Page 22 of Axel

They nod, smiling, as Helen asks, “What about Ruby? She’s been working the hardest. Should I tell her too?”

I check my phone. “No, she’s twenty minutes late. If she breaks the rules, she pays.”

“But, she’s…” Helen’s about to defend Ruby when the elevatordings.

I glance up as the doors slide open and…

Holy.

Fuck.

No way that crying cowgirl last night was Ruby becausethis woman, with her chin lifted, confidently stalks my way in nude heels, and averyfitting navy sweater dress with her hair in a polished auburn ponytail. Her sapphire eyes glare, brimming with power and…

Hell, yes, that’s my future queen. My cock firms for her. But my heart warns,She’s not ready.

“Good morning, Mr. Cummings.” She arches a brow at me, looming by her desk. “Is there something you need?”

To fuck you six ways fromthisSunday, then three times, daily, for the rest of my life.

“You’re late, Ms. Jones.”

“I was meeting with my brother-in-law to see if he knows the Georgia Secretary of State. You know,” she brushes past me, “for the Barinov case.”

Barinov. That’s Nick’s surname. We all have different ones. My mother didn’t want us connected by name. Our blood with our father is already a lethal bond.

And like my father, I can be cruel.

“I’m putting Samuel on the Barinov case while you review my trial binders for tomorrow.” I glare at Ruby. “Every punctuation mark better be correct, or you’ll answer for it.”

Ruby hates desk work. She wants the excitement, the investigations, the courtroom. This is the worst thing I can do to her today, and it feels good. It’s her punishment for running from me, and yes, dammit, I hear the hypocrisy.

With a pivot, I calmly tell Helen, “Watch Ms. Jones please. She can run wild with commas and bullets.”

“You better run frommybullet.”

I smirk, hearing Ruby whisper it behind my back before I close my office door.

But she’s right. And smart. And fuck. I should’ve thought about who I know, so I call a friend in the Georgia State Property Office and get the name of someone he says can be influenced.

Then I call Nick with the update, telling him I’ll reach out to a “Liam Farley” and give him no choice but to tell me the owners of that LLC.

I also remind Nick about Wren’s initiation tonight, though I wish I could cancel it. There’s too much shit going on, but everyone is coming here, and Wren’s too excited. I can’t let our new queen down.

I’m sharing this with Nick when Ruby suddenly swings my door open, sashaying into my office, so I abruptly end our call.

“Care to knock?”

“Nope.” She pops her lips. “You told me to care about commas, so here.” She drops the binder on my desk. “ That’s everything for tomorrow.”

I thumb the pages. “Will I find errors?”

“If you do,” she demands, “fire me, not Helen. Or I swear to God I’ll cut the brake lines on your fancy car.”

Spoken like a true queen.

“Oh.” I fake a bristle. “No need to get hostile. What did a Jaguar ever do to you?”

“Of course, you name-drop your E-type.”

---