Page 47 of Axe
She slid back into her seat, a storm of emotions brewing in her deep blue orbs. I knew this couldn’t have been easy for her.
As I drove off, I took what little time I had left to mentally prepare myself for what was about to happen. I needed to go in there with a cool head because there was no doubt that I was going to let Cal know that I was on her side and that I thought the club should be too. I had to play it out just right. If I didn’t there was a chance that I would be forced to chose between the club and them. I didn’t want to even think that I was about to lose it all.
I parked in front of the clubhouse, got out and ran around the car to her door. With gentle hands, I pulled her out and caged her against the car with my body as I planted my feet wide so I could be on her level. She didn’t try to fight me or get away. And the thing that sucker punched me to the gut, was that when her eyes looked to mine there was no fear there, no hesitation about being trapped by me.
“You alright?” I asked, knowing the answer was negative.
But she was my strong girl, so she gave a timid nod and tried to put on her brave face. I wrapped my hand around her head, my fingers tangling in her silky hair, as I planted a quick kiss on her temple before I stepped away.
Like it was something I did all the time, I walked back around the car and got Neiryn out. It was strange and weird and not, all at the same time. Holding him felt natural like it was just something I’d always done.
We walked through the clubhouse and headed in the direction of the kitchen. I was fucking thankful that it was early and the place was empty.
Once we were in the kitchen, I set Neiryn down in the highchair they had there for Fate. I reached my hand out and Allison placed the oatmeal in my hand as if she knew just what I wanted. She handed him the milk while I warmed his breakfast up in the microwave for thirty seconds.
“Oh! Hey, Axe,” Ellie’s tiny voice called out as she stepped into the kitchen. I gave her a chin lift and her eyes slid over to Allison and the kid. “Hi…”
“Allison,” I replied for her.
Ellie’s eyes slid back over to mine, all the questions she wanted to ask clear as day on her face but I knew she wouldn’t be rude and voice them.
“Where’s D?” I asked, knowing better than to leave Allison with Ellie without supervision. Not that I thought there would have been any problems, but I had a feeling once everyone found out who Allison was shit would hit the fan. I didn’t want to piss anyone off more than I had to.
“He’s getting Fate out of the car, he’ll be right in,” she answered with a wistful smile on her lips. “I thought I’d come make breakfast for everyone. I was getting a bit stir crazy at home.” She let out a little nervous giggle.
“What would these guys do without you?” I said jokingly, and for some strange reason, I walked over to her and tossed my arm around her in a side hug.
Maybe I was changing, growing, evolving into the person and man I wanted to be. Or maybe I was going completely insane. I had no idea. But I felt the need to hug the tiny woman, so I fuckin’ did.
Ellie’s breath hitched like she was caught off guard for a moment, but then her green eyes turned up to look at me and there was a weird sense of happiness shining brightly in them.
“What the hell? You break him, pixie?” Diesel’s voice filled the air as he walked into the room caring Fate in his arms.
The little girl was decked out in a bunch of pink and ruffles. I would have liked to have said that that was probably all Ellie’s doing, but I’d had the pleasure to be around Diesel after he’d gone shopping for the little one.
Let me just tell you, he went overboard making his kid look like the princess that she was. Not that it was a bad thing. Even if I made fun of the man in my head, I also admired the fact that he didn’t give a shit what anyone thought. When it came to his woman and his kid, he would have done anything for them.
“I-I…umm…” she stammered like she sometimes did when she was nervous. “Did I?”
I chucked and moved to greet Diesel. I knew it was strange for me and that they probably had no idea what the hell was going on or what to do with it. Truth was, I didn’t have the first clue as to what had gotten into me.
“That the girl?” Diesel asked jerking his head in Allison’s direction.
“Yeah,” I said in a curt tone. “Need to talk to Cal. Can you stay here with them?”
He eyed me, reading me like an open book. He could tell something was up, but he wasn’t sure what.
“Yeah,” he said and pursed his lips, making the ring on the side of his lip stick out a little.
“Hey,” Jessica’s voice rang out and broke the tension.
She walked up to me and planted a kiss on my cheek, her hand rested on my chest. I won’t lie, I tensed and she noticed.
We’d kept our distance for months, we hadn’t talked about that night, we hadn’t had sex, and we hadn’t tried to start up the relationship that both of us knew would never work. But her affection was normal, and while I never read too much into it, I wasn’t sure what Allison would think seeing it. I’m sure it didn’t help that Jessica was dressed in her normal club gear—everything too short, too tight, and overly revealing.
Diesel’s shoulders shook with a silent laugh as he studied me. It was like he could see the panic inside my mind. And he thought that shit was funny.
Fucker!
