Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Buddy woofs gently right before there’s a knock at my door. My pitbull jogs up to the door, tail straight up, while I heave myself off the couch.
It’s seven AM. Who the hell is here?
As soon as I crack the door, Buddy takes a huge sniff, then her body relaxes, which can only mean one thing.
“You gonna let me in, asshole?” the muffled voice comes from outside.
Axel.
I groan, opening the door all the way. My brother stands there with dark circles under his eyes, looking like he got run over by a bus. But he still has that signature air about him—the cocky confidence that gets him all the girls, dark circles or not.
Buddy gets excited, the traitor that she is.
She has a particular distaste for every single person who isn’t Axel or me, which may be because he smells like me.
I’m not sure. I can only guess what her life was like before to make her even hate women.
She’s not aggressive, but she is protective.
She thinks everyone who comes through my door is trying to hurt me, sans Axel.
I even have to pen her when Mom comes over.
“Move.” Axel shoves the door open. And, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I let him. I shouldn’t. He got drunk and pissed off some woman so much that she broke my glasses. But when someone needs help, I can’t seem to stop myself, particularly when that someone is Axel.
“Took you long enough.” Axel shoves past me and shuffles right to the kitchen, Buddy following.
“What do you want?” My voice is gruff.
“Do you still get that sourdough?”
I stalk to the kitchen, where I see him rummaging through my shelves.
“Ah hah!” He pulls the bread out and throws a wink back at me. “Great minds.”
Jesus.
“You know I have that trial, and I was up last night cleaning up someone’s mess.” I cross my arms.
Axel snorts, then mimics my voice, “I’m Gage; I’m out here saving damsels in distress. I can be an asshole ‘cause I’m a hero.”
I ball my hands into fists and take a step forward before I force myself to stop. Axel always likes picking at me. I work in civil law, mostly with divorce cases, and the one I’m working on now is nasty. Not that I can even say that now.
“Get the hell out of my house.”
“Chill, bro. I’m hungry.” Axel shuffles things around on my burner now, feeling by hand. “And I came for my glasses.”
“No.” The word is out without a second thought.
“Yes?” Axel turns the gas burner on with a tk-tk-tk, and then the whoosh of the flame. “They’re mine. You taking them is theft. You should know that, Mr. Don’t-Break-The-Law.”
I glare at him. “Your girl broke them thinking I was you. Therefore, she broke your glasses. These are mine.”
Axel laughs, throwing a slice of bread onto the pan, then one at Buddy, who wolfs it down in two bites. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“Don’t feed Buddy. I have a big case this week. I need to be able to read.”
“And I have a fuck ton of meetings.” Axel turns around to face me, sucking his finger while he slips another piece of food to my dog. “I need them. Just order another set.”
I grind my teeth. “They won’t come for weeks.”
“Then hire a personal assistant.” Axel shrugs and moves to the fridge, grabbing the butter. Buddy follows him, panting happily.
“No.” I glare harder at my brother. Every time I’ve hired a personal assistant, they’ve sucked. They’ve either been no help at all, gotten mad at me for the extra help I need, or tried to get in my pants. The last one was one of Axel’s flings, who thought she could get more of Axel by getting me.
She was very wrong.
By the sniff of a smirk Axel makes, I think he’s remembering it, too.
“Get out of my house. And for the love of god, I don’t want any more of your women on my doorstep.”
“Glasses, asshole.” Axel shoves his hand out like he’s waiting.
“Go to hell.” I whirl and move to go down the hallway. I’m over this. Why did I even let him in in the first place?
Axel’s voice follows me, “If I miss these meetings, we could miss out on some great brand opportunities. You know how badly Mom has been wanting that particular pizza.”
I stop cold. Mom keeps bragging about how proud she is of Axel for taking over the business.
Tells all her friends at their book club about the new gossip at the store.
She also tells me about it and the joy that fills her face whenever she talks about what Axel has done, especially now that he’s apparently bagged her favorite pizza company.
My chest hurts. I want Mom to talk about me that way, but she doesn’t. She’s always gotten stiff about my job. The most she does is pat my back and say she’s proud of me.
For a brief second, I think about walking away. Letting Axel battle the consequences of his own behavior. But then I think about my mom’s disappointment.
So I turn back around.
And once again, I enable my brother to be the star of the family at my expense.