“Wait, why are we here?” she asks, looking puzzled.
I take a moment, memorizing her gorgeous, relaxed face. Because in a moment, she’s either going to be understanding or super pissed.
“You’re going to stay here at the clubhouse with me until we figure out what our plan is for the Reapers.”
I watch as her face quickly morphs into an annoyed grimace. “If it makes it any better, Marley is going to be staying here too. She’s on her way back now,” I blurt out. I don’t know why I try tosoothe her annoyance. She is staying whether she likes it or not. It’s not safe for her to be anywhere else.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t be serious. I want to go back to my apartment… tonight. I am not staying here,” she growls with aggravation. “Axel, this is ridiculous. I need to go home. I need to figure out what to do about my car. I need to take a hot shower.” She finally looks at me with tired eyes.
Jenna begins to chew on her bottom lip in an anxious movement, making my dick kick to life in my pants. I can’t help myself. Whenever she’s near me, my cock is insatiable.
“Your apartment isn’t safe right now,” I say, letting out a deep breath. “I’ll deal with your car, and you can take a shower upstairs in my room.” I run my fingers through her soft, fiery locks. “Just let me take care of everything tonight, and we can talk it all out in the morning.”
She lets out a dejected huff. “Seems like you’ve thought of everything.”
My only response is a quick wink before I reach for the door handle. Her hand lands on mine as I pull the handle.
“Wait, what about that guy on my car? What about the whole fight tonight? Won’t you all be arrested? Wait, will I be arrested?” Her voice sounds frantic as the reality of tonight settles in. “Axel I’ll lose my job!”
I wrap my fingers around her hand, trying not to touch the small cuts that cover her delicate skin.
“Jenna, none of us are going to jail. Don’t worry about any of this,” I say in a calm, commanding voice. I want to say that the Hell Chasers have the sheriff and a few deputies on the payroll. None of this is blowing back on the club; we weren’t even in Chasers’ territory when it happened. But she doesn’t get to know that information. Frowning, she nods and lets my hand go.
I open the door, letting the cold air whip us in the face. I fucking hate this weather. I wrap my arm around her and pullher into my side as we walk to the clubhouse. Once inside, my brothers all nod toward us as we make our way to the stairs.
“Church in an hour,” Prez bellows from where he sits at the bar. Jenna looks up at me, and I can’t help but smile at her confusion. Her eyebrows scrunch together in the cutest fucking way. Glancing around the room, I don’t miss the glares the club girls are shooting Jenna’s way. It pisses me off because they have no claim to this club, no claim to any member. I make a mental note to deal with this shit tomorrow. Tonight, all I want is to wrap myself around Jenna and sleep.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
jenna
All eyes areon us we make our way to his room. Walking through the common space feels like walking the plank. I keep my head high and try not to let the glares and eye rolls get to me. What is that about? I don’t even know any of these girls. I’ve come to the clubhouse a few times with Marley and Cal since my one night with Axel, but none of the women ever gave me a second look. Now it seems I’m the star of some twisted show. I only see a few of the guys but they are too busy doing other stuff to really pay us any mind. What happened tonight was big.
Stepping onto the second floor, I’m shocked by how many doors line the long hallway. This clubhouse is like Mary Poppins’ bag—just when I feel like I’ve seen it all, an entire second wing pops up. Axel leads me down the hall until we stop in front of a large mahogany door with the number four nailed to the front. Fishing his keys from his pocket, Axel opens the heavy door and gestures with a slight nod of his head for me to enter.
Pausing, I take a moment to rethink complying with his plan for me to stay. What is Axel thinking? I can’t stay here… with him. This is a disaster waiting to happen. We had a deal. I ultimately decide I’ve made it this far, so turning around isn’t an option.
No going back now.
I drop my shoulders and walk into his room, immediately smacked in the face with his delicious scent. I revel in it for a moment, letting it cocoon me like a soft blanket. To my left, I see a bright white bathroom with black honeycomb tiles on the floor. In the back of the bathroom is a generous glass shower, making me yearn for the hot shower I’ve been promised. The idea of washing away all traces of today from my body sounds fantastic.
Axel’s hand softly lands on the small of my back, making me almost purr at the connection.No, stop. Remember the deal, my inner voice snarls at me.
Honestly, who are we kidding? For some reason, Axel and I are always being pulled to each other, whether we like it or not. I don’t understand it, but just having him near makes me feel whole, as if nothing and no one could harm me. Axel’s gentle touch burns my back as he guides me further into the room. He doesn’t look at me, but the small tick of his jaw lets me know he isn’t unaffected by this moment, either. The intense energy between us is almost palpable, sending lightning through my body at his slight touch.
Light gray walls and black leather furniture adorn the room. The space is well put together but not at all what I expected. A twinge of guilt fills my chest at the realization that I’ve judged Axel based on the fact that he’s a biker. I thought I’d be walking into a gross, thrown-together dorm room, but instead, I stand in the center of a lavish apartment.
Axel’s bed sits at the far wall of the room, its grand black leather headboard and ginormous size taking up most of the space. All the bedding is black, like his furniture. The only hint that this room is Axel’s is his boots by the front door and the motorcycle magazines on the bedside table.
“Is black your favorite color?” I ask, still snooping around the room.
“Prince’s ol’ lady was a part of renovating the club house. She wanted everything to look nice but also feel like it was ours.” He says, eyeing me from where he stands. Axel watches me cautiously and I wonder if that’s because I’m in his space or because he thinks I might fall apart.
That makes a lot of sense. Everything is so organized and orderly; you can tell that the space was well designed. I instantly feel relaxed in this room; the comfort of Axel is everywhere, and it’s a welcome reprieve from the evening. Masculinity and control—exactly the two words I would use to describe Axel’s style.
The shrill sound of Axel’s ringtone slices through the silence like a sharp knife. He gives me a wary look before pulling his phone out of his pocket. I decide to walk toward the window on the other side of the room to give him space. Glancing back at Axel, I note how tight his jaw is clenched and how intense his focus is on the screen. Part of me wants to ask him what’s wrong but I know I probably won’t be able to handle any more bad news tonight.
I turn back to look out the window. It’s dark, and I can’t really make much out except for the moderately sized rectangular patio that sits behind the clubhouse. I spot some of the members out around a fire pit, lost in conversation. Others sit at one of the picnic benches, smoking. Even from up here, I can feel the tense energy everyone is carrying.
