by Ali Parker
I found a note sitting neatly on top of his pillow. My name was written across the front of it, and it was folded in half to hide the contents.
My stomach now a tight knot of nerves, I grabbed the note and sat up, pulling the blankets with me to ward off the chill of the morning.
Ellie,
Get dressed. Meet me at the shop. Hanna is with me. Don’t rush.
I frowned. There wasn’t any information in that note the eased my mind. I needed to know more. So I called him.
“Where are you?” he asked before anything else.
“I’m at home. In bed. Where are you?”
“The shop. Didn’t you read the note I left you?”
“Yeah, but I was worried. It’s early. Why did you leave so early? Is everything okay?”
I had definitely assumed the worst. It had been six months since Watson was arrested, but every now and then, or when things like this happened, I couldn’t fight down the thought that he might get out and come after Axel. Maybe the shop had burned down again. Maybe there was another hit out on the MC.
“Everything is fine, Ellie. Don’t worry. Just get dressed and come down to the shop. Hanna and I are waiting for you.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay. Fine. Just give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll be there. I need to grab a coffee on the way.”
Axel chuckled. “Okay, baby. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“Love you too,” I said before hanging up the phone and collapsing back into the soft mattress and cozy pillows.
Why must he make me get up so early all the time? He was a morning person, and I was sometimes. But today was Saturday. I had wanted to sleep in and spend a lazy day at home with him and Hanna. I was even going to make them French toast.
I sighed again and rolled out of bed. They were waiting for me.
I got dressed in a hurry, slipping into a pair of tight jeans and a loose black T-shirt. I stepped into a pair of red flats, hoping that if I dressed in clothes that weren’t suitable to work in, Axel wouldn’t put me to work on one of the side jobs we had for six motorcycles. It was my weekend, damn it, and I wasn’t going to spend it working.
I grabbed my sunglasses and car keys and rushed out the front door. The sun was shining, but the air was chilly, and I regretted not grabbing a coat as I slid into the driver’s seat of my car. I started it up and cranked the heat and turned on my seat warmers, which didn’t kick in until I was going through the drive-through to grab a cappuccino.
I sipped on it slowly as I drove the rest of the way to the shop, savoring the simple sweetness of the foam and espresso.
When I parked outside the shop, I began to wonder what the hell was going on. There were no other cars parked on the lot, and the two bay doors were closed. If Axel was working on something, I would be surprised. He always made sure the doors were open so the air flow was clean.
“What the hell is he trying to pull?” I muttered as I got out of the car and closed the door with my hip. I clicked the alarm on my fob to arm it, and the car beeped behind me as I walked across the gravel to the side door.
I was instantly cold again, and I hurried the last couple of steps to the door. I turned the handle, and as soon as the door opened, I was greeted with the smell of grease and, much to my surprise, lavender and rose and something else. Something very floral.
I stepped over the threshold, and my mouth fell open as I saw what had been done to the shop.
There were flowers everywhere.
The cement floor was hidden from view by red rose petals. Every single surface was filled with extravagant bouquets of carnations, roses, lilacs, lilies, daisies, lavender, and even orchids. I froze in place and stared in wonder.
Candles were burning, too, and they were the only source of light in the place. It looked beautiful, which was a strange thing to say about a mechanic shop.
Then, I spotted Hanna in the corner. She was bending down to gather handfuls of rose petals, and then she would toss them in the air over her head and twirl in a circle as they cascaded down around her.
“What’s all this?” I whispered.
Axel stepped out from behind a 1969 fastback we were painting. He held yet more flowers, which he handed to me when he was close enough. His eyes were fixed on mine, and they seemed to dance in the flickering light of the candle flames.
“Axel?”
He smiled, took my hand in his, and descended to one knee.
I thought I might pass out right then and there.
“Took you long enough to get here,” Axel said, giving me a crooked smile.
I stuttered and stammered like a fool. Words were completely out of my grasp right now. Axel was on his knee in front of me, and his hand was disappearing into the pocket of his leather jacket.
“Ellie Kinkade. I have a very important question to ask you.”
I nodded.
“But first, there are some things I want to say to you.”
My eyes were growing wet with tears. My heart was hammering, and my skin felt white hot all over. My hand shook in his grasp, and I clutched the flowers he had just handed me to my chest.
“I never had faith in myself that I could ever be a good man, Ellie. I never thought I could deserve the love of a woman like you. That’s why I held you at arm’s length for so long. You were too good for me. You still are. But I’m ready to be selfish. I love you more than anything, and I can’t imagine being without you. You make it easy to get out of bed in the morning. You make it easy to smile, to laugh, and to let go of all the anger and resentment I’ve carried around with me for a long, long time. You make it easy to fight for what I want. I want you—I’ve always wanted you. I want to spend the rest of my life doing everything in my power to make you happy and give you the life you deserve. You, me, and Hanna. A family. What do you say?” He paused and withdrew a blue velvet box from his pocket. He extended it out to me and popped it open.
A ring more dazzling than anything I could have imagined winked at me as it caught the light of the flames from the candles.
“Ellie, will you marry me?”
I took a shaky breath and nodded. I still couldn’t speak. All I could do was succumb to the wave of emotion that washed over me. I let out a sob as Axel took my left hand and slid the ring onto my finger.
“Mrs. Cooper has a nice ring to it,” he said as he got to his feet.
I threw my arms around his shoulders and wept with joy against him. He hugged me back, his strong arms squeezing my back.
“I hope these are happy tears,” he said, finally stepping back to wipe my cheeks.
I nodded again and struggled to finally find my voice. “These are very happy tears. I love you, too, Axel. So fucking much.”
“Language,” he teased, shooting a look over at Hanna, who was still enjoying playing in the flower petals.
I clapped a hand over my mouth. “Oops.”
Axel shrugged. “Fuck it, we just got engaged.”
Then he wrapped his arms around me again and swept me up off my feet. He spun me in a circle and both my shoes fell off. When he put me down, my bare feet kissed the silky petals on the shop floor.
“I can’t believe you did all of this for me,” I whispered, turning in a slow circle to soak in the sight of all the flowers and candles again. It was truly magnificent.
“I might have had a little bit of help.”
I laughed. “Let me guess. The entire MC knows?”
“Yep, they’ve known for weeks.”
“How on earth did you all keep it a secret for so long?”
“I threatened to kill anyone who ruined the surprise.”
I giggled and then kicked up a bunch of red petals. They soared into the air and floated gently down. Then Axel called Hanna over.
He and his daughter stood before me as I put the bouquet down on one of the already flower-covered workbenches. Hanna stood with her hands clasped in front of her, and she rocked her shoulders from side to side. She only ever d
id this when she was nervous.
She pursed her lips and looked up at me. Then she took a deep breath like Axel and I had taught her to do when her nerves were getting to her.
“After you marry my daddy, you’ll be my mommy.” As Hanna spoke the words, Axel pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. “Will you adopt me?”
Axel handed me the paper. I unfolded it, blinded by my own tears, and was barely able to read the title of the adoption form. I nodded frantically, tears spilling freely down my cheeks now.
“Of course, I will, Hanna.” I dropped down to my knees and held out my arms. Hanna ran into them, and I hugged her fiercely. “I love you, baby girl.”
“I love you too, Mommy.”
Axel joined us on the shop floor and embraced both of us, resting his chin on Hanna’s head. I stared into his blue eyes and tried to lock this feeling into my brain forever. This was the happiest I had ever been.
“Mrs. Jeremiah Cooper, hey?” I asked.
Axel gave me a sheepish grin. “Hell, yeah.”
Author Note: I hope you enjoyed Axel’s story. If you happened to not read Ryder’s first I have included it for you along with two other books of mine as a thank you.
Ryder
Chapter 1
Ryder
"One more round." I lifted my beer and glanced around at my fellow club members as a smile played at the edge of my lips. I knew they wouldn't pass up beer. Especially not if I were paying.
"Fuck, why not." Hyde raised his glass and smirked. "These women in here tonight aren't exactly the prime target of my affections usually."
"Keep drinking. You'll get there." Our Vice President, Axel raised his glass. "Besides, last I checked, you didn't give a shit where you stuck your dick. As long as it was a live, you were in."
I laughed. "He's right, my man. You're a whore."
"Never said I wasn't." Hyde shrugged and downed his beer with several large gulps. He growled and slammed the mug against the wooden table before standing up. "Alright. Time to fuck."
"Turn toward the dance floor. You creep me the fuck out when you say that and you're looking at us." Jax ran his hand over his smoothly shaved face and gave Hyde a look while pointing toward the dance floor. "Turn your big ass around and head that way."
We all shared a laugh as Hyde walked off in search of someone to spend the night with.
"You staying much longer?" Axel glanced my way.
"What are you, his mother?" Darek stood up and popped Caleb in the back of the head. "Let's go throw some darts. Winner buys the next round."
I ignored them as they started to fuck with each other.
"Why you asking?" I turned my attention to Axel.
"Cause I think I'm headed home. I have a few meetings in the morning at the shop and honestly, I'm getting old. I don't wanna feel like shit tomorrow."
"Pussy." I smiled and picked my beer up.
A pretty blonde waitress stopped beside our table and put her hand on her hip. "You boys need anything else?"
"Sex." I glanced up at her, happy to find her pretty cheeks burning pink. "But only if you're a screamer."
"You do love to hear a woman sing your praises. Fucking weirdo." Axel stood, downed his beer and patted my shoulder before moving around the girl. "See you in the morning at the shop. Don't be late."
"You're thinking of Hyde." I kept my eyes on her though my comments were for Axel as he walked off. "I'm always right on time."
Her eyes widened a little. "Did you need anything else?"
I chuckled. "You're new around here, hm?"
"Yeah." She turned as someone walked up behind her.
Candace King. The bitch that fucked my life up.
"Hi. You're needed back at the bar. They're searching for a wench and you look like you might fit the bill." Her smile was tight, her glare ugly as she attacked the pretty blonde.
"Oh. Okay. Yeah. Sure." The girl glanced back at me, embarrassment all over her face.
I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"Well, well. Look what life vomited up today." I winked at her and turned back to my beer, ignoring the burning desire in the core of my stomach to bend the bitch over the table in front of me. She was by far the best lay I'd ever had, but then again, she was a whore of sorts. A beautiful whore, but a whore nevertheless.
"You know you're happy to see me." She sat down beside me and slid her hand up my thigh, gripping my dick tightly and cupping my balls. "Don't act like you don't jerk off to images of us fucking."
"Those days are long gone." I glanced down at her grip on me as my cock grew thick and hard. "While you're down there, can you scratch right under my left nut."
She laughed, patted my sack again and pulled back. "Come dance with me."
"Not a chance in hell." I licked my lips and took another drink of my beer as I scanned the old bar where my MC spent far too many nights.
"Scared of where it might lead?" She leaned a little closer, her dark hair draping over my shoulder, her heavy tits pressing against my arm.
"Oh no. I know where it would lead." I turned toward her, our noses almost touching. "My dick buried eight inches deep in your tight little ass."
Her breath caught in her chest and I could smell her perfume mixed with the sweet musk of her pussy. She was everything a man would want... in a black widow.
"I want you." She reached up and ran her fingers through the back of my hair, scraping at my scalp.
A million images burned through my mind. She'd been my first. My only for a long time.
"You want a lot of things, Candace, but I'm not one of them." I reached up and pulled at her arm. "Find someone else. I'm not interested in your shit tonight."
"Ryder. It's been six months."
"Ten." I finished my beer and stood up, ignoring the tent my dick made in my pants. She had a way of making me burn for carnality. The things she'd let me do to her. Fuck. The things she'd done to me in our ten-year relationship. I was just a boy when she found me, but she grew me up as fast as she could.
She pressed herself against my side and reached over to stroke my cock again. Her lips were so goddamn soft on my neck. A fury burned deep in my chest. I couldn't let her affect me anymore, but it seemed impossible when my body betrayed me.
"There's a room in the back."
"I know what the fuck is in the back," I barked and turned toward her, reaching up and gripping her beautiful face roughly. "You play too many games. Get out of here before I take full advantage of what you're offering."
"I'm not going anywhere." She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine.
The hunger boiling inside of me exploded. I hadn't been with anyone that I had an emotional connection to in fucking forever. The need to belong, the feel of love, even if the shit was fake, overwhelmed me.
I picked her up and walked to the back as the little bitch wrapped her legs around me and sucked at my tongue.
"Ryder. Dude. No fucking-" Caleb stepped in the way.
"Back off," Candace pulled from the kiss and hissed at him.
The position had her left tit in the perfect place for me to do some damage. I leaned down and sucked her nipple deep into my mouth as I walked to the back, ignoring the voice of reason. Poor Caleb. He was always the one trying to talk sense into us. It was an impossible fucking feat.
"Johnny," Candace moaned and turned back, running her hands down my back as she pressed her breast further into my mouth. I flicked my tongue over her budded nipple roughly and slid a hand down the back of her skirt. My fingers pressed against the rim of her opening and I found her sopping wet.
I pulled back and licked my lips. "Ryder. Don't call me anything else. Period."
"Got it." She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine, arching her back and pressing down on my fingers to fuck herself as I made it to the door. "I'll call you anything. Just don't stop."
"You'll be lucky to get me to stop when you ask me to." I pulled the door open and nipped at her lips as she bounc
ed on my hand, her pussy pulling at my fingers as she contracted tightly. My cock pulsed with the need to sink deep inside of her. She knew how to milk me and every other fucker back in the bar.
Why am I doing this? Drop her on her ass and walk out.
Lust had taken over, and I wasn't going anywhere.
I closed the door behind us and pulled my hand from her skirt as she slid down the front of my body and worked my jeans to my knees. She had her ruby red lips around my cock before I could reach out and steady myself. I slid my hands into her black hair and gripped it tightly, stilling her.
I rolled my hips, fucking her at a pace that felt less frantic. I'd come otherwise, and there wouldn't be much fun in that. Prolonging the fuck was the name of the game and for that, I needed control.
She glanced up at me, her black eyes filled with animalistic hunger as she moaned and took my dick like a good girl.
"You're right where you should be. On your knees in front of me." I pressed deeper, forcing my cock into her throat. Her eyes widened a little, but she exhaled through her nose and relaxed. She was a goddess and I was going to find myself lost to her if I wasn't careful.
The same bitch that stole my youth and turned me into the monster I was would be more than happy to snatch away my freedom and trap me once again.
The guys were going to be fucking furious that I'd let her near me.
Fuck 'em. I needed this. I needed her.
Her nails dug into my thighs and she pressed against my hold, sucking my shaft as her tongue whirled around the tip of my dick.
I moaned as pleasure shot through my stomach. I wanted to hear her call my name, to scream for me to slow down, to stop. I wanted to be too much for her.
The sound of disappointment that left her as I pulled back, kicked off my jeans and walked to the stack of boxes in front of me was almost cute. There had been a time not too far in the past that I would have chuckled at her for being precious. That time was long gone.
I turned and sat down, stroking myself. She stood and turned, putting a hand on her luscious hip.