Chapter Twenty-Two
AXEL
The day was long and frustrating as all hell.
Saint’s information was spot on. Cain returned to the Kingsnake’s clubhouse, his men working overtime to add additional security measures: barbed wire fencing, armed sentries everywhere we looked.
We spent hours canvassing the place, watching, learning their layout.
I never got a full look at Cain, and for that I’m grateful.
I don’t know if I would have had the strength to stay put.
The news Saint dropped fucked with my head, and I fucking hate that he’s kept Sienna in the dark.
I’ve never had such a rush of rage before, knowing that he was just inside those gates.
The Devil himself is going to have to pry me off of him when I finally get him in my grasp.
Saint didn’t push about Sienna, just asked about how she was.
I don’t think he’d appreciate knowing that I had her coming all over my fingers in my bed this morning.
Not that I’d ever share that information, only because I wouldn’t break Sienna’s trust or do anything to make her uncomfortable.
She deserves better than that. Saint could have picked up how I’ve been feeling about his sister, based on my reaction today, but I’ve got a strong inclination he’s too busy focusing on her safety and getting his club back.
I can’t blame the guy. Only a desperate man would make the decisions he’s been making lately, so I’m inclined to give him a pass on some shit, but not keeping secrets from her, and definitely not making decisions for her.
Before Sienna came to the clubhouse, she consumed my thoughts; my entire focus was on whether or not she was safe. Being away from her today? Fucking tenfold. A million times worse. Even though I know she couldn’t be safer than at the compound.
After getting everything we can, we separate, Rogue, Malice, Sin, and I heading back to Autumn Bay. We took our van so we didn’t raise any red flags, and fuck if I’m not tired of being stuck in this damn thing lately. I need to be on my bike, and I need it soon.
“How’s Sienna?” Sin asks.
“She’s doing better each day.”
“How are you dealing with falling for someone?”
“Fuck off.”
“So not well, then?” Sin offers. I give him the finger, rolling my eyes.
“Denial is a bitch, buddy. If you can’t admit it to yourself, how are you going to admit it to her?” Something I’ve been hearing a lot lately.
“Trust me, Sin, I’m not in denial about a goddamn thing. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“Alright, giving you shit is off the table. How’s it really going? You doin’ okay?”
“I just need Cain taken care of. I want this shit off our plate; I want to give Sienna the freedom of telling her he’s been chopped into a million fucking pieces and can never hurt her again.” Rogue’s head whips in my direction, and I realize my mistake a moment later. Fuck.
“So, there’s more to the story. Cain hurt her,” Sin reiterates.
“Keep it to yourself. He doesn’t just want her as his old lady. He already claimed her against her will. He went to jail for what he did to her. And he’s gonna pay with his life for those actions.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. And her mother? This guy is more fucked up than we thought. Fuck, brother.”
“He hurt her?” Malice asks slowly, his head twitching slightly.
“Yeah, Mal.”
“Her scars?”
I nod slowly, gauging his reaction.
“Death would be too merciful. He should pay with his life, to feel pain for eternity. If it were up to me, he’d stay alive, slowly tortured while he prays for death to come for him. Whatever happens, he needs to pay for what he did.”
Well, that sounds like a plan to me if I’ve ever heard one.
“You’re the mastermind, Mal,” I praise. “We need to make a pit stop. Sienna needs hair dye, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
“Oh!” Malice snaps. “I’ve got this. I’ll get two so she can show me how to do mine better.”
The rest of the ride goes agonizingly slow, my mind anxious to get to Sienna. I pull out a cigarette, lighting it up, Rogue rolling his eyes and sliding his window down to escape it. My knee bounces, thinking about the strong, beautiful woman that’s probably already in my bed, waiting for me.
I’ve never wanted this, any of it. Not a woman of my own, not love. I never wanted to be tied to another person, but then I met Sienna, and realized fate doesn’t give a flying fuck about what we want.
The sun has long set by the time we get back to Amberwood, and I jump out of the van, ignoring the looks from everyone on the porch as I head straight for my room.
There’s music going, club members hanging out in the common room, beers and alcohol being passed around.
It’s not quite a party, but give it a few hours, and I’m sure they’ll be raging.
Then I stumble, finding Sienna sitting on a barstool with Monroe on one side, Kinsey on the other, Saige and Bristol on the other side of them.
Holy fuck.
She’s out here willingly. On her own. And she’s fucking smiling. Sin’s arm drapes over my shoulders.
“I look at Bristol the same goofy way you’re looking at Sienna, brother.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“So, what are you gonna do about it?”
“I don’t know yet. Right now, I’m too focused on her healing. The last thing she needs is pressure from me.”
“I can respect that. Let us know if you need anything. I’m gonna go kiss on my woman, just because I can.
” Sin walks toward the group, stepping up behind Bristol and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
She arches her neck to look up at him, accepting a long-ass kiss.
When I look back at Sienna, her eyes are already on me, a soft smile playing at her lips.
Fuck.
That music playing? I can’t hear shit. Everyone around us?
Fucking gone. Sienna looks happy to see me, and everything else disappears.
My heart bangs relentlessly behind my ribs.
Yeah, buddy. I hear you loud and clear. I walk up to the group, eyes focused right on the pretty blue eyes sparkling in the lights above her.
“Hi,” she says as her eyes dance around my face.
“Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?”
“It was good,” she says with a smile, and if my heart could fucking sing, it would. She had a good day. Not fine. Not okay. She had a good day.
“Good, baby. You deserve to have a good day, every day.”
“You promised I would.”
“Easiest promise ever.”
“How was your day?”
“Better now,” I answer, pushing a strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. “You want to stay out here, or you want to go back to the room?”
“I want to go back. I was waiting for you.” She was waiting for me. Fuck, if that doesn’t do something to me.
I hold out my hand, helping her slide off the barstool.
We walk together through the common room, stopping by the kitchen to grab a few bottles of water, then head to my room.
After being on the road all day, after only focusing on what I’ll do when I finally get to Cain, all I want to do is get lost in this woman.
Hell, all I need is to be in her presence. I don’t need anything more. Who am I?
Sienna and I get ready for bed in silence, and when she rummages through her duffel bag, she looks up at me with big blue eyes, chewing on her bottom lip.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I’ve kinda run out of clean T-shirts.” Oh, fuck. I’ve handled having my life threatened, stabbed, beaten, and bruised. I can handle a lot of things, but seeing Sienna in nothing but one of my T-shirts may just do me in.
“You need to borrow a shirt, sweetheart?”
“Please?” I walk over to my dresser, pulling out a plain white V-neck T-shirt.
Sienna takes it, thanking me, and then walks into the bathroom to change and finish getting ready for bed.
By the time she returns, I’ve stripped out of my clothes, leaving me in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, and got under the sheets on my side of the bed.
My end table light is still on, casting a warm glow in the room.
The bathroom door opens and nothing—nothing—could have prepared me for Sienna walking right in front of me.
I nearly swallow my fucking tongue at the sight of her.
My T-shirt barely covers her ass, her perky tits visible through the thin fabric.
Pointed, hard nipples strain against the material, making my mouth water.
She is so fucking sexy. She’s taken her braid out, the one I learned she plaits on the side of her head that has the scars on her neck, always doing her best to conceal them.
I know she’s self-conscious about them, but she’s so fucking beautiful, and I need her to see it.
To wear her scars like fucking battle armor, like the goddamn fierce warrior survivor she is.
Her posture is straight, arms relaxed at her sides, and I’d be a fool if I didn’t notice the difference from when I first met her.
Sienna climbs into bed next to me, and I have the strongest urge to pull her into my arms, to wrap myself around her and fall asleep as close as physically possible.
She scoots around until she gets comfortable, letting the sheet fall just around her waist. My eyes trace over her body, the goosebumps on her arms, the fine hair that’s prickled and standing up straight.
“Tell me about your day, sweetheart.”
“I really like them, Axel. Kinsey is amazing, and she thought some self-defense lessons would help me, and it turned into me just beating the shit out of a punching bag. I don’t know how she recognized that it might be good for me, but it was needed.”
I chuckle under my breath. “Kinsey looks sweet and cute, but she’s fierce.
Her brothers made damn sure she could fight.
I don’t know if she told you or not, but when she was taken, she gave those assholes a good fight.
Fought like hell, broke a few noses, if I remember correctly.
She turned it into a bloodbath before they knocked her out. ”