Bang Bang(13)

“I need to know.”

“Damn it, Amy.” He jerked the keys from the ignition. “By the time I was out of the hospital, you were gone. Already in foster care. Sergio wouldn’t help me track you down… I finally found you and I couldn’t… I couldn’t just walk up to you and say ‘surprise!’ I freaking helped ruin your life, who does that? Who just ruins someone’s life and then asks for forgiveness? Or expects a damn hug? I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t put you through the pain again. I convinced myself you were fine because I was too afraid to believe otherwise.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it?” he roared. “You’re just going to say okay? After I tell you I’m the worst type of human being on the planet?”

I shrugged. “What do you want me to say? That it hurts? Because it does. That it sucks? It really does. That I understand? Well, I don’t, not even a little bit, because if the positions were reversed I’d spend every waking moment tracking you down and when I found you, regardless of what was in the past, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to make it better. That’s love… that’s friendship. What you did was self-serving, and I can’t love that person, the person you are now? I can’t love him — because the Axton I used to know was the most selfless person in existence.”

“Ames.” His voice hitched, like he was on the verge of tears. “I wish you could see how sorry I am.”

I smiled sadly. “I wish I could too.”

A valet chose that awful moment to walk up to the door and knock. Cursing, Ax opened the door and gave him the keys. “Try not to scratch it.”

I got out of the car and waited.

The valet’s eyes bugged open. “Um, sir… you can’t… I mean…” He shook his head. “You can’t take prostitutes into the hotel.”

Ax froze. His face going from someone I recognized to a complete stranger as he slowly turned around and grabbed the guy by the throat. With a heave he shoved him back towards the cement pillar and then punched him in the stomach. “She’s not a prostitute, you bastard.”

“My mistake.” The guy doubled over, his breaths coming out in short gasps. “Apologies, I’m so sorry—”

“Sorry?” Ax repeated then punched him in the stomach again. “Don’t apologize to me, asshole, apologize to her.”

He lifted the guy up by his shirt and dragged him over to me.

Shocked, I could only stare as the guy trembled in Ax’s grip. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry for my error, please forgive me.” Ax squeezed the guy’s neck. “It was a horrible, mistake.” His voice came out hoarse as Ax continued putting pressure on his windpipe.

Ax nodded to me.

“It’s um, it’s fine.” I said in a cheerful voice so the guy didn’t report us to the cops or anything. It wasn’t like we were in Chicago; they would call the cops here. Then again maybe the Abandonatos were famous everywhere, it wasn’t like I really kept track of mafia dealings.

“Remember,” Ax whispered to the guy. “No scratches.”

The guy collapsed onto the pavement clutching his stomach as Ax ushered me inside the huge building. It was the most expensive hotel in town — I only knew because I’d tried to get a job bartending only to find out that they only hired people who’d gone to actual bartending school. Yeah, I didn’t fit that profile at all.

“Wait here.” Ax motioned for me to sit on the couch while he went to the front desk and checked in.

Minutes later he returned with one of the hotel employees. Ax wrapped a possessive arm around my shoulder and led me to a dark hallway where a single elevator was located.

“Just let me know if you need anything else, Mr. Abandonato. The only guests who can use this key are ones staying on the penthouse level.” She handed him the key card, didn’t make eye contact with me at all, and walked off down the marble hallway.

Too busy gawking, I didn’t even notice the elevator had opened until I almost tripped as Ax pulled me inside. In a whoosh it took off, within seconds opening up on the top floor where only two doors were located.

Ax swiped the card again and opened one of the doors, stepping back so I could enter the room first.

It was huge.

Not just, oh wow, this is a big hotel room, but it was massive, like its own apartment. It had a full-sized kitchen with granite countertops on the right, a long hallway that led to what I’m guessing were multiple bedrooms, and a beautiful view of the river.

“Now—” Ax put the card on the table and reached for the phone— “We feed you.”