Axel Summer Shifters Season 2

by Raines, Harmony

  Her dad. What if even talking to Cooper had led bad men to Axel’s house?

  Her hands tightened around Axel and he swung his head around to look at her. Concern filled his eyes, and he slowed the bike and headed into the nearest town. They stopped at a small diner where he parked the bike and waited for her to get off the back. She did so with stiff legs and a sense of dread.

  “What’s wrong?” Despite the long journey, he got off the bike and took off his helmet, still looking fresh.

  “I was thinking... If we go meet Timone together... Or even just by meeting Cooper together, have we given the Hell Fire MC the location of my dad? Will they go after him at your mom’s house?”

  “I doubt it. They’ll know we’re out here trying to find Tyler. They’ve already questioned you and your dad. They’ll likely follow us rather than go after your dad again.” He inclined his head toward the diner. “Come on, let’s go and eat.”

  They went inside and ordered breakfast and coffee. Only when they had been served did they continue the conversation.

  “If anyone does follow us, we’ll have to lose them if we do find out where Tyler is.” Jenessa skewered a piece of waffle with her fork.

  “We will. Our parents might be in danger if anyone thinks we know the whereabouts of your brother. They might go to Cougar Ridge and try to use my mom and your dad as leverage.” He sighed and leaned back to drink his coffee. “Which is why I have a contingency plan.”

  “You do?” Her head jerked back in surprise. “And you’re sharing this with me now?” Her sharp tone drew a nod from Axel. “I thought we didn’t keep secrets.”

  “It isn’t a secret, I would have discussed it with you before I put the plan in motion.” He reached across the table and took hold of her hand and she forced herself not to pull away from him. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

  “I’m already worried.” She pressed her lips together, her appetite gone.

  “Okay, if we get a lead. If it looks as if we’re being followed and we have to ditch our tail, then I’ll call O’Malley and he will get our parents to safety. Your dad knows about it. He will keep my mom safe.”

  “My dad knows? You spoke to my dad about this but not me?” Her cheeks flushed with color as her voice rose. She looked around the diner, but no one seemed to be paying them much attention. To everyone in the room, it sounded like an argument between two lovers.

  “It was your dad’s idea.”

  “Oh.” She looked down at her plate. “He talked this over with you and not me.”

  “Because he still wants to protect you. He hates that you are the one who is out here clearing up what he sees as his mess.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “He thinks he failed you both. Tyler by not stopping him from joining a gang and you because you are trying to put things right. As the man of the house and your only parent, he thinks it’s his job.” Axel smiled sadly. “He also shoulders all the blame. That if he hadn’t been part of the motorcycle gang scene then Tyler would never have been sucked into it.”

  “But now we know that isn’t true.” Jenessa wiped a tear from her cheek. “Why couldn’t Tyler have fallen for a girl who works in a bakery? I could eat cakes every day and there would be no drama.”

  “Because life isn’t like that. Fate put Tyler together with his mate for a reason. The same reason that made them run. We just have to figure it out and find them.”

  “And put it right. No one wants to run for the rest of their life.”

  “No, they don’t.” Axel pulled his hand away from hers, picked up his fork, and went back to eating his breakfast.

  “Axel?” Jenessa ducked her head and looked at him. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No, it’s me.” His mouth curled up at one side. “I’ve been running from who I was since I came back to Cougar Ridge.”

  “My dad’s past haunted him for a long time and it still does. But my mom helped him through that.” It was her turn to reach for his hand. “Maybe that’s why we have found each other now. No more running. For either of us.”

  “I didn’t think you had a past to run from.”

  “If I’m running from anything, it’s been myself. I feel like a coward.”

  “That’s not the woman I see. The woman I see is very courageous and brave. You built a business. You’ve fought to keep your family together and your brother safe. If you were a coward, you wouldn’t be here now, I doubt you would have climbed onto the back of that bike if you weren’t very brave.” Axel looked at her as if he could see into her soul.

  “That’s not why I’m a coward. I’ve run away from my feelings and my own desires. I longed for a family, for a husband, but I never let anyone in.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I was afraid. Watching my dad when he lost my mom.” She placed a hand over her heart. “We all missed her terribly, I still do every day. But my dad seemed to lose a part of himself. It was as if he was no longer whole.”

  “And you’re afraid of that happening to you.” It was as if Axel was looking into her soul.

  “Yes.” She nodded, her throat dry.

  “That’s natural. It’s self-preservation. But now we’re here together.” His brows knitted together. “We’re going to be okay.”

  “I know. For the first time, I know. This is where I’m supposed to be. You are the man I’m meant to be with. I can’t fight it and I don’t want to fight it.” She straightened her back and picked up her fork. “Come on, there’s no use sitting around talking all day, we have places to be.”

  “We do.” He chuckled as he ate his breakfast, and she loved the way the lines crinkled around his mouth.

  Whatever came their way, they were stronger together. They would survive this and then they would move on with their lives. She was ready to take a chance on love, on fate, and grab hold of her dreams.

  Chapter Nineteen – Axel

  “This is it.” Axel parked the motorcycle just along the street from the hangout used by the Orion MC, the gang Tyler had joined before he disappeared. They were a rival gang of the Hell Fire MC and Axel wanted to understand why Tyler had joined them, knowing that there would be trouble between the gangs once news broke that he was the mate of Hogg’s daughter.

  We still don’t know if it’s true that Tyler left with Hogg’s daughter, his cougar reminded him.

  No, we don’t but it seems the most plausible reason for Tyler to disappear. Stealing something from the Hell Fire MC would have been out of character for the guy.

  People often do things out of character, it doesn’t mean they are not intentional. His cougar sat up on his haunches, watching and waiting for something to happen. He was ready to pounce if needed and fight his way out of the hangout if he had to. Especially if it was to protect Jenessa.

  “What’s the plan?” Jenessa was dressed in jeans and a jacket. She wouldn’t exactly blend in but even if she’d dressed in leathers, which he’d have loved to see, they would attract attention. They were outsiders and outsiders didn’t enter the hangout of a motorcycle club. Not unless they had business there.

  Axel rubbed his chin nervously. “Maybe I should go in alone. You can stay out here and keep the engine warm.”

  “Or I could go in and you could stay out here and keep the engine running. We could make a quick getaway.” She put her hands on her hips. “Do you really think they’ll talk to either of us?”

  “Timone will.” Axel took out his phone and texted the guy, telling him they were here. Then he waited.

  And waited.

  Come around the side door, the reply came at last.

  On my way. Axel sent the text and hoped it wasn’t an ambush.

  Jenessa followed him around the side of the building. Axel used his shifter senses to figure out who was around and who might be a threat. The hangout seemed fairly empty. That might be due to the time of day, some of the guys might have day jobs and only hang out here in the evenings. Or they might be out on jobs for the gang.<
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  “Axel.” A man with dark skin and a bright smile stepped out into the alleyway. “This way.” He beckoned to them, his eyes sliding past Axel to rest on Jenessa.

  Axel nodded, uneasy about bringing Jenessa here. This wasn’t her world. “Thanks for seeing us.”

  “No problem. Drink?” Timone went inside but held the door open for them to follow.

  “A beer would be good, thanks. It’s been a long journey.” Axel fixed his attention on the other people in the hangout, assessing them as he followed Timone along a corridor. None of the other people seemed to be concerned about their visitors, they stayed in the background. A couple of them were cleaning the floor of the bar area while another was in an office, working on a computer. It all seemed relaxed and friendly, but these things could switch in seconds to a scene of hostility.

  “Jenessa?” Timone asked.

  Axel tensed. He hadn’t used his mate’s name when he made contact with Timone. The guy had received information from someone else. Cooper perhaps?

  Or made an educated guess since the reason we’re here is to find Tyler. His cougar kept a close watch on Timone.

  “A beer would be great. Thanks for seeing us.” She kept close to Axel, but she seemed calm and confident. Whether she was hiding her true feelings or not, he couldn’t tell but her breathing and heart rate were only slightly elevated.

  He breathed out in a puff, letting the tension go from his shoulders. He didn’t want to look hostile, but he’d forgotten how tense these situations made him.

  “I hung with your father for a while.” Timone made his announcement as he set two beers down on the bar and helped himself to a shot of whiskey.

  “You did?” Jenessa kept her tone neutral. “He never really talks about his past.”

  “No, I don’t suppose he does.” Timone gave her a tight smile and Axel fought to keep his hands relaxed. There was an undercurrent of tension in the room and his natural reaction was to prepare to fight.

  “So you knew who Tyler was when he came here?” If there was bad blood between Ralph and Timone, why did the Orion MC let him in?

  “No, I did not. We only found out who he was after he was accused of theft and disappeared.” Timone drank his liquor straight down. “Let’s just say it did not go down well. The guys here felt betrayed.”

  “And that’s why you didn’t defend him?” Axel asked.

  “That’s just about how the story goes. There are a few here who would not like me talking to you at all. But I would like an explanation for Tyler’s action. For his betrayal. He must have known we would get dragged into this mess.” Timone ran his finger around the rim of his glass as he leaned on the bar.

  “We feel the same way. Me and my dad. We had no idea what Tyler was up to. None at all.” Jenessa sipped her beer and kept eye contact with Timone as he stared at her.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry you got a visit from some of the guys. I told them Ralph would not be involved in this. He has more sense. And anyway, he washed his hands of this life a long time ago.” Timone turned around and refilled his glass. “I was sorry to hear about your mom. She was a good woman and your dad loved her very much. It’s about the only thing that turns a man away from a gang.” He swung around and looked at Axel. “Except you. You left of your own accord.”

  “I did.” Axel nodded, not wanting to get into that right now. This was about Tyler and everything else would just sidetrack them. “Do you have any idea what caused Tyler to leave? To steal from the Hell Fire MC?”

  Timone shook his head. “A moment of madness. Those guys are crazy. I don’t know what he was thinking. I don’t know if he had something to prove.”

  “Something to prove?” Jenessa asked.

  “Yeah, we all know what it must have been like growing up in your old man’s shadow. The guys here think he decided to make a name for himself. Something that would eclipse your dad’s.” Timone shrugged. “Does that make sense to you?”

  “No,” Jenessa replied firmly.

  “You don’t think he had anything to prove?” Timone asked.

  “No, I don’t. My dad never spoke to us about what his life was like before.” She gripped her beer bottle tightly. “Of course, that doesn’t mean he didn’t find out from someone else and decide he had something to prove. But there was no sign that’s how he felt.”

  Axel’s heart ached for his mate. She wanted to believe her brother’s actions were not influenced by her father. But Ralph’s past seemed to have followed him anyway. “Perhaps if your dad had talked about it more then Tyler might not have decided to find out for himself.”

  Jenessa turned to him with tears in her eyes. She didn’t accept this version of events. But that didn’t make them false. “Shall we concentrate on facts rather than speculation?”

  “This whole thing is speculation,” he reminded her.

  Her eyes darkened and for a moment he thought she might turn away from him and leave. Instead, she swallowed hard and then nodded. “When we find Tyler, we’ll get to the truth. Until then, you’re right, this is all speculation.”

  “I don’t know how I can help you,” Timone admitted. “Tyler was here for a couple of months, doing odd jobs around the place, and getting to know the guys. He was a good kid.” His mouth curled up on one side. “He wasn’t interested in any trouble, he just liked working on the bikes and riding with us. He was happy to help out around the place, but he never went out on any jobs.”

  Jenessa let out a long breath, her relief was tangible. So there was no proof her little brother did anything wrong. He’d simply been hanging out with the guys. For some people that was all they wanted.

  “Did he have any dealings with the Hell Fire MC?” Axel asked.

  “Not really. We met them a couple of times when we were out and about but overall the two gangs keep to themselves. No one really wants a turf war. Which was the reason we didn’t back Tyler when they accused him of theft. How could we when the boy disappeared? If anything says guilty, it’s disappearing instead of standing up and giving an account of yourself. If he’d been here and they came knocking, if he’d sworn to us that he didn’t know what they were talking about then we would have backed him.” Timone held out his hands. “The boy was gone.”

  “When Tyler was accused, did they say what he stole?” Jenessa had composed herself, the color in her cheeks had faded and her shoulders were released. Axel could certainly see why she was good at business, even when the situation was personal, she could remain cool and calm.

  “No, that was the weird thing. If it was drugs or money, they would have said. I’d have expected them to demand we pay them back since Tyler was connected to us. But there was nothing.” Timone pointed at Jenessa. “Which was a good thing for the boy. Trouble would have doubled if we’d have been pressured to pay out. The guys here wouldn’t have agreed to it and there would have been all-out war.”

  “You don’t think that was what Tyler wanted?” Axel’s question was met with wide-eyed looks from both Jenessa and Timone. “I have to ask. Since Tyler’s dad was part of this gang...” Axel glanced apologetically at Jenessa. “What if Tyler blamed the gang and your dad’s life here for what happened to your mom?”

  Jenessa put her elbows on the bar and rested her head in her hands. “No. Tyler wouldn’t do something like that. He’s not that calculating.”

  “Yet he stole from the Hell Fire MC.” Timone ground his teeth together and shook his head. “It’s a good thing you voiced this to me and not to anyone else. That sort of thinking would stir up a whole mess of trouble.”

  “But you don’t think it’s true?” Axel pushed for an answer. He needed to get inside Tyler’s head. If they were off with their assumption that Tyler had run off with his mate, then they had to explore all possibilities. That included revenge of some kind.

  “Nah, I can’t see it.” Timone shrugged. “I mean I don’t know for sure, but he didn’t seem like that kind of a guy. You must be kind of a sociopath to make friends wi
th people with the intent of betraying them. And I have met enough of those guys in my time to see the signs.”

  Jenessa let out a long breath. “Tyler has never shown any signs of being that vindictive. Honestly, growing up he was a sweet, popular kid, which is why this is so out of character of him.”

  “What about the Hell Fire MC? Anything strange going on with them? I heard one of their members, Hogg I think his name is, went a little wild.” Axel didn’t want to ask outright, he didn’t want Timone to guess the thing Tyler had stolen was possibly a person.

  “Yeah, I heard they had to restrain him. Not sure what happened there. But Hogg has always been a hothead, he lives and breathes that gang. He and his second-in-command.” Timone chuckled. “Now there’s a psycho in the making.”

  “Great.” Jenessa glanced at Axel and drained her beer. “Are they all shifters over there?”

  Timone straightened his back and stared at Jenessa. “They are pure in their nature. Wolves.” He tipped his head. “They run like a pack.”

  “And the guys here?” Axel asked. Those he could sense all seemed to be shifters but that didn’t mean only shifters were allowed.

  “Yeah, it’s part of the deal. We go off-grid some weekends in the summer. There’s a place a couple of hundred miles away that we ride out to. We camp out, howl, or growl at the moon and sleep under the stars. It’s a shifter only thing, no non-shifter partners.” He studied Axel for a moment. “You think that’s a link? Tyler is a bear, there’s no way those guys would accept him over there. Maybe that’s what he had a problem with. Stranger things have happened.”

  “I have no idea what I think,” Axel confessed. “We came here to get a clear picture of Tyler leading up to his disappearance.” He put his arm around Jenessa and hugged her tight. “The family just wants some answers, you know. Good or bad, it’s better than not knowing.”

  “Sure.” Timone’s expression softened. “If there was anything else, I’d tell you.”