Page 9 of Crush's Fall

“I wish I could, Crush,” he said, softly. “And I wish I could hold you right now. You look like you need a hug.”

“Stop trying to get me to untie your hands just so you could escape,” she mumbled.

“Crush, look at me.”

Still reeling from what he had told her, Crush opened her eyes and looked at him. “What?”

“I’m not trying to escape. I haven’t tried to escape once. From the moment you rounded that wall and stepped into the HD church room, I have done everything you told me to. I’m not asking for you to untie me for any reason other than you look like you need a hug, and I want to be the man to do that. You could tie me back up and go back to hating my guts afterward.” He smiled. “Besides, we’re in a building with a shit ton of bikers upstairs… and I’m in a state I’m not at all familiar with. Where in the hell would I go?”

Not even taking a moment to think about how stupid the move was, Crush reached around behind him, let a claw out, and cut through the fabric that had been restraining him.

“How did you—” He tried to wrap his arms around her and groaned as the ache in his shoulders and arms hit him. On the second try, he managed to get them around her.

Crush didn’t examine why she was rubbing the ache out of his shoulders as he held her gaze.

“Feels a lot better, Crush. Thank you.”

Resting her forehead against his, she closed her eyes and just let them be two people wrapped up in each other. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen when they were forced to return to the real world, so she was allowing herself to savor the moment.

He tightened his arms around her until she was forced to slide her arms around his neck. “One last kiss, then you can tie me back up and do what you need to.”

Without opening her eyes, she tilted her head and kissed him. This time, she let him take over. They kissed for a while, sometimes lazily, softly. Other times, his kisses were intense, urgent, demanding. All the while, his hands caressed her back and sides, cradled her head, squeezed her thighs. It was the best make-out session she had ever had.

It wasn’t until after she re-tied his hands and was heading upstairs that she realized she still had her gun in the holster of her cut and her knife strapped to her ankle. If he wanted to do her harm, he could have killed her in an instant.

Maybe it wasn’t wishful thinking. Maybe Lucifer really was the guy he said he was.

Axle

Sitting at the bar, Axle was lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do about Lucifer and how to convince his club to be okay with the man keeping his life. Honestly, Axle would feel bad ending the man since he was Crush’s mate, but that wouldn’t stop him from doing it if it was necessary.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder from Pike. Sliding off his stool, he and Pike met Crush half-way down the bar.

“What?” Axle’s voice was firm and calm, but the panic in Crush’s eyes had him on edge.

“Not out here,” she replied, her voice matching his calm tone.

“Fuck that,” Bullet said as he stopped next to his sister. “What’s going on?”

Crush turned her head and gave Bullet a hard look. “You will find out when your president informs your club. Right now, I need to discuss it with your president.” Then she turned on her heel and headed for Axle’s office. “Pinky and Vixen. I want you in there.”

Axle followed her, calling over his shoulder, “Skull. Pike. My office.”

It was a tight fit for six of them to occupy Axle’s office, but they made it work. Axle took a seat in his desk chair, Pike and Skull flanking him on their feet. Crush and Pinky took seats in the chairs across the desk from Axle. Vixen stayed on her feet, standing between her president and VP, facing Axle.

He started the conversation. “Okay. What has you spooked?”

Crush didn’t delay, and Axle watched her expression as she opened her mouth and said, “Hell’s Dogs chapter Ohio and Kentucky have been in contact with the UpRiders to join them. They also recruited the Reapers from New York, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. They are planning to take down both of our clubs and take over Michigan. He doesn’t know when or how they are going to attack us, but he said he knows for sure they are planning to. Ax, he said the mission is being referred to as theFang Extraction.”

Pike uttered, “Do they know… about us?”

Crush shrugged. “Lucifer said he once asked why they were calling it that and was told he’d find out why when he became a member. If it was just because of the names of our clubs, why wouldn’t he just say that? Why would the reason for the name be kept quiet but not the mission itself from the prospects? I think it’s best to assume they know.”

Fuck.

Pike asked, “Ax, you don’t think Hawkin passed that bit of knowledge on, do ya?”

Axle shook his head. He knew Hawkin well enough to know the man wouldn’t do that. He may be a human, but he was a trustworthy ally. Owner of Milhawk Investigations, located in Warden’s Pass, Mick Hawkin was a rule-follower, at least more than the Howlers were. He avoided breaking laws as often as possible. Even though they had different definitions of justice, Hawkin wouldn’t go back on his word, especially without giving a warning. “He only knows about me. Besides, Hawkin is pretty strait-laced. I don’t see him helping the Hell’s Dogs or their allies.” He sat back in his chair. “We’re being watched.”

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