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Suddenly I felt like crying Axel should feel welcome in his own family’s house He shouldn’t have to keep what he felt fortheir backs on me because of the man I’d chosen to lo--

My hand flew to my chest as I realized what I’d been just about to adht? It was ilanced up to check no one had noticed azes with a faaze was fir my attention back to the darkened hallway, I was convinced Axel would refuse to come in He’d make some lame excuse and bail I knew this was his idea of hell, so I had to preventopen when, rather aardly, he walked fully into the light He looked so da that, for a moment, I couldn’t catch my breath

I did love him I loved this tortured man before me with a breathless intensity

Austin, clearly also in shock at his brother’s appearance, threw an arm around Axel’s shoulder and led hi over a bottle of Bud

"That’s Axel?" Cassie whispered fro in my place on the couch to face her, I silently nodded my head I wanted to tell her it was ht netic dark force, but I couldn’t

Watching Cass assesslike she’d be stabbing er in the process, but in typical Cassie fashion, she did the opposite

"Fuck uy is sin on a stick!" Cassie exclaih

Molly and Lexi shook their heads at Cassie whose eyes bugged out at Axel Her blue eyes tracked every inch of his built body, a body I no better than my own, his every tattoo etched inalmost-black hair, the beard, the tattoos on his neck and face… the whole I’ster, I could kill you on the spot and I’ve served hard ti? Whew!" Cass fanned herself with her hand, "If I wasn’t pregnant and married I’d be all up in that bad boy shit! I’d sure as hell rehabilitate hi at Cass in exasperation After all, she was being her typically loud self I forced down a swig of … especially when I looked at Austin and Axel ere staring at Cass with mutual expressions of disbelief At least Austin was; Axel just glared at her, his jaw clenching

Austin, deciding to ignore Cass, nodded to Axel in the direction of JD, Rome and Lev When Axel reluctantly looked over at the threehim ary expressions, none of which exactly looked welco

Axel pointed his beer at the seat nearest to ruffly He sounded his usual hard tough self, but I could detect the pain and hurt in his gaze and his voice Levi’s actionsCass sigh again, I looked in her direction and she was still fanning herself, staring hungrily at my man She turned to lad that Cass felt the way she did It gave me hope that Axel and I weren’t a lost cause

"So, Ally," Cass said, leaning back against the couch as Axel slumped into the chair… the chair that offered a perfect view of me Hell, he was sat exactly opposite

I turned to Cass "Yeah, darlin’?"

"Ruot yourself a new beau?" Cass’s eyebrows danced, but my cheeks flamed when I saw Axel freeze in my peripheral vision

"Yes," I whispered and took a sip ofto avoid follow-up questions

"So, what’s he like? So hollow out, I nodded roaned in frustration at nant and have been with JD for what seems like forever Molly’s knocked up too and Lexi and Austin, well, she’s his little Pix and he’s her bad boy They don’t see anyone else, so we need to live the single life vicariously through you So spill it, I need details! Malance to Axel, I debated what to say I orried I would be too transparent and our secret would be found out Axel raised his bottle of beer to his ry look alone ht a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes, but from here I couldn’t be sure