Page 10 of Ignite
Son-of-a-bitch.I had just been played.
~
Just as Van said, Kenzi was sitting behind her desk, working frantically at her computer. Her head was buried in the computer screen, brow furrowed in thought and concentration. As I watched her, I realized she looked exactly the same as the last time I had seen her. I saw nothing but the same innocent woman that she had always been. Before I had time to think, I ran to her desk and pulled her into my arms. Seeing her safe brought an emotion from deep inside my gut to the surface. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
“Axe,” she began. Her voice was calm and unemotional. “I told you my morning was filled with meetings.”
“Did anything strange happen? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?” Everything up until now was a game for Van, and I wasn’t about to be played again.
“No. Nothing. What is going on, Axe?” Kenzi asked, her face riddled with concern.
~9~
Kenzi
“You did what? Are you insane?” Fury and annoyance blazed through my body as Axe explained what happened. I knew the minute he walked into my office that something was up with him. He looked like he had seen the devil himself. It was only after we got to the apartment that he spilled everything.
“Calm down, babe.” Axe walked toward the couch and took a seat next to me. “There is nothing to worry about. I’ve already contacted Davian to let him know what I did.”
I should have been relieved, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t sure how, but Van Wilkerson and his brother Niles would find a way to pin another charge on Axe. I didn’t want to see Axe lose his shares at CMW Holdings. What I really wanted was for Van and Niles to spend the rest of their miserable lives in prison. Not only for the explosion, but for fraudulently suing Axe.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Axe. Van and Niles are devious scum. Once they find out that it wasn’t your signature on the transfer, they will stop at nothing to come after you. What I would like to know is how the hell did they know you were in Chicago, anyway?”
“I don’t know. My guess is that they have been following our every move.” Axe pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. “Let’s not think about them. Now that I know they are here, at least I know what to do.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I backed away from his hold.
“When I told Davian about the fake signature, I also told him about Wilkerson and Harris being in Chicago. He and a few of the guys are flying out as we speak.” Axe pulled me back into his arms, holding me close. “The only thing I want to do is to keep you safe, and in order to make sure you are, my attention can’t be on those two. With Davian andThe Societyhere, I can do that.”
Relief washed over me with the realization that Davian and his men were on their way. A strange sort of calm came over me, as though all of my anxiety had finally been set free. Thinking back, Davian andThe Societywere the reason Axe, and I got together. All of them were ex-military, including Axe. They could smell danger a mile away and were trained to deal with this kind of chaos. It was Davian who had gathered this group of men together, that much I knew. They weren’t typical soldiers. These men were like family and would risk their own lives to save one another. They were loyal to each other in a unique way that I had never seen before.The Societymen worked hard to protect each other and the people in their lives. I didn’t know how the organization had come to be. One thing I knew beyond a doubt was that they were good men that stuck to their word. That was the reason I knew Axe could never blow up my mom’s bookstore.
I snuggled into Axe’s chest and raised my lips to his. “How much time do we have before they get here?”
Axe responded by raising me from the couch and carrying me bear-style to the bedroom. My heart sang with joy when he smiled mischievously and said, “More than enough time.”
There was something different about the way he touched me. He didn’t tear my clothes off or ravage me with his mouth. He was gentle with his hands and mouth. For every layer of clothing he removed from my body, a kiss followed. His fingers languidly moved over me like brushstrokes, soft and gentle and arousing. He peeled the layers of clothing away from my body and pressed his lips to every newly exposed patch of skin: my arms, my shoulders, the tops of my breasts. He kissed along the curve of my breast through the fabric of my bra and sent shivers down my spine. My nipples stiffened under his touch, which grew more urgent now that my clothes were in a puddle on the floor. Every inch of skin that he uncovered made his kiss more desperate as he painted a trail down my body with his lips.
Axe’s gentle hands held down my own. My breath caught in my throat as I looked into his eyes, which were closed as he worshipped my body. He wanted nothing more than to bring me pleasure, and all I wanted to do was to return the favor.
“Axe.” My breath hitched in a moment of hesitation and desire as my mind raced with images of our bodies moving together in a symphony of passion.
“Just once. Let me pleasure you,” he replied as he leaned forward and pulled away my lace thong.
The soft tickle of his unshaven cheeks brushed against my thighs. They tingled as the heat of his breath bathed them. A shiver ran up my spine and down again as he nuzzled and nipped at the inside of my thighs. He knew the erogenous zones on my body and mercilessly swiped his rough chin across them again and again. His breath blew across my mound in a gasp of hot air and made me shiver with anticipation. He dipped his head low and pierced my slit with his magical tongue, which he then used to trace circles around my clit. The sensations made every muscle tingle and every nerve in my body come alive.
Over and over, my limbs twitched as his tongue and lips worshipped me. His hands found my breasts, and he cupped them, gently kneading them in his hands. He was a skilled explorer of the terrain. Every inch of my body tingled as he found the sensitive areas of flesh and caressed those with his mouth, tongue, and teeth. My legs fell wide open, and I allowed his fingers to explore the hollows as they pressed against my hips, seeking entrance into me. The need to come was torrid in my mind and I grabbed his hair in my hands, pulling him tighter to me. His tongue plunged deeply into my core and he licked at the slickness that welcomed him like I welcomed the air in my lungs. I could no longer hold back the climax building in me, and the sound of my release filled the room.
~
It didn’t take Van long to figure out that Axe had signed Davian’s name to the share transfer document. The text that came in on Axe’s phone was more than just a threat. I could feel Van’s anger as I read the text message. The words didn’t spell it out, but it was clear that Van wanted Axe dead. I was concerned for his safety and so was Davian. If Axe didn’t relinquish his shares by tomorrow, Van would take whatever steps were necessary to gain full control of CMW Holdings. Davian knew what Van was capable of. There was no reason to doubt that he would go through with his threat.
“We need to get to Wilkerson and Niles before they know what hit them, but 24 hours isn’t a lot of time,” Davian said as I continued to prepare dinner.
A small, nervous knot formed in my stomach as I processed the conversation between Axe and Davian. However, the more I thought about it, I feared for Axe’s safety. Davian and Axe decided it would be best for Axe to meet up with Van in the middle of town. A public place would be the perfect place for their plan, like at a restaurant. Axe would need to be careful that Van didn’t suspect anything. He was certain that Van would check his body for a wire and request that his cell phone remain on the table. It was important to make Van comfortable—unsuspicious of Axe’s plan. If Van felt as though he had control over the situation, he might lower his guard a bit and let something slip. After a few minutes, Calvin and Marcus would join them. Calvin would pretend to know Van, keeping him distracted, while Marcus placed a small listening device beneath the table. Van wouldn’t suspect anything, especially since Axe’s hands would remain on the table. Both Axe and Davian agreed that the best way to get to Van was to put him behind bars. It was a risk to get Van to admit he was behind the explosion. Clearly, Van was a dangerous person and had already tried to silence Axe once before.
As I was setting the table for dinner, Axe stepped behind me. “Looks wonderful, babe.”
“Thanks. I hope you guys are hungry.”
