Chapter Eleven
AXEL
Sienna sits on the far side of the van, her eyes cast downward, her lips pursed.
This is the first time I’ve seen her look pissed off, giving me a glimpse of the fire that simmers just below the surface.
Good. It means he didn’t extinguish everything; I just need to stoke those embers until they blaze.
I won’t pretend to know what it must feel like to get into a vehicle with three strange men, and I’m man enough to recognize the privilege I have as a man to never understand what she must be feeling right now.
I have no idea how much she was a part of this, or if her brother just decided for her.
Regardless, she’s in my orbit now, and I’m going to make sure Sienna has all the options and can make her own decisions moving forward.
I reach out slowly, running my fingers over her hand to get her attention.
She doesn’t jerk away, but she does jump.
Like she was so lost in her own head, she forgot I was right next to her.
My eyes flick to the front seat, Rogue and Malice cast in shadows, the long stretch of empty road ahead of us.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She doesn’t turn my way, keeping her head facing out her window, eyes somewhere else. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m fine. Everything is fine. Save yourself some breath, Axel, and stop asking.”
Whoa. Okay, I like that. A lot. If she’s willing to give me an attitude, that means she feels safe enough with me to do that. That’s a huge fucking win in my book.
“You may not be okay right now, Sienna, but I promise you, someday you will.”
“We’ll see about that.”
The ride back to Amberwood is filled with silence. I’m surprised Malice was able to keep his mouth shut for the first hour and that it was Rogue who broke the quiet that stretched between us all.
“I’m Reid, by the way,” Rogue says, eyes looking at Sienna through the rearview mirror. “My old lady is at the clubhouse, her name’s Kinsey. She’s a huge sweetheart if you need anyone to talk to.”
“And my little pixie is there, too,” Malice adds as he turns around in his seat to face us.
“Everyone loves her. She’s new around here, so she’s still figuring out clubhouse life.
Her name’s Monroe. She has pink hair, so you can’t miss her.
And then there’s Sin’s old lady, Bristol.
She’s a veterinarian, if you like animals.
They have a dog and a pet bunny named Mr. Bun-Buns that Sin carries around in his arm.
He’s our VP. Huge guy. Built like a fuckin’ Viking.
Kinda looks like one, too. Then there’s Saigie-poo.
But don’t call her that. Only I get to call her that.
She’s got a penchant for violence. So, she’s just Saige to you.
I don’t think she’d stab you, but you never know.
She’s our prez’s woman. I think? Or he’s her man?
She totally wears the pants in that relationship.
But that’s our secret. Hey, do you want a group chat?
I can make you one? We can call you guys Biker Babes.
Or Hell’s Queens.” Malice snaps his fingers loudly.
“That’s it! That’s the one! Hell’s Queens.
Do you get it? ’Cause we’re Hell’s Heathens? ”
“I don’t belong to anyone at your club, though, so that doesn’t really work,” Sienna adds without looking his way.
Malice’s face falls, and then his eyes shoot to me like he’s confused. I give a subtle nod for him to let it go. Luckily, he shrugs, turning back around in his seat.
“His point is that where we’re going isn’t like whatever the hell happened to your brother’s club. It’s safe. We’re a family.”
Sienna just hums, continuing to look out the window. I don’t know what to do to make her feel better, so I decide the best course of action is to just shut the fuck up and wait until I get her alone to talk.
It’s not long before the floodlights of the front gate to the compound illuminate our path up ahead. I cringe as I see it from Sienna’s point of view. It looks ominous, and just as I’m worrying about how she’s handling it, she speaks up, proving that I was right.
“Oh, look, another prison. Yeah. Real different here.”
“It might look that way, sweetheart, but I promise you, it’s to keep people out, not people in.”
“I’m sure that’s what they all say to give everyone the false sense of freedom. A cage is still a cage.”
My eyes roam her side profile as the lights fill the car. She’s got some bite to her, and I can’t wait to peel back the layers and discover just how wild she can be.
The front gate cranks open when they see Rogue, armed sentries standing out front, trying to get a look into the car.
Nosey fuckers. I watch Malice’s face contort when he realizes Rolo isn’t out there right now like he used to be.
Even though he was our club treasurer, he had a hand in everything.
Training the prospects, guard and patrol duty.
Between Morgan taking care of the house and patch bunnies, and Rolo helping in damn near every area, he’s missed everywhere we look.
Malice is feeling it the hardest. Guilt eats at me.
Especially knowing I need to tell him it was my fault Rolo was there that morning.
We roll to a stop outside of the clubhouse, parking to the side of the bikes. Rogue and Malice jump out first, leaving me and Sienna alone. She doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave the vehicle, and I honestly don’t blame her.
“You plan on staying in here all night, or do you want to go inside, and I can show you around?”
“Trying to decide which is the safer option.”
“No one is going to hurt you here, Sienna.”
“Didn’t someone just kill one of your ranked members in cold blood all because Cain said so?
You have no idea the lengths he will go to find me.
And that’s just Cain. I don’t know anything about the men inside your clubhouse, and clearly you don’t either if someone can come in and commit murder right under your nose.
You can say no one will hurt me here, but you can’t promise that. No one can.”
“You’re right.” Sienna’s head whips in my direction, like I shocked the shit out of her by agreeing.
“Someone did come into our home and kill one of our brothers. And thanks to yours, we got revenge, at least partially, for his death. But now we’re hypervigilant, and we don’t trust anyone.
As for Cain, what does he want with you? ”
“He wants to make me his old lady. He’s got some twisted claim over me.
” Sienna doesn’t elaborate, and she doesn’t need to, especially when her hand seems to mindlessly gravitate to the scars at her throat.
I already know what he did to her, at least, the pieces that are public record.
Anger rages through me at the thought of what she’s been through and what his sick plans are for her if he were to ever find her. Something I’d die before I let happen.
“That’s not gonna happen,” I practically growl, not meaning to sound so possessive.
But fuck. I can feel the fear radiating off of her in waves, can practically taste the panic.
Nothing is going to happen to this woman, and now that she’s with me, that’s a promise I can fucking guarantee.
She looks at me, quietly observing, her long, icy-blonde hair tied in a braid, hanging off the side of her shoulder, pretty blue eyes so fucking lost and unsure.
I want to wrap her in a fucking hug, and hell, she looks like she needs one.
“What do you need?” I ask. Her eyes widen in surprise. Has she not been fucking asked that before? Jesus Christ. I thought Saint and I were gonna get along just fine, but if he’s been making all her decisions and not asking what the fuck she needs, we’re gonna have major issues moving forward.
But one thing at a time. She’ll be grateful if I kill Cain. Probably not so much if I kill her brother.
“To feel safe,” she whispers.
I nod slowly. “Okay, sweetheart. That I can do. Let’s get inside.”
Sienna follows me out my side of the door, and I slam it shut behind her after I grab her duffel bag.
I usher her forward, our boots crunching over the hard gravel.
Lights pour out of the clubhouse, the large double doors propped open, club members standing on the porch with beers and smokes in their hands, despite the late hour.
Sienna sticks next to me as we walk up the stairs.
Her arms wrap around herself, and I want to get her through this part so she can process without the pressure of everyone being around her.
I nod to Noose and a few prospects before putting my hand on Sienna’s back, urging her to step through the threshold and into the common area of the clubhouse.
Malice stops in front of her, a little too close for my liking, eyes roaming over Sienna’s face, his head cocking to the side.
He picks up a strand of her hair, and I react quickly, smacking his hand away.
“How’d you get this color? It’s so nice,” he says.
My eyes squint as I study her hair. What the fuck is he talking about?
Sienna’s eyes go wide, and I don’t like that he’s caught her off guard. “Wh-what?” she practically squeaks.
Malice brushes his hands through his wild bleach-blond hair.
“I’ve been trying to get mine white like yours, but my roots come in too fast and too dark.
It’s a problem I’ve been trying to fix. How’d you do yours?
It’s pretty convincing. I almost didn’t know at first, but then something told me there was no way this was natural.
I’m right, aren’t I? You dye it just like me?
Will you tell me how you do it?” Malice rambles, and I would normally shut him up by now, but I can’t stop looking for the clue he picked up on that I missed.
Does Sienna dye her hair? What color is she underneath this pretty shade of blonde?
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sienna takes a large step away from Malice and looks frantically around the room, like she’s been caged and doesn’t know where to run. I don’t fucking like it.
“Malice, shut the fuck up and leave her alone. Go find Monroe, I’m sure she’s waiting for you in the dungeon.”
“The what?” Sienna repeats, eyes quickly flicking to the door. I put my hands up, palms facing outward to her.
“It’s what we call his playroom in the basement. I promise there are no actual dungeons here. You’re safe here, Sienna. I promise. Something I don’t do often.”
“Make promises?”
You’re the first. “Hardly ever.” I shrug. “Let’s get you settled, yeah?”
Sienna nods, eyes still darting all over the common room. It’s practically empty, the sun just starting to peek over the horizon. I’ve been up for damn near twenty-four hours and could really use a few hours of sleep before the day really starts.
Sienna said she wants to feel safe, so I’m taking her to the only place I know I can give her that.
My room.