13. Ember
EMBER
WHICH WITCH – FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
“Axel Slaughter, get back here this instant, and unlock me!”
No matter how loudly I scream, the purple-haired fuck fails to make an appearance. I suppose he thinks this is funny. All I said was that I planned to go into work today after being bedridden post-seizure. I can’t just lay here.
Now I’m pinned to my bed frame by a silver handcuff closed around my left wrist, keeping me trapped like a fucking prisoner in my own home. That wanker is on ‘watch Ember duty’ and took it to mean he could restrain me.
“You asshole!” I holler.
Worst part is, I doubt anyone else would free me even if they were here. Warner’s off on some Eat, Pray, Love soul-searching mission, refusing to look at me after the fight. Hyland’s cataloguing evidence from the docks. Plus, I haven’t seen Blaine since Warner broke his nose.
Leaving me with the psycho.
And his fucking handcuffs.
“I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself!” I screech loudly. “I cannot lay in this bed for another day when we have an investigation to run. Let me out!”
This is exactly why I hid the attack in the first place. Their worried fussing is unbearable. Between Hyland hovering like a goddamn mother hen, Warner stomping around in a cloud of jealous rage and Axel wanting to spoon-feed me medication, I’m going insane. We don’t have time for this.
“Axel! You controlling dick!”
“Did someone call my name?” His head pops into the room.
The evil glint in his whiskey-orange eyes is making me want to do some nose breaking of my own. Axel leans against the door, thumbs hooked in the waistband of his sweats, his bare, tattooed torso on full display.
I don’t know if showing off his stacked abdominals, muscle-carved chest or beautifully defined pectorals is some kind of tactic, but I’m not falling for it. Even if my mouth grows dry at the delicious sight.
“You look suitably rested,” he teases.
“Unlock the cuffs.”
“And let you kick my ass? I’ll pass. You’re on bed rest.”
“I’m not a fucking child!”
“Then don’t act like one.” He winks at me. “You need to learn to trust us with your condition, once and for all. If that involves forcing you to get some rest, then I’ll take one for the team.”
“How often does handcuffing a girl result in trust for you?” I sass back.
Axel runs a hand over his faux hawk, smoothing the flyaways. “All the time.”
“Bullshit.”
“Surrender can be quite fulfilling. Care to try it?”
“Fuck you!”
“Me? Or Blaine Madden?”
Straining against the cuff, I long to wrap my hands around his throat. This is such a mess. And honestly, an unwelcome distraction. We don’t need to be fighting over this right now, and I definitely don’t need to be confined to this bed.
“I have a job to do.” I glower at him.
Axel shrugs. “You can go back to work once you’ve seen the specialist next week. Warner’s orders. Until then, get used to me waiting on you hand and foot.”
“Next week? No chance!”
“Then the cuffs will stay. To be honest, it’s fun to watch you wriggling around like a fish on a hook. I don’t mind if you continue to struggle.”
“Argh!”
Flopping back, I slump against the pillows. I’m still recovering from the intense seizure and don’t have the energy to play his stupid game all day. Especially not if he’s enjoying it.
Axel pouts then vanishes, his footsteps padding away from my bedroom. I stare up at the ceiling, attempting to breathe through my indignation until I hear him returning. The dick hums under his breath all day long.
“You want peanut butter or cheese?”
My head lifts. “Huh?”
Axel waves two plates, approaching the bed where I’m still restrained. “Ladies’ choice. Gotta keep my caged bird fed.”
“I’m not a pet.”
“No, a pet would take the sandwich without being difficult.”
“Peanut butter.” I stick out my one free hand.
“Good girl. Now, promise you’re not going to throw it at me or slit my throat with the shattered plate?”
“Now that you mention it…”
Axel rolls his eyes at my evil grin. “Give it your best shot.”
Setting his plate down, Axel dips a hand into his pocket to pull out several brightly-coloured pills. He deposits them on the side of my plate then scoots it closer to me, moving the bottle of water from my bedside table so it’s within reach.
“You’re drugging me now?” I lift a brow.
“It’s your medication, genius. Evening dose.”
Looking down at the sandwich, I make a point of analysing it like he might’ve spiked the bread or something. Axel huffs at my attitude, sitting down to jam a cheese-filled triangle into his mouth.
“Just checking you haven’t sedated it or some shit to keep me compliant.”
“Damn,” he says through his mouthful. “I missed a trick there.”
“Ha fucking ha.”
“Eat. Please.”
Pushing the plate aside after a few bites, I take my meds then return my focus to escaping the cuffs. Even with one spare hand, I can’t find a weakness in the mechanism or work my wrist free. I’ll have to break the bed at this rate.
Axel leans back on his elbows, legs outstretched and empty plate set aside. He watches me with an amused smile.
“Some people try to dislocate their thumb.” He flicks crumbs from his chest.
“Stupid. Doesn’t actually work.”
“Does too.”
“How many action movies have you watched?”
“All experience, babe.”
“You’re not a secret agent, Ax. You’re just a fucking idiot.”
“Ouch.” He rubs between his pecs. “You wound me.”
“Get over it.”
“Learn to rest, and take care of your body without being restrained,” he hits back.
“I’ll rest when I’ve seen my brother and found Gracie. Killed Gael. Dismantled an international trafficking ring. Located Blaine, wherever he’s sulking. Oh, and kicked Warner’s ass for being a jealous prick.”
“That all?” He chuckles.
“It’s a working itinerary.”
“Then I best carve out my place in it.” Axel eyes me lasciviously. “With all these men lining up to stake their place, I can’t have you forgetting me now.”
“It isn’t like that, and you know it.”
“Do I?” he challenges. “Madden’s a freak show, Em. You have no idea what he’s capable of. But apparently, that’s reason enough to stick your tongue down his neck.”
“Careful. Your jealousy’s showing.”
His leg loops over mine, tangling together. “Is that such a bad thing? Just shows how serious I am about us. I’ll cut off Madden’s head and deliver it to your doorstep to prove my point.”
“We literally live in the same apartment.”
“Irrelevant. I’m making a grand, romantic gesture.”
My wrist burns and chafes where the metal bites into it each time I try to break free. Axel narrows his eyes but doesn’t move to stop me from hurting myself.
“What’s romantic about first-degree murder and a beheading?”
“Clearly, we are not the same person.” He sighs in mock-disappointment. “How else am I going to make you behave?”
“Learn to accept defeat,” I answer snarkily.
“Hm, not my style.”
Shifting onto his haunches, Axel knee-walks up the mattress. He easily pushes my legs apart to settle between them, looming above my prone state. His eyes greedily drink in my bare thighs and hips where my t-shirt has ridden up.
“Nice t-shirt. Looks a lot like Warner’s to me.”
“It’s not.”
“You’re mad at him but still wearing his shit.” He observes intently.
My teeth grind together. “This isn’t Warner’s t-shirt.”
“Keep telling yourself that. How’d you steal it?”
I’m definitely not going to admit that I snuck into his empty bedroom and pilfered it from his wardrobe while he’s been avoiding me like the plague. I wanted to feel close to him. Even though he, apparently, hates my guts right now.
Axel circles my kneecap, fingertips dancing upward to tease my thigh. Each playful stroke causes my hair to stand on end, every nerve straining for the relief his touch brings, though I won’t allow myself to have it.
His callouses move over my skin, thumbs circling the sensitive inner slopes that lead to the molten heat gathering inside me. My body doesn’t care how mad I am. In fact, that seems to be making it all the more responsive to Axel’s mind games.
When the tip of his index finger traces over my black panties, right where my pussy lips are encased in rapidly dampening cotton, I feel my spine arch.
“Don’t t-touch me!”
“What was that?” He watches my face.
“Stop… ah, fuck.”
Dragging his nails over my mound again, I try to bite back my enjoyment. It’s impossible. The slightest pressure and I can already feel my clit pulsating. I’m too frustrated and wound up to pretend I don’t need his touch.
“Is this how I have to make you obey?” Axel wonders aloud. “Fuck you into submission?”
“I’m going to break every last one of your fingers.”
“Then I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
He pushes my panties to one side, easily sliding beneath the elastic to glide two fingers straight through my heat. I gasp at the intrusion, my legs widening reflexively, allowing him to access my core.
Axel teases my slick folds, orbiting my clit then moving his finger lower to breach my entrance. When he pushes it inside me, rotating softly before adding a second finger, I whine his name.
“That’s a yes.” A sadistic grin quirks his lips.
“What?” I moan.
“I do have to fuck you into submission. You can’t run around disobeying orders if you’re pinned to this bed by my cock, right?”
“Jesus, Ax.”
He drives the threat home with a fast pump, drawing his fingers fully out then shoving them back inside my weeping cunt. I cry out in pleasure, fisting the bedsheets with my unrestrained hand.
“So angry and yet so wet for me.” Axel continues working me over with fast thrusts. “You’re desperate to be touched, babe. Touched and thoroughly fucked.”
“I… am… not!”
At my protest, he withdraws his hand. I can’t help calling out in shock, mourning the loss. My legs are shaking as warmth gathers between my legs, begging for his attention.
“What was that?” He scowls down at me.
“Goddamn you.”
“I’ve got all night, Em. Keep fighting me if you so wish.”
“Let me go! Now!”
“I’m not quite done with this disobedient little pussy yet.”