Axton Read online

  “You’ve met some of her past boyfriends?”

  “If you call them that. I don’t think she’s ever had a steady boyfriend. Some of the men I’ve met were passing interests.”

  Sitting back, he signaled to the waiter. “I’ll have a coffee, black please, and a bagel.”

  “They don’t do bagels here,” Paul said.

  “They do for me.”

  “Unbelievable. Now I’ve got to sit through lunch with you now as well.”

  “You don’t have to sound like that. Some people consider me rather excellent company.”

  “I’m not most people.”

  “I know, which is why I have no problems eating with you.”

  Silence fell between the two.

  Something was going on. Axton didn’t know what, but he sensed something. A change in the air maybe. He couldn’t be sure exactly what it was, but he didn’t know if he wanted to hire Taylor or not.

  “Are you going to give her a chance?” Paul checked the time, looking bored.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Well, it’s your loss. I’ve heard what people have been saying about her, and it’s a lot of good stuff.”

  “How close are you two exactly?” he asked.

  “Close enough to be having drinks with her later and for her to tell me all about her interview.” Paul watched him. “You’ve got that look that says you don’t believe me.”

  “I don’t know. I just think it’s strange that Taylor wants to work for me. Don’t you find that curious?”

  “Why would I find that curious? Last I heard neither of you really knew each other. It’s your company she’s interested in, and the knowledge you can give her. Nothing more.”

  The waiter brought over his coffee and bagel. Cream cheese and ham, exactly how he liked it.

  What Paul said was very true. He and Taylor didn’t have anything in common. They’d rarely spoken in high school. A few of their classes were the same, but that was about it. They were from different backgrounds, different circles, and nothing he could think of would give him cause to believe Taylor was after anything different.

  The only problem was he remembered Carla.

  He knew his involvement, along with that of his friends.

  Keeping her far away from the Four Kings’ Empire was important, but now he couldn’t let her go, not until he knew for sure if she was innocent or not.

  His curiosity was piqued.

  ****

  “Will you chill out?” Taylor asked.

  “Chill out? I was having fucking lunch and then he was right there in front of me, Tay. Forgive me for not being okay with that. And you’re not twelve anymore. ‘Chill out’ is so outdated.”

  She rolled her eyes and watched her friend pace the length of her apartment. It was a nice place, not as big as his, but then they weren’t all rich billionaires. She’d made enough money to afford a few luxuries in life, not that it mattered. Her goal had all been the same.

  She was one step closer to achieving it. All she needed was that phone call to let her know she had the job, and she’d be another step closer.

  Justice was so close she could almost taste it.

  Patience.

  For the last ten years she’d shown great patience.

  She was still showing it.

  “I think you’re overreacting. You’ve said many times before that he comes to that restaurant. You’re the one that visits the same place over and over again. He knew you’d be there.”

  “He’s curious about you,” Paul said.

  “This is what she needs,” David said, finally speaking up.

  David was an escort she’d found many years ago. He was one of the few people she trusted.

  It had taken some time, but she’d finally been able to think of Carla without bursting into tears. That had been an achievement for her. Time really did help heal, even if she still had the nightmares.

  Still, it took a lot to get over dragging your dead friend out of a lake.

  “Needs? Do you have any idea how powerful those men are?” Paul asked. “If they find out, they could kill her.”

  “They won’t find out,” Taylor said.

  “How do you know this? You can’t stop them from discovering everything about you. He’s curious.”

  “Axton?”

  “Yes. And believe me out of all of them, he’s the one you don’t want to be curious about you. He’s the deadliest son of a bitch, and everyone knows it. You’re putting your life in danger here.”

  “He’ll never know. Not until it’s too late,” Taylor said. “You think I’m going to do everything I’ve done, all that I’ve trained for, to stop now. I don’t care if he finds out the truth because I’m going to be the one to do the same. He can come after me. What will he find? My friendship with you? Newsflash, Paul. We’ve always been friends. You think he’s going to find out about David. Why not? Hey, a girl has needs, and he’s an escort. What’s the big deal? Women use them all the time. As far as my life is concerned, I’m a healthy, single, free, career-driven woman. I’ve got nothing to hide.” She’d made sure of it as well.

  She’d not entered into this plan to fail.

  She didn’t believe in failure. She wasn’t going to start now.

  “Taylor’s right,” David said. “She’s been careful. There’s no paper trail. It’s just us talking. The only way they’ll ever know what she’s doing is if one of us talks about it. I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

  “What about you, Paul? You want to go and tell him?” she asked, staring at her friend. Folding her arms beneath her breasts, she waited.

  “She wouldn’t want you to do this,” he said, his voice a whisper.

  “Carla.”

  He flinched.

  “I’m doing this to find out the truth.”

  “We know the truth. She killed herself.”

  “No, that’s the lies. You saw the evidence.”

  “We didn’t really see anything. Her diary is not evidence.”

  “One of the four kings knocked her up. She then magically killed herself and the guy who handles cause of death had a lovely lump sum, which was handled by the Four Kings’ Empire.”

  “They didn’t run it then,” Paul said.

  “Their parents did, but I know Carla. She wouldn’t have gone sleeping with one of their dads. She was talking about one of them in high school. I know it. I know the parents got overthrown. I don’t care if you want me to back down, Paul. I get it. It’s dangerous, but there have been times over the past ten years that only the plan and finding out the truth has kept me going. That’s what has helped me every single day. You think I don’t find it hard? You think even now I don’t wonder about her? Remember what it was like when we had a sleepover and she’d be there, smiling. Something happened to her, Paul. I don’t care what you think, but I’m going to find out the truth and you’re not going to fucking stop me, no matter what.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said. “Carla wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, and neither do I.”

  She was sure his love for Carla was still as strong as ever. “I’m going to be careful. I won’t do anything stupid.”

  She walked up to him, and he held her close.

  “I just can’t even begin to think about anything happening to you.”

  “I’m going to be okay. You know that, right?”

  “I know. I know that nothing I say is going to stop you either.” He kissed her head. “I better go.”

  She walked him to her front door and saw him out. Closing it behind her, she leaned against it, blowing out a breath.

  “He could be a problem.”

  “He won’t be,” she said.

  “Be careful with this, Taylor. He’s a weak link.”

  “Not you, too.” She moved past him, heading straight to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she pulled out the bottle of wine she’d started the night before. “You want one?”

  “Can I share your be
d?”

  “You can, but not to fuck.”

  “And here I thought we were making progress,” he said.

  “I know that we’re never going to be anything more than friends, David. You know I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me.”

  He’d taught her everything she knew.

  “You do realize that you’re still at risk here? No matter what you say to Paul.”

  She poured them both a large glass of wine. Handing one to him, she took a sip of her own.

  “I know. Paul will worry if I don’t try and make it better. You know. He’s always been like that. He’s not liked what I’ve got to do for some time.”

  “And you said he loved Carla?”

  “With the way he talks about her and the fact he won’t move on, he still does,” she said.

  “You’ve done a lot to get to where you are now.”

  “I know. It has been a long road.” Staring down into her glass, she recalled their first lesson.

  David had entered her life because she needed someone to teach her everything from seduction to sex. He’d been her teacher in everything, from how to use her body to being confident in herself, and they’d had sex many times.

  She still felt uncomfortable about that last part.

  He’d taught her everything, showed her it all, and she’d done it time and time again.

  “There is a risk as well that you could fall in love,” David said.

  This did make her smile. “Okay.”

  “I’m being serious here.”

  “I remember the lesson clearly, David. You told me straight men and women are wired differently. How some of the women who work for you struggle to see that they’re being used, even after all the years of knowing the lines and stuff. I get it. You still haven’t fallen in love?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  She touched her heart. “Ouch.”

  David had told her to not fall for him. That he wouldn’t love her. He loved his company, and that was how it would always be.

  Taylor wasn’t even brokenhearted about that. They were friends and would always be. They weren’t even attracted to each other.

  All they had done was get each other off, and David had showed her the moves she’d need in order to accomplish her plan.

  She had to get one of the men, if not all of them, on her team.

  Up until today, she’d never even experienced physical attraction. Watching Axton, seeing him behind his desk, and knowing what he was capable of, she’d been shocked by her body’s response to him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Going and seeing four men you intend to bring down is not nothing.”

  She pushed some hair out of her face. “I … I think I was attracted to him.”

  “To Axton?”

  She nodded.

  “Makes sense. I’ve seen pictures. He’s a damn good-looking man.”

  “I don’t want to be.”

  “Honey, be thankful that you are,” David said. “You can stop now though. No one is holding this to you. You don’t have to continue.”

  Carla’s dead face flashed before her. “I can’t not do this. She died alone, David. I’ve done so much.” She closed her eyes, feeling the tears starting to form.

  I’m not going to cry.

  I’m not going to cry.

  “After everything that I’ve done so far to get us here, I’m not … I can’t stop. Not now. Not until I know I’ve done everything I can.”

  “This is going to be tough,” he said. “You know that. When you start this, you’re going to have to handle that attraction I’ve spoken about. The risks that this will push you in deep. You’ve got to be ready for that.” He reached out, stroking a finger down her hand. “You need to be ready to accept his touch, his attention.” David got up and moved behind her. His hands were on her hips as he pressed himself against her. He wasn’t hard right now. He’d done this many times though, with arousal. She still found it hard to deal with. “You’re going to need to see it through because if you don’t, he’ll know. With me, you tell me to stop, I back off. You’ve got to learn to be all in.”

  She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

  Her cell phone rang, and she frowned. She walked toward her bag and saw a blank number. Accepting the call, she placed it against her ear.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Miss Keane, I hope you don’t mind me calling this late.”

  “Mr. Farris,” she said. “Of course not.”

  “That him?” David mouthed the words without making a sound. She nodded her head.

  “I’ve been thinking long and hard, and yes, you’ve got the job. You start on Monday.”

  She smiled, rather happy with herself. “That is fantastic news. I’ll be there on Monday.”

  “Let’s be clear here, you’ll be working for all four of us, me, Easton, Romeo, and Karson. The work is intense, and we demand excellence at every point. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Perfectly.”

  “Then, we’re more than happy to have you with us. I look forward to working with you.”

  Snapping the phone closed, she smiled at David, who looked worried.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Be careful there, honey, be careful.”

  Chapter Five

  Monday morning

  Axton sat at his desk, going through his latest mails, waiting, hoping that he’d have everything in order by the time Taylor arrived. She’d been down in HR, getting her details together, and he tried to pretend that he didn’t care. The truth was he cared a hell of a lot. Easton, Karson, and Romeo were all curious about her.

  He didn’t like it.

  Finishing up his last email of the day, he walked toward the doorway of his office just as the elevator doors opened up. Taylor stepped out. Once again, she wore a figure-hugging skirt, crisp white shirt, and a black suit shirt. She looked fantastic. The shoes with the thin straps set off her look to perfection.

  His cock twitched inside his pants.

  Ignoring his own desires, he walked over to her.

  “Have you done everything?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’m now an employee of Four Kings’ Empire. How amazing is that?” She showed him her badge, complete with a picture along with her name and details.

  All of his employees had them.

  Identification was something he took seriously. Without it, no one was getting into his building. Simple as that.

  His father had gotten sloppy with it.

  He wouldn’t.

  “You’re happy.”

  “Of course I’m happy. What’s there to be sad about? I can’t wait to delve right in. To learn.”

  He waited to see if something slipped. Her smile was as bright as he remembered it, even with the dimples in her cheeks.

  “Would you care for a tour?”

  “I’d love one. Louise, the HR woman, she said she’d gladly give me a tour. I know your time is precious. Making money, keeping people in jobs.”

  “I don’t have a problem. It has been a long time since we’ve seen each other.”

  She tilted her head to the side. Some of her hair had fallen over her cheek. “So it has. Not that we were ever the kind of people to talk and get to know each other, Mr. Farris.”

  “Axton.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  “I am, Taylor.”

  “Long time no see,” Romeo said, walking up to them. “Taylor Keane.”

  He took her hand, pressing a kiss to the knuckles.

  Axton didn’t like the urge to beat the shit out of him for touching her. Taylor wasn’t his to touch.

  “Romeo Delacorte, the charmer,” she said.

  He used the charm to get what he wanted. Most women fell for it. It had also been a game among the four of them to see how long a woman would last without falling for him. Axton didn’t like this.

  “I’m taking her on a tour.” />
  “Wow, getting the boss himself to leave his desk.”

  “From what I heard you’re all the bosses. The Four Kings’ Empire. You turned this place into a fortress.”

  “Not us, Axton did. He’s got a keen eye on everything. Be warned.”

  Her gaze moved back to his. “Don’t worry, I am armed and ready.”

  “We better go. We’ve still got a lot of work to get through,” he said.

  “Nice to see you again, Romeo,” she said.

  Axton took hold of her arm and led her back toward the elevator. She didn’t pull away from his touch. Pressing her against the back of the elevator, he clicked the button to take them down to the ground floor.

  “I’ve just come from the ground floor, Axton.”

  “Yeah, well to succeed in life, you start from the ground and work your way up.”

  “Did you start at the bottom when your dad ran the company?”

  He watched her in the reflection of the metal doors. Her head was once against tilted to the side, and she was watching him.

  Old memories flashed quickly in his mind of other times. Ignoring them all, he focused on the challenge at hand. He’d agreed for her to work for him, under him, and that was how it would stay.

  “Yes.”

  “Really?”

  “I delivered the mail for all of his workers.” He’d been ten years old, and his father had made sure that everyone knew not to give him an easy time. All of his life nothing had ever been easy. He didn’t resent his father for that.

  He fucking thanked him.

  The hard lessons he got as a child were why he was so successful now.

  Coming to a stop, he kept on staring at her, not wanting to look away. Ten years it had been since he talked to her in her car.

  So much had happened between then and now.

  It seemed almost surreal to him to be talking to her now. He wanted to know everything that she’d been through. To understand why she’d not found a man, settled down. She’d always struck him as the kind of woman that would love a family, to be a wife, to love her kids. The kind of mother he used to see in those programs growing up as a kid, baking cookies.