General Jorge Escobar.
His companion grabbed Axis’ hair and yanked his head back. Axis swallowed his pain. The General examined him. His deep brown eyes dilated with recognition. He drew a broad sword from the scabbard, the kind one might find in a medieval castle.
Okay. This is it. My death. I hope it’s a good one.
“You dare, the son of the destroyer ofmyson, to invade my territory?” General Escobar paused. “You resembleher.”
Pigs squealed nearby.
He’s going to slice and dice me and feed me to the pigs.
General Escobar read Axis’ mind. “Sí, you will squeal like a pig. But I will mark you first.”
With quick strokes, General Escobar sliced Axis’ already shattered cheeks. Axis screamed. Blood poured in rivulets down his ruined face.
“Your mother stole my son. My firstborn. Now you are marked forever with his initials. J.E. Julio Escobar.”
Axis burst into hysterical laughter that infuriated General Escobar. He held the sword point against Axis’ vulnerable neck.
“What’s so fuckin’ funny?”
“You—” Axis gasped, struggling to control his gales of laughter. Tears leaked from his eyes and stung the raw, open lacerations on his face. “You disfigure me before you intend to kill me? Classic.”
General Escobar shoved the sword point deeper into Axis’ neck and drew blood, but he went on with his taunts. He had nothing to lose. Besides, it was likely that Axalia was dead. A feast for the General’s swine.
“You don’t know, do you? J and E are the initials of yourgranddaughter, my half-sister,Julia Escobar.”
The General’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.Julia Escobar. Named after her father. Your son. I have more information about her that will delight you, but I’m not saying another word until you give me proof that my sister is still alive.”
General Escobar didn’t move a muscle. “Your sister is being violated by my men. By now she’s a wreck. Torn apart inside and out. Ready for the pigs.”
Though his stomach clenched with rage, Axis merely shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s true, you’d better start digging graves. Axalia has probably killed or maimed a dozen or more who touched her. Even restrained, she’s lethal.”
General Escobar’s gaze narrowed in speculation, and he snapped his fingers. His lone soldier hurried out of the room to do the General’s bidding.
“I have ways to make you talk regardless of whether your sister is alive. And if what you say about her is true, you’ll both pay the price.”
Axis shrugged again. “We’re monsters, same as you. Look us up. Axis and Axalia Anderson. You believe we’re scared of you? This is child’s play to us.”
General Escobar guffawed with amusement. He pulled out a cell phone and began to type something, but the other man returned with Axalia in tow. He shoved her, and she stumbled and fell to the dirty cement floor. Her gaze met Axis’. It revealed nothing, yet a world passed between them. Axalia’s face was swollen and bruised. Her lips were split and a little blood stained them. At least her clothes were intact. Maybe that meant she hadn’t been sexually assaulted.
The man whispered something in General Escobar’s ear that caused his eyebrows to raise as he shot a dark look at Axalia. “So, you’re innocent. And my lieutenant, my own grandson, has placed you under his protection.” General Escobar rubbed hischin. “Who are you?Whatare you? Explain the dark spell you cast over him. Which god do you serve?”
“I don’t serve any god or man. I serve only my own desires. And right now I desire to give you what your son died to protect. Your precious granddaughter. Julia Escobar.”
“How do I know this isn’t an elaborate lie?”
Axalia grinned. “Tell the General what he wants so desperately to know, Axis.”
“You sent your nephew, Felipe, to get the baby and kill Julio and Lola, our mother, but it was too late. Julia had been left at a fire station and adopted by—” Axis paused for dramatic effect.
Axalia intoned a death knell and pounded the cement with her palms to enhance the suspense.
“U.S.A. Secretary of State Barbara Washburn, who’s now running forPresidente.”
Axalia cackled at the stunned expression on General Escobar’s face.
