Page 62 of Axel

“Cute will be my bullet in your ass.”

“Hah,” Grant scoffs. “It’s made of steel. It’ll bounce right off.”

“Go!”

I point toward the pilot, waiting by the open door, and Ruby practically holds Grant’s hand, exiting the plane. Not like a couple. Like new besties bonding over how-to-make-me-murder.

We say goodbye at our cars parked side-by-side. Ruby gives Grant a big hug, and I flip him off.

But he won’t tell our brothers about her.

Grant knows what losing my first queen did to me. I didn’t grieve losing Katya. I grieved losing my pride and letting my family down. I wanted to give a grandchild to my mother. Or maybe it was the guilt over Alena that finally caught up with me, too.

Tough to say.

But I disappeared into a cold, dark hole until a wildfire with a skinned, bloody knee tripped into my life.

By the timewe’re home, the pizza delivery guy is waiting patiently at my gate. He’s used to me. He knows I tip big.

While we eat at the kitchen table and Sparky purrs against our legs, Ruby goes on about what we should name the kittens, but I keep imagining Brayton Jervis and their threesome.

How many has she had? And did she mean it? She only does two men at once, never just one? So what does that mean? She’ll never truly be mine?

I drop my slice, losing my appetite, and Ruby notices.

“You’re getting jelly again, aren’t you?”

I wipe my lips with a napkin, answering with silence.

“You know,” she huffs, “I didn’t order hypocrisy on my pizza. You give me reasons to be jealous, too. I’ve seen you at the sex club with all of those hot women. I bet you’ve been quite primal and Dom with many pussies.”

“No one but you,” I seethe, rage making me see red. “I told you the truth; I haven’t been on a date since I met you, and I’veneverhad a sub.” I clench my fist, growling, “OnlyYOUmake me feel this way,” and slam it so hard on the table that my plate flies off, crashing into pieces on the floor.

It sends Sparky running away with a yowl.

“Andyoudon’t get to scare me like this.” Ruby’s hand suddenly shakes, shoving her plate away before she jumps up. “As a child, I lived with a terrifying man because I had no choice. But as a woman, I willneverchoose to suffer another threatening one.”

She turns to race upstairs, but I chase after her.

“Ruby, wait. I’m sorry.”

She whips around in the stairwell. “There are two sides to every story—in my life and in yours—but you know what, Axel? You’re an asshole in all of them.”

“So I’m supposed to be happy about your threesomes?”

She arches a brow. “Like you’ve never had one?”

I suck my teeth.

“That’s what I thought. We’re both guilty,” she sneers. “And just where do you get off? We’renota couple. You don’townme. You just have me trapped with you and in deep, dangerous shit because of your escaped Bratva life, so thank you. My middle finger Hallmark card is in the mail.”

“So, it was anacttoday?”Why does this suddenly hurt so much? Why can’t I breathe?“You, wanting to be my queen. It was ajoketo you?”

“No, it was…”

Her eyes search mine, and I see her fear. It’s like I have her trapped in a corner. I’m her biggest threat but…

Growing up, I never let my father see my pain. I wouldn’t give the devil the satisfaction.

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