Ignite (The Disciples 4)

He pockets his phone and reaches for a cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he smiles, literally beams at me, reminding me of fucking Eve.

“What’s her name?”

“She’s a nobody,” I grumble. A pang of guilt and tightening in my chest make me add, “She’s a friend I’m helping out.”

David snorts and looks over at Edge. “Yep, she’s a friend of Axel’s. Who happens to be exquisite. And because Axel is so friendly, he carried her off the stage at the Pussycat. Moved her into his room and made my wife rearrange her waitstaff so Antoinette can work at the diner instead of stripping.” David stretches out his long legs and smirks at me.

“Wait.” Edge isn’t even trying to hide his aggravation as he grits out, “She’s a stripper?”

“Actually no. She’s a ballerina in need of cash,” David says. “Anyway, doesn’t matter because she never got to strip. Axel stormed the stage before any of us got to see anything.” He blows smoke rings at the ceiling.

“Fuck you, David. You can’t be serious.”

He arches a brow at me and grins at Edge who doesn’t seem able to contain himself.

“I can’t believe it. How? Why am I only now hearing about this?”

“Okay. We need to focus on club shit, not the fact that Axel has an old lady.” Blade holds up his hands.

“The fuck?” I look at him.

“Let’s get our shit together. We’re having Church tomorrow before the party. It will be short. My wife is excited to have Dolly back, and I think we all could let off some steam.” He takes a swig of Jack and sets the bottle down with a thud.

“Which brings me to Dolly. Is she okay for tomorrow?”

“She’s better now that we’ve been back a few days. We saw her OB yesterday. The baby is good. I’m not kidding—as soon as that plane took off, she was sick the entire time. Longest two weeks of my life.” He rubs the back of his neck.

If he didn’t look so beat up about it, I’d remind him I told them to stay home. But everything happens for a reason and I’m too tired to get into it today.

“I’m out.” I don’t wait to hear anything else. Blade’s getting drunk and I’m ready to put a fist in either David’s or Edge’s face. I’m about to get on my bike when my fucking phone rings.

“What?” I snarl.

“I’m at the Pussycat,” Ox’s voice blasts into my ear. Music plays loud in the background. “Hold on, let me go into the office.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to yell that he should have waited until he was in the office to call me but whatever.

“Okay, so I…” The music fades as he comes in clear.

“Everything okay?” I ask, interrupting him. It’s a dick move, but I’m already on my bike and ready to roll.

Ox laughs. “Axel, it’s good to have you back. I’ll be quick since you seem like you’re busy.”

“What?” I growl, putting the key in my bike.

“Blade had Snipe run a background check on Antoinette, and Snipe says he can’t get ahold of you.” I stop and sit up, my body instantly on alert.

I had thought about doing this early on. Because I know she has secrets, but pulling the trigger and having Snipe do it seemed to make her special.

“I’ve been busy dealing with the security break-in.”

“Call Snipe.”

I hang up and stare at my phone. Antoinette is the worst liar, which is another reason I haven’t dug into her past. It would have been nice had Blade told me he was doing this, but as I only now got back into town, I’ll let it slide. My finger hovers over Snipe’s number while dread slithers down my neck landing in the pit of my stomach. Trying my best to ignore it, I push call.

“Axel,” Snipe answers almost immediately.

“What did Blade ask you to find out?”

He’s silent then responds, “He said find out the basics, and the rest is up to you.”

“Run everything on her. Find out her entire past—more than the basics.” I should have done this earlier. Had it been anyone but Antoinette, I would have run one without thinking twice. The fact that I didn’t is a red flag in itself and Blade knows it.

“Will do, boss.”

Blade is smart and being safe. She has a past, and even though my gut says all the stuff that’s been happening has nothing to do with her, it was irresponsible of me not to have her checked out.

She’s new, and she’s hiding something. I need this for my own peace of mind.

I start up my bike and sit for a second in the parking lot, watching the valet roll out his sign. Does a ballerina seriously walk off the street and into a strip club? I guess we’ll find out. I mean, I didn’t believe she was a virgin either.