13. Axl
Axl
“I t’s coming back,” I say to Brute as we watch Finleigh wander away from the bonfire. Her defeated look and slumped shoulders make it obvious she’s starting to recall things. Whether it’s full memories or feelings, they’re returning.
Elbows in his knees, Brute’s eyes stay glued to her until she disappears into the darkness. “I think it’s time we stop walking on eggshells,” he declares, rising to his feet and following after her.
“Night,” I mutter to the guys drinking around the fire before catching up to Brute. He’s halted a few feet from Finleigh, where she sits on the ground, head to the grass, and mutters incoherently.
“She’s in a memory,” he says, remaining still.
“Bad one?”
“I don’t think so. She laughed a little, then relaxed.” Brute is thoughtful as we observe Finleigh, and when I finally decipher some of her words, she’s talking about a frog.
Waiting for her to break out of whatever she’s locked in, I sit behind her, carefully pulling her body back into mine. The moonlight shines on her face, baring the glossy tears that begin to dry on her cheeks.
“Nora,” she finally whispers. “Nora Courting. She’s been my best friend forever.”
“And the frog?” I ask.
Fin turns her head to glance up at me with a huge grin on her face.
“Flip. He was an impulse purchase that I spent too much money on.” Her face drops.
“Oh god! He’s been all alone for weeks.” Turning her body so she kneels between my legs and faces me, she pleads, “Please, we have to go get him. He’s my baby.
” My eyes drop to her belly before flicking back up.
“Okay, he’s my other baby. But just as important. ”
“How so?” Brute drops to the ground next to us, lying on his side.
“After…you two, I came across him on my way home from finding out I was pregnant. I spent a lot of hours treating him like a therapist.”
Crawling over my outstretched leg, Fin lies on her back next to Brute while using my thigh as a pillow. Seeking us both out for comfort is a sign of trust I didn’t realize we were waiting for from her.
“Prospects are heading to Jackson first thing in the morning. Axl has a paint job he has to finish. By the afternoon, we’ll be on our way.”
“Can I tell them what to feed Flip? Get them to clean his tank a little?” She’s eager now; this is a sign of the woman we first met.
“Princess, you can tell them to entertain Flip with a musical, and they’ll do it.”
Laughing as she jumps to her feet, she pauses before taking a step. “What are their names again?”
We both stand up when she whispers that question. She can give the boys instructions, and then we’re taking her to bed.
“Neo and Olympus,” Brute answers, guiding her with a hand on her back. “You have one minute, then you're ours for the next ten hours at least.”
Biting my lip as she sways in front of me, my dick finally pops the woody it’s been longing for since finding her in the hospital. Finleigh is an unforgettable woman worth any kind of torment to get inside her body again, and we’ve been feeling it since bringing her home.
I want nothing more than to leave a mark on her flesh more permanent than the baby in her belly. I want our names inked into her skin, our cut on her back. The world needs to know Finleigh is the property of Brute and Axl, and I won’t be satisfied until she’s ours in every way possible.
“Neo?” The hesitation in her tone won’t do, especially when the dick doesn’t respond.
“Neo!” I bark out his name, startling him into dropping the bottle of beer in his hand as he jumps to his feet.
“Yeah, boss?” His fear makes me grin.
“Answer her,” I snarl, and his eyes flicker to Fin.
“Yes, ma’am?” She has his attention.
“Good little bitch,” Demon snickers from his spot across the fire with Amber sitting in his lap.
Neo glares at the man, but remains silent as he waits for Finleigh to speak. “They said you’d do me a favor.”
“Anything,” he replies smartly.
“When you get to my condo tomorrow morning, could you feed Flip? There’s a container of food in the fridge.
“Flip?”
“My frog.”
Brute’s glower shuts down anyone about to laugh when we notice their lips quirk.
“Sure. Anything else?” Neo scratches the back of his neck as Oly joins him.
“Clean the tank?” She poses it as a question, but my look makes it clear it’s a demand he’ll comply with.
“Consider it done.”
Finleigh offers a genuine smile as she steps close and squeezes his arm in thanks. “I really appreciate it. No one has been taking care of him while I’m gone, and I’m worried about him.” She walks away before he can respond.
“Are we sure it’s not dead?” Neo murmurs low enough that she doesn’t hear him.
Gripping his shoulder, I mutter in his ear, “For the sake of your life, you better hope he isn’t.” He makes a loud gulping sound as we walk away, laughing at the fear-stricken expression on his face.
“You know he’ll be shitting his pants if that frog's dead in the morning.” Brute chuckles as we enter the clubhouse.
“Yup.” I’ve always gotten a kick out of instilling the fear of God into the prospects. Especially those two idiots.
Glancing around the room, I don’t see our girl. Viking points upstairs, and I share a grin with Brute. I don’t know how or why this one memory has changed her attitude, but I’m sure glad it has.
“Time to claim our woman,” Brute says as he leads the way.
We take the stairs at a run, skipping two or three steps at a time, slowing only when we reach our door to hear Finleigh humming to herself.
Opening the wood panel, we stand there, watching her shuffle around the room, searching the bookshelf that is honestly more sparse than full. She appears more relaxed than usual, growing more comfortable in not only our space but also around the guys in the club.
“I realize it’s not supposed to be easy, getting my memories back.
There will be times it’s traumatizing, but right now, it feels like I have my whole world.
” She looks at us with sadness in her gaze.
“That’s pathetic, right? To have that one day be so prominent that it feels like the happiest time of my life.
A baby and a frog and a friend to share them with. ”
“Not pathetic.” I step into the room, and she meets me halfway, gliding straight into my arms. “Meaningful.”
The door closes with a soft click of the lock engaging, and Brute comes to our side. Lifting her chin with a finger, he says, “There’s nothing wrong with that being a memory you hold onto. That can be your starting point to bring the rest back.”
“A core memory,” she whispers, the sadness taking a step back. Leaning her head into my chest, a few minutes pass as she gathers herself again before muttering, “I really wish my body wasn’t so damn broken.”
Amused, I ask, “Why’s that?”
“These hormones are making me crazy.” Biting her lip, she draws back with a seductive look in her speckled hazel eyes, the amber hue more prominent. She takes a step away from us before turning and shimmying out of her pants, leaving her naked from the waist down.
A good man would remember she was assaulted and still healing.
A good man would walk away.
I’ve never been accused of being a good man, and her body’s siren call begs for the pleasure she knows only we can give her.