Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
jenna
Axel’s hand finds mine as we make our way out of his office, my mind a flurry of conflicting emotions.
I fumble a bit while trying to secure my shawl over my shoulders, half-focused on the task at hand, half entranced by the beautiful man in front of me.
His broad form is covered in a perfectly tailored black suit, and his jet-black hair is freshly trimmed.
As he rakes his fingers through the dark locks, I take my time memorizing the tattoos covering his hands when I remember the new tattoo he has above his heart. Is he crazy? Who does that?
My core clenches as I picture him with my initial on his body, standing out against the others in bright red ink.
Before I can get too lost in my thoughts, Axel quickly pulls me behind his body.
I feel every muscle of his back tense under his suit jacket, I instinctively grab onto him.
I haven’t heard anything about the Reapers after the night at Tipsy, so I just guessed their fighting was over—unless there’s a new enemy we have to worry about.
I try to move and peek around him, trying to get a glimpse of whatever has set Axel on high alert.
“What is it?” I whisper as he pulls his gun from the holster under his jacket.
Axel doesn’t answer, instead pointing to a red, solid rolling case that stands about 4 feet high.
I quickly understand that he’s telling me to get behind it.
I get ready to bolt when a loud voice bellows through the large garage.
“Axel! You in here, man?” My body instantly relaxes as Shiny steps in through the front doors. Axel lowers his shoulders and holsters his weapon, visibly relaxing as well.
“Fuck, Shiny. What the hell are you doing here?” Axel asks in an annoyed tone. “You’re supposed to be on watch at the venue.”
“Blaze sent me. Marley was getting worried about Jenna—she said her car broke down, but she hadn’t heard from her in a while.
I saw her car in the parking lot… then I saw your bike.
” He’s smirking as he finishes his sentence.
I decide it’s time for all of us to get back to the wedding and step out from behind Axel.
He quickly wraps his arm around me and pulls me close to his side as I try to walk past him to the front door.
“I’ll call Blaze and get Jenna back. Go back to your post, prospect,” Axel grunts in his direction. I glare up at Axel, letting him know I don’t like the way he’s talking to the younger man. Shiny nods towards us and then starts to say something, but quickly closes his mouth and turns to leave.
“Wait,” Axel hollers out to Shiny. I look into his eyes and see something there that looks like curiosity wrapped in caution. “What were you going to say?”
Shiny turns back around to face us and shrugs his shoulders. “I’m just glad you two figured your shit out.” He gives us both a huge cheesy grin that I can’t help but return.
“Fuck off, prospect,” Axel reacts. I slap his chest with my palm.
“Don’t be rude. He was just being nice.” I offer Shiny a small nod as he slowly retreats out of the building. Axel grabs the hand I now have rested against his chest and begins kissing each knuckle.
“You’re too sweet, Angel,” he says between kisses, wearing the sexiest smile I’ve ever seen.
After he’s satisfied with kissing my hand, he pulls me alongside him towards the entrance.
Watching as Shiny starts to pull open the heavy glass doors, a glint of metal catches my attention.
I don’t have time to comprehend what is happening before I see a gun go off.
The back of Shiny’s head explodes all over the floor and wall. A scream tears itself from my throat.
Axel wraps his arms around me and dives behind a truck as gunshots ring out through the garage. I try to suck in big gulps of air, pleading with my body to relax into Axel’s intense grip. But I can’t stop the shaking that racks through me.
“Jenna, listen to me,” Axel growls into my ear as the shots silence. “I’m going to try to distract them. You need to hide here until you see it’s clear, then get the fuck out of here.”
“No!” I panic and cling onto his suit. “You can’t go out there alone.
” I look into Axel’s eyes but only see determination and anger.
I take another shaky breath and unwrap my fingers from around the thick fabric of his suit.
“You better come back to me, Axel,” I say as he rests his forehead to mine.
“Always,” he says as he places a light kiss on my forehead.
“Ohh, Axel, I hear you have something I need. How about you come on out and we can discuss our situation,” a loud gravelly voice hollers through the open garage.
I watch as Axel pulls his gun out from under his suit and shoots me a quick glance before turning away from me towards the front of the vehicle.
“Red,” he states, looking across the hood of the truck.
He slowly rises into a standing position and walks around the vehicle.
I don’t move from my crouched position, but I dip my head lower so I can see under the car.
Five pairs of boots line the room in front of Axel, and my heart begins to thunder in my chest. He’s outnumbered. Think, Jenna, think.
I quickly grab my clutch from under my arm and swipe the screen open on my phone. I ignore the growing list of texts and calls that have piled up since we left and text Marley, hoping she is with everyone else by now.
Jenna
Help.
I hear footsteps moving closer to me, so I hit send and shove my phone back into my clutch, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself.
I turn my attention to the conversation between Axel and Red. I don’t know what I’ve missed in my panic, but their voices are rising.
“So, you’re the fucking rat,” Axel snarls.
I hear a menacing laugh and then a growl of anger. “You had no idea, just went about business as usual. But you did have one thing right—Tex was in on it. He was just an idiot and got caught.”
“I will kill you for betraying us,” Axel returns, the pure hatred in his voice seeping into every word.
“Well then, it’s a good thing you won’t be seeing me after today. Reapers will tear your club apart, and I will be glad to stand with them as we watch you all burn.”
My hands shake, anger and anxiousness coursing through my veins.
I lean down a little more, hoping to get a glimpse of the man responsible for deceiving us all, for killing Shiny.
But a blinding pain sears my scalp as my body is yanked up from the ground.
I immediately realize that someone has grabbed me by my hair as the men and Axel come into view.
Taking a steadying breath, I remember my training and stab my heel down into the attacker’s foot while bringing my elbow up, smashing it into the nose of the man holding my hair.
Blood splatters over my shoulder as I thrash around in his grip.
The asshole doesn’t let go but lets out a loud howl and then licks the side of my face as if enjoying my struggle.
I freeze when my eyes finally meet Axel’s.
He has turned toward us, turning his back on the others around him.
His gun is drawn, ready to kill the person behind me, but in an instant, he goes down with a loud thud.
The person behind him is holding a crowbar, Axel’s blood glistening on the smooth metal.
My heart stops, and I scream. I can’t remember how long I scream, but I scream for him—to wake up, to fight back, to do something.
“Axel! No! What have you done?!” I look up at the man holding the crowbar, his blonde shaggy hair and short beard so familiar. A single tear falls down my cheek as realization stabs me in the gut. The first night I ever went to the clubhouse, he was working the gate.
“Why?” I ask, steeling myself and not allowing any more tears to fall.
I can’t let them see me crumble. I try to get a glimpse of Axel to see if he is still breathing, but the man behind me restrains my arms behind my back.
I buck my head back in hopes of catching him off guard, but he holds my head steady.
The traitor in front of me doesn’t reply to my question.
He just smirks at me as I feel a sharp pinch sting my neck.
I fight against the piercing pain, but my body won’t respond. Panic like I’ve never felt before takes ahold of me as I struggle to move, but before I have time to process what is happening, the room begins to blur, and a heaviness settles over my body.