Axel sat back with a full belly and groaned. Grizzly’s wife Mama Bear certainly knew how to put out a spread. And the woman could keep the sweet butts and prospects on task when it came to keeping the food coming out fresh and hot. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had a bullwhip hanging curled up on her belt.

Music, the sounds of people playing pool, loud, rowdy conversation, and smoke swirled around him. He didn’t think he ever heard Nash’s band, Dirty Deeds, play before, but he was impressed with how good they were. A temporary stage had been set up in a corner of The Iron Horse and Nash sang and played the drums like a pro.

He was also impressed on how they made Christmas tunes rock out, giving them a heavy metal/hard rock vibe.

Axel kept one eye on Jayde as she flirted with this newer patched member, who went by the name of Linc, near one of the pool tables. His other was focused on Bella as she danced in the middle of the bar with some of the other DAMC women. Before deserting their corner table, she announced she was going to dance to work off all the food she just ate.

She was kind enough to drop off a fresh draft for him before leaving him on his own. He felt a lot more comfortable where he currently sat because his back was to the corner and he could survey the whole bar without worrying about anyone sneaking up from behind.

This Christmas party didn’t seem to be any different from any of the other parties the club had on a regular basis. Besides the Christmas tree strung with orange blinking lights that was propped in the corner inside church.

Hell, it wasn’t as though the club needed much of an excuse to throw a party, anyway.

Suddenly, Jewel broke off from the ladies at the center of the room and sank into a chair next to him. She wiped a bead of sweat off her brow and blew out a breath.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “You okay?”

She gaped at him in surprise. “Yeah, why?”

“D didn’t look happy when he carried you kicking and screaming upstairs.”

Color rushed into her cheeks and she dropped her gaze from his. “Nothing new.”

“He didn’t hurt you?” He lowered his voice even though the bar was so loud no one could hear him unless they were standing right next to him, anyway. “You can tell me if he did.”

She frowned at him. “Axel, he’d never hurt me.”

He stared at his cousin. He had a hard time believing that beast of a man with a short fuse wasn’t capable of hurting her even if he didn’t mean to. She was less than half his size.

“I just want—”

“Axel,” she cut him off, sweeping her long dark hair out of her face. “He loves me; he’d never hurt me. I promise. But I appreciate your concern.”

He nodded, but wasn’t so convinced. “How are things going at the warehouse?” The warehouse as in the In the Shadows Security business Diesel owned and ran.

“Great. I’m getting him organized and helping him grow the business in the direction he wants it to go.”

“And what direction’s that?”

Jewel closed her mouth and looked away. Axel followed her gaze toward the bar. Both Hawk and Diesel were behind it, watching the two of them with great interest.

Her head swiveled back toward him. “Just expanding the security part, that’s all.”

Right.

“They keep shit on the up and up there?”

“Of course.”

And if it wasn’t on the up and up, there was no way Diesel and his crew would tell Jewel, a woman. Or if she knew, she probably wouldn’t tell him. Even so, he had to ask.

“I just don’t want to see you get entangled in any bullshit. You’re family.”

“Ax, we’re all family. When are you and Uncle Mitch going to recognize that fact?”

“I can’t speak for my father, Jewelee.”

“But you can speak for yourself. You’re with Bella, right? And she’s part of the club. You’re not only Bear’s grandson, you’re our president’s brother. Can’t get any more family than that.”

“You know the issue.”

“Yeah, but the club has come a long way since we were all kids, Ax, you know that. You’ve seen it yourself.”

He sat back and regarded his cousin. She was young, beautiful, and had a head for business, which was apparent when she ran the office at the club’s body shop and towing company. He believed she limited herself by being Diesel’s ol’ lady and his glorified “secretary.” By being with him, she was tying herself tightly to the club and limiting her options. “This thing going to last?”

“What thing?”

“You and D.”

She pursed her lips in thought, then asked, “You and Bella going to last?”

“The truth?”

Jewel nodded.

“I don’t know. I just know I don’t belong here tonight.” His gaze landed on Bella while she swung her hips and arms around the dance floor with Diamond and Ivy. “She does.”

“Yes, she does. And we don’t want you taking her away from us.”

He sighed. “I’d never do that.”

“D and Hawk would never let you, anyway.”

Right. His eyes bounced from Bella to her two overly large, overly protective cousins still watching him and Jewel closely. Diesel now had his arms crossed over his chest, emphasizing just how big and bad the fucker was.

Axel did not want to get up close and personal again with the man’s fist anytime soon.

Jewel laughed when she saw who he was staring at. “He’s a complete kitten.”

Axel snorted. “I’ve known him just as long as you, Jewelee.”

“But I know him better,” she said with a smirk.

“Yeah, well, there’s a reason for that and we don’t need to go into details.”

She leaned closer. “I think you’re good for her.”

“As much as we both want it to work, I don’t know if it will.”

Jewel nodded. “I get it. I do. I love being DAMC. I love being an ol’ lady. I was born for this. But I see your side of it, too.”

“Do you really?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“When did you go and grow up, Jewelee?”

She laughed. “You should be asking Jayde that. Hard to believe she’s the baby of the family and look at her now. College graduate. Bet she makes your parents proud.”

Axel’s gaze roamed over to where Linc and Jayde were standing a little too close for his liking.

“She wouldn’t be making my father proud right now, cozying up to that guy.”

“Linc? He’s a good one.”

He’d reserve his judgment until he got a better read on the guy. “Has she been seeing him?” Because if she had, she’d been sneaking around to do it.

“I don’t think so. Though whenever she shows up they tend to gravitate toward each other.”

“Fuck. My father would pop a blood vessel if he knew.”

Jewel jerked one of her shoulders up slightly. “Don’t tell him.” She laughed again. “She can tell him when she comes home knocked up by a club brother.”

“That’s not even funny.”

“Against his will, Mitch would be granddaddy to the next generation of Angels. First Z’s kid, then Linc’s kid and then....” She drifted off, her face becoming sad. “Fuck. Sorry.”

Axel traced the lip of his pint glass with his finger.

“You two could always adopt,” she said softly.

“Jewel...” He sucked in a breath, his chest getting tight. “We have a long way to go before we’d be even close to talking about kids.”

“You’ll get there.”

“I hope so,” he murmured.

“You should go dance with her.”

“Just like you should go dance with your man.”

Jewel threw her head back and laughed. “Look, the—”

The sharp, rapid crack of gunshots ringing out had Axel up and out of his seat, dragging Jewel to the ground. She struggled underneath him, calling out Diesel’s name.

“Stay down,” Axel yelled at her, covering her body with his, while covering his own head with his arms as shots continued to spray the building, shrapnel raining over them.

He had no idea what caliber ammo or what type of firepower the shooter or shooters were using but whatever it was was big enough to make decent holes not only through the hollow steel door but the walls. Pieces of drywall, wood, insulation came raining down around them.

Suddenly, Axel was ripped off of Jewel and thrown to the side. He rolled onto his back and saw Diesel grab Jewel.

“Get down, you asshole. You’re going to get shot.”

“Nothin’ new,” D grumbled, picked Jewel up in his arms and rushed to tuck her behind the bar. How he wasn’t hit, Axel would never know.

The bullets went whizzing over his head at a rapid rate. Whoever was out front had something automatic for sure.

He looked around to see if anyone was hit nearby and when he didn’t see anyone bleeding or writhing in pain, he searched for Bella. Keeping low, he snaked his body on knees and elbows toward the back of the bar.

“Bella!” He got no answer and ducked his head when another hail of bullets began. “Fuck!”

As soon as there was a slight pause, he crawled forward some more, seeing Jag dragging Ivy toward the kitchen door. A quick look to his left showed that Linc had his body curled around Jayde, a gun in his hand, as they remained behind a pool table.

“What the fuck?” Axel shouted their direction. “Get her out of here.”

Linc gave him a look, then nodded, but didn’t move since more bullets went flying.

Axel crawled forward again and saw Diamond hiding behind another pool table. “Where’s Bella?”

She turned wide eyes to him and shrugged.

“You got a phone?”

She nodded. “Yeah!”

“Call nine-one-one.” When she hesitated, he screamed. “Now!”

Even from where he was, she could see her digging a cell out of her back pocket with trembling hands.

Where the fuck was Diesel and Hawk?

He peered up toward the bar and couldn’t see anyone. Hopefully they were taking cover.

When he finally reached the bar, the shooting had slowed down some, but it wasn’t over. Keeping low, he rounded the bar and saw Slade ducked behind the bar. And with relief he saw Bella. But she was pinned against Slade.

“You got a weapon?” Axel asked the former Marine as he finally got a chance to pull his revolver from his ankle holster.

“Just a knife.”

“Fuck.”

“Can you help clear everyone out of here? Take them into the kitchen. I don’t know if they’re shooting up the backside of the building, too. Kitchen is the safest right now until we get units on scene.” Axel looked at Bella. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she answered, her face pale, but he was proud of her since she wasn’t freaking out.

“Get yourself into the kitchen. Make sure everyone stays in there.”

She nodded and moved away.

“Stay low, Bella. I’ll be there as soon as we get everyone clear or the shooting stops.”

She nodded and as he watched the woman he loved crawl away on her hands and knees to the swinging door, he realized just what kind of life he’d be living if they continued their relationship.