Axton (Four Kings Empire Book 1) Read online

  Right now, she didn’t have time to rummage around, but one day soon, she’d have to get back here to have a look. Closing the door, she turned and heard a noise. Holding her breath, she waited.

  No more sounds came out, and without waiting around, she rushed out of his apartment toward the elevator. The man was waiting, and she refused to look at him as she bent down, putting the heels on.

  A definite fashion statement.

  Heels with sweatpants and a shirt.

  Totally classy.

  The elevator pinged open, and she quickly rushed out of the building. Her face heated at the shame that suddenly swamped her. She felt all of their gazes on her, judging her. She shouldn’t have run out, but she also wasn’t going to stick around.

  Axton’s apartment building wasn’t too far from Paul’s. She didn’t bother with a taxi.

  Walking the twenty minutes to his building, she went into reception and smiled at the woman waiting.

  “Could you call up to Paul Motts for me?” she asked.

  “The name?” the woman asked, not recognizing her. Taylor couldn’t remember the last time she’d come to Paul’s apartment. It had been so long. They either met at her place or for dinner.

  “Taylor Keane.”

  She waited as she put a call through to Paul. He was going to be so pissed that she woke him up, but they were friends, right? They weren’t perfect. Paul would never replace Carla. It’s why she didn’t try to replace her with him.

  She wished it had been different these past ten years. That they didn’t spend so much time losing touch. Each time she saw him, she vowed to stick around, but then something would happen, and months would go by, even years before they saw each other again.

  The woman finished on the phone.

  “You may go up.”

  She thanked the woman and walked toward the elevator. The man didn’t say a word as she stepped onto it, taking her up to Paul’s floor.

  Her friend was waiting for her when she stepped off.

  He raised a brow at her attire. “David would totally have a fit if he saw you.”

  Paul wasn’t wearing a shirt, and he rubbed the back of his head. “Your date went well?”

  “Really, really well.”

  “Need some coffee?”

  “Please.”

  Following him down to his room, she stepped inside.

  He closed and locked the door, and she waited for him to lead the way into the kitchen. She followed behind him as he started to make some coffee. She noticed he liked the cheap stuff for some reason.

  “He ruined my dress,” she said, filling in the silence. “It’s why I’m dressed like this.”

  “I gathered.”

  She didn’t say anything, staring into the cup. Paul sat opposite her, waiting.

  This was her first “morning after.”

  “This is your first time, isn’t it? Where you weren’t being taught what to do or what to say?”

  She nodded. Words failed her right now.

  “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not okay.”

  “What’s wrong, Taylor? Talk to me.”

  “I knew it would be different, but I didn’t think it would be like this. It meant nothing with David.”

  “I still think it was a stupid idea to bring him into it.”

  “I couldn’t go there without being prepared, Paul. You know that.”

  He held his hands up. “You and I both know you didn’t have to do this.”

  The tears she’d been keeping in started to fall. She didn’t know what the hell to do anymore. Everything felt so raw, so open. She didn’t know what to do or what to say.

  “You like him?” Paul asked.

  “David?”

  “Axton.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  He sat down opposite her, cup in his hands, waiting.

  “Yes, I like him.” She nibbled her lip. “You probably think I’m so stupid right now.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid at all, actually. Do you love him?”

  “I don’t know, Paul. I barely know him. All I know is what I’ve been paid to know. What I’ve seen.”

  Paul reached out and placed a hand on top of hers. “You can’t keep doing this. You’ve got to come clean or let it go.”

  “I can’t. I’ve got to know the truth.”

  “I wish I didn’t go and check that damn report.”

  “Aren’t you curious about it? Don’t you think we have a right to know?”

  “Yes, I do, which is why I’m helping you, but I’m scared for you, Taylor. The four kings, they’re deadly. Even I’ve heard rumors.”

  She frowned. “What kind of rumors?”

  Paul withdrew his hand. “I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Before Axton and the others took over, there was talk of underhand practices. How they manipulated and circulated rumors to bring companies down so they could snap them up for cheap prices. There was also talk of possible blackmail as well. Deals with politicians, that kind of thing.”

  “You’re saying this all happened before the takeover bid by Axton, Easton, and whatnot?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about the rumors now? What are they all about?”

  “I don’t want you to go hunting for this, Taylor. I want you to stay out of it.”

  “I can’t. Not yet. Not until I know the truth.”

  “Will that kind of truth really set us both free? I know David’s on your side, and he makes you believe you can do anything. That you’re justified in doing what you think is right.”

  “This isn’t about being justified, Paul. I want the truth.”

  “At what cost?”

  “Justice. For Carla’s parents to know that their daughter wasn’t keeping secrets from them. All of it.”

  “You feel guilty,” he said. “Because you enjoyed your time with Axton.”

  “Don’t do that, Paul. Seriously, don’t do the whole looking deep inside me. I’m really not interested right now or anytime.”

  “You can pretend all you want. It doesn’t change the fact you had fun, and now you feel like you didn’t deserve that fun.”

  “Can I stay here tonight?”

  “You know you can use the spare room.” Paul rubbed at his temple. “I’ve … erm … I’ve got a date tomorrow.”

  “A date?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, congratulations. Who is she?”

  “A lawyer. I’ve known her for a few years.”

  “Wow, congratulations,” she said again. What else could she say?

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t worry, Paul. I won’t be here. I appreciate you letting me use the spare room.”

  She finished her coffee, stood up, and hugged him. “You’re a really good friend.” She turned away about to leave.

  “Be careful, Taylor. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “I know, Paul.”

  ****

  Keeping the baseball cap down, Taylor entered the coffee shop. She was way too tempted to have a look around her, to see if anyone was paying her attention. Instead, she ignored that niggling feeling that someone was watching her. She’d gotten a couple of hours’ sleep in Paul’s spare room and changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt.

  She saw Catherine, dressed in a similar style, in the back booth. Taking a coffee to sit with, she sat opposite the other woman without saying a word.

  “I know you,” Catherine said. “You’re the Kings’ PA.”

  “Taylor Keane.” She held her hand out.

  “This is bullshit. I thought this was a legitimate meeting. Paul said it was.”

  “It is.” When Catherine went to go, Taylor caught her hand. “I honestly just want to talk.”

  “You’re going to go back to your bosses? Tell them that you’ve seen me.”

  “They don’t know I’m here.”

 
“Ah, so are you fucking them yet? Last I heard they didn’t fuck their PA.”

  “I’m not here to talk about that.”

  “I did. Well, I fucked all but Axton. He didn’t do fuck all with me. I guess he believed he was too good for the likes of me. You know, the small folk.”

  Taylor tried not to squirm, but with how roughly Axton had taken her last night, every single part of her felt sensitive. Catherine was too busy looking away and not paying her any real attention to notice.

  “Why did you want to talk to me?”

  “You know why. Paul gave you the relevant details of why I want to talk to you. You can trust me.”

  “I spoke to Paul. You tell me what it is you want.”

  “I want to know what information you’ve got on the four kings.”

  Catherine burst out laughing. “You think I’m going to tell you so you can go back to your bosses. I’ve already lost my job, and I can’t find another one thanks to them blacklisting me.”

  “You were going to blackmail them though. You weren’t exactly an innocent party.”

  “Is this your bartering speech?”

  “You were using them as much as they were using you. The only difference is, you didn’t see it. They won.”

  Catherine chuckled. “I can see why they like you. Don’t hold anything back, do you?”

  “You can get a job. I’ve got a friend who’d be willing to help you.” Paul had told her what to offer before she even came here. She’d told him not to bother that if Catherine wasn’t willing to talk. Then they didn’t have to offer anything. He’d told her what he wanted her to offer and even lost his temper when she tried to refuse.

  “What are the conditions? You see, I’m not new to this, little girl. I know what is expected of me, and I know what is expected of you. So, let’s cut the bull and get straight to it.”

  “You’d have to leave the city. Be willing to start up somewhere new. He’ll help you, but it will mean being quiet for some time and changing your ways. If you don’t agree, you’re on your own.”

  Catherine snorted. “Starting over.”

  “It’s either that or wait for whatever savings you’ve got to dwindle, then homelessness.”

  “And in return?”

  “Tell me what you know about the four kings.”

  “And what makes you think I’ve got anything?” Catherine asked, leaning in close.

  “Because no one in this world goes out of their way to ruin a person’s reputation or career unless they’ve got something to hide. I’ve got no interest in what you’ve done or what they’ve done. I want to know what you had on them. Simple as that.”

  Catherine sat back. “You do surprise me.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  “When I give you this information, what then?”

  “I had a friend … a long time ago. Something happened, and people need to know the truth.”

  “You think the four kings are involved?”

  “I know they are. I just don’t know how much.”

  Catherine laughed. “This is just too good. They’ve hired a PA intent on bringing them down.”

  “I want to know the truth.”

  “And you think I can help you.”

  “You’ve got something, and I want to know what that is. Clearly, it was enough for them to silence you. To make you a laughing stock and so no one would believe any story you tell about them.”

  Catherine folded her arms. “I’m intrigued.”

  “Just tell me what you know. You’ve got nothing to lose and a job to gain.”

  “Ten years ago, the rise of the current four kings was something of a media frenzy. A scandal broke the business world. Nearly brought the empire and all those connected to it down on its knees.”

  “I know all about that. The father was in some unscrupulous deals and manipulating facts, buying off press. That kind of thing.”

  “Yeah, but not a lot of people know it was Axton to bring it all crashing down around his dad.”

  This made her pause. “What?”

  “Axton, Easton, Romeo, and Karson are four points of the crown. The Four Kings’ Empire, the crown. They had access to every single kind of information possible. They leaked it out to the press. To keep them safe and to allow future access the people they dealt with kept their sources quiet.”

  “Okay, so why do you think they’re still dirty?”

  “Because the dads that ran it before Axton and the others, they had a whole dirty way of running the business. They may not be dirty now, but they’re keeping secrets about it. We’re talking cover-ups and at one time even mob hits.”

  This made Taylor laugh. “Now you’re lying.”

  “I’m not lying. For a long time, the four kings ruled everything, and if anyone so much as blinked at them the wrong way, they ended up at the bottom of a river.”

  That last statement made Taylor freeze. Catherine kept talking. In the back of her mind, she flashed to the bonfire, to a time gone by.

  “Wait, what do you mean river?”

  “Look at the Ellie Andrea case.”

  “What?” Taylor asked.

  “Do your research. Ellie Andrea was an escort. Last known customer, Nial Long. They have secrets that cannot stay buried. For the right price, I wanted to get the right information to be made for life.”

  “Easton’s dad. What happened?” She didn’t care what Catherine wanted. Just the facts.

  “She was found dead, face first in a river. Apparent suicide. They reckon she got pregnant. Tried to kill herself.”

  This couldn’t be a coincidence. Pulling out her cell phone, Taylor quickly typed in the name and saved it.

  “If you’re going after the four kings, be careful. I mean that. You won’t come out of this a happy woman.”

  She nodded. “You have absolutely nothing of any worth at all.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Taylor burst out laughing. “I can’t even for a second believe that I thought you had something. I mean, the name of a prostitute that their parents hired doesn’t help me. Pregnant or not, a prostitute sleeps with lots of men and women.” She shook her head.

  “It was enough for them to be worried, so fuck you,” Catherine said.

  Even though none of the information she got was on the current four kings, the name was something for her to look into. She’d never gone back to look at the fathers. She’d done as much research as she could on the current four kings, but that was all. That was her mistake.

  “You were going to sell your body and their secrets. Regardless of what you think, it’s their company. It’s not for someone like you to sell those secrets.”

  Catherine stood. “You think you’re better than me? You’re not. You have your own agenda here. There has been a lot of talk with some of the four kings’ enemies. You see, using my body gets me in on a lot of secrets. Some of those men that the four kings have ruined like to talk. There’s files on a lot of bad deeds, and you can bet the current generation have them in their keeping, just in case a need arises.”

  “How do you know that? Who told you?”

  “Easton likes to talk a lot when you suck him dry. Work his cock and get your answers. That’s what I did.” Catherine grabbed her bag. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  Taylor had no intention of fucking Easton.

  Chapter Ten

  Ten years ago

  “You ever thought about having a baby?” Carla asked.

  Taylor flicked through the catalogue that Carla had. The clothing looked amazing, but there were none in her size. “No, why?”

  “I just … I saw a woman in town today, and it got me thinking about kids.”

  “Aren’t you a little young to be thinking about kids and that kind of stuff?”

  “I don’t know. I’d love to have one or two,” Carla said.

  Taylor paused. “One day I want a family. A massive flock of them. You know, running around my feet. I can bake cookies and be the
perfect mom. One day, maybe. First I’d need a boyfriend.”

  She heard Carla sigh. “Yeah, a boyfriend.”

  Taylor frowned and sat up, moving toward the bed. Carla was rubbing her stomach, looking worried. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Carla said.

  “You keep saying that, but you’re not acting like nothing is wrong. Talk to me, weirdo.”

  Carla chuckled. “Honestly, I’m fine. Just a few … cramps.”

  “I thought you said you started the other day. It’s why you couldn’t come swimming.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Did you see anything at all?”

  “Carla?”

  “I mean it, Taylor. I don’t want to talk about anything, okay? I’m fine. It doesn’t matter.”

  Taylor stared at her friend. Carla had been yelling at her a lot more lately, whenever she tried to pry.

  “You know what, I’m heading home.”

  “Taylor?”

  “No, Carla, I’m sick and tired of this … whatever it is you’re doing. I’m not your punching bag or someone for you to yell at because you’re not happy. I’m out of here.”

  ****

  Present day

  Axton didn’t like that she’d sneaked out of his bedroom or that he didn’t feel her leave. He must have been fucking exhausted not to have stopped her. He was normally a light sleeper, a really light one.

  It was the first time in a long while that he could ever remember falling asleep and sleeping the whole night so soundly.

  She’d not answered any of his calls, and when he stopped by her apartment, she’d not been there either. He knew without a doubt she’d been with Paul, but he’d not gone to Paul. He didn’t want him to know how fucking desperate he was to talk to her.

  By Monday, he sat in his office and waited. He’d arrived at six in the morning, knowing she always came to work early. It was what he’d been planning on.

  There’s no way he’d let her back the fuck out, not now. Not with knowing how good her pussy felt wrapped around his dick, or how hot she looked with the dildo up her ass. She’d looked perfect in every single way to him, so beautiful and ready for anything. He wanted her again. These feelings she inspired within him wouldn’t go away, not that he wanted them to.