Sweet Hope

“Oh God, Al…” Lexi whimpered beside me, burying her face in my side.

I looked up at the clear night sky. The stars shone brightly but I closed my eyes. I thanked God that tonight had actually happened. I looked down at the three Carillo boys, shrouded in pain, but finally... together.

Then I heard the sweetest sound of all…

“I… I love you, too, Axe… I forgive you,” Levi said quietly as the brothers’ sobs turned to soft cries, “I’ve missed you so damn much… nothing was ever right with you gone…”

Sniffing, Axel raised his head. Holding the back of Levi’s head, he pressed a kiss on his younger brother’s forehead, then Austin’s. For the first time since I’d met Axel, he looked like he could breathe, as if his ton of burdens had been lifted from his soul.

Axel wrapped his arms around Levi, and Levi looked up with red-rimmed eyes. The adoration I saw in Levi’s stare almost brought me to my knees.

“I killed that King, Lev,” Axel admitted quietly. Levi’s gray eyes widened in shock.

“Wh-What?” he stuttered in a hushed voice.

“Was no way that sin was gonna be on you, so I killed him first. You can sleep soundly, fratellino. Your conscience is clear.”

My heart skipped a beat at the confession. It was always going to be the hardest thing for me to hear Axel say. I knew he’d killed, he’d told me so, but I had to confine it to the past, along with everything else.

“Axel…” Levi cried as he slumped forward. Austin wrapped his arm around Axel’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me? It’s haunted me for so long.”

Pain flashed across Axel’s face. “I… I didn’t know you… didn’t know you felt that way… I was… shit, Lev, I fucked up so bad… I’m sorry... shit…”

Axel squeezed Levi tighter, Levi looking up at Axel like he was a miracle, his savior.

“Lev?” Axel said. “We good now, kid?”

I could see the desperate hope in Axel’s gaze. Sighing, Levi nodded his head. He rose to his knees and pulled Axel tightly to his chest.

Blowing quietly and steadily out of my mouth, I tried to relax. I squeezed Lexi’s tiny hand. She looked up at me, wearing the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face and whispered, “I don’t care what anyone says about you two being together. You’ve saved Axel…” she pressed a kiss to the back of my hand and continued, “you’ve saved all three of them.”

I fought to swallow down my emotion, but I couldn’t. I was just so happy that Levi had come around, so happy for Axel that he’d got his baby brother back. Austin got to his feet, pulling Levi up too. Looking down, Levi held out his hand to Axel. With a big smile, Axel took it and stood up, ruffling Lev’s hair.

Levi couldn’t take his eyes off Axel. Looking at the three Carillo brothers in front of me, I pictured them as kids, Levi and Austin seeing Axel as their hero. Axel taking on the world to make sure they were safe.

Levi’s face dropped, then he said, “Sorry for hitting you, Axe.”

Axel, like he’s just remembered his bust lip and bruising jaw, pressed his hand to his mouth, wiping away the blood. He huffed a laugh. “Don’t sweat it, kid. I’ve had worse.” His eyes met mine then. Only I knew what he’d suffered.

“So,” Lexi said, stepping forward, “Shall we all go out for dinner?”

All three of the Carillo’s, all tall and intimidating in size looked at my little friend. Austin’s eyes showed all the love he had for his wife in his stare, and they all started to laugh.

“Yeah, Pix,” Austin said, flicking his head to the side, urging her to go to him. Lexi laughed and ran into Austin’s open arms, but not before she made time to pull Levi in for a tight hug... Nervously, she walked to Axel and, placing her hands on each of his cheeks, she pulled his head down to kiss him on the forehead.

Axel smiled in surprise. Lexi smiled back, so wide it was infectious.

Still looking shell shocked, Axel held out his hand, looked at me. I brushed past his hand to wrap my arms tightly around his waist. Axel sighed at my touch and kissed my hair.

Fifty minutes later, we were all sitting in a restaurant, the Carillo brothers breaking bread for the first time in years.

Everything seemed to be going right… at last.

Chapter Nineteen

Axel

As I sat at the dinner table with Levi, Lexi, Austin, and Ally by my side, I struggled to believe this was all true. I knew we had a ways to go, but we were all here, trying; trying to piece what was left of this family back together.