“What the fuck happened to your car?” Axton asked, his tone giving nothing away.
“Fuck off, asshole,” Kieran hissed, but the emotion in his voice wasn’t sadness. It was fury, undiluted, pent-up rage. “Xariana was in it, apparently.”
“When it went over the fucking cliff?” Axton countered.
“She isn’t that fucking stupid. I’m guessing she placed a body inside and is somewhere watching this unfolding with amusement. She’s my fucking savage, psychopathic mate. She’s perfect for me, don’t you agree?”
I ignored the way Axton tensed when Kieran had said the word mate. I studied Kieran, ignoring how Onyx slowly teased my thigh, which drew Kieran’s eyes to it with laser focus. Her hand moved, and his head tilted, taking everything within me to keep my heartbeat steady and even.
“She is rather rabid and savage. I guess if I were playing matchmaker, you’d be the one male who could tame that murderous little vixen.”
Kieran smiled, and I had to control myself for an entirely different reason. “What are you fucking up to, Axton?” he asked smoothly, searching my face before he focused on the male in the front seat.
“Trying to get fucked,” he returned. “What if it isn’t a body she planted? What happens if that is her?” Kaderyn’s eyes moved to mine, her face hidden against Axton’s neck, where she made sexy sounds.
“I’m not even going to entertain that fucking thought. Let’s just say I’d destroy everything if she left me. Everything and everyone,” he clarified adamantly, causing a shudder to rush down my spine. “If she believed I was a psychopath before, she hasn’t seen anything yet.”
Axton shivered, and I clamped down on the one that tried to shoot through me. Kieran’s eyes slid to mine, narrowing on them, making me squirm. Tilting my head, I grinned coyly at him, patting the seat beside me.
“How about you join us?” I asked in a sultry tone that wasn’t my own, and his glare narrowed to slits.
I watched him push off the car, but before it started rolling down the road, he turned and smiled in a way that made my blood curdle.
“If I find out you helped her escape me, I will murder you. I’ll do it so slowly that you won’t die anytime soon, but you’ll beg me to fucking end it. Unfortunately, you don’t have anyone left to torture, but that won’t save you from me. I will bathe in your blood and make you watch as I cut each organ from your body and feed it to my dogs. Remember that, and consider if it’s smart to cross me, Axton. I am aware of who you are and from where you’ve come. I know which kingdom to bring to its fucking knees. Fuck with me, and I will fuck you harder. I don’t use lube either, asshole.” He strode away from the Humvee, and I slid my attention to my dad, who had yet to stand. Instead, Noah had sat beside him, awkwardly patting him on the back.
Axton’s gaze met mine as I adjusted in the seat. The girls were both staring out at Micah’s form, and the looks on their faces threatened to reveal us. The cars started forward, and I shifted slightly, glancing at Kieran, who watched us slowly drive away from the accident site.
“Kieran knows that you’re his mate. Which means he won’t ever stop searching for you,” Axton whispered, barely above a breath of sound. “He will rip apart this world until you’re back here, where he can protect you.” His voice was shaken by what Kieran had promised to do to him. I didn’t doubt he’d do it, either. The man was a psychopathic asshole who got off on scaring the shit out of everyone. It was sexy and disturbing. “Are you turned on right now?” Axton demanded, his eyes growing wide at the way I fidgeted.
“Some people like prince charming. Apparently, I’m into psychopaths,” I muttered, smiling as he snorted, shaking his head.
We drove toward the border between Washington and Idaho, where we would part ways. I didn’t have a plan past escaping this town, but I knew my worth and that I needed space. Time could heal wounds, but it wouldn’t change what had created the damage.
When we reached Idaho, Axton exited the vehicle, unfolded his ungodly tall frame from the driver’s seat, and leaned against the door. I settled beside him, taking in the beauty of the rising sun over the mountain range.
“I realize you can’t tell me where you’re going or what you intend to do, Xariana. Whatever it is, I hope you survive this journey and that you find what you’re looking to discover. Come home when you have the answers,” Axton said, exhaling as we watched the sunrise.
“I’m not sure what I’m doing yet,” I admitted, chewing my bottom lip before blowing the air from my lungs. “I do have to get Micah back. I owe him that much. His life was fucked up because of me. I have no intention of letting Xavier send him off to someplace that he’ll never be heard from again. I’ll vanish for a little while and remain hidden until I want them to find me. You know me, I always come back.”
“This time is different, though. Isn’t it? You’re not running from some guy that cheated on you. You’re leaving behind the people that betrayed you. That changes shit. Your father was what brought you back here, and your friends came in second to him. What he did to you, that sort of shit will fuck with you forever. It can’t be healed, Xari. It is a part of you, and you need to understand that. It’s what created you and why you’re here. Refuse to sink and stand tall instead. Don’t let it change you, though, not too much anyway.”
“Words of wisdom, or something you lived through?” I questioned, turning to take in his side profile.
“Both,” he snorted, pushing off the vehicle. “Don’t beat my beast up too badly. I do like her, and she’s custom-made.”
“Axton,” I moved toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you. I can’t pay you back, because what you’re doing for me is huge. I can, however, make sure that Kieran doesn’t torture you. If you get into trouble, use this if you need to reach me.” I handed him a small, decorative skull that looked more like a charm than an emergency alert. “You tap the button three times, wait a full sixty seconds, and repeat the three clicks. It will set off the alarm I have on my phone, and I’ll know it’s you.” Pulling off his necklace, he attached it, giving me a crooked smile.
“What can you do against that psychopath? If he really wants me dead, Xari, I’m dead.”
“I have something he wants more than you. I have me, Axton. He won’t kill you. The torture part, though—” I made a face, wincing when he laughed nervously. “We’re all going to be fine. We’ll be okay.”
I watched him as he slipped into the waiting SUV and headed back the way we’d come. I looked at the girls and snorted.
“Guess we should catch us a convoy and free my ex,” I chuckled, sliding my ass onto the seat Axton had abandoned. I adjusted the seat and mirror before looking at Kaderyn, who studied me from the seat beside mine. “My father is alive, and he used a potion to look like Micah, which I’m sure you picked up on. Noah is my brother,” I admitted, waiting as they grasped the gravity of what that meant. “I was used all these years as a shield to protect Xavier’s son.” I explained the gist of it, skipping over minor details. “In short, I was fucking bait. Now, do you choose to continue with me or do you want to remain here?”