Axel (Carolina Reapers 1)

My girl had claws. Holy fucking hot. It wasn’t the first time she’d had my back, either. She’d questioned Eden at length when we’d gotten into the car, making sure that I had a no-movement clause so I didn’t end up somewhere else.

“Okay, well, you be sure to keep protected,” she pointed her finger at me. “If this thing is temporary. Nothing says millions like child support.”

This time, when I brought my eyes to Langley, hers fell away. Children definitely weren’t on the table, not if she thought this thing was only for six months, and I’d never use an innocent child to trap her into something she didn’t want.

After reading through the rest of the contract, I signed.

I was now a Reaper for the next eight years.

“We’re here,” Eden announced after we pulled through wide, wrought-iron gates.

“Where is here?” Langley asked around another yawn.

“Sweet Water, South Carolina, or what we like to call, Reaper Village,” Eden answered as houses bigger than common sense came into view. “Silas bought this development when he broke ground for the arena, and you’ll find that most of the Reapers live within the gates.”

“I thought people were kidding about that,” Langley muttered, looking out the window. “I have an apartment close to the arena.”

“Well, your husband just signed a contract that comes with one of these houses as part of his signing bonus, so now you live here.” Eden shrugged as we pulled up in front of an ultra-modern home.

“This one is yours?” Langley asked as I helped her from the limo. Some of the pins had come undone in her hair, giving her a disheveled, touchable look that turned me on more than when I’d seen her at the other end of the aisle.

“No,” I answered as a familiar face appeared in the doorway. “Lukas!”

My best friend ran down his driveway, launching himself at me at the end. “I knew she’d get you here!” he shouted in Swedish as we collided.

“She’s quite persuasive.” I clapped him on the back, and his eyes widened as he took in both my appearance and Langley’s.

“What the actual fuck?”

“It’s a long story.” I shrugged.

“Hey! Could you two please switch back to English?” Langley snapped. “I have no idea if you’re over there scheming or what.”

“It’s like we have a secret language,” Lukas grinned, still speaking in our native tongue.

“Or not so secret if you have google translate.” Langley twirled her phone.

“Fine then,” Lukas pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So if this is Lukas’ house, which is ours?” Langley asked, tucking the phone away, point proven.

“Pick,” I said, pointing to the ones on either side of Lukas.

“You want me to pick our house?” she questioned, coming over to my side.

“Yes.” Too bad it was dark already. It would have been nice to see them in the daylight.

“And you want to live next door to your best friend?” She raised her eyebrows.

“If you had the choice, wouldn't you?” I questioned. “This one behind us is okay, too, since it’s just across the street.”

“We can set up a string like when we were kids,” Lukas added with a wide grin.

“And maybe this time your grandmother won’t cut it and tell us it’s time to get to bed,” I answered with my own smile.

“Oh, this is such a bad idea,” Faith, Lukas’ wife, muttered as she joined us. “It’s so good to see you, Axel...Langley?”

“Later,” Langley waved off Faith’s stare at her wedding dress. “Apparently I have to choose between the Colonial on the left or the Tudor on the right.”

“Oh!” Faith jumped, then schooled her features when Langley narrowed her eyes at her. “I mean, if you have to choose one, I’d go with the Tudor. It has a lap pool, and the kitchen is to. Die. For.”

Langley looked over at me and nibbled on her lower lip.

“I like lap pools, min enda kärlek,” I said quietly, thinking back to Sweden.

“Tudor it is,” she whispered.

“Seriously, the counters are the perfect height,” Faith urged, glancing between us with an appraising look.

“For cooking?” Langley asked.

“Right, yeah, that too,” Faith forced a smile.

“We can string a zipline between the back porches,” Lukas said with an enthusiastic nod.

“You most certainly cannot,” Eden snapped. “Direct violation of the Hazardous Activities Clause.”

“Fine,” I answered with a shrug. “We’ll dig a tunnel between the houses.”

“With secret doors,” Lukas agreed.

“This is such a bad idea,” Eden echoed Faith’s earlier sentiment. “Okay, both houses are furnished and come with a decor allowance, so if anything isn’t to your liking, I’ll have the interior designer stop over to set up an exchange. Now get to sleep. You’re expected at practice tomorrow, and you look like death.”

“Hey, we’ve been up for…” Langley’s nose wrinkled. “God, I don’t even know anymore. I didn’t sleep well on the plane last night. I’m dead on my feet.”