Bella Jewel - Angels In Leather

I flush, and press my arm over my chest, hiding the fact that my nipples went from hard to so stiff they ache. A grin appears on his devastating face, and I want nothing more than to go over and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him until we both can’t breathe. But Axel doesn’t just kiss. He doesn’t peck. He doesn’t hug. He fucks, and he fucks good, but that’s where the connection lies. There is no affection.

My heart aches at that realization.

“Get outta there, and come and eat with me. We gotta talk, Cricket.”

I feel my body tense, just slightly. Something is lying in his gaze, something like...sadness? No, Axel Wraithe doesn’t get sad, so what could it be? Has something happened? Did they catch Beast? Am I able to go home? Do I even want to go home? My heart, which was before only filling my body with a dull ache, is now thudding.

I don’t know if I can walk away.

“O-o-okay,” I whisper.

His eyes search my face before he turns and walks out, leaving me standing there, confused. I quickly get out of the shower and dry myself, before throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank.

Then I walk out into his room. Axel is sitting at the office desk in the corner, and when I walk in, he looks up at me. He’s got two sandwiches, and he slides one toward me. I take a seat next to him, and stare down at the food with no interest.

“So,” he begins, his voice not giving away any emotion, “you know I got shit to deal with, and I can’t keep my club on lockdown. I need to get out, and I need to finish this with Beast. I can’t have you here while that shit goes down. It’s club business, and it ain’t safe for you here. I can’t just let you go home, either, because you’re in too much danger. Until I’ve sorted this, I’m sending you to stay with a very good friend of mine.”

“What?” I say meekly, shaking my head. “I don’t want to go and stay with someone I don’t know, Axel.”

His expression hardens just slightly, enough to push his authority. “You’re not getting a choice, Cricket.”

I skid my chair back, still shaking my head. “You can’t choose how I live my life, Axel. I don’t even have to be here. If you’re done with me, then just send me home, but I’m not going to stay with someone I don’t know. I do get a choice, because it’s MY life. So if we’re finished whatever the fuck it is we’re doing here, I’ll be on my way.”

Axel is out of his chair before I can take one step toward the door. His fingers curl around my arm, and he spins me around. I stop, nearly nose to nose with him, and his eyes are telling me he’s not happy with me deciding how this is going to go. Well, fuck him, he can’t choose what I do with my life. If he wants to chase that no-good son-of-a-bitch across the countryside, that’s up to him.

“Whatever the fuck we’re doin’ here,” he breathes, “ain’t done yet. And you’ll do as you’re told, because you’re the one who made a choice to run with information that was never for you.”

“To be clear, Axel, it was never for you, either. It was for Raide, and because of you I never got to get it to...”

“Raide is dead, Cricket,” Axel snarls, cutting me off. “There is no Raide.”

“What?” I squeak, perplexed.

“He’s dead. Beast killed him. I’m the best option you have right now, because while that man is alive, you’re not safe. If you’re goin’ to run again, and give me hell, then give me some warning, yeah? So I can make sure to give Lady Matilda a good set of chains.”

“I hate you,” I whisper, in a pained, broken voice.

“No darlin’,” he murmurs, taking the back of my head in his large hand, and pulling me close. “You just hate that you can’t walk away.”

“You’re wrong,” I breathe. “I could walk away. You’re just not giving me the chance.”

His body flinches at my words, and he lets me go, stepping back. His stony expression returns, and he crosses his arms. “No, you’re right, I’m not. I won’t have your death on my hands. I don’t need any more shit in my life. So you’re goin’, whether you like it or not. We clear?”

“Crystal,” I spit.

“Good. Pack your things, we leave in an hour.”

With that, he turns and walks out of the room. And I push the burning sensation forming under my eyelids back.

If this is what he wants...so be it.

The ride to this “Lady Matilda’s” house is long, and draining. I sit on the back of Axel’s bike, leaning up against the backrest and trying to take my mind off the fact that all this has gone downhill so quickly. One minute I’m beginning to feel like Axel and I are connecting, the next he’s got me on the back of his bike, riding to the house of a woman I don’t even know.

I was worried about safety, being that the club was on lockdown, but Cobra and Jax had managed to secure Beast’s location before we went so we slipped away. It’s now late afternoon, and the sun is dropping down over the horizon. We’ve been on the road for two hours, and my backside is numb from the lack of movement. Axel hasn’t stopped, and something about his rigid position tells me he’s not going to.

So I suck it up.

We ride for another half an hour before he finally turns down and old, well-worn driveway. We ride through thick trees, until we come into a clearing, with a large, wooden, two-story home sitting right in the middle. It’s a faded white, with blue shutters, and a balcony running the entire length of the bottom. Out front is an old car, and a motorbike. Great. Is Lady Matilda someone’s Old Lady?

Axel comes to a stop outside the large home, and I slide off the bike, groaning at the sudden rush of blood to my ass. I unbuckle my helmet, and put it on the back of the bike before taking my backpack, and slinging it over my shoulder. I stare at Axel as he looks up at the old house as if he’s not seen it in a long time. Maybe this is his aunt? Or mother? I don’t know.

“Come on,” he says, walking toward the front steps without turning back to me.

I follow him with a grumble, and when we reach the front door, it swings open, revealing...oh...my...God. My mouth drops open, but I quickly close it, not wanting to seem rude. There in front of me...is the biggest...maybe even the prettiest...drag queen I’ve ever seen.

Lady Matilda is a drag queen.

Of course she is...or he...?

“Axel, sugar, well look at you,” Lady Matilda purrs, placing her hands on Axel’s cheeks, and looking at him with a soft expression.

“It’s been a long time, Lady.” He smiles.

“Too long, honeypot, too long. God, I’ve missed you. Come inside, tell me how you’ve been.”

Axel turns to me, and I step out from beside him and stare up at Lady Matilda. She’s tall, with thick yet elegant legs and a long, lean body. She has this golden hair that sits around her shoulders so perfectly I ponder for a moment how she does it. Her clothes are elegant and defined, and they make her look so...womanly. She’s wearing what could likely be the nicest pair of flats I’ve ever seen, and her toenails are so perfectly manicured I’m in awe. Her make up is utterly amazing, like she’s had it done professionally, only I have no doubt she did it herself.

“Well, I’ll say,” she breathes. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”

Axel stares at me for a long moment before turning back to her. “Yeah, she is. Can we come in?”

“Of course you can, sugar.” She smiles, and then stretches her hand out to me. “I’m Lady Matilda, but you can call me Lady. What’s your name, sweet thing?”

“It’s Meadow,” I say, in a small, timid voice.

“Well, that’s a darling name. Come in, let me get y’all something to eat.”

I step inside her huge home after Axel, and peer around. Everything is decorated brightly. She has pale blue walls, with a dark blue lounge. Her kitchen is stark white, but she’s got numerous pot plants, and pretty, colorful paintings filling the room to make it seem like someone threw up paint all through it. She leads us past the living area, and into a large dining hall with a long, wooden table. Again, with accessories that really do make you want to gag.

“Take a seat. I’ll bring some iced tea.”

Axel and I both sit, and I watch as she walks out of the room. Damn, she’s huge but in such a feminine kind of way. I turn to Axel, and he gives me a weak smile.

“You’re making me live with a drag queen?” I whisper.

He leans close. “That woman...she’s the damned best thing that’ll ever come into your life, Cricket. You need to trust me on that.”

“How do you know her?” I ask.

His eyes go vacant, and he murmurs, “She helped me through some shit, a long time ago.”

“Oh,” I say, sitting back.

“Here we are,” Lady says, walking back into the room with a bunch of glasses on a tray. I can hear the jingling of ice as she moves.

She places the tray down, then tucks a long, blonde strand of hair behind her ear. She sits down, and smiles at Axel. Her expression is warm toward him, her eyes are filled with love, and I can clearly see she adores him. Not in a sexual kind of way, but in the way a mother adores her child. She reaches over, and takes his hand, staring down at his thick rings.

“I heard you were the president now.”

It’s not a question, and the look she gives him is one of concern, as if she doesn’t like to hear this kind of news. Almost as though...she’s disappointed in him. He closes his hand over hers, and smiles at her. God, he’s breathtaking when he smiles.

“I am, and it’s all fine, Lady. Don’t worry.”

“You’re so much better than all that, Axel.”

“They’re my family,” he says stiffly.

“They’re also the reason you don’t smile right up to your eyes anymore.”

I narrow my eyes, and stare at them. I know what she means by that, of course. Even when Axel smiles, it never reaches his eyes, nor is it ever a true smile. I wonder what happened? Why would she say something like that? Axel obviously gives her a look, because her eyes turn to me.

“And the girl knows nothing of your past,” she says softly. “Where are you from, sweetheart?”

“Nowhere important,” I say, forcing a smile.

“How do you know Axel?”

I stare over at Axel, who’s watching me with a curious expression.

“We were friends when I was younger. Well, he was my father’s friend.”

Lady Matilda’s eyes narrow, and she turns to Axel. A moment of silence falls between them, and I can see she forces a smile on her face, but there’s concern etched there, I can see it.

“Well then,” she says. “I’m going to get us some of these delicious cookies I baked earlier, and you two can tell me what’s going on. Axel, come and help your old friend.”

I’m not stupid. She’s calling him out of the room because she wants to chastise him. He gets up, and murmurs a “stay here” to me before following her out. Curiosity far outweighs my need to obey his orders, so I get to my feet and creep over to the doorway. I can hear their hushed whispers on the other side.

“She has no idea, does she?” Lady whispers.

“No, and she don’t need to know yet. I’ll tell her everything that needs to be told when the time is right.”

“You can’t keep lying to the girl. She’s been through enough.”

“Look, Lady, I just need you to take care of her for me. She’s...she...”

“She what, sugar?” she pushes. “She means something to you?”

“No,” he says quickly. “She means nothing to me! I’m just makin’ sure she doesn’t get killed, then she’s goin’ her own way.”

I hear Lady tut at him, but I turn quickly, rushing back to my seat. My heart throbs as I lower myself down. I stare at the iced tea in front of me, and try to focus so I don’t end up crying and making myself look weak. Of course I mean nothing to him. I should know that by now. The man tried to kill me to get information, for God’s sake.

I hear the door creak, but I don’t lift my eyes.

“Here we are,” Lady says. “I made these fresh.”

I lift my eyes to meet hers. She studies my face, and a knowing look crosses her features. I turn my eyes away quickly, and mumble a thank you before taking a cookie. Axel doesn’t sit back down.

“I gotta run,” he says, and I know his eyes are on me. “Lady, I’ll come back as much as I can to check on her. If you have any problems at all, you call me. Meadow, walk outside with me.”

It’s not a question; it’s an order. I get to my feet, and I follow him outside. As soon as we’re on the front porch, he hands me a cell phone.