Axle: A Military Bad Boy Mercenary Romance (The Bang Shift Book 5)

by Mandy Harbin

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, I know you very intimately.”

  She swung her palm against his chest. “I’m serious. I might snore.”

  “Oh, you do. Just because I never slept in that room with you doesn’t mean I didn’t come in while you were sleeping. That nose is like a freight train.” He winced playfully as he tweaked it.

  She rolled her eyes. “You just like it when I play with your gun,” she said, remembering the time they’d slipped into innuendo, but then her smile dropped. She’d had to use his gun for real. The scene had played out in bloody detail over and over in the darkest part of her nights.

  “Hey,” he said softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The kindness in his eyes almost undid her. With the same gentle tone, he said, “You can’t shoot for shit.”

  She burst out laughing, and he chuckled, breaking his straight face.

  “Oh, I got something for you.” He stepped back, digging in his pocket.

  “I bet you do,” she said teasingly but with loads of suggestion.

  He growled playfully. She really liked this easygoing side of his. She looked forward to learning all his sides.

  “Here.” He handed her a long jewelry box, like ones that housed a bracelet or anklet. “To commemorate your special day.”

  She reached for it, her heart racing once again as she opened it. Oh, she loved jewelry just like the next woman, but this was too much—

  Caitlin’s laugh was so sudden it shocked her.

  “Your very own tactical pen. Complete with a handcuff key. Mine doesn’t even that have.”

  “I love it,” she said, smiling like a fool and not even caring. “It’s perfect.”

  He reached for her, and Caitlin knew she’d never tire of having his arms around her.

  “It’s dangerous, which is the point. But if you ever attack me with one of these again, I’ll haul you over my knees and spank your ass.”

  It was her turn to make a sexy sound at the back of her throat.

  He groaned. “Jesus, I was going to ask you out to eat, so we can get this dating thing going. But all I want to do is drag you back to my hotel and have you six ways to Sunday.”

  She smiled coyly. “Why don’t you try asking me anyway?”

  Axle smiled, but there was a slight crinkle between his brows as he seemed to wonder what she was getting at. “Okay, baby. What would you like to eat? We can have anything you want.”

  Caitlin leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Breakfast.”

  He gasped and crushed his mouth to hers as she giggled, her humor dying as he kissed her passionately, adoringly.

  From the foothills of the Ozarks to the mountains of Afghanistan, she’d always chased the story, never expecting to find love. Yeah, she’d scooped the story of her career, but with Axle, she’d landed the story of her life.

  Epilogue

  “To the new anchor for Channel 4 News at six!” Heather said, raising her glass to toast Caitlin on her new job. The last couple of weeks had been a whirlwind getting her moved from Atlanta to Mayflower, so this was the first time they’d all had a chance to get together. The girls anyway.

  “And ten,” Shelby added. “The new anchor for Channel 4 News at six and ten.”

  Maya had come along since she was one Caitlin’s good friends. They were still getting to know Shelby, but she seemed pretty cool. Since she worked with Heather’s brother, and Caitlin dated Shelby’s brother, it seemed fitting to have her here with them.

  Heather had asked Xan if she wanted to come along, too, but she was about to pop that baby out. Roxie refused to join them for the same reason. Heather just knew Brody would have a time on his hands keeping that woman out of the delivery room. Anna was still too busy mooning over Blade to be bothered with going out to a bar, and Heather couldn’t blame her. That man was gorgeous.

  That was fine, the four of them could have a dang good celebration by themselves.

  “Woo hoo,” she cheered as they clinked glasses and sipped their beverages.

  “Don’t look now, but I think that guy over there is eyeing you,” Caitlin said to Heather.

  She glanced at him. He was handsome, but he didn’t have dark curly hair or green eyes.

  “Damn, he’s hot,” Maya said.

  “You’re dating my brother,” Heather said, frowning at her.

  “What? I didn’t say I wanted to hook up with him. Just that he’s nice eye candy.”

  Shelby giggled and took another sip of her drink. “Mason would paddle my ass if I gawked at another man like that.”

  “All of our guys would,” Maya said with a shrug. “Nothing wrong with keeping them on their toes.”

  “Speak for yourself. I don’t have a man to answer to,” Heather said.

  “Ah, yes,” Caitlin said, slapping her hand on the table. “No reason at all we drove all the way out to Little Rock to have some drinks.”

  “Nobody here believes that,” Maya said, jumping in on Heather’s ribbing. “Little Rock is miles and miles away from Big Roc.”

  “I need new friends,” Heather muttered.

  “What you need is to get laid,” Caitlin added. “Telling you right now, it solves all kinds of problems.”

  “Eww, you’re talking about my brother,” Shelby said.

  “Better get used to it right now,” Heather said. “Maya holds nothing back about mine.”

  “Not true. I didn’t tell you about the time he got ice cream and—”

  Heather stuck her fingers in her ears. “La, la, la, la.”

  Everyone giggled.

  “So what’s the story with you and Roc?” Shelby asked. “I feel like there’s something I’m missing.”

  “Nothing to tell.”

  “Ha!” Maya said. “He’s got it bad for her, but for some reason, she won’t give him the time of day.”

  “That’s not it,” Heather said softly.

  “Oh, something did happen,” Caitlin said, leaning in.

  “He likes me—”

  “A blind man can see that,” Shelby said.

  “But he won’t act on it,” she said slowly. “I’m not sure why. Don’t know if it’s how young I am. If it’s his job, or my brother—”

  “What? I can fix that,” Maya said.

  “No way. I don’t want anybody twisting his arm.”

  Except her.

  “Sweetie, sometimes men need a big smack in the face to make them see what they’re missing,” Maya said.

  “And sometimes, Mr. Right Now can make things all better,” Shelby said and nodded in the direction of the guy watching her. He lifted his glass in a wordless acknowledgement.

  She turned back to the table. “I’m not using some guy to make Roc jealous. If it’s the age thing, playing games will definitely make him think I’m some little girl.”

  “Nobody said anything about playing games,” Caitlin said with a smirk. “But we see where your mind just went.”

  “Um, y’all don’t need to knock games until you try them,” Shelby said. She took another drink. Heather didn’t think she was talking about the same kind of play, and no way was she going to ask.

  “He’s coming over,” Maya whispered heatedly.

  “What?”

  She was going to kill all of her friends.

  “Excuse me,” he said in a voice so smooth controlled confidence exuded from it.

  She turned around. “Yes.”

  Okay, he was ridiculously handsome up close. Dark hair and puppy dog brown eyes, tailored suit. He was probably around Roc’s age, possibly a little older, but by the look in this man’s eyes, he didn’t care Heather was a good eight years younger than him.

  “I know a man approaching a table full of women in a bar is cliché.” He glanced around the table. “You all are very lovely.” He looked at Heather then, his gaze unwavering. “But there’s only one woman at this table I’d like to get to know.”

  Damn. That was good.

  He didn’t make her heart r
ace or the blood rush in her veins, but she’d just met him. Maybe in time there’d be a spark ignited.

  Like the one Roc had lit.

  What had Shelby said about Mr. Right Now? Heather was young and beautiful. She was free to date anybody she wanted, and if Roc didn’t want a chance with her, she needed to find a way to move on.

  Or a way to smack him in the face.

  She smiled at Mr. Right Now and stuck out her hand to shake his.

  He lifted it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

  “Heather Anderson,” she said softly.

  “Heather Anderson, the pleasure is all mine.” He released her hand right as a waiter came to the table with another round of drinks.

  “We didn’t order—”

  “I did,” the man said. “You ladies need to enjoy your night. This is my peace offering for intruding. Ms. Heather Anderson,” he said with light inflection, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a couple of business cards and a pen. He handed her one. “Here’s my number. May I have yours?” He put the other card face down so that the blank side was up and placed the pen on top of it. She smiled, took it, and jotted hers down.

  “There you go.”

  “Now, I just need to think of the perfect date to ask you on.”

  “Don’t wait too long,”

  “Only a fool would do that.” He winked “Ladies,” he said, glancing at the others before turning and walking away.

  “Wow, that was sorta hot,” Shelby said.

  “A man who sees what he wants and immediately goes after it. I wouldn’t know how to act,” Maya said.

  “Right?” Caitlin asked, agreeing with her and taking a sip. “Going on a date all nice and normal like. Nobody getting shot at.”

  “Girl, don’t even go there. My ass still hurts when I think of the first night Mason and I had together.”

  “He didn’t even tell you his name,” Caitlin said.

  “It’s probably hideous,” Maya said. “Not that I’d know anything about that.” She chuckled. Her boyfriend had the worst name in the history of names.

  Heather turned the card over and read it. “Nope, it’s completely normal.”

  “Luc with a C.”

  “Oh, like Roc with a C,” Shelby said.

  “He’s about to get the shock of his life,” Maya said.

  “Shock? Maybe. Slap? Definitely,” Heather said.

  The girls at the table giggled and sipped their drinks, thoughts of Roc and boys in general dropped slipping further from their minds with every sip.

  Luc strolled out of the bar and walked up to the stretch limousine parked out front. His driver stood holding the door open for him.

  “Good evening, sir.”

  He nodded his appreciation for the respect he was due and got into the running limo. He opened his cell phone and hit the contact for his uncle.

  “Ah, Luc, my boy. How’s your trip?”

  “Going well. I made contact. She doesn’t recognize me.”

  “Excellent. And the other one?”

  “Maya Carmichael didn’t either. I’ll proceed as planned.”

  “Good. Good. I don’t need to remind you how important it is for this to work. The crime family in Dallas is crumbling. I can either take it by force or show I’m capable of exacting revenge. Making Maya suffer will make my job a lot easier.

  “Is what she did that awful to the Oberman family? I know she was seeing Jake, but the guy was just muscle and a douche. Do you think anybody really gives a shit about him?”

  “It’s the sentiment. He’s part of the family and was wronged. We’re showing we put family first.”

  He’d told him this before, but he still didn’t understand why they didn’t just force the other family’s hand. This was the mafia, not T-ball. They didn’t need approval from anyone to do a fucking thing.

  “If this doesn’t work, we’ll kill the boss,” his uncle said matter-of-factly.

  That was more like it. “And if Heather realizes I was the one who kidnapped her?”

  “Then we’ll deal with her, too.”

  Roc is coming up next! In the meantime, check out Super Hot Supervisor, the first in a fun, contemporary romance series!

  Hey, y’all!

  Thank you for reading my book. :) If you enjoyed it, I’d be very grateful for a review. If you didn’t like it, then share that, too... as long as your review is honest, that’s all that matters.

  And ice cream. Ice cream matters, too.

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  Xoxo,

  Mandy

  Also by Mandy Harbin

  The Bang Shift Series

  Brody

  Hunter

  Blade

  Shelby

  Axle

  Tender Hearts Series

  Super Hot Supervisor

  Paranormal Romance Series

  Surrounded by Woods

  Surrounded by Pleasure

  Surrounded by Temptation

  Surrounded by Secrets

  Young Adult written as M.W. Muse

  Goddess Legacy

  Goddess Secret

  Goddess Sacrifice

  Goddess Revenge

  Goddess Bared

  Goddess Bound

  About the Author

  Mandy Harbin is a USA Today Bestselling author who loves creating stories that explore the complexities of everyday relationships…with some kissing thrown in. She is a Superstar Award recipient, Reader’s Crown and Passionate Plume finalist, and has achieved Night Owl Reviews Top Pick distinction many times. She also writes young adult romance as M.W. Muse because teens like kissing, too.

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