Chapter 29 #2
Her eyes tracked Xander as he made his way back to the living room. He settled onto the couch with Andie right beside him. Her heart squeezed as he tucked a napkin into the top of her shirt and spread one out over her lap.
“He’s nice,” Oscar said from beside her.
She smiled at her brother. “He is.”
“He make you happy?”
Her smile widened, and she nodded.
“Good,” he said, bopping her on the nose. “I like how he defends you. Continue to stand your ground with Axel though, no matter how big of an ass he can be.”
“Thanks, Os.” She frowned, her eyes darting around the kitchen and living room. “Where is Ax?”
He nodded to the door that led to the garage. “Probably smoking,” he said, lowering his voice.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “He’s smoking again?”
“Got a lot on his plate.” He shrugged. “Don’t tell the girls.”
She frowned. “How do they not know?”
“He’s got a whole fucking setup in the garage before he comes back in,” Jasper said, coming up on the other side of her. “A change of jackets, fancy-smelling hand soap, and breath mints.”
Adding a slice of pumpkin pie onto her plate next to the apple, she shook her head. “Ten bucks says he’s not fooling the girls.”
Oscar snorted. “Not taking that bet.”
She grinned as her brothers reclaimed their spots in the living room. She placed her plate on the coffee table and sat on Xander’s other side. Leaning close so Andie wouldn’t hear, she whispered, “I’m going to talk with Axel. He’s outside.” She mimed smoking a cigarette.
He nodded, placed his fork onto his plate, and set it beside hers on the coffee table. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” she said, shaking her head.
He tilted his head, and his eyebrow arched.
She grinned. “Right. My favorite bodyguard.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Finn groaned. “Stop already, Frey!”
She crossed the living room with Xander, and when she passed Finn, she slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t eat all the pie while I’m gone.”
“Want your jacket?” Xander asked as she reached for the doorknob.
She shook her head. “I’m good. I won’t be long.”
Stepping into the garage with Xander on her heels, she chuckled. Sure enough, just to the right of the door were hooks holding three of Axel’s jackets. To the right of that was a utility sink with peppermint soap and a large mason jar full of individually wrapped breath mints.
A gust of wind pushed into the garage’s open door. She shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms. Xander draped one of her brother’s jackets over her shoulders.
She smiled, glancing at him. “Thanks, I didn’t realize it had started snowing.”
The ground shimmered with a thin layer of frost. She stepped out of the garage and big fat snowflakes stuck to her lashes. They rounded the corner of the house, and there was Axel, leaning against the siding, a puff of smoke leaving his lips.
He and Xander lifted their chins at each other in some kind of silent communication.
“I’ll be inside,” Xander said, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning and heading back.
“Think it’ll stick?” she asked, approaching her brother.
“Looks like. Give it another hour, and the girls will be begging you to build a snowman with them.” A soft smile lifted the corners of his lips, but the sadness in his eyes tugged at her heart.
Another gust of wind had snow swirling around them.
“Come on,” he said, gesturing to the back of the house.
Tucking her arms into the sleeves of the jacket, she followed behind him. Once they turned the corner, the house acted as a buffer, and the wind died down.
“So you’re smoking again?”
He shrugged. “Nasty habit, I know.”
“You okay, Ax?” He remained silent for a moment, and the despair on his face turned her stomach.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick, Frey. I just . . .” He took a long pull of his cigarette and blew it out. He paced a few steps away before turning back to her. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
She studied her brother and noted the weariness, the worry lines that were a little deeper since the last time she’d seen him.
She vowed then and there to keep in better touch with her family.
Yes, this brother in particular drove her extra crazy, but she knew deep down that he meant well. His execution just sucked.
“Sure you do, Ax. You’ve got a solid job, and the girls are doing great. Sure, they’re running through nannies like crazy, but they’re Hansens.” She shrugged and gave him a teasing smile. “Par for the course, right?”
He chuckled as she’d intended, but then he shook his head.
“The girls are great, but that’s all them, not me.
I fucked up so badly with you—some asshat’s been sending you photos for over a fucking decade, and you didn’t feel safe enough to tell me.
Like your guy said, that’s on me, and I really am sorry.
” Shaking his head, he ran his free hand over his jaw.
“I’m scared shitless that I’m going to fuck up with the girls too. ”
Her chest clenched. She stepped toward him and laid a hand on his arm.
“You won’t. You may be a bit of an asshole, but you’re a great dad.
The girls adore you. Plus, you have the guys to help you with them.
You know they’d do anything for those two.
And if you’re looking to rein in your asshole tendencies, you know the guys are more than happy to call you out on all your shit. ”
He snickered. “Don’t I know it. That’s one thing I don’t have to wor—”
Warm liquid splattered her face.
She gasped as Axel’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell toward her. She tried to catch him, but his heavy weight toppled her.
“Ax,” she wheezed, but he lay atop her motionless.
He was suddenly yanked off her. Air whooshed back into her lungs but caught in her chest. A man loomed over her. He wore a dark ski mask, and only his hollow eyes peeked through. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could utter a sound, he swung something at her.
Fire exploded on the side of her head.
Everything went black.