Elpidio, Elpi, is this pained, wounded man laying on the floor, the man bleeding guilt…

Chapter Seven

Axel

“You don’t know me, girl,”

“I know your work.” Aliyana’s Spanish eyes flared with conviction. “More than anyone else, I know your work…”

As I circled the untouched slab of marble before me, my chest bare and sweaty from my recent workout, the curator’s words kept circling around my head. “I know your work… More than anyone else, I know your work…”

Aliyana. Damn Aliyana Lucia for getting in my fucking head.

From the minute I’d seen her two nights ago in the gallery, catching me by the marble angel, I’d been shocked fucking speechless.

I’d never seen any chick look like her. I’d never seen anyone with eyes that bright, hair that dark, or a smile that fucking blinding. In the past, I’d gotten pussy whenever I’d wanted. Plenty of Italiano trash whores around the trailer park to sink into for a quick wet fuck. But never had a chick of her standing paid me one bit of attention. Fuck, I’d barely even seen a woman in five years, let alone got laid… Then she’s the first one to pay me any attention, tripping over her words as though I was the greatest thing on Earth.

Then last night, Aliyana waited for me to show up. Me. I could barely fucking wrap my head round that fact. I should’ve stayed away. I never wanted anyone involved with this shitty exhibition to ever know what I looked like. But morbid curiosity of what my show could look like drew me back to that damn gallery night after night… curious to see the sculptures I’d spent months creating, sculptures I hadn’t seen in so long... and there she was, looking at me with her stunning fucking face, all excited to meet fucking Elpidio.

Elpidio, a fictional artist. Elpidio, the sculptor that the prissy fucking art world had fallen in love with. But no one, no one—but Vin—knew Elpidio was actually Axel Carillo. Some fucked-up ex-con from a trailer park. And no fucker had time for him.

Axel Carillo, the thirty-year-old ex con who got a reduced sentence for selling out a drug supplier to the feds. Axel Carillo, the once famed second-in-command to the Heighters, the hardest and most brutal gang member to own that piece of turf. And Axel Carillo, the fuck-up of a man that broke his dying mamma’s heart and led the two best brothers a guy could ask for to ruin.

Axel Carillo deserved to live in fucking misery for what he’d done.

Axel Carillo deserved to be treated like scum.

Axel Carillo didn’t deserve another chance at life.

Nah, Aliyana Lucia may think the sun shined out of Elpidio’s ass, but my brothers knew the real me. They knew who I really was deep down. Shit, the way Levi treated me every time he saw me told me that much.

Only two hours ago had he shown me just how much he couldn’t stand me, and he didn’t hold back his words while he did so…

*****

Sitting at the breakfast table, I sipped my black coffee, like I did every day, watching as Lexi cooked at the stove, Austin’s arms wrapped around her waist. They didn’t give a shit I was in here, or at least Austin didn’t. There he stood with his lips kissing along Lexi’s neck.

As much as I didn’t want to see my little brother slobbering all over his skinny wife, I loved seeing him this happy.

At that moment, Lexi turned her head to face me and immediately blushed. Austin followed her gaze and started laughing when he saw what had his little woman so embarrassed.

“You’re too fuckin’ cute, Pix,” Austin said and, pressing a kiss on Lexi’s cheek, came to sit opposite me. Lexi plated up their eggs and sat down beside her husband, slowly lifting her fork to cut up her food. She kept her eyes downcast as she methodically chewed on each forkful of eggs. I caught Austin checking on her from time to time, his hand dropping down to lay on her leg.

For a minute, my gut clenched as I thought of how much my mamma would’ve loved to have seen her pride and joy this happy. And she would’ve fucking doted on Lexi. She’d have been the daughter Mamma’d never had.

That one thought of my mamma had my eyes closing and my throat fighting a huge lump.

“You good, Axe?” Austin asked.

My eyes snapped open, and I could see his eyebrows pulled down as he watched me.

“Yeah,” I replied huskily, coughing and shifting on my seat.

Austin eyed me skeptically but didn’t push it. “So,” Austin said, getting up from the table to get us more coffee. As he filled my cup and sat back down, I waited for what he wanted to say. “You’ve been working real long hours at that market. Seems like all the fucking time.”

As always my heart beat hard when Austin brought up my cover. I fucking hated lying to them all, but I just couldn’t tell them what I was really doing in Seattle.

“Picking up more shifts. Working as much as I can,” I mumbled vaguely.

“Overnight?” Austin questioned.

“A guy I work with has a place nearby. I sometimes crash there. But I work night shifts too.”

“A guy you work with?” Austin probed, and Lexi looked up, worry in her eyes. Austin shifted on his seat. “An ex-con?”

My eyes narrowed at my little brother. “What if he is?” I asked. “So am I, Aust.”

Austin opened his mouth to reply, when another voice cut in instead. “Of course he is, Aust. Axe only hangs with fucking losers. Remember Gio? He was Axe’s puppet master back in Bama, hey?”