A bolt of fear struck to the bottom of her heart. Then she dismissed it as foolish. As much as she adored Axel, why would she intentionally leave him again? “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure out where and how we can be together later.”
“I’m never going to fit into that whole Hollywood scene.”
She scoffed at him. “Neither do I. Why do you think I’ve retreated into books? Why I didn’t protest the move to London, despite the mostly dreary weather and terrible food?”
He heaved a breath. “I don’t have much—”
“Stop there. Without my dad, I don’t, either. He buys me nice things when we have to appear in public because my image affects his. If I showed up in something I bought three years ago at Debenhams, the press would write about it.”
“De what?”
She laughed. “It’s a department store in London. Decent stuff, but nothing designer. Dad won’t have it if we have to walk a red carpet. The rest of the time, I live pretty normally.”
He raised a tawny brow at her. “The TMZ shit?”
“Only happens in the States. Frankly, I didn’t expect anyone to even care that I was back in the country. But I guess having a renowned director for a father, a mother who died an infamous death, and being dramatically rescued from a kidnapper only to become a recluse makes me interesting to these people, huh?”
“I’m sure.” He shrugged. “Look, I don’t have all the answers, but I know I don’t want to let you go again, Mystery.”
A warm glow suffused her. She smiled at him with her heart in her eyes. “I don’t want to let you go, either.”
Axel gave her a slow nod. “Good. The man in me is satisfied that we’re on the same page and talking. I like it.”
Mystery had a feeling she knew where he was going with this, and her heart tripped, then speeded up. Her breasts turned heavy. Her pussy began to ache. “But the Dom in you?”
He sent her a dark smile. “Is itching to punish you, princess. Go upstairs and wait for me, naked and kneeling by the door.”
Chapter Fourteen
AXEL watched the sway of Mystery’s hips as she sashayed out of the kitchen. The room was small and frilly and dated, but somehow welcoming. He’d also bet it was well stocked. If Gail Leedy liked baking, then she’d have drawers full of pervertables. Axel wished like hell that he’d brought a toy bag, but he’d only managed to throw a few necessities in his duffel before the Santiagos’ plane had been fueled and ready. He didn’t like being unprepared, but he’d figure out how to adapt, improvise, and overcome.
Quickly, he found a wooden spoon, a few clothespins, a plastic container of rice, and a cutting board. He bypassed the twine probably used for things like tying turkey legs together. That stuff was tough on human circulation, and he wanted Mystery tightly but safely bound for what he had in mind.
Just as he perched the smaller items on the block of wood to take upstairs, he heard the back door creak open and slam shut. Axel cursed under his breath. Heath. Talk about bad fucking timing.
When the other man stormed in the kitchen, he didn’t look like the fresh air had improved his mood. Axel wished the asshole would give he and Mystery some breathing room.
Heath glanced at the bundle in his hands and cursed. “Are you joking, fuckwit? You’re going to paddle her with a wooden spoon like a naughty little girl for protecting her heart before you could crush it.”
Axel raised a brow. “And you helped her right out Dominion’s door, didn’t you?”
“She was upset,” he defended.
“She was vulnerable,” Axel growled in his face. “You took advantage of that because you’re dying to stick your cock in her and fuck her into next week. But Mystery is mine now. Get used to it. I intend to keep it that way.”
Heath ground his teeth together. “I shouldn’t be surprised you assume I have the most lascivious motive possible. I care about that girl—”
“That makes two of us.”
“I would lay down my life for her,” Heath argued.
“I did that when I barely knew her. I’d do it again. Are you trying to convince me that you’re not interested in having sex with her?”
“My personal feelings are none of your concern. Mystery’s safety and happiness are what I’m paid to upkeep, and frankly, I’ve given you too much latitude.”
“You haven’t given me shit except a hard time,” Axel argued. “Mystery and I talked through our problems just now and we know where we’re heading. I think I can make her happy. I have no intention of leaving, straying, or hurting her. You still got a problem with me?”
“And your girlfriend?” he challenged.
“Not my girlfriend. I already hashed this out with Mystery.”
“You truly have feelings for her?”
Axel was fucking tired of this guy being in his way all the time. “More than I can even express. I will never let anything happen to her as long as there’s a breath in my body.”
Heath sighed. “I need to talk to her.”
“Not going to happen right now. She’s waiting for me.”
“And everything in your hands?” He glanced at the items Axel had been balancing on the cutting board.
“What’s your point?”
Heath shook his head. “Forget it. We can argue later over Mystery’s love life. While I was walking about the farm, I started sorting through this tangle of events. There’s something about this setup I don’t like. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. Besides the three of us and Mystery’s aunt, who else knows we’re here?”
“My boss, Mitchell Thorpe, and the Santiago brothers. I think that’s it, and they would never tell anyone or put Mystery in danger. What about your stops on the drive along the way?”
“I concealed her with a baseball cap and some sunglasses in case people recognized her, but no one even glanced her way, and we did our best to stop a few miles from the freeway, at small establishments without many security cameras. I think we were safe.”
“So what’s making your hair stand up?” Axel asked. Because he had a few concerns that chafed him, too.
“First, we still don’t know who broke into her room and left the photo inside.”
True, and Stone was no doubt way busier with Sweet Pea than hacking into the hotel’s security recordings. He’d also probably crashed at the club last night, then had a five-hour drive home. With a grimace, Axel pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Stone. Right away, he got back a promise of information “soon.” What if that wasn’t soon enough?
Firing off another text to remind him that a life hung in the balance, he pocketed the device again. “I’ll give him another two hours before I bug the shit out of him.”
And Axel had to admit again that if Heath were guilty, he probably wouldn’t be pursuing that security footage from the hotel. If the film caught him sneaking into her room, his jig would be up. Sure, the stiff Brit could have paid someone to put the picture there, like the maid who usually provided turndown service or a maintenance worker. He’d be too slick to leave a trail leading back to him.
With a shake of his head, he filed that fact away until Stone came back with the film. “Something else bothering you about her stalker?”
“Everything. But what troubles me most is that he’s in control right now.”
Now Heath was speaking his language. “Agreed. I know Mystery wants to visit her aunt, but we’re cornered here. I’m not sure how the hell we solve her mother’s murder that took place in Southern California sixteen years ago while we’re stuck in rural Kansas.”
“Divide and conquer?”
As much as Axel would love to get Heath far away from Mystery, he shook his head. “It won’t be long until whoever’s terrorizing her realizes she didn’t hop a plane back to London. I’ll bet we’ve got twenty-four hours—tops—before this dirtbag gets suspicious. Where’s the first place he’ll come looking for her?”