We’re among the first people off the train, and Axel hustles us out of Union Station and into a cab within minutes after our arrival. I was somewhat still sore from the recent pounding I’d received just minutes ago.
“Just a quickie before we get off the train,” I’d said, my hand already wrapped around his thickness. He’d fucked me up against the window, my breath fogging the glass each time I moaned. It had been amazing, wonderful. The thrill that we might be spotted by some random stranger made the sex all the better.
But a small part of me regretted it. Not because I didn’t enjoy it. I placed a hand on my pelvis as I felt another cramp. It was a dull ache, not at all like the sharp pain I normally felt before my period. Maybe Axel and I could try not to fuck each other so hard next time. Slow and steady should do the trick just as well.
“You alright, darlin’?”
“Hmm? Yeah, just a cramp. I think my period’s coming soon.”
Axel placed his large hand on my pelvis and rubbed gentle circles there. Of course, this does nothing to alleviate the pain, but it did comfort me greatly. He put the other on my back and did the same right on the arch, and kissed my cheek.
“Do you need to stop for Tampons or pads?”
I laughed, his endearing behavior doing funny things to my insides. “No, it’s fine. I’ve got some in my bag. And some ibuprofen too, for the pain. I’ll take one with some water if it gets worse.”
He nodded, but didn’t stop his soothing. The anxiety I’d been feeling all day eventually eased, and I relaxed into Axel’s embrace.
“Where are we going?”
He pulled his face away from the curve of my neck and whispered the answer against my cheek. “A friend of mine. She’s going to put us up for the night, and then we’re all going to put our heads together and try to figure out a plan.”
The only friends Axel had mentioned were the crew he’d told me about earlier. So unless he’d joined a book club right after Magnus beat him, I could only assume the “she” Axel was referring to was Layla.
“Any reason in particular why we’re seeking help from one of your former gang members?” I asked snidely, my tone screaming my disapproval. “Otherwise we might as well call our would-be killer and let him know where we are.”
Axel made a strange expression and I frowned when I realised he wasn’t telling me everything. I stopped both his hands when he couldn’t quite meet my gaze and leaned in close so he couldn’t avoid me.
“No more lies, remember? What aren’t you telling me, bear?” I pressed, ignoring how the cab driver lowered the volume to listen in, as if the breaking news story about a young woman being kidnapped wasn’t as important as our relationship drama.
“Well, I know I can trust Layla because she’s the only one of us who didn’t really get along with M. We all worked together, yes, but M didn’t really like Layla much after she turned him down…for me.”
The cab driver made a curious noise, but kept his gaze firmly on the road. I blinked, then slapped Axel’s uninjured shoulder with the palm of my hand. “Are you absolutely crazy? You’re taking me to meet your ex-girlfriend?”
“Well, we mostly just fucked a lot…”
I growled, then pulled away from Axel to sit on the other side of the cab. I forced myself to look out the window, and folded my arms to deter him from even thinking of touching me. But Axel was big on physical contact. So, he reached over, picked me up and planted me right on his lap. His arms closed around my tiny middle when I attempted to escape him, effectively locking me in place.
“Calm down, sweetheart. It isn’t what you think. Layla and I broke up years ago. I haven’t even seen her in over three, and I haven’t fucked her for much longer than that. You have absolutely nothing to worry about,” he cajoled, his drawl working wonders on my temper.
Then he turned me gently so I was facing him, and kissed me deeply, erasing all my concerns with the sensual slip of his very talented tongue. I allowed it, needing to be comforted.
But as soon as the cab dropped us off just outside of town, in front of a pretty nice looking establishment that promised liquor and food, I found my palms itching with anticipation. Axel removed all the bags, carrying them so I wouldn’t have to, then nudged me towards the entrance.
The crowd inside was sparse, since it was a Sunday evening. Most folks were in bed by now, with the exception of those few who sat around the bar and filled the booths at the back.
They glanced at us strangely, but nobody seemed to give a fuck that we were there at all. My gaze swept the half-lit room in search of the woman in question. When I spotted her, I wished I had refused to come here.
She squeezed out from behind the bar with a gentle word to the man working beside her, and hurried over to greet us. My nose scrunched up with annoyance when she threw herself into Axel’s arms, and I nearly barfed when she giggled like a fucking idiot.
Hmm. I had no idea I could be so catty…
Axel finally put her down, but she made no move to acknowledge me until he stepped back and said, “Sienna, this is Layla. She’s a good friend of mine.”
And a goddamn stunner.
She was a tall, slender thing with the silkiest blonde hair I’d ever seen in person and the most captivating grey eyes I’ve ever looked into. Her features were striking, with high cheekbones and a nose nobody would believe was natural. Her lips were naturally pouty and plump, and when she smiled I actually had to blink away the awe I felt in her presence. She held out a hand, slender with long fingers, and I took it, shaking it slowly while I tried to figure out why she put me on edge.
“Layla, this is Sienna.” And nothing more. I forced a smile, unwilling to show this stranger the hurt that washed over me at Axel’s introduction. It didn’t make any sense, but I was very annoyed with him. But then he added, “She and I are…sort of seeing each other.”
His hand was suddenly on my back, slowly wrapping around my waist. He pulled me close, his fingers already slipping under the hem of my sweater to tease at my skin, his thumb moving in lazy circles.
Layla’s eyes softened, and her smile widened considerably. I tried to find a shadow of jealousy or dislike or something I could hold against her, but there was nothing except genuine pleasure and delighted surprise.
“You must be really special if Axel’s decided to finally settle down,” she acknowledged, releasing my hand. “How about we take your bags upstairs while you settle in that booth over there? I’ll ask Carl to bring over some beer and snacks.”
She turned away, giving my “boyfriend” a look that spoke volumes. Axel escorted me to a booth closest to the kitchen and bar while Layla whispered something to the guy I now knew was called Carl. Axel kissed me soundly on the lips, leaving only after he was certain I was comfortable. He and Layla disappeared with the bags into a hallway I think led up to her apartment, leaving me alone in a room full of huge, muscled men. Some of them glanced my way, but nobody made a move on me. Probably because they’d seen me with Axel…
I looked up when a few beers were placed in front of, as well as a plate stacked with mouth-watering ribs. I said my thanks to the bartender, who nodded his dark head once before heading back to the bar. Not very friendly, I noted.
I’d just taken a sip of my beer and bit into a succulent rib when Layla and Axel came back. They weren’t in a hurry, both absorbed in the conversation they were having. The music was just low enough that I could hear her sudden burst of laughter, followed by Axel’s deeper chuckle. When they were walking together like this, it was easy to imagine them naked and wrapped around one another while they-
Axel slid into the booth beside me. He rested his thigh alongside mine and placed his hand firmly on my knee before reaching for his beer. Layla sat across from us, and snagged her beer, taking a rather long sip.
Axel leaned in and bit the best part of my rib between his teeth. I made a face at his terrible table manners, but he didn’t seem to care much. So I handed him the rest of the rib and used one of the napkins on the table to wipe the sauce off his moustache and my hands. He pulled back and frowned, to which I said, “Well, unless you want to sit there looking like an uncultured brute-”
“Oh, please. As if you’d ever want me to be anything else.”
I rolled my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, but I put down the napkin when I realised Axel would not be deterred. Layla’s gaze was curious as she watched us, a small smile teasing her lovely face. She put down her beer, removed a box of cigarettes from her leather jacket and with grey eyes twinkling at me, she asked, “So how did the two of you meet?”
I almost choked on my beer. Axel rubbed his clean hand over my back while Layla held out a square of tissue. I croaked out a thank you while coughing, and took another sip of beer at Axel’s insistence.
“Ah, she’s just all nervous because she doesn’t want me to tell you we fucked the first night we met.”
I shot him a dirty look, and he merely grinned at me.
“I was having a beer at this fancy-ass place. First time there, since I was just passing through. I was actually about to leave when she walked in and…fuck. I just had to have her, you know. She barely noticed the amount of attention she drew. God, those legs. Hips swaying like she wanted my eyes on her ass, wanted me picturing all kinds of-”
I slapped his arm and his expression sobered some. I felt his hand close around my thigh and inch higher. My nostrils flared and my toes curled when he cupped my mound, then Axel leaned in close to finish his story.
“I wonder why she let me stick around. She could have any man she wanted, yet she chose to fuck me that night,” he whispered, fingers squeezing my mound. I swallowed the moan I’d been about to release and replied, “I saw you still had a full pack of cigarettes and I was almost out. It beat getting up for another box.”
His grin spread, and he closed the distance between us with a single purpose. Before he could kiss me, Layla made a retching sound so loud that we were forced to pull apart. I blushed and bit down on my lip just as Axel’s fingers let go of my aching pussy.
Layla held out the box to us, offering her cigarettes. We took them, waited for her to light them. Silence descended while we smoked, each of us in our thoughts.
Axel nodded towards the bar, his gaze neutral as he regarded Layla. “So you date now?”
Layla rolled her eyes. “I’m letting him stick around for a bit. He’s got some experience behind the bar and he’s good to me.”
I nodded, still uncertain why a woman like her would date someone like Carl. Not that he wasn’t cute. His shaggy curls made him seem younger than he was, his eyes a dark shade of brown. His face had the right look to make him handsome, attractive. He had some muscle on his bones, but nothing like Axel.
He watched Layla like an eager puppy, as though afraid she would run if he took her eyes off her long enough. Insecure and possessive, a turn off for most women. But Layla didn’t seem to mind it at all.
“Uh-huh,” Axel muttered, sounding just as uncertain. “You can tell us if you’re only sticking around for the sex. Nobody’s going to judge.”
We all laughed. Axel blew smoke out of his mouth and watched his friend, waiting for some form of response.
Layla shook her head, her voice almost quiet when she replied, “Honestly, it’s nothing to write home about, but he fulfils my needs right now. I’m not one for relationships, anyway, so this is fine for me.” I took another sip when she added, “I’m happy with what I have. I know you won’t get it.”
I inhaled slowly, let the smoke drift out of my mouth rather than blow it out. I was too busy watching Axel, too curious about the sudden stiffening of those massive shoulders.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“All those randoms we were surrounded by…it means you never enjoyed the meaningless sex as much as we did. All those women you fucked might have left you sexually satisfied, but you never looked happy afterwards. You’ve always been happiest when you have someone in your life, a partner to share shit with.”
I winced when Axel’s grasp tightened around my thigh, his fingers digging into my limb rather painfully. He wasn’t even aware he was doing it, because he was regarding Layla with no small amount of anger.
“I’m happy that you found someone. Out of everyone, you were the one who always wanted a home. Bren’s too scarred to ever trust anyone long enough to let them close. Michael is a fucking sociopath and I… Well, I belong to the game. I’m too much of a drifter to ever settle anywhere. But you want a family. You want someone to come home to. I just worried that you wouldn’t ever find someone with as much capacity to love as you do,” she explained. Her gaze locked on mine and she smiled. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry anymore.”
I risked a glance in his direction. Axel flicked his cigarette into the air, and it landed on the floor beside the booth. In a second, he had his beer on his mouth and he was slowly chugging it down, his icy gaze glaring daggers at Layla. That done, he slammed the bottle onto the table harder than was necessary and slid out of the booth without another word. We watched him saunter towards the bathroom, his shoulders tense with emotion.
“I’m sorry. I thought you two had already… Axel doesn’t attach often, so I figure you two spoke about…” She looked as guilty as a pretty blonde with mesmerising grey eyes could, and then sighed softly to herself. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I should head back to the bar. He’ll cool down and come back, but I doubt that’ll happen if I’m still sitting here.”
With an apologetic smile, she slid out of the booth and went back to her place behind the bar. I took a sip of my cold beer, and glanced in the direction Axel had disappeared in. From where I sat, I could see the entrance of both bathrooms and another door on the left. It probably led to a store room or a supply closet, because the back exit was on the other side. I crushed the cigarette in the tray nailed to the table.
An idea sparked, and I took one last, long gulp of the craft before I left the booth as well. Axel was just heading out when I made it into the hallway, and I grinned at him. He didn’t respond at all. At least, not until I grabbed his hand and pushed the door open.
It was dark enough that I couldn’t see anything, but I closed the door behind him and pushed him against it. He groaned when I kissed him, his body still rigid with tension. Pulling away, his hands closed around my arms and kept me at a distance.
“Not now, Sienna. I’m not in the mood.”
There was a bit of light drifting in from beneath the door, but not enough that he might see me roll my eyes. But all I could do was sigh and argue, “You’re always in the mood. I’m pretty sure your dick is hard right now.”
He scoffed, the sound filled with male indignation. “I am not-”
I reached forward blindly, my hand finding the blooming erection beneath his jeans. He inhaled sharply, his grasp weakening just a bit. Begrudgingly, he admitted, “Well, my cock is clearly stupid. Let’s go. We’ll find somewhere else to crash tonight.”
I frowned in the darkness, and let my hand trail higher until I found his face. “Is this about what Layla said?” I checked, because I didn’t want to assume anything where he was concerned anymore.
He said nothing. If he replied, he would most likely have to give an explanation for his feelings and he wasn’t ready to show me every part of him just yet.
“It’s okay if what she said pissed you off, Axel.”
He grunted, pulling away. I grabbed his beard and held him in place even though I couldn’t see him. It probably hurt like a bitch because I was not gentle.
“I know things are very real right now, and we have to stay focused. But we’re allowed to have these little moments for ourselves, right? You’re hard for me, and my pussy is gushing for you. Can’t we just enjoy each other, then figure out the rest later?”
I unbuttoned my jeans, lowered the zip and pushed his hand between my legs. I’d washed off his cum from earlier, so the wetness he felt now was all me. He didn’t do anything at first, but having my cunt on his actual fingertips weakened his resolve because soon enough, his middle finger was gently rubbing against my clit.
I let go of his beard, cupping his jaw in my tiny hand. Before I could second guess myself, I crashed my lips against his and kissed him with every bit of desire I felt for him.
And it was a lot.
I pushed him hard against the door, fingers combing through his hair, the others working quickly to free his cock. Returning my kiss, Axel parted his lips and let my tongue slip into his mouth. It was a fevered, chaotic and crazy thing, this kiss, mostly because we were both trying to get into each other’s pants in the darkness.
With a frustrated grunt, Axel grabbed my hips and lifted me. He had me up against the door so fast that I didn’t realise what was happening until his hand wrapped around my neck and he slammed me back against the wood.
His other large paw was under my sweater and pulling my bra down, spilling my tits out of their uncomfortable confines. By now I had his cock in my hand, stroking him fast and hard, wanting him hungry for me. I needn’t have bothered, though, because if the way he kissed me and squeezed my tits was any indication, I was in for another memorable fuck.
“Jeans. Off. Now.”
His mouth was on my tit again, my sensitive nipple sucked deep and hard, eliciting soft moans. I struggled to lower the denim – I couldn’t do much with Axel trying to swallow my tit whole. So he yanked them off for me. Just the one leg, which he hikes over his shoulder in the next second.
His cock nudged between my legs, finding my opening easily after all the time he’d spent there. My breathing was heavy when he managed to work an inch in, my eyes squeezed shut from the pain…because I was still a bit sore from earlier.
He put his mouth next to my ear, and hissed, “This is what you wanted? You wanted me to fuck you in some supply closet while everyone sits within earshot? Do you want them to hear us fuck?”
“Yes,” I breathed, relaxing as he fed me more of his cock. “But you’re not fucking me yet, bear. Do you not want to fuck your little slut’s tight cunt anymore?”
I got my response when he shoved deep inside me, making me gasp. His hand was on my mouth a second later, keeping me quiet while he rammed into me. Every inward thrust took my breath away, while he claimed my soul with each withdrawal. Axel fucked me so hard against the door, slamming me into it with such power, that it smacked against the frame rhythmically. Luckily with the music blasting…
When had they turned up the volume-
Oh God, what was this man doing to me? I was crying actual fucking tears while he drove that cock inside me, but they were not from pain or sadness or grief. I was overwhelmed, horny, thrilled, and without a doubt on my way to the best orgasm of my entire existence. I sobbed against his palm and he pulled it away to ask one question.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Please… Don’t… I… Need… Fuck. Me. Axel.”
Deeper he fucked.
Harder he bucked.
“Is this what my little slut wants? Is this gonna set your cock-hungry pussy off? Make you squirt all over my jeans? Make you cream all over my cock?”
His hand was back on my mouth to keep my screams silent, his fingers and palm now wet with both my tears and saliva. My nails were digging painfully into his forearm, and I’m sure I drew blood but he never once complained. He took the pain while I took the pleasure, fucking away whatever fears he had and bringing me indescribable ecstasy.
“Scream for me when you come, Sienna. I want the world to know how hard you come with my cock inside you.”
I went off like a rocket. Only, I was so overstimulated and so primed for this orgasm that my body wasn’t quite sure what to do with itself. I know I cried out long and hard. I might have tried to crawl up the door like goddamn Spider-Man just to get off Axel’s dick. There’s also a possibility that I howled like a bitch in heat…
Anyway. What I am very much aware of is how hot his cum feels as he fills me with it, how hard he kisses me even though the hand around my throat holds me gently. I know his kiss cools from heated to tender while we stood there and that his hips don’t stop moving until we’ve both come down from the high of our releases.
He rested his forehead on mine. Even in the dark, I knew he was looking at me, trying to gauge how I felt about the whole experience. But I had no words to speak at that moment. I suddenly wished we had left when Axel suggested it, so I could have him all to myself for a little while longer. I don’t know what the fuck this feeling was, but the shit I’d felt at the cabin paled in comparison to this.
And maybe…just maybe if we were alone, I wouldn’t have started freaking out at that exact moment. I gently pushed Axel away, and quickly rearranged my clothes to cover all my naughty bits. I mumbled something about needing to clean up and pulled open the door, running as fast as I could into the ladies bathroom. Only after I was safely inside a stall did it hit me, and I swore out loud because I knew I could never tell him.
Fuck.
***
Women were fucking weird.
Men were simple. We didn’t complicate shit with our emotions and turn simple situations into some complex Rubix cube that could never be solved. I had no problem understanding men.
Women, on the other hand, were a mystery to me. Sienna was much worse. She was an enigma. As mysterious to me as the universe is to mankind.
It was her idea to go into that closet. I hadn’t been in the mood because I was still pissed at Layla for laying out my life like that. Then Sienna had touched me, and all rational thought had flown out the metaphorical window. I’d given in, fuelled by her horny little moans, responding to the dirty things that had come out of her mouth.
Was I not supposed to fuck her? Maybe she got pissed off that I called her a slut again, but she had led the way. She had said the word herself, which I thought was her green light. Otherwise I wouldn’t have said it… She’d been so upset last time.
Yeah, that was probably it.
But then again, she would have stopped me right then and there to reprimand me for it. She might have even gone so far as to push me away and stomp her way back to the booth, leaving me there with an erection she had caused.
So maybe it was something else. That fucking nonsense Layla had said must’ve made her feel some type of way. It sure as shit had pissed me off. Who’s to say it didn’t affect her?
Shit. That is not a conversation I was looking forward to having.
After Sienna had run out of the closet, leaving me bewildered and embarrassed, I’d tucked my cock back into my pants and slipped into the men’s to clean up. Unfortunately, there was very little I could do about the scars she’d left on my arm except to wipe the blood away. And even after all that effort, I still smelled like pussy. But I liked that, because I smelled like her pussy.
I wondered for a moment, if Sienna liked the feel of my cum inside her. Did she get a sense of satisfaction knowing that my cum was slowly leaking out of that tight cunt of hers and into the crotch of her panties?
No, that was my thing… The memory of her legs spread wide open as my sperm slowly leaked out of her brought me genuine joy. I would have to tie her up one day and fuck her senseless, then leave her there so I could watch my cum slowly pour from her little cunt.
I walked back towards the booth we’d been seated at, and resumed my seat there. I downed Sienna’s beer and took one of the ribs on the plate, calm enough now to look up at Layla when she slammed a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey in front of me.
“You’re scowling something fierce, stud. What’s wrong with you? Did you have a fight with your girl?”
I waved a hand in dismissal, then looked down at the rib in front of me. I wanted to bite into it, but I suddenly had no desire whatsoever to eat it. My appetite was gone. So I placed the rib right on top of the stack and sighed.
I accepted the shot Layla offered and swallowed it without wincing. Then I pointed a warning finger at her and said, “You should’ve kept your mouth shut.”
She held up her hands, and nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ve just never seen you with a girl before and I thought you were going steady. My bad.”
We weren’t in a romantic relationship, but I thought there was something there. Hmm. Maybe I was overthinking shit too…
“Whatever. It’s fine. Gimme a cigarette.”
It wasn’t. Layla must’ve realised it because she poured me another shot and lit my cigarette. I blew out the smoke and hoped the nicotine would help ease the anxiety churning in my gut. I hadn’t even realised that the other customers were starting to file out the door until a few of them came over to say their goodbyes to Layla.
“What time is it?”
“Just past one. It’s a working day tomorrow and I have to be up bright and early for a job. If I don’t chase these assholes out, they’ll never leave.”
I glanced in the direction of the hallway, hoping Sienna would make a sudden reappearance. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to her right now. I was a little upset with her.
“Help me get the room ready? Then you and your little Smurfette can have some privacy to talk things through,” she teased.
“Don’t call her that,” I defended. “I find her petiteness damn adorable. She’s so small compared to me, I worry I’ll hurt her. But she loves how rough I am. And you cannot imagine how tiny her-.”
“Please don’t talk about your girlfriend’s lady parts to me,” she pleaded, scooting out of the booth. I poured another shot while she walked over to the bar and addressed her boyfriend.
I gulped the amber liquid down and screwed the lid back on while she leaned in close and planted a kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek. I slid out of the booth and followed her down the other corridor, then up the stairs to the living space upstairs.
We walked into an expansive kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a half wall. Past that was a hallway leading to the bedrooms and the guest bathroom. Layla walked toward the hallway with ease, clearly comfortable with the space. I squatted down to open Sienna’s bag, checking to see if she still had clean clothes to wear. But she didn’t.
“Follow me. You probably want to wash off.”
I didn’t. I would wait for Sienna. She wouldn’t feel comfortable alone with Whosits downstairs. Sienna didn’t know these people.
I stood, and slowly made my way toward the stairs.
“Hey, Layla, I’m gonna go downstairs and get Sienna. Do you mind-”
I cut off abruptly when I heard the unmistakable sound of a safety clicking off. Softly, I cursed but didn’t turn around. She’d immediately view me as a threat if I did that, and would shoot before I figured out how far she was. I glanced toward the stairs, my heart drumming erratically at the thought of Carl pointing a gun at Sienna.
“We didn’t think you’d get this far, you know. Magnus was right. That red-headed bitch really does motivate you.”
My anxiety shot up when I heard Sienna’s voice drifting up the stairs. With the customers gone and the music off, every sound seemed loud as hell. If I warned her or she realised something was wrong, she would do something reckless and get shot. I took a deep pull from my cigarette, ashed right on the polished wooden floors of the kitchen.
“I never believed having the right woman could make me a better man, but I guess a few of those old wive’s tales are true.”
She walked closer, her footsteps barely audible on the tiled floor. I waited patiently, my shoulders relaxed and my body ready to move at a moment’s notice.
“Funny,” she said sarcastically. “It’s a pity you roped her into this drama of yours. Now she’s going to end up dead.”
“He would’ve killed her anyway. You know what Magnus does to women like her. You’ve seen it yourself. We know what he did to me, and I was supposed to be his friend. What do you think he’ll do to you once we escape?”
Now she laughed, her arrogance obvious. She took another step forward before she said, “You’re not going anywhere. Magnus’s men just got to Kansas and best believe they’re headed straight here. In an hour, you and your little girlfriend will be hanging off meat hooks in a freezer, comparing missing limbs. I’ll be sad if he takes your cock, though. You really know how to use that thing. We could hear Red screaming above the music.”
I grinned. I was going to enjoy that little crumb of knowledge later. After I got Sienna the fuck out of here.
“I thought it was Bren who told M on me. You two were the only ones who knew. You and I were still together at the time, so I didn’t think you were capable of turning on me.”
She snorted. “You think I wanted to be with you after Magnus made you his bitch? God, no. Although, he did set the whole thing up pretty nicely. After I told him where your father was being held, finding someone to kill him was really easy. Your old man was only worth five grand. Can you believe it?”
The lit cigarette fell from my fingers. My heart stopped, and I couldn’t take in another breath. My hands curled into fists as I tried to ease the rage that bubbled inside me. “You and Magnus killed my old man?”
She might have shrugged, or she might have moved forward again. I wasn’t sure. “Magnus couldn’t risk you leaving, Axe. He couldn’t have you running back to daddy when he needed you most. Your old man had to go. Sadly…”
I didn’t hear a single word after that because my brain switched off and I literally saw red. My heart pounded louder in my chest, but it was for an entirely different reason now. Against every instinct that screamed at me to stay still, I began to move. I turned on my left heel, my right already mid-air to cover as much ground as possible before she pulled the trigger.
One second I was across the room and the next I had her wrist in one hand, her face in the other. I could’ve stopped then, but the rage I felt burned so deep that I didn’t want to. I backed her up to that half-wall and with all my strength bashed the nape of her neck into the edge.
Just once.
Her body went limp immediately and I took the gun from her grasp before reaching for the bags. I looked around for a set of keys, hoping we could find a car to drive off in. With Magnus’s men on their way, we had to get the fuck out of here as quickly as possible. The clothes we could leave behind, but we had to take the cash and weapons. I leaned down, grabbed the strap and gun in hand, and slowly made my way down the stairs.
I took to the side, stayed as close to the wall as I could so I wouldn’t be spotted. I had no idea where Carl was, or how close to him Sienna was. If he had his grimy hands on her, it would be a problem.
“…doing this? Axel is your friend.”
Carl guffawed. “I don’t even like that son of a bitch. Layla went on and on about him for months when we started going out. I’m glad he’s dead. Now I’ll just hold you until Magnus gets here. Layla and I are walking out of here with a million easy.”
Wow. That was a lot of cash for just two people. Magnus must want us really, really bad.
“Okay, look. I can get you more than a million. I can double that if you help me get outta here. Just get the keys, we’ll head to a bank first thing tomorrow morning and you’ve made double that just for letting me walk.”
I could see her now. She was standing on the other side of the bar with her hands up. Her gaze darted frantically from him to the stairway, as if terrified I was really dead and Layla would return before she convinced this creep to let her go. I had to commend her though, she was doing an excellent job of keeping him distracted.
“Really? You just have two million lying around?”
She didn’t. I knew what she made in a year. Sienna might be well-off but she didn’t have a bunch of millions in savings. But she’d never been in it for the cash, she was in it for the cause.
I peeked at her, waited for her to catch sight of me. When she did, her expression didn’t even register the change. But she did move a little to her left, so Carl’s peripheral vision was limited.
“I do. I’m a very good lawyer. Two million sounds a lot better than one, doesn’t it?”
I got around just enough to aim my weapon at Carl’s head, then held the other up for Sienna to see. I held up three fingers, and then gestured that she hit the deck when I reached my goal. She blinked once, then refocused on Carl.
“And I know guys who can get you a fake passport too. Two million dollars in these other countries is a lot of money. You can take it and run, live anywhere you want.”
I lifted one finger.
“That does sound kinda nice. I’d love to settle down near the beach.”
I lifted a second finger.
“You can even buy up a nice little house so you have a perfect view every-”
I lifted a third finger.
Sienna dropped immediately and I pulled the trigger three times. Carl’s head exploded like a watermelon, his blood and brains and bones spraying the bottles of liquor behind him in a mist. He managed to shoot once, and the sound was so goddamn loud I worried whoever may be hanging around had heard it.
I was around the bar in second, and Sienna was already getting up when I got to her. I checked her for wounds, bullet holes or-
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
Sienna’s eyes widened, and she pressed a trembling hand to my abs. I looked down at her hand, and saw it soaked red with blood. Her voice hollow and afraid, she said, “Oh, my God. Axel, she shot you.”
She hadn’t. Right? I would have felt it if…
I followed her hand back to my abs, and felt the sudden rush of pain when she touched the wounds there.
Oh, fuck. That crazy bitch had shot me. I must’ve been so pissed, adrenaline pumping so hard that I hadn’t felt it at all. But now that I knew I had taken three shots to the gut… It hurt like hell.
Fuck.
Sienna’s eyes were wide with fear, and her bottom lip trembled with emotion. She touched me, but it hurt so goddamn much I winced and eased her hand away.
“We need to go. Get the rifle. We may have to shoot down the back door to get out.”
Sienna ran behind the bar and gathered what we needed. She handed me a clean, dry kitchen cloth to place against my wound and followed me into the hallway I’d just come from. I saw I’d smeared blood across the wall on my way down and wondered how the fuck I hadn’t noticed I’d been shot.
“Do you smell smoke?” she whispered, as if there was anyone left alive to eavesdrop on our conversation. But yes, I did smell smoke. And not the kind from cigarettes.
Hit with a new sense of urge, I led Sienna to the back exit just behind the stairs, and pointed a bloodied finger at the lock on the wooden door.
“Shoot it.”
“But it’s-”
“Shoot it, Sienna. Now.”
Girl adjusted her stance and held the weapon with an expertise that made me proud. She levelled it just right and took a deep breath before pulling the trigger. The wood exploded, but not enough to get the door open.
She shot it again.
And again. Then lowered the gun so I could kick down the door. Thank fuck Layla hadn’t locked the burglar bar back here, otherwise we would’ve been screwed. I looked around, trying to find a way to go. As soon as I heard the sound of engines and saw lights headed our way, I took Sienna’s hand and ran.
We made good progress, considering she had one working foot and I was full of lead. Branches scraped and clawed at me, roots threatening to trip us even as we pushed through the thickest part of the woods. I could see a clearing up ahead, one guaranteed to either give us a huge lead or get us shot. The moonlight shone bright there, leaving anyone scrambling around lit up and without any cover. But if we got to that hill on the other side, I could pick them off one-by-one.
“Axel, they’re coming!”
We made the clearing as the flashlights pierced through the trees, the shouting and gunshots echoing in the silence. Sienna screamed, and I pulled her so she was running ahead of me. I was large enough to cover three of her, and she would have a much better chance at getting away if she didn’t have a bullet in her.
I was running as fast as I could, but I knew I couldn’t be doing that well if Sienna was leaving me behind. She was actually pulling me now, and she had a giant rifle in her hand.
“Come on, Axel. Come on. We’re almost there.”
But that’s about when my knees gave out and I crashed to the forest floor, my face smacking hard against the earth. My head was spinning and every part of me hurt so fucking much.
“Axel. Axel! Please, please, please stay with me.”
Sienna pulled my arm up, trying to drag me with her as she went. But I was a heavy motherfucker and she only managed to yank me an inch or two before she fell on her ass. I looked up at her, saw her scrambling towards me with genuine terror in her eyes. But she wasn’t looking at the people hunting us. She was staring at me.
“You can’t fucking give up on me right now, goddammit. If you die here, who the fuck is going to protect me?”
Even after screaming the words at me, she grabbed my jacket and pulled me up a degree. Her reluctance to leave me behind despite the danger we were in, and the horrifying truth in her words gave me the strength to push myself off the floor. She gasped in relief and resumed pulling me toward the trunk of a big-ass tree. It would be thick enough to cover our retreat, just long enough for me to perch on that little hill. As soon as we made it up, Sienna handed me the M16. I walked the edge to find the perfect vantage point, then knelt when I was satisfied I had one.
“What do you need me to do?” Sienna asked, joining me half a second later. There was just the smallest bit of moonlight here, and I was granted one last chance to see her face. I had never even asked what colour her eyes were…
Expression blank, I said, “I need you to run.”
She blinked, taken aback. Her mouth opened to argue, and I’m sure whatever point she was about to make would have been very logical, but I didn’t want her wasting time.
“Go now. I can cover your retreat long enough for you to get away. You find someone you can trust and call them from a payphone, then get to safety while you wait for them. Stay in the shadows and do not reveal your hand until you have everything you need to take Magnus down.”
Her eyes filled with tears, but she shook her head stubbornly and grabbed my jacket. “No,” she whispered, her voice soft and sad. “I’m not going to leave you here with these people. I can shoot. I can help you.”
“And let you become a killer? I won’t let you. I chose this life, remember? I chose it. Even when I knew better, I stuck around. I always knew I would die this way, but you don’t have to go down with me, darlin’. The world would be a better place without me, but it would be a hell of a lot duller if you weren’t in it. Please… Go.”
She was openly crying at this point. Her hands closed around my face and she kissed me soundly. I wanted to remain in her arms for an eternity, but I wouldn’t risk her getting caught. I pulled away and nudged her firmly away. Magnus’s men were no more than a couple of yards away. I risked one last look at her, caught the flash of red from her hair as she ran, then turned my attention to the people below.