Axe's Fall(39)

He brought his lips to the top of her head and asked, "Same as the others?"

"Yes and no. No in that I could see the killer's face clearly, but it looked like a mixture of Palmer, Bob, Gary, and you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Crazy, huh?"

"Maybe there are features in each of us that the killer had. Like my hair color, you know?"

"Maybe. Bob has green eyes, so maybe that's why. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe  whoever is tormenting me found out about my mom from archived newspaper  clippings and gets his jollies doing this. I don't know."

"Believe me, babe, you're not crazy. I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Or maybe it is the killer, and he's trying to drive me insane. Give me  another nervous breakdown like I had years ago. When I had my breakdown,  all the progress I'd made to that point disappeared-all clarity was  gone. The killer has my journal, and he knows I'm remembering, clearer  than I ever had. Maybe that's the point, to make me have a meltdown so  my mind returns to darkness."         

     



 

Axe squeezed her. "Don't worry, I've got your back. You're my woman. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because that's the way the Insurgents do it. They take care of their own."

"Don't you think we're rushing into all this too fast? We're having fun  together, but I don't expect you to risk your life helping me. I do  appreciate all you've done for me, and just being here for me, helps a  lot. You know, we don't really know each other."

"I know enough. Some people spend years with each other, and they don't  really know each other. There's no fuckin' way I'm letting some asshole  hurt you." He chuckled. "And don't worry about me, I can take good care  of myself. No fucker's gonna take me out." He pulled her in closer to  him, her stiff body resisting. "Baylee, what the hell's going on in your  head?"

She cast her eyes downward, then shook her head. "Nothing."

Lifting her head up with his thumb under her chin, Axe stared intently  at her. "You're not alone. I'm here, and the brothers are willing to  help, if it comes to that. And this shit about not knowing each other  means nothing." A long breath blew through his parted lips. "From the  first time I touched you, I felt a connection to you. I'd never fuckin'  felt something like that with a woman. It was like a spark, like static  electricity. It fuckin' freaked me out. I know you felt it too."

Baylee nodded.

"That means something. I don't know what, but I feel it when I'm with  you. So don't be tellin' me not to take care of you. I'll always have  your back."

"I know. I'm just freaking out about stuff. This whole situation with  the killer has put me on edge with everything. It's like I no longer  have any control, he knows everything about me, and I know nothing about  him. I'm not even sure if he has green eyes or a scar, they could just  be figments of my dreams. Since all this crap started, I think about my  mom all the time. I miss her like crazy." Her voice cracked.

Axe didn't know what to say. He wished he could eliminate the  sonofabitch who was causing her so much pain. She was also freaking out  about them, and he couldn't blame her because it scared the crap out of  him. He didn't plan on this, and he'd never have guessed that he'd have  opened his heart to another woman again. Once he took care of the  killer, she'd be less nervous. He didn't want her to walk out of his  life, but he was also unsure on how they could make what they had work.  It's so complicated. I shoulda left it at casual, but how could I? She's  fuckin' amazing.

Axe held her in his arms, stroking her upper back, and with each stroke  his desire for her grew. Each time he came near her, he wanted her more  than he'd ever wanted another woman in his life, and if it was the last  thing he did, he'd keep her safe. In a short time, she'd become very  important to him, and he wasn't about to lose her to anyone or anything.

Baylee's heavy breathing filled the room.

"Baylee?" he whispered, nudging her a little.

"Uh?" she said groggily.

"You sleeping, babe?"

"Took a sleeping pill a half hour before you came. I need to sleep without the nightmares."

Soon, she was fast asleep, and Axe's hard-on would have to wait.

Shit.

He turned off the lights and watched the boxing match on television.

* * *

The following morning, Axe woke up with a raging case of morning wood,  hornier than hell. Reaching over, he patted the mattress. He rolled on  his side and stared at the empty space. Thinking Baylee was in the  bathroom, he shimmied out of his boxers and waited for her to come back  to bed.

The minutes ticked away, and Axe padded over to the bathroom door to see  if she was feeling all right. A sudden coldness hit to the core as he  shuffled back a couple of steps. Dashing over to the nightstand, he took  out his phone and called Baylee.

"Don't be mad at me," she said.

"Where the fuck are you?"

"I'm fine. I went for a drive. I had to have some time to myself."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Axe ground his teeth.

"Everything is a jumble of emotions for me right now. I feel like I'm on  a roller coaster speeding down hills and curves, never able to just  stop and think."

"I thought we resolved this last night. Come back home. Do you realize  the danger you're putting yourself in? Fuck, Baylee, you're alone.  Damnit!"         

     



 

"And that's the point-I'm alone. I don't have anyone around. I need this for a while."

"You may not be as alone as you think. Hell, if you wanted to be alone  today, you should've told me. I was gonna tell you last night, but you  fell asleep. I've gotta help a buddy of mine who's doing a charity poker  run. I'll be gone for about four days. I got you covered with Puck and  Blade. You'll have four days of alone time."

"I'll have my bodyguards. I just wanted to feel free, that's all. I  needed to think about us, too. I'm not sure how the ‘casual sex' plan  went so off-kilter."

" ‘Cause we found out we really like each other. That we're connected. Were you listening to anything I said last night? Fuck."

"I feel like I have to regroup, that's all. At work, I've done a half-assed job on the project because I'm distracted by you."

"And that's a bad thing?" He laughed.

"It can be. I want to make partner. I just have to regroup."

"Regroup, my ass. What we have blows my mind, too, but I'm not running  away from it. I thought I'd be the last person who'd be tied to one  woman, and I'm getting plenty of shit about it from the brothers. As far  as your career, I'm not stopping you from your goal of partnership."

"I think about you all the time," she said softly.

He chuckled. "I like hearing that. I think about you, too."

She groaned. "My job is important to me. How can we have anything living so far apart?"

"I don't know, but we got something now. We'll have to see how it plays out. You're in danger, babe. Come back to the hotel."

"Okay, but we need to slow down a bit. If what we have is real, then bringing it down a notch won't hurt."

"When it comes to women, I don't know how to slow down." He exhaled.  "You're afraid to give your heart to me ‘cause you think I'll be taken  away like your mom was. That's not gonna happen."

"How do you know? When my mom kissed me goodnight, she definitely didn't  think that was going to be the last time. She didn't know she'd be dead  an hour later." Her voice hitched.

"Life is fucked sometimes, I know, but you can't hide from it because of  something that might happen. If we did that, none of us would be  living-we'd only be existing. Come on back. Come on, babe."

"I'm on my way back. I have a question."

"What?" His stomach tensed.

"What's a charity poker run?"

As he roared with laughter, all tension seeped from him. "This one's for  charity. Some of ‘em are to raise money for the club. Bikers must visit  five to seven checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each one. The  point is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. You gotta  pay fees to be part of the event, and sometimes people sponsor you. It's  fun, and money is raised. I wasn't sure I was going to go with all the  shit goin' on, but my real good buddy organized it, and it's for his son  who has cancer. Fuckin' sucks."

"How sad. You need to go. Are there women at the run?"

"Only men can play and make the run."

"Are there women there to service the men?"

"Yeah. It happens."

There was silence on the other end. Ready to hang up and redial, Axe heard Baylee breathing. He smiled.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to help out my buddy, not to fuck other women. You almost here?"

"Yes. I'll be up soon." She hung up.

Axe lay back on the bed. He understood where Baylee was coming from.  This thing between them blindsided him, too. For the first time since he  walked through the Insurgents' doors, he wanted to be with someone  other than his brothers. The women he fucked for years were for draining  his cock only, but the brothers were his family, his core. With Baylee,  everything had changed. Most of the time, he'd rather be with her than  the brothers.