A/N: So I just made the stupidest mistake ever! An AMAZING (and only, not that I'm complaining) reviewer pointed out in the last chapter that Lioness's name was Catalina (which is going to be my daughter's name), and that I had called her Katara! Oh gosh! I KNEW what Lioness's real name was, but I usually write only Avatar: The Last Airbender stories, and Zuko and Katara were the characters that I was going to use at first, but then I went back and rewrote the whole thing! Sometimes I just make dumb mistakes! Sorry if that confused anybody! I hope ya'll are enjoying the story so far! Hopefully LOVING IT! Enjoy! Continue to be awesome readers and awesome reviewers please!
Chapter 2: Anger
2 hours later…
Lioness felt so… good. Nothing had ever made her feel that great. Even men, even alcohol, even MONEY, didn't make her feel as good as she did in that moment.
For once in her life she was genuinely happy. Axel grabbed her waist and spun her out, but then caught her in his arms and pulled her as close to him as possible.
Axel's face turned a slight red color, but Lioness didn't know if it was from him blushing or from the flush of the alcohol.
"You're… You're not like anyone I've ever met before." Axel admitted, as he pulled her even closer. "I know that, that, that we just met, but I just feel like-." Axel stuttered and left his sentence hanging, his eyes twinkling as he starred down at her.
"Like I've known you my whole life?" Lioness offered, standing on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck so that they were swaying gently to the song. As the music played, Lioness realized that she had made an error in judgment.
She was dancing with a complete stranger, and she had no money. Lioness felt anger boil beneath the surface of her cool façade. If it wasn't for her damn stupid mother…
Lioness shook the thoughts away and placed her hands on Axel's chest. "If you were going to finish that sentence earlier with like I've known you my whole life, that would have been extremely tacky and cheesy." Lioness said. As soon as the words left her mouth she knew that it sounded stupid.
She also knew that it made no sense. With a sigh and shake of her head, she leaned away from Axel and looked around.
Immediately, she spotted her first customer. An older gentlemen was sitting down, starring at her. He looked to be about 48, and he had glittering jewels set by gold rings on all of his fingers.
He was watching her, and Lioness knew what she wanted. "Come here." Lioness whispered seductively to Axel. Even drunk, he knew that was uncharacteristic for her, and extremely random.
Lioness grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her. She was expecting a drunk sloppy kiss, but instead, his lips were soft and warm, but a little tense.
Lioness pulled him closer, and she felt him hesitantly place his hands on her waist. Lioness slowly lifted her ankle up Axel's leg, and then towards his thigh, and pulled him against her.
What happened next had never happened to her before.
With a jolt, Axel had pushed her gently away from him, and he was bent over, leaning on his knees.
No man had ever shoved her away, not when she was trying to seduce him! Or in Lioness's case, turn some older guy on.
"Stay away." He growled dangerously at her.
Lioness walked towards him, holding her arm out as if to touch him. "Axel?" She asked, concern laced in her voice.
When he didn't answer, Lioness placed her hand on his now sweaty face. She opened her mouth in shock as his large hand grasped her wrist and pulled her close to him.
Lioness blinked quickly, hiding the pain and fear in her eyes with a cold glare.
"I said. Stay. Away. From. Me." Axel ordered through gritted teeth, squeezing her arm so tightly that she knew she would have a purple bruise the next day.
"What's wrong with you?" Lioness hissed, trying to jerk away from him. When he didn't release her, she kneed him in the lower stomach. Angrily, Axel pulled Lioness's wrists to his chest and then hurled her backwards.
Lioness let out a small squawk of terror as she flew through the air. She expected to him the cold ground, but she was caught in someone's arms.
When Lioness looked up, she saw the face of the 48 year old man that had been watching her earlier.
'At least he has good aim." Lioness thought to herself as she looked up at Axel.
His blue eyes look shiny, as if he was about to cry, probably upset or angry with her. As he walked towards her, she wanted to stand to her feet and punch him so hard that he bled on impact.
Unfortunately, she knew that older men liked to protect younger women, and feel young and strong themselves, so Lioness screamed and cowered in the man's arms, grabbing onto him like she was being murdered.
"Get out before I make you." The older man threatened Axel. Axel starred at Lioness, and then back at the man.
"Come to room 507 tonight, Lioness, please." Axel stated quietly, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Lioness furiously shook his head, and closed her eyes, wishing him away. Apparently something was wrong with him, and he needed help. She couldn't believe that she had felt something for him earlier, as unstable as he obviously was.
Lioness looked up at the man who was still holding her. She wanted to sigh for about the eighth time in a one hour period, but she resisted, and embraced the actress in her.
"I'm sorry, but if you don't mind, can I stay in your room tonight, sir? I'm afraid that he may come back to hurt me, even more than he did." Lioness begged, laying it on thick like most men liked it.
"Of course you can." The man smiled, his teeth slightly yellow. Lioness resisted the urge to cringe at his voice, or stare at the deep frown of wrinkles on his face.
The man stood to his feet, and then lifted Lioness to her's. Lioness stood up with her knees a little farther apart than normal and saw him smile again.
Lioness felt bile rise in her throat. You'd think she'd be used to it by now, but being someone else instead of yourself every day was pretty tiring. As they trudged up the stairs, Lioness acted like she was about to fall and grasped the man's hand.
"You ok little lady?" The man asked.
Lioness nodded, her voice shaking as she said, "Yes, I think so."
Lioness closed her eyes and let her mind drift elsewhere as she was led to the man's dark, soon to be candlelight, room. She would just fake it until she made it.
Lioness tucked the money, and jewels, into her bra as she walked towards the door. "Leaving already?" The sleepy man asked as she reached the door.
"Yes, I am. Thanks." She whispered coolly, as she bent down and adjusted her shoes.
"Don't be so cold. You weren't so cold a minute ago." The man said, in what he thought, was a sexy and husky voice.
As he reached for her, Lioness jumped towards the door.
"Don't touch me." She said in a sing song voice.
"I just paid you! You do what I say!" The man shouted angrily, grabbing her shiny brown hair and yanking her backwards.
Lioness fell over the edge of the bed, and whacked her cheek on the bedpost.
Lioness didn't want to hurt the man, and attempted to just crawl away instead of punching his lights out.
The man thought she was weak (A/N: When really she was sparring him. Ever seen Lioness fight?) and grabbed her arm suddenly, and Lioness hit him with a round house kick to the face. He stumbled backward and fell on the floor rubbing his face.
"I said don't touch me." Lioness said as her parting line and she pulled open the door.
An arm reached around her and slammed the door. Lioness opened her mouth to scream, to just show weakness, but his large hands were over her throat in seconds.
Lioness went to kick him, but he took a step back and lifted her back so that it was midway up the door.
Lioness clutched at his hands that were on her throat, and gasped, her mouth in the form of a silent scream.
This had only happened to her once, and she had accidently caused the man memory loss and head trauma. But this man was stronger, and he would kill her if he could.
Lioness wildly looked around as black spots appeared in her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do capoeira while still!
Lioness launched a series of kicks at the man with her lean legs, and they hit their mark every time, but he barely flinched.
Lioness then decided to try a new tactic as her vision faded to black. She began to furiously kick her feet against the door.
"STOP THAT!" The man yelled as he clenched her neck tighter and tossed her into the dresser.
Lioness thought that her spine would break under the pressure, but she bounced against it and landed face down on the floor.
She was too weak to fight, she felt like she was dying, and she was done. Her life was horrible, worth nothing.
And from all of the homes she'd wrecked, and lives that she'd ruined, she deserved this.
Lioness strained to lift her head and saw the man's feet walking towards her. She exhaled and collapsed her upper body back to the floor.
Lioness just let the man grab her by the waist and throw her over his broad shoulder. As she was carried to the balcony, where she would no doubt be thrown over the railing, there was a pound on the door.
"Is everyone alright in there?" A rich voice questioned.
"Tell them to be quiet! I need my beauty rest!" A male voice complained loudly.
"Relax! Shake the sand outta your shorts, dude! Someone could really be hurt in there." A concerned voice ordered, apparently annoyed with his friend.
"Damn!" Her soon to be murderer exclaimed, as he looked around on where to stuff Lioness's body. (A/N: He thought that she was dead, and that he had beaten her to death, because she had gone limp.)
"We're coming in!" The first guy explained, and the next thing Lioness knew, she was being showered with wooden shards.
"Drop her. Now." The man who apparently had superhuman strength said.
The man who was trying to kill her dropped her to the floor, and the strong man who had busted down the door grabbed him and dragged him out of the suite.
The other two men rushed into the room, one still complaining about how he needed his beauty sleep, but they stopped once they saw her.
"Wow, she's hot!" Beauty sleep guy exclaimed in shock.
"That's not important right now, Hawk!" The other guy corrected.
"Sorry." Hawk said as he scurried to Lioness's side.
The other guy, who had blonde hair, Lioness realized when she opened her eyes, pushed her so that she was in a sitting position.
"Thanks." Lioness murmured.
The guys understood and nodded in response.
"How are you going to pay us, well me, back?" Hawk cheekily grinned at his joke.
Lioness glared at him in response, and moved to stand up by herself, but her legs buckled beneath her and the ground rushed up to meet her.
Two arms grabbed her on either side, and she lifted bridal style. She felt her head uncontrollably roll itself to one side and a wave of dizziness overtook her.
"She doesn't look good." The blonde haired, blue eyed guy obviously stated.
"What do we do? Shark, What do we do?" Hawk panicked, almost dropping the small girl by the name of Lioness.
The guy with the blue eyes and blonde hair, named Shark, breathed calmly.
"Chill, dude! Let's just take her to Axel. He always fixes his own wounds!" Shark offered.
Apparently Hawk silently agreed because the next thing Lioness knew, she was being carried easily down the hallway to room 507, the one room that she wanted to stay away from.
She could not argue at the moment, as she suddenly felt sleepy. In a few seconds, she was unconscious once again.
Lioness blinked open her eyes slowly. She looked around and observed her surroundings. She was in a very nice first class suite. There were two king sized beds in that room, and she was lying on one. The sheets were feather soft, and the bedspread warm.
When she turned her head, Lioness saw the bathroom door was slightly ajar. She could see a bath tub and shower fit for any 1st class family, and a grand ornate sink.
Lioness smiled. She had never been somewhere this nice. Maybe one day she'd be able to afford it.
Lioness's face slipped into a scowl. She knew deep down that she'd never be able to afford this fancy suite.
Actually, now that she thought about it, how DID Axel afford this room? He said that he didn't have a family, and he was MAYBE 19. How could he get enough money for this suite?
"Do you know who did this to her?" Lioness heard Axel ask angrily.
"It's taken care of Axel, and I'm not telling you!" The voice that Lioness recognized as the super strong guy that had practically saved her life earlier, said in a tone of finality.
"King, I lost control earlier… with her." Axel admitted quietly.
"Oh no! You didn't hurt her-." King asked, alarm in his voice.
Axel cut him off though. "Of course I didn't… well not really. I got myself under control in time, but I did throw her."
"You need to go back to counseling, Axel." King whispered quietly.
There was a long pause of silence. That's when Lioness decided to speak.
"Axel?" Lioness croaked, her voice dry from lack of air still.
Lioness only blinked once before Axel was at her bedside.
He grasped her hand tightly in his, and Lioness had flashbacks of the sweet dance that they had shared earlier.
Their eyes met each other's and Lioness flinched as he reached his hand out towards her face.
He didn't seem to mind though, because he knew and she knew that she had a right to back away from him.
Axel placed his hand gently on Lioness's cheek, and circled his long index finger around a purple bruise that was forming.
"Lioness, I'm disaster. Nothing but trouble. I have so many… issues that I need to work out. I was always taught that to make someone listen to you, you had to attack them first. I'm so sorry." Azel apologized and explained.
Lioness said nothing, but she gently smiled when Axel laid his pretty head on the edge of the bed, and didn't let go of her tanned hand.
"I'm a prostitute, Axel. I left my family in Brazil to come to America so that I could start my own life because I thought that I deserved more. But I came over here when I was 15, and I didn't have any money, hardly any clothes, but I thought that I'd make something of myself and be a star!" Lioness rambled and confided in Axel.
Axel smiled a sad smile at her.
"I think that we may be perfect." Axel said quietly as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Lioness blinked at his blunt statement. Everyone that she had met had never been that honest with her.
Axel continued to stare at her, and Lioness wondered what was coming next.
Axel's eyes went from admiration to concern as he starred at her.
"I'll get you some water." Axel volunteered as he stood up.
Before she knew what she was doing, Lioness had Axel's wrist in her hand.
"Please don't leave. I'm not that thirsty. I'll drink water tomorrow, I promise." Lioness begged.
She had always been independent, but now she was DEPENDENT, on Axel. She needed him around.
Lioness knew that their relationship was already complicated by the events of the past day, but she didn't care. She wanted him anyway, no matter what.
Axel smiled at her, but gently pulled his wrist from her petite hand.
"I'll be right back." He promised and Lioness nodded.
He was true to his promise and he was back in about 30 seconds with a huge glass of water.
After she drank it down and was satisfied, Axel turned out the light.
As the brown haired, blue eyed man grabbed a pillow from the other king sized bed, Lioness watched his figure move in the dark. Briefly, she wondered what his story was, but then she decided against asking. They both needed their rest that night.
As Axel made a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor that was as near to her as possible, Lioness felt bad. He was giving up his own comfort for her's, a girl that he didn't even know. And all because she had told him not to leave her by herself.
She had to repay him, but not the way she repaid the men at her job. (A/N Prostitution people by the way.)
"Axel, do you want to sleep in this bed… with me?" Lioness meekly questioned. She was surprised when she felt his weight on the other side of the bed.
He slept so that his back was to her, but Lioness wanted him closer. In a bold move, Lioness scotched painfully closer until she was hitting distance from his muscular back.
Lioness placed her hand on his back and gently said his name. He turned around to face her, and she slithered her arms around his waist.
She could see his eyes moving rapidly as he weighed his options. In a few seconds, he cautiously wrapped his arms around her slim waist.
Lioness sighed at the feeling of closeness and affection, and he chuckled lightly.
Lioness had nightmares at least once a night, but that night, she dreams of herself in a white, well ivory dress, and the young man beside her in a tux, holding his hand out for her at the end of an altar.
She knew that she was moving too fast, and that she just met him and shouldn't feel so strongly about him already, but it was too late.
Fate had brought them together, and it would never tear them apart.
At least that's what Lioness hoped because she needed him, and she hoped that he needed her too.
Her heart lurched when he pulled her closer to him and he began snoring.
Lioness wanted to giggle, but then a gasp of pain came out of her mouth.
Apparently, she had hurt her ribs. When Lioness looked down, she finally realized that she was in an oversized t-shirt and Bermuda shorts.
When she lifted her, well Axel's shirt, she saw that bandages were wrapped around her rib cage.
Lioness felt like she was falling even faster for him, and love filled her eyes as she starred at his beautiful face in the moonlight darkness.
That night, the sound of the ocean waves lured her to sleep.
A/n: Sorry, I know this chapter was LONG and probably boring. Makes me sad because I thought it was going to turn out really good but it just turned out ok. Sorry If I disappointed! If you like it, review nicely please. If you don't please keep reading and give me another chance! Love ya! *blows kisses*