Page 42 of Crush's Fall

Anger and stubbornness sparked in his eyes. “We’re having this motherfucking conversationnow. Formonths, I have let you push me away, pull me close, push me away again, and I’m fucking done. I almost lost you, Kitten,” he shouted, his voice breaking on one of the nicknames he had given her. He shook his head and looked away. After taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he looked at her again, frustrated tears glittering in his eyes. “I could have lost you. It would havekilledme. Knowing you were in those motherfuckers’ hands made me crazy. It also made me realize that I’ve lost you in smaller doses many times since I met you… and it’s slowly eating away at me. So, this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to help with this fucking war, whether you fucking like it or not. When this is over, I expect a fucking answer. I won’t wait long. Either you claim me and make this shit official… or you cut me loose, and I’ll find someone else.”

The emotion in his eyes and voice broke her resolve to push him off yet again. He was right. She couldn’t keep dragging him along. It was unfair to both of them. She needed to deal with her shit and figure out if she was capable of having a mate. If she wasn’t, she needed to be honest with him about that and let him go so he could find happiness.

Crush couldn’t even contemplate him with another woman, but that was a problem for another time.

“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

His question pulled her out of her thoughts, and she shifted her gaze back up to his face. Nodding, she answered, “Yes.”

Another deep breath came from him before he stepped forward, cupped her face in his hands, and pressed his lips to hers. Like usual, it quickly ignited, turning into a desperate battle of who would have control over their kisses.

One of his hands left her face, only for his arm to wrap around her waist and his hand to grip her ass, pulling her hips against him, letting her feel the effect she had on his body. Not to be outdone, Crush fisted a hand in the hair on top of his head and yanked back, breaking their kiss.

As Lucifer chuckled, she attacked his throat, nipping and kissing, licking and sucking.

His other hand joined the first at her ass, and his grip tightened as he groaned and rubbed his erection against her. “Fuck. I don’t think we have time for this.”

Crush sighed and pulled back, releasing her grip on his hair. “You’re right. We don’t.”

He laid his forehead to hers and gave her a smile. “Let me know when you make a decision, but we can’t be doing this until you do.”

Crush didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded and tried not to whimper as he released her and stepped away.

It was only then that she realized her tiger had been silent through the entire interaction. She hadn’t really felt her tiger since the asshole injected her.Fuck!

What if her tiger was gone? Was that possible?

Ten minutes later, Crush was in Axle’s office, and they were discussing whether she should join them in the fight. Having been injected with Variulisis, Crush didn’t know what other effects, if any, it would have on her besides disabling her tiger and her shifting abilities. It scared the shit out of her to think they damaged her tiger in some way, but she didn’t have time to sulk and worry. They had family to protect.

Looking across his desk at her, Axle uttered, “I think it’s the only way, Crush. If you’re there, the Claws will be distracted, worried about you. You don’t want that, and neither do I.”

Crush wasn’t happy, but she knew he was right. “I’ll keep Ginger and Minx here with me.” Satisfying her ego wasn’t worth putting her sisters or the rest of her family in danger. Speaking of the rest of her sisters, she needed to know what was going on. “Any news on Lace?”

Axle sighed. “She’s not doing well,” he answered. “The doctor said he could make her comfortable, but he doesn’t think she’s going to make it. The drugs and alcohol in her system are making it too hard for her body to heal the way it should.”

Crush cursed under her breath. It wasn’t a complete shock. Lace had been heading down that road for years, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. More than anything else, Crush felt an ache in her chest for Lace’s ex-husband and her children. “Rock is going to take that hard.”

“Yeah, he already is. He’s with her now, saying his goodbyes. I’m not having him come with us. Nails is doing pretty good, but she’s pissed she’s too injured to come with.”

“She would crawl onto the field of battle if we let her.” Crush stood and headed for the door, intent on giving the orders to her club.

Axle followed her. “Do you want me to have Flash and Keys stay here?”

Crush shook her head. “Ginger, Minx, Rock, and I can handle it.”

As they reached the doorway to the main area, he asked, “What about Lucifer?”

“If you fucking try to tell me to stay here,” Lucifer began as he leaned back against the wall next to the opening to the hallway, “I’ll just follow.”

Axle turned his head and looked at Lucifer. “You aren’t a member yet.”

“I don’t fucking care.” One of the benefits of not being a member was not having to take orders from the fucking president. Axle could request whatever he wanted, but Lucifer would do what he wanted to do.

Axle rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I don’t want to hear you whine if you get hurt.”

Lucifer chuckled. “You wouldn’t want to hear that either way.”

Axle ignored him and gave out a loud whistle, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “Gather around! We’ve got shit to talk about before we go!”

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