Axel (Carolina Reapers 1)

“One day, min enda kärlek,” he said, and the words—their true meaning—clanged through me, igniting each dark doubt in my soul and burning it to ash.

“One day,” I agreed and hoped like hell it would be soon.

13

Axel

I grabbed my carry-on from the back of the Rover and headed into the house. We’d won again last night, this time against the Lightning, and the talk was turning from a hopeful murmur to a loud roar.

We were ranked first in our division, second in conference, and third nationally. The team that looked on the verge of imploding during the preseason was now the team to beat. The pressure was up, the press was watching, and I spent every practice and game trying to keep the guys working together.

Langley spent every moment—including this one—making sure the team took advantage of the heightened press and navigating the mini-minefields twenty-three testosterone-driven men tend to catch themselves in. Right now she was handling a prank Connell had pulled on TSA in Tampa Bay, meaning she’d stayed behind with a very cocky Scotsman to catch the next flight.

I opened the door, hung up my keys, and set the suitcase by the front stairs.

I was greeted with an exuberant Slytherin and a tolerant Hufflepuff. “Good evening ladies,” I said, dropping down to my haunches so I could give them each a rub.

Hufflepuff took the three she allotted me and then retreated, while Slytherin took every pat I was willing to give and then clawed her way up my shirt to sit on my shoulder—her favorite perch in the house.

Hufflepuff meowed loudly, clearly not amused.

“Don’t be jealous,” I lectured her before checking on their food and water. A girl from Sweet Water, but just outside Reaper Village, had been watching them, and I made a mental note to hire her again for next week’s away schedule.

My phone buzzed, and I thumbed it open while Slytherin went to war with my hair.

Langley: Just landed. I debated duct-taping Connell’s mouth shut.

I laughed, startling the kitten and sending her nails through my shirt.

With a hiss, I scooped her between my massive hands and furrowed my brows. “You can’t sit up there if you leave tread marks, Sly.” I put her onto the floor where Hufflepuff all but shook her head at the kitten.

Axel: Want me to come get you?

Langley: Of course not. Settle in at home and I’ll have Connell drop me off. Benefits of us all living in the same neighborhood.

Axel: Tell him if he pranks you, he dies.

Langley: Yes, dear.

I tucked my phone away and went about my usual post-away-game routine, throwing my dirty clothes into the washer, but holding off on starting it until Langley got home with hers. How easily we’d settled into a routine that didn’t just accommodate the other person but made them a priority.

Or at least, I had.

I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Langley was a work in progress.

My phone buzzed again, and I grinned, expecting my wife, then sighed when my lawyer’s name appeared.

“Hey, Will,” I answered, opening the refrigerator.

“Axel, I’m glad I caught you.” His voice was kind, but he always got to the point quickly. “We’re about six weeks from your divorce—”

“Seven,” I corrected him, doing the math in my head.

“Six weeks and...three days,” he replied.

“Right.” Suddenly the beer in front of me looked really good.

“I’m not trying to pressure you, but I just needed to know if that was the timeline you were still headed toward.”

I took the bottle from the refrigerator and popped it on the hockey stick bottle opener Langley had bought and hung on the kitchen wall. “It’s complicated.” I took a swig.

“This whole thing is complicated,” he said softly. “Hence, why I waited until just about every associate is out of the office to make this call.”

I sighed and took another swallow. The smooth lager did nothing to settle the pit in my stomach or provide magical answers.

“I really don’t have a good answer for you, Will. I can tell you that right now we haven’t discussed the upcoming date, and I honestly don’t want to.” I leaned back against the counter.

“I get that, but that’s why you have me. This is a delicate situation, Axel, not just with your fame, but the implication that Mrs. Pierce-Nyström bought you for the Reapers by marrying you.”

“You make it sound…” I shook my head.

“Like that’s exactly what happened.” I pictured him rubbing his hands over his hair and adjusting his glasses, just like he had when I’d shown up at his office the day after I’d married Langley. “Look, the prenup agreement will hold. It’s not like she’s going to walk away with your signing bonus or any of your money.”

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” I growled. She could have it all if she’d just stay.

“I know.” This time it was him sighing through the phone. “I just want you to be prepared.”