Chapter Thirty Two
I should’ve known Thiago couldn’t be trusted with an audience. I left Avery alone in the library for not even twenty minutes, grabbing us some snacks from the kitchen. In one aspect, we have the run of the mansion around Sharon’s many outings, whether it be business meetings or shopping trips she’s using to occupy her time. I suspect if it weren’t for our presence, she’d be home more often. Garrett and Wyatt cross my path, heading to the gym for another round of sparring. Hux is currently helping Axel with some gentle physio under the watchful eye of Dr. Marcus.
Tray in one hand, I stumble back through the library doors, drawn in by Avery’s laughter. Such a sweet, pure sound that I didn’t realize I’d been missing until it filtered through the hallways. She’s exactly where I left her, curled up on the library’s velvet sofa, her legs tucked under her. The book she was previously reading is now on her thigh, forgotten about in favor of giggling at whatever story my dear cousin is currently butchering. Her eyes light up even more when she sees me, not even trying to hide her amusement.
“Speak of the devil,” Thiago sniggers, lounging in an oversized armchair across from Avery, arms spread wide like a king telling war stories. “Were your ears burning? I was just telling your girl about that summer we decided to start our own side hustle.”
“Welcome back,” Avery grins mischievously, patting the cushion beside her. I place the tray on the low coffee table, smacking Thiago’s hand away when he tries to reach for a churro. The set-up of dunking chocolate and caramel seems much less romantic with my cousin leering over it. I cautiously sit, reclining back with a sinking feeling in my chest. Of all the things I wanted Avery to know about me, none of them will include whatever Thiago must be recounting.
“Apparently, you fancied yourself as quite the entrepreneur.” Avery bobs her eyebrows. She curls into me on instinct, pushing her sock-clad feet beneath my thigh. I force a smile, swallowing past the lump in my throat. Trust Avery to put a spin on everything to put me in a positive light. My memory is more jaded by a pair of hungry children who scammed people to help put food on the table. Like me, Thiago was the man of his household, even at the ripe age of eleven.
“We were con artists. Although geniuses might be a more appropriate description.” Thiago chuckles, remembering our past much more favorably.
“Well, come on then, someone needs to spill.” Avery looks between the two of us, but her stare lingers on me for a beat longer. I let out a weighted sigh, tracing absent circles on the inside of Avery’s wrist. I remind myself to get her bracelet back from Axel at some point.
“We’d steal empty spray bottles from the convenience store, fill them with tap water, slap a label on them that said holy water, and sell them outside the church.” Avery’s mouth drops open as she stares at me wide-eyed.
“No.”
“Oh yes,” Thiago grins. Suddenly, she’s laughing again, a breathless sound that rattles through her whole frame. “Dax, that’s so bad.” Despite her accusation, her body is warm and soft where she leans against me, squeezing my knee with little touches of acceptance. My past isn’t something I bring up often since there are not many happy memories to reflect on, and in her own small way, Avery is reassuring me that her opinion won’t change.
“We were providing a service,” I argue, letting a smirk shine through. “People were desperate for that holy water.” Thiago snorts.
“They wanted to bless their homes, not to spray their furniture with whatever came out of the gas station tap.” Avery gasps and tilts her head, delight sparkling in her blue eyes .
“How did you not get caught?”
Thiago leans forward, elbows on his knees, as he sneaks a churro after all. “Oh, we did. One of the older ladies caught on when her home started smelling like a sewer. She tried to kill us with her cane.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, my cheeks burning.
“She nearly took my arm off, and her tiny dog held a grudge. Chased us every time we walked past.”
“I never understood how that damn chihuahua managed to escape that fence every single time.” Thiago takes a bite of his food. Reaching down, he lifts the leg of his jeans to reveal the tiny scars peppering his ankles. “That yappy little demon needs holy water more than anything. How come it never seemed to bite you?” It’s my turn to grunt this time.
“I was faster.”
Thiago chuckles, shaking his head. “Didn’t stop your screaming, though. The dog was barking, you were screaming, and I swear, the whole neighborhood was watching.” Avery loses it, her head dropping back on the sofa. She grips my arm as she laughs, a full-bodied sound I can’t help but mimic. It was stupid of me to think anything Avery heard in this room would matter. She loves me for who I am now, not the toerag I once was. Her words are broken, heaved out between her hysterics.
“I cannot picture you two menaces running from an angry old lady and her dog.”
“Her demon,” Thiago corrects, holding up his index finger. Avery shakes her head and wipes at her eyes, still giggling. My cousin’s pale eyes are alight with amusement, reveling in the way Avery is responding to his stories. Another feeling that is neither distress nor humor arises, that lump in my throat subsiding.
“Oh, there’s plenty more where that came from, Querida.” Thiago smirks at me, knowing exactly what he’s doing. I narrow my eyes, my jaw tensing. “There was the time we headed to the docks and offered to wash the boats for cheap.”
“That’s enough of that,” I interject, sitting forward. Avery’s legs are dislodged, and she’s forced to straighten, but I’m too focused on removing the tray from Thiago’s reach. “Don’t you have some work to be doing?”
“Aww, don’t be a grouch, Dax,” Avery pouts, her hands on my shoulders. “I could listen to this all day.” I give her a side glance, assessing her wicked smile. I know she could, and that’s the problem.
“I’d rather you were kissing me all day,” I return her grin. She seems to like that idea, and Thiago huffs, just like I knew he would.
“Fine, be boring love birds. I’ll just go back to my hole,” Thiago stands. I feel a small pang of guilt until he snatches the tray from my hands. “And I’m taking this with me.” I let him go, deciding to pull him up for his shit-stirring later. As he slips between the polished mahogany shelves towering around us, seemingly going back to looking for whatever book brought him in here, I turn into Avery’s waiting hug.
Her arms slide around my neck as I sink into her embrace, my fragile fingers pressing into the small of her back. They throb slightly but I don’t retract them, too wrapped up in finally being about to hold my girl properly again. Avery is still warm with laughter, her breath light against my jaw as she tilts her head up, blue eyes bright and searching. I don’t hesitate. I cup her cheek, letting my thumb trace the soft curve of her cheek before leaning in, brushing my lips over hers in a slow, deliberate kiss. Avery sighs against my mouth, her fingers threading through my hair as she angles herself closer, her chest pressing against mine.
The library around us fades, the scent of aged books and the scuffing of Thiago’s sneakers melting away. I inhale Avery’s vanilla scent, drawing her deep into my lungs and further into my heart. I crave these moments when we’re alone, when she gets to be solely mine.
Her hands slip lower, gripping the fabric of my shirt like she never wants to let go either, and I groan against her mouth, pulling her onto my lap. She moves easily, her thighs framing mine, her weight settling onto me. The velvet of the sofa is soft beneath us, but it’s nothing compared to the silk of her skin as my palm skims up her spine, drawing shivers in its wake. I press a trail of kisses along her jaw, down the column of her throat, relishing the way she tilts her head back to give me more.
“I’ve always loved you,” I murmur as my lips brush over her pulse. “Even before I knew you.”
“I’m all yours, Dax,” Avery sighs against me. Our mouths collide again and again, the speed of my pulse increasing. I could have Avery like this forever and never tire of her lips, her body or her mind. She’s beautiful in every possible way.
Pushing against my chest so I’m forced to lie back and look up at her, Avery tilts her brow over her large, curious eyes. “What does querida mean?” My hands clench on her waist automatically, a sudden pain shooting up my fingers but I manage to ignore it.
“Something my cousin shouldn’t be calling you.” I raise my hips to grind against her, tightening my hold. Avery doesn’t miss the move, my jealousy reigniting something in her blue gaze. Her smile is full of trouble, disappearing as she leans in to lick a path across my throat.
“You don’t call me pet names in Portuguese,” she nibbles my earlobe. A choked sound escapes my lips, punctuated by my hips snapping again to push my hardening cock against her center.
“Are you complaining?” I turn my head, capturing her lips bruisingly this time. Where I usually provide gentle strokes, my hands grip Avery’s thighs in a demanding hold, dragging her along my length. She meets each roll of my hips, rubbing my shaft through my sweatpants, creating a weeping mess in my boxers. Tremors roll down my arms as I hold back, reminding myself that I’m not this type of man for her. She has enough egotistical assholes to deal with.
Pulling back, I breathe a few times, forcing myself to fill the heated silence. “Thi and his mom came to the US much later, so she only spoke Portuguese with him at home. I was born here, and my mom wanted me to be more Westernized. She was worried about me fitting in, so we made an effort to always speak in English.”
Avery nods, and although I know she was only teasing, she looks at me with fresh eyes. I let her explore my face with her gaze and her hands, happy to give her the time to work through whatever is going on in her beautiful mind. Perhaps Thiago has given her a new opinion of me, but she’s still here. Still smiling at me as if I’m special.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, trailing my fingers over her thighs. Avery chews on her lip, contemplating her answer.
“You’ve never needed anything from me.”
“I need many things from you, Swan. And you provide them all.” I reply instantly. Reaching up, I curl a hand around her nape, and she melts into my touch. There’s a small shake of her head, dislodging the hair from behind her ears .
“No, not like the others. You haven’t needed help to heal with anything.” I smile at this. It’s in Avery’s nature to help people, to feel the need to fix them. Tugging her closer, I let our breath mingle and lips toy with each other.
“I made peace with my demons a long time ago. I know who I am and what I have to give you. It’s not money or muscle, but I’m pretty sure it’s something you crave. Love and care, my complete understanding and attention.”
“That’s all I want,” Avery breathes. Our mouths crash together, a merging of passion and promise. Since the day I met Avery, I’ve never faltered in my feelings or needed clarity. She’s the epitome of everything my mom raised me to look for in a partner, and who she helped to prepare me for.
Avery’s tongue skates over mine as a sharp knock sounds at the open door. We both look aside, although I’m half expecting Thiago to be there, creating a diversion before he ducks out. Instead, the elderly butler is standing in his usual black and white uniform, his eyes strictly on the bookshelves ahead.
“Your presence is required in the dining hall this evening. Dinner will be served at seven sharp. Formal dress is compulsory.”
Avery exhales harshly against my lips, her fingers still tangled in my hair as she pulls back just enough to glance at the butler. I sense she’s about to say something unsavory, but she doesn’t get the chance. The butler turns on his heel, his expression unreadable as he leaves.
Avery shifts in my lap, trailing her hands down my arms before she sighs. “Guess we will have to revisit this later.” I nod, rubbing circles over her hip before reluctantly letting her slide off me. Our bodies are a far cry from the languid state we were just in, our spines and shoulders stiff. I smooth a hand around Avery’s waist, keeping her close as we storm into the hallway, colliding with a pair of very sweaty figures.
Wyatt and Garrett are scowling, their jaws set and their shirts damp with sweat. Wyatt is stretching his shoulder, his green eyes sharpening when they land on Avery before flicking to me. Garrett, as always, is the first to speak.
“The only thing that would lighten my mood right now is finding out the butler walked in on the two of you fucking over the fairy fiction.” He slings an arm over Avery’s shoulders. She rolls her eyes but doesn’t shake him off.
“Sharon doesn’t have a section specifically for fairy porn,” I mutter, mostly to myself.
Wyatt’s gaze flickers between us before he exhales, rubbing his knuckles over his jaw. “We’re being bossed around for dinners now?”
“We’re not doing anything until we’ve spoken to Axel,” Avery grits out. Those recent smiles are nowhere to be seen, tension holding her painfully rigid.
Wyatt nods, and the four of us move through the sprawling hallways of the mansion, a heavy silence pressing in. When we reach Axel’s door, I knock once before pushing it open. Inside, Axel is perched on the edge of his bed, stretching his arm in slow, measured movements under Huxley’s watchful eye. The Doc isn’t present anymore, but the room smells faintly of antiseptic and a trace of his cologne. Axel glances up, a furrow forming between his brows.
“What’s wrong?”
“The butler called for a formal dinner tonight,” Avery explains. “Has anything been said to you?” Axel and Huxley shake their heads, but Wyatt strides forward, his sharp eyes catching something on the bedside table. Sitting neatly beside the lamp is a thick envelope embossed with a dark wax seal. After giving Hux a curious look and receiving a shrug in response, Wyatt reaches for it cautiously. He slides a card out, quickly scanning the words on its surface. A sigh deflates his chest, his eyes lifting to the ceiling.
“This isn’t from Sharon,” he growls. I cross the room in time with Garrett and Avery, leaning forward to read the name scrawled across the bottom in an elegant, practiced hand. Richard Barrett. Gare snorts, swiping the card from Wyatt’s hand.
“What a cockwaffle. As if we’re going to attend a dinner hosted by the she-devil’s husband. Did he really think?—”
“I’m going,” Axel says all of a sudden. The atmosphere in the room turns glacial, as if any breath harsh enough could shatter it. We’re all staring at Axel, our eyes bugging out of our heads, but he’s not looking. His focus is on his feet, his fingers flexing and unflexing against his thighs like he’s trying to bring himself back to the room.
"Axe," Wyatt starts, voice low with warning .
"I’m going," Axel repeats, firmer this time. He finally looks up, his haunted, hazel eyes stern and resolute. “If Richard wants to see us, there’s a reason. I want to hear what it is.” Avery shakes her head, folding her arms.
“You don’t owe him anything.”
“I know,” Axel nods. “But I want to see this through anyway. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Garrett scoffs sarcastically, tossing the card onto the bed like it’s tainted. “Because I really don’t.”
I open my mouth to tell Axel this is a terrible idea. But I see the way his hands won’t stay still, how his jaw clenches like he’s bracing himself for the inevitable blowback. He’s thought about this. He knows how we’ll react. And he still stands firm.
For a moment, only silence follows. The weight of Axel’s decision settles over us like a thick, suffocating fog. Everything we’ve been on high alert for, everything we’ve wanted to protect him from, could be undone in this one evening. But Axel has so many demons within these walls, and I promised to do whatever I can to alleviate his struggle of being here. I have to trust he has his reasons without needing an explanation. Exhaling sharply, I rake a hand through my overgrown hair as I nod.
“If you want to go, Axe, then we go,” I say simply. Avery’s lips press into a thin line, Wyatt clenches his jaw, and Hux stares out the window, but no one argues. And maybe that’s the most significant sign of all. Even though none of us understand Axe’s choice, we still won’t let him face it alone.