AXEL

Venom

Knox fidgetted in the leather chair, his fingers drumming against the worn fabric of the armrest. He leant back resting his head, his eyes shutting as he thought of Kit's fiery hair, the fake shade of red matching the false confidence she carried around. He cracked one eye open, his lip twitching at the sight of a dishevelled Axel.

"That girl's got you wound up tight, Axe." He plastered a smile on his face and sat up straight clasping his hands together in front of him.

Axel rubbed his face, the deep hollows below his grey eyes shifting to pink under his rough touch. He pointed to Knox, "whatever you do, do not piss her off. I'm the one that has to cart the venomous bitch around." He yanked the leather gloves from his trouser pocket and slapped them down on the desk, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Let's cut to the chase." Knox stole the phrase from Axel before he could open his mouth.

Axel rolled his jaw, scratching the faint blonde stubble covering his chin, his hands red as if he had tried to scrub the flesh down to the bone. "Just give me the important stuff, I don't care for the unnecessary information."

Knox raised a sculpted brow at the man in front of him, the only person close to being called a friend. "Axe, it's best you don't know anything about the girl. When we cross paths with Henrigde, you won't want to know who she is and I thought you wouldn't care." He blew a strand of his silvery hair out of his face and leant forward to keep Axel's cold gaze.

"I don't care, do you expect me to go in there blind? I have a right to know." Axel shook his head, his tongue swiping along his chapped lips. "What's you're deal with the Danvers Organisation? They got you bad didn't they?"

"Relax, I'll tell you what you need to know when the time comes. You may see Kit as a hindrance but she's the only piece on the chess board that gets us closer to our objective." Knox jabbed his finger on the desk pushing Axel's leather gloves to him.

Axel grabbed his gloves and shoved them in his pocket. He smoothed the creases out of his white shirt as he rose from his seat. "And what's your objective?"

"Revenge, of course," Knox glanced over his shoulder, his hand hovering over the door handle. "Now I'd like a little alone time with the pretty little redhead."

"You know the terms of our agreement, no touching," Axel warned him, he followed Knox out of the office and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the vacant warehouse. He cursed under his breath and spun around to scan the room, his eyes falling on the doors.

Knox held a finger up to his lips hushing Axel, "curious little cat eh?" He smirked at the iron door, the light escaping his favourite room. Axel hung back as Knox walked to the other side, his back pressed against the wall as he peered into the room.

Kit studied each mannequin, her fingertips brushing the fabric as she passed them. He was captivated by the way she weaved in and out of the figures, her head tilting as she took it all in.

"The bodies are in the foundations of this warehouse, ptichka."

Kit turned to face him, "what did you call me?" She shouldered the beautiful ballerina beside her, all grace leaving the mannequin as it fell to the ground and knocked the rest of them over one by one.

She stepped over the bodies, bouncing lightly on the soles of her boots. Knox's eyes trailed up her lean legs, her muscles tensing as she rocked on the back of her heels. Only the gods could carve out such a woman of impact. She was a force to be reckoned with, her knuckles riddled with scars and reminders of each strike she fired.

A fighter.

No, she was a survivor....the worst kind. The stretched neckline of her jumper revealed the kiss of flames, puckered skin snaking up her throat from her collarbone. The sight burning the back of his throat. Knox was itching to trace the mark, to wipe the mascara stains under her eyes and twirl the loose strand of hair between his fingers but he couldn't. The heat lingered in his chest, the need to touch her crawling under his skin, taunting him for not acting on his desires.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, "ptichka." he leant down to her and breathed in her musky scent. His lips twitched in excitement as she inched closer and stared up at him.

Fire consumed her whole being. Scorching flames licking into curls around her heart-shaped face. Red was too dull a colour for a beauty like her; vermilion suited her better. Knox knew all too well that this woman was a spitfire, the flicker in her green eyes said it all. They were like moss covering the forest floor, slippery and hard to get a grip of, not the cliche shade of precious emeralds. She was a jewel all by herself, jagged edges that cut deep.

"Aren't you going to ask me those two questions?" Her silky voice sounded like a soothing melody.

Knox sighed, "you've already answered them without me asking," he said tucking a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing down her neck and settling on the puckered skin on her throat.

Her fingers twitched at her side as if she was aching to clench her fist and hit him in the face but she tapped them against her bare leg, her fingertips leaving a white mark on her olive skin for a second. "Then ask me two more."

"You look just like your mother, Victory." Knox gave into his urges and wrapped his hand around her throat, the itch to feel her skin under his fingers. He brushed his thumb over the puckered skin of her burns, her head jolting back but he dug his fingers into the nape of her neck keeping her close.

"If you knew my mother, you'd know how much I love a gun between my teeth." Her lips parted as if she was waiting for him to do it.

Knox laughed, his chest shaking. "I know more about you than you think, Victory." The girl was a challenge, a thrill he had long forgotten. He nudged the tip of his nose against her cheek trailing down to her shoulder.

"Then you know, I don't like being touched," she whispered and lifted her knee hitting him in the groin, his hand loosening from her throat. Kit stumbled away from him, massaging the red print he left on her neck.

"You know what they never tell you after you take a life?" he asked and she shook her head.

"The blood permanently stains you. No one tells you how you'll see the red coating your palms when you turn the bathroom light on in the middle of the night or the splatters decorating the mirror. That's what taking a loved one's life does to you. It's in your eyes, your attitude reeks of, kill me before I end them."

Kit stared up at him, her chest rising up and down with every word he spoke.

He closed the distance between them, his hand squeezing on her shoulder. "I know you so well because we both hide a dark secret, Axel hasn't even scraped the surface with you."

Kit shoved him back grabbing his shirt in her hands, the fabric twisting in her hold as she dragged him closer again. "You think you know me? Men like you could never understand, there are no heroes and villains in this world just nightmares. Loyalty doesn't matter in this type of war darling." Her chipped nails clawed at the figure-hugging shirt he wore as she tightened her hold on it.

"It's amazing what people will do to survive," Knox said glancing at Axel standing in the doorway.

"That's enough Knox."

Author note: Knox and Kit make a deadly duo...hope it wasn't too boring. 😈