“I can take him,” Ryker offered, cocking a brow at Mad.
“Really? Okay,” I shrugged, passing off my son. He seemed perfectly content in his uncle’s arms.
“You’re really okay? That was a fucked-up night,” he pressed, dodging Mad’s attempts to grab his lip.
“I’ve been better,” I admitted. “But I know your brother’s gonna take care of it.” I realized how much that soothed me as I said it. I had a man at my back who would willingly take on an army for me.
“Yeah, he is,” Ryker agreed. “Never thought I’d see the guy be such a goner,” he commented, but the look on his face gave me pause.
“Is that a bad thing?” I cajoled with a grin.
He shrugged. “Just can’t see one chick doin’ it for me.” His eyes shifted to the side and I was sure I detected something there.
A lie?
I cocked my head to the side.
“Except for one,” he allowed so quietly I barely heard him. “Don’t ask.”
I studied him for a moment. “Okay,” I agreed, biting back my intense curiosity.
“Whether it’s this mystery girl or someone else, when you meet your lady I’m gonna give you so much shit,” I promised, lightening the mood.
“Did you just cuss, sis?” he teased. “And fine, if I fall off the cliff like my brother has, you can give me all the shit you want.”
“I’m counting on that,” I nodded with a grin.
******
Axel didn’t get home until close to lunchtime. He walked in with a dark expression, scanning the room as though searching for a threat. My eyes shot to his bloody knuckles and back to his eyes trying to find the man in there I knew.
The man I loved.
“Hey, honey,” I greeted softly, moving to greet him by the door where he still stood, his posture stiff and unwelcoming. I was in unfamiliar territory with him and I hoped like hell I could pull him out of this mood. “You hungry?”
He shook his head. “Where’s Maddox?” he asked in a hoarse murmur.
“Napping. Your brother’s downstairs on the computer. What is it?” I asked quietly, placing a tentative hand to his chest.
He pulled me to his chest, lifting me up so that I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. “He’s gonna be on the computer a little while longer,” he stated gruffly, carrying me to his –our –room.
My entire body hummed as he carried me briskly back to his room. “Ry! Stay downstairs,” he barked.
“Yeah, man,” I heard Ry reply through the walls as Axel strode into our room and all but kicked the door shut.
He really needed to learn to be quieter with a baby in the house but now definitely wasn’t the time to remind him.
“What?” I tried to ask but was cut off by his lips covering mine with a kiss that made me forget all thought. His hands were all over my body, tearing at my clothes as his chest heaved.
“You good?” he demanded, his tongue finding the spot behind my ear that made me crazy. Who would have thought?
“Yeah,” I replied breathlessly. I wanted to be the balm that soothed him. I knew he needed this, needed me and I was more than willing.
I pulled his shirt up over his head, my hands roaming the chiseled muscle and warm skin I found underneath. Then I shocked myself by dropping to my knees, looking up at him as I unbuckled his belt and pulled his jeans down his legs.
“Christ,” he swore, watching me with stormy eyes as I licked him from root to tip. I’d never done this before but I wanted nothing more in the world than to please him this way.
Moisture pooled between my legs as I relished the taste and feel of him. He was all velvety smoothness and coiled tension.
Suddenly, I was pulled up and practically thrown on the bed. “You keep doing that I’m gonna lose it, and I need to be inside you,” he explained as he sheathed himself with a condom. His large body came up over mine, his muscles tense and rippling as he moved. Then he was inside me with one fluid thrust. I bit back the cry threatening to break free as he moved with an urgency I’d never seen in him before. Every time with him had been a claiming of sorts but this was utterly primal. His body completely owned mine as his lips found every surface they could reach, his teeth raking across my flesh.
The temperature of my skin blazed with my impending orgasm and I was nearly afraid of what it would do to me.
“Let it go, baby,” he commanded, his hand reaching between our bodies, his fingers dancing over my clit. That was it. I reached desperately for a pillow, clamping it over my face as I let out an uncontrollable cry. He pulled it away almost immediately, looking down on me as his movements became more erratic before he groaned low and deep, collapsing on top of me.
I held him to me, wrapping my legs and arms around his big body as we both fought to catch our breath.
“Are you okay? Shit, I didn’t mean to be so rough,” he admonished himself as his fingers swept over my lip and down my arm.
“I’m fine,” I assured him, meaning it. “Are you okay?”
He pulled back from me, eyeing me warily. “Yeah, I just…needed you, I guess,” he admitted, his face twisting in a grimace.
“Is that bad?” I asked softly.
He shrugged. “Guess not, just new.”
“For me, too,” I nodded with a smile. “What happened?” I pressed, my hands sweeping through his thick hair.
“It doesn’t seem like your father ordered the kidnapping,” he shared, shaking his head. “It seems like Aron thought he’d discovered an easy payday by coming up with a scheme to deliver you to him. Pretty damn sure he planned to off Jeb once he got paid. Fucking idiots,” he grumbled.
Some of the tension I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding slowly released from my body.
His expression softened as he looked down at me. “You’re relieved,” he assessed.
I bit my lip. “Well, yeah,” I shrugged. “I mean, I know my father has less than stellar morals but even I didn’t think he’d sink so low as to kidnap me!” I exclaimed.
“I understand, darlin’. Believe me, I know something about holding out hope that you don’t come from total shit,” he muttered. “But this doesn’t mean he’s not a threat, darlin’.”
“I know,” I agreed quietly.
“He has some connection with the Black Riders. We still have to figure out if there’s another leak or if those fucks were all there was,” he told me, rising up off me and offering his hand. He pulled me up into his arms, kissing me soundly. “But the message has been delivered that you’re mine and that anyone who hurts you will fucking pay,” he told me, his countenance suddenly fierce.
I didn’t doubt that was true.
“Uh, guys?” I heard a tentative voice call from the hallway. “I’ve got a guy out here with a full diaper and an uncle who doesn’t know, or want to know how, to take care of it,” Ryker hollered.
I rolled my eyes at Axel and he chuckled. “Coming!” I called.
Chapter 12
“Goddammit, Sophie, block! Remember?” Axel demanded, frustrated as I struggled to focus. It would really help if he wasn’t only wearing black shorts and a grimace. I was totally distracted by his body and his proximity. Every time he came near, I just thought of ways to bring him closer rather than ways to push him back.
“Yeah,” I nodded, panting slightly with exertion.
We’d been at it awhile, practicing at the gym as we’d done for the past two weeks. They had a boxing room set apart from the gym itself, which allowed us privacy to train.
Ever since my kidnapping, I’d struggled with nightmares, with a fear of being helpless. So Axel was teaching me how to fight back. For the most part, it was helping – so long as I tried not to let my beautiful man distract me.
I’d long since ditched my tank top, and my pink sports bra was soaked through. If he was going to wear so little, why should I suffer from heat exhaustion?
“We gonna actually get through the floor
work today?” he asked with a raised brow and a look of mischief in his light eyes.
We ended up in the equipment room closet more times than not.
“I’ll try to control myself,” I muttered sarcastically. Though in reality, I wasn’t so sure about that.
His gaze swept my frame and he licked his lips. He was deliberately baiting me.
I screwed my face up in a grimace and huffed my frustration.
He threw his head back and laughed, hard. Even though it was at my expense, I still appreciated the sound – so rich and sincere. He laughed with his whole body, his hands clutching at his abs, his muscles flexing with the movement.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” I mumbled.
“You are!” He grinned, winking. “I swear I’ve laughed more with you than I ever have in my life and you aren’t even tryin’,” he proclaimed, more to himself than to me.
“Glad to be of service,” I grumbled.
Then he was in my space in a way I was unprepared for, his glistening chest inches from my face. His knuckle ducked under my chin, tipping my face up to meet his gorgeous countenance. “Soph,” he started quietly, his tone suddenly far more serious. “As much as I want inside you, I want you to be able to protect yourself more. It’s time to get into it. Are you ready?” he asked quietly, peering into my face in a way that always disarmed me.
I swallowed hard. “Yeah, let’s just do it,” I sighed.
“You sure?” His face betrayed so much concern for me; it nearly broke my heart. With that realization, I needed to do this as much for him as for me. I wanted to make him proud. To show both of us that I could do this.
“Yeah,” I agreed, determined to push past my nerves.
“We’ve walked through this. You know the drill,” he explained. “I’m going to pin you and you’re going to use your knees, fingernails and elbows,” he reminded me of what we’d walked through many times before.
“Yeah.” I nodded as I swallowed hard.
Then he was on me; he didn’t even give me a second. He took me to the ground with brute force so overwhelming I froze up entirely.
“Soph,” his voice rumbled in my ear as he reminded me of where I was and who I was with.
All I could hear was the clanging of my heartbeat. All I could feel was the crushing weight of his body.
He leaned down into me, and with a subtle shift of his body, he changed the tenor of the situation. There was nothing sexual or fearsome in his proximity, only comfort. “You don’t at least try and we’re eating Mariachi’s for dinner,” he threatened.
His teasing tone and mention of my least favorite restaurant in Hawthorne somehow broke through my fear-induced haze.
I managed a look at him, up into his sincere eyes that peered down, so close to mine.
“Not Mariachi’s,” I grimaced, so grateful to him in that moment for making light of the situation rather than delving into it. In so many ways, he understood me better than anyone.
“Then show me what you’re made of,” he challenged, his eyes gleaming with encouragement.
And I did.
I brushed everything aside and I gave him a mock thrust to the groin, shove to the throat and rolled us so I straddled him.
He looked up at me with pride lighting his normally somber face. “Good job, baby,” he grinned.
I sagged into him, not caring we were both covered in sweat. I laid my body down on top of his, my face buried in his neck, breathing in his richly masculine scent. “Thanks,” I murmured.
His arms came up around me, caging me in the most delicious way, rewarding me for challenging myself by offering me what I’d needed all along…comfort in its purest form. Our bodies pressed together like this in any other situation would have set every synapse I had on fire, but hot and sweaty on the gym floor as we were, it just offered calm and safety.
“You did good,” he whispered in my ear.
“Thanks,” I sighed.
We laid there for an indeterminable amount of time against the blue mat in the nearly empty gym, the sound of treadmills droning in the distance the only sound.
“Let’s go get our little man,” he suggested, sitting up with me still plastered to his front. Mad had been with his Auntie Kat for the morning. We had so much help with Maddox; it was amazing.
I reluctantly pried myself away, moving to stand and straighten myself. “Yeah,” I agreed.
“Here,” he said, handing me my long since discarded shirt.
“I’m still so hot. I’m just headed to the showers anyway.” I wrinkled my brow.
His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. “You’re not walking through the gym like that. Put it on,” he ordered.
“Fine,” I huffed, snatching it out of his hand and pulling it over my head. “Put this on then,” I challenged with a raised brow, handing him his own shirt. If I had to cover up, then he did too.
He rolled his eyes but took the shirt from me, yanking it down over his head. “Happy?”
“Thrilled.” I grinned as his phone rang.
“Hey, Ry,” he greeted his brother, his eyes trained on me. I watched his brow crease before his expression grew hard. “No, I’ve got Soph, but I’ll take care of it.” He paused for a minute, his stance tense. “No, Ry, I got it. Call you later.”
“What is it?” I asked quietly after he ended the call.
“Some shit with my ma,” he grumbled. “I’ll drop you at Sal’s and head out for a while,” he told me.
I studied him for a moment, taking in his guarded expression and stiff posture. I knew his childhood had been dysfunctional at best. Aside from that, I didn’t know much. He was always protecting everyone else, even his brother. I wanted him to know he could rely on me to do the same for him.
“I want to come,” I replied firmly.
“What? No.” He shook his head as he stalked past me.
“Kat will watch Mad a while longer,” I grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face me. “Let me come, please, babe,” I practically pleaded.
His hand went to the back of his neck in a gesture I recognized as stress. “Why?” he asked, seeming positively bewildered by my request. “It’ll be a total shit situation. I can pretty much guarantee that.”
“That’s why I want to come,” I explained gently.
We regarded each other for a moment in a battle of wills before he sighed. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Deal,” I agreed, trying not to tap dance in satisfaction that I’d won this round. We’d both be better for it; I could feel it.
We rode for a good thirty minutes, passing the club on our way out of town. I loved being on the back of his bike, the motor humming beneath me and the wind whipping through my hair.
We entered a part of Nevada I’d yet to see. The area grew more remote as we sped along the highway, pulling off along a long dirt road.
The dilapidated houses I caught glimpses of fought with the desert for survival against the intensity of the sun. The bike slowed as we pulled onto a dusty drive that led to a small single-story house. It must have been yellow at one time but the paint had long since faded with the power of the sun. The front yard was littered with weeds, a bit of trash and a lone garden gnome.
It was the saddest goddamned gnome I’d ever seen, despite his tenacious smile.
“Wait here,” Axel growled, clearly not pleased I’d practically demanded I come along.
He swung off the bike, stalking toward the tiny house, practically swinging the front door from its hinges as he pushed his way inside.
I got off the bike, removed my helmet and eyed the house with morbid curiosity.
Was this where he’d grown up? The thought made my heart clench.
I sat, leaning against the bike for what felt like forever with the sun beating down on me.
I heard some sort of commotion inside that sounded like breaking glass and immediately grew concerned. I hadn’t come along to be kept at arm’s length and decided I’d g
iven him enough time before I joined him.
All I could hear from the front stoop was a low grunt of effort and what sounded like a quiet murmur. It didn’t sound like any sort of struggle or imminent danger so I pulled the screen door open, the creaking sound echoing through the vastness of the desert at my back.
“Ax?” I called softly.
“Back to the bike, Soph,” he grunted with impatience, sounding like he was trying to carry something heavy.
“Let me help,” I said, bravely entering the house. Immediately, the stench of vomit filled my nose and I recoiled. It was both fresh and stale making for a stomach churning combination. I stood in a tiny living room that was surprisingly neat with two couches and a small coffee table filling the space. The pictures on the mantel caught my eye, a young clean-shaven Axel smiling in what looked like a high school photograph. Beside it, an even younger looking Ryker.
I heard another noise from down the hall and rushed to help. When I came to the first bedroom on the right, I stopped short.
Axel was trying to haul an older, very drunk woman into bed. I was frozen for only a moment; such was my shock that this formidable, nearly invincible appearing man came from someone so fragile.
She groaned and mumbled something incoherent as he got her top half onto the bed with a grunt of effort. She was dead weight and it made her harder to handle from the way she seemed to come out of unconsciousness to struggle.
I didn’t say a word. I moved into the room and lifted her legs as he carried her upper body, helping to lift her on to the bed.
He looked at me with surprise and then anger before muttering something unintelligible.
“I’m fine, honey,” she was mumbling over and over, shaking her head against the pillow. Then she appeared to notice me through her drunken haze. “Who’re you?” she slurred, looking at me through bleary eyes.
I looked to Axel wondering how he’d want to answer that.
“She’s my girl, Ma,” he responded impatiently.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” I answered awkwardly, my eyes darting to Axel’s and offering what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Ma’am,” she sighed, throwing her head back against the pillow. “I like her, Axel,” she laughed to herself. “It’s ‘bout time you settled down.”
Axel (Ride Series Book 3) Page 10
