Prologue
Four years ago…
Killian
It would take dying to slow my pulse. And I’m not being dramatic. I’ve tried everything for that last hour and a half; nothing has worked. Deep breathing, prayer, meditation—none of it does squat to calm me down.
My fingers drum against the steering wheel while taillights from the cars in front of me blare bright red. If being asked by the most beautiful girl at Vegas High isn’t enough to make my nerves want to rip through my skin and drown themselves, then the added pressure of being late because I’m stuck in traffic sure as heck will.
No, it’ll be fine. Even if I am a little late, Axelle will understand. She’s not like most girls. I mean, even though my experience with girls is limited to the occasional joke at my expense or tutoring session I get roped into, I never have been able to turn down a pretty girl.
But Axelle is different from the rest. She actually seems interested in me. At first, I thought we were just friends—which was more than I’d ever expect from someone like her—but then she asked me to the dance. Not just any dance, the Valentine’s Day Dance.
So tonight I’m going to tell her. I’m finally going to spill my guts that I’ve been in love with her since the day we met. I never thought I’d have the courage to do it, but she asked me. That’s gotta mean something, right? It doesn’t make sense because she’s so freakin’ beautiful and nice. I mean…why me?
I have a four-point-oh GPA, so I know better than to dwell on the why and just live in the holy heck this is really happening. If Peter Parker can get the girl, why can’t I?
I push my glasses up my nose and squint around the line of cars in front of me. The tie I borrowed from my neighbor Mr. Heeber is suffocating, and I’m starting to sweat while the traffic remains at a standstill. I crank the AC on my Mazda 323, and the twenty-year-old thing sputters to life. Maybe I should call the restaurant and let them know we might be a few minutes late. I pull my phone from my center console and see I have two missed calls from Axelle and they’re only a minute apart.
I still have eight minutes until I’m supposed to be at her house, so why…? My phone vibrates in my hand and I immediately answer it.
“Hello?”
I’m met with silence and then the soft clearing of a throat. “Hey, Killian?”
“Axelle, hey…” She sounds off: sad or something. “I’m almost there to pick you up. I’m stuck in stupid traffic.”
“Oh, yeah, about that, um…” She’s whispering. “Listen. I can’t go tonight.”
My pulse finally slows to a crawl. Okay, so I’m not dead, but with the way my chest feels, I may as well be. “What? I mean…why?”
“It’s not a good night.”
“But you said you got a dress and we picked the restaurant so—”
“I know. I feel so bad. I—”
A man’s voice filters through the phone. I can’t make out his words, but he sounds irritated.
“Is that Blake? Is he there?”
She sniffs. “No.” God, she sounds so tiny.
“Axelle,” I whisper. “What’s going on?”
“I…my dad’s back. He—”
“Say good-bye, Elle,” the man’s voice commands.
“I’m so sorry, Killian. I have to go. Please don’t be mad, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
I don’t even get the good-bye out before the phone disconnects.
My gut churns with worry. Her dad is in town? She never talked about him much, only to say that she was grateful to be away from him.
It was something we had in common. My dad was a mean son of a bitch, but luckily, he left when I was young. Granted, he left me with my mom, who wasn’t much better, but it’s easier to defend myself from the verbal attack of one rather than two, so I never complained.
Still, I wouldn’t wish any of this on Axelle, and there was fear in her voice. I go with my gut and hit a number on my phone then press it to my ear. My heartbeat kicks faster with every ring.
“Killer, what’s up, man?”
“Mr. Slade, I’m so—”
“Enough with the ‘Mr. Slade’ shit. You’re going to have to get used to calling me Jonah.”
As if I could ever get used to having the Universal Fighting League’s Heavyweight Champion’s personal cell phone number programmed into my phone much less actually talking to him.
“Okay, sure. But, um, I just got off the phone with Axelle and, uh…” It’s freakin’ Valentine’s Day for crap’s sake, and I’m about to pull this man away from his wife. I better not be wrong about this. I push my glasses up my nose; nervous sweat makes them slide right back down. “I don’t have Mr.…er…Blake’s phone number, but I figured you would, and I think—”
“Spit it out, Killian.”
Damn, he sounds mad. “Axelle sounded…off. She cancelled on me tonight, and when I asked her why, she mentioned her dad was there.” I’m met with silence. I check the phone to see if we were disconnected. “Are you there?”
“How long ago did you talk to her?”
“I called you right after we hung up. I was in traffic on the way to pick her up when she called and cancelled. I don’t have a good feeling about this. I’m sorry. I know it’s Valentine’s Day and you probably have plans—”
“Don’t worry about that. You did the right thing.” He quickly catches Raven up on what I told him and she replies, but I can’t understand what she’s saying. “Killian, you go on over to Layla’s, but do not go inside. Wait for us in the parking lot and keep your phone on you, understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Chances are everything’s fine, but we’ll be there in about thirty minutes, so just hang tight until we get there.”
“Okay, sure, sounds good.”
“See you in a bit.”
~~~
Time drags on. I’m pacing the lot with my phone welded to my palm.
It’s been over thirty minutes, and I’m about to call Jonah back when his truck comes barreling into the lot.
He parks next to my car, and he and his wife Raven hop down from the truck. They both look insanely pissed off, which only ratchets up my panic. That and…there’s no Blake.
“What’s going on? Where’s Blake?”
Jonah’s jaw ticks. “He’s not coming.”
“Not coming?” I motion to the second-story apartment where Axelle and her mom are inside with her dickhead ex-husband. “What if he’s hurting them up there? How could he not come and help them?”
Raven steps into my line of sight, and I’m struck by the softness in her pretty face. “Killian, they’ll be okay. Chances are everything’s fine. Let’s not freak out until we have a reason to.”
I nod. “Okay, yeah, let’s go.” I move to jog up the steps when Jonah snags my arm.
“Whoa, hang on there, Killer.”
I whirl around and glare at his hand on my bicep. Respect flickers in his expression and he lets me go.
Raven takes to the steps. “I’m going to go feel things out.”
“This is a stupid idea.” Jonah’s arms and shoulders are tense.
“We talked about this. If you guys come with me, we might make things worse.” Raven sets unwavering eyes on us. “I’m not a threat to Layla’s ex.”
Jonah growls, and I make a sound in the back of my throat that comes out more like a groan.
“Fine, you have five minutes and then we’re coming up,” Jonah says through clenched teeth.
She nods and jogs up the steps. I watch until she disappears around the railing. Jonah looks downright deadly in the glow of his phone as he watches the seconds crawl by.
Axelle’s only mentioned her dad a couple of times. Her mid-semester move from Seattle to Vegas doesn’t say good things about this guy.
Were they trying to get away from him? Was he abusive? God, if he hurts her, I’ll fucking kill him.
My hands shake at the thought of him laying a hand on her perfect skin. I pace the parking lot, my eyes darting from Jonah to the direction of Axelle’s apartment and back again. Usually, I’d be awestruck being so close to the Heavyweight Champion, the man I’ve idolized since he had his first fight more than five years ago. His shoulders look like they’re about to Hulk out of his T-shirt, and the veins in his forearms bulge against his colorful full-sleeved tattoos, but this is no time for hero worship. I’m just glad he’s here. No one, not even the biggest asshole in the world—which I’m sure Axelle’s dad is—would fuck with The Assassin.
“Time’s up.” Jonah takes the steps and I drop in right behind him. “Killer.”
I slam into his back and peer up at him, straightening my glasses. “What?”
“Stay here.”
“But—”
“Listen to me.” He steps down one step, and damn, the guy is huge towering over me. “I don’t know what’s going on up there, but I do know everyone in that apartment is an adult and can handle whatever’s about to happen—all except Axelle. I’m going to get her out of there, and when I do, she’s going to need you down here so you can keep her safe. Understand?”
I can’t even think clearly enough to understand what he’s saying. All I hear is she needs me and I can keep her safe, so I nod and step down.
“Good. Hang tight.” He takes three steps at a time until he’s gone.
I rip my hands through my hair, the waiting making me crazy. Why didn’t Raven come back down before the five minutes were up? Or at least peek out to let us know everything’s okay?
Because everything isn’t okay.
I go back to pacing. My scalp burns from scraping my nails on it. She’s okay. She has to be. And when this is all over, I’m not waiting another second to tell her how I feel, to let her know I’ve never been more in love with anyone in my entire life. I’ll do whatever she asks me to, jump through any hoops she lays out, if it means she’ll give me a shot at making her happy.
She claimed my soul from the first time we met, and I can’t imagine ever loving anyone the same way I do her. If she’ll have me, I’ll—
The high-pitched shriek of truck tires speeding around the corner calls my eyes and I skid to a halt.
Black Rubicon.
Blake.
The vehicle jerks to a stop, and he’s out and running to the stairs. He’s dressed like me: suit pants, button-up shirt, and dress shoes.
I run to catch him. “Blake!”
He freezes, and I flinch at the mix of anger and self-hatred I see in his eyes. “Killian, what’s going on up there?”
“I don’t know. Raven and Jonah went up, but they made me stay down here. I don’t know, Blake. Something’s not right. Axelle didn’t sound right when she called me. I just… She wouldn’t admit it, but something’s wrong.” I press my hand to my heart as it splinters behind my ribs. “If something bad happens, I… I can’t lose her. What if he takes her back to Seattle? What if he takes Layla and they—”
“Not gonna happen.” He hooks me around the neck and makes me meet his eyes. “I’m going up there to get my girls, and no one, especially not some piece-of-shit, abusive ex-dick will stand in my way.”
My eyes widen and my hands shake. “Abusive?”
His mouth opens and his eyes soften, but he slams his jaw shut and races up the stairs. “I’m sending Axelle down now. Be ready.”
It doesn’t take long, and before I know it, she comes bolting down the stairs with a trail of chestnut hair whipping in the wind behind her.
I’m breathing so heavily I’m practically panting with relief. She’s okay.
“Killian!” She launches herself off the steps and into my arms.
Raven’s standing at the top of the steps, and with a satisfied nod, she turns back to the apartment.
“He has my mom. He’s not going to let us go, Kill. We’ll never get away.” Her body jerks with the force of her sobs. “Why…why won’t he let us go?”
I bury my nose into her hair and breathe deeply, reminding myself that she’s here and safe in my arms. “Shhh…he’s not taking either of you anywhere.”
“I was so scared.” Her arms grow tighter around my waist, and my arms shake with pent-up rage and relief. “I was so afraid no one would be able to help us. Blake left, and I thought you bought my stupid excuse for not being able to go to the dance.” The more she talks, the harder she cries, as if she’s been holding it all back for days.
“It’s alright. I knew. I heard it in your voice. I knew something wasn’t right.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Kill. You saved us. God, what if you guys never showed up?”
“We’re here; that’s all that matters.” Is this what Superman feels like when he saves Lois Lane?
Her body freezes in my arms and she pulls back. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she still takes my breath away. “I have to go back up there.”
I hold her tighter. “No way. We’re staying down here. Let Jonah and Blake take care of—”
She breaks free and starts running up the stairs.
“Shit! Axelle, wait!”
It takes a fraction of a second for me to realize she has no plan to stop, so I race after her and reach the front door just behind her.
Axelle’s dad is in a standoff with Blake, and Jonah is at his friend’s back. Not good odds for Daddy Dearest, but he doesn’t seem the least bit concerned.
“Did she tell you how many guys she slept with the night she got pregnant with Elle?”
Oh no.
Axelle gasps and covers her mouth.
“Oh, come on! Look at me.” He points to his face. “She looks nothing like me.”
He’s right. His blond hair and dark eyes don’t match Axelle’s coloring at all.
Axelle seems to follow my line of thought and bursts into silent sobs. Raven wraps her arms around her, and I simply stand there, totally stunned and completely useless.
“Me and the boys had some fun that night. Hottest chick in school was drunk as hell at a party.” The man’s words take up all the oxygen in the room, and the tension thickens with unbridled hostility. “Didn’t take much to get her so drunk she passed out. Shit, she probably weighed ninety pounds back then. We had our fun with you, taking turns, filling you up.”
“Get Axelle the fuck out of here.” Blake’s command snaps me out of the horrific story being told.
I grasp at Axelle, but she shoves me away.
“Axelle, please,” I whisper. “You don’t need to hear this.”
Tears fall freely down her cheeks, and she peers over at me with bloodshot eyes. “Yes, I do.”
Her father sneers at Layla. “You and your bastard kid.”
I watch with revulsion as every word he says chips away a piece of the girl I love. Her shoulders cave, and her face pales with each verbal blow.
“I married you because I thought you were Axelle’s dad. If you weren’t, why didn’t you say anything?” Layla’s face is white, her lips quivering.
“What was I supposed to do? Admit that I roofied the hottest chick in school so the boys and me could gang-bang her? I’d end up in jail.”
Blake’s practically vibrating now. I reach forward and grab Axelle’s hand, afraid the worst is coming and offering my support.
Stewart studies Blake through narrowed eyes. “Haven’t you been listening, asshole? You don’t want her. She’s garbage. Even back in high school, no one stepped up. Not one of the guys claimed the baby as their kid. No one wanted them.”
Crack!
Some would think the sound came from Blake’s fist as he finally shut that piece of shit up by slamming it into the guy’s nose.
That may be true, but what I heard was the crack of Axelle’s heart breaking.