“Axel’s coming here today?” I asked in a wary voice, my eyes widening. I instantly felt uneasy. I’d never met the guy or even laid eyes on him, but I knew he was nothing but trouble with a capital T. Shit, he’d just gotten out of prison for Christ’s sake.
Lexi nodded. “Like I said, Austin wanted Axel here. And credit where credit’s due, Axel’s really trying. He’s keeping out of trouble and his head down. He’s working at this fish market the prison organized as part of his parole, all the hours God sends. But even still, Levi just can’t forgive him yet. I think he’s afraid to trust him and love him like he needs, just to have Axel fall back to his old ways. Levi’s lost too much too young. I think he’s trying to protect his heart from more pain. But I want them to be a family again so bad. I’ll do anything to make that happen, for all their sakes.”
As I listened to my little friend, I felt a swell of pride fill my chest. She’d conquered so much from being so young, brought herself back from the brink of death, twice, managed to become a successful business woman by helping others suffering from eating disorders, and now, she was desperately trying to pull together a group of brothers torn apart by years of nothing but acts of selfishness and grief.
The three of us were sitting in silence when Lexi’s cell phone beeped. She looked down and moved to get to her feet. “Axel’s outside. I’m going down to meet him. I’ll bring him up here to watch the game.”
Lexi walked across the suite to Levi and tapped him on the shoulder. Levi moved the headphones from his ears. “Axel’s outside, sweetie. You wanna come and get him with me?”
Levi’s eyes frosted with venom and, putting the headphones on his head, he said, “Just fucking leave him out there, Lex.”
Lexi’s shoulders sagged, and without looking Molly’s way or mine, she left the suite to meet Axel.
I blew a long breath out of my mouth, and Molly shook her head. “It’s a mess,” she said, and taking a sip of my champagne, I nodded in agreement.
“So tell me all about the ins and outs of this gallery you’re designing. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve had a real chance to catch up.”
“Well…” I started and launched into the goings on of the last few weeks and the ups and downs of constructing the Elpidio show.
Too busy talking to Molly, my back to the entrance of the private suite, I didn’t see Lexi walking in behind us until Molly’s golden-brown eyes looked up over her glasses and she adopted a nervous expression. Twisting in my seat, I saw Lexi in front of me.
“Ally, Molly,” Lexi said, and I stood from the couch, seeing someone enter the suite in my peripheral vision. Suddenly, my cell rang from inside my purse, and I saw it was the museum.
“Sorry, Lex, let me take this,” I said and rushed to the far side of the room out of sight. The call ended up taking ten minutes, a carpenter stressing about the measurements of a plinth he was building.
Walking back into the room, my gaze got lost at the screaming Seahawks crowd on their feet and the cheerleaders running on the field. I headed to where Lexi sat, seeing her pixie face turn to me. Lexi immediately got to her feet, and I saw Molly raise her eyebrows toward a guy sitting behind Lexi. I could hardly see him as he sat in a dark corner, just his bulky arm propping his head up on the arm of the chair visible from where I stood.
“Sorry about that, darlin’,” I said. “I’m on the clock twenty-four-seven at the minute!”
“No problem,” Lexi said and motioned behind her. “Ally, I’d like you to meet Axel, Austin’s older brother.”
Feeling nervous at meeting the guy responsible for so much of my friends’ pain, my hands actually shook. The guy behind Lexi reluctantly got to his feet. His broad back was covered in a long-sleeved black shirt, the arms rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was covered in a oversized black beanie hanging low in the back, covering his neck.
Shit, I thought. He was huge. Probably bigger than Austin in terms of his muscle size.
Lexi moved to the side, and I took a deep breath as the notorious bad boy of Bama turned to face me, and as my eyes slammed to meet a pair of dark Italian eyes… a pair of familiar dark Italian eyes that were etched into my heart…
All the blood drained from my face.
No… It’s… it’s not possible…
Elpi’s tanned bearded face turned ashen as I stared at him, mouth gaping and his always-stern eyes widened in alarm.
We both stood there, frozen to the spot.
Unmoving.
Silent.
Just staring…
Elpidio is… Axel Carillo?
I flitted a glance to the left and caught sight of Lexi’s worried face.
Forcing myself to react, I held out my shaky hand. Elpi, I mean Axel’s mouth tightened at the action.
“Hi,” I whispered shakily, flinching as his warm palm met mine and sent the usual bolt of electricity shooting up my spine.
Axel dipped his head in greeting, just as Lexi added, “This is Ally Prince, Axel, Rome Prince’s cousin.”