Doubtful, considering the guy had been dropped off to Dixon. But Axel didn’t care how the guy had died. Just that he was no longer an issue to the woman he loved. “I’ve started looking at places in Redemption Harbor,” he said abruptly. “I’ll make sure the place I buy has proper security and that Hadley is taken care of. So you better deal with it.” He looked at Brooks as he said the last part because Douglas actually seemed all right with him.
Brooks simply returned the hard stare before holding out his hand. “Welcome to the family.”
Blinking once, he took the other man’s hand and pumped once.
Surprising him even more, Brooks continued. “Since you’re going to need a new job, how do you feel about working with our team?”
He blinked again. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good. We’ll talk more later. Go see Hadley.”
Brooks didn’t need to tell him twice. It had taken all Axel’s willpower to be separated from Hadley for the last ten minutes, and only because she was within his line of sight. After seeing her with a weapon to her head like that… Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d get over that anytime soon. Or ever.
She looked over at him as he approached and the smile she gave him was blinding. He really wasn’t certain what he’d done to deserve her, but he was never, ever letting her go.
Epilogue
—Be the person your dog thinks you are.—
Five months later
Hadley smiled at the sound of little puppy paws running across the wood floor as she stepped into the house she now lived in with Axel. They were in a gated community and Axel had gone a teeny bit overboard with the security. Not that she blamed him, and after what she’d been through, she was more than okay with some extra security measures.
It sure helped her sleep easier at night. Well, that and the sexy, capable man who warmed her bed on the nights he was in town helped too.
As she hung her backpack on the hook in the laundry room, she grinned as Lucky scratched the door separating him and her. She threw it open and crouched down to be inundated with kisses all over her face. The German Shepherd was afraid of his own shadow and acted as if he hadn’t seen her for eight years when in reality it had been a mere two hours.
Seriously, this was the best way to be greeted every day. By the time she was done with cuddle and kiss time, she was ready for a glass of wine and food. Her class this afternoon had been good, but long. And she had a bunch of homework to start on tonight too. And before all that she needed to take Lucky out for a walk.
As she stepped fully into the kitchen she froze to see Axel standing next to the island, a grin on his face. She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck as she tackled him. “I didn’t think you’d be home until tomorrow!”
He caught her to him, hugged her hard. “Job ended early… I wanted to see how long you were going to cuddle with Lucky. I swear he gets more love than me,” Axel mock grumbled as Lucky sat next to the two of them, whining.
“You’re so full of it,” she murmured, brushing her lips over his. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” He kissed her again, harder this time, only pulling back when Lucky nudged his entire body between the two of them.
Laughing, she crouched down and rubbed his ears. “I don’t know if he’s jealous of you or me.”
Axel just snorted and went for the treat container. “I’m pretty certain he’s jealous of me—because you’re his favorite.”
She shrugged as Axel pulled out a bone for Lucky to gnaw on. “He does have good taste.”
“How was school today?”
“Good. Long, but good.” It had taken Axel a while to be okay with her going to school after the whole kidnapping contract. But she couldn’t live her life in a bubble, something they both knew. At least she was more aware of her surroundings now and always carried pepper spray—and Skye had been teaching her self-defense. Or more accurately, ways to completely incapacitate people so that they were writhing puddles of pain.
“I was thinking of ordering takeout. Will you grab the menu for me?” he asked as he pulled a bottle of her favorite champagne from the fridge.
Ooh, champagne sounded like heaven. She pulled out the menu from their favorite restaurant and when she turned to face him—found him down on one knee with Lucky posed next to him, his tail wagging wildly. A little box was in Lucky’s mouth. Axel gently took it from him and opened it up, his hands actually trembling as he did.
“Will you marry me?”
Throat tight with too many emotions, she nodded as he slipped the ring on her finger.
“I’m going to need an audible answer.” His tone was oh so serious.
“Yes,” she rasped out. “Yes, yes, yes! And I don’t want to do a long engagement.”
Grinning, he stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her so thoroughly that pleasure curled out to all her nerve endings. Finally he pulled back. “I love you, Hadley. I knew my life changed the moment I met you, I just had no idea how much.”
She felt exactly the same. Her entire world had shifted on its axis the moment Axel O’Sullivan had walked into her life.
Her life had never been so full. She had a huge, often overprotective family—blood-related and otherwise—and now she was going to marry the man who’d brought so much color into her world. Even a year ago she couldn’t have imagined this would be her life. Now, she couldn’t imagine it any other way.