On Her Daddy's Bed (Adeline and Luciano) novel Chapter 72

Author’s Pov.

Axel slipped the phone into his pocket the moment the call ended. The anger was still bubbling in his chest, but it couldn’t compare to the ache that formed when he realized how close Alexia was to being lost.

“Alexia is in trouble,” he growled, his voice thick with fury. “I’m certain that devil incarnate is planning to kill my sister.” He turned to Alex, his eyes burning with urgency.

“What did she say?” Alex stepped forward, his expression serious and focused.

“She could barely say much,” Axel replied, his jaw tight. “She only mentioned that he wants to kill her. We have to be alert. Get the men together. I’m not going to spare him.”

Alex didn’t hesitate. He immediately pulled out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen to carry out Axel’s commands.

Hazel, who had been standing nearby, took a step closer to Axel, her heart racing. Despite the panic swelling in her chest, she could see that Axel was trying to remain composed. She didn’t want anything to happen to Axel, but at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the sickening worry that Tracy might not be safe.

“I feel so worried, Daddy,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. She pouted, biting her lip, but Axel gently cupped her face, trying to reassure her.

“Do not worry, momma,” he said softly, his thumb brushing her cheek. “Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to go over there and bring her back safe and sound.”

Hazel nodded, though the knot of fear in her stomach remained. She tried to push it down, trying to trust Axel’s words, but the reality of the situation kept gnawing at her.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to get her, Tracy is smart,” Hazel said, though her voice faltered. “Just… don’t try calling her number, please. Track it down instead.”

Axel nodded, his expression darkening with determination. He looked down at her, his hands gripping hers tightly. Then, he placed a gentle kiss on her hand, before cupping her face with his other hand. His eyes held so many emotions, a mixture of love, fear, and frustration. For the first time in a long while, he found himself facing the reality of leaving his family behind to go on a dangerous mission.

“Please don’t leave the house, okay?” Axel’s voice cracked just slightly, and his face was etched with worry. “I’ll be back soon. Soon to get you.”

Hazel smiled softly, trying to ease his worries. “You don’t have to worry about me, Axel. The guards are here, and everything will be fine.”

But even as she said the words, Axel didn’t seem reassured. His thoughts kept circling back to the fear that something could happen to her. He hated that he had to leave her behind, but the mission had to come first. Still, the thought of not being able to protect her gnawed at him.

“I’ll be back soon, momma,” Axel said, pulling her into a tight hug. He held her there for a few minutes, trying to anchor himself in the moment before he had to let her go. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before stepping back, his eyes dark with unspoken emotions.

“I’m leaving Hazel under your care,” he said, addressing the men in the room. “No one is to leave their post. If you have to die, die protecting her. Because if anything happens to her, I will personally make sure you all wish you had never been born.” His voice was low and commanding, filled with a power that made everyone shiver. Even Hazel couldn’t ignore the fear that swept through her. What was Axel truly capable of?

“Yes, my lord,” they all responded in unison, their voices filled with the respect and fear they held for him.

Hazel watched him, her heart sinking as she saw the tension in his eyes. He wasn’t just a man—they feared him, and part of her feared what he might do if he truly let go. But she had to trust that he would return.

Axel took one last step closer to her, his lips brushing against her forehead in a soft, lingering kiss.

“I’ll be right back, momma. Don’t go anywhere, okay? Stay in my room. You have everything you need there.”

“I know, Daddy,” Hazel said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Go now… time isn’t favoring us.”

Axel gave her one last smile, though it was strained, before pulling away. He turned to Alex, who gave Hazel a small, respectful bow before following Axel out the door.

As Axel and Alex moved toward the car, the tension in the air grew thick. Alex could barely contain his impatience. Seeing Axel clinging to Hazel like that, the urge to protect his own woman burning in his chest, made it hard to focus on anything else. His heart raced, his mind torn between keeping his emotions hidden and following Axel’s lead. But as they got into the car, he knew it was time to focus.

As the car sped down the road, Axel’s mind raced. The phone tracker was leading them somewhere far, somewhere that didn’t sit right in his gut. The drive felt endless, and their anxiety grew with each passing minute. For a moment, they thought the tracker had led them astray, but Axel kept pushing forward. He calculated the time—how long Alexia had been gone, how long it took her to reach her destination. Two and a half hours. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Finally, the car arrived at the gates of Mr. Austin’s house.

Axel stared at the towering building in front of him, his expression cold and filled with the promise of vengeance. He clenched his fists, his blood boiling with the need to make Mr. Austin pay. He was going to make that bastard suffer, the same way he had suffered all these years. He would make him wish he had never crossed Axel’s path. There was no escape for Mr. Austin. Not after everything he had done.

Axel’s voice was a low growl. “I’m going to kill that man. The same way he killed my father. I’ll cut his balls off and serve them to him raw. And I’ll burn him alive, just to hear him scream.”

***********

Axel had witnessed everything. He had watched as Mr. Austin tortured his mother, severing her fingers and serving them on a plate. The memory haunted him, drove him into the brutal world of the mafia. It was all because of this man, this twisted individual.

Mr. Austin watched Alexia, his twisted smile growing as she resembled her mother in that moment—the same look of fear and helplessness that had once excited him.

“I’ve seen this look before,” he sneered. “Your mother wore it too, right before I fucked her in front of your father. Made her moan my name as he watched.”

Alexia’s stomach churned as the reality of his words hit her. “You did all this?” she asked shakily, her voice full of disbelief.

Mr. Austin grinned darkly. “I served your father a nice view for taking everything from me—the woman I always wanted, the life I always wanted. He stole it all from me.”

“He never stole from you,” Alexia defended weakly, tears streaming down her face. Even though she hadn’t lived through the past, she knew her parents would never have done such a thing.

“Why was he always ahead of me?” Mr. Austin hissed, his teeth gritted in frustration. “Why was he always getting the better things in life?”

Alexia’s heart ached for him, for the twisted path he had chosen. “It was always luck,” she muttered, trying to hold on to her composure. “Maybe it wasn’t your time.”

Mr. Austin let out a bitter laugh. “And guess what? That ‘luck’ got him killed. It got him dead before me, and now it’s my turn. My turn to shine, to take everything he had, including his precious little daughter.”

Alexia’s heart shattered. The man who had once been like a father to her, the one who had shown her love and care, was now revealing himself to be a monster. It was too much to bear.

He pulled away, his words dripping with malice. “Untie her,” he ordered the guards. “Fuck her like the slave she is.”

Alexia’s world crumbled around her. Her hands shook as she looked at him, tears blurring her vision. The love she had once held for him now felt like a distant memory, replaced by nothing but bitter betrayal.

All her life, she had loved him as a father. She had believed he was the one person who cared for her, who protected her. But now, as she sat bound and broken before him, she realized the truth. Loyalty could be swept away in an instant, and the person you trusted most could be your greatest enemy.

With a heart full of sorrow and pain, she wished, more than ever, for a different life. A life where she could truly love Axel as her brother, where her family could have stayed together—united in peace, even if it meant living as a lowborn. But now, all she could feel was the weight of despair. Heaven seemed like her only escape.