Sweet Hope (Sweet Home #4)(9)

I turned to leave just as he stepped forward and whispered, “Axel?”

Austin’s voice was strained, laced with emotion. I froze and reluctantly looked over my shoulder.

“Kid,” I responded and watched as the shock on his now older face melted into the biggest f*cking smile I’d ever seen. Austin launched out of the door and threw his arms around my neck.

I’d never been squeezed so tight.

Austin’s trembling hand held the back of my head, crushing me against his body. “Fuck… I can’t… I can’t believe it’s you…” His voice was rough and my throat felt so tight I couldn’t speak. Patting Austin on the back, I expected him to pull away, but when I felt his back shaking too, I knew why he wasn’t. The kid was crying.

And it f*cking broke me.

“Fratello, look at me,” I said, fighting back my own tears. As always, my kid brother did as I asked—he always had.

Austin kept his eyes down as he faced me, his hands on my shoulders, but I could see the tears dripping from his eyes. Gripping the back of his head, I pulled him back into my chest, whispering, “I f*cking missed you, kid.”

“Lo giuri?” Austin asked shakily, his voice muffled by my shirt.

I huffed a single laugh. “Lo giuro.”

Drawing back, Austin looked me over, shaking his head in disbelief. “How… what… Axe, how the hell are you out? How come you’re here?”

“Good behavior, Aust.”

The pride that flashed over his unshaven cheeks almost undid me. Why he’d always had so much faith in my sorry ass was lost on me.

I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve him… none of it.

Austin flung his arm around my shoulder and said, “I always knew you could do it. Keep your head down and get straight.”

He began leading me into the house and pushed his hand over my long hair. “What the f*ck’s up with the long hair and beard? Never known you to have anything but a buzz cut.”

“Don’t know. Just never bothered to cut it.”

Austin stopped, and I could feel his hard stare. I eventually looked up and raised my eyebrow. “What?”

“I just hardly recognize you, that’s all. It’s like you’re another person. And…” His brown eyes bored into my left cheek, and I lifted my hand to where my Stidda, my tattooed black star, used to be, the mark that told everyone I was Heighter for life. “You covered it…”

I glanced away. “Yeah…” I replied, no more information needed.

“Why?” He pushed.

“Just did, kid.”

“To a crucifix?” he questioned, but I just shrugged. Austin was still staring, but I wasn’t going there.

“You got yours took off,” I stated proudly.

“It ain’t my life no more, Axe. It was ‘bout time to let all that shit go.” I nodded in understanding, and Austin took that as his cue to move us on into the house.

As we walked through the door, I could feel Austin keep looking at me as if he thought I’d disappear if he didn’t keep checking. His arm never left my shoulders.

Austin took my bag and placed it on the black marble floor. I took a look around and had to breathe through the unease I felt at being in such a place. I was used to the thin walls, tin roofs, and plastic windows of trailers, or stone floors and metal gates of cells, not f*cking mansions like I was standing in now… a mansion that my kid brother bought all off his own back, from his own talent. It was damn surreal.

Austin slapped me on my back, and I shook my head.

“What?” he asked as I gestured to the large hallway and the TV room that looked like a shittin’ movie theatre.

“You did good, kid.”

Austin’s eyes dipped. “I said I would. Said I’d have a house you could come and live in too, when you got out.”

That damn clogged throat was back again, and I knew Austin got that I couldn’t speak.

“Austin? Baby? Who was at the door?”

A female voice came drifting out from the right, down a hallway I saw led to the kitchen. Shortly after, a skinny, small black-haired chick appeared.

My stomach flipped. Shit. Lexi.

“Baby?” she called again, walking with her head down as she dried a glass with a dishtowel. Austin stiffened beside me. When Lexi looked up, she jumped, startled at what greeted her.

“Ax… Axel…?” she whispered. Her hands began to shake so much that the glass she was holding fell to the floor and shattered.

“Pix,” Austin said, and I could hear the worry in his voice. “Shit, Pix, you okay?”

Her huge green eyes went from mine to Austin’s as she nodded her head, but it wasn’t a damn second before they were back on me.

Austin stood before her and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. “Baby, look at me.”

She did.

“You okay?”

She slowly nodded her head, and Austin wrapped her in his arms as if he were keeping her safe. Safe from me. I knew she’d had problems. Fuck, I knew she’d nearly died. Lev had told me that much when he’d called me from the hospital five years ago and ripped me a new one for letting them all down.

My pulse slammed in my neck as I saw how much she feared me. She was f*cking terrified.