I blink at him. Worry clutches at me.Will he hurt me...rape me?
The door crashes against the wall with a loud thud, jolting Cameron upright. He leaps off me, eyes wide with panic, and hurriedly backs away to the far corner of the room. His voice is shaky as he protests, “It’s not what it looks like.”
Axle’s chilling gaze is aimed at Cameron, the hostility radiating off him. Instant relief eases my heavy heart.He’s here. He will protect me.Axle darts to Cameron and grabs him by the throat. Cameron’s feet are dangling. “I’ll fucking bury you!” Axle screams in his face.
Demon kicks the bedroom door closed. His smile is amused, and a wicked glint dances in his eyes. A dull crunch pulls my attention back to Axle. He’s out of control, throwing punch after punch at Cameron’s face. Demon creeps toward him, his smile curving higher. He pulls Axle off Cameron.
Axle glares at Demon. “Get the fuck off me.”
Demon doesn’t flinch. “I’ll take care of him.” He peers at me and his gaze softens. “You tend to her. I’ll meet you at the van in ten.”
Axle turns to me and his shoulders fall. He takes cautious steps toward me, then takes my shaky hand in his and helps me sit upright. I notice the blood and redness on his hands and knuckles. He scoops me up, one arm supporting my legs and the other my back and pulls me to his chest. His heart is hammering against me, and his breathing is heavy. He kisses the top of my head.
As we walk out, Demon says, “You’re mine, motherfucker.”
The terrified scream that follows makes me flinch, but I have no sympathy for Cameron because I know he would have tried to rape me if he’d had the chance. Axle closes the bedroom door behind us and carries me down the stairs. His body is stiff, as if violence is still coursing through his veins, but his need to care for me outweighs that part of him.
The screams fade away, drowned out by the blaring music. I burrow deeper into the comforting warmth of Axle’s chest, choosing not to meet anyone’s gaze. He kisses the top of my head again.
“I’m so sorry,” he says just loud enough that I can hear it.
It’s not your fault.I want to reassure him, but the words catch in my throat, leaving me unable to speak.
Outside, he opens the van door and ever so gently places me down on the seat. His eyes drift over my face and body. With a pained expression, he asks, “Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head. Physically, no... I tug at Axle’s shirt, needing him to stay with me. He sits on the seat beside me and pulls me down so that my head is resting on his lap. He strokes my hair and whispers, “I’ve got you.”
Tears well up as I imagine what might have been. Despite Axle using violence against people who hurt me, I feel an undeniable sense of security when I’m wrapped in his arms. His protective presence is unwavering, and I know he’ll always be there to keep me safe.
His eyes, full of determination, meet mine, offering a silent promise that reassures me. “Don’t cry, baby girl,” he says softly as he wipes my falling tears with his thumb. There’s a pain in his voice and I want to stop crying, but I can’t.
A short while later, the front door slams shut, making me jolt.
“Shhh...” Axle says. “It’s just Demon.”
The van starts and we pull away. “Did you hurt him?” Axle asks menacingly.
Demon lets out a dark chuckle. “Sure did. My knife went through both his hands. He’ll think twice before touching another woman against her will. I told him if it happens again, he’ll be six feet under.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Good times,” Demon replies.
Twenty-One
She’s My Ride or Die
Axle
Elena fellasleep in the car, so I carried her to bed and made sure she was asleep before I went to the bathroom to wash the blood off my hands. Adrenaline is still firing through me. I’ve lost control many times, but never to the point where I wanted to kill someone.
Bomber knocks on the door, his face sterner than normal. “Church, now!”
“Okay,” I respond. A weight has lifted with the knowledge that Elena is safe in my bed and that the rapist got what was coming to him. Though I’d be more satisfied if he wasn’t breathing. I dry my hands and go downstairs.
I join the men at the table. Demon has a radiant smile on his face. I try to smother a smile at the fact that violence makes him a happy boy.
“Care to explain what the fuck happened?” Reaper asks.
