Karma's Revenge (A Bad Girls Novel)

by Teresa Gabelman

  She stopped him before he finished. “Darin,” Sophia growled, her eyes still narrowed on Axel. “How did you… how are you here? That man had a machine gun. There were at least fifteen of them and one of you.”

  “This is what I do” was his only response. He was a little surprised she was angry and couldn’t quite wrap his head around why. Women always confused him, and this woman also intrigued him.

  “No, it’s not,” Sophia argued with a tilt of her head. “You’re an assassin. You sneak around, find a clean shot and then take it without anyone ever knowing who you are. I’m not stupid.”

  This time it was his turn to narrow his eyes. “I never said you were.”

  “Actually, you did, just not with those words. You stood in front of the car, plain as day. They know who you are now, Axel.” Her voice caught on his name, sounding like panic to him. He realized she had been worried about him, not that he may have killed Savior and not her. “You killed his men. Now he’s going to be after you. And if he finds out what you do….”

  He started to interrupt her, but she held up her hand, stopping him.

  “I’ve already put Darin in danger. Now you.” Sophia shook her head. “This has to stop, and I have to be the one to stop it. I never asked you to do that… this. You shouldn’t have involved yourself. Maybe you should have collected your six figures, Axel. Then we’d all be better off.”

  “Sophia,” Darin said as she walked away, setting her sword on the table before she climbed the stairs.

  Axel watched her go until she disappeared. Her words cut deep and pissed him off. He should have taken the kill and collected the bounty on her head? Was she serious? With a curse, he stormed after her. This shit was going to get settled once and for all.

  He climbed the staircase, stomping down the hallway to the open door of the guest room. She was grabbing her bag, shoving her dirty clothes inside. He walked in and slammed the door behind him.

  “Let it out,” Axel said as he stood blocking her exit. She wasn’t leaving this room until they both had their say.

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Let what out?”

  “Your rage, Sophia.” Axel crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I’ve already done that a million times.” She looked away from him, but he saw a spark in her gaze.

  “Bullshit.” He pushed her deliberately, hoping to spark a reaction. “You’re pissed that I took the risk and you didn’t, but what you showed downstairs was nothing more than a temper tantrum. So go ahead and let it out. Whatever pissed you off, let me hear it. Scream it if you have to. Until you do that, then you will lose, and Savior will win.”

  “Savior will never win. I will go to my grave taking him with me,” Sophia growled, finally turning around to face him. “This is my burden, my fight, my revenge, not yours. You had no right—”

  “I had every right.” Axel didn’t back down; it was not in his nature. “You taking my place tonight would have been suicide. What you’ve been doing is suicide.”

  She remained silently staring at him, making his blood run cold. “But you know this, don’t you?” His arms slowly uncrossed as he took a step toward her. “This has been a suicide mission all along.”

  “I have to go.” She went to move past him, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  “Answer me, goddammit!” he ordered, but didn’t raise his voice.

  “Yes!” Sophia did raise hers. She then hit him in the chest with her fist.

  “Is that the answer you’re looking for? As soon as I made the vow to my sister, I knew that my time was limited, and I’m okay with that. Don’t you understand what he took from me? My sister, my twin. Anna was my other half, and without her, I’ve been lost. To know that she was probably thinking of me when this evilness was happening to her is more than I can handle most days. The nightmares, they won’t stop. I see her being wedged in the corner of that stall over and over again in my nightmares, and she’s screaming for me.”

  Axel listened, watching the tears roll down her face. The anger and hatred she carried inside her was so palpable he could feel it to his very soul.

  “If I could have taken her place with the cancer, with her being brutalized when she trusted someone to help her live… I would have in a heartbeat. It’s unfair and yes, if it takes my life to pay back the bastard who did this to her, then so be it.”

  He wanted to shake some sense into her, but deep down, he understood her drive. The rage she felt… he got it, but what she didn’t understand was that she wasn’t alone. Forcing his help wasn’t the right way to go with her. She was strong, she was badass, and she had taken this vow of revenge upon herself. He needed to tread carefully.

  “Let me help you, Sophia.” His voice softened some, as did his eyes.

  She finally looked up at him, tears filling her beautiful eyes, but they had stopped overflowing. “Don’t you understand?” she whispered, her lip trembling. “I can’t lose anyone else I care about.”

  “I won’t let anyone hurt Darin,” Axel promised as he gently squeezed her arm where he still held her.

  “I’m not talking about Darin.” Her eyes closed slowly, squeezing out two tears, one from each eye. “You could have been killed tonight, Axel. Because of me, you could have died. How do you think I could have lived with that? I can’t live with that.”

  Her words flowed over him, filling his heart. It had been so long since anyone cared for him. He had been used for his talent of killing and invulnerability, he had been used for his wealth, and never once had anyone worried about him; only their end result mattered.

  His emotions overwhelmed him for the slightest of seconds until he got them under control. He didn’t think, he simply reacted. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her, and to his surprise, she returned his kiss with a passion matching his own.

  Chapter 18

  At this very moment, nothing mattered to Sophia other than she was in this man’s arms. It had been a long time since she’d felt so alive and she wanted to savor the moment. His arms tightened around her as his mouth devoured hers. She gave as good as she got. She was a starving woman who wanted this man more than anything. Why fight it? Life was way too short. Her sister had taught her that.

  She pulled her lips away from his, knowing what she wanted and ready to take it. The thought of him not coming back tonight had terrified her in ways she had never experienced. She knew her heart was taken by this man and she was more than willing to give it. She barely knew him and yet, she knew him better than most. It was an odd feeling, an odd sensation, and she embraced the strangeness of it.

  Stepping back, she stared him straight in the eyes. “I….” She hesitated, glancing away from him, suddenly very nervous. What if he didn’t want her? Self-doubt was a bitch during moments like this, but they came even if he did instigate the kiss first. Though did she really care as long as she got what she wanted from him? Why in the hell didn’t she just go for it and fuck the consequences? She would deal with the aftermath later, like she dealt with everything else that came her way.

  Deep down, she knew the answers to all the questions racing through her mind. She would be devastated if he didn’t return her feelings. This consequence would be different from all others, and she didn’t know if her heart could take another break, not even a fissure of a crack. Axel held the power to destroy her and not because he was an assassin who was good with guns. No, that wasn’t it at all. Axel was the man who had taken her heart and held it in his hands to do as he pleased with it.

  His head tilted as he looked down at her. “What is it?” He frowned as he studied her closer. “I will not apologize for that kiss.”

  Sophia’s eyes snapped to his. “I didn’t ask for one.”

  “Good.” He took off his jacket and tossed it on the floor. “Then what do you need to say?” He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “I…” She hesitated again. What in the hell was wrong with her?

  “You sa
id that already.” His frown turned into a seductive grin. “You what?” Another step.

  She took a tiny step back, her neck bending back so she could continue to look up at him. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.” Okay, that wasn’t exactly what she had wanted to say, but at least she said something and didn’t sound like a complete idiot.

  “I’m here. I’m fine.” He reached out, taking her hand and placing it on his chest.

  Oh, he was definitely here and most definitely fine. Her fingers moved over his hardness, and her eyes left his to roam his hard chest, wishing it was skin she was feeling and not fabric.

  “Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what you really want to say.” Axel’s voice lowered, a sexy huskiness to it.

  Busted. Okay, so he knew her better than she thought. Was he toying with her? Her eyes rose to meet his.

  “I want you.” Her voice was strong and sure. She was damn proud of that fact. It took a lot of control not to shout it out like a crazed woman who needed to get laid.

  “Sophia.” He ran his thumb over her cheek. “You had me the first time I laid eyes on you.”

  A smile and sob happened at the same time as she nodded. Yep, she was a total idiot. A happy idiot, but an idiot just the same. “I come with a lot of baggage,” she threw out there with a sniff.

  “I have strong arms.” He then used his whole hand to cup her chin.

  “I would totally understand if—” Her words were muffled by his mouth crashing down on hers.

  His only parted them by a hairbreadth as he whispered, “With your baggage and my baggage, we can get matching luggage. I don’t run, Sophia.”

  The feel of those words feathered across her face; they were so close. Deep down she thanked God he didn’t.

  Their lips met again, this time in a desperate need to claim each other. Clothes flew off in a frenzy, each helping the other until they were both naked and crushed against each other. He picked her up, carrying her to his bed. Laying her down slowly, he stood and stared from the top of her head down to her toes. She did the same to him, getting the first glimpse of his body.

  “Perfection.” The word and the way he said it with a harsh growl seemed confused, but when she got a glance at his cock, she understood. In her mind, she also thought perfection as well as holy fucking shit, and if said out loud, it would have been with a growl of need.

  She had seen cocks before, but Axel was impressive, and she couldn’t wait to get a taste. She licked her lips just thinking about it.

  “You keep looking at me like that and licking those lush lips, this isn’t going to last long.” He cocked his eyebrow at her.

  She leaned up on her elbow and shrugged. “So, we have all night.”

  He laughed and groaned at the same time but got up on the bed overtop her, laying her flat on her back. Each arm on the side of her head caged her in. “Yes, we do.”

  As Axel poised over her, his cock harder than a fucking rock, he stared down wanting nothing more than to jam himself inside her warm body. His control was working double time. Using his arm strength to keep himself from crushing her, he leaned down taking her mouth with his. Their tongues sparred, and he was excited as fuck that she was a good kisser. He loved kissing. Call him a fucking pussy, but a woman who could kiss and make his dick hard with doing nothing else was a turn-on. Usually, a woman who was good at kissing was also good at sucking cock. When she’d stared at his dick licking those pouty lips, his throbbing cock wanted to slip inside so her tongue could work its magic.

  And yet here he was being patient. Thank God he was good at that, or so he thought. His lips left hers, moved down her neck going straight toward her tits. Sophia’s nipples were large and came to a tight point. He took one hard one in his mouth, his teeth nipping at them as his tongue soothed the playful bites. He gave both the same amount of attention while he took his weight on his knees so his free hand could slip between her legs to the place he and his cock could find their fucking happy place.

  At first touch, he moaned at her wetness. She was already fucking ready to go and even pushed toward his hand, wanting his fingers inside her. He let his fingers explore as his mouth left her tits so he could watch his digits work. He slipped his middle finger inside her. Sophia’s lower body arched off the bed. His cock throbbed painfully at her display of desire his touch brought.

  He slowly pumped his finger inside her, watching it work and then smirked when she met his thrusts. He added another finger, which almost sent her off the bed. Her moans made his breathing come faster. He loved hearing her sounds as he finger-fucked her. He carefully added a third finger and to his surprise—as well as his total fucking happiness—she grabbed his hand with hers and helped him.

  “Fuck!” he growled, using his other hand to pinch her nub bringing her closer and closer only to stop. She even gave him a nasty glare, but then an evil smile played across her lips.

  She reached out and grabbed his cock in a tight grip. He hissed in pleasure and pain. “Two can play at that game.”

  He let her have her moment as she expertly jacked him off. He had done enough of that himself, and it was amazing to have her tiny, strong hand take over.

  Unable to take any more, he removed her hand and slipped his fingers out of her. She was more than ready, and so was he. Positioning himself between her legs, he stared down into her beautiful eyes.

  “Are you sure?” He didn’t know why he asked, but he did. His respect for her he figured, or maybe it was because, for the first time in his life, he left feeling unsure. She was different from any other woman he’d known. She was smart, gorgeous, a librarian, and good. It was the good that made him question. He usually went for women who were there for sex. A one-time thing, with no connections and no words. Just a mutual pleasure between a man and woman. Not that any of that made them bad, but it definitely made them different than the woman who lay beneath him. She deserved much more, and he was damn sure going to see she got it.

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” She sighed, then gave him a narrowed look. She turned from an angel to a minx in a second flat. “And if you ask me any more questions like that, I will stab you with my sword.”

  And that was when he knew for certain he loved Sophia Karma Deluce.

  Chapter 19

  Sophia stood at the stove in her dream kitchen making omelets that would make the judges on Chopped crown her champion. She grinned at the thought. Last night had been amazing. This morning her shower fantasy was played out, and it was not disappointing. Actually, Axel had exceeded her expectations in the shower, not once, but twice.

  Her smile faded as the dark shadow of why she stood in her dream kitchen unfolded in her mind. Axel had been hired to kill her, and she still had not succeeded in killing her sister’s murderer. It didn’t matter that was the circumstances of how she and Axel met, but what did matter was it still hung heavy over their heads.

  Strong arms wrapped around her waist as Axel pulled her back against him looking over her shoulder. “That looks amazing.”

  “Oh, it is.” She agreed with his assessment of her omelets. “Just wait until you taste.”

  “A woman who loves sex and can cook.” He nuzzled her neck. “How did I get so lucky?”

  “Someone hired you to kill me,” came out of her mouth and when she felt him stiffen, she wished she could have pulled it back.

  Before either of them could say a word, Darin walked into the kitchen with his bag. “Hate to break up this cozy moment that I knew was coming.” Darin winked at them both. “But my ass needs to get back to work.”

  “Darin, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Sophia turned, and Axel’s arms dropped away from her. She felt their loss and didn’t like the feeling at all.

  “I called Ruby’s last night, and no one has come looking for me,” Darin replied, then pointed at himself. “I’ve been without my Darling façade for way too long. I’m in withdrawal, so I’ll e
nd up overdoing my makeup, which is going to cost me more money and if I’m not working… money I don’t have. Then you’ll have to deal with my drama queen meltdown. I really don’t think we want to go there.”

  “It’s only been a few days.” Sophia shook her head with a chuckle. But actually, Darin was right. She definitely didn’t want to go there. When Darin had a meltdown, especially when in his Darlene guise, it was something impossible to look away from. He could put the most notorious divas to shame. “I would endure all your meltdowns to keep you safe, Darin.”

  “I’ll be fine, Soph.” He walked over and pulled her into his arms. “And bless you for saying that because I know the hell and fury my meltdowns bring.”

  “I don’t know… what do you think?” she asked Axel who had stood silently listening as he drank his coffee.

  “If no one has been asking for him, then I think he’ll be fine. You’re the one they want.” Axel set his cup down and looked at Sophia and then Darin. “Just remain vigilant, and if you feel something isn’t right, call me. You got my number.”

  “Thank you.” Darin nodded at Axel. “That means a lot. But listen, I’ll be fine. There isn’t anyone who’s going to come into Ruby’s and harass anyone without twenty mean-ass, diva-driven drag queens up their ass? I actually feel safer with them than you guys. No offense.”

  “None taken.” Axel chuckled in agreement. “I wouldn’t want to mess with a few of them at Ruby’s either.”

  “Just be careful.” Sophia wasn’t laughing; she was worried. “If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself. I’m sorry, Darin. I should never have involved you with this.”

  “I involved myself, Soph. Never forget that. I could have walked away any time I wanted, but I didn’t because I love you.” He kissed the top of her head, then grabbed his bag. “I can either walk out of here, or you could be a true hero by driving me one last time in that beautiful Viper I plan to own one day.”