Page 34 of Axel (Belles & Bratva Beasts #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

RUBY

“Arch the perkies, firecracker. Let’s drive him crazy with your cherry-topped sundaes.”

I laugh at Zar. “How many words for tits do you know?”

“Darlin’,” he drawls, aiming his camera phone at me while I pose topless on my sun lounger. “A true Texan is a bottomless well of words.”

“And adding to my big brother’s spank bank.” Nick sips an ouzo lemonade, grinning. “Axel’s denied this for so long, but I knew you two were a thing.”

“Not everyone knows,” I remind him. “And we’re not a thing. We’re not official yet.”

“Oh?” Nick lowers his sunglasses. “Not official? Tell that to the giant purple bouquets he’s sent you every day, for six days straight since we’ve been here.”

Here, at Luca Mercier’s luxurious Mykonos hotel on the shore of the Aegean Sea. My sisters are in the spa, but I like it here on the beach, relaxing under the white umbrellas shading my cushy lounger.

Scarlett encouraged Nick to surprise Zar and join us before he starts summer training camp .

It’s a sisters’ vacation, and Nick and Zar fit right in. They’re like our beefy brothers who don’t judge when we lounge naked on the nude beach.

No, they join us.

No one recognizes Nick. American football isn’t popular here, so seeing how free Nick and Zar can be with their love is heart-warming.

That’s not Nick’s life at home, where Grant has identified the photo I took of the preppy prick at the bus stop, the one bribing gay athletes.

His name is Blake Halstead. He’s the owner, renting over ten vacation properties and sextorting countless victims. When I stood him up for our drop, he sent the video to “my boss,” upping his bribe to a quarter million or he’d tell “my husband” next.

Really, Grant received the video and sent me a cute, standing ovation meme, all while Halstead’s texts are irate and threatening. He wants more money, and I’m curious how far he’ll go to get it.

“For every giant bouquet Axel sends me,” I cup my breasts and pucker my lips, posing for Zar’s camera phone, “I send him a boobie shot.”

And every night, Axel calls me.

It’s usually after we’ve been dancing at The Mercier’s exclusive, bohemian beach club. The club doesn’t have tacky flashing lights, making it safe for me. Rarely, they can trigger my seizures.

But here, I can dance all night. The bass still thumps in my veins while I laugh with Axel on our video chats.

He lies on his bed, surrounded by our newborn kittens, and I lie on mine, teasing him with dirty talk until we’re both in pain, missing each other.

Then, he refuses to hang up on me, and I won’t end our call, either, so we fall asleep together .

I had to leave too soon. We didn’t really have time to say goodbye, and he didn’t get to tell me why Alena showed up at his home.

That maddening feeling made me watch them talking in the courtyard. I felt guilty for doing it, though my gut told me I had to.

But all I saw was a worried Alena. She looked like a bride stressed about her wedding, and Axel looked like a godfather, able to help her with an overbearing father.

It looked perfectly innocent between them, and I felt like a pathetic, jealous fool, promising myself I’d never do it again.

I won’t worry about Alena.

I trust Axel.

“I never thought I’d see the day.” Zar flops on his lounger beside mine, done with our daily photoshoot. “My little firecracker is hanging up her spurs. Her Roman riding days are over.”

“Roman riding?” I lather on more sunscreen.

“Like a gladiator, you stand on their backs, hold the reins, and ride two horses at once.”

“Uh, reins were never involved in my threesomes.”

Nick laughs. “But they will be with my brother. He’ll bridle you, and be damn sure he’s the only one ever riding you again.”

“But…” This has been bothering me since the night Axel held me down, whispering his dark fantasies in my ear, and I moaned, sharing them. “But, if I’m going to be his officially, doesn’t he have to initiate me and offer me to another rider?”

Why am I speaking in equestrian euphemisms? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just trying to respect their secrecy. We’re not alone on the beach.

“Isn’t that what you did?” I ask Nick. “You let one of your brothers initiate Zar? He has a second king?” They exchange a look. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry. I’m just confused. I know how some of this works, but not all.”

“It’s alright.” Zar winks. “It’s for me to disclose. I’m the queen. I decide who knows.”

Oh my god, I’m dying to know.

The little spy in me threatens to probe and get into trouble again. But now … I love my trouble. I love this world, and I don’t want to disrespect it.

I hold my tongue until Zar reveals, “It was beautiful. When I was initiated, I married Nick, his family, and his world. His brothers love me. They love our love. Men like us don’t get that with every family.

” Nick reaches for his hand. “I was honored. I still am. There’s so much more you’ll learn about us, firecracker.

So much you’ll feel and protect and fight for. ”

I nod, swallowing. I didn’t see that part of Wren’s initiation, but I could hear it. It sounded sacred. It sounded like every soul was committed to their group bond.

“But we presented an unusual situation,” Zar continues.

“Of course, most queens are women. Of course,” he winks, “I have more style than them all.” I laugh.

“The Queen and kings talked about how I could join them, and one brother said he’d be honored to be my second king. He’s been with men before.”

Who?

Jace?

Loch?

Grant?

The flash of images in my mind is so erotic. I have no doubt it was because I saw Wren’s initiation. And if Axel initiates me like that, too? If they make me his queen officially?

“It’s okay,” I rush, feeling protective over everyone. “You don’t have to tell me the secret. ”

“It’s not a secret.” Zar boasts, “I’m proud Sire is my second king.”

Sire!

The celebrity pastor in a holy-rolling conservative town? The man who looks like he was sprung from jail then bought out a Gucci showroom? The man who breeds his young wife like a prize filly?

He’s Zar’s second king?

Why does that make Sire even more masculine and mysterious? Why does that make me love Wren, though we haven’t really met?

This means Wren knows about Sire’s sexuality and loves him. She’s not threatened. She celebrates who he is and sounds just like me.

God, I want to meet the other queens. I’m sure I’ll love them.

“Speaking of your king.” Nick nods at me, answering his buzzing phone. “Sup, fuckwad?” he answers Axel, smiling, but instantly it falls, and I watch with my heart rate climbing.

“Shot?” Nick jumps to his feet in the sand. “Is he okay?”

“Shot?” I whip my worried stare to Zar. “Who?”

“Don’t know,” Zar replies, deadly serious. “But they’ve been running a dangerous mission and…”

He stops. He can’t reveal more, and I get it.

Pacing, Nick listens to Axel, to whatever in the hell is happening before he says, “Yeah, she’s here with me. I promise. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

The sweet football fucker.

That’s why Nick’s really here? Not to join Zar in a luxurious, LGBTQ-friendly vacation spot. No. He’s here as a king, as my bodyguard. Axel assigned Nick to me, as he assigned Loch to Alena.

Why am I not surprised?

“Yeah,” he says. “Here she is. ”

Nick hands the phone to me while I glare at him. He’s busted. He knows, so he winks, looking just like Jace. Like he doesn’t care. It’s that whole always-protecting-his-queen thing.

“Are you okay?” It’s the first thing I need to know from Axel, followed by, “Who’s shot?”

“I’m fine, Wildfire.” Axel sounds tired. “Just fucking obey me and stay with Nick. Promise me.”

“Okay.” I don’t fight this anymore. “But who was shot?”

“Grant,” he answers, and I grab my heart, tears immediately biting at my eyes. “But he’ll be okay. He had on a vest, but it was at close range. It was a brutal impact, but he’ll be out in a day or two.”

“Of the hospital?”

“Yes. My mom is with him. So is his wife. He’ll be fine. Just…” Axel falters. I can hear the pieces moving in his life. They match mine. “Just… It’s best you’re not here right now. We have a hostile on the loose; everyone’s on alert until we find him again.”

“Who is it? What did he do?” Axel doesn’t answer, so I perk up, topless and determined. “Remember, my king. Ignorance isn’t bliss in ex-Bratvaland. Give me intel if you need me to stay safe. You know I have good instincts.”

He sighs, “Tell Nick he has my permission to tell you.” I glance up, and Nick nods.

He can hear him. “And this is more trust, Ruby,” Axel adds.

“More trust and more risk. It’s getting deeper every day, and I have a bad feeling about it, so keep your head on a swivel. Think like my queen and stay safe.”

“I promise.”

Like the golden sand before me, I’m shifting. My world is changing, and I want it to. I want the storm of Axel’s life to shape me into who I was meant to be.

“We’ll stay together,” I assure him about me, Nick, and Zar. About my sisters, too. They’re in this, though they don’t know it. “We’ll stay safe. Just…”

Why does my throat tighten? Why do I suddenly worry about Axel’s safety when I never have before? He’s always such a force. He’s always so menacing and immortal, but he’s not.

He can bleed. He can care. He’s shown me.

“Just… stay safe, Axel. Please,” I beg him. “Just stay smug and smart and safe like you always are. I trust you to.”

“You trust me?” His tone softens from tired into something else. I can’t describe it. “You finally trust me, Wildfire?”

I stare at the afternoon sun, dancing like diamonds over the cobalt ocean. Then, I glance at Zar and Nick, nestled together on their lounger, comforting each other in a time of need.

Nick holds Zar just as Axel held me, and my hand shakes. I’m worried, but my heart calms with my exhale. With my truth…

“Yes, my king. I completely trust you.”