Axel: Chapter 8

Entering the kitchen to get myself some breakfast, I find Bubbles and Brandy already in here. That is unusual, as they rarely appear until lunchtime. I don’t speak to them, but I keep myself alert because I don’t trust these two as far as I can throw them.

Snickering is how they are going to play this. Well, they can both get on with it. I have my blades sheathed, and after the incident in my room, I won’t think twice about using them.

Checking, I see we have no cereals left and, to my disgust, no bread. Opening the pantry, I find the fixings for pancakes. Taking them out, I set about making enough for some the guys arriving anytime.

I make sure I stay alert about where these two bitches are, but ignore all the whispering and sniggers that I can hear.

Piling up a serving dish with pancakes, I keep popping it into the oven to make sure they stay warm, and then I hear, ‘Morning Mia,’ and turning I see Hammer sitting down at the large table that runs the length of the room, placed to the side, so it doesn’t impede anyone working in the kitchen.

‘Morning, Hams. Do you want some pancakes?’

‘Fuck yeah, I want some,’ he states, then comes over to me with a plate in his hand. I grin up at him. ‘You can take the plate out of the oven to the table, Hams, then anyone that comes in can have what they want. I’ll make some more, well, until the mix has been used, anyway.’ and I smile up at him again when he bends down and kisses my temple.

Bubbles and Brandy grab themselves a plate, and I walk over and take them out of their hands. ‘No, you’re not having any. You were in here when I came in. Both of you could have done this, but you’re so selfish you just stood sniggering and thinking you’ll have what I’m making.’

Brandy leans forward into my face. ‘Fuck you. If we want them, we’ll have them, and you’re not going to stop us.’

‘Is that so?’ I respond. I hold my hand up to Hammer, who was in the process of standing from the table. I take out my blade, and before she can say more, I hold it against her throat, grab a handful of her hair in the other hand to keep her still, ‘So you’re going to stop me, is that what you’re saying? You and your skank friend with the fake tits and overused pussy, is that right?’

Hearing chuckling, I turn my head slightly and see Buzz, Drag, and Beer standing just inside the kitchen, shaking their heads in amusement.

Axel walks in behind them. ‘What the fuck is going on here?’

Hammer keeps eating, and with a mouthful of pancake he states with a chuckle, ‘Well skank one,’ pointing at Bubbles, ‘And skank two,’ pointing at Brandy, ‘Thought they would help themselves to what Mia cooked, pancakes, excellent pancakes I may add, but, they’ve been standing around doing fuck all before Mia even came in. So you tell me, Pres, as the President’s ol’ lady, does she have to feed the whores of the club?’

Axel stares at the two as he walks over to me, takes my wrist, and guides my hand away from Brandy’s throat, ‘Now Mia, I’ll have some pancakes if you’ll make me some babe?’ kissing me on the forehead.

I let go of Brandy’s hair but give her an evil look before I step away, wash my hands, and go back to the stove. Turning, I sweetly say, ‘Anyone else for pancakes?’

Drag bursts out laughing at my innocent look, and Buzz walks over and wraps his arm around my shoulders, kissing my temple and murmuring, ‘Yes, please, babe.’ He turns, walks over to Axel, grabs the scruff of the neck of the two bitches from hell as I’m referring to them in my head, and frogmarches them out.

Axel walks out behind him, leaving me humming and cooking pancakes, Drag, Beer and Hammer eating, and more brothers wandering in as the smell hits them. That is how I spend the next hour cooking pancake after pancake to feed the hungry horde.

Buzz and Axel return, grab their plates, and hit the plate of pancakes. I cannot help but grin to myself because it’s really like feeding a bunch of kids.

When everyone’s finished, I pile plates into the dishwasher and set it going, then head back to my room. I have a quick shower and dress. Opening my laptop, I check everything I need to reprint for Hammer. Thankfully, Specs linked my laptop to his printer, so I just have to click and collect it from his office.

Over an hour later, I’m done and closing my laptop and head down to speak to Specs. As I get to his office, I hear someone is with him, so I walk away and wait in the commons room for a few minutes.

Abbie walks over and smiles. ‘Those two are on toilet duty,’ she laughs out loud. ‘You should see them, Mia. They’re moaning about having to clean the toilets, sinks, and showers. I can’t help but laugh as they always leave that for Candy and me to do, serves them right.’

I smirk at her, shaking my head. ‘They are a pair of assholes, for sure. I don’t know why they are even here because surely they cannot be good to sleep with?’ I state with a grimace on my face.

Beer laughs behind the bar, which is just behind us, ‘No sleeping goes on with those two Mia, more like just knee work on their part.’ Understanding dawns on what he’s saying, and I laugh, then shake my head.

‘I’m going to check if Specs is busy, as I need to grab all the stuff I printed out. I’ll catch you later, Abbie.’

The door is closed to Specs’s office, so I knock and wait, ‘Come in.’ Entering, I smile, ‘Can I get all the stuff I printed out Specs, please?’

‘Have at it, Mia,’ he says and turns back to whatever he’s doing. I pick up all the paper in the printer tray and walk to the door, ‘Thanks, Specs.’ He grunts in response, which has me smiling.

Back in the commons, I don’t see Hammer anywhere, but I didn’t think I would as it’s nearly lunchtime, and he’d told me he was going to see someone at city hall about the shop and any licenses we may need in the clubs’ name.

Walking back to the offices, I knock on Axel’s door. He shouts, ‘Enter.’ Opening the door and walking in, I notice he has Silver with him.

‘Hi, Silver,’ I say, smiling. I like him. He has always been welcoming since the first time they brought me here. ‘You’re starting at the club tonight, and I’ll be with you all night. Make sure you know how everything works before you’re left on your own. You okay with that?’ Silver states.

‘For sure, I’m looking forward to it. I’m not one for sitting around, so it’ll be good to be busy three nights a week.’ I tell him, then sit in the seat next to him, looking over at Axel.

‘What did you need, babe?’ Axel asks with a quirked eyebrow.

‘Oh, shit, I nearly forgot what I came in for,’ and I giggle at how silly I must look, ‘I wonder if Hammer is going to be around because I have all the estimates, etc., printed off again.’ I lean forward and pass the information to Axel. ‘I don’t want them left lying around in case something gets to them again.

‘I also wanted to know if you’d have time after lunch for me to fill you in on the information you asked me for last night. It could take a while, as I’m sure you’ll have questions to ask too.’

‘After lunch, we’ll sit in here and discuss everything. Would you mind if a couple of the brothers sat in with us?’

‘No, that’s okay, Axel, I don’t mind. I’m sure you’ll discuss it all with everyone in Church anyway, so no point being bothered about it.’ I respond, then stand, smile at them both, and leave the office.

Walking into the kitchen, Abbie is making a pot of coffee, so I hand her a cup to let her know I want one, smiling at her. ‘I would love one, Abbie. Do we have a pad and pen in here so I can write a grocery order down? We have to get something going in here because all these takeouts are not good for anyone, and it’s putting weight on my hips.’

Abbie bursts out laughing, ‘Weight on your hips, fuck me, Mia, you’re hardly carrying extra weight.’ She opens a drawer and hands me a pad and pen.

‘Well, I’m going to see about lessons on how to fight. I’m sick of all the shit that keeps happening to me. I don’t want to pull my blades every time, either. I was going to ask Target, but I think he’s going to be busy, so it looks like I’m going to have to hit up Buzz.’

‘Hit up Buzz for what?’ Axel says as he enters the kitchen, crossing his arms over his chest and looking pretty kick-ass.

‘To teach me to fight,’ I respond, then walk up and wrap my arms around him, which has the desired effect, and he wraps his arms around me in return.

‘Why do you want to fight?’

‘Well, I’m sick of people that keep doing what the two skanks did this morning. I know I can use my blades, but I don’t want to pull them every time. I want to be able to just stand up for myself.’

‘Okay, I’ll do you a deal. You can ask Buzz, but only after you can run five miles without stopping. That way, we know your stamina is high enough. You cannot run on your own. I’ll find you a running partner.’ Axel looks down at me with an expression I’ve not seen before.

‘Deal,’ I state, then turn to Abbie. ‘My hips will be okay now, girl.’ which has her howling with laughter as I turn my back and leave the kitchen.

Sitting at a dining table, I write out a list of groceries that I know we’ll need, and I add items for the laundry room. This is one hell of a list, and I’m not sure who will have to fetch it, but I’ll take it to TwoCents as he is the money man in the club.

Walking over to TwoCents’ office, the door is open, and he is working on some sort of ledger. I cough lightly to let him know I’m standing in his doorway. Looking up, he smiles and waves me in. ‘What can I do for you, Mia?’

‘I’ve got a grocery list that I need to give to you for someone to go get. I would go, but I don’t have time as Axel wants to speak to me after lunch, and then I’m doing my first shift at the club tonight.’

‘Okay, hand it over, and I’ll make sure Brad gets it all. I usually send him, so he knows how it all works.’

Nodding, I head up to my room, change into my joggers and running shoes, then quickly make my way out the front door. I walk over to the gatehouse and see Petey is on gate duty.

‘Petey, I’m going to run the inside perimeter of the compound. Do you know how far it is?’

‘Well, I think it has to be about ten miles, but if you turn at the fallen tree and follow it around, you’ll see a track, and it’ll bring you back to the front here. That’s about two miles. I run that, so know that. I tend to just do that two miles over and over, depending on how much time I’ve got.’ Petey informs me.

‘Thanks, Petey, and I need a running partner, so Axel tells me, so I’m going to tell him you can, would you mind?’

‘No, I’ll run with you. It gets pretty boring on your own. I do some yoga if you’re ever interested?’

‘Oh wow, yes, too, right I’ll be interested. I’ll catch up and organize it with you later.’ Smiling at him and walking quickly as a warm-up before jogging.

Running the perimeter isn’t bad, the track is good, and it’s such a long time since I ran that I’m enjoying it. I know I’ve got to go through all the shit of my life, and this will help me center myself before I have to do that.