Axton Read online

  He didn’t let her go.

  He followed her down to the bed, his body wrapped around hers, making her ache for him to be inside her.

  His lips took possession of her own, and she cupped his face, kissing him right back.

  He leaned up, reached between them, and his cock pressed to her core.

  She moaned his name as in one smooth thrust, he filled her to the hilt.

  Axton didn’t have a small cock, so she felt every single inch as it filled her, taking her to a new wave of pleasure.

  She wrapped her arms around his back, scoring the flesh with her nails. He grabbed her hands and pinned them either side of her head. He was the one in control. Not her.

  Slowly, he pulled out of her, only to slide back in.

  He took his time making love to her. This wasn’t a cold, hard fucking, but something more. Something deeper. Something with meaning.

  It terrified and delighted her all at the same time.

  Axton kissed her hard as he made love to her. Every inch of her body belonged to him and what he could do.

  Suddenly, he pulled out and moved between her thighs. He lifted her up, his hands beneath her ass, and she cried out as he licked her pussy, circling her bud before moving down to plunge his tongue inside.

  The pleasure was intense, and she didn’t want him to stop.

  “Please, please,” she said, moaning his name.

  He gave her exactly what she wanted.

  The orgasm started to build, and she begged for him to push her over the edge, to let her come.

  When he did, it was like she was floating.

  Axton didn’t give her a chance to come down from that high. He slid deep inside her, his arms around her, filling her.

  This wasn’t fucking.

  Axton Farris was making love to her. He was becoming her first, and she relished it.

  He drove inside her, taking his time, kissing her.

  She’d never had this. It was all new to her, and she was somewhat startled by just how good this felt, how ready she was for his cock.

  How desperate she was for more.

  He shattered her soul as he showed her something beautiful.

  This didn’t have room for revenge or justice.

  For the first time since entering his life, she was finally getting the real Axton. The real man that he hid from the entire world. No one got to see him like this. But right now, he was the only person in her life.

  “I think you’re the most beautiful woman, Taylor Keane.”

  He spoke the words just as he moaned, filling her once again with his cum. They were not lines to get what he wanted but something more.

  Axton was trying to tell her something, but as the pleasure filled her, she couldn’t think what it could be.

  ****

  “We should have taken a bath before we … erm…”

  “Made love?” Axton asked, finishing her sentence.

  She giggled. “Yes.”

  “Well, I didn’t want to wait and ruin the moment. Waiting around for everything can ruin a lot of shit. I have no interest in doing that. I’ve already wasted enough.” His fingers traced down her shoulder, and she leaned back so that she could look up at him.

  “What have you lost?”

  “Nothing to concern yourself with.”

  “You’re always mysterious.” She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes.

  There were no words, nothing that could help her in this situation.

  David hadn’t prepared her for this.

  Being made love to.

  It was … so new. Her body felt open, exposed, ready for more.

  She wasn’t there to bring him down, and her plan seemed to be falling all around her. Nothing felt right or normal.

  “It’ll keep you interested.”

  She giggled. “You make yourself sound like a book. Believe me, I don’t see me getting bored any time soon. That was a lot of fun, and I have no intention of letting you get away from me.” She knelt up in the bath, spun around, and straddled his legs. “I see there are a lot of benefits to having a tub this large.”

  “So many benefits.”

  She kissed his lips, running her hand down his chest, cupping his cock. He was flaccid, but with a few touches, he was soon rock-hard. His hands caressed her back, one sinking into her hair, the other cupping her ass.

  Just as she was about to lift up and take him inside her, his cell phone rang.

  Taylor groaned. He’d brought it into the bathroom with him.

  “I’ve got to take it.”

  “I know.” She reached over him, her tits smashing against his face as he handed him his phone. “Here you go.”

  “Farris,” he said.

  One of his hands still cupped her ass, and she watched as the playful smile left his lips.

  “That’s not fucking acceptable. No. We’ll talk tonight. You get him there, and I’ll be in the office within twenty minutes.” He snapped his cell phone shut.

  “Do I need to get dressed to go to work?”

  He shook his head. “I can deal with this.” He kissed her neck. “I’ve got to head in though. Just a few problems.”

  “You don’t need your PA?”

  “Nah, I want you to stay here. Keep the bed warm. Order takeout.”

  “You know I was in the gym earlier today.”

  “Or cook yourself something. Just relax. I’ll be back.” He climbed out of the tub, and she leaned back, watching him.

  Closing her eyes, she listened to him getting dressed. His cell phone went off once again. He was always working, which was never usually a problem. Now though, she felt a little jealous at just how quickly he could leave.

  When she heard him enter the bathroom, she smiled up at him. He cupped her neck, kissing her lips.

  “I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  He left the room, and she listened for his main front door.

  She was once again alone.

  Alone in Axton’s apartment.

  He’d made love to her.

  Biting her lip, she tried not to think about what she should be doing.

  The stuff she should be searching for.

  Running her hands back and forth within the water, she tried to think of something else, anything else that could make sense, but she couldn’t do it. His office was right down the hall.

  Axton wasn’t here, and she needed answers.

  “Sex makes you blind. Feelings make you foolish. No matter what, you cannot combine the two.”

  Getting to her feet, she wrapped her body in a robe and her hair in a towel, giving it a good rub to dry it. Once it was dried, she dumped the towel to one side. She stepped inside his room.

  The scent of him surrounded her, and she felt the instant hit of guilt.

  Pushing past that, she walked through his apartment, checking to make sure this wasn’t one of his many tests.

  The apartment was completely empty.

  She walked down the carpeted floor to his office.

  Licking her dry lips, she took a deep breath.

  “You can do this.”

  Pushing some hair off her face, she counted to ten and opened his door.

  Sliding inside, she quickly closed it behind her.

  His office seemed like such a personal space.

  Her heart pounded at what she could possibly find.

  She walked up to his desk and checked each of the drawers. All of them were locked. There had to be a key of some kind. Checking beneath the desk, she found the small hideout and took the key. Sliding it into the lock, she twisted and the desk drawers opened.

  She saw several files and quickly glanced through them.

  There were pictures of each of the board members but also of his friends. Karson was there, Romeo, and Easton, flicking them open, she quickly glanced over the information.

  Easton was described as a weakness.

  She closed the files. They were not what she w
as looking for. Rummaging around in his desk, she found nothing.

  Locking it up, she put the key away, and glanced around the office.

  “A safe.”

  She checked everything and then thought about safes.

  Checking the pictures, she found one that didn’t move in a slide action. Pulling it open, she saw the safe hidden behind. There was a combination, and she cursed.

  “Fuck!”

  With hands on her hips, she tried to think of all combinations it could be.

  She started with Axton’s birthday.

  Nope.

  Easton’s birthday.

  The day the scandal broke out.

  The bonfire’s date.

  Nothing.

  A combination of numbers.

  Time was passing and she didn’t know what the hell to do, and so as one last stupid effort, she put in her birthday numbers.

  The click of the lock surprised the fuck out of her.

  Axton had used her birthday as a code.

  How?

  Why?

  How long?

  She stood staring at his safe, wondering what the hell was going on.

  Why would he use her birthday?

  She didn’t think for a second that it would … do anything.

  “You’re here now. You can’t back down.” Opening the door wider, she saw several thick files. Reaching inside, she read the name on the edge. It was Nial Long, Easton’s father. Flicking it open, she saw several pictures. Moving the file to the table, she read several reports of missing women. Last known whereabouts and who was paid off.

  Her hand shook as she found his copy machine.

  It was a risk to do this, but she needed these files herself. There was no way she was going to be able to expose all of their hidden secrets without proof.

  She moved onto the next file, and it was like reading a damn soap drama. Tales of extortion, rape, cover-ups, the lot was hidden within these files, and she had somehow been able to get access to them. It was fucking insane. There’s no easy way to do this.

  One by one, she copied the files that had the most relevance to her. The stuff that wouldn’t be brushed aside, waiting for proof. The moment she was done, which wasn’t enough time, she wasn’t willing to risk her life another second.

  Closing up his safe, putting the picture back in one place, she turned toward the door, and rushed out. She took one last look around the office and saw nothing out of place.

  With all the documents in her hands, she rushed back to where he’d dumped her bag.

  Opening it up, she found the small secret compartment in the bottom. Her bag wasn’t small, as she liked to carry a change of clothes just in case, along with her lunchbox and other items. It wasn’t a fancy bag, and now it came in handy. Lifting it up, she quickly placed the neatly copied pages into the bottom and put her bag together.

  She didn’t know why Axton kept these files like this. Maybe he was worried that anyone could hack into a computer system and steal them. Hard copies were normally harder to find, even if they were easy to steal once someone found them. He was normally so careful. Guilt hit her at abusing the trust he’d given to her. He’d left her here alone, trusting her with his stuff.

  Biting her lip, she was tempted to put them back.

  No!

  She was doing this, even if she didn’t like the sick feeling in her gut. Whatever reason Axton had, that wasn’t on her. That was on him and his friends.

  With her cell phone in hand, she dialed Paul’s number.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Shit, I woke you up.”

  “Taylor, it’s, like, two in the morning. What the hell?”

  That meeting must have run on a lot longer than Axton thought.

  “I got them,” she said, licking her dry lips.

  “You got what?”

  “The files. I have them. I have copies.”

  She heard him moving around, doing something.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I need you to do one more thing for me, okay?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “There was a woman or a girl at the time mentioned in one of the files. Will you find her? Find out what happened to her. I’d love to talk to her, if that’s at all possible.”

  “Sure.”

  She gave him the details.

  “That’s it now?” Paul asked. “You’re done. You’re quitting.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Taylor…”

  “I didn’t find anything on her,” she said.

  “Maybe he doesn’t have it.”

  “Or maybe it’s back in King’s Ridge.”

  “No, Taylor. You got what you came here for. Evidence about the Four Kings’ Empire. Isn’t that what you wanted? Who cares that it isn’t about Axton, Easton, and the others? This is about the empire, not about them.”

  “This isn’t about that. I need to know the truth.”

  “Dammit, Taylor. If what you’re saying is fucking true, you do realize that this will put you at risk? That there’s a chance they’ll come after you?”

  “Don’t you want to know the truth? To find out what happened?”

  “Of course I do. I don’t really have much choice in the matter. You’ve been on this mission for as long as I can fucking remember.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She’d been on this mission since she read Carla’s diary.

  “I need to know the truth.”

  “Some things are best left in the past.”

  “I’ve got to go.” She hung up.

  Yes, she had enough to create a scandal, but the evidence in these files was all about the previous four kings, not about Axton or the current controllers of the Four Kings’ Empire. She didn’t know what to do. She was so torn right now. Carla’s death was no accident. She was convinced of it. But what if they didn’t have anything to do with it? Was Carla really pregnant? Did one of their fathers knock up Carla? The information she had proved Nial Long’s involvement in cover-ups. If she brought this out now, Axton would know it was her.

  The problem?

  She needed to know the truth before she did that.

  This wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ten years ago

  “Would you walk over broken glass to help me?” Carla asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What about a steaming pit of molten lava?”

  Taylor thought about it. “Do I have superpowers?”

  “No, you’re a human.”

  “Then no, your ass is doomed.”

  Carla burst out laughing.

  “Wait, why would you be near molten lava?”

  “I was put there by an alien.”

  This made Taylor laugh. “Then I totally get superpowers and save you from those pesky alien creatures.”

  “I’m bored.”

  “Then find something else to read,” Taylor said.

  “When did Paul say he was coming again?”

  “How should I know? It’s you he loves.” Taylor placed a hand to her forehead. “Oh, Carla, I love you so much.”

  “Stop it.”

  “I just want to be around you and kiss you.” She spoke in a very high-pitched tone, even though Paul had a deep voice.

  “You’re so bad.”

  “He totally has the hots for you.”

  “Yeah, well, I think he’s sweet, but I don’t see him like that.”

  “Why not? He’s sweet, and he totally adores you. I’d say those are two pretty good things in his favor.”

  “There’s no competition. He’s a good friend, and being boyfriend and girlfriend blurs that line.”

  Taylor snorted.

  “I’m serious. Have you seen the way the four kings treat—”

  “Not the four kings again. Please, Carla, your obsession with them is so weird. They’re guys that think they own everyone.”

  “They do own everyone.”

  Taylor rolled he
r eyes. “Not me they don’t, or you.”

  “I’d like for them to own me.” Carla sounded all dreamy.

  “Ew, you have a crush on one of them.”

  “I do not. Besides, they’d never look in my direction anyway. I’m the town loser.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re awesome.”

  “Ah, I love you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, get back to reading, weirdo.”

  Taylor flicked through the book she was reading.

  “I think Axton is kind of cute.”

  Taylor wrinkled her nose. “Get over it.”

  “What about Karson? Or Easton?”

  “Carla, I’m not interested in them. Please, let’s just wait for Paul to get here and no more weird questions.”

  Silence fell between them, but like all things with Carla, it didn’t last.

  “Would you ever avenge my death?” Carla asked.

  Taylor frowned. They were out at the lake, and she lay on the ground staring up at the sky. It was so bright and blue and clear. She was sucking on a lollipop, trying not to think of all the spiders and bugs crawling in her hair.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “I heard you. I was just wondering what’s with the morbid question.” She turned to look at her friend. Carla was rolled onto her side, head resting on her hand. “Why would you want to know if I’d avenge your death?”

  “You’re like a sister to me. We’re so close, and I was listening to this book on the radio—I can’t even remember what it was called but it spoke about justice and revenge. If anything was to happen to you and I was to lose you because someone took you away from me. I’d do anything I could to find out the truth.”

  “You know this is all a little weird right now,” Taylor said. She didn’t even know why Carla was asking it.

  “Would you? Come on. This is just like me asking you if you’d sleep with my husband or take in my kids if I died.”

  “Let’s not forget the time you asked me to tell you if you’re getting too fat, if you had a giant spot on your face. If I’d help you get a job or if I’d tell your mom you were with me when you weren’t.”

  “See, I ask weird things all the time.”

  “That last one wasn’t weird. Where were you?”

  Carla rolled her eyes. “Nowhere. I told you. I just needed some alone time.”

  “Is this when you were listening to a weird book?”