Page 10 of Sex & Cigarettes

I glance over his left shoulder at that bitch as she lays lifeless on the floor. “Is she dead?”

“Nah. Not yet. We need her breathing a while longer.” He cups the back of my neck with his other hand then plants a kiss on my forehead. “Proud of you, babe. Knew you had it in you.”

“I killed him.” A tear slides down my cheek. Thick, hot, and wet.

“It was him or us. Eventually they’d turned on us once we served our purpose.”

I nod. I know he’s right...I just never thought I’d kill someone. Or almost.

The man rolls to the floor with a thud, clinging to his final moments.

“Can you...”

Axel presses his mouth to mine quickly then releases me. Kneeling next to my victim, his palm flattens over the man’s nose and mouth. “See you in hell, motherfucker.”

I look away, my gaze lands on the bloody stain that’s seeping into the lilac fabric of the couch.

“It’s done, we gotta move fast. I need to call my brother.”

I stand frozen in place by shock or fear. I’m not certain which. I never wanted this for either of us. We’re everything my family warned me about. They don’t get it. They wouldn’t understand that Axel lives in a completely different world. A world I was drawn to instantly. The moment I laid eyes on him my heart knew he would always be mine. At first I thought I could change him. That I could save him from himself, but he never wanted or needed saving only accepted.

The more I tried to mold him to fit into my world the more I pushed him further into the life he was born to lead.

I know now that this is what and who we are. Outlaws. I’ve never felt more myself than I do now. I watch as he binds that bitch’s wrists.

The room reeks of sex and cigarettes.

Axel gets dressed and digs around in the dead man’s pockets. He produces a phone and I pace the room as he makes a call.

Chapter 6

Abel

“Andrea Hernandez?” The name should mean something to me, but it doesn’t. I glance at the name on my screen again. Hernandez as in Raul. “Hello.”

“Hello, little bro.”

“Axel?” My eyes bulge. “Where are you?”

“Get two of your most trusted men and come to room 605 at the Biltmore.”

Fucking hell. What’s he doing here? “I’ll be there.”

“Need a cleaner too.”

“I’m on it. See you soon.” I end the call with him and dial my father before I do anything. He doesn’t answer so I get a move on. I find Uno and pull him aside. “Get a few men. I don’t want Murphy in on this. His head’s not in the right place. Clean up at Biltmore. Axel’s in town we need to ride out fast.”

I climb on my Harley and my cell vibrates with a call back from my old man.

“Call off your search party. Got my eyes on the prize. I’ll update soon.”

“See you in a few days yeah?”

“Be careful, old timer.”

“Watch who you’re calling old, boy.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I hear ya.” I swipe my thumb across the screen to end the conversation. My brother and I have our problems however there is one thing we both want and that is for Ainsley to be safe.

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