Chapter 10

Axel

My hands are still shaking with rage thirty minutes later down the road. I don’t trust for one minute that it’s the last of those bastards. I know she is the daughter of Tiny Leone and it is just now hitting me how dangerous her situation is. I shouldn’t care what happens to her. She is just some chick that I met and fucked but there is something between us. An unspoken connection that pulls me to her. She is so vulnerable, and I need a good deed to make up for all the bad that I have done. I don’t believe for one minute that saving Ainsley will redeem me, but she serves as a perfect distraction from the shit I have waiting for me when we get to Drag Creek, but Drag Creek is the safest place for her. I know if I claim her my family will protect her. I don’t trust for a minute that Stephanie has Ainsley’s best interest at heart. She could have set her up to be taken for all I know. We need to get off the main highway and I need to call my old man he needs to know what sketchy shit is going down. I try to think of what friends the BRRMC has in the area.

I smile when I remember that there is a chapter of the Born Sinners about an hour away. I pull off at the next exit once I am sure we aren’t currently being followed. Ainsley is quiet and thoughtful. We both get out of the car and I go to the trunk to get my burner phone out of my bag. “I gotta report this to my Prez.”

She worries her bottom lip with her teeth as I turn the phone on. “I inherited the first half of my trust fund this morning. Axel, I have enough money to go anywhere in the world. My father left me well taken care of. You could come with me. Leave all your troubles and mine behind.”

I light up a cigarette, still craving a fat joint. “It’s a nice fantasy, darlin’, but you don’t run from men like Raul Hernandez and survive. You gotta cut a man like that off at the knees.”

“Or the head…” she says with a faraway look in her eyes. I don’t say anything in return, now isn’t the time. We need to get somewhere safe.

I dial my old man. He picks up on the first ring like he was waiting for my call. “Lo,” he says, and I hear murmuring in the background.

“Got a problem. Name Raul mean anything to you?”

“Tell me the girl is with you,” he snaps. He sent me here on purpose alone to protect and didn’t bother to clue me in. I’m fucking pissed. He should have told me.

“Yeah.” I turn and walk to the front of the car, sitting on the hood. Ainsley is standing between my legs with her hand entwined with my free one. I know she sees the annoyance on my face. It has nothing to do with her though. I use my ear and shoulder to hold the phone, so I can smoke without letting her go. My smoke blows in her face but she doesn’t complain for once.

“I’m close to Sinner’s territory.”

“No. Keep driving. Don’t take this to their back door. Take her to Webb Hollow. She’s Devils Rejects property.”

My jaw ticks and my blood boils. “No,” I grit out. “She’s mine.” I squeeze Ainsley’s hand as she listens to the conversation.

My father sighs. “I knew this would happen. You think with your cock. Just like me.” He laughs. “Fine. But you know what will happen once you bring her here, don’t you.”

I swallow hard. I know all right. My ass will be getting arrested the minute I enter Drag Creek. “Yeah. I know.”

“I gotta call Hades and let him know things have changed.”

The line goes dead, and I flick my cigarette to the ground.

“What’s the plan?” her eyes are burning into mine and I wish like hell I could take her up on her offer to run off to some beach. Just the two of us, but we both know it’d be a lie and too damn good to be true. I have been looking over my shoulder waiting for the hammer to drop and now it has. I don’t want Ainsley to live like that. Always wondering when the fuckening will happen. The one thing that comes in and fucks your life up completely.

“We stay on course. I’m taking you to Drag Creek.”

“But…what about—” I cut her off by pulling her into me for a kiss. Things are different now. I don’t know why I feel so beholden to her, but I do. Something inside me just screams that she is mine to protect.

Mine to take care of.

Mine to love.

Ainsley is mine, but I think she already knows.

That unspoken connection that string that tethers us keeps pulling her back to me too.

I squeeze her ass as her tongue slithers against mine. Sexy and full of control. I let her take the lead. A horn blaring as a truck passes by us breaks our connection.

I drive another six hours. My neck hurts and Ainsley is asleep in the passenger seat. I stroke her cheek and she smiles.

Yeah.

Fuck me.

She’s mine and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.  I hardly know her, but I can’t imagine going a day without that smile now. I’ve never been a believer of love at first sight. Just lust and damn do I lust for her.

I shut off the car and nudge her shoulder. I need to stretch and it’s her turn to drive.