Axel was one of the last to walk out of the meeting. He was with a few of his friends, including Steele. I waited by an empty towel cart and pretended to be fixing one of the wheels. He finally broke off from the group he’d been talking to. He strode toward me, a huge smile on his face.

“Hey, how about lunch?” He stopped before me, and I stood quickly. “Broken cart?”

I frowned for a moment, not understanding. “Uh, oh, yes. Broken cart.”

“So about lunch?”

“I’d love lunch.”

“Can you go now, or do you have to fix that cart first?” His mouth quirked upward. He saw right through my ploy.

“Smart-ass.”

“Yeah, but you like it.”

I wasn’t denying the obvious. I liked everything about him, from his smart-ass side to his nice-guy side. I wouldn’t change anything about him. He was perfect for me, and I was jarred by my admission.

He grabbed my hand, and we walked hand in hand out the door. As soon as we exited the building, I noticed Hulk Number One behind us.

“How long are they going to be following you?”

“They might be following you.”

“I hope not.”

He shrugged, and I studied him suspiciously. “Did you say something to someone?”

“I might have.”

“Axel, I asked you not to do that.”

He shrugged and gave me a sheepish smile. “I couldn’t help it. You’re in danger as much as I am.”

“So is Jock.”

“He’s being guarded too.”

I frowned as I realized I hadn’t noticed because I’d been so wrapped up in my relationship with Axel. In fact, I hadn’t been a very good aunt to the kids who dearly needed a woman in their lives right now. I had to do better now that the season was over and I’d be keeping normal hours.

“How long is this going to go on? We can’t live like this forever. There has to be an ending.” I was speaking out loud more than expecting an answer.

“No idea.” Axel shrugged but didn’t offer any false hope. I appreciated that about him. He was a no-bullshit guy much like I was a no-bullshit woman.

“Surely she’ll figure out my brother isn’t taking her back and nothing she does will change that.” I was the one offering false hope. Axel gave me the side-eye as if he didn’t believe for a second we’d get rid of her that easily. He squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back. I’d never known the simple holding of hands would feel this connected. Everything Axel and I did together connected us, even just a simple glance across the room. We were developing awareness of each other’s thoughts and feelings that usually happened between couples who’d been together far longer than us.

We entered the Place a few blocks down from the SHAC. I noted some new tables and chairs replaced the ones that’d graced this place since the fifties. The other visible damage must have been repaired since three Sockeyes had had a brawl in here, or the damage fit in with the worn patina of this bar, and I couldn’t tell what’d been there for years and what was new.