Axel frowned, but nodded.
“She was eyeballing Linc. And those two were having a little chit-chat at Z’s wedding, too.”
“Great,” he grumbled.
Bella laughed. “She’s old enough to make her own decisions, mistakes or otherwise.”
Axel’s frown deepened. “Still my little sister.”
“Understood,” Bella said with a smile. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’ll go with you.”
“Why? You worried about me?”
She hesitated. “Yes. But I could use something to eat, anyway. And Grizz’s plate looks good.”
Axel snorted. He met her at the end of the bar and held out his hand to her, which she accepted right away. He raised their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles. “Lead the way, baby.”
Chapter Sixteen
Axel sat back with a full belly and groaned. Grizzly’s wife Mama Bear certainly knew how to put out a spread. And the woman could keep the sweet butts and prospects on task when it came to keeping the food coming out fresh and hot. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had a bullwhip hanging curled up on her belt.
Music, the sounds of people playing pool, loud, rowdy conversation, and smoke swirled around him. He didn’t think he ever heard Nash’s band, Dirty Deeds, play before, but he was impressed with how good they were. A temporary stage had been set up in a corner of The Iron Horse and Nash sang and played the drums like a pro.
He was also impressed on how they made Christmas tunes rock out, giving them a heavy metal/hard rock vibe.
Axel kept one eye on Jayde as she flirted with this newer patched member, who went by the name of Linc, near one of the pool tables. His other was focused on Bella as she danced in the middle of the bar with some of the other DAMC women. Before deserting their corner table, she announced she was going to dance to work off all the food she just ate.
She was kind enough to drop off a fresh draft for him before leaving him on his own. He felt a lot more comfortable where he currently sat because his back was to the corner and he could survey the whole bar without worrying about anyone sneaking up from behind.
This Christmas party didn’t seem to be any different from any of the other parties the club had on a regular basis. Besides the Christmas tree strung with orange blinking lights that was propped in the corner inside church.
Hell, it wasn’t as though the club needed much of an excuse to throw a party, anyway.
Suddenly, Jewel broke off from the ladies at the center of the room and sank into a chair next to him. She wiped a bead of sweat off her brow and blew out a breath.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “You okay?”
She gaped at him in surprise. “Yeah, why?”
“D didn’t look happy when he carried you kicking and screaming upstairs.”
Color rushed into her cheeks and she dropped her gaze from his. “Nothing new.”
“He didn’t hurt you?” He lowered his voice even though the bar was so loud no one could hear him unless they were standing right next to him, anyway. “You can tell me if he did.”
She frowned at him. “Axel, he’d never hurt me.”
He stared at his cousin. He had a hard time believing that beast of a man with a short fuse wasn’t capable of hurting her even if he didn’t mean to. She was less than half his size.
“I just want—”
“Axel,” she cut him off, sweeping her long dark hair out of her face. “He loves me; he’d never hurt me. I promise. But I appreciate your concern.”
He nodded, but wasn’t so convinced. “How are things going at the warehouse?” The warehouse as in the In the Shadows Security business Diesel owned and ran.
“Great. I’m getting him organized and helping him grow the business in the direction he wants it to go.”
“And what direction’s that?”
Jewel closed her mouth and looked away. Axel followed her gaze toward the bar. Both Hawk and Diesel were behind it, watching the two of them with great interest.
Her head swiveled back toward him. “Just expanding the security part, that’s all.”
Right.
“They keep shit on the up and up there?”
“Of course.”
And if it wasn’t on the up and up, there was no way Diesel and his crew would tell Jewel, a woman. Or if she knew, she probably wouldn’t tell him. Even so, he had to ask.
“I just don’t want to see you get entangled in any bullshit. You’re family.”
“Ax, we’re all family. When are you and Uncle Mitch going to recognize that fact?”
“I can’t speak for my father, Jewelee.”
“But you can speak for yourself. You’re with Bella, right? And she’s part of the club. You’re not only Bear’s grandson, you’re our president’s brother. Can’t get any more family than that.”
“You know the issue.”
“Yeah, but the club has come a long way since we were all kids, Ax, you know that. You’ve seen it yourself.”
He sat back and regarded his cousin. She was young, beautiful, and had a head for business, which was apparent when she ran the office at the club’s body shop and towing company. He believed she limited herself by being Diesel’s ol’ lady and his glorified “secretary.” By being with him, she was tying herself tightly to the club and limiting her options. “This thing going to last?”
“What thing?”
“You and D.”
She pursed her lips in thought, then asked, “You and Bella going to last?”
“The truth?”
Jewel nodded.
“I don’t know. I just know I don’t belong here tonight.” His gaze landed on Bella while she swung her hips and arms around the dance floor with Diamond and Ivy. “She does.”
“Yes, she does. And we don’t want you taking her away from us.”
He sighed. “I’d never do that.”
“D and Hawk would never let you, anyway.”
Right. His eyes bounced from Bella to her two overly large, overly protective cousins still watching him and Jewel closely. Diesel now had his arms crossed over his chest, emphasizing just how big and bad the fucker was.
Axel did not want to get up close and personal again with the man’s fist anytime soon.
Jewel laughed when she saw who he was staring at. “He’s a complete kitten.”
Axel snorted. “I’ve known him just as long as you, Jewelee.”
“But I know him better,” she said with a smirk.
“Yeah, well, there’s a reason for that and we don’t need to go into details.”
She leaned closer. “I think you’re good for her.”
“As much as we both want it to work, I don’t know if it will.”
Jewel nodded. “I get it. I do. I love being DAMC. I love being an ol’ lady. I was born for this. But I see your side of it, too.”
“Do you really?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“When did you go and grow up, Jewelee?”
She laughed. “You should be asking Jayde that. Hard to believe she’s the baby of the family and look at her now. College graduate. Bet she makes your parents proud.”
Axel’s gaze roamed over to where Linc and Jayde were standing a little too close for his liking.
“She wouldn’t be making my father proud right now, cozying up to that guy.”
“Linc? He’s a good one.”
He’d reserve his judgment until he got a better read on the guy. “Has she been seeing him?” Because if she had, she’d been sneaking around to do it.
“I don’t think so. Though whenever she shows up they tend to gravitate toward each other.”
“Fuck. My father would pop a blood vessel if he knew.”
Jewel jerked one of her shoulders up slightly. “Don’t tell him.” She laughed again. “She can tell him when she comes home knocked up by a club brother.”
“That’s not even funny.”
“Against his will, Mitch would be granddaddy to the next generat
ion of Angels. First Z’s kid, then Linc’s kid and then....” She drifted off, her face becoming sad. “Fuck. Sorry.”
Axel traced the lip of his pint glass with his finger.
“You two could always adopt,” she said softly.
“Jewel...” He sucked in a breath, his chest getting tight. “We have a long way to go before we’d be even close to talking about kids.”
“You’ll get there.”
“I hope so,” he murmured.
“You should go dance with her.”
“Just like you should go dance with your man.”
Jewel threw her head back and laughed. “Look, the—”
The sharp, rapid crack of gunshots ringing out had Axel up and out of his seat, dragging Jewel to the ground. She struggled underneath him, calling out Diesel’s name.
“Stay down,” Axel yelled at her, covering her body with his, while covering his own head with his arms as shots continued to spray the building, shrapnel raining over them.
He had no idea what caliber ammo or what type of firepower the shooter or shooters were using but whatever it was was big enough to make decent holes not only through the hollow steel door but the walls. Pieces of drywall, wood, insulation came raining down around them.
Suddenly, Axel was ripped off of Jewel and thrown to the side. He rolled onto his back and saw Diesel grab Jewel.
“Get down, you asshole. You’re going to get shot.”
“Nothin’ new,” D grumbled, picked Jewel up in his arms and rushed to tuck her behind the bar. How he wasn’t hit, Axel would never know.
The bullets went whizzing over his head at a rapid rate. Whoever was out front had something automatic for sure.
He looked around to see if anyone was hit nearby and when he didn’t see anyone bleeding or writhing in pain, he searched for Bella. Keeping low, he snaked his body on knees and elbows toward the back of the bar.
“Bella!” He got no answer and ducked his head when another hail of bullets began. “Fuck!”
As soon as there was a slight pause, he crawled forward some more, seeing Jag dragging Ivy toward the kitchen door. A quick look to his left showed that Linc had his body curled around Jayde, a gun in his hand, as they remained behind a pool table.
“What the fuck?” Axel shouted their direction. “Get her out of here.”
Linc gave him a look, then nodded, but didn’t move since more bullets went flying.
Axel crawled forward again and saw Diamond hiding behind another pool table. “Where’s Bella?”
She turned wide eyes to him and shrugged.
“You got a phone?”
She nodded. “Yeah!”
“Call nine-one-one.” When she hesitated, he screamed. “Now!”
Even from where he was, she could see her digging a cell out of her back pocket with trembling hands.
Where the fuck was Diesel and Hawk?
He peered up toward the bar and couldn’t see anyone. Hopefully they were taking cover.
When he finally reached the bar, the shooting had slowed down some, but it wasn’t over. Keeping low, he rounded the bar and saw Slade ducked behind the bar. And with relief he saw Bella. But she was pinned against Slade.
“You got a weapon?” Axel asked the former Marine as he finally got a chance to pull his revolver from his ankle holster.
“Just a knife.”
“Fuck.”
“Can you help clear everyone out of here? Take them into the kitchen. I don’t know if they’re shooting up the backside of the building, too. Kitchen is the safest right now until we get units on scene.” Axel looked at Bella. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered, her face pale, but he was proud of her since she wasn’t freaking out.
“Get yourself into the kitchen. Make sure everyone stays in there.”
She nodded and moved away.
“Stay low, Bella. I’ll be there as soon as we get everyone clear or the shooting stops.”
She nodded and as he watched the woman he loved crawl away on her hands and knees to the swinging door, he realized just what kind of life he’d be living if they continued their relationship.
Chapter Seventeen
“Well, merry fuckin’ Christmas to us.” Hawk stood in front of The Iron Horse, hands on hips as he surveyed the damage to the front of the building.
“Warriors are the gift that keeps on fuckin’ givin’,” Zak muttered and spat on the ground.
Axel let his gaze roam the front parking lot. It was hard to miss that Diesel was nowhere to be found. And it wasn’t like he took Jewel home. She was still in church with the rest of the woman.
Luckily, the Warriors didn’t do any damage around back. Maybe they thought everyone was in The Iron Horse since they could hear the band playing.
Nash ended up with a graze along his ribs from a stray bullet. Two of his band members had minor cuts from shrapnel hitting them since the stage was set up by the front wall of the building.
Linc had gotten Jayde to safety as did Slade with Diamond. Then the former Marine came back to help Axel get everyone else to cover.
By the time they were done clearing the bar area, the Warriors were gone. But Axel had a feeling D and some other Angels were on their tail. And he was sure D had called in his “Shadows” for assistance.
Axel wasn’t going to ask since he figured it was better not to know the details.
There were enough cops on scene between Shadow Valley PD and the Pennsylvania State Police that he didn’t need to get involved in the investigation.
In fact, a few of his fellow cops were surprised to see him already on scene when they arrived code three. He didn’t bother to clear up their curiosity.
But he couldn’t wait for them to be done. He wanted to get to Bella. Even though he knew she was okay, he wanted to see for himself.
Axel groaned when he saw his father beelining in his direction, his face a mask of fury, his body tight, his hands clenched into fists.
This wasn’t going to go well.
Mitch’s eyes landed on Zak who stood about ten feet away from Axel, then bounced back to him.
Joy.
“Did you know your sister was here? Did you know she was inside when those... those motherfuckers,” he spat, “shot up this place?”
Axel’s eyebrows rose at his father’s uncharacteristic cursing. He was in his civvies, so he wasn’t on duty, but still... it had been awhile since he’d seen the man this angry.
Mitch shoved a finger in Axel’s face. “You knew, and you didn’t get her the fuck out of here. What the fuck is wrong with you?
“Pop...” Axel started.
“Don’t fucking ‘Pop’ me!” Mitch swung an arm toward the bar. “Things like this were why I kept our family away from this club. The last thing I wanted was my boys to get caught up in this violence or my daughter to become an old lady!”
“Jayde isn’t becoming an ol’ lady,” Axel reassured him calmly and hoped that was true.
Mitch’s eyes snapped as he scowled at his youngest son. “She better not. It’s bad enough Zakary’s a bad influence on her by being a part of this club, but you...” he shouted, “I expected better of you. Have a fucking sense of pride, boy. There are plenty of other women who you can stick your—”
“Pop,” Axel growled a warning.
Mitch inhaled deeply and then blew it out in a rush. His bluster quickly disappeared, the red in his cheeks faded a little, and he began to talk much more calmly. “Look, I like Bella. Honestly, I do. But she comes with baggage, son. A lot of it. And some of it remains because she won’t break free of this life. This is not your life. You have a good life. You’re a fucking police officer.”
Axel’s jaw tightened. “You don’t need to remind me of that.”
Mitch shook his head. “And I assume you want to remain one.”
Suddenly, Z was standing next to Axel. “Got a good life. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ a part of this club, this brotherhood, this family.�
��
Mitch’s gaze landed on his oldest offspring, his eyes hard. “Right. Kidnapping, rape, assault, theft... prison,” he swept an arm around again, “having your place shot up and people almost getting killed... Yeah, what a life. One that you’re going to be raising my grandchild in. You want to continue to put your wife and child at risk like this? Is it worth it?”
Axel watched as something crossed Z’s face. In a blink it was gone. Reality. That’s what it was. Reality that his wife and future child could be killed with the chaos that Warriors kept bringing.
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he understood where Z was coming from. This club was a large part of his older brother. But so was his wife and unborn child. He could imagine the internal struggle Z was having because Axel was living it himself right now.
The disappointment was clear in their father’s face as he studied Zak. Then Mitch shook his head and sighed. “I’m getting your sister and getting her out of here.” He turned toward Axel. “I don’t want her here; do you understand me? I can’t tell you what to do but she still lives under my roof and she’s not to come here. She’s not to hang out with these bikers. If you want to risk your career hanging out with this club, that’s on you.”
With that, he stomped away, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pocket and shaking his head.
“I guess inviting Bella to Christmas dinner is out?” Axel shouted at his father’s back.
Mitch raised a dismissing hand over his shoulder at him.
“Fuck,” Axel muttered. He looked at Z. “Couldn’t have one fucking night where crazy shit didn’t go down.”
“You didn’t have to fuckin’ come. Why don’t you just leave Bella the hell alone an’ leave us all alone. Go with Mitch an’ Jayde back to where you belong.”
Axel tensed, and a muscle popped in his jaw. “Shut the fuck up, Zakary.”
His older brother turned to face him bringing them eye to eye since they were the exact same height. And pretty much the same build. So, if Z wanted to get “down and dirty” Axel was ready. There was no way this would be a one punch knock-out like D gave him.
Down & Dirty_Axel Page 19
