Axed: A Forbidden Dark Romance

No more time to think. Just go for it.

So, I do. I spring forward off that sofa and lunge headfirst into Liddy stomach.

She grunts, and I hear a shot fire off.

“Axel!” Eden cries.

Please God … don’t let that bullet have hit Eden.

Liddy and I both hit the floor with a thud. I hear the wind get knocked out of her, and the gun flies out of her hand at impact. I grab her arms before she can make a reach for it, pinning her to the floor.

I’m bigger and stronger than her. She doesn’t stand a chance against me, but that doesn’t stop her from bucking and trying to get out from underneath me.

“Let me go!” she screams. “You’ll regret this! I swear!”

Ignoring her empty threats, I quickly look back at Eden, who is on her feet, looking stunned, and the relief that fills me is overwhelming.

“You okay?” I check.

“Yeah.” Her voice cracks. “The bullet hit the ceiling.”

“Thank fuck.” I breathe. “Call 911. Tell them we caught a murderer.”

I stand on my porch, watching as the cops cart Liddy off, putting her in the back of a cruiser.

Eden is standing next to me, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Police are milling about in my living room, and I know we’ll both have to give our statements to them soon.

“How are you doing?” I ask her in a quiet voice.

“Okay, I guess. I just wish …”

“Nothing you could have done back then would have changed anything. They were sick. All four of them.”

“I just hate that Liddy has to suffer. I know she was going to kill us, but I feel bad for her.” Her sad, wide eyes meet mine.

“I do too. But now, she’ll get the help that she needs.”

“Yeah.” She sighs. “I guess you’re right.” She’s quiet a moment. “Axel … do you think they did to others what they did to Liddy?”

The thought crossed my mind as well.

“Maybe.” I shrug. “I guess we’ll never know … unless someone else comes and tries to kill us.”

We both let out a small laugh. Sometimes, levity is necessary at the worst of times.

“Now that I know what they did, who they were, is it awful that I’m glad they’re dead?”

“No, it doesn’t make you awful. It makes you human.”

“If there were other victims, then I hope their deaths give them some sense of peace.”

We stand there, watching the cruiser pull away, red and blue lights flashing.

“I guess we should go back inside and answer the cops’ questions about what happened here tonight,” I say to her. “But before we do”—I lower my voice—“what should I say as to why you were here at my house in the early hours of the morning? We can’t exactly tell them the truth. You being my parole officer and all.”

She gives a half-smile. “No, we can’t. Maybe we could tell them I was here for an early meeting.”

I raise a brow. “At five in the morning?”

“I’m an early riser, and parole officers are allowed to do house checks whenever they deem necessary. I’ll just tell them, with them thinking you were killing people, I had reason to stop by so early, hoping to catch you out, if you were the killer.”

“Thanks for that.” I give her a look. “And you know they won’t believe a word of that story.”

“Maybe not, but they’d have to prove otherwise.” She shrugs.

“Who are you? And what have you done with good-girl Eden Briars?” I joke.

She knocks my arm with her shoulder. “She got corrupted by this hot guy she used to go to high school with.”

“Hot, eh?” I smirk.

“Super hot.”

“Let’s leave that out of the police report though.”

“Good idea.”

“So, we keep the real reason you were here at the butt crack of dawn and that you think I’m super hot between the two of us,” I say in a whisper. “But what about going forward? What does this mean for you and me?”

“Well, I was thinking that I’ll hand my notice in at work today, and then tonight, you can take me out on a date, and we can figure it out.”

My eyes meet hers, and my smile is wide. “I like that plan.”

“Me too.” And her smile matches mine.

“You know I’d kiss you right now if the law wasn’t watching.”

“I know. So, how about we go in and give our statements, so they’ll leave, and then you can kiss me again?”

“I like the sound of that.” I like it a whole fucking lot.