5. Axel
CHAPTER 5
AXEL
PLEASE DON’T CRY, YOU HAVE SWAG – HOT MULLIGAN
Flipping my switchblade up in the air, I deftly catch it then repeat the throw. Once. Twice. Three times. Not even staring up at the boring ceiling fan is encouraging my eyes to fall shut.
We’ve been holed up for fifteen hours, resting and refuelling while keeping a low profile. The jet is scheduled to leave London shortly, bringing our departure from Mexico tantalisingly close.
The snores of my fellow teammates aren’t enough to make me feel remotely tired. Not when the foul-mouthed redhead is resting mere metres from where I’m trying hard not to think about her muscular legs and near-bursting sports bra.
Jesus, Axel.
I don’t give a rat’s ass about what others deem to be right or wrong. People spend their entire lives abiding by meaningless principles, never tasting the sweet release of ending a man’s life with your bare hands.
And for what? They’re missing out. That rush has no comparison. Not a single drink, drug nor late night fuck can match the sheer power of holding a bloody, still-warm heart in your hands.
I’d say looking at Ember comes pretty close, though.
The things I’d do to those pouty lips. Fuck .
It’s not hard to imagine the sloping, lickable skin that lies beneath the bruised mess we found her in. The others may not see it, but I do. Or perhaps their morals are holding them back.
But not me.
I don’t care whose sister she is.
Setting the blade aside, I stalk to the attached bathroom to take another shower. I’m sick of this godforsaken room. I want to get out of here and hunt the ghosts who marked all that skin currently invading my thoughts.
My timing was shitty when I entered Ember’s room with two bags full of snacks and drinks. I saw enough of her scar-striped, purple back to make my awaiting joke dry up.
I too would like to know who the fuck laid their hands on her so I can hack them off. They won’t get the benefit of a bone saw. I’ll chip away at their bones with a knife and fork if it’ll hurt them more.
I’m about to flick on the shower to scrub away my irritating thoughts when an audible bang echoes from the adjacent room. Our bathroom connects to Ember’s thin bedroom wall.
Straining my ears, there are no further sounds of struggle. Just a quiet shuffling before a soft, muffled sob leaks through the wall. God, she tries so hard to put on a brave face.
It isn’t hard to see the shadows writhing in her oddly mixed, blueish-grey gaze. A palpable anguish that haunts the windows to her soul, no matter what sharp retorts roll off her tongue.
How I’d love to dive into that cavernous pit and swim in her inner darkness. Something about the way she holds herself intrigues me. Just hearing what she’s spent the last few years doing had me fucking hard.
I wanna see her fight.
Damn, I wanna fight her .
When another thud echoes from her room after a few silent minutes, I decide to sneak out. Warner is still sleeping soundly, cuddling a pillow to his chest, while Hyland snores sprawled out on his back.
My first knock on her door goes unanswered. Doubt creeps in, pushing me to turn back. I quickly change my mind and spin back around to knock again before getting very far.
If anyone could see me wavering on her doorstep like some fucking idiot, they’d laugh. I’m not like Warner and Hyland. I don’t care for caring’s sake. But when someone intrigues me, that’s different.
After an eternal pause and several more knocks, I hear footsteps move inside the room. The door creaks open, revealing a bleary-eyed goddess who makes my cock twitch.
“What?” she groans.
My lips fall open, throat contracting tight. “Ah.”
She’s wearing a massive black t-shirt that can only belong to one person. I’m going to skin Hyland alive for being so damn thoughtful before I could offer her my clothes.
I get a flash of boxers where the t-shirt has ridden up, the cotton disappearing when she lowers her hand from the door. Well, fuck. He lent her some of those too.
“Um.” I cough awkwardly. “You alright?”
“Yeah.” She stares past me. “Is it time to leave?”
“No… Everyone is asleep. I just thought I heard something.”
Ember swipes a hand over her sore-looking face. It’s hard to tell with her wounds, but her functioning eye looks red and puffy from crying. She gestures over her shoulder.
“Tripped over the armchair going to the bathroom.”
Huh . Something tells me her spatial awareness is far better than that.
“Can’t sleep either?” I prod.
Ember shrugs. “I managed a few hours.”
“So… want some company?”
“Will you leave me alone if I say no?” she sasses back.
That mouth.
“I’m not a stalker,” I argue playfully. “Well, not much anyway. I’ll just sit out here and pout.”
“Why am I not surprised?” She exhales in a weary manner. “Fine. Come in.”
“We don’t have to talk.”
“Even better.”
Passing her, I step into the low-lit room. “If I have to listen to Hyland snore for a moment longer, I’m going to go play in the road.”
Ember snickers under her breath. “I can hear it through the wall.”
“I’m convinced he swallowed a bloody train before passing out. Try living with that twenty-four-seven for five months.”
Her auburn brows raise when I flop onto her unmade bed, stretching my limbs out. She got a double while we’re all crammed in on twin mattresses in a single room.
“Nice big bed.”
“Make yourself at home, why don’t you?”
“Thanks.” I jam a pillow beneath my head. “I will.”
“Do you have any sense of personal boundaries?”
“What are those?” I watch her move to the armchair.
Snorting, Ember stiffly lowers herself into it. “I’m starting to understand the ‘ pup ’ nickname.”
“Watch it. Better to have me as a friend than an enemy.”
This time, her laughter sounds genuine. It’s a tinkling symphony, far different from the raspiness of her usual sarcasm. I feel a smile spreading my lips wide.
“So… You grew up with Warner? All happy families and shit?”
Ember’s expression sobers, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “Something like that.”
“How old are you?”
“By now… I guess, thirty-one? I haven’t even thought about my birthday since I was taken.”
“Five years younger then. I swear, Warner gets greyer by the day. Your brother too.”
“You’ve seen Tom?” She looks over to me.
“Well, yeah. He’s always at HQ for meetings and stuff.”
“Right. Of course.” Ember shakes her head like she’s trying to knock the cobwebs out. “It’s weird to think that life carried on while I’ve been trapped here.”
“That’s a stretch,” I quickly argue. “His life did not go on. I’m not gonna speak out of turn, but Tom made it his mission to bring you home.”
She smiles to herself. “Sounds like my big brother.”
“You’re lucky to have someone like that.”
After a pause, Ember blinks rapidly to pull herself back. She’s a little out of it. I faintly wonder what caused that bang. There’s no way I believe she tripped over the damn armchair.
“You don’t have any siblings?” she asks.
“Nah.”
“Family?”
“Orphan,” I volunteer. “Just little ole me.”
The pity that usually comes when I reveal a little about my past never arrives. She merely nods in acknowledgement but keeps her thoughts to herself.
I’m thankful. There’s nothing I hate more than talking about my screwed-up family or somehow being judged for what happened to them.
“I see. How old are you?”
Crossing my legs at the ankle, I get comfortable on her bed. “We’re the same age.”
“Huh. I thought you were younger.”
“I can find my birth certificate if that helps.”
Ember looks down at her bare legs, the cuts and scrapes now thoroughly cleaned. “Hilarious. I can see why you piss Hyland off.”
“He makes it too easy. The man can’t ever take a joke.”
“I noticed. When did you join the team?”
Grabbing a bag of unopened gummies on the nightstand, I rip the crackling plastic open to shove a few in my mouth. I love the way she gawps incredulously. It’s cute.
“About eighteen months ago. Got transferred in from MI-5.”
“I can see everything in your mouth.” Her lip curls in mock-disgust.
“You asked. Want some?”
Shaking her head, Ember watches me stuff another handful of sweets into my mouth. “You seriously worked for MI-5? Like James Bond, top-secret agent shit? That MI-5?”
“It’s a lot less glamorous, believe me. And not really a well-kept secret either. You can literally walk past the offices in London.”
“Right. So what did you do there?”
“I worked in the counterintelligence division for eight or so years.”
“Why leave?” Ember leans forward, appearing to be genuinely interested.
“That’s a story for another time. I don’t wanna scare you off too soon.”
“Come on.” She chuckles. “I can handle it.”
“Well, put it this way. Government policy didn’t necessarily align with my methods . Sabre operates in much more of a legal grey area.”
“Christ. You’re right; I am scared off.”
Swallowing my mouthful, I almost choke on a laugh. “Says the woman who became a vicious street fighter for the cartel. I couldn’t scare you even if I tried.”
Her fingers lift to cover her wry smile. “Probably not.”
Beyond the two men I share my life and home with, there aren’t many people who stick around once they get a glimpse of my madness. I wonder if she’ll stay when she gets a real look.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I drawl.
Ember hesitates, her mouth creasing in trepidation. “What do you know about Blaine Madden?”
Munching another two gummies, I attempt to decipher her expression. Her eyes are darting around like she’s trying hard not to appear interested.
“That mess was before my time,” I answer carefully. “Something to do with a big case a few years back involving an organised crime family.”
“In the UK?”
“I believe so.”
“Huh.” She nods to herself. “Um, he called himself their enemy. Sabre, that is. Warner too.”
“I’d imagine he is.”
“Do you know why?” she prods.
“I guess the guy was thrown in prison for racketeering and a lifetime’s worth of drug charges. Next I hear, he’s escaped and vanished off the face of the earth.”
“Wait… Seriously?”
“Yup. Never to be seen again. Until now, apparently.”
By the time the plastic bag is empty, she’s zoned out. That criminal fuck clearly got under her skin. I don’t know the bastard, but I want to cave his head in just for stealing her attention from me.
“What are you going to do when you get home?” I attempt to redirect her scattered thoughts.
Ember startles before her gaze returns to me. “What do you mean?”
“The investigation is ongoing. You’ll have to cooperate, but you’ll be offered protection too.”
“Oh.” Ember nods slowly. “Shit, I didn’t even think about that. I have no idea. I’m not sure what I’m even going home to. I’m sure my apartment is gone by now.”
“Would it help if I told you that Warner spoke to Tom?”
She visibly recoils. “How did it go?”
“After he finished screaming at him to put you on the phone?”
“Ah, crap. I should’ve known he’d react like that.”
We’ve met enough times over the past eighteen months for me to think her brother’s a decent bloke. He was heavily involved in my transfer into Sabre and all its legal ramifications.
“It was a tense phone call. Warner didn’t reveal much, but Tom will be waiting for us when we land. It took almost an hour of convincing to stop him from flying straight here.”
Ember brings her hands up to her face, hiding herself from my sight. “He’s overprotective. Always has been.”
“Sounds like that’s been dialled up to a million now.”
“Fantastic. Should we just stay?” Her joke falls flat.
“You’ll be alright. Tom just won’t let you leave the house ever again. I’ll come break you out once in a while for a small fee.”
“A small fee?” she chortles.
“London is expensive. I ain’t working for free.”
“Naturally.”
“What? I’m entrepreneurial.”
Seeing her smile makes me feel light inside. I want her to keep laughing. To forget how incredibly fucked up this all is, even if just for a moment. Maybe I can do that for her.
“I’m a bit tight on funds right now,” Ember adds. “But I make a mean spaghetti bolognaise, if I can bribe you with food.”
Propping a hand beneath my head, I peer over at her. “What makes you think that would work?”
“The rate at which you just inhaled the gummy bears I was saving for later.”
A full belly laugh rips out of me. “Busted.”
Her playful grin is downright intoxicating. The movement lights up her face, offering a taste of what her happiness would look like. Yep. I’m definitely making her smile more.
Cracking a yawn, Ember shifts in the armchair. “When are we leaving?”
“First thing in the morning. Things will be pretty intense once we land. You should get some more sleep while you can.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“You’re barely holding your eyes open,” I point out.
Her bottom lip releases from between her teeth. “Every time I shut my eyes, I imagine Gael’s men breaking down that door and tossing me back in a cage. Only, I’ll never be allowed out again.”
Watching her wince when she shifts her hips, I roll onto my side then pat the mattress. Warner would kill me if he saw this, but screw it. Ember shouldn’t be left alone.
She needs to be looked after. I’m not the person to be doing it, though. The only difference between me and the men who took her are that my crimes were sanctioned by law.
I’m no less diabolical.
But for now, I can pretend. For her.
“Come lay down,” I invite.
“Seriously, I’m okay.”
“Give it up, Ember. You’re safe. No one’s gonna throw you in any cages while I’m here. Not if they want to keep their limbs attached.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asks plainly.
“You don’t. But Warner does. Do you think his trust is earned easily after all he’s been through?”
“I guess not.” Ember eyes the bed with interest. “Promise to keep your hands to yourself?”
“Pinkie swear. I’ll be a good little bodyguard.”
Drawing in a loud inhale, she raises herself from the armchair to hobble towards me. That damned oversized tee should be illegal. It keeps riding up and flashing her tempting, porcelain thighs.
I hold my breath as she lowers herself onto the bed, leaving a few inches between us. The lemony scent of motel shampoo wafts over me, mingled with something delicately floral and entirely her.
Ember curls her arms underneath her head, careful not to disturb the thick bandage wrapped around her forearm. Her muddied blue eyes lock on me.
Even injured, it’s impossible not to notice that she’s fucking beautiful. Her flaming hair, delicately structured facial bones and generous pout would make her the object of anyone’s desires.
“Sleep. I’ll stand guard.”
Ember’s nose crinkles as she looks over my body. “Maybe you’re the one I should be worrying about.”
I shift on the bed, wrestling with my urge to pull her close.
“Maybe.”