63. CHAPTER 58
AXL
The nurse changes the dressing on Saylor’s side, and I watch every move the nurse makes to treat my girl.
She peels back the old bandage. The stitches underneath are clean, but the skin around them is swollen and bruised.
I have to grip the rail on the bed to keep from taking over to make sure it’s getting thoroughly cleaned.
“You’re making her nervous.” Saylor’s voice is groggy from the meds, but the attitude is fully in-fucking-tact.
“Good.” I don’t take my eyes off the nurse’s hands. “She should be nervous. That’s my girl she’s poking at.”
The nurse glances at me, and I can tell she thinks I’m some possessive, overbearing boyfriend. She has most of that right. But I’m going to be more to my girl than some fucking boyfriend. I’m going to be an obsessive, protective, domineering, possessive, overbearing husband.
“Axl.” Saylor reaches over and wraps her fingers around my wrist. “She’s just doing her job. Sit down, my king.”
She says that last part knowing what it does to me. I lower my lips to her ear. “Those stitches in your side don’t prevent you from kneeling for me, baby.”
She grins at me, and her eyes darken. “Much better than you acting like I’m fucking broken.”
She’s right. She killed two men with a folding knife and fought her way back to me. She’s far from fucking broken.
“You’re not broken, baby.” I kiss her temple. “You’re the most beautiful, dangerous woman I know.” I pull back and look at her. “But you know how I feel about anyone touching what’s mine.”
The nurse scoffs and rolls her eyes.
“See what I deal with?” Saylor says to the woman, then bites her bottom lip. “He’s sexy as fuck, isn’t he?”
The nurse shakes her head but I catch the smile she’s trying to hide. “I’ll be back in a couple hours to check on everything.” She gathers her tray and leaves, and I don’t blame her.
“So you think I’m sexy?” I look down at Saylor, and she’s grinning at me with heavy eyes.
“Don’t let it go to your head.” She grips the shirt I found to put over my bandages and pulls me to her. “Your ego is already out of control.”
“You’re stacking up a list of reasons to punish you, little heathen.
” I let her pull me down and press my lips to hers.
She tastes like apple juice, since she’s had three of those little juice boxes.
I deepen the kiss, trying to remind my cock that I don’t have her home yet.
Wherever the fuck that’s going to be. I won’t take her back to the Talon mansion after what happened there.
When I pull back, she looks up at me through her lashes. “Promise?”
A knock on the doorframe pulls my attention before I can respond to her. Reese Sinclair is standing there with her arms wrapped around herself and her cheeks wet from crying. Their family has been holding vigil in Dane’s room, hoping for improvement.
“I came—” she chokes on a sob and covers her mouth.
I stand straighter. “Is it Dane? Did something happen?”
She nods and wipes her eyes. I close my eyes preparing for the worst.
“I’m sorry. We’re just exhausted. They sent me to get you.” She draws a deep breath. “Dane’s awake, and he’s asking for you.”
My eyes open, and the air comes back into my lungs. Dane’s awake. That stubborn man is awake. Thank fuck.
“He’s alright?” My voice comes out rougher than I expect.
Reese nods. “He’s Dane. He’s already taken command of everyone that steps foot in his room.” She wipes her face with the back of her hand and almost smiles. “He made Fox and Tate get some fresh air and made sure Thorne was staying in bed. He asked me to have you come see him.”
I look back at Saylor. I can’t leave her. Every fucking time I leave, something happens to her.
Saylor pushes herself up on the bed. “Go.”
“You’re insane. I’m not fucking leaving you.”
“Dane almost died, Axl. I know you think of him as another father to you.” Her eyes are tired, but her voice is firm. “Go. You can’t be with me every second of every day. I’ll be fine.”
She’s right, and I hate that she’s right. I look at Reese. “Would you mind—”
“I’ll stay with her.” Reese is already pulling the chair closer. “Take your time.”
I lean down and press my lips to Saylor’s. “Don’t move from this spot, little heathen.” I still don’t want to leave her, but I kiss her forehead and force myself to step back.
Reese settles into the chair beside the bed, and Saylor looks over at her, giving her a soft smile.
I want Saylor to get to know Reese better.
She’s going to have days that are tougher than others, and Reese understands.
Tate’s wife’s been through her own hell.
She knows the kind of trauma Saylor has been through.
I walk out of the room and don’t look back, because if I do, I won’t be able to leave. It’s going to take a while before I can trust that someone isn’t going to try to take her from me. If I ever can.
Dane’s room is at the end of the hall past two Ravens standing guard at the door. Members of the Council are gathered in a group and nod to me as they leave together. One of Dane’s guards opens the door and allows me to enter.
Dane is propped up against a stack of pillows with tubes running out of both arms and monitors beeping beside him.
I’ve never seen him like this. His skin doesn’t have the same color, and bandages are visible above the neckline of his hospital gown.
But his eyes are sharp and focus on me the second I walk through the door.
Whitney is curled against his side on the bed with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. Her eyes are swollen from crying, but she’s smiling, and Dane’s arm is around her like he didn’t just shave years off of his entire family’s lives.
“Kitten, I told you I’m fine.” His voice is rough and raspier than usual, but the command is still there. “You don’t need to check my pulse every thirty seconds.”
“I’ll check your pulse whenever I want.” She presses her lips to his jaw. “You don’t get to almost die on me and then expect me not to fuss.”
He tightens his arm around her. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”
Whitney shakes her head, but she’s pressing her face into his shoulder and I can see her trying not to cry again. Dane drops his chin and murmurs something against her hair that I can’t hear, and her hand fists in his hospital gown.
When Dane bought Whitney at auction a few years ago, I never expected them to be this much in love. It was a big deal in our world when he spent fifty million dollars to have her, and it’s obvious what they mean to each other.
That’s going to be Saylor and me in twenty years. I’d give my inheritance, my father’s business, our family’s entire fortune—all of it.
“Axl.” Dane’s eyes find mine over Whitney’s head. “Get over here, son.”
Whitney lifts her head. “Hi, sweetheart.” She gives me a warm look. “How is Saylor doing?”
“She’s going to make it.” That’s the only important thing. I’ll make sure she heals from the rest. I stop at the foot of his bed. “I should be able to take her home tomorrow.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Dane nods his approval. “Sit down, Axl.” He nods toward the chair beside the bed. His voice is tired, but his eyes aren’t. “We need to talk.”
I pull the chair closer and sit on his right since Whitney is on his left. Whitney doesn’t move from his side, and he doesn’t ask her to. Whatever he’s about to say, she’ll hear it too.
“First, if you want to marry your girl,” Dane says, watching my face, “I can make that happen.”
“But we don’t know who Saylor’s guardian is now.” I’m assuming he’s been informed that David and Justin are dead.
“That doesn’t matter.” He waves his hand. “The Council has control over everything, Axl. Guardian approval is just a formality. If I bring it to the Council, it’s done.”
The Council are the puppet masters, and we’re all their puppets. So I’m fortunate to have Dane Sinclair on my side.
“You’ve been there for some of the best and worst things my family has faced.” His eyes don’t leave mine. “You and the others have put your lives on the line. The least I can do is make sure you get to keep the woman you love.”
Whitney pats his chest. “You’re such a big softie.”
“Kitten, you’re going to fucking pay for that.” Dane smacks her bottom and then focuses on me again. “But you have to wait until you get your brand. I can’t start breaking all the rules, or all the rituals will fall apart.”
That’s many months from now, but it’s the way it has to be. And she’s still mine. “I understand.”
It was always going to be that way. We both have to serve our year to earn our place within the Ravens.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Dane’s expression turns serious. “You’ve earned more than a brand, Axl.”
I don’t say anything. I don’t know what the fuck he means by that.
“When I’m back on my feet, you and I are going to have a conversation. You, me, your friends, and Cain.” He holds my gaze. He knows I’ll have a reaction to him mentioning Cain’s name. “It’ll be soon, when there are fewer ears around.”
Whitney’s hand stills on his chest, and she grins at me like she knows something I don’t.
“Alright.” I don’t push it, but there’s a question in my voice. We’ve always suspected there was something more to Cain, but we never knew what it was. Cain was a Talon too, and then he was gone.
“I have big plans for you and your friends.”
I’m not trying to vanish, so I don’t know what the fuck that means.
Whitney grins wider beside him, and Dane catches it. “Kitten, can’t you ever pretend like you don’t know all of my secrets?”
“I didn’t say a word.” She traces her finger across his chest. “I’m just lying here.”
He grabs her hand and holds it still, shaking his head at her. “Can I give you some advice?” Dane’s eyes come back to me. “About your girl.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t keep shit from her.” He glances down at Whitney. “And that goes both ways, doesn’t it, kitten?”
“You’re really going to do this right now?” She teases him. “In front of Axl?”
“I’m making a point.” He turns back to me.
“Secrets will fuck you up faster than anything else in our world. Whatever you’ve done, whatever you’re going to do—don’t keep it from her.
As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to keep anything we’re doing secret from her anymore.
She’s proven herself to be more than capable and trustworthy.
You’re going to need a strong woman by your side for what comes next. ”
That means more than he knows. I think about all that I hid from Saylor because I thought I knew better. What it cost us. I’ll never forgive myself for that.
“I’ve already learned that lesson.”
“Well, you’ve always been a little hardheaded.
” Dane’s eyes hold mine for another second, and then he exhales.
The energy that’s been keeping him sharp since I walked in is fading.
Whitney must feel it too because her hand moves to his chest, and she settles closer.
“Try to wait until I’m back to normal before you stack up any more bodies. ”
“No promises.” I stand and push the chair back, chuckling. “You should rest. We’ll talk soon.”
“Yes, we will.” His eyes are already getting heavy, but his voice still carries an edge. “We have a lot more work to do. This shit isn’t over.”
We know we didn’t take down the ring. One building is just a drop in the bucket for what we believe is out there. I close Dane’s door behind me. I need to get back to Saylor.
I’m halfway down the corridor when I see Crew.
He’s sitting in one of the chairs near the vending machines with his phone in his hand, but he’s not looking at it.
He’s staring at the wall across from him like he’s lost in his thoughts.
His elbows are on his knees, and his leg is bouncing.
He doesn’t notice me until I’m standing right in front of him.
“Hey, Crew.” I stop in front of him, forcing him to see me. “You good?”
His head comes up, and whatever was on his face a second ago is gone. He leans back in the chair and runs his hand over his jaw. “Yeah, brother. I’m good.”
He’s fucking not. Crew’s been off since we hit that building. Something has been on his mind after whatever that fuck Hawthorne said. I’ve been too focused on Saylor to get it out of him.
“Are you sure?”
“I said I’m good.” He stands and pockets his phone. “How’s Dane?”
“Being Dane.” I watch his face. “He’s awake. He and Whitney are fighting for who’s in control of that room.”
Crew nods, but his mind is somewhere else. I can see it. Whatever is bothering him, it’s big. And I’m going to get it out of him soon.
“I’ll be taking Saylor out of here tomorrow,” I tell him, changing the subject.
“I’m glad.” He claps my shoulder as he passes by, getting away from me. “You’d better get back to her.”
I watch him walk down the hallway, and I almost call after him. But I need to get back to my heathen.