Page 9 of Redemption

Kelsey

The engine vibrates through mybody, but it does little to calm the storm that’s attempting to swallow me up from the inside. Images of what happened are stuck on repeat in my head no matter how hard I try to block them out. The confines of my dress feels like a noose squeezing my insides like a vise as the smell of smoke fills the air. Conversation is happening around me, but it’s a mass of white noise. A slight sting of pain from the side of my leg slowly seeps through, but it’s not enough to shake me out of it.

The only thing keeping me from crawling out of my skin and shaking like a leaf is the warmth of the body next to me. It’s the same one that I’ve spent the last two years hiding from and for good reason. He’s been back in my life less than an hour and already things are back to the same crazy shit they were before I skipped town. Axel’s dangerous to me for so many reasons. Reasons he’s just proved to me, yet again.

That’s enough to knock me out of my comatose state and get myself together. I jerk out of his arms sending him a glare. Most of his face is hidden in shadow, but the few lights from the city cast a slight glow as we pass them, giving me glimpses of his strained features.

“What the hell is going on? Who were those guys? Why were they shooting at us?” Once I open my mouth there’s no stopping the rapid fire of questions that pour out of it. It’s a serious case of verbal diarrhea that I can’t control, not that I want to.

“I don’t know.” A muscle in his cheek jumps as his lips press together in a tight line. Lips that I’m all too familiar with. Ones that are soft and magical to the touch as they work you into several orgasms.

I cross my legs and ignore the warmth pooling in my core. My body may have a mind of it’s own, but I force myself to think with my big girl head. I shake myself out of the past and all of the memories that have kept me up many nights before pointing my finger in his face. “Bullshit, you don’t. Things were fine until you showed up on my door step and now we’re on the run and driving to who the hell knows where.” My hand balls up into a tight fist and slams against the side of my legs. I ignore the slight sting and focus on the source of all my pain.

Through the dark I can feel his blue gaze harden on mine. “You heard them in the alley, Wildcat. They weren’t after me. It’s you they want.”

My heart pounds against my chest as his words sink in. I heard what they said, but I still refuse to believe that he could be right. “You’re lying.” He has to be. He better be. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

“That’s not true and—” He leans in closer until the heat of his breath blows across my cheek sending the faintest hint of tobacco my way. The familiar scent sends a trail of shiver through me. “—deep down you know it.” He reaches up and cups the side of my face. Our eyes lock through the dark cab of the truck and everything else fades away. The fingers of his right hand glide against my cheek in small steady strokes. They’re the perfect mixture of warmth and roughness.

All of the air in the cab becomes stifled with our lust. His head descends further, but before he can press his lips to mine the ringing of a cell phone has us freezing and reminding us that we are not alone.

“Yeah?” Zane’s deep voice echos through the small space like a bomb.

The interruption is enough to have me coming back to my senses. I break our connection and sit back against my side of the truck far enough away that I can think with a clear head. My hands run along the edge of my dress as my teeth begin to chatter from the loss of his warmth.

“Don’t be so stubborn.” Axel wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in tight against his side once again. The familiar scent of cedar wood and tobacco surround me. It’s one that used to make my toes curl and judging by the butterflies swirling inside my stomach not much has changed.

“Thanks.” I should have known he would notice my chattering teeth. Nothing gets past him.

He leans in and kisses the side of my head. My heart stutters at the contact. Memories of how sweet he can be are wreaking havoc on both my body and my brain.

I glance up into the rearview mirror to find Zane’s stare directed at me with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth and a scorching heat spreads across my cheeks. A part of me feels embarrassed that we just aired our business in front of him, but another is too tired to care.

“Ash.” Zane’s voice comes out smooth and calm, but Axel’s body goes rigid next to me at the mention of his older brother’s name and my own stomach drops to the floor.

His name causes a tightness in my chest. It’s a cold reminder of what I left behind—Charlee. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of her. That’s just another reason I’m not ready to return to Georgia. It might make me a coward, but I’m not ready to see the hurt on her face.

“I’ll let him know. Later.” Zane hangs up and lets a beat of silence pass by before breaking it. “You’re welcome.”

“Don’t remember saying thank you.” Axel leans an elbow against the door of his truck and shakes his head.

“You will when we get home.” Zane’s words are ominous, but it’s the last one that has me sitting up ramrod straight.

“Oh no. I told you I’m not going back there. Let me out of this truck right fucking now!” I attempt to twist out of Axel’s hold, but his grip on me tightens.

I meet Zane’s blank stare through the rearview mirror and give him my best intimidating glare. I’ve only met him once and it was the night I try not to remember, but it was enough to know he’s harboring secrets of his own. That gives me a sliver of hope he might take pity on me, but that’s my first mistake. He cocks an eyebrow at me, not threatened in the least by my attitude. Other than that he doesn’t say a word.

My nostrils flare as I slump back against the seat, breaking Axel’s hold on me, and cross my arms over my chest. “We’ll see about that,” I mumble to myself as I stare out the window doing my best to ignore the two of them.

Axel leans in closer until I feel the warmth of his lips brushing against the shell of my ear and whispers just loud enough for me to hear. “Don’t test me, Wildcat. Or I’ll spank that gorgeous ass of yours until it’s as red as your hair.”

A gasp escapes me, but I cover it up and press my lips together into a firm line to keep from adding fuel to the fire. If there’s one thing my dad taught me, it’s to pick your battles wisely. Not to mention, they have another thing coming if they think they can tell me what to do.

The rest of the drive is done in silence. There’s no use arguing with either one of them. They’re as stubborn as I am. I’ll just have to bide my time, wait for the right moment to escape. And escape, I will.

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