“After tonight, I guess Christmas dinner with your family is no longer on the table,” Bella said, as she watched Axel pace in his kitchen.

After checking her house to make sure everything was okay there, they headed back to his apartment. And after grabbing a beer from the fridge and downing it without coming up for air, Axel had started the restless pacing.

She could only imagine that he had a million things running through his mind.

Tonight was once again a wake-up call that the Warriors weren’t going to stop with their strikes on the DAMC. The occurrences were getting closer and closer together.

And that wasn’t reassuring at all.

She tried to look at the situation through Axel’s eyes. Not only as a cop, but also as an outsider. Though, he could never truly be an outsider. Not with his grandfather being one of the founders, not with his brother, his future nieces and nephews, and his cousins as part of the club.

He’d never be truly free of his connection, unless he moved away and turned his back on them all.

He would never do that because he wasn’t that type of man.

“No,” he finally answered.

“Should we try again next Christmas?” she asked, trying to put a humorous spin on it. Though, she was sure he didn’t find it funny.

“Right,” he answered then stopped abruptly in front of her, where she leaned back against the kitchen counter.

“That shit didn’t scare you, Bella?”

“You know it did.”

“Let me tell you, that scared the fuck out of me. Not the being shot at part. I knew that was possible when I took the job. But the part where people I knew and loved could’ve been taken out like that by a bunch of crazy-ass, irrational motherfuckers. My parents could have lost all three of their children tonight.”

“I’m sure underneath all of Mitch’s anger was fear, too. He probably realized his family could have been wiped out...” She reached out and ran a finger down his arm. “I’m sorry.”

Axel blinked at her. “For what? None of this was your fault.”

“For dragging you into the club mess. We both know this isn’t going to work, Axel. We know it deep down inside, no matter how much we want it to. Neither one of us is willing to give up what makes both of us who we are.”

He grabbed both of her wrists and wrapped her arms around his waist. He leaned into her, cupping her cheeks with both hands. He pressed his forehead to hers and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know the answer, Bella. I wish I did. And I’m sorry that I don’t.”

Bella closed her eyes and also sucked in a breath, inhaling his scent. She wrapped her arms around him tighter and she was helpless to stop a tear that slid out of the corner of her eye. She had no desire to wipe it away, to hide it.

Because if there was a reason to cry, this was it. The thought that she had a man who loved her but they just couldn’t find a way to make things work killed her. She couldn’t see the conflict and turmoil of both the club and between their families ending any time soon.

Her heart squeezed, and her chest became tight at the thought of not having Axel in her life.

“I love you, baby,” he murmured.

“I know.”

“I wish there was a way.”

“I know,” she repeated, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Yes, you do,” she said softly.

He didn’t say anything for the longest time. They held each other close and neither wanted to be the first one to let go.

“I can’t do this,” Axel said.

“I know,” she whispered, her heart cracking painfully into two pieces.

This was the second time she tried to love someone.

And the second time she failed.

He pushed away from her. “No, I mean I refuse to let you go. You’re mine, Bella. Fuck everyone else. Fuck everyone. Just fuck everyone!”

“Axel—”

“No, we deserve to be happy. You deserve to be happy. I want the rest of my life to be about making you happy. I want you to never doubt you’re loved. I will tell you every day when I wake up that I love you. I will tell you every night. No one’s going to take that away from us. No one.”

“Axel—” she tried again.

“No, baby. We’re going to make this work. Everyone else is just going to have to get over it. We belong together.”

She reached out and snagged one of his flailing hands. She intertwined her fingers with his and raised it to her lips, brushing a kiss over the knuckles he split having a fight with his own brother. His own blood.

“I don't want you regretting your decision. I don't want you to wake up one day and realize you wanted kids and be bitter. I don’t want you to blame me for a split with your father. I don’t want to cause problems with your job. I don’t want to be the reason to ever make you unhappy. I’m afraid you’ll never forgive me.”

“Every couple has problems, Bella. Every single one. We won’t be any different. We’re going to have some hills to climb, yes. But fuck it... I’m dragging you to the top. We’re going to do this.”

Bella wished she could be as enthusiastic about it as he was. It felt as if tonight was one step forward when Axel actually showed up to the party, then two steps back when the Warriors reared their ugly heads. Then there was that bit of a shift when Axel and Z got into a fist-fight, though it seemed as if that was what they needed to move past their... past.

Bella had no idea where that relationship would head. But with Mitch still not accepting his oldest son’s life choices, then the struggle to bring the family back together would still be an issue.

One that she and Sophie—and maybe the new baby—could help with.

“I’m getting rid of this apartment. I’m moving my big bed into your house until we find something more permanent.”

“Axel, you need to be completely sure of this.”

“Baby, I’m sure. I’ve never been so sure about something in my whole life.”

She shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

He nodded, grabbed her face in his hands and planted a big, wet kiss on her lips. “Yep. You’re damn right I am. Crazy in love with you. And you’re just as crazy for being in love with me.”

“I just want you for your body,” she said in a serious tone.

Axel grinned. “You’ve got that.”

Bella fought back her laughter. “Can I have it right now?”

“You can have it whenever you want. It’s yours.”

“Hmm. I like the sound of that. But Axel, are you sure?” The feeling that he was going to regret this decision still niggled at her.

His blue eyes twinkled. “Yep. I’m sure we’re going to go fuck.”

“No, about all of this...”

“We’re going to go fuck, then everything else we’ll take it as it comes. We’ll deal with it.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Did you drink some Red Bull or something?”

“Nope. Just excited about our future.”

“Our future,” she repeated softly.

“That sounds good on your lips, baby,” he murmured, then kissed her again.

As soon as he broke it, he grabbed her hand and dragged her toward his bedroom.

He stopped in the middle of the room and faced her. He tugged his long-sleeve Henley over his head and threw it to the side.

“Now you.”

Bella grabbed the bottom of her loose top and yanked it over her head. She threw it in the direction of his Henley.

“Bra, too,” he said with a crooked smile.

As she reached to unclip it in the back, she thought how funny it was that she was no longer self-conscious of her body, of her scars, of how her body had changed after that fateful night. She was now completely comfortable with Axel seeing her as she was.

He accepted her, scars and all.

She let the bra fall off her shoulders and then threw that, too.

She bit her bottom lip as his gaze swept over her. Her nipples pebbled hard when he licked his lips.

Oh yes, that mouth was going to be busy soon.

Without taking his eyes from her, he unsnapped and unzipped his jeans. She did the same, mirroring his actions. Then they both kicked off their shoes, and yanked off their socks, throwing them with disregard.

When they both straightened up, their hands went to their waistbands. As if coordinated, they pushed down their jeans, taking their underwear with them. Axel’s steely length bobbed when his boxer briefs released his cock. Bella’s pussy clenched in anticipation as she shoved her panties down her legs.

They stepped out of their pants and underwear, then moved closer to each other. But they didn’t touch.

They were close enough to feel one another’s heat, to feel the sweep of the other’s warm breath along their skin.

“Are you going to get the cuffs?” she asked.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “No. Tonight, I want this to be a meeting of the minds, a meeting of our souls. A coming together of the two of us.”

She tilted her head and studied the beautiful, naked man before her. “Hmm. Poetic.”

He grinned. “Tonight, I want to appreciate everything that is you, Bella. Tomorrow we can explore our kinky side.”

“I’m not going to argue with that plan.”

He released a soft laugh. “I didn’t think so.”

“So why are you so far away then?” she teased.

She squealed when he swept her up into his arms and then laughed as she bounced onto the mattress, landing in the center where he tossed her. He quickly followed, climbing over her on hands and knees, until he stared down into her face, his inches from hers.

He settled his hips between her thighs, and she felt the crown of his cock along her slick folds. She loved foreplay, but right now she wanted him to be inside her. To complete her. She didn’t want to wait any longer.

As he thrust slowly inside her, she sighed, “I love you, Axel,” cupping his cheek.

He stilled and his expression got serious. “We’ll make this work; I don’t ever want you to worry about that.”

She nodded, but she would still worry no matter what he said. It would be impossible not to. There were too many outside forces in their lives that would test their relationship.

“We just need to stay strong. Stay together,” he continued. His hips tilted and he began to move at a slow, steady pace, sliding in and out of her with great care. As if she was breakable. “Tell me you’re willing to do that.”

She gasped as he thrust a little harder. She angled her hips higher so the head of his cock would slide over just the right spot.

Yes, there. That was the one.

“Axel...”

“Yeah, baby?” he whispered by her ear.

His honey smooth, low voice made her shiver and moan while the gliding movements of his hips drove her mad. “Ax...”

“Yeah,” he breathed.

“Oh, fuck,” she groaned.

“That’s it. Let go,” he encouraged softly. The tip of his tongue traced the outer edge of her ear, then he sucked her lobe into his mouth for a second. “Come for me.”

“Ax, I’m going to come.”

“I feel you. So fucking hot and wet. Squeezing my cock so hard. That’s it...” He dropped his head down to her breasts, sucking one nipple in deep, scraping the tip with his teeth.

She cried out, arching her back, her nails drawing along his muscular back and sinking into his ass, encouraging him to move faster, harder.

She was right there. She needed just a little push.

Just a little...

She dug her heels into the back of his thighs and lifted her hips to meet him. Tensing, an orgasm rocked through her, making her gasp out his name. Her core pulsated around him, drawing him deeper as he blew out a ragged breath.

“One more before I come, baby. One more,” he encouraged her.

She wasn’t going to argue that.

Axel’s mind spun as he tried to keep himself together. He wanted to give Bella one more orgasm before he let himself have one of his own. He loved being inside this woman, being a part of her. They fit perfectly.

At least here they did. In the outside world, maybe not so perfectly. But he would make it work. They would make it work. No matter what.

His balls tightened as her wet heat squeezed him tight. He wasn’t going to be able to take too much more.

She needed to come soon. He clenched his jaw to not only keep himself together but from the pain of her digging her nails into the flesh of his ass. But he wouldn’t tell her to stop. No way.

Shoving his face into her neck he licked along her throat, then laid a kiss in the hollow. He shoved one hand into her hair, bending her neck back, exposing more of her throat so he could kiss and lick and bite along it. Her groan vibrated under his lips.

He snagged one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it roughly, making her jerk beneath him.

“That’s it, baby. C’mon.”

“I don’t want this to end,” she said on a breath.

“It’s not going to end. This is only the beginning,” he assured her. Because that was the truth. “Don’t hold back. Give me all of you.”

Her hips thrust up to meet his and he increased his pace, his rhythm becoming faster, more frantic. But he needed to stay together... just a little while longer.

He wanted to cry in relief when she moaned, “Come with me.”

Her gasp filled his ear, and as her core squeezed him tight, he grunted and spilled deep inside her. Her pussy pulsated around him, milking every drop of cum from him until he was depleted, boneless and ready to drop.

As much as he didn’t want to break their connection, he knew she wouldn’t be able to handle his weight, so with a groan he slipped out of her and to her side, gathering her into his arms.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she released a satisfied sigh. She combed her fingers over his short hair absently and stared up at the ceiling as she tried to slow her breathing since it was as ragged and rapid as his.

“Tell me everything is going to be all right.”

His heart squeezed at her words. He traced a finger over the pale, puckered skin that would be a permanent reminder of when everything had not been all right for her.

“Everything will be all right. I promise.” He sure hoped he could keep that promise. He’d do his damnedest. “It’s going to be a new year soon, baby. We’re going to make the most of it.”

And he knew just where to start.

* * *

Crow glanced up and his eyes widened slightly as Axel came through the door of In the Shadows Ink. Slade was lying on his stomach on the plastic wrapped tattoo chair. He turned his head to watch Axel walking in their direction.

Axel approached the man who had hit on his woman, then lifted his gaze to the dark-eyed man who liked to flirt with her, too.

“Whataya here for, pig?”

“See your busy,” Axel replied, studying the pattern that Crow was tattooing onto Slade’s back.

The man was getting the DAMC colors inked onto his skin. The rockers, the emblem, everything. It was part of being in the club. The mark of loyalty and brotherhood.

Axel understood it.

Would he ever do something like that? No.

But he had a similar idea to show his loyalty.

To Bella.

To his woman.

To hopefully his future wife.

Possibly the mother of their children, depending on how they decided to go about that. If they decided that’s what they wanted. He would leave that up to her. Whatever she wanted, he was good with.

“Was hoping you weren’t busy,” Axel murmured, taking in the excellent work Crow was doing on Slade’s back. The lines were sharp, the shading perfect. The man was a pro at slinging ink. And that’s exactly why he came here.

He wanted the best.

“Am. So what the fuck do you want?”

“Want you to do a big piece for me.”

“Where?”

“Across the top of my back.”

“Gonna cost you. What do you want?”

When he told Crow exactly what he wanted, Slade jumped off the table willing to wait for his piece to be finished at a later date. He planned on sitting there watching while Axel had his tattoo done.

His excuse was he wanted to see how much of a pussy Axel was. See if he could take the pain without flinching or taking breaks.

Axel was determined to take it like a man. Prove to these guys that his love for his woman was as strong as their loyalty to the DAMC.

He showed them both.