Page 40 of Redemption

Kelsey

Familiar hands grip my waistbefore sliding down to squeeze my ass. “You better be shaking this just for me.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” I bite back a smile as Charlee walks over to the table where Asher is to enjoy her man. Teasing him is proving to be too much fun tonight. “I’m still a single woman.”

His lips suck on the lobe of my ear as he presses closer against me. “That right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” We may have slept together, but we haven’t hashed our shit out and I’m not making this easy for him. He’s never even apologized for deceiving me.

“I could fuck you right here on this floor and prove to everyone that you’re mine. That what you want, Wildcat?”

“No,” I groan, but the thought has wetness pooling between my thighs. Damn him, for getting me all worked up like this.

“Liar. I feel your body trembling against mine.” He moves my hair to side with his chin and rests it against my shoulder. “I bet if I slid my fingers inside your panties you’d be dripping for me.”

I reach back and run my fingers through his short hair. “I’m not wearing any panties.” I can give it back to Axel just as good as he’s giving it to me.

Without another word, Axel spins me around and barrels toward the table so fast I stumble in my heels, but he catches me in time before I can face plant onto the club’s dirty floor. “Y’all ready to head on home and call it a night?”

Asher’s face is blank as he nods, but it’s the look on Charlee’s face that gives away how eager they are to leave as well.

They make it out the door just as a figure comes out from the shadows, blocking our exit.

“Well, if it ain’t Axel Savage.” The smell of tequila floats off his breath, stifling the air between us. His blonde hair is buzzed close to the scalp revealing a few tattoos underneath. Dark eyes hold Axel’s glare, as he sways on his feet, he waves a finger in our faces. He’s a few inches shorter than Axel and closer to my height, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he’s carrying himself.

Axel’s grip on my hand tightens as his body tenses next to me. “Move, Neil.” So, he does know him.

“Don’t think so.” He shoves Axel in the shoulder, but Axel’s like a wall of stone and doesn’t budge.

“Not the time, man.” Axel’s doing his best to keep calm on the outside, but a muscle in his cheek twitches giving a glimpse of the storm brewing within. Things are going to go from bad to worse if I don’t do something and quick. My feet make to step past Neil when Axel’s hand pulls me back against his side. The move is subtle, but it’s enough to draw Neil’s attention.

“Time don’t mean dick anymore.” Neil laughs as his lips twist into a cruel smile. “Now, ain’t that funny. My sister’s six feet under and here you are walking around without a care in the fucking world with your new side piece. How’s that for fucking fair?”

“Watch it.” Axel’s chest puffs up and my eyes skirt past him hoping Asher’s brooding ass will come around the corner any minute to put a stop to this.

“What are you goin’ to do if I don’t, pretty boy? Kill me too?” A vein throbs in the side of his neck as he leans in.

Axel’s nostrils flare at his words at the same time all the air leaves my body. I couldn’t have heard that right. He steps further into Neil’s space until they’re toe-to-toe. “Drunk or not, insult Kelsey again and I’ll knock you the fuck out.”

Neil’s body coils up ready to strike when Asher’s deep voice is like music to my ears. “Problem here?”

Neil spins around, tilting his head back until he meets Asher’s gaze. “Nope. I was just leaving.” He glances over his shoulder to Axel and points a finger at him. “Watch yourself, Savage. Big brother won’t always be around to protect any of you.” With that he disappears just as fast as he appeared.

“Who was that?”

“No one.” And just like that he erases any thoughts I’ve had about trusting him.

“Charlee’s waiting.” Asher holds Axel’s gaze, having an unspoken conversation.

I press my lips together to keep from saying something I’ll regret and stomp off into Charlee’s car.

The air inside the SUV is stifling with tension the whole way home. Axel doesn’t even wait until the engines off before he has me out and tossed over his shoulder.

“Later,” he tosses out to Charlee and Asher, but keeps his strides quick and purposeful all the way inside the house. He slams the door shut and slides me down his shoulder onto my feet.

It takes me a minute to steady myself, but when I do I cross my arms over my chest and wait him out. “Ax, we need to talk about what happened tonight.”

He grabs a remote off of the nearby table, and hits a button like I never said a word. Music starts to fill the room. It only takes me a minute to recognize the song. “Hellfire” by Barns Courtney blares through the speakers and heat rises in my cheeks.

---