Free Axel by Jessica Coulter Smith Page A

her.
    “What should I do with her?” Whisper asked.
    “She was helping them sell these women, probably helped lure them into the trap, I don’t give a fuck what you do with her. Just keep her the hell away from me.” Axel’s M.C. wasn’t into hurting women, but he would be willing to make an exception this time. Anyone willing to sell women should be taken out, and in the most painful of ways.
    Whisper gave him a sinister smile before dragging the blade of his knife across her throat and tossing the body to the ground as she gurgled her last breath. Axel focused on the women in cages, feeling disgust for the men and woman they had killed as each caged female cowered. He looked over his shoulder as Crimson joined them.
    “We need to find the key to these cages.” Axel looked at his brothers. “Then we need to get them to the safety of the clubhouse while we figure this shit out.”
    Crimson dangled a key in front of Axel’s face. “Already on it.”
    Axel snatched it from his grasp and began unlocking cages. Six total, with six women who looked terrified of them. Each bedraggled and bruised. As the cage doors swung open, they faced another dilemma. None of the women looked like they were going to go with Axel and his brothers willingly, but he didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t very well call in the old ladies. It was his job as Sergeant at Arms to make sure they were safe, not put them in harm’s way.
    He walked up to each cage, peering in as he thought of a way to extract the women without harming them further. When he came to the last cage, he saw a woman with matted, golden hair which trailed down her back and shoulders. Her wide, frightened, blue eyes assessing him; his inner beast perked up. Mine! The cat inside yowled and Axel fought to keep the beast at bay. He didn’t know why his cat wanted to claim the woman, but it was the first time he’d had such a reaction to anyone.
    The young woman’s nostrils flared and she jerked her gaze toward him. A tremor raked her body, but she slowly rose to her feet, her naked body riddled with bruises. The sight made him want to kill those sorry excuses for men all over again, and at the same time, he wanted to draw her closer, wrap his arms around her and shield her from harm.
    What the fuck?
    As she drew near, he allowed himself to take in her scent, hoping she didn’t fear him as the others did. Under the scent of pain and sweat was sweet honeysuckle. His cat purred and rubbed against him, wanting to get closer. Those guileless blue eyes of hers called to him. She stopped a foot away, placed her hand on his chest, then leaned in close and—sniffed him? His eyebrows shot up at the unexpected move and he leaned down to sniff along her hair and neck. Shifter!
    “Where are your people?” he asked.
    “I don’t have any.”
    Ours! The cat insisted again. Like fuck , Axel growled back at the pesky feline.
    Crimson moved closer. “You’re not afraid of Axel? Of us?”
    She shook her head. “I know another shifter would never harm me, not like these men did. They tried to make me shift, but I refused, so they beat me. They wanted to video my transformation so they could sell me for a higher price.”
    “Bastards,” Crimson muttered. His gaze skittered over to the fallen woman. “And bitch.”
    “She was the worst one of all,” the young woman said. “She selected each of us and helped with the abuse. She threatened us. Told us if we didn’t pose for the cameras or dance naked for her videos that she’d let her men have some fun before she sold us.”
    Something in Axel’s gut clenched. “Did they…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words. Just the thought of such horror was enough to turn his stomach.
    She shook her head. “Not that it would have made much difference considering they were selling us to brothels. You saved us from that fate, but I have to wonder what you want in return. Nothing in life is ever free.”
    “This