“You found the location?” Max asked on the call as Axel walked out building.
“Yeah, according to this map, it is way across the city. It’s really far. It is about an hour’s drive.” Axel replied as he got into his car and ignited it.
“These dudes are crazy.” Max replied.
“How about Nora? Are you checking up on her?” Axel asked.
“Yeah. They should be in New York soon.” Max replied. Earlier in the day, Nora got on a flight back to New York with one of Axel’s men that travelled down to Paris for them.
Lily was the only reason why they were still in Paris, Axel couldn’t wait to save her and get out of the city.
“Where are you now?” Max asked.
“I am heading to the address. Lily would be auctioned tonight.” Axel replied as he drove faster.
After over an hour on the road, Axel arrived at the location, outside of the building looked quiet like there weren’t any activities going on in there.
Axel made his way in and noticed there were armed men around, he kept avoiding them and checking different rooms. Suddenly he saw two armed men holding Lily and he walked behind them, they took her into a room and shut the door behind them.
Axel walked into another room next to the room and he realised he was in the auction room, he could see Lily in the middle of the room, she looked drugged as she couldn’t stand properly.
Axel also noticed he was next to one of the buyers and the bid on Lily was high. Since it was well organised, no one could see him or pay attention to him.
Different buyers were interested in Lily, except the one next to Axel.
Axel pulled out the gun and pointed it at the man’s head, the man froze in fear.
“Buy her.” Axel ordered the man and out of fear, the man pushed a button.
“Sold.” A voice announced.
“Get the fuck up.” Axel ordered the man and he stood up in fear, Axel walked out with him and walked right into the hand of the guards. The man took to his heels as the guards started to fight with Axel.
Due to how weak Axel was, he got beaten a little but still, he overpowered them. He knocked them out and ran in the direction the man took.
It led to the exit of the building and when he got there, Lily was about to be put in a truck. Axel brought out his gun and shot the men holding her, due to how high she was, she didn’t realise what was going on.
Before Axel could get to her, the man who bought her held her and pointed a gun at her head.
“She is mine, I bought her with my money so she comes with me.” The man said. Axel realised he was scared even though he had a gun in his hand.
Axel shot him in the head and Lily screamed due to how loud it was, the man fell dead and Axel rushed to Lily.
“Oh my God, finally.” He said in relief and hugged her tightly.
“Axel.” She called weakly.
“Yes? Yes?” Axel asked and pulled away from the hug.
“I’m cold.” She said weakly and he hurriedly took off his jacket. She was dressed in a short and a bra. He hurriedly wrapped the jacket around her body.
“Come on, we have to get out of here.” Axel said and pulled her gently. They got to his car and he helped her in, he also got in and he drove away from the building.
Instead of heading back to the hotel, he headed straight to the airport. His private jet was already in Paris, waiting.
They got to the airport and he hurried out of the car. His men were also there, waiting.
They got into the plane and Axel sighed in relief.
Minutes later, the plane took off and he glanced at Lily, she was asleep already. She held onto his arm tightly like her life depended on it. Her head was on his shoulder too.
He had never felt so relieved to see someone before, he couldn’t believe he actually found her and Nora.
He would never let Lily out of his sight again, where ever she was going, he would go with her. Never would he let her be by herself, if she is heading somewhere and she isn’t available, he would send hundreds of guards to go with her.
He stared at her again and sighed in relief again.
His wife is back to him, his Lily is back.
************
NEW YORK CITY
Axel stared at Lily as she slept peacefully, they were at the hospital. Lily was getting treated.
Immediately they landed in New York City, they headed straight to the hospital. There were too much drugs in her system and it could affect her a lot. Axel didn’t want anything to go wrong with her.
The door to the ward suddenly opened and Max walked in with Nora.
“Lily.” She called happily and in relief. Axel gave her a look to keep her voice down.
“Sorry.” Nora muttered and she took a seat on one of the chairs in the ward.
“How is she?” Max asked as he moved closer to the bed.
“Apart from the drugs in her system, she is okay.” Axel replied and Max nodded.
“Were you able to clear the mess in Paris?” Axel asked.
“I tried. I was able to clear a little. The cops in Paris might be searching for you though, you are the most wanted criminal there. Turns out you broke a lot of laws and caused a lot of damages.” Max said and Axel sighed.
“Woah.” Nora muttered and Axel glared at her.
“This was your fucking idea in the first place.” Axel said and Nora rolled her eyes.
“Oh please. How was I supposed to know we would get kidnapped by Albanian men?” She asked.
“Well, guess what? It is not everybody you meet you talk to. You don’t just make friends at the airport in a new country you visited.” Axel replied and Nora’s eyes widened.
“Caleb works for them?” She gasped and Max chuckled.
“Come on Nora. You were supposed to be smarter than that. It looked like something Lily would do. Who the fuck trusts a stranger?” Max asked.
“Well, Lily warned me about him. She told me I was too friendly with him.” Nora said and Axel rolled his eyes.
“‘My wife is never going anywhere with you again.” Axel said.
“The most important thing was that we found them.” Max said.
“Ugh, I haven’t slept in days.” Axel sighed and Nora moved closer to him.
“You are the best brother ever.” She said and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Get your hands off me.” Axel warned and she rolled her eyes before moving away from him.
“Thank you too, Max.” She said to him and he shrugged.
“Anytime.” He replied with a smile.
Lily suddenly moaned from her sleep and they all paid attention to her, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She sighed when she saw Axel and tears welled up in her eyes immediately.
“Same reaction from me when I woke up.” Nora said and Axel gave her a look.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Axel said and held her hand, she sniffed and exhaled heavily.
Max kept staring at her, he felt so bad for her too.
“It’s okay.” Axel muttered.
“Hey.” Nora called with a smile and moved closer to the bed, Lily felt relieved she saw Nora.
“Do you need me to kick Nora out?” Axel asked and Max chuckled.
“What?” Nora asked.
“No.” Lily chuckled and sniffed.
“Where were you taken to?” Nora asked.
“You can’t ask her questions like that now.” Max said to Nora.
“Oops, my bad.” She muttered.
“I was taken to different places before Axel found me. I kept being moved.” Lily replied and they all listened to her.
“It felt like a food chain. They all had different leaders, including the cops.” Lily explained.
“I can’t recall but I was sure I saw a familiar face.”
“Really? Who?” Max asked.
“I don’t know but it was someone I had seen different times. It was a man, he looked like he was in his early fifties. I think he attends every ball party.” Lily explained and Max and Axel exchanged looks.
“When the man saw me, he was surprised. Then he spoke the Albanian language to the other men and they all kept staring at me, that was why they were desperate to get me auctioned.” Lily explained.
“You guys keep exchanging looks, do you guys know something?” Nora asked Axel and Max.
“No, go on Lily.” Max said.
“That is all. That is all I can remember for now.” She replied and they sighed, Max turned to Nora.
“What about you Nora? What happened?” Max asked.
“I already told Axel all I could recall. I wasn’t really affected by the drugs at first but when it was too much, I got affected.” She said.
“Axel, why didn’t you know anyone among them? I thought you had connections in every country among gangsters.”
“Not in human trafficking. I don’t support that. No one even knows something like that was going on down there.” Axel said.
“Hey, Axel, can I have a quick chat with you privately?” Max asked and he nodded.
“I will be back.” He said to Lily and she nodded.
Axel walked out with Max.
“What’s up?” Axel asked.
“According to Lily’s story, they were a target. It wasn’t just a coincidence.”
“I know.”
“And there is more.”
“What?”
“We just started a war between us and the Albanians. They will hunt us down Axel, it might not be now, it might be in years but they will be back for revenge. They won’t stop until they see the last of us dead.”
“We will be waiting.”