Axton Read online

  “Excellent.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Axton spoke about his father the other week and how he’s really sick.”

  “Yes.” Easton spoke slowly, as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed to speak.

  “I was wondering, you know, how I’d go about sending maybe a gift basket or something. I don’t know.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much. Axton has ’round the clock care for the old man. Besides, he’s in the peak of health, Axton just likes to make sure that he’s … safe.”

  “’Round the clock care?”

  “Yes, nurses are there. A couple at a time.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “I really wouldn’t worry about the basket though. He wouldn’t appreciate it. Axton’s dad is a funny old bastard, and he wouldn’t take kindly to any … erm, gifts.”

  “Why not?”

  “He just has an expectation of what he thinks his son should be and who he should be with.”

  “I don’t make the cut.”

  “I better go.”

  Before she could say anything more Easton hung up the phone, leaving her confused. Paul was also not taking her calls. David had told her he had to get back to work. Only she seemed to be with the program right now.

  It worked for her though.

  If Axton’s father was having treatment or something like that, it meant she could get inside his home.

  She released a gasp as someone covered her eyes with his hands. The scent of Axton surrounded her.

  “Surprise,” he said, his voice whispering against her ear.

  “I didn’t know you were due back today.”

  “Don’t act so happy to see me,” he said.

  Spinning around in his arms, she smiled. “You know I’m happy to see you. So damn happy.”

  Throwing her arms around his neck, she moaned as he kissed her back. His hand sinking into her hair made her melt.

  This was the problem she had.

  Her need for him seemed to be growing, and she didn’t want it to.

  Not only did she desire him, something else was happening between them. Staring into his eyes, her stomach twisted, and she nibbled her lip.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I missed you.”

  “Don’t sound sad about that. It’s good that you missed me.”

  “Did you miss me?”

  “Yes. It’s why I came straight here.”

  Without waiting for permission, he lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Entering his office, he went straight to his desk. He put her on top and shoved his computer off the surface.

  She laughed at the mess he was creating.

  “I’ll have to clean all of that up now.”

  “Don’t worry about it, I have a cleaning crew.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.”

  She grabbed his tie and pulled him close, kissing him hard on the lips. He rested his hands on her knees and slid them up underneath, touching her pussy. As he made to pull them off, she lifted up so that they glided down her legs and he was able to throw them across the room.

  “Finally, you save my panties.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be in the habit of doing that.” He winked at her.

  Suddenly, he picked her up and flipped her over so that she was leaning over the desk. He lifted up her skirt, and his hands caressed her ass, spreading the cheeks wide.

  “You have no idea how much this beautiful fucking ass has distracted me. I want it.”

  “I’m all yours, Axton. To do with as you wish.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

  “Oh, baby, it is on.” He pulled out his cock and placed it at her entrance. She moaned as inch by inch he sank in deep. He took his sweet time, making her feel every single pulse as he filled her, stretching her pussy to accommodate him.

  She closed her eyes, thrusting back against him, desperate for more of what he could give her.

  He wrapped her hair around his fist, drawing her head back. His lips kissed her neck, stretching her as his other hand ran down her body.

  He owned every single part of her.

  Axton set her on fire as he started to tease her clit, stroking it just the way she liked, making her whimper, moan, and beg for him to keep on going.

  “I want you to come all over my cock, and then I’m going to take your ass, beautiful.” He rocked inside her, going ever so slowly, torturing her with his thrusts.

  She was already soaking wet, but with the way he teased her, he deepened her arousal, making her slick with sweat as he did.

  Anyone could invade his office, but in that moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was him to give her what she needed and then to fill her ass with his length.

  “I love fucking you, Taylor. I knew it would be like this. Always be like this.”

  In and out, he took her, taking her pleasure to new heights as she begged him for more. There was no stopping him, not that she wanted to.

  “That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

  The moment he ordered the command as a growl against her ear, she couldn’t control it. Her body became his, and she came, screaming his name, shuddering and pulsing as he fucked her.

  He kept on teasing her clit, making her come harder until he released her. He pushed her to the desk so that she was flat against the surface, her tits smashed against the cool wood.

  Axton pulled out of her pussy, and his fingers teased some of her cream back to her ass. She closed her eyes as he stroked over her anus, preparing her.

  When the tip of his cock pressed against her ass, she was so ready for him.

  Slowly, inch by inch, he began to sink inside her, pushing past that tight ring of muscles, taking her to new, dizzying heights. When several inches of his cock were inside her, he gripped her hips, and holding her still, he slammed balls deep within her ass.

  He leaned over her back, his lips grazing her neck.

  “Fuck, you feel so good.”

  She tightened her ass around his dick, and he groaned.

  “You’re so fucking perfect, just as I always knew you would be. All mine. Always.”

  He pulled out of her ass until only the tip remained. She cried out as he sank inside her. The pleasure was far more intense than when he took her pussy.

  This was dirty, hot, and she trusted him that he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Axton ran his hands up and down her body, stroking her as he fucked her ass. She was spread out across his desk like a sacrifice for his pleasure only.

  He reached between her thighs and began to tease her once again. “Every time I sit at this desk, I will remember this, and it’s going to be impossible to work, you know that.”

  She giggled. “You’re going to be so anal.”

  They both chuckled, and then groaned as he started to fuck her just a little bit harder. She pushed back on his cock, taking more of him inside her, needing him in ways she never thought possible. His lips were on her neck, kissing her, devouring her.

  There was nothing of her left.

  Axton owned every single part of her, and it scared her.

  The power he held over her shook her to the core, especially as she denied it. She couldn’t have feelings for him. This was just for some fun. It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious.

  It couldn’t be.

  She had plans.

  Long term wasn’t part of it.

  She couldn’t start thinking about a relationship with him.

  Not now. Not ever.

  As he rode her ass and she came all over his fingers and cock, she knew she was stuck. She couldn’t back down, not now. Not after she had come so far. There was just a small piece she needed to unravel her puzzle, and then she could go back to her little hidey-hole and never come out.

  Axton came, his cock pulsing his cum deep into her ass. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She felt the rapid be
ating of his heart against her back, or it could have been her own.

  “You’re going to be the fucking death of me.”

  She felt tears fill her eyes, and she shut them quickly, hoping he didn’t see.

  In the back of her mind, she saw Carla’s smiling face. The picture she wished she could always have of her, and never let go. Like always, it didn’t stay that way. It morphed into the cold corpse she’d pulled from the lake.

  Turning back now was not the answer.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ten years ago

  “You are perfect to me, and one day I hope more than anything to be able to tell you that to your face. Seeing you calms the beast burning inside me. Never change who you are, Taylor, you are everything.” Taylor finished reading the note and inhaled the single white rose that had been left in her locker.

  She had lost count of the number of roses and letters she’d gotten.

  Carla took the note from her. “You don’t think this is a little creepy?”

  “I don’t know. It’s kind of fun to see them.” She loved them all. Every time she found one she couldn’t help but smile or feel a little sparkle in her life.

  Yes, in a way it was super creepy. She didn’t have a clue who had actually sent them, but on the plus side of things, she loved them. They were not scaring her. If this person was writing letters about wanting to wear her skin or cut out her eyeballs, she’d have a problem.

  They were beautiful notes.

  Sweet.

  Kind.

  Caring.

  It made her believe someone, a mysterious someone, actually liked her in this school.

  “You’ve got that glazed look again,” Carla said.

  Taylor slapped her friend on the arm and laughed.

  Putting the note into her bag, she closed her locker and noticed her friend tense up.

  The kings were walking past them, paying no attention whatsoever to anyone. Of course, people moved out of the way as they passed.

  Carla though, was strange. She kept on staring at them.

  “What’s wrong?” Taylor asked, placing a hand on her friend’s arm.

  “It’s nothing. Must be nice to go everywhere and have people move out of the way, you know.”

  “I don’t know. I think for the most part people are afraid of them. I wouldn’t want that.”

  “You’re not afraid of them?”

  “We’ve already agreed, I’m weird.”

  ****

  Present day

  Taylor parked her car and stared up at the large mansion. The drive into town had taken forever, but now she was here, there was no turning back. She needed to know this. Paul had told her she was mad to do this and begged her not to go. Of course, she ignored him and did what she wanted to do.

  If she didn’t try to find out the truth now, she never would.

  She owed it to Carla for others to know what poison lay at the core of the Four Kings’ Empire. Axton, Easton, Romeo, and Karson knew what had happened before they took over. She had the proof she needed, and all it would take is sending them to the right paper, and boom, done. Their parents would have to answer for the crimes they had committed. She didn’t know what would happen to their sons, to Axton and his friends. They had covered this up by not letting their parents pay. But they shouldn’t have had to live with this either. What kind of monsters had they been living with, even in high school? She couldn’t think about this now.

  Biting her lip, she thought about what she was going to do. This would end everything she had started with Axton. There’s no way he’d trust her. She wouldn’t blame him. After all this, she wasn’t a good person. At any point in the last ten years she could have changed her path, and she hadn’t. There was no turning back now. She didn’t know how she was going to get inside, only that once she did, this would all be over. Axton would know the truth, one way or another that she’d turned up at his home.

  Do you want to be with him?

  She refused to answer that question.

  There’s no way she could bring herself to even think about it. Not right now. Not yet.

  “Just get out of the damn car.”

  Opening the door, she climbed out and made her way to the front door.

  Drawing her hand back, she gave it a knock. She didn’t wear her suit but had opted for jeans and a shirt.

  A nurse opened the door. She knew from bits and pieces of information that nurses took care of his ailing father, that his father wasn’t the best of patients, and she was just going to try and wing it from there.

  “Hi, my name’s Taylor Keane. I’m here to speak with Mr. Farris. I’m Axton’s PA, and he said you needed someone with regards to an incident.” Her heart pounded as she spoke the lie. She hoped that she’d not screwed everything up. She’d come this far, and she didn’t want to turn back. Paul had been able to find funds given to nurses who’d been working for Axton. She didn’t even want to think about why.

  “Oh, shoot, yes, of course. Cathy must have forgotten to leave a message, but that’s okay. We’ve been having a few episodes of late. Come with me.”

  She was being led down a long corridor.

  “Mr. Farris isn’t the easiest of patients, but Axton always makes sure we’re well compensated for our work. Unfortunately, Mr. Farris struck out yesterday, and Angela is missing a tooth. It has just been crazy here.”

  She didn’t catch the woman’s name. There was an almighty bellow from above. The nurse looked nervous.

  “I’ll be back. Please, make yourself at home.”

  Biting her lip, she clasped her hands together and moved quickly. She opened every single door, finding a sitting room, game room, and then one of the last doors was the office. Entering the office, she went straight toward the desk.

  She didn’t like being in this house.

  Her nerves were completely shot, and being caught would take all decision and choice out of her hands.

  With shaking hands, she opened drawers to find them all empty.

  Slamming the last door closed, she quickly started moving around the room, but came up empty-handed. Moving the pictures produced nothing for her.

  The office was a complete bust as it had nothing but musty old books inside.

  By the time she got back to the corridor the nurse who saw her in looked a little frazzled as she came downstairs.

  “While I was here, Axton told me to bring back a file. He mentioned where he kept them located, but I can’t remember where. He figured while I was here I may as well, you know, rather than him stopping by while he’s so busy.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. Everything is in the basement now. I’m sorry. I’ll be back to answer any questions in a moment.”

  The basement.

  Heading into the kitchen, she located where the basement was. It wasn’t exactly hard to guess.

  Again, heart still pounding, she opened the door and made her way downstairs. The basement was huge. It was like it covered the entire length of the house.

  Closing the door, she switched on the light and saw that everything was all neatly stacked up. There were so many filing cabinets that it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  Going toward the first one, she saw a date that was marked over twenty years ago. Moving from one cabinet to another, she found the one marked 2008. Ten years ago. When Carla had died.

  Opening the cabinet, she stared at the files with names. Her hands started to shake as she saw one with Carla’s name on it. Pulling it out, she felt sick to her stomach. Opening the file, she saw pictures of her best friend.

  Closing the file, she shut her eyes feeling pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before. They had a file on Carla.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  She spun around and saw a much older man who she didn’t recognize.

  “I’m so sorry. Axton asked me to come and get some files for him.” She held Carla’s file close to her chest. This man looked really scary.

  �
��Well, little lady, you better run along because we don’t want Axton getting pissed off that he missed his deadline or shit.”

  She held the files in her arms wondering who he was. He seemed familiar. “Are you Axton’s father?”

  The man laughed. “Please, I taught my boy a lot better than that. I’m Easton’s father.” He tilted his head to the side. “I recognize you.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right, I better get these and go. Axton will be waiting.” She wasn’t about to add that Axton knew where she was because that was a total lie, and besides, she didn’t need a babysitter.

  As she was about to pass a long desk, a notepad caught her attention. It was plain white, but it was the symbol of the rose at the top.

  She stopped and lifted it up. The notepaper felt exactly like the one that used to come to her locker every single day.

  “What’s this?” she asked, looking up at the old man, who’d not stopped watching her.

  “That’s our old notebooks. An order went wrong at the stationers. Instead of making a crown with the four kings, they came back with a rose with four thorns. We rather thought it was appropriate.”

  “Were they all the same?”

  “No. Farris always had to have the best to stand out. He kept the roses and thorns. We all made another order and got the crown.”

  Axton was the one to send her those letters all those years ago, but why? He didn’t treat her like he even cared. Why would he do this now?

  “I’d better go.”

  ****

  A couple of hours earlier

  Axton finished up the last of his contract signings before checking through his emails. He wasn’t interested in anything to do with work right now. When he heard some commotion, he got up from his seat and went out to the main floor where Taylor still hadn’t returned, but he saw Paul being held by security.

  “What’s going on here?” Axton asked.

  Easton, Romeo, and Karson came out of their offices.

  “I need to talk to you, but these fuckers wanted ID. I don’t have time for this shit. I don’t want your damn company, Farris. I need to talk to you. It’s important. It’s about Taylor.”