Laney stilled, her drink held halfway to her mouth.
“I don’t want a man.”
“None of us did, sweetheart,” Esme said.
“What I meant to say, is that Axel doesn’t even entertain the tagalongs,” Rayna clarified.
Laney put her glass to her mouth and swallowed the rest of its contents in one go, her eyes closing momentarily.
“Don’t tell me things like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because, I don’t want to hear about he keeps his hands to himself. I don’t want hear about how he doesn’t ‘entertain,’ other women. I don’t need to know.”
“Women would kill for a man like him.”
“I’m not one of those women, Rayna.”
Rayna’s eyes narrowed in on Laney, her mouth lifting slightly as her lips parted.
“You’re scared.”
Laney didn’t say anything for a minute, her hair falling into her face before she swept it aside and tucked it behind her ear.
“Of?”
“Axel. Of finding a man you didn’t even know you were looking for.”
Laney laughed then, a sad sound, a morbid sound that had Rayna’s skin crawling.
“How can I be afraid of one man when they’re all the same?”
Rayna felt a deep sadness well up in her belly, a throbbing ache at the truth of what Laney said.
“I used to think that, too. I did. I was wrong, though.”
Laney shook her head, her shoulders tense.
“I don’t want a man, Rayna. I don’t need one. And, Axel? He don’t need me, either.”
Scarlett cleared her throat before she gestured lightly towards the group of men they’d been eyeing all night.
“I wouldn’t speak for Axel if I were you, girl. He’s been watching you for the last ten minutes.”
Rayna nodded her head slowly.
Laney seemed to relax for the barest of seconds before her spine snapped straight and she sighed heavily.
“Who needs a refill?”
✽✽✽
Drunk.
How the fuck did I get so drunk?
Laney wobbled towards the back of the lot, ready to see the end of the fight that was happening. Axel was apparently in the cage with Fury, the number one reason that she and Rayna were headed that way. Rayna was just as drunk as she was, but she had a better grasp of the lot than Laney did. Laney had no idea where she was.
“You good?,” Rayna slurred.
Laney barely nodded ‘yes’ before they both tripped over each other. All the other old ladies had gone home early with their men, but Rayna and Fury had a babysitter for the first time in weeks for the night, so Rayna had demanded that Laney be her partner in crime for the evening.
Laney had no objections.
“Look, there’s my mannnn,” Rayna practically purred.
Laney giggled, for literally no reason at all, as she wrapped her arm around Rayna’s and followed her closer to the cage. There were still a lot of people milling about, many of whom were female, but Laney didn’t let them get in her way.
She wanted to see the man she’d been avoiding fight in the cage.
“Fury’s gonna win,” Laney said.
Rayna’s gaze snapped to hers.
“What makes you say that?”
Laney placed a hand over her chest and rubbed.
“Nothing, just somethin’ Rider used to tell me a lot.”
Rayna’s questioning gaze softened and she hugged her closer, her grip as hard as steel.
“Yeah, I miss that man a lot.”
“Me too,” Laney breathed.
A resounding cheer from the crowd caught their attention and suddenly Laney’s gaze fell on Axel as he stood over Fury, one hand extended.
Rayna’s mouth fell open.
Laney blinked in confusion.
“No. Fuckin’. Shit!”
Rayna looked at Laney and started to laugh.
“He just won…Axel just won! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waitin’ for that?! And, then you show up, and all of a sudden boom! Fury’s down for the count!”
Laney didn’t exactly know about any of that specifically, but if Rayna was that excited, it had to be a big deal.
Rayna let go of Laney long enough to greet her ol’ man, almost knocking Laney over. She grappled with the empty air for a moment before she fell backwards, crashing into someone behind her. Bare skin and a hard expanse of chest met her palms as she looked up into Axel’s face.
“You’re fuckin’ tanked,” He muttered.
“I am,” She said as she smacked against his chest.
His bloody mouth slowly lifted into a smile that had her confused for longer than a second.
“Why the hell are you smilin’ like that at me?,” Laney demanded.
Axel chuckled under his breath as he shook his head, his long hair falling into his eyes, sticking to his slick mouth.
“Because I like the way you look right now, woman. Damn, do you gotta give me a hard time about everything?”
“Yes,” She said defensively.
Axel rolled his eyes heavenward and nodded towards the clubhouse.
“Get on inside so I can clean up. We’ll head out after that.”
Laney looked around the lot, noting the fact that her ride, Rayna, was nowhere to be seen.
“How am I supposed to get home?”
Axel’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at something behind her, and one look told Laney it was his bike.
“I guess you’ll have to ride bitch on the back of my bike.”
Laney scoffed.
“I’m no one’s bitch.”
“You could always walk, but I bet you’ll like the feel of wrapping those sexy legs around me.”
Axel’s voice had gone all husky and warm and for some reason Laney liked it more than she figured she should.
Especially because she didn’t like him.
At all…
“No.”
Axel grinned, his eyes alight with humor and happiness as he pointed to the clubhouse again.
“Go, I’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes.”
Laney sighed and turned towards the clubhouse, mumbling under her breath the whole way there. She really didn’t want to listen to him, but under the circumstances, she didn’t have a way back to her tiny little room on the Lone Ranger’s lot.
As she stepped inside she noticed that more than one member of either club was sprawled out, some still drinking, some with a woman on their lap. Anyone she knew personally was already gone, and the hour was late, so she supposed that was to be expected.
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom and wash off my face. Stay out here and wait for me, I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”
Laney nodded and took a seat at the deserted bar, her hand propped under her chin. She was tired as all hell and all that whiskey she’d imbibed was bubbling in her belly. As she closed her eyes to get the room to stop spinning, she felt the warmth of a body behind her.
“Fancy seein’ you here, all alone.”
Laney opened her eyes to see Pierce watching her, his blue eyes trained on her face.
“I’m just waiting for Axel,” She murmured.
Pierce’s upper lip lifted slightly, or maybe she was just imagining it.
“Figures. You like our president, Laney?”
The question had her spine stiffening, because the implication of what he was saying and how he was saying it couldn’t be more wrong.
“I’m not lookin’ for a powerful patch, thank you.”
Pierce did smile at her then, but it looked more like a snarl than anything else.
“Really? Could have picked anyone else to fuck on the side, Laney. A piece like you ain’t bad on the eyes, and that tight little body would suit any one of us just fine.”
Laney’s eyes snapped all the way open at that as she eased herself farther away from the offensive giant.
“My ‘tight little body,’ su
its whomever I fuckin’ please, and that sure as shit ain’t none of your business.”
Pierce started to laugh, one hand outstretched towards her.
“Don’t be like that, sweetheart. It was a compliment.”
Laney smacked his hand away.
“I don’t want any of your compliments, Pierce. Leave me alone.”
Pierce grunted under his breath as he closed his open hand around her thigh, squeezing so hard it made her gasp.
“Listen here, you little bitch! You’re playin’ in my territory, and a man like me always gets what he wants. If I want you, I’ll have you, and Axel will gladly give you to me.”
Laney hissed as under her breath as he tightened his grip on her momentarily.
“A man like you, more specifically, you, will never have me!,” Laney snapped.
She wrapped her fingers around him and pried his hand away from her thigh. She wouldn’t admit she was terrified of Pierce, not to him at least.
“Pierce!”
Both heads turned as Axel stepped forward into the light.
“Get on your bike and go back to the clubhouse. We’ll discuss this tomorrow. Laney, come here.”
Pierce didn’t say a word, but Laney could tell he wanted to. She could tell he wanted to argue until he got his way, or her, but instead he turned and left her and Axel alone.
“Are you okay?”
Laney dipped her head.
No.
I’m fucking terrified of that monster.
Laney wouldn’t bother telling Axel she knew the difference between a good man and a monster because it didn’t really matter.
“Don’t lie. He rattled you.”
Laney focused on his bruised face, his spilt eyebrow, the way his dark eyes seemed to see everything she wanted to hide.
“I don’t want him to have me.”
Axel wrapped a stray strand of curly hair around his finger and tugged. He tucked it behind her ear and caressed her chin gently.
“Pierce is the last person on earth who will ever touch you. I promise.”
Laney swallowed her fears, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, baby. I’ll handle him in the morning.”
Laney didn’t ask what that meant and she didn’t really care.
“Don’t make that face, Laney. Look at me.”
Laney did as he said and looked up at him, still scared, still shaken.
“I won’t let anyone else hurt you. I swear it.”
With a shaky breath, she asked, “Just you?”
Chapter 7
Axel checked in on a sleeping Laney before he made his way outside, calling all of his men to attention.
“Church! Get your asses inside, now!”
As much as he didn’t want to do it, he had to bring what happened with Pierce to the table. Even though his club dealt with darker things than Ox’s (job wise, at least) Axel would never allow someone under his reign to mistreat a woman.
Especially Laney.
Grumbles and murmurs met his back as he headed inside, seating himself at the head of the table where they made all of their important club decisions.
One by one, his patches trickled in like ants at a picnic. Once they were all seated, he looked at all of them and asked, “What are our three rules?”
Rebel cleared his throat and said, “Never lie, never turn your back on a brother, and never mistreat a woman.”
Axel slowly nodded his head.
“Pierce, how many times are we gonna have to have the same conversation?”
Pierce’s head tilted back as he looked Axel in the eye. He could clearly see the anger and resentment in Pierce’s eyes, he just didn’t know why it was there.
“I don’t know what conversation that is,” Pierce said blandly.
He could have been bored out of his mind for all Axel knew, and that didn’t sit well with him; Pierce had always had problems following orders, but Axel had hoped that with time, he’d sort him out. He’d get him to listen, to see reason, to follow the rules.
After what he’d heard him saying to Laney last night, he knew that Pierce wasn’t getting the message.
“You fucked with Scarlett Hunter, and I let Limit beat your ass. You lied about me and Scarlett, and then I beat your ass the next day. Last night I heard you forcing yourself on Laney, threatening her, and she’s also Seven Deadlies’s royalty. Her brother was a good man. Do you have no fucking conscience?”
Pierce had the decency to look ashamed, but Axel knew it was an act. He had no idea why Pierce had turned, or when he had, but the man was turning rotten quicker than Axel could fight it.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re not. Which is why you’re being demoted.”
The entire club gasped in unison at the news, but Axel didn’t back down; he’d thought about it long and hard, all night actually.
“Boss, are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ sure. From now until I tell you, you’re no better than a prospect, Pierce. Do as I say, when I say, or you’re out. I don’t need a vote on this. We have three rules, and you can’t seem to follow any of them.”
Pierce growled under his breath and shook his head as he slammed a fist onto the table.
“I’ve never turned my back on a brother! This is bullshit!”
Axel shook his head.
“What’s bullshit is that I even have to say a fuckin’ word to you, again. What’s bullshit is that you think you own this lot, and you don’t. Not even close.”
Pierce snorted and shook his head angrily, his light eyes blazing with fury.
“This is over that fuckin’ gash down the hall! You’re turnin’ your back on me because of some fuckin’ pussy!”
Rebel and Tango were watching Axel closely, their eyes wide with surprise.
Axel cleared his throat and looked around his table, noting the respect that oozed from more than one of his men.
He didn’t command respect, it was given to him freely, and he appreciated it. Respect led to loyalty, and loyalty was absolutely necessary to run a successful MC. Most of his men understood that…
All except Pierce.
“If anyone put a hand on my sister Ashley, what would all of you do?”
“Cut his fuckin’ head off,” Tango said easily.
“Right. That woman down the hall, woman not gash, is Rider’s sister. Our dead ally, and friend. She’s under my protection. That means I can’t have one of my own men hurting her! Do I make myself clear?,” Axel said angrily.
Everyone nodded apart from Pierce.
With a glare, Axel look at Pierce, “My decision stands. If you don’t like it, walk. I’m done with your insubordination and disrespect. I’ve killed men for less. Get the fuck out of church and make yourself useful.”
Pierce kicked out of his chair and sent it flying into the wall behind him, but he didn’t argue anymore. There was nothing to say; he was in the wrong, and he knew it. Maybe Laney had been the final nail in his proverbial coffin, but Axel knew that if he didn’t get a handle on him soon, he’d lose another brother like he lost Chris. He didn’t want that.
“Does anyone disagree with my decision to demote Pierce?”
Tango cleared his throat.
“I don’t disagree, I’m just wondering if this will help any. I’ve noticed that he’s lost the respect that’s needed in regard to his own chain of command. We all have different duties and obligations in this club. That’s how we remain successful. Pierce has been winding down a long road to destruction since Chris died.”
Axel couldn’t argue that point.
“I agree. That’s why I’m hoping some time under the radar, at least for him, will do the entire club some good. Who’s to say it won’t change him for the better, and remind him of what he’s giving up?”
“You really think cleaning toilets and makin’ drinks is gonna do that, boss?,” Rebel asked.
Axel shrugged.
“I don’t know. But, it’s either sling drin
ks and clean toilets or we vote him out of the club. That, in my opinion, would be too drastic right off the bat. We can’t forget his past loyalty. That still counts for somethin’,” Axel said.
Tango nodded his head and shrugged.
“I guess this is the start of a new era. Here’s to having a prospect again.”
Rebel snorted.
“Yeah, doesn’t that sound like a barrel full of fun?”
✽✽✽
Laney held her nephew close to her heart while Emily played with her hair.
“You have such pretty curls. Did Rider have curly hair?.” She asked.
Laney shook her head.
“Nope! I was the one who got the curly hair out of the two of us. I’m the spittin’ image of our mama, and he looks just like our daddy.”
Emily sighed dreamily and ran a hand across Miles’s forehead.
“I miss him.”
“We all do, Em. He was a good man. This little guy has the potential to be just as good, too,” Esme said as she ran her fingers through Miles’s hair.
The baby giggled softly and Laney felt her whole heart expand to three times its size. It felt so good to hold something so precious in her arms. She hadn’t even realized she needed it, until she smelled that sweet baby breath.
“One day you’ll have one of your own, Laney. And, you’ll get to feel that bone-deep-happiness that all mommy’s feel,” Emily whispered.
Esme’s gaze met Laney’s over the top of her head and Laney could see the empathy and sadness residing there.
Don’t cry.
She doesn’t know how deeply you ache for that baby you never got to keep.
Laney tried her hardest not to tear up, but it didn’t work. Her eyes welled over with hot, wet tears that streamed down her cheeks with vigor.
“Hey, don’t cry! I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t mean to upset you, you can have Miles any time you need,” Emily cooed as she smoothed a hand through Laney’s hair again.
Laney shook her head, feeling foolish, knowing full well that her sadness had no place in her heart anymore, but she couldn’t help it. It felt like she was missing out, like she was empty when she was supposed to be full, like her glass was not only half-empty, but shattered as a whole.
“I’m okay, Emily. I’ll be fine. I’m just so happy to finally be here with him.”
Axel_Lone Rangers MC Page 4
