Page 8 of Axel

“I didn’t,” I say, resisting the urge to puff my chest out. “But she did sew my leg up. We exchanged names. I’m polite, unlike some of the members of this club.”

“Yet you’re the only one that decided to get into a firefight on your own.”

“Even after I make up for this, I’m never going to live it down, am I?” I observe.

That gets Cliff’s stony facade to crack. He smirks, seemingly pleased that I’ve accepted my fate. That bodes well for me.

“You’re damn right you aren’t,” he confirms out loud before glancing at the clock on his wall. “Alright, Axel. I’m calling this meeting to an end, but I’ve got something you can do for me to start making up for your stupidity.”

“What’s that?” I ask, bracing myself for something that’s going to be hell on my injury.

“Leave Hazel alone.”

For a minute, the entire room goes quiet. I want to believe I haven’t heard him correctly, that he isn’t asking me to abandon this girl. It’s not an option.

“What do you mean?” I say, measured and slow.

“I mean that I’m going to need you to stay away from her,” Cliff says like it’s that simple, like I can just pretend we never met, like I can ignore the fire that’s burning hot in my chest for her. “Don’t ride by her house, don’t contact her. Hell, try not to think about her.”

“But they were going to hurt her!” I shout, unable to keep myself under control.

The outburst is so unlike me that he’s stunned into silence. When he recovers, there’s an odd look on his face. I brace myself to be chewed out for it, but instead, he’s reasonable, talking to me calmly. It wouldn’t surprise me if he can read the thoughts on my face; he’s known me since I was eighteen. Spending nine years working with someone in high stakes situations will give you a pretty good sense of their emotions.

“Listen, Axel,” he says, waiting until I release the tension from my jaw to continue. “She’s obviously mixed up in some serious shit with these guys. Do you really think that hanging around her is going to help her situation?”

I grind my teeth. I refuse to admit he’s right, even if he does have a point. I was right to protect her, but my presence must have stirred things up.

“If you really insist on hanging around her, that’s fine,” he says with a defeated sigh. “But wait until we’ve cleaned up themess you’ve made. Poking around her business isn’t going to do anyone any good. Now get the hell out of here. Go rest up. I’m calling an emergency meeting tomorrow.”

“Understood,” I say before leaving the office.

As I head out of the clubhouse, I know that I should listen to him. My loyalty to the Riders of Retribution is unwavering. Following orders is usually second nature to me. But now… I just can’t shake the sense of duty I feel toward Hazel. She needs help. Whatever danger she’s in, she’s not going to get out of it alone.

And that’s something I can’t ignore.

Chapter 6

Hazel

Since my shift at the hospital started, I’ve been watching the clock and looking over my shoulder. I haven’t heard anything from the Apex Runners since the… incident yesterday. I’m not naive enough to think that their silence means I’m in the clear. In fact, I’m fairly certain that their absence is worse than their presence.

I’m prepared for them to come – I really am – but I’d prefer it if this confrontation happened anywhere but my job. The patients I take care of have enough to worry about without their nurse being shaken down by a group of burly motorcycle club members.

Thankfully, the end of my shift comes quickly enough. So, after ensuring the comfort of my patients and briefing the nurse taking over for me about the care plans, I grab my jacket and hustle out of the hospital. I don’t necessarily breathe any easier when I step outside, but I’m assured that if anything happens now, it’s my problem and mine alone.

As I walk to my car, I let myself actually consider leaving Rio Lunas. I was caught up in my own emotions last night when my dad suggested we run away. If I look at it logically, this is the best way to keep both of us safe. Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped him when I caught him trying to leave before this whole thing started. I could have just gone with him and we’d already be living a stress-free life in some foreign country where we’d never been found.

I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts, in trying to figure out where we’ll go and what we need to take, that I don’t notice the Harley parked next to my car until I’m only a few steps away.

I freeze, my heart rate spiking. This is the retaliation I was dreading. They’re going to grab me right here in the hospital parking lot. I’m torn between wanting someone to notice what’s going on and wanting no one to see.

“Angel?” a familiar, unexpected voice says. Axel steps toward me, his brow furrowed.

My entire body relaxes; both the timbre of his tone and his presence making me feel at ease. No one’s ever made me feel so safe just by being near me before. I tell myself it’s just relief, but it takes all of my strength to keep myself from running into his arms and holding onto him tight.

I can’t explain the impulse, but I find that I don’t mind having it. Axel’s the same man who took a bullet for me yesterday. I’m sure that if I acted on it, he wouldn’t care.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice coming out breathlessly.

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