The Axelridge Series Book 3 Marc's Stolen Heart

SOPHIE

“The van stopped at a private airstrip outside the south bridge. A plane left 15 minutes after that.” Jax says as he pulls up surveillance on the holographic monitor in the circle of the council room.

Audrey tosses me my white leather jacket and I throw it on. “Some were Luccos men and there was definitely at least one lycan with them.” I inform.

Marcus stands next to me. “The families got together.”

Finn punches up the planes route. “Looks like it. The plane is headed to Queens.”

“Lefu gave the order. I’m sure of it. That means my father lived the blast. He took Claudia to complete the exchange.” Marcus runs his hands through his hair. “Fucking Douche!!” He growls as he turns. He points at Jax. “He’s fucking dead. I should have killed the bastard years ago.”

“We didn’t want to start a war, Marc, but now, I agree and I’ll help.” Jax scowls.

I inspect my mace, turn on my magnetism and slam it on my back.

Audrey walks over as she shape shifts to Jax and does up her Jacket. “How are you holding up?”

I look into his eyes. “I'll be fine when I have her back.” I try to say without breaking down and flipping out.

He places a black gloved hand on my shoulder. “We will. Don’t worry.”

My lip curls. “I’m not worried about me. They better be fucking scared for touching what’s mine.” My wolf surfaces and my eyes glow blue.

“What?”

“Sophie.” I turn to Griffin. “Is this the lycan you saw?”

He pulls up a mugshot and my eyes narrow. “Yeah. That’s him.” I growl.

He walks to the center and reads the Enforcer file. “Skylar Caddel. 25. Lycan errand boy.”

“Skylar?” Marc and I say at the same time.

“Aye. You know him?” Griffin asks

Marcus nods. “Claudia’s ex boyfriend. Son of a bitch!” He punches the table and leans on it with his hands.

“Petty thief. Numerous drug convictions, assaults, threats and mafia connections, among other things.” Griffin reads. “Aye. What a worthless sod, he is. I can see why she'd pitch a scut like him.” He arches a brow and crosses his arms.

I stand beside Marcus. “Obviously, he’s jumped onboard with the retaliation. Probably thinks he can get her back.”

Marcus looks down to my eyes. “Or punish her for breaking up with him.”

My brows stitch up as I think about what Dia told me about him. “We need to hurry.”

“I’ve got the jet prepared and waiting for deployment.” Finn says as he types.

Marcus faces his friends then looks to me. “Let’s killed the bastard who took what's ours.” He growls.

“I get first swing.” I grind back and he holds up a fist.

Audrey and Jax look at me and I don’t say a word. I fist bump Marc and we head for the stairs.

Both of us are prepared to shred everything to rescue our girl. As much as I want to look at this thing as being messed up, I can’t. I feel like it’s not going to be changing and this proves that we all need each other. It feels right being together, just like Marcus has been saying. I can deal with my brother later, right now, I have a lycan to smash.

Within the hour, we were boarded and in the air. I watched out the window in the dark of night as I silently pray that she’s OK. I fight the lump in my throat and try to keep my head in the game.

Marcus grabs my hand and I turn to him. He kisses my hand and I smile. He places a hand on the back of my head. “She’ll be fine. I feel it. We'll get to her.”

I nod and lean my head on his shoulder. He hugs me and I close my eyes. I just listen to his heart beat and try to calm my own heart.

Jax taps his shoulder and he turns. He points him and glances at me. “Me and you are having a huge talk after this.”

Marcus looks at me and back at him. “Sure. What ever ya say.”

He turns back and we exchange looks. I know that face Jax threw at Marc. He's pissed. He’ll have to just get over it. We can’t help who we are. If he has a problem with it, he can screw off. Our hearts are all tangled up with each other’s and can’t be undone.

When we land, we deploy on bikes. Marcus and Eddie take off into the air on Eddie’s hover snowboard and Finn leads a small army of jet boot skaters behind us.

I ride beside Audrey and my brother. Three Mace vigilantes off to kill the bad guy and save the day. Griffin and Noah are also behind us on their own bikes.

“Hang on, beautiful. I’m coming.” I clench my teeth, hit the throttle and ride up the New York streets.

****

MARCUS

With my wolf raging inside, I’m trying hard to keep it together for Sophie. She needs to be on her game. Seeing or feeling me scared won’t help her. I need to be her rock and that’s what I will be. Right at her side as we fight for Claudia.

My princess better be in perfect condition. One little hair out of place and I’ll drag my fathers dead body to the fucking pool and kill his ass again.

I look down at the lights of Queens as we fly above it.

‘Jax. What’s your 20?’

I lean over, looking up and down the street. The hover board wobbles and my heart stops as I lean back and hang onto Eddie.

I hit his back. “EH! Don’t ditch us!”

He looks over his shoulder at me. “Stop shifting your weight!” He scowls. “And don’t yell at me! You’re killing my buzz!”

I groan and shake my head as the wind whips through my hair.

He leans and we bank down in between the building over the road below.

‘Coming under.’ Jax responds.

I look down and he, plus Sophie and Audrey, ride up the street, dodging traffic as they go. I watch as Noah and Griffin come up behind them.

Eddie kicks the board into a higher gear and we jet off ahead.

In the distance, see the target. My fathers house. The repairs went fast. I’ll have to do a better job this time. The Mafia is going down even if I go down with it. This ends now. My real family is coming and we're raising hell.

I tap Eddie on the back and point over his shoulder. “Let's kill the son of bitch that took my Luna.” I grit.

He glances at me. “Luna?”

“Did I stutter?” I arch a brow.

“Nope. Got it. Let’s get your Luna.” He slams his foot down on the front and we dive closer to the road.

We close in and he glides us up and around the whole house.

‘Three guards out front. Five in the back.’

‘Check that. Finn?’ Jax links.

‘Right behind you. Unit 3 to the rear. Unit 1 with me.’ Finn orders.

The small army of 50 men splits and they head for the main gate.

‘I’ll get the door. Be ready.’ I link and pull out a ball.

I press the button, kiss it for luck then pitch it at the gate as Eddie flies by.

The ball hits dead center and explodes as the guards notice us and start firing at us.

The gate breaks open and our men pour into it.

Eddie reaches back and pulls out knives from his pack. He whips them in succession and hits one.

‘You missed!’ I link with shock.

‘Sorry! The demon after my ass is kind of messing with me.’ He links back.

‘Just focus, alright. You’re not allowed to die today.’ I cinch my brows at him as he looks back.

‘I won’t.’

‘Eddie. Wait for stragglers. Marcus. You’re with us.’ Finn barks.

‘Don’t need to tell me twice.’

Eddie swoops down close to the road and I jump off.

I run for the busted gate in the middle of Unit 1. Sophie, Jax and Audrey are behind me with maces drawn.

The house practically explodes with goons. They pour out the doors with weapons drawn and we clash on the front lawn of the house.

I throw my silver baseballs and they explode. Grass, dirt and men fly into the air and I pull my bat from the side holder on my pack.

I swing at every head that gets between me and the front door.

I spin and swing. “GRAND SLAM!” I growl loud as my bat connects with a skull.

A lycan grabs me and I jam my bat in his ribs. He lets out a growling scream and I force a ball into his throat. I push him away just as he explodes into pieces.

I pick up my bat again and look around. Our men are fighting with bats and hockey stick swords. Audrey and Jax are swinging their maces and taking chunks out of lycans and my fathers men.

I search for Sophie and she’s struggling with a lycan that has her mace.

I run through the fight and clock the fucker in the back of the head with my slugger.

He stumbles forward then turns only to receive a mace to the face. His head explodes and his body drops. Sophie turns to me and I kiss her. “Good one.”

“Thanks.” She smiles.

‘MARCUS!’

My father links in my head. I spin around to the front of the house and my eyes narrow.

‘You better run, you fucking bastard!’ I link back.

I spring over a bunch of guys beating the shit out each other and Sophie is right behind me.

“I GET A PIECE, TOO!” She yells at my back.

“WHITE OR DARK MEAT?!” I quickly yell back at her.

My father runs back into the house and slams the door.

We jump onto the stoop, both of us haul back and swing our bat and mace at the door. It bursts into splinters and we run in. I slide on the marble tiles and looks around the house.

I bunch of women run through the house, screaming and protecting themselves.

I step a foot into the common room and bullets hit the wall by my head. I duck back behind the door frame and pull Sophie beside me.

“It’s over, Alfonso! Where's Dia?!” I yell around the corner.

“It’s not over, Marcus. You can kill Stevie and your mother, but you aren’t taking me out.”

I peek around the frame. He’s head floats up from the bar on the other side of the room. “Mom and Stevie are dead?”

“Angie’s in the hospital. She may not live either. When I get my hands on you, you’ll beg me to kill you.” My father says.

“That’s a funny story. You can tell Mom and Stevie about it in hell.”

I look back at Sophie. “The rooms upstairs. Check them out. Be careful.”

She pulls her mace. “You, too.” She kisses my lips and runs for the stairs.

I turn back to the common room. “If you want me dead, fight me like a man. Show your coward ass.”

“Come on, Marcus. Why do you think I have hired shields? I don’t get my hands dirty.”

“Don’t I know it.” I pull my pack open and pull out a ball. It’s low grade and won’t provide even half the punch I want, but I don’t want to blow the house with my girls still in it.

“Fine. I know you like fastballs. Let’s play a little father-son game of catch.” I mutter as I adjust the detonation timer to three seconds.

I step in front of the door, run and slide across the floor, I press the button as I throw the ball up.

As he rises with his gun aimed at me, I watch the ball and swing my bat. It connects and flies straight at my fathers chest. It hits him, beeps for a nanosecond, his eyes shoot open and it explodes. His body is sent through the wall behind him as I hit the floor.

Wood, blood and bottles fall all around me as the bar explodes and I hear my father screaming from the next room.

I get up, spin my bat and step over the broken bar.

I step through the hole in the wall and survey the damage.

My father’s arm, shoulder and a chunk of his chest is gone. He's going into shock as he tries to process what happened.

Sophie hits the wall and looks into the hole. “Marc. She’s not upstairs.”

I look down at my father. “Where’s my Luna?” I growl.

He looks at me with one beady eye because half his face is gone. Blood pools under him and he starts to struggle, but he fights me to the bitter end.

“I’m not fucking telling you anything.” He grits.

I walk around and twirl my bat. With a loud growl, I bring it down on his thigh. “WHERE IS SHE?!” I roar as he screams in agony.

“FUCK YOU!!”

I slam his chest and other leg. “WHERE?!!”

He’s practically crying as he tries to roll over and escape. “You’ll never find her…The garbage lycans have her.” He laughs as he falls back onto his back. “She’s demon food.” He meets my eyes and nod.

I look up at Sophie and her eyes plead with me that he’s lying. I know he’s not.

I point my bat to him and stare at my hurting Angel. “There’s your piece.”

She turns her angry eyes to my father and walks to him. She stands over him and leans down. “Go to fucking hell, you monster.” She lifts her mace above her head and my father screams, raising his arm to protect himself, but the mace drives his arm through his skull and turns his head to a blood splatter all over the floor.

She rips the mace out of the tile and backs off.

I stare at my fathers dead, headless body and process what I just did.

As a son, I should feel guilt, shame or both. I killed my entire family, but I don’t. They gave me life, but that’s it. Jaxton and his parents made me the man I am today. Sophie makes me the man I want to continue to be. That means destroying the Lucco part of me to the fullest extent. I won’t be proud of it, but I won’t hate myself for having to do what needed to be done. It was him or me.

“Marcus.”

I turn my head to Sophie and she has a hand out to me. I take it and step over my fathers body.

We run outside and stop on the step.

“ENOUGH!!” I bellow across the fight.

The fighting stops and all heads look my way.

I look over the sea of blood covered faces. I point my bat to the door as Sophie rests the ball of her mace on the stoop. Gore and blood drip onto the stone from the Jaxtium spikes.

“THE LUCCO FAMILY IS DEAD! IF YOU DON’T WANT TO JOIN THEM, SURRENDER NOW!” I flare my eyes at my fathers men.

Some shift and run. Others fall to their knees once they clue in that the blood on us is from my father.

Finn and some soldiers proceed to cuff them as Enforcers begin to show up.

I jog down the steps and am joined by Jax and the guys.

“You killed him.” He side eyes me.

“Yep. It was a tag team.” I drop a kiss on Sophie’s hair as I wrap an arm around her neck.

“Claudia?”

“Lefu has her. Let’s go.” I walk with anger fueled determination and everyone follows as the Enforcers clean up this mess.

We hit the road to Brooklyn and formulate our plan to get Claudia back.