62. CHAPTER 57
SAYLOR
Idon’t know how long I’ve been out, but when I open my eyes, Axl is the first person I see.
He’s sitting in a chair beside my bed with my hand in both of his. His shirt is off, and his torso is wrapped in white dressing. There’s dried blood in his hair and bruises across his jaw. He’s the most beautiful, perfect thing I’ve ever seen, and he’s alive.
Tears fill my eyes before I can stop them. They told me he was dead. I refused to believe it, but I was also afraid to hope that something might finally go our way.
“There’s my girl.” His voice is rough, and he brings one of his hands up to brush his tatted knuckles against my cheek. “You scared the fuck out of me, little heathen.”
“I thought you were dead.” My throat is dry, and my voice comes out barely above a whisper. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I told you.” He brings my hand up and presses his lips against my fingers. “In this life and all the next ones. You’re never getting rid of me.”
He holds my hand against his mouth for a few seconds. When he pulls back, his blue eyes are intense.
“Axl—”
“I have so many things I need to say to you, baby, and I was so scared I wouldn’t get the chance.
” His voice is thick, and he doesn’t let go of my hand.
“Saylor Reign Carter, I love you so much. And I’m a selfish prick who will do whatever it takes to have you because I don’t want to know a single day of a life without you.
That’s what you get when you pick me, Saylor.
I’ll kill every fucking person in the world if it comes down to you or them.
It’s always been you, and it’s always going to be you. ”
My chest tightens, and tears sting my eyes.
“I promise that I won’t ever keep anything from you.
You might not always like what I say or do, but I won’t hide it from you.
” His grip on my hand tightens. “I can’t lose you.
I won’t survive it. And I know I don’t deserve you, but I’m too selfish to let you go.
So I’m asking you to let me love you, little heathen. Forever.”
I reach up and cup his cheek. His jaw is unshaven and rough under my palm. I hold him there because I need him to see my eyes when I say this.
“I spent every second in that room not knowing if you were alive.” My voice shakes.
I swallow so I can get the words out. “The only thing that kept me going was the thought that there was even a chance you were still breathing. I had to fight my way back to you. Or for you. I’d have killed every last person who took you from me.
So, I’ll never let you fucking leave me. ”
He turns his head and kisses my palm.
“I love you, Axl.” I bring my other hand up to grab his face and pull him to me with both hands. “That means you’re going to have to let me love you too. A queen needs a king. And the only place I want to be is serving my king.”
He presses his forehead against mine. His hands are on either side of my face now, and his thumbs brush the tears off my cheeks.
“God, I love you so fucking much.” He shifts so he’s beside me on the hospital bed.
“You’re still going to make me your good girl, right?” I tease him. “I don’t want my king to go soft.”
He brings his hand up and grips my throat, squeezing. “There’s nothing soft about me, baby. I don’t want you forgetting who the fuck I am. When you’re healed, I’ll remind you.”
I smile against the pressure of his hand. Fuck, I need him. “Promise?”
“Be careful what you wish for, heathen.” He tightens his grip and pulls me forward so my lips touch his, kissing me hard.
When he pulls back, a figure appears and catches his attention.
“Did you need something, Dad?” Axl doesn’t move from beside me.
“How is she?” Adam walks over and looks down at me. He puts his hand on Axl’s shoulder and squeezes. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
It’s strange being called that by the man who was hellbent on his son marrying another woman. But he’s Axl’s father, and I know that Axl is my future, so I’m going to have to get along with Adam Hollister too.
“Not too terrible.” Axl laces his fingers with mine. “But that’s probably the pain meds they have me on.”
Adam gives me a small smile. “You’re tough. I should’ve expected that. You have to be if you’re going to put up with my son.” He smirks at Axl and then turns serious. “Have you heard anything about Priest?”
“They removed the bullet, and his arm will be fine.” Axl’s thumb traces circles on the back of my hand. “If he can let it heal properly.”
“Priest was shot?” I ask. Axl hasn’t had the chance to tell me anything about what happened.
“He’ll be fine, baby,” Axl reassures me. “Nothing is going to take down Priest.”
I try to smile but it falters. “I hate that anyone got hurt because of me.”
“None of what happened is your fault.” Axl kisses the top of my head. “And Priest knew what I’d be like if I lost you.”
Adam pulls the chair closer and sits. He looks between us, and there’s almost a softness to his expression.
“Listen, I know this isn’t the best timing, but I want you both to know that I’ll support you being together.” He runs his fingers through his hair. Axl looks so much like him, except the eyes. “Whatever you two have planned for the future, I’ll support it. I should have from the start.”
Axl sits up straighter. “What changed your mind?” It’s obvious that he doesn’t fully trust what his father is saying.
“Watching the way you fought for her.” Adam holds his son’s gaze. “And finding out she killed two men with a folding knife.” He looks at me, approval in his eyes. “You’re not what I expected, Saylor. You’ll keep my son on his toes.”
Axl chuckles beside me. “That’s the fucking truth.”
“If marriage is what you have planned, I won’t stand in your way.
” Adam leans back in the chair. “But we’ve got a problem.
Raven marriages need authorization from the male heads of both families unless you get Council approval.
And with Justin and your father both dead—” He pauses and looks at me.
“I’m not certain who to contact on the Carter side. ”
“What do you mean?” I sit up straighter and the stitches pull. Fuck. Justin’s words come rushing back. I had forgotten, unable to focus on what it meant at that moment. “Justin was telling the truth? What happened to my dad?”
Axl’s arm tightens around me. He looks at his father briefly and then down at me.
“I saw him for myself, baby.” His voice is low. “When Crew and I were coming to find you.” He pauses. “He’d been stabbed. He was already gone.”
My eyes burn, and I press my face into Axl’s chest. He doesn’t say anything. He just holds me tightly.
The way my father had looked at me—he knew he wasn’t walking out of that building.
“He came to my room.” I pull back and wipe my face. I look at Adam. “Before any of it started. He knew the code. He walked right in.”
Adam’s expression doesn’t change, and he glances at Axl.
“What?” I ask focusing on Axl. We’ll see if he means what he said about telling me everything.
Axl sighs. “Your father was involved in trafficking women. It’s why I thought he might have been the cause of your nightmares. We took down their operation, and we were closing in on learning who they were doing business with and how far it went before everything went sideways.”
The words don’t make sense at first. My father was trafficking women. I look at Axl and wait for him to make it make sense, but his expression doesn’t change.
“How long did you know?”
“We’ve been working on it for months.” Axl’s hand tightens on mine. “And we learned of your father’s involvement while watching the building that Justin took you to.”
I pull my hand from his and press both palms against my face. My father knew where I was and how to find me because he helped keep other women there.
I want to hate him. And part of me does. But I’m also alive and was able to defend myself from those attacks because of his help.
“Saylor.” Axl reaches for me.
“He gave me the knife.” I drop my hands from my face. My eyes are burning, but I’m too angry to cry. “I don’t believe he wanted me mixed up in this. But he told me he’d done bad things. Now he’s dead, and I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to feel about it.”
Axl doesn’t answer. He pulls me back into him, and his arms close around me. He doesn’t try to fix it. He doesn’t tell me my father was a good man or a bad one. He just holds me, and right now, that’s the only thing I need from him.
Adam clears his throat. “Fathers deal with a lot of complicated shit, especially in our world.” He rises from his chair. “I should get going. Let me know what help you need from me for the other matter.”
He means our marriage. Axl didn’t exactly get down on one knee and propose, but I don’t need that. We both know that this is forever.
Adam leaves us alone, and I just want Axl to myself.
Axl shifts so he’s lying beside me on the narrow hospital bed. His arm is across my waist, and he’s careful with my stitches. I don’t care that we barely fit in this bed. His feet hang off the end. I press my face into his neck, and he tightens his grip.
“Just rest, baby.” His lips are against my hair. “I’ll be right here.”
I close my eyes. His heartbeat is steady under my palm, and his hand is warm on my hip. This man came into that building broken and bleeding for me. He still always shows up for me each and every time. I don’t know how he could think he doesn’t deserve me. But I’m never letting him go.