Page 1 of Axel

PROLOGUE

AXEL (A PEEK INTO MY OFFICE)

“Ms. Jones,do you know the difference between a colon and a semicolon?”

I toss my trial binder on Ruby’s desk, and she lifts her glare.

“I know what comes out of a colon, and you’re about to say it.”

I loom over her desk. “A colon introduces a list while a semicolon connects two independent thoughts. Correct your trial notes. I won’t accept errors.”

“Will you accept this?” She flips her middle finger.

And I fall in love.

Every goddamn time.

“Will you be fired for insubordination?”

But I hide it like everything else.

She shrugs, smiling and flipping her other middle finger, kissing them tip-to-tip. “Let me introduce you to a FUCK and connect it with a YOU. See? No punctuation required.”

Helen, my practice manager, snorts at her desk.

Samuel, Ruby’s fellow paralegal, feverishly types away onhis keyboard, trying to pretend he’s not relishing this daily occurrence.

Our daily war.

When I hired Ruby Jones, I hired the human version of a migraine.

But she’s the best goddamn paralegal I’ve ever had.

I’d never fire her.

Because she’s way more than that.

And me?

Who am I?

Well…

CHAPTER ONE

AXEL

You know the saying,"The Devil takes care of his own."

Oh, I take care of her.

I own her.

Istalkher.

I have two hours until Ruby goes on her morning run … and I follow. Every morning, I wake with my heart pounding to see her as she races by. Then, I pace myself two blocks behind her, far enough so she has no idea I’m chasing her, but close enough that I get wafts of her lilac perfume.

Chasing Ruby calms me. It’s what I need.

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