With his heart pounding in his chest, Axel sat straight up in bed to something that sounded like a large redwood crashing to the forest floor.

Bella rolled away from him, gathering the sheet to her chest. “What the hell was that?”

“Stay here,” he told her, scrambling from the bed and trying to find his boxer briefs where he’d thrown them on the floor earlier. Instead, his fingers brushed against denim. Tugging his jeans up and over his hips, he didn’t bother to fasten them. He headed toward the bedroom door, but quickly returned to the bed to grab his .38 off-duty revolver from the nightstand. He unholstered it as he rushed to the door. Pressing his body to it, he listened carefully.

“Axel,” she called softly, the tremor unmistakable in her voice.

“Quiet,” he whispered.

Then he heard a rush of heavy footsteps and the bedroom door crashed open, knocking him back into her dresser. The corner of it caught his ribs, and he grunted from the impact, his gun slipping from his fingers.

The sudden overhead light blinded him for a moment, then he heard Bella’s gasp and before he could react, a big, beefy hand grabbed his neck and hauled him out of the room, throwing him across the narrow hallway.

“What the fuck!” Axel yelled as he slammed into the drywall across from her bedroom door, cracking it.

“Fuckin’ pig! Stickin’ your dick where it don’t belong.”

Oh fuck.

“Diesel!” Bella screamed.

“Fuckin’ stay there,” he barked over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off Axel.

Axel’s chest heaved as he tried to retrieve the air that had been knocked out of him for the second time. He took in the larger man and all his fury.

This was not good. It was even worse than coming face to face with an armed intruder.

Then Diesel’s finger was in his face. “Told you to stay away. Told you not to touch DAMC property. Fuckin’ did it anyway. Now you gotta pay.”

Axel brought his palms up. “D...” he started as if reasoning was going to work.

Diesel shook his head, his brows low, his jaw tight, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “No. No fuckin’ way. Nothin’ you say’s gettin’ you outta this.”

When D took a menacing step forward, Axel drew himself up to his full height, which still wasn’t nearly as tall as the massive biker. Jesus, he was a good fifty pounds lighter, too. If Diesel wanted to kick his ass, there wasn’t going to be much Axel could do about it. And his gun was in the bedroom. He was going to have to say, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Bella rush to the bedroom doorway, the sheet wrapped around her. “Diesel! Get out!” she screeched.

D ignored his cousin as the man’s nostrils flared. Axel wouldn’t be surprised if he saw smoke and fire shoot from them.

“You’re fuckin’ dead, pig,” came low and menacing from the man he’d known his whole life, but wasn’t close to. He’d never been allowed to hang out with any of the DAMC kids. He’d always been kept apart from them, even his own blood relatives.

“Diesel...” Again, he could attempt to reason with the man, but Axel doubted it would do any good. However, he knew it just wasn’t feasible to fight Diesel. He would lose and lose badly.

“D, you touch him...” Bella let the warning drift off.

“Then what?” D barked.

“Swear to Christ, I’ll leave the club. You won’t ever see me again.”

Diesel grunted, his dark eyes still pinned to Axel. “Bullshit, woman, ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

“Try me.”

Fuck. Axel suddenly felt less than a man, and even less of a cop, by having a woman fight his battles. Sucking in a breath, he pushed away from the wall and took a step toward Diesel. “You want to hit me, D? Will that make you feel better? You can beat the fuck out of me and that still isn’t going to stop me from being with her. That isn’t going to stop me from feeling how I do. So go ahead. Fucking hit me. Pound the shit out of me. Take all your rage out on me. I don’t give a fuck. Because she’s fucking worth it.”

A muscle in Diesel’s jaw ticked, and Axel swore he could hear him grinding his molars. Anger blazed behind his eyes.

“You know I can’t take you, even with all of my training and experience. You outsize me, outweigh me, and you’re like a fucking raging bull when you’re pissed. But you want to take a swing?” Axel raised both arms up. “Then do it.”

The huge fist emblazoned with the letters D-I-R-T-Y on the fingers barreling toward his face was the last thing he saw.

* * *

“Guess you shouldn’t have parked your truck in the driveway.”

Axel tried to laugh, but instead he groaned as pain shot up his jaw. He pressed the bag of frozen peas tighter to his face.

“Want me to take you to the hospital?”

“No.”

Her fingers swept over his short hair as the back of his head pressed against her collarbone. His nose had finally stopped bleeding but had started to swell, his left eye was nothing but a slit, and, luckily, his jaw wasn’t dislocated. He wiggled it again just to make sure.

“Did he break your door down?”

“Yeah,” she answered softly, running her palms over his bare chest as he leaned back into her. She wore his long-sleeved Henley, and she had settled him between her thighs on the couch as she tended to him. “He propped it back in place as best as he could. He said he’d get the prospects over here in the morning to fix it.”

He glanced over toward the door. A heavy blanket covered it, too, to help keep out the draft. “Landlord’s going to be pissed.”

Her shoulder lifted and fell. “If so, I’ll get D to cover it. Love the man but he can be a complete dick.”

He put a hand on her bent knee and squeezed. “Sorry I couldn’t defend your honor.”

She snorted. “I almost died when you told him to take a swing at you.”

“Yeah, me, too,” he murmured. Because that was so true. When he saw that fist headed his direction, all he could think was, “Oh fuck!”

Bella said he was out cold for a good ten minutes. Apparently long enough for her to kick Diesel’s ass out of her house and at least fix the door somewhat on his way out.

“That was stupid,” she murmured, her fingers still brushing over his hair. Now he understood why dogs loved to be petted so damn much.

“I’m not backing down, Bella.”

Her chest rose and fell behind him as she took a deep breath. “And that’s stupid, too.”

He shook his head but then cursed when his whole face began to throb at the movement. “He’s going to have to accept me. They all are.”

There was a long hesitation before she answered, “Right.”

“My family’s going to have to accept you.”

“You know that won’t ever happen.”

“It’ll be a start.”

“To what?”

“Mending fences.”

“Mending fences?”

“Z and my father. Z and me.”

“Even if your family... your father accepts Zak...” She sighed. “Axel, the brothers are never going to accept you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. You’re a cop. 5-0.”

“A pig?”

“Yeah.” She chuckled. “That, too.”

“They don’t need to accept me as a cop.” Though it sounded good, he wasn’t sure it was even possible. But it was worth a shot even if he had to take a few more beatings from Diesel. He groaned at the thought. The man had knocked him out with one punch. Men like him were the reason cops carried tasers and guns. The man’s fist could be considered a lethal weapon.

“Then what?”

“As your...”

“Old man?” she asked.

“No.” No fucking way would he ever call her his ol’ lady. He may love to ride, be VP of the Blue Avengers, but he was not that type of biker. Never was, never would be.

“Then what?” she asked again.

“As your man.”

She got quiet, and he wished she wasn’t sitting behind him so he could see her face.

“Axel...”

“Bella...”

She sighed.

“When I’m with you, I’ll be Axel Jamison, brother to the DAMC prez, grandson of one of the founding members. When I’m working, I’ll be Officer Jamison and stay away from the club... unless I’m needed in an official capacity.”

“Right. Like arresting one of the brothers.”

“If I have to.”

“Right, Axel. And there’s the rub.”

“I’m not giving up my career.”

“And I’m not giving up the club. They’re my family.”

“You threatened Diesel that you’d leave if he touched me.”

Silence answered him.

“You were blowing smoke.”

“Yeah,” she said so softly he wouldn’t have heard it if her mouth wasn’t so close to his ear. “I was just trying to get him to stop. See reason.”

Axel snorted, then winced at the pain it caused. “Diesel see reason? Laughable.”

“He’s got Jewel now; he needs to start.”

Right. Axel’s cousin, Jewel, and him were now shacked up. “They get hitched, he and I will officially be family.”

“Don’t expect that anytime soon,” Bella warned him.

He hadn’t expected Zak to get married, either. Then Sophie came along, and his brother was suddenly whistling a different tune. And now she was carrying Axel’s niece or nephew. “If she gets pregnant...”

“D as a father. Holy fuck.”

“I second that.”

“Fuck. That could happen, though,” she whispered. “Picture it, some toddler calling D Daddy. Holy shit.”

“Sorry, I can’t see him changing diapers, giving a baby a bottle, and him holding hands with a toddler as he walks the kid over to a swing set to push her on the swings.”

“One good push and he’d shoot that poor kid all the way to the moon.”

“Fuck. Don’t make me laugh. It isn’t fun when your nose is smashed.”

“Probably broken. You should get it looked at.”

He probably should, but he liked where he was currently settled at the moment and that was between Bella’s legs on her couch in her house. He wasn’t giving that up anytime soon. “I straightened it. It’ll be fine.”

“Axel...”

“Bella, it’s fine. It’ll give me some character if it heals crooked.”

“I love your face the way it is.”

He sucked a breath through his mouth. “Yeah?”

“Well, not right now.”

“Fuck! Stop making me laugh.”

Her body shook beneath his as she laughed, too.

* * *

“He did what?” Diamond screamed.

Bella winced. The meeting of the DAMC sisterhood had officially commenced in Sophie’s Sweet Treats.

Bella couldn’t stop thinking about what Axel had asked her, so she wanted to run it past her club sisters. She had texted everyone and told them to get their asses to the bakery. Of course, they did, expecting some juicy news.

Which was exactly what Bella was giving them.

“Hold up. Did you guys sleep together?” Diamond asked.

“I don’t think she needs to answer that. It’s pretty obvious,” Ivy said, propping a hip against the bakery counter and crossing her arms over her chest. The redhead gave her a big smile. “Jag’s going to shit a brick.”

“They all are,” Jewel added.

Bella didn’t volunteer the fact that Jewel’s old man already knew. Though, she wouldn’t be surprised if D hadn’t told her what he’d done, since he was a man of little words.

“I’m not telling you this so you can run to your men and flap your gums,” Bella said, frowning. “I need your advice.”

“My answer is hell yes!” Sophie yelled. “About time you two got together. I think it’s time to celebrate with a sugar rush.”

“I second that!” Kelsea shouted. Bella’s youngest cousin snagged a cupcake before Sophie could even pull the tray completely out of the display case.

Sophie offered Bella one, but she shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“To eat a cupcake?” Kelsea asked with a full mouth.

“No, to go to dinner at the Jamisons.”

“I think it’ll be a start, Bella, I really do. It could mean healing the rift between Mitch, Axel and Z,” Sophie said.

Bella shook her head. “Mitch is pretty damn stubborn.”

“And Z isn’t? Where do you think he got it from?” Sophie asked. She pressed a hand to her stomach. “This baby needs her grandparents. Her aunt and uncle, too.”

“She’ll have all of us,” Ivy reminded her. “No matter what, we’ll all love her.”

“Again, if this baby is a girl, Z might cry. Just warning you now. He might even try to shove her back in and tell you to try again,” Jewel joked.

Sophie swatted a hand in Jewel’s direction. “He won’t care.”

Bella raised her brows. She hoped Sophie was right.

“If it’s a girl, she’ll have him wrapped around her finger, just like he is with you,” Diamond scoffed.

Ivy looked to Bella. “Why isn’t Kiki here?”

“She’s working on a case,” Bella answered. “She said to save her a cupcake.”

“Are we that predictable?” Ivy asked, laughing.

“Hell yes, we are,” Jewel said, taking another bite of their newest cupcake concoction, Cookies and Cream. Vanilla icing, Oreo crumbles on the top, and the best part was an Oreo baked in the middle of the chocolate cake. Bella would have to bring one over to Axel’s since they both decided it was best if he stayed away from the bakery for now.

“So anyway, I think you should go,” Sophie said, getting back to the reason they were all gathered.

“I do, too,” her sister piped in.

Bella looked at Ivy. “You’re not the one who’ll have to spend an uncomfortable evening with someone who hates you.”

“Uncle Mitch doesn’t hate us,” Jewel said. “He just wanted to keep his family separated from the club lifestyle, that’s all.”

That’s all? That was enough.

“Right, we’re not good enough for him and his precious family,” Diamond added, wiping some stray icing off her lip.

Bella threw a hand out in her direction. “See? Diamond understands it.”

“Di needs to get laid,” Jewel grumbled under her breath.

Kelsea shot Diamond a look. “I thought you and Slade...” She drifted off since it was hard not to miss the sudden stormy look on the woman’s face.

“No.”

“But...” Suddenly, Kelsea smiled. “Oh fuck! Can I go for it? He’s fucking hot!”

A groan rose from everyone but Kelsea and Diamond.

“Sure,” Di answered, even though her answer did not match her expression.

Bella would be sure to pull her youngest cousin aside and tell her that wasn’t a good idea. But she would wait until Diamond wasn’t around, especially now that Di was shoving another cupcake into her mouth with a vengeance.

She had no idea what, if anything, happened between Di and Slade. The last thing she’d heard was she’d been on the back of his bike on a few of the club runs during the summer, but she hadn’t heard anything since. Not that she’d asked, either.

Bella couldn’t quite get a bead on Slade, but she had a feeling that he wasn’t ready for Diamond to get her claws in him. Being the newest fully-patched member, he probably wasn’t ready to have an ol’ lady or even someone permanently on the back of his bike.

But being a former Marine, the man had some manners, unlike most of the other brothers. He actually treated the club sisters with respect. Though, Diamond tended to be a bit hard to swallow and probably wore on his patience.

Bella had to agree with Kelsea, though, the man was fucking hot!

However, Slade wasn’t her problem, Axel and his invitation was.

Luckily, Ivy got them back on track. “Go. Jayde, April and Axel will be fine. You’ll just have to deal with Mitch if he decides to be a dick.”

“And it’s a free meal,” Kelsea teased.

“I think it will be not only good for you and Axel, but for Z, too. Like I said, I think it could be the first step into healing that broken relationship,” Sophie said.

“So, I’m the sacrificial lamb,” Bella murmured.

“Depends. Is he worth it?” Sophie asked softly.

The jury was still out on that one. Was he worth it in bed? Hell yes. Was being with him worth the turmoil between the club and his family? She wasn’t so sure.

The only good thing about being with Axel was that he wasn’t a biker, so she’d never be treated as property.

She’d been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. And now the sweatshirts and tank tops that all claimed she’d be the “property of no one.”

“Wouldn’t everyone shit if you brought him to the club Christmas party,” Diamond exclaimed.

“Yeah! Tell him you’ll suffer through his family dinner if he comes to the party,” Jewel said, slapping her thigh in amusement.

“That may be a good idea,” Sophie murmured.

Bella’s jaw fell open. “For fuck’s sake, has everyone lost their mind?”

“Why? He’s my blood. So is Jayde,” Jewel said. “Why shouldn’t they be able to attend?”

“Uh... How’s this for a good reason, Diesel came over last night, broke down my door and practically knocked Axel’s block off?”

“He did what?” Jewel asked, her face turning dark.

Whoops. Shit.

“Oh fuck,” Ivy muttered.

“Is he okay?” Sophie asked. “What the hell’s wrong with D?”

“I think his nose is broken, though he wouldn’t let me take him to the hospital. He’s got a shiner and a sore jaw.”

“Damn,” Kelsea whispered.

“Fucking beast!” Jewel screamed, grabbing her coat and quickly leaving the bakery.

As the door slammed behind a raging Jewel, they all looked at each other.

“Uh oh,” Ivy murmured.

“Probably like Axel, Diesel’s not going to know what hit him,” Diamond snickered.

“Well, if Axel stuck around after Diesel clobbered him, I’m assuming he’s serious about you,” Kelsea said.

“He’s always been serious about her,” Bella’s sister said. “She’s just ignored all the signs.”

“No, she’s always felt the same way,” Sophie added.

“Um, hello? I’m standing right here,” Bella exclaimed. “And my love life, sex life, or whatever this is, isn’t any of your business.”

“Then why’d you text us all to meet you here?” Kelsea asked.

Good question. Her mistake.