Wouldn’t it?

He wraps his hand around mine, and he begins stroking, up and down, using both our hands. The pulsing between my legs is verging on being painful, and I so desperately want to release the pressure. Axel begins moving our hands fast, and his back starts arching again. I smother a moan as his cock tightens in my hand.

“Fuck, oh God, fuck,” he roars as the first spurt of his release hits his belly. I watch the white strands settle there, and more pleasure shoots to my groin. I squeeze and then release, and a warm trickle slides down my hand.

God, this is so wrong. So wrong.

When I feel Axel’s cock beginning to soften, I try to move my hand but his grip tightens. Oh God...he’s awake?

“Axel?” I whisper.

He doesn’t answer me, and it’s then I notice his breathing is deeper again. Oh. My. God. He’s asleep. He’s...not...awake. I try to gently pull my hand away, but he won’t let it go. He moves our hands off his cock and up onto his chest, and there he holds my hand, refusing to release me. I realize it’s comforting him somehow.

So I close my eyes, and I let him keep it.

CHAPTER 8

AXEL

I’ll haunt you right until the end, you’ll never escape me, my friend.

I shift, and groan. That’s when I feel the warm flesh in my hand. I open my eyes, and turn my head to see Meadow cuffed to my bed. I’ve got her hand firmly in mine, and it’s pressed to my chest. What. The. Fuck? I slowly uncurl my fingers, and she groans, turning her head and letting her lips part with sleep. She’s so fuckin’ perfect.

I move my hand¸ and it swipes through something damp. My heart stammers and I look down to see a damp patch of seamen on my belly. What...the...hell? I move quickly after that, jerking out of the bed and stumbling as I land incorrectly and go crashing into the bedside table. Where are my fuckin’ pants? Oh fuck. I had a nightmare. I put her in my bed, and I had a nightmare. Fuck...I came on her.

I storm into the bathroom, but not before glimpsing her on the bed, eyes open, watching me. Nothing is showing on her face: it’s blank and emotionless. Maybe she was asleep when...it...happened? I glare at her, and then I slam the bathroom door, and start shoving things off the counter, sending them smashing onto the floor.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I grip the sink and drop my head, panting. Why the fuck would I pull her onto the bed? Why the fuck would I do something so stupid? God, I was probably high. I don’t remember how last night went down. I went out, I had a few drinks, a joint, and then I woke up with her in my bed. Fuck. I lift my hands and tangle my fingers in my hair and pull. The sharp pain snaps me back into reality.

No more.

~*~*~*~

I tuck my knees up to my chest and peer at the bathroom door, wondering what he’s breaking in there. I’ve heard things smashing, I’ve heard him cursing, and then it all fell silent. Did he realize what he did? Did he remember? It’s obviously affecting him quite badly, so maybe it’s best if I play dumb, and don’t let him know that I was fully aware of what happened.

I hear the bathroom door creak open, and he walks out, bare-chested. I feel my eyes widen slightly, hating that I want to look, yet not being able to stop myself. I slowly move my eyes down his body, then back up again until I meet his seething eyes. He’s angry, again. It’s nothing new to me, but I thought...I guess I’d hoped...God, what was I hoping? That he would wake up after last night and feel something? I’m a fool. That was never going to happen.

“Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed,” I say meekly. “I had the best sleep. I didn’t move all night.”

It’s a lie, but I see instant relief flood his features. He replaces it quickly and nods his head harshly before leaning down and taking hold of a black shirt. Then he turns and storms out the door, slamming it loudly. Well, that went well. I lean back against the headboard and pull the cuffs. They’re not going anywhere, and neither am I. Sighing, I close my eyes and lean my head back.

I just want answers. I need to know what happened to my dad that day. I need to know why Axel did it, and I need to know what the information on that USB stick is. I can’t keep running around in circles, but until Axel is willing to speak to me, I just can’t give in. So I’ll continue to sit here, cold, starving, and empty while I wait for one of us to break.

It’s not going to be me.

It’s never me.

CHAPTER 9

MEADOW

Your words won’t break me, for you will never take me.

I hear the door creak, and I snap my head up. I blink rapidly, trying to get the sleep blur from my vision. I see Colt step in, and his eyes dart around the room before falling on me. He gives me a sympathetic smile, and slowly walks in, stopping at the end of the bed.

My arm is aching from being cuffed upright, and I want so desperately to move it. I need to stretch.

“Hey, Meadow,” he says, leaning his hip against the post.

“Colt,” I mutter in an angry tone.

He sighs, and sits on the bed, staring over at me, his eyes pleading to understand. “He’s my boss, I had to do it. If he found out I’d employed you and didn’t tell him, he would have killed me. You don’t know what Axel is like.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Colt,” I growl, my voice seething out through clenched teeth. “I do know what Axel is like.”

“Then you understand that...”

I cut him off by sticking my free hand up. “I don’t need your apologies, and need for my forgiveness. In the end, I’m here, and there’s nothing I can do about that.”