Axel: The Chaos Demons MC, page 1
Axel
The Chaos Demons
Nicola Jane
Copyright © 2023 by Nicola Jane.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.K. copyright law.
Meet The Team
Cover Designer: Wingfield Designs
Editor: Rebecca Vazquez, Dark Syde Books
Proofreader: Jackie Ziegler, Dark Syde Books
Formatting: Nicola Miller
Disclaimer
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any similarities are entirely coincidental.
Spelling Note
Please note, this author resides in the United Kingdom and is using British English. Therefore, some words may be viewed as incorrect or spelled incorrectly, however, they are not.
Please Take Note
This book contains triggers for violence, explicit scenes, and some dirty talking bikers. If any of this offends you, put your concerns in writing to the club's president, Axel, he’ll get back to you . . . maybe.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all my wonderful readers—you rock!
Contents
Playlist
The Chaos Demons
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
A Look Inside Punish - OUT NOW
A Note from the Author
Social Media
Books by Nicola Jane
Playlist
Hurricane - Luke Combs
What Now - Rihanna
Demons - Imagine Dragons
Every Breath You Take - The Police
greedy - Tate McRae
Just a Fool - Christina Aguilera ft. Blake Shelton
Mercy - Brett Young
Love Is Blind - Nate Smith
How You Remind Me - Nickelback
breathin - Ariana Grande
What Now - Rihanna
Someday - Nickelback
Stay - Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
Still into You - Paramore
Chapter One
LEXI
I clink glasses with Verity. “Congratulations, and although we’ll be so sad to see you leave, you totally deserve this break in your career.”
I smile, sipping my glass of cheap fizz. “It’s not forever.”
“And you won’t get lonely. My sister is a total blast,” Ben adds.
I smile gratefully. He arranged for his sister and her friends to take me under their wings when I arrive in Manchester tomorrow. I’ve lived my entire life here in Nottingham, but I’ve finally had the break I’ve been wanting. The top dogs in Manchester requested me personally. Me! My sergeant, Grace, told me she was singing my praises when they called to ask about me, but I’d like to think they decided on me because of my hard work on the police force over the last four years.
When I first joined up, I made it no secret I wanted to work for a bigger force. London, Manchester, anywhere with a big city. The thought of busy crowds and bustling night life appealed to me, and although London is the dream, this is certainly a step in the right direction. “It won’t be long before we’re calling you ‘ma’am’,” adds Verity with a laugh.
I roll my eyes. “I think I’ll need a few more years behind me before that happens.”
I get home an hour later and let myself into the three-bed, semi-detached house I share with my dad.
I find him in the kitchen cooking, and I smile when I peer into the pan he’s stirring and see he’s making my favourite, leek and potato soup. I give him a kiss on the cheek. “When you said you were going for a drink after work, I assumed you’d be out late,” he says, checking his watch. “Eight o’clock is a new record for you.”
“I’ve still got to pack,” I remind him. It’s all been very last minute, with the call to request my transfer being just a few days ago.
He continues to stir, not moving his eyes from the soup, and asks, “You’re sure about this, right, Lex?”
I get two bowls from the cupboard and place them on the side. “We’ve been over this.”
“It just seems so rushed. And Manchester is so . . . huge.”
I grin. “I’m a big girl, Dad. I can handle it.”
He ladles soup into the bowls, and I carry them to the table, where he joins me. “What if you get lost?”
“What if I don’t?” I taste the soup and close my eyes in pure bliss. He’s the best home cook ever.
“I have enough sleepless nights as it is and you’re here. I don’t know how I’ll cope when you’re there.”
I take pity on him and give his hand a sympathetic squeeze. “I’ll call you after every shift, or at least send a text. I’m good at my job, and there’ll be the same crime there, just more of it. And I stand more of a chance cli—”
“Climbing the ranks,” he cuts in, laughing. “I know, I know, you keep telling me. But what’s wrong with staying as you are?”
I place my spoon down and stare him in the eye. “What’s really going on, Dad?”
He takes a minute before sighing. “What if you see her?”
This time, I take both his hands in my own. “What are the chances of that happening? It’s a huge place, and even if I did, she wouldn’t recognise me now.” He nods, but his expression tells me he’s still worrying I might bump into my mother. The woman who abandoned us sixteen years ago, leaving Dad to raise me single handedly. “Anyway, we don’t even know if she’s still in Manchester. We don’t even know if she’s still alive. And I can’t spend my entire life here, with you, just so you can protect me from her.”
I’ve spent years wondering who she is now, if she’s got a new family, and wondering why she never came to find me. But since joining the force, it’s taken my focus from her, and I wouldn’t want to see her these days, even if she called. I’ve got my Dad, and that’s all I need, all I’ve ever needed.
He gives his shoulders a shake and releases a breath. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking like this. This is an exciting opportunity for you, and I really am happy. I’m just gonna miss you so much.”
AXEL
I drop my cigarette and crush it under my heavy boot while releasing the smoke from my lungs. I push off the wall and cross the street, heading towards The Zen Den, a massage parlour owned and ran by my club, The Chaos Demons.
Chas is on the front desk, and she glances up as I enter and plasters a huge, forced smile on her face. “Pres,” she greets, coming around the desk to kiss me on the cheek. “What brings you here so early?”
“You look nervous, Chas,” I state, stepping around her and parting the tacky door beads to peer into the back room.
Three girls are lounging around in underwear. They all look strung out, not one of them bothering to look up as I enter. Chas is right behind me, clapping her hands to get their attention. “Look lively, ladies,” she snaps.
“What are they on?” I ask.
“Axel, I don’t know what they take before they turn up here.”
“Get them out of here,” I snap, stepping farther into the room.
“But they’re needed. It’s Thursday night, and we always get busy on a Thursday.”
“Did I stutter?” I growl, moving through the room to the next.
I stand in the doorway to the kitchenette and take in the mess. Dishes are stacked up with old food rotting away. There’re empty vodka bottles carelessly discarded. It’s a tiny space, but one the punters have to go through to get to the stairs. I groan before swiping at the stacked dishes so they topple, smashing against the wall.
Chas flinches before turning back to the lifeless girls. “Someone clean this shit up. Now!”
“How many girls have you got up there tonight?” I ask, turning to face her.
“Six.”
“Are they all strung out on some shit too?”
“Maybe, I don’t know.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You’re in charge,” I snap. “You should know.”
Grizz, my Vice President, steps into the room and takes in the state of the girls. He arches a brow then looks in my direction. “Thought you said meet at nine?” he asks, checking his watch.
“I got here early.”
“I see the clean-up’s begun,” he adds, smirking at the broken plates.
We’re interrupted when a man looking to be in his late sixties, comes down the stairs followed by one of our girls who’s still naked. She’s staggering like she’s drunk, and her hair hangs limp in her face. Bruises cover her sagging tits, and there’s a string of red bruises around her neck which look to be love bites. I glare at Grizz with wide ‘what the fuck’ eyes, and he shrugs.
“You need me to handle these thugs, Chas?” the man asks, his voice croaky from too much smoking.
“No, thanks, Dave, you get on your way, and we’ll see you tomorrow as usual,” she replies, patting him on the shoulder and leading him out.
“You won’t see him tomorrow. This place is closed for re-staffing,” I snap.
She swings her head back around to glare at me. “What?”
“I didn’t fucking stutter that time, Chas. Get everyone down here. I need to see the state of the others.”
Half an hour later, I’m back in the clubhouse and calling church. I don’t like anything I’ve seen in the last twenty-four hours, and my men need to know things are going to change.
I wait for them to settle before slamming the gavel on the old oak table to get their attention.
“What kind of fucking shitshow are we running here?” I ask, and before anyone can give me some smart answer that’ll just piss me off further, I add, “Cos so far, I don’t like anything I’ve seen. I've got bookies giving out credit. Fucking credit to gamblers!” I yell. “I've got whores so fucking high on drugs, they’re not capable of walking let alone sucking cock. No wonder we’re not making money.”
“Pres.” We all turn to stare at Cash, and he suddenly looks unsure of what he was about to say. But I nod, pushing him to continue. “With all due respect, you and Grizz have been gone a long time, and we did the best we could, but with Ice in charge, it was bound to be a fuck-up.”
I take a steadying breath. He’s right, Ice is a complete fuck-up, but there wasn’t shit I could do about it while I was in prison. Ice was the VP to my father, Tank, who had been battling cancer for the last year. He lost his battle just a few months ago, leaving Ice to continue in my absence.
“There are enough men in this club to run some businesses,” I snap. “It doesn’t just fall on Ice.”
The door opens and Ice strolls in. I arch a brow and fold my arms over my chest, waiting to hear his excuse this time. It’s the third time he’s showed up late this week, and in my eyes, that’s a show of disrespect. “Nice of you to join us,” I snap.
He gives an easy grin. “I was balls deep in Foxy.”
I give Grizz another ‘what the fuck’ glare, and again, he shrugs, shaking his head. “Sit the fuck down,” I order, and he does, not looking bothered by my tone. “Who’s supplying the girls at Zen?” I ask.
“That would be Nick Matthews,” says Ice.
I frown. “Why does his name ring a bell?”
“It should, he’s big time these days. He runs half the streets around here with his drugs.”
“Get me a sample,” I say. “I wanna know what’s in the shit he’s pushing to my girls.”
“And what do you plan on doing when you find out?” asks Ice with a smirk.
“I plan on taking over.”
Chapter Two
LEXI
The fully furnished flat I managed to rent is perfect. It’s a ten-minute drive from the police station and well within my price budget. After I sign for the keys, the letting agent leaves, and the first thing I do is explore.
The flat is one of five in an old, converted Victorian-style house. My flat consists of one bedroom, a kitchen, and a small living room. It’s perfect for me until I find my feet here.
I don’t have time to unpack properly as I have a meeting with my new sergeant to discuss shift patterns and maybe meet who I’ll be partnered up with. So, I shower and dress in jeans and a shirt then head out, deciding to walk to the station to get to know the area a little better.
I’m rounding the corner when I hear the rumble of motorbikes. It’s so loud, I wince, and as they crawl past, the biker at the front turns his head to look at me. I don’t catch a glimpse of his face as his helmet has the visor down, but he stares right until he gets to the end of my street before turning right and disappearing out of view. It brings back memories of my childhood, before Dad rescued me, and I shudder.
The station is busy. Way busier than my old station in Nottingham. I go to the desk and introduce myself, telling the officer I’m there for a meeting. I’m let in through the side door and led up the stairs to the offices, where a woman in a suit greets me in the corridor. “Alexia?” I nod, and she holds out her hand, which I shake. “Pleased to finally meet you. I’m Chief Superintendent Karen Taylor.” She shows me into a board-style room with a large table and points to a seat. I lower into it, and she sits opposite me.
“I hope you don’t mind, some of my colleagues will be joining us shortly.”
“Oh. Am I interviewing?” I ask, suddenly feeling nervous. “I was told I didn’t need to interview, that they wanted me on merit, so I’m not properly prepared.”
“No. They’ll be bringing you up to speed on the position we’re offering.”
I frown. “I thought that was all sorted. Isn’t it a straight transfer for six months?”
She hesitates, then she smiles past me to two men who enter the room and seat themselves near the head of the table. I stand and shake hands as Karen introduces them as Commander Ian Smithe and Assistant Commissioner Alan Collinson. I suddenly feel out of my depth, unsure why these men from the top of the chain need to speak to me about a police constable role.
We all sit down, and Smithe opens a blue paper file. I see my picture clipped to the top. “Alexia Cooper,” he begins. “Daughter of Gary Cooper, a lorry driver from Nottingham and Deborah Stevens, a drug addict from Manchester.”
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I say, and my voice comes out much quieter than I want it to.
“You once lived here in Manchester?” asks Collinson.
“When I was a lot younger. I left when I was seven.”
“And you’ve lived in Nottingham since?” I nod. “Do you have any contact with your mother?”
“No.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” Smithe asks.
I glance at Karen, who looks uncomfortable. “Am I missing something?” I ask. “Because I thought I came here for a role as a police officer?”
“The last time?” Smithe repeats.
I sigh. “When I left sixteen years ago.”
“Do you think you’d recognise her again if you saw her in the street?”
I shrug. “I have no idea.”
He slides a picture from the file towards me, and I stare at it. My heart stutters at the sight of my mother. Her face is exactly how I remember it, just older and more tired. I slide it away. “What is this?”
“What we’re about to tell you stays in this room,” says Smithe, “You’re not here for a standard policing role.”
AXEL
Grizz props his feet up on my desk and leans back in the chair. “You think the men are happy with the new roles?” he asks.
I shrug. I couldn’t give a shit. I’m running the club my way. “They have two choices—deal with it or fuck off.”
“Come on, Ax, you don’t mean that. Some of these guys have been loyal to your dad. They’re a good bunch, they just need some clear guidance.”
“And Ice?” I ask, arching a brow.
He grins. “Well, Ice is completely pissed about his demotion, but he’s disguising it well.” We both laugh, knowing Ice is taking it pretty hard he’s no longer VP. “He’s definitely one I wouldn’t mind seeing the back of.”
Grizz slides his feet from the desk and leans forwards, propping his elbows there instead. “So, let’s talk changes.” I pull out my notes, and he smirks. “You write?”
“I do a lot of things now I’m in charge.”
His smile fades. “We spent so long thinking about this day, I don’t think I ever believed it’d come.”
“Don’t get all sentimental on me, Grizz. You know I hate emotions.” I open my notes. “New girls.”
“Now, that’s one I’m on board with.”
“Put the word out we need ten girls in Zen. I want them clean, hardworking, and keen. Maybe go over to the Kings’ patch and offer their girls a better deal.”
