Property of Drex (Book 2)(14)

“You know that’s not what we’re here to ask about.”

“It’s a shame you think I know more. Think Drex Caine would just turn me loose if I knew anything other than what I just told you? Honestly, that’s the most boring crew I’ve been around yet. The Hell Breathers had more excitement and danger. Benny Highland is a beast. It’s why I left the Death Dealers. I got bored. Understand?”

Neither look convinced, but they also look torn because I pose a good point about Drex not letting me go if I knew something. The whole Hell Breathers thing was stupid to say and it sounded incredibly contrived, but it’d be nice if they shoved their noses up Benny’s ass for a while and left Drex alone.

They start to say more, but my boss/landlord, who is sweating profusely and walking with a limp, comes toward us, waving his arms around wildly.

“Unless you boys have a warrant, you can’t be on my property.”

“It’s a public establishment,” Righty growls.

“It’s for paying customers, and I can refuse service to anyone I want. Says so on my damn sign. Now quit harassing my guests!”

Apparently Mr. Sweaty—as I like to call him—doesn’t want the Feds poking around in his place. Makes sense, since this is a rent-by-the-hour sort of place too.

He grumbles at their backs as he guides them away, and I watch until they leave, probably heading back to scout out Drex.

I pick up my phone, stop the recording, and start to send it to Drex. Then decide I’d rather do it in person. Maybe I’m a masochist who wants to feel her heart broken into a million pieces, but I want to see him. I also want him to tell me why he just shoved me out without so much as a goodbye.

I deserve at least that much.

After putting on another shirt that shows off my tattoo, I walk over and pound on the door where I know two are always staying, and to my surprise, Axle is my greeting.

“What’d they want?”

Apparently he was watching. I’m surprised he couldn’t hear.

I hand him my phone, but I don’t give him time to play the video.

“I need a ride to the warehouse. Drex should see it himself.”

His eyebrows go up. “Not supposed to take you there anymore.”

“The bus works just as well as your bike.”

I smile like a smartass, and he groans while cursing and telling someone he’ll be back. He walks over to his bike, pausing to wipe some dust off it. I bet it’s killing him to have to leave it out in the open like this, but there’s actually a “no motorcycles in the room” policy here. That’s a real thing.

Axle hands me a spare helmet, helps me onto the back of his bike, and bitches about how pissed Drex is going to be before finally cranking it up and tearing out of the parking lot.

It’s not a terribly long ride, but it’s at least twenty minutes.

Now, my stomach is in knots, my hands are sweating, and my heartbeat is going so fast that it’s almost a constant hum in my chest. Even my toes are tingling. I’m going to get to see him, and the excitement unfurling can’t be denied.

I also can’t deny that it’s the first time I’ve felt anything but miserable since I left.

Axle pulls into the large garage, and several people look at us as I dismount. Eyebrows pull together in confusion, surprise, and discontent. Some actually look pissed I’m here.

I ignore all of them, for once not feeling like I’m shaking in terror.

As soon as I walk into the main room where the music is flowing, my heart slams into my ribs. Guys are everywhere, and girls are all over them. It must be party time. I didn’t even consider the fact Drex might have a girl on him, and a sick feeling settles in my stomach as I glance from face to face, hesitantly searching for him.

Eyes fall to me with slow smiles, until their gaze lands on the mark that is on my shoulder. PROPERTY OF DREX is like a tag they seem to be quickly moving away from. It held some power before, but they actually look terrified now, as though they can’t get away from me fast enough.

Not sure what’s going on with that. A few guys actually bump into each other when they try to clear a path for me as I move into the room a little more. No one is even breathing in my direction.

I spot Snake off to the side as he devours Sarah’s neck, and I walk up to them when Drex seems to be missing. I hope he isn’t in his room with a girl. I… I can’t even think about that right now.

I tap Sarah on the arm, and she turns to me with an annoyed expression until she realizes it’s me. “Eve! You’re back!” she squeals excitedly.

Snake’s head jerks my way, and surprise fills his face.

“Where’s Drex?” I ask, ignoring the way everyone seems to be acting weird at the sight of me.

“I think I saw him playing pool,” she says, motioning with her head toward a set of doors that are wide open.

I know where the pool tables are, but I don’t point that out. Axle is already walking in there when I move that way. As soon as I walk in, my eyes drink in the sight they’ve been starved for, and that void that has been growing starts to slowly fade.

Drex is smoking while studying the table, and he puts down the cigarette as he lines up a shot. No one is around him. Two of the other tables have people playing together, but Drex is playing alone.

He makes a shot, slapping the cue ball into a red one, and it smashes into the corner pocket. Just as he leans up with his cigarette back in his hand, his eyes fall on me, and he goes stiff.

Almost immediately, his posture relaxes, but he doesn’t react. He cuts his eyes toward Axle, tilting his head. “Could have warned me,” he says coldly.

That warmth in his gaze is gone. The Drex that I got all to myself is absent. In its place is the Drex everyone else gets: the cold, hard, impassive Drex.

What the hell happened?

“Tried to. Your phone must be off. Kept going straight to voicemail,” Axle says unapologetically.

Drex eyes me coolly, still smoking that damn cigarette, then he puts it out in an ashtray before taking a sip of his beer.

“What’s going on?” he asks Axle, looking away from me. “Something happen?”

He sounds casual, but the grip he has on the pool stick makes it seem like he’s pissed and holding it back.

“Yeah,” Axle tells him, motioning with his head for everyone to walk out.

As soon as the doors shut on the music and the three of us are alone, it gets really suffocating in here. And quiet.

“What happened?” Drex asks, still keeping an even tone, but his jaw is ticking.

“Feds showed up. She made a video of their conversation. I haven’t had a chance to view it yet.”

“And you couldn’t have just sent it to me?” Drex asks.

The pool stick whines in his grip, and Axle frowns. “She asked to be brought here.”

Drex still doesn’t look back at me. “I told you she couldn’t come here. Last I checked, I was in charge. Not her.”

“I’m right here. Feel free to acknowledge me at any point,” I bite out.

His shoulders stiffen at the sound of my voice, and his knuckles turn white from the even tighter grip he has on the stick. He still doesn’t look my way.

“She’s stubborn,” Axle says with a ghost of a smile. “She threatened to take the bus here.”

Drex doesn’t react, but he does cut his eyes toward me. “You can go home now.”

Home. That word again. It used to be a simple word with one simple meaning. Now… Now the complexity of that word could have Einstein buried under contradictory equations for a lifetime.

“I want to talk to you,” I tell him, stepping closer. He stiffens again, and I start to feel sorry for that poor pool stick.

“I’ll view the video and you take her home,” Drex tells Axle, once again ignoring me.

He takes the phone away and walks through a backdoor, disappearing. I start to go after him, but Axle steps in my path.

“Trust me, he needs a few seconds. He wasn’t prepared to see you.”

“Why does he have to be prepared? I just want to talk to him.”

“Leave it, Eve. Give him a second. You don’t want to do this when he’s surprised and pissed.”

I glare at him. “He’s not going to hurt me, jackass.”

His eyebrows go up in surprise. Maybe being away from this place long enough has helped me get my backbone back, or maybe I just finally don’t give a damn what they can do to me, but I’m not scared. Not right now. Clarity. That’s what I’ve gotten. A little clarity.

“Of course he wouldn’t. But he would say something he’ll hit me for later if you don’t give him a damn second to get himself under control.”

I sigh hard, and I cross my arms over my chest while glaring at the open door Drex disappeared out of. Where does that door even go? I sure as hell never explored anything past what was right in front of me.

“Nice to see you not trembling in fear for a change,” Axle muses.

I cut my eyes toward him, and he holds his hands up defensively. “Girls got to have brass lady balls to stick this place out. It was a compliment,” he adds.

After what feels like forever, Drex walks back out and hands Axle my phone. Whatever he says has Axle almost laughing, which is new. Axle doesn’t ever laugh. He doesn’t hardly smile. He rarely speaks to a woman, with the exception of me and Sarah. And he certainly doesn’t pat women on the back, which is what he does to me on his way by.