* * *
Baylee was a welcome sight to Axe as she stepped aside and let him pass into her new room. It resembled her old one except it was reversed, the bed on the left. He drew her flush to him, loving the way her tits crushed against him. He kissed her, savoring the minty taste in her mouth.
“You look beat,” she said while she stroked his back.
“I am, babe.”
He led her to the bed, pulling her down with him as he sat. Axe kicked off his boots then stretched out on the bed, tugging her close to him. Twisting a few strands of silky hair around his finger, he kissed the top of her head.
“I see you’re settled into your new room. How was your day?” he asked.
“Okay.”
“No more flowers?”
“No. I gave the flowers to Tina, and when Palmer called to see if I received them, I asked him not to send any more.”
He squeezed her hard, trying to bring her as close as he could to him without suffocating her. “I’m glad.”
She traced the outlines of the tattoos on his arm. “I fell asleep a couple of hours ago. I had another nightmare.”
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.