Gunner

I settle myself into the chair and open a can of beer as my dad drops into the brown leather couch beside Nikko. Axel and Hawk are leaning against the dining table. The smell of the garage is still lingering in my nostrils.

The hum of the fish tank mingles with the sound of our breaths then Axel clutches the backrest of the chair. The air thickens.

I’ve always liked visiting Uncle Axel’s place.

Our families are occupying the houses in two opposite corners of the village. This is a village of nice old people. They’re completely unaware that born criminals are living among them.

Dad has his grocery shop and Axel has his garage. They’re running their businesses for fun rather than for income. We have money. A lot of money deposited in our bank accounts. That money had been laundered for years to serve its purpose before we all had to vanish, so we don’t behave like spoiled brats. We’re careful. We’re lurking in the shadows. We’re waiting for the chance to rise again.

Like I said, I’ve always liked Axel’s house. Today, I’ll probably change my mind about it.

“Like some fucking funeral meal,” Axel says, breaking the silence.

My dad guffaws and downs his beer with three gulps.

“You’d better tell me what is going on, Gunner Senior,” Axel says.

“They took Carrie,” Dad says and nods.

“Is that all?” Axel growls.

“My Carrie is not my prisoner,” Dad says. “She wanted to go, so she went.”

Nikko lowers his head to hide his grin.

“You.” Axel juts his chin towards Nikko. “You’re gonna take care of the papers.”

“Aye, sir,” Nikko says and salutes Axel.

“Hawk’s gonna deal with the customers,” Axel continues and looks at my dad who nods and salutes him. “You.” He thrusts his chin forward as his eyes bore through me.

Fucking hell. He is a hitman again.

He’s softened while being with Sive, but there is a killer inside of him. There will always be a killer inside of him.

“Get your ass on your bike, Gunner Junior,” Axel says. “We’re going for a long ride.”

He will smash my face. Maybe he will even break my arm. He knows. I know he knows. Not that it scares me, or something. It doesn’t. That’s something I should accept like a man. He’s Sol’s father, after all. If I have a daughter one day, I’ll be the same. I’ll smash every man do they dare look at her. Natural.

I salute him and one corner of his mouth quirks up as the scars on his face waver.

I shake hands with my dad, Nikko and Hawk and leave the house with Axel following me closely.

“We’re going to check out Jax and Athena, first,” Axel says.

So this is what it’s all about.

His little wife has slipped out his dictatorship. His daughter has done the same.

Axel is fifty-three. Sive is forty-two, but looks twenty. Even though her one iris is damaged, men devour her with their eyes. Axel is very possessive about her. He’s very possessive about Sol too.

I don’t blame him though.

I’d be deliriously happy if Sol agreed to be my wife. And I’d keep her only for myself. Maybe I’d even lock her up in my bedroom, naked and tied to my bed.

We jump on our bikes and rev up the engines. With a deafening roar, we shoot forward.

I like riding with Axel. He’s one of the best bikers I’ve ever challenged. It’s always about racing and winning when we are on our bikes together.

I feel the familiar spike of adrenaline rushing through my veins as the wind smacks my face and I lean forward.

Axel swerves around two lorries, and I lose sight of him. Fuck. I’m clumsy today.

I catch up with him by the nearest motorway exit.

Five hours later, we park our bikes on the lower deck of a ferry and climb the stairs to pour out onto the upper deck. Axel moves towards a green table with two benches. We take our seats and watch the grey sea waves clashing and producing foam. Ash clouds hang low above our heads like they’ll fall upon us at any moment.

“You know, Gunner Junior,” Axel starts.

It will be serious. Fucking hell. He will inform me that he’s going to knock my teeth out.

“You know, Gunner Junior, you sometimes need to show your women that you care.”

I exhale with relief.

“I’m a fucking hard case,” Axel says. “But my little mermaid is a smart girl, you know. A really smart one. Sol on the other hand…” He scratches his head. “Sol is a bit like my grandmother was. She needs to learn to be brave again.” He looks at me as his jaw muscles twitch. “Shay was a fucking good kid. We all loved him.” His voice has a crack, and he clears his throat.

My heart feels like an icicle has pierced it. “He was a good brother.”

“He was like our club’s conscience. Zane once was like him.”

I nod several times. We’re sitting in silence until the ferry reaches the shore. Then we jump on our bikes and ride for three hours, finally checking-in to a nice motel.

As the sky turns dark grey and the sun dies on the horizon, we enter the bar across the road to have a few drinks before going to bed.

The people sitting inside stare at us with suspicion as we settle ourselves on the bar stools and order beer. Then the women sitting at the table across the bar start shooting us curious glances. They look thirty. Very attractive thirty.

Two of them rise to their feet and saunter towards us, their hips swaying gracefully. Their tits bounce with every step, pleading for attention.

“You two look like you need company,” the blonde says and leans towards Axel, sinking her fingers into his hair. “Buy me a drink, you big scary biker.”

The brunette throws her arm around my back. Her scent hits me with the hints of vanilla and jasmine and annoys me so much that I want to twist her neck. I’m not in the mood.

Axel sends a beguiling smile to the blonde and whispers something into her ear. She beams and giggles, nuzzling her nose against his temple. Axel whispers something else to her. Her jaw drops and her face turns corpse-white.

She backs up like hot water has scalded her, bouncing off a man. She spins and darts to the restroom.

“You the same,” I say to the brunette whose wide eyes slide over Axel.

The woman walks off.

“What did you tell her, Uncle?” I ask.

“None of your fucking business,” Axel says and tips his glass to his lips, taking a small sip. “It worked. It always works.” He downs his beer in three gulps and lays his hand on my shoulder. “You know, Gunner Junior, when you meet the right woman you don’t fuck it up. I fucked up once with Sive.”

I know. Her one eye is blind because of his one unfortunate decision.

“I will never fuck up again,” Axel says. He pats my shoulder and nods several times. “Sol needs someone who knows how to handle her. Shay was way too soft with her.” He raises his glass of beer towards the bartender and she hurries to refill it. “Drink. We’re getting drunk tonight.”

I feel my throat tighten and the memories of all Dimitri’s monologues on how to get drunk without losing control flash through my head. My grandpa Dimitri is Alekseev Bratva. He taught me a few useful tricks. I’m going to use them now not to spill the beans about Sol and me.

We get drunk. Sort of. Axel gets drunk. My alcohol ends up mostly on the floor. Around midnight, we tumble out of the bar and sleep on the scratchy carpet of our motel room. Late in the morning, we get up, have breakfast and aim for Greece.

As we enter Jax’s house twelve hours later, Athena hugs me for fifteen minutes. She is not my relative by blood and her soft curves have always made my dick twitch in my pants, but not this time. She’s only an auntie to me today.

Aphrodite hides behind Jax at the sight of me. I don’t know why she’s so scared of me. She’s always been.

Her green eyes blink a few times and she sends me the ghost of a smile. She has Jax’s eyes, but Athena’s dark curly hair.

“Where is Takis?” I ask.

“On a school trip,” Athena says.

Jax slaps me on the back, tossing back his long blond hair. “What’s going on? You two look like two pieces of shit.”

Axel looks at Athena. “Where are they?”

Athena’s face turns red. “I don’t know.”

“Yeah really,” Axel says. “There is a hot line between your house and mine. You know everything. Talk to me.”

Jax chuckles and runs his fingers through his hair then smirks at Athena. “You said you were going on a vacation, right, baby?”

“Is this like some fucking gathering of witches?” Axel mutters.

“Yes,” Athena says and inhales deeply. She cups the side of my face with her hand. “Are you hungry, sweetie?”

Right. I’m still a kid to her. If she only knew, I wanted to drive my cock into her mouth and gag her when I was sixteen.

Jax drops his head and laughs. Aphrodite laughs, but one warning glance from me makes her retreat towards the kitchen.

“I’d like to eat your moussaka, Auntie,” I say. “If it’s not a problem for you to cook it for me. I’ll help.”

“It’s in the oven, lucky boy,” she says. Her eyes sweep over Axel and me. “Let’s celebrate your visit then.”

Axel grunts as she leads us to the living-dining room where we spread out and drop into the green corner couch and matching armchairs. The walls are snow white and form a perfect background for the antique furniture made of mahogany.

After a few minutes of chatting about nothing, Athena serves her delicious moussaka and we focus on eating. For a moment, only the sound of the forks scratching against the plates travels in the air then Axel wipes his mouth with a paper napkin and tries to kill Athena with his glance.

“Talk to me, woman,” Axel says.

“I don’t know anything,” Athena says as her face turns dark red.

“Did she tell you anything, Jax?” Axel turns his face to Jax.

“Nope,” Jax says. “She’s been very mysterious for two days.”

“The witches’ coven,” Axel mutters and glances at Aphrodite. “You too?”

“No, Uncle,” Aphrodite says and stirs like a bird in the rain. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s too dangerous.” She sucks in a breath, drops her head and rises to her feet to collect the dirty plates.

“Are you going to visit Daisy?” Jax asks, turning his face to Athena, and he scratches his head.

“Of course,” Axel says and spreads his hands.

Athena freezes with her palms on the table then takes a deep breath. “Leave it Axel. Sol needs it. We’ll take care of her.”

“Who will take care of you all?” Axel snaps.

“Mike,” Athena says.

“You can’t go on your own,” Jax says.

“Jax,” Athena says and flashes him a naughty smile. “I work for a Russian Mafioso, remember? I’m a big girl.” She turns her face to Axel. “Your girls will be safe, I promise.”

I guess, Axel has never gotten over what happened to Sive. I don’t blame him. I will never get over what happened to Sol.

“When exactly are you going?” Axel asks.

“In four hours,” Athena says.

“Tell them…” Axel’s voice falters.

“I will,” Athena says.

Axel nods. “And remember each time you have to use a different ID.”

Jax chuckles as Athena frowns.

“I know,” she says.

“Avoid the cameras at all costs,” Axel continues like he’s giving orders to a prospect.

“I know,” Athena growls.

Axel flashes a beguiling smile to her.

She tidies up the table and brings dessert then we say our goodbyes and she leaves the house. Jax watches her through the window as she gets in the taxi then he puts a bottle of vodka on the table and grabs a guitar from the wall.

“You,” he says to Aphrodite. “Your job for tonight.” He passes the guitar on to her. “Entertain us.”

Aphrodite rolls her eyes but holds the guitar and settles herself into the armchair. I like it when she’s singing. She has a four-octave voice and loves rock music like Jax. Jax used to sing when he was younger and far away from the Shadow Wolves. I really like him—he’s the coolest guy in our family, different to the other club members. Shay was a bit like Jax.

We drink, talk about the club and listen to Aphrodite’s songs.

I visit the bathroom then enter the kitchen to grab some apples from a wicker basket. My eyes travel to Aphrodite standing by the cupboard. She wipes the tears flowing from her eyes away with the back of her hand.

“Are you crying?” I ask.

“No,” she shrieks.

Jax’s and Axel’s laughter and rumbling drift in the air from the living room.

I grab four shiny green apples. “Why didn’t you go with the rest of the witches?”

“I’m going to see a talent agent on Friday next week.”

“That’s great. Are you going to give concerts or something?”

“No, I’m going to tell her that I’m not going to accept her offer.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” She stares at me like I’m an idiot. “The whole Voronin Bratva want to kill us. That’s why. I can’t give any concerts because their hitman might spot me on TV or something. We’re criminals and other criminals are hunting us. God, how I hate this family.”

“You’d better shut up and stop talking this bullshit. This family cares for you.”

“I hate this life. We have to change our identity every two years. We have to live in some holes all the time. I have no friends, except my cousins.”

“You’re alive.”

Aphrodite growls and raises her hands, palms facing the ceiling. “Still. Others were not that lucky. Mac…” She sniffles. “I have nightmares, you know, about my mama shooting that assassin dead.”

“He wanted to shoot you dead, Tete.”

She shivers. “My mama has nightmares too.”

“We all have nightmares sometimes.”

The Voronin Bratva once came to kill us all, but we smashed them. Many years after that attack, they came again in a greater number and we had to flee. I killed for the first time then.

Only do the Shadow Wolves truly exist when we gather in the Spanish Pyrenees, once, twice a year. We can wear our cuts there. Our real cuts with the inscription ‘Shadow Wolves MC’. We can have a proper church then. We are the Shadow Wolves for a few days, but as soon as we’re back home, we’re hunted prey again.

Jax enters the kitchen. “You two okay?”

“Gunner called me a shithead again,” Aphrodite says.

“Grow up, you two, at last,” Jax says and shakes his head. He opens the fridge and takes two bowls filled with Athena’s salads out of it. “That’s why she was so busy cooking,” he mutters. “Come on kids, we’re watching a movie tonight.” He nudges Aphrodite’s chest with his elbow. “You can choose it, you little flea.”

“Dad!” Her face turns red. “Don’t call me a flea.”

I take one bowl from his hand and we move to the living room. It’s nice. Well, the movie Aphrodite has chosen for us is rubbish, but we’re occupied with reminiscing about the past anyway.

It’s really nice until I look over my shoulder and my glance meets Aphrodite’s. The little flea looks like some maggots are eating her insides.

She’s plotting something. I just fucking know that.