damn it! What are you guys waiting for? Fuck him up!" He cried out, clutching his face.

Immediately, Nico and his friends rushed for Axe, their weapons raised high in the air, but as the first guy swung his knife, Axe rolled out of the way,  kicking him hard in the ribs and sending him flying backward.

 As the second dude swung at Axe, he caught his arm, twisting it until the sound of the bones snapping caught his ear. Then he swung the guy by his broken wrist, banging him into the next guy who had been sneaking up on him from behind. The third thug attacked Axe from behind, and Axe spun around to face them, knocking aside the guy's knife and grabbing him by the throat, crashing him into the wall.

'How embarrassing. He had to be the one to save me.' Ember thought, frowning as she watched Axe.

One of the guys suddenly picked up a chair and started charging at Axe, intending to bash him down. However, Axe caught the chair before it could connect with his skull and yanked it towards him before pushing back, and slammed it into the guy's chest causing him to collapse onto the ground. 

With the chair tightly in his grip, Axe lifted it high above his head like a baseball bat and smashed it straight onto the back of Nico's neck and knocking the daylight out of him.

The room was filled with the sound of groaning as Axe stood still watching them all lay on the ground, licking their wounds and moaning in agony. 

Suddenly, the door opened and he turned to see Leia staring at him, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her entire face was stained with dried tear streaks and her chest heaved with each breath. 

"Go untie your sister. I am taking you guys home." Axe commanded, turning away from her to make sure none of them were getting up.

Nodding, Leia hesitantly stepped past him and approached her sister, undoing the ropes that bound Ember's wrists and feet. 

As soon as she was free, Ember threw herself in her sister's arms, and Leia held her tight, crying softly in relief.

Sighing, Axe reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing  Don Vincenzo's number. 

A minute later, he heard Don's voice answered, "You got them?"

"I got them," Axe said, his tone flat and devoid of emotion, his eyes staring blankly at Leia.

"And the Russo brothers?"

"I have them contained with the other idiots who helped them."

Scowling, Marco looked up at Axe and screamed, "Who are you calling 'idiots,' you lowlife, motherfucker!!"

Without hesitation, Axe moved for  him, his hands tightening around the collar of his shirt, dragging him toward the wall and  smashing his face into it repeatedly, breaking his nose and cheekbone, blood spraying from his lips as Axe mumbled, "Don't talk about my mother in such a disgusting manner, got it?"

Before Marco could nod, Axe grabbed his hair and gave his head one last hit, knocking him unconscious.

"Did you kill him?" Don asked, his cold voice coming through the speaker.

When Axe didn't answer right away, he added, "You know that you are not just Leia's bodyguard. You have to remember that of all my men, your hands should be clean..."

"I understand, Master. He's not dead, just taking a nap." Axe finally said, looking back to see Leia and Ember staring back at him.

"Leave now. The men are already there. They will handle the rest." 

"Yes, master." 

After ending the call, he met Leia's concerned gaze and said, "Let's go."

Moments later, Axe led Leia and Ember out of the upstairs area, their hands tightly intertwined as they moved cautiously through the dimly lit corridors. 

Finally, they got past the main hall, and as they made their way toward the exit, the sound of heavy footsteps reverberated through the hallway, growing louder with each passing second.

Walking past the men approaching them, Axe glanced sideways, his piercing gaze meeting the eyes of the approaching leader.

 The man, dressed in a tailored black suit, without breaking eye contact, offered a slight bow to Axe before continuing past him, his men following closely behind.

Moments later, they arrived outside, and Axe knowing that the situation was under control, turned his attention back to Leia and Ember, guiding them towards the waiting car parked outside the building. 

As they settled into the car, Axe took his place behind the wheel, and then the engine roared to life, the vibrations coursing through his fingertips, as he sped off,

Time seemed to stretch as they finally arrived at the grand gates of their father's mansion. The imposing iron structure stood tall as Axe guided the car through the gates and parked it.

Soon, they stepped into the living room, the scent of expensive cigars mingled with the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee. 

And there, Don Vincenzo sat in a plush armchair, his eyes fixed on Axe, a silent understanding passing between them. The lines on his face etched deeply as he gazed at his daughter.

"Father, I... Leia's voice trembled with emotion as she began to explain herself to her father. But he simply raised a hand to silence her, and the room fell into an expectant hush as Don Vincenzo spoke.

"No need, my dear. You and your sister should go and attend to yourselves. Rest and clear your mind. We have an important party to attend tomorrow, and I expect both of you to be on your best behavior," he said, his tone firm yet filled with a touch of concern.

Pausing, Leia's eyes widened with surprise, a mix of gratitude and confusion shining within them, and she exchanged a knowing glance with Ember, silently agreeing to follow their father's instructions.

As the two sisters made their way up the grand staircase, their steps growing lighter with each ascending floor, Axe remained in the living room.

Sighing, Don Vincenzo turned his attention towards him, his piercing gaze penetrating Axe's soul.

"You will accompany us tomorrow, Axe, not just as a bodyguard," Don Vincenzo stated. "Dress accordingly."

With a nod, Axe deeply bowed, and then he turned to leave, but Don's voice stopped him, "Ever since I adopted you, you refused to call me anything but 'Master'... And tonight, you lost your cool because of her... Your mother. Do you still have that childish belief that she didn't abandon you... that she's coming back for you?"

Without looking back, Axe sighed and said, "I beg to take my leave now, Master."

"You are still stubbornly shutting me out of your past," Don said, a bit of anger in his tone.

"I was six-"

"You are twenty-two now-"

"There's nothing to remember about my past. It's called 'a past' for a reason."

With that said, Axe left the room, leaving Don to glare at his retreating figure. His brow knitted with frustration as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly, "Still subborn as the day he arrived in this place."