“Axel,” Rush barks and it sounds as if he’s eons away, but his voice manages to catch my attention. “Now.”
“Fuck you,” I growl into the phone and throw it onto the couch.
Following Rush’s command, I head out into the darkness of the night. I walk through the gate and onto the street, without a second glance at everything I’m leaving behind. I can only focus on one thing right now and that’s regaining control over the beast.
The only way to regain control is to give it what it wants.
Right now, the beast demands blood and destruction and I’m going to give it exactly what it wants.
Chapter Twelve
Jaslyn
DOUBLE KNOTTING the laces of my shoes, I stand back upright and tighten my hair tie. The sun has just barely begun to rise across the horizon, and the humidity is already thick in the hot Florida air. Walking briskly across the yard, I try to calm the jitters and the butterflies in my stomach. I don’t typically run with anyone, unless you count Desmond who jogs far enough behind me to give me my space.
My nervousness has nothing to do with the fact that I’m running with Axel. I didn’t wake up an hour early with more energy than I’ve had in months because of him either. This is just a break in my routine and that’s what has me unsettled. That has got to be the only explanation for this.
Axel doesn’t affect me like this… he can’t.
Pausing as I reach the front door, I take a deep breath and my hand shakes as I raise it to knock. My hand curls into a fist and just as I’m about to knock, the door is slowly pulled away from me.
Axel sucks in a breath as his eyes drop down to my sneakers. His gaze trails up my legs, over my bare stomach and black sports bra before meeting my eyes. Waves crash in the deep blue hues of his irises and he stares at me with a fire burning inside them.
Shifting my weight, I swallow hard as I fight the urge to look at him the way he’s looking at me. Temptation wins the fight and I cave as my eyes fall to his torso.
He’s shirtless, revealing his toned stomach and defined muscles. I’ve seen him shirtless before, but never up close and it was never this personal.
“You’re early.” His voice is hoarse as my eyes trace the black ink across his chest.
My eyes quickly flash to his and I feel the warmth as it creeps up my neck and spreads across my face. “I—um—wanted to get out before it got too hot.”
Smooth.
The heat is already getting to me and we haven’t even started running yet.
A ghost of a smile plays on Axel’s face and he chews on the inside of his cheek as a wave of pain flashes through his eyes.
“Well, we should get to it then,” he says gruffly as he steps closer to me, stopping when his toes meet mine. “The longer we stand here, the hotter it’s going to get.”
He towers over me as he steps into my space and my eyes widen as I tilt my head back to look at him. Any playfulness has left, and I gulp, feeling the heat spreading through my body.
The sun isn’t the only thing that is making the temperature rise...
“Um—yeah.” I choke on the words as I force them out. Axel stares down at me, challenging me as he waits for my next move. Without another word, I spin on my heel and walk briskly to the gate. Axel follows closely behind and neither of us speaks a single word as we step out onto the sidewalk.
♦♦♦
Axel kept up effortlessly as we ran the three-mile route that I typically run. Ignoring him was harder than I anticipated, and I was hyper aware of his presence the entire time. Every step I took felt unnatural and I over thought every move that I made.
When we reach the house, I’m a sweaty mess and Axel is barely out of breath from our run.
“So, what now?” Axel asks as we walk back through the gate and into the compound.
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I don’t respond as we walk toward the pool house. I don’t know what happens now. Are we supposed to just part ways and go about our daily business? I know that I won’t see Jasper today and he probably won’t be home tonight.
I’m free to do as I please… within the restrictions that I have, of course.
It’s a short walk to the pool house and we both stop by the door. Axel watches me as I shift my weight nervously and brush a stray hair from my face.
“Well, I guess this is me.” He sighs lightly with his hand on the doorknob. A hint of disappointment passes through his eyes as he gives me a small smile and shrugs. “If you ever need a running partner, you know where to find me.”
As much as he makes me feel uncomfortable, his company has been enjoyable so far. I’ll always be alone in this world, but he makes me feel a little less secluded. Axel makes me feel a lot of things, it’s almost too much, but it’s something that I can turn off. Take it all at face value and keep him at arm’s length.
If he isn’t close enough, he can’t touch me, and he can’t break through the walls that I’ve carefully built around me. He would be a fool to threaten the fortress that I’ve built inside.
Axel is different, but all men are the same in one way or another. I see the way that he looks at me—I’m not blind to the attraction between us—but that’s all it is and all that it can ever be. Everything between us is superficial and superficial is something that I can do.
The nervousness that I had been feeling suddenly vanishes and it’s replaced with a feeling of empowerment. It’s been a long time since someone made me feel how he does and I’m going to use that to my advantage.
I’m not weak and that’s all that he’s seen of me.
A smirk plays on my lips as I slowly look him up and down. My heart pounds in my chest as I play with the fire that I swore to stay far away from.
My eyes meet Axel’s heated gaze as he licks his lips, watching me assess him.
“I’ll be in the pool if you want to join me.”
I don’t look back or wait for a response from him as I walk away, riding out my high from the rush of adrenaline.
What the hell am I doing?
♦♦♦
It’s been a week since Axel moved in. That first day that we spent together started something between us, something new and unusual.
In that short amount of time, we had our own routine. Every morning we’d go for a run, we’d end up in the pool at some point and later, we’d just hang out. We hung out like how I’d imagine normal friends spend their time together. Being around him brought back my youth. It made me remember that I’m just a twenty-three-year-old girl who barely knows the world.
Jasper surprised me when he found us on the back patio one evening. I had anticipated his wrath, expected his anger, but instead, he didn’t give a damn. He didn’t know a thing about Axel, but he handed me over without a second thought, relying on him to keep me safe. In Jasper’s eyes, I was still his, but he couldn’t feel the electricity in the air between us.
Jasper didn’t see the way that Axel looked at me and the fleeting glances we shared. He missed the subtle touches and the words that were spoken between us in a tone he wouldn’t approve of.
If he knew, Axel would be dead, and I wouldn’t be that lucky.
The thought alone was enough to shake me to the core, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop. I liked whatever this was between us, even if it would never go anywhere. I liked it enough that it was worth the risk.
What Axel and I have is harmless and hopeless. It’s something that will never be, but entertaining the thought softens the blow of reality.
Entertaining the thought adds more fuel to the fire and it only takes a small lick from a flame to turn your world into an inferno.
Chapter Thirteen
Axel
TODAY IS THE first day since I’ve moved here that I haven’t spent it with Jaslyn. We skipped our morning run and took a dip in the pool instead. Jasper was gone for the night and came home early today, which cut our time together short.
When Jasper found me with her instead of getti
ng ready for tonight’s fight, he wasn’t pleased. He had the audacity to accuse me of being lazy when he had no idea how I prepare for a fight. Explaining myself to someone isn’t what I do, but it’s what I had to do.
Jasper seemed indifferent to my process and was more annoyed when I informed him of Rush. He was hesitant about me having someone else on the property, but he agreed. Rush is the closest thing that I have to family and if Jasper had an issue with that, I wouldn’t think twice to breach that bullshit contract.
♦♦♦
“So, what time did you wanna head out?”
I glance over at Rush, sprawled out on the couch like he lives here. “Or did your master forbid that you ride with the lowly heathen?”
“He’s not my fucking master,” I growl. “And he doesn’t have a say in what I do.”
Rush yawns as he rolls his eyes and slowly sits up on the couch. “Yeah, well, homeboy didn’t look very happy to see me here.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “You got trouble in paradise already?”
“Fuck off,” I mutter as I pull on my black t-shirt. “There’s a lot of money riding on this fight. If I don’t get there in one piece, we’re all fucked.”
“Well, shit. I feel like I’m picking up my prom date right now.” Rush flashes a shit-eating grin at me. “Tell your daddy that I will obey all traffic laws and I’ll get you there safe and sound.”
Shaking my head, I roll my eyes at him. “How the fuck would you know what that’s like? Your ass didn’t even go to prom.”
Contemplating what I said, Rush nods his head. “You’re right.” He shrugs. “I did fuck a few prom dates that night though. They just weren’t mine.”
Laughing out loud, I shake my head and sit down on the recliner. “How the hell are you not a walking STD at this point?”
“No glove, no love, baby.” Rush winks as he kicks his feet up on the coffee table. Tilting my head to the side, I raise my eyebrows with a knowing look.
Rush raises his hands in the air. “Okay, okay. I’ve raw dogged it quite a few times, but I’m like the fucking Genie, bro. I got nothing but luck.”
“You do know that he brought other’s good luck, right?”
“Whatever.” Rush waves me off dismissively. “Then I’m my own good luck charm.”
Laughing, I stand up and walk into the kitchen, grabbing my duffle bag and throw it onto the island. Quickly unzipping it, I dig through my belongings, making sure that I have everything that I need for the night.
“Speaking of luck…” Rush calls from the living room. “Did the pool boy fuck the hot wife yet?”
Spinning around, I cut my eyes at him. “I told you, she is not his fucking wife,” I growl.
“Dude, you totally fucked her. Look at how defensive and shit you’re getting.”
“Rush…” My voice trails off in warning as I crack my knuckles. He doesn’t say another word as he rolls his eyes and goes back to the TV. Rush knows that I’ll fuck him up if he keeps pushing me. And he’s been pushing pretty fucking hard.
♦♦♦
After lying around lazily, I finally got my shit together and we were out the door. Rush creeps up to the main house in his car and puts it in park when I tell him to stop. Jasper never said anything about using the front door and his toes are the last ones I want to step on right now.
As I round the side of the house, Jaslyn’s black hair catches my eye as she’s curled up on the outdoor sectional with a book. Her head shoots up as my sneakers hit the patio and her eyes are wide as they meet mine. Her chest heaves as she takes a deep breath and her body subtly relaxes.
“Hi,” she says quietly, looking up at me as my feet stop in front of her.
“Hey.” I smile at the sound of her voice.
Jaslyn smiles back at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Tilting her head to the side, she gives me a confused look. “Don’t you have a fight tonight?”
Nodding, I frown slightly as I notice her face, free of makeup and her disheveled clothing, an outfit that Jasper would never take her out in. “You’re not coming?”
Jaslyn’s gaze drops to the ground. “Jasper forbid it. He said I’d only be in the way.”
The only thing that she would be in the way of would be Jasper getting his dick wet by one of his side chicks.
Jaslyn would step out of the way to let him do what he wants.
Her disdain for him is blatantly written on her face and it’s clear that she’d willingly hand him over to anyone that would want him. The rage that I crave slowly fills me at the thought of Jasper exercising his control. Jaslyn is safer here, away from the madness, but Jasper shouldn’t be the one to decide that. His intentions are selfish, as her safety has no importance in his mind.
“Where is he?” I growl, unable to contain the anger running through me.
Jaslyn’s brow furrows as her eyes search mine. “He left a little while ago… I thought that the two of you left together.” Pausing, she looks past me at Rush’s car sitting in the driveway. “Who’s that?”
Glancing behind me, I find Rush lazily leaning against his car with a smirk playing on his face. Rolling my eyes, I shake my head at him, and he takes that as an open invitation to join us.
Turning back to Jaslyn, I look at her apologetically as Rush comes to stand beside me.
“My ears were ringing, so I figured that I was the topic of your conversation right now.” He smiles at her warmly. “I’m Rush, Axel’s brother.”
Jaslyn raises an eyebrow at me in question, since she knows so little about my life outside of here. I had managed to tiptoe around most of her questions thus far.
“Not biological,” I explain with a shrug.
Rush ignores my comment and waves me off. “You must be the beauty that I’ve heard so much about.”
Jaslyn glances at me as her face grows flush. She quickly looks back at Rush with a ghost of a grin on her lips. “That’s funny, because I haven’t heard a single thing about you.”
His eyes widen slightly, and he throws his hand over his chest. “You wound me.” He glances over at me. “You’re a shit brother.”
With a smug look, I shrug and Jaslyn laughs quietly. Her laughter is barely audible, but it’s the sweetest sound that plays like a melody in my ears. She’s carefree and happy as she listens to our banter.
She needs to laugh more.
Any goals that I had in life have gone out the window. Jaslyn is my new goal. I don’t give a damn if I accomplish anything else in life other than making her laugh.
Rush clears his throat loudly, drawing my eyes away from her and points at his watch. With a sigh, I give him a curt nod.
Glancing at Jaslyn, he shrugs with a frown. “Sorry to cut this short, sweets, but we gotta roll.” Rush blows her a kiss before walking back to his car without another word.
Jaslyn nods with a small smile. “Good luck, Axel.” Her eyes search mine as I return her smile and nod lightly. Spinning on my heel, I walk back across the patio and follow Rush when I hear her words. Her voice is but a whisper, but I can hear her loud and clear.
“Be careful.”
My footsteps falter for a moment before I regain balance and fight the urge to go back to her.
Fighting is the one thing in my life that I don’t need to be careful with. But with Jaslyn, anything less than careful could get us both killed. The closer I get, the more reckless I’m becoming.
The longer you play with fire, the hotter it grows and for Jaslyn, I’ll fucking burn for an eternity.
♦♦♦
“Dude.” Rush pulls his door shut as I slide into the car. “Holy fucking sexual tension.”
Pushing the button on the dashboard, Rush starts the car as I pull my door closed and put on my seatbelt. “Stop reading into shit.”
“Right,” he says sarcastically. Throwing the car in drive, he whips it around and heads back down the driveway. “Well, if you don’t fuck her, I can’t promise you that I won’t.”
Subconsciously, I crack my kn
uckles and cut my eyes at him. “If you even think about touching her, I will beat you until your brains are coming out of your nose.”
“Of course you will.” Rush glances at me with a smirk. “But if I’m just reading into shit, why are you getting so pissed?”
“Fuck you,” I mumble as I tear my eyes away from him and glance out the window.
“There’s nothing for me to read into, Axe.” Rush slows the car to a stop just outside the gate and he checks for traffic. “You’re just pissed because you know I’m right.”
My back is slammed against my seat as Rush peels out of the driveway and his tires screech as he whips the car out onto the road. With his foot on the gas, we speed down the Miami streets in silence with his words hanging in the air.
He is right and I fucking hate it.
Chapter Fourteen
Jaslyn
STARING AFTER Rush’s car, I watch silently as he pulls out of the driveway and whips it down the street. Axel was already a mystery, but meeting Rush just made it more complex. I had so many questions and not many answers.
Where did Axel come from and how did he end up here?
I knew he was a fighter and I know why he’s here, but what I don’t know is how this is where he ended up in life. There’s more to him than I’ll ever know, but now I know that he’s not alone. Rush may not be his blood, but he’s family, nonetheless. They banter like brothers and the bond between them is incredibly strong.
A bond like that is only formed between two strangers when they meet in Hell and survive it together.
What the hell happened to the two of them?
♦♦♦
The house is silent as I walk inside and take my seat at the breakfast bar. Nina already prepared dinner and left a plate out for me, knowing that I would be eating alone tonight.
Mirage: Veiled Love Duet: Book One Page 7
