Axel (Reapers MC Book 17)

by Elizabeth Knox

  I feel nothing more than the strong need to get away from Axel for a few minutes and clear my head. I’m realizing there are two extremes with him—I either want to be around him waiting for all the nefarious ways he’s about to toy with my body, or I need to be far away from him so I can have a moment to myself to breathe. Funny how having sex with him has completely made me view him in a different light.

  Taking in a deep breath, I exhale slowly and walk in through the open doorway of the conference room. I can think about Axel and my complicated relationship with him later. My focus needs to be on finishing the decorating with Shiloh and Bambi, and making sure Natalie has a great time. Her life is hard enough right now with needing to be in the hospital until her baby is born. The least we can do is celebrate her and the new life she’ll be bringing into the world.

  Chapter Nine

  As soon as I see someone else getting close to you. I get jealous

  ~ Unknown

  Axel

  Rosa stormed off the elevator like a woman on a mission, but I know for a fact she and Octavia planned this surprise shower. Shiloh, Ashley, and Bambi have been helping the ladies sort out the minor details and other shit like food, decorations, and working with the hospital to make this happen. I’m happy for my brother that they’re makin’ Natalie feel this special and given that I’ve come close to the woman over the last few months for my brother’s sake, I know she’ll love everythin’ they’re doin’ for her.

  I go in the direction Rosa rushed off in and hear Ashley’s signature laughter, so I follow the voice and end up finding the conference room pretty easily. Though, this shit doesn’t look like a damn conference room. Instead, it’s in the process of being transformed. If it wasn’t for the long table and the sign on the door, I wouldn’t even know this was a conference room.

  Directly in front of me there’s an entire wall of windows, and there are streams of blue and green hung around the entire space. I see weird things like games, a huge ass cake in the shape of a penis, and on the long table is an abundance of food. Hell, I smell fried chicken. I know where I’m fuckin’ headed, I go straight up to the table and pick up a piece, lick my lips and just as I’m about to pull it to my lips my hand’s smacked away.

  “What the hell,” I ask, lookin’ to whoever the fuck is searchin’ for an ass beatin’ today. But, I can’t beat the fuck outta this asshole ‘cause it’s my baby sister. “You should know better than to fuck with my food.”

  “And you should understand how manners work, dear brother. Wait for everyone else. In about fifteen minutes everyone’s gonna be here and we can all eat together.”

  “I’m famished, okay? I haven’t even had a damn second to eat yet today,” I hiss out at her, givin’ her a good glare.

  Ruby snickers and covers her mouth to try and hide her smile. “You forget I live in the same building as you . . . and I hear things . . . like the things that happened last night . . . and I heard Siren and Stiletto saw you doing some nasty, nasty shit. Are you sure it’s the Knights of Retribution MC that shoots porn, or is it you too?”

  “The Skulls Renegade MC does porn too, Rub’, don’t forget that shit.”

  “Well, well, you’re avoiding talking to me about it. Ooo, I’ve never seen you like this before.” Ruby giggles, finding enjoyment from this shit. I’ve never been the happy-go-lucky kinda dude. Figuring she’s not gonna do shit about it, I grab another piece of chicken and take a big bite into the breast, wantin’ to moan ‘cause this shit is so hot and juicy.

  It’s so wet it dribbles on my lip a little and instantly my head’s goin’ back to the gutter, thinkin’ about the way Rosa kept floodin’ her juices all over my face every damn time I toyed with her sweet pussy. God, she tasted like a new type of cupcake, so sweet and velvety. My balls tighten under my jeans and I feel my cock starting to harden up a bit. Fuck, I need to think about somethin’ else and quick, before I drag her outta this damn baby shower and fuck her in the bathroom.

  “Hard to believe I’ll be graduating in two months, isn’t it?” Ruby asks, pullin’ me out of my thoughts.

  I nod. “Yeah, remember it like it was yesterday when we sent you off to college. I for one thought you were gonna party your little heart out.”

  “You’re such a liar,” Ruby replies, shoving me with her hands in a playful manner. She starts giggling loudly and from the corner of my eye I see Rosa glance back in our direction from across the room. Looks like she’s just finished hanging some streamers and there’s an entire table of presents on the other side of the room with weird white birds that have orange beaks, then there’re blue bags, green bags, and ‘little boy’ bags. I for one am gonna go ahead and put my money on the fact my future nephew is about to get spoiled as fuck. Nothin’ is gonna be better than my gift though, and I already know it. Reachin’ into the inside of my cut, I grab the small gift that looks like it isn’t much and take it out. I wrapped it myself, usin’ a green and blue geometric pattern style paper the woman at the store said would look nice. I know nothin’ about this shit so I’m damn glad there’s always someone in this town to lend a helpin’ hand whenever you need it.

  “Alright, maybe I’m teasin’ you a little. I hope you know how proud you’ve made Grim and I, ‘cause you have. You made us damn proud, kid.” I don’t hand out compliments, but Ruby’s a damn good kid. She was always the girl to get the straight As, volunteer to help at the animal shelter, and the one who tried every sport on the planet, even if it meant she took a softball to the face at 40 miles per hour.

  “Correction, she’s made us all proud.” Zorro walks up from behind Ruby and wraps his arms around her waist, smilin’ from ear to ear. Ruby’s doin’ the same damn thing and while I’m happy for my sister . . . it’s weird knowin’ the man who I used to fuck Shiloh with is now fuckin’ my baby sister . . . but she’s happy, and it’s the only thing that matters.

  Zorro gives her a soft peck on the cheek and whispers somethin’ in her ear, which in turn makes her cheeks turn bright pink. Takin’ that as my signal to get out of here, I high-tail it over to the present table and put the gift down. Meanwhile, Rosa’s hangin’ the last streamer and she’s a bit too short to reach the top of the wall, so I take it from her hand and hold it up. “You want it here?” I ask her, and she immediately nods.

  “Yeah, thank you.”

  “Of course, it’s no problem at all,” I say, pressin’ the tape against the trim. “You ladies outdid yourselves. I know Natalie’s gonna love this shit.”

  “Good, I hope she does. With everything she’s going through . . . she deserves to have a party like this, for something to take her mind off everything, even if it’s only for thirty minutes.”

  “Shit, is that all she gets?” I ask, but I mean, it’s gotta be. If it wasn’t Rosa wouldn’t have even said that type of shit.

  “Hey, Rosa, just wanted to check on you.” Doom’s voice comes up from our left and I scan the man up and down. If he doesn’t wanna die today he’d better get lost, and fuckin’ quick.

  “Aw, that’s so—” Rosa starts to speak, but I can’t hold myself back. I gotta get this shit off my chest and mark my fuckin’ territory before I literally kill this fuckin’ worm.

  “Prospect, lemme make myself crystal fuckin’ clear. I’m checkin’ in on Rosa, checkin’ her out, and checkin’ inside her. You feel me, or do we need to take this shit outside where I can give some old bats a heart attack by beatin’ your ass into the fuckin’ ground?” I take a step closer to him and Rosa yanks me back with fury in her eyes, and for the first time, I think I’m about a millisecond from rippin’ her clothes off and fuckin’ her in front of at least thirty people.

  Chapter Ten

  I may look calm, but in my head I’ve killed you three times

  ~ Quoteistan.com

  Rosa

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I whisper yell at Axel while dragging him away from Doom.

  “You gotta be kiddin’ me, ‘cause it was
plain as fuckin day, Velvet.” Velvet? Who the fuck is Velvet?

  “He was being nice and you’re acting like an intact dog pissing on the ground!” I snap, already feeling my nostrils flaring from how ridiculous he’s just acted.

  “Uh, yeah, you’re right. I sure as fuck am,” Axel declares, staring me down.

  “Why, though? I don’t get it.”

  Axel pulls his face back and looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. “What part aren’t you gettin’? We had a conversation in my truck, ‘bout continuin’ what went on last night. You’re my woman now, Rosa.”

  “I know I haven’t been around long, but I’m certain that isn’t the way shit works around here.” I’ve watched a few women get with bikers here at the club, and I don’t ever remember the women not even giving their consent to be with the guys or girls for that matter. For example, Frost didn’t just tell Cheyenne she was gonna be her ol’ lady. I know the two of them must’ve talked about it at some point in time. Axel doesn’t just get to claim me as his without even developing a relationship with me first. He doesn’t just get to fuck me once and say I’m off limits to everyone else.

  “It works however the fuck I say it works, and don’t you forget it.” Well, the nerve this man has. If my father were here right now, he would’ve already taken his gun and shot him between his eyes. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not my father, but I’m certainly his daughter. The Ramirez blood flows through my veins and I won’t let anyone act like they can tell me how I’m living my life, not Axel and not Xavier either.

  I turn twenty-five in a few days and yet my entire life changes if I don’t meet the demands my father left in his will. He always told me I’d be taken care of if something happened to him, but alas, after he died, I was never provided for in any sense of the word. My uncle Alejandro did what he could and made sure I didn’t starve, arranged for me to have a good place to live, but it’s not like he provided as much for me like my father would’ve. I’m grateful for everything he did, but I always counted on my father . . . I just didn’t realize his death meant I’d receive my inheritance at twenty-five years of age, with stipulations of course . . . because why wouldn’t there be when it came to Rafael Ramirez?

  Most called him a snake, but in reality, he was a shark. He found a way to always have the upper hand, and it seems that trait didn’t die along with his body, and instead it lives on in death. I will have thirty days to collect my inheritance, but only if I’m married. I don’t know why my father would’ve written my inheritance like this . . . but he did . . . and Xavier asked that I meet him tomorrow night back at Cowboy’s so we can discuss it in more detail, alone. I, of course, am going to see him again . . . but I don’t have a husband and I don’t have any prospects I’d even consider marrying.

  I shake my head as Axel’s words finally sink in. I’m not something he owns, and I’m sure as hell not something he has. While my body might react to the way he caresses mine, there is no amount of disrespect I will ever tolerate for it. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are up on your high horse, but you can get the fuck off it. I’m not yours, and I’ll never be yours, not with the way you’re so determined to speak to me,” I hiss, walking away from him I head up to Octavia and Ashley who’re all smiles. Blackjack has an arm around Ashley with a hand on her belly, and Inc’s got his arm around Octavia’s shoulder while Zane’s talkin’ to Bull against the back wall.

  I link my fingers in through Octavia’s and pull her away from Inc delicately. He looks back, a silent ode to make sure we’re fine, and Octavia waves him off, signaling for him to stay with Blackjack and Ashley. There’s some sort of closet in the conference room, so I open it and shut the door behind us but realize we’re in complete and utter darkness.

  I wave my hand around looking for some sort of light, and finally find the switch, so I turn it on and Octavia screams bloody murder, causing me to jump and scream too. The next thing I know the door’s being thrown open and we’re running out like we’re in the Olympics. “Whoa, what the fuck is goin’ on?!” Zane questions, looking around inside the closet while we’re still catching our breath.

  “I don’t know, she screamed so I screamed,” I breathlessly say, looking to Octavia.

  “Spider, huge ass spider on the shelf.” Octavia has a hand over her mouth, and Zane tries to fight back his smile, but he’s sucking at it right now. He walks right into the closet and picks up the thing, twirling it around through his fingers, and cackles loudly. “It’s a plastic one they have around Halloween, babe, chill.”

  Octavia grumbles under her breath and rolls her eyes, then looks back at me. “Okay, so, you gonna tell me what you were dragging me away for, or?”

  “Sorry, yeah, um, I hate to do this . . . but I feel like I need to leave. Axel’s being a fucking drama king and I’m about to kill him. The last thing I want to do is cause any issues because this is for Natalie and it needs to be a positive environment for her. Can you send her my love and let her know I’m here in spirit?”

  Octavia nods. “Of course . . . so . . . anything you want to tell me about you and Axel?”

  I cock a brow, knowing the woman just asked me such a stupid question. “From the sound of your voice you already have it figured out.”

  “I mean, Ruby told me a couple things but it’s not like I have any sort of confirmation yet. As they say, you only know when you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.” Octavia smirks, seeking some sort of gossip.

  “Okay, yeah, I fucked the guy. I’ll tell you about it later though, when I don’t want to kill him. Okay?”

  “I can’t wait for this shit.” Octavia laughs and I take it as my signal to leave. Natalie and I aren’t the best of friends and things are a little weird ‘cause she knows I had such a crush on Grim when they were first dating . . . er, okay it wasn’t a crush. I was full on in love with him, but I know it wouldn’t have worked out. While I didn’t realize it in the beginning, I do know it now. Maybe showing up to her baby shower wasn’t a good idea in the first place . . . but regardless, hopefully I’ve taken the drama away with me.

  I walk straight into the elevator as soon as it opens and press the button for the lobby, then I just stand there, not taking in anything that’s happening around me . . . while the last twenty-four hours roll around in my mind on repeat.

  “I can’t believe this shit,” I murmur while shutting my eyes, and then the elevator slowly begins to head down.

  “You can’t believe what, Velvet?” Axel’s familiar voice questions. For a moment I debate even speaking to him, but I end up turning and looking right into his eyes, and instead of seeing some sort of deceitful gaze, I think he’s really asking me. Not because he wants to use it to his advantage, but because he cares.

  Even so, I need to wrap my head around this before I can say it to anyone else. The stuff with my father, my inheritance, and Xavier is complicated at best . . . and I can’t share any of it until I process my own feelings on the matter.

  “Nothing, Axel. It’s nothing. I just . . . I need you to give me some space to breathe, okay? You . . . what you just said threw me for a loop when I’m already having a crazy day and I just . . . I need some time to breathe.”

  He nods in understanding. “Alright, you goin’ back to the club?”

  “Yeah, I’ll get an Uber or something,” I mumble, looking down at the ground. It’s not because I’m trying to avoid his eyes, but I just know myself and if the man keeps asking me what’s up, I’m eventually going to crash and tell him.

  “No, you won’t. I’ll drive you home.”

  “Axel, you don’t have to do that. I’m not asking you to—”

  “I know you’re not askin’ me for shit, Rosa, but for fuck’s sake. Will you just let me? It’s obvious somethin’ is on your fuckin’ mind and I don’t want some stranger takin’ your ass back home, if you even end up getting there in the first place, so do me a solid and shush that pretty mouth of yours. You’re ridin’ with me and
that’s final.” As much as I want to argue with him, I don’t have the energy so I’m gonna let Axel have his way this time. He’s lucky I’m so burnt out, otherwise I’d be putting up one hell of a fight.

  Chapter Eleven

  Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind you have to convince

  ~ FitnessMindset101

  Axel

  I do as I told her I would and I drive her ass back to the Vixens’ house. We didn’t say a damn thing to one another the whole drive, but we did just get into a scuffle. The first scuffle we’ve ever had, actually. I’m not tryin’ to push her away . . . but somethin’ inside of me snapped last night. I can’t fathom another motherfucker tryin’ to touch her in the way I do, or even bein’ in the same room with Doom as he ogles her body.

  Yeah, he might’ve saved her from fallin’ and bustin’ her ass earlier . . . but fuck if I didn’t wanna throttle my fists into him right there. I saw the damn way he was lookin’ at her, and my stupid ass watched the way he licked his lips and stared right into her eyes. Fuck, I’ve seen it a few times in the past too, but I kept my lips shut ‘cause I didn’t have anythin’ to say about it at the time. Now I do though, and the prospect better learn his fuckin’ place.

  Hell, that isn’t the only thing I have to worry about right now. Last night Rosa loved it when I had my hand on her throat and barked out orders, tellin’ her how shit was gonna go, but for some reason today she’s findin’ an issue with it.

  Shakin’ my head, I drive past the club and go down the lane until I hit the driveway that leads up from the barn. I make a right and drive a good ways down, parking in front of the barn, and hop out of my truck. Figurin’ I’m already in a shit ass mood, I don’t see a reason why I can’t just have a good chat with Gears, Boomer’s VP from the Corrupt Kings. He’s been here for a month now and we’ve been keepin’ his ass alive, feedin’ him, makin’ sure he doesn’t get any infections, and all of that . . . yet the man’s club hasn’t even come for him, and he hasn’t flipped on the bastards yet either.