“You don’t ever have a boyfriend, and when you finally get one, you chose a fucking drug dealing ex-con?” Rome snapped. Anger started build in my blood as I heard Ally start to cry. My breath was growing faster and faster, and as Rome’s eyes met mine, I stepped forward. I was gonna kill this fucker for upsetting my woman.
Ally stepped forward putting her hands on my chest. “No, querido, stop.”
“Shit, Ally!” Rome exclaimed. I stepped forward just then Austin moved in front of me and faced his best friend.
“Quit it, Rome, now,” Austin ordered. Rome stopped dead and by the expression on his face, I could tell he couldn’t believe what my kid brother was doing… having my back… I almost couldn’t believe it either.
“Are you serious, eighty-three? After everything he did to you, to Lexi, to Lev, you’re gonna defend him being with my cousin? My cousin!”
Austin’s jaw worked and I felt like shit. I could see him hating the fact that he was hurting Rome, but I could also see how much he wanted to defend me. “Rome, I’m just as shocked as you at them being together, and honestly, I ain’t sure what to think of it right now. But Axel’s been doing real good. So just back the fuck off with all the hating for a damn second, yeah?”
“Back the fuck off?” Rome repeated through gritted teeth. “Back the fuck off? He’s trash. He’s always been trash. He always will be trash... and Ally?” Rome looked right at Ally and said, “He’ll make you trash too. You’ve already been lying for his ass to your family and best friends.”
And that right there broke me. Ally was anything but trash. And I knew the guy was in pain, his wife was sick, and he looked like shit. But nobody was calling Ally trash, cousin or not.
Leaping forward, I nearly got a good crack on Rome’s face but Austin managed to hold me back. JD was on Rome as he tried to rush at me. Just as he did the door to the waiting room flew open and the two guards, from before, walked in.
As soon as they saw me being restrained their eyes darkened. Ally rushed to me and put her palms on my face. “Axel, please, calm down,” she whispered. As I looked at her face, I could see she was more than upset, then I looked down at my hand still in a fist. I ripped my arms from Austin and wrapped them around Ally’s shoulders.
“Sir, we need you to leave,” the bigger of the two guards said to me. I could feel Ally crying into my chest. I nodded to the guy that I would go. Glancing back, I saw Austin with his hands behind his head, watching me… but I could also tell that even he didn’t approve of me with Ally. The one person who I thought had my back really fucking didn’t. When it came down to it, he still thought me unworthy.
“Carina,” I said, “You stay with your friends. I’ll leave. You need to be here for Molly.”
Ally’s head snapped up and her eyes looked huge. “No,” she replied. I caught Cassie cussing from behind.
Ally threaded her hands through mine and turned to her friends, Rome watching us like a hawk. Straightening up, she announced, “I lied about who I was with because I knew y’all would act this way. Yes, I’m with Axel, and I don’t care what any of you have to say.” She looked across to Rome and he shook his head at her in disbelief. “I know he’s done wrong in his past. I know that y’all will find it hard to forget it, but he’s a good man.” Her face flushed and she added, “And I’m twenty-seven for Christ’s sake! I’m old enough to choose who I want. And I choose him. I don’t need, nor do I seek your approval.”
All her friends gaped. I’d never seen a bunch of people look so friggin’ shocked. Then, to make things worse, Rome stepped forward and said, “I’d rather you were with anyone but him. Anyone’s better than a crack dealing junkie that will lead you straight to hell.”
Ally’s head snapped to Rome, her eyes darkened and she said, “Yeah? Well I don’t want anyone else, Axel,” she looked up at me and hit me with a watery smile, “he completely owns my heart.”
“Ally…” Lexi whispered from our side, her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes. And I couldn’t speak, my chest was too tight at her proudly standing by my side. She was proud to be at my side. What kind of fucked up world had I landed in where Ally Prince was standing proudly at my side?