Axe's Fall: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 4) (26 page)

She smiled then looked at the flowers, wishing they were from Axe. She picked up the phone and buzzed Tina.

“Would you like to have the flowers in my office? I’m allergic to them.”

“The beautiful ones that came this morning?”

“Yes.”

“I’d love to. I’ll be right down.”

“You can also have the roses.”

“Thank you.”

Focusing her attention back on her computer, Baylee smiled when her phone pinged, anxious to see what Axe had written.

Unknown:
You cannot escape me.

Baylee’s stomach shot to the floor. She glanced around the room, went over to the window, and looked out. Everything seemed normal, like any other day.

Baylee:
Stop it!

Unknown:
Why? Aren’t you enjoying our little game?

Baylee:
I don’t remember anything. My mind is still foggy. Leave me alone!

Unknown:
It’s not that simple.

She sat at her desk, stunned. The psycho enjoyed taunting her, and he was trying to drive her over the edge.

Unknown:
You look pretty in your white dress.

Baylee threw the phone across her desk, glancing down at her white linen dress. He wanted her to know he was aware of her every move, and it didn’t matter if Puck or Axe were with her—he was in control.

Baylee picked up the phone and called the police, who basically told her what Axe had—there was nothing they could do at that point. No crime had been committed and, as far as she knew, it could be a crackpot with nothing better to do than taunt her.

Axe had been right—the police weren’t going to help her. She’d rely on Axe and his club, and on herself, to beat the killer. With tightened fists and a set jaw, Baylee agreed with Axe.

The asshole just declared war.

A
xe sat on
the ripped vinyl chair and listened to the squeaky click of the oscillating fan on top of a scratched filed cabinet. The portly gentleman behind the paper-strewn desk spit as he spoke on the phone, his fingers drumming on the desk every few seconds.

The man looked at Axe and rolled his eyes while he pointed at the phone, shaking his head. Axe tilted his chin. He’d hoped this guy could help him. Cara said she used him for most of her cases, that he was a top-notch private investigator. Coming to the PI’s office was huge for Axe since he didn’t like asking for help outside the club, but he figured he needed someone experienced in investigations. The moment the killer revealed he knew Axe was involved, that was when Axe decided to bring in someone who wasn’t in the Insurgents.

The slam of the receiver startled Axe, and he looked up into the man’s crinkled face. The PI extended his stubby-fingered hand. “Dean Wesley.” His voice sounded like he’d been smoking for a long time.

“Axe.” He shook back, then wiped his hands on his jeans.

“Sorry for the sweat. Fuckin’ air conditioning never works. All that damn fan is doing is circulating hot air.” Dean wiped his face with a tissue. Reclining in his chair, he smiled. “What can I do for ya?”

“I need some information about someone who’s stalking my woman.”

“Okay. Do you know who it is?”

“I’m sure it’s the fucker who killed her mother years ago.”

Dean whistled. “Was he caught and released?”

“Never caught. It’s a cold case, but he’s in Pinewood scaring the shit outta her. He’s aiming to kill her.”

Axe explained the whole situation to Dean, who took notes on a legal pad. After he was finished, he looked at the PI and asked, “Can you help with this? Cara said you’re gold.”

Dean laughed as he wiped the sweat from his face again. “She’s a nice lady. Pretty, too. I can try to find out who he is, ask some questions. He must’ve had someone do his dirty work at the hotel. I want to find out who let someone in your girlfriend’s room, so I’ll need to get in there. Chances are high the room’s been bugged.”

“I’ve thought the same thing. I’m one step ahead, though. I changed Baylee’s room.”

“Good move. I still want in there. I can stop by today. Is there any chance your girl can stay at your place?”

“She won’t go for it, but if things get too intense, I’ll insist she stay at the clubhouse.”

“No doubt the stalker is using burner phones to contact her. They’re hard to trace ‘cause a person doesn’t need to sign anything to get the phone. A true cash-and-carry transaction. Everyone thinks calls from pre-paid can’t be traced, but they can. Calls made on burners are generally transmitted over existing networks. I can check the records of the towers around the areas when the correspondences were received.” Dean finished his bottled water in one long drink.

“Cara’s on board with getting whatever you need.”

“She’s a great gal. Pretty, too, but I already said that, didn’t I?”

Axe nodded.

“Cara can get the subpoenas I’ll need. I’ll keep you updated, but since this guy probably has someone tailing you—”

“No one’s following me. Believe me, I’d know it.”

“Yeah, you coming from the biker world gives you a real edge here. The guy’s probably got some high-powered binoculars. It’s best we meet away from Pinewood.”

“You can come to the clubhouse. It’s secluded, and we know exactly what’s down.”

“Sounds like a plan. Is your girlfriend gonna pay for the services? I ask for fifty percent down, and the balance after the job’s done.”

“I’m picking it up,” Axe said.

They finalized the price for the investigation, and Axe left the office. Having Dean Wesley on the job eased some of the pressure he’d been feeling the past few days. When he sat in the PI’s stuffy, suffocating office, he realized he couldn’t lose Baylee. He wanted to keep her close to him, but he didn’t know how she felt about him. In less than five weeks, she’d no longer need to be in Pinewood Springs; she’d be able to work virtually from Denver. But Axe didn’t want to think about Baylee leaving.

As he straddled his Harley, ready to switch on the ignition, his phone rang. Unable to see the screen because of the sun’s glare, he answered.

“Yep.”

“Hi, Michael. This is your mother.”

He cursed under his breath. “What do you want?”

“I want to know how you are and—”

“I’m good. I’m in a hurry. I have something I gotta do.”

“We never talk. You can give me a few minutes.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’d love to see you. You rarely come around anymore. I’m getting married—”

“What’ll he be? Number six?”

“I just had bad luck. You’ll like him. He’s so good to me, and he’s rich. His name is—”

“Save it, I don’t wanna know. I gotta go.”

“Wait! You’re coming to the wedding, aren’t you?”

“No.”

“You
have
to come. You’re my only child, and I want you there.”

“It’s bullshit, and I’m not wasting my time. Gotta go.”

“You have to come. I could die, and then you’d be sorry you didn’t come.”

“Don’t lay that guilt trip on me. I’m not a kid anymore, it doesn’t work.”

“Okay, but remember that you and me are all we have. You have my blood in you. We’re all we got.” She sniffled. “Please? I want my son with me at my wedding. Can you just think about it?”

Axe clenched his jaw. Whenever his mom wanted him to do something, she’d start the ‘family blood’ shit, and if that didn’t work, she’d throw in some sniffles and tears.
That
got to him every time. He should’ve just told her to fuck off, that she’d been a selfish, shitty mom and he was done, but he never did. He’d freeze her out for a time, but he’d never cut ties with her completely. He couldn’t do it.

“Okay, I’ll
think
about it,” he gritted. “Will you let me get off the fuckin’ phone now?”

She chortled and blew her nose. “Thank you, honey. You’ve made me so happy. I thought it’d be nice if you, me, and Stephen go out to dinner before the wedding. I want you to meet him.”

“No way. You got me thinking about coming to your hook-up. Don’t push it. You know it isn’t gonna last, anyway.”

“This time, it’s different.”

“I’ve heard that five times before. Whatever. Do you know where Uncle Max has been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of him for a couple of weeks.”

“I saw him the other day. He told me he has to go out of town on some business, but he’d be back in time for my wedding.”

“What business?”

“He didn’t say. Why?”

“I need to talk to him. Gotta go.”

“I know. I’ll see you at the wedding in two weeks. Bye, dear.”

He grunted then hung up.
Fuck! If I go to the sham wedding, at least I can talk to Uncle Max.
The more Axe thought about his uncle being where Baylee was, the more convinced he was that the man was involved. Axe had done the math, and his uncle was in Denver around the same time Baylee’s mother was killed.

*     *     *

Hawk received the
confirmation from their brothers down south: the Skull Crushers were dealing meth in Insurgents’ territory. Steel had told Hawk they were starting shit on his turf in Puebla, and he and his brothers were preparing for a war.

“We think there’s only three of them. It’s like they’re scouting the area to see how far they can go,” Banger said.

“They didn’t get far last night. I threw them outta Dream House then me, Rags, and Jax beat the shit out of ‘em.” Rock put his fist in the air as his brothers congratulated him and the other two for keeping scum out of the gentleman’s club the Insurgents owned.

“They need to be taught respect,” Banger said, his blue eyes blocks of ice.

The other members nodded and sounded their agreement.

“We need to show them to stay the fuck outta Insurgents’ territory. These fuckers are the tip of the iceberg. We gotta stop it now. I’m sending Jerry, Axe, Puck, PJ, Rags, and Chas to confront them tonight. Make sure they can never do this shit again.”

After church, the brothers shuffled out to the great room to eat the barbecue buffet Banger had brought in from the club’s restaurant.

“How’s it goin’ with the sexy architect?” Chas asked.

“Fine, but some fucker is doing some bad shit to her. I’m trying to find out who the fuck he is. No way I’m letting him hurt my woman,” Axe explained.

The minute he said “my woman,” he regretted it; Chas, Jerry, and Jax stared at him, then laughed.

“Fuck, never thought I’d see the day when the mighty pussy-chaser would fall. Welcome to the club, brother,” Jax said.

Axe brooded as they teased him.

“What happened to you tellin’ Chas and Jax they were fucking stupid to take old ladies? You’ve worn the stud title too long. Now us single brothers can take over.” Jerry poked Axe in the ribs.

Axe glared at him. “At least I’m hot after a woman I can have. You’re so fucked up over Kylie that you can’t even talk right when she’s in the room.”

“You’re fucked. No way,” Jerry protested.

Axe tilted his head back and glanced at the others. “Am I crazy, or does he get a boner every time Kylie’s around?”

They all laughed. Jerry slammed his shot glass on the bar, shattering it.

Jax patted his back. “Lighten up, dude. We’re having fun fuckin’ with you, but you must know you’re asking for a whole lot of trouble if you get your dick anywhere near Kylie.”

“Banger will kill your ass,” Chas said.

Jerry wiped the blood oozing from his cut finger. “Kylie’s hot, but she’s too innocent. I like women who know what the fuck they’re doin’.”

“Who says she doesn’t? She’s on her own at college, and I hear the parties can be pretty wild,” Axe teased.

Jerry stiffened. “Shut the fuck up. No one’s messin’ with Kylie at college.”

Jax cuffed Jerry’s shoulder. “Maybe
she’s
messin’ with someone.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Jerry shoved Jax who, smile gone, puffed up his chest and moved into Jerry’s space. “What the fuck?”

Jerry, tense and rigid, said, “Just shut the fuck up ‘bout Kylie. She’s not a whore. She’s not doin’ shit at college.”

Axe smiled. “Sounds like you got some personal information. You wouldn’t be checking on her, would you?”

Jerry pushed away from the bar. “I’ll see you all tonight.” He stormed off.

“Fuck, he
has
been stalking her. Well, I’ll be damned.” Axe took a long pull of his beer while the other guys snickered.

“He has it bad.” Chas shook his head. “He’s also got a death wish.”

“Last thing I’d wanna do is fuck with Banger.” Axe popped the top off his beer.

“Now, tell us what’s goin’ on with
your
woman, and how we can help,” Jax said.

Axe clapped Chas and Jax on the back. “This shit started when Baylee was eight years old…”

S
tanding in the
alleyway, smoking joints, the Insurgents brothers cussed up a storm as they waited for the three Skull Crushers to show up.

“They’re late. When they get here, I get the first punch.” PJ inhaled deeply. “Fuck, this is good stuff.”

“You know we only cultivate the best,” Chas said as he lit up another roach.