Page 37 of Wallflower No More

My laugh is cold and calculating. “Brody, I'm fully committed to Axel. Cheating is not an option, not even with somebody I used to think hung the moon.” He sucks in a breath and I quickly change the subject. “I didn't know you and Jenson were cousins. You never said anything.”

Brody runs his hand through his wavy brown hair. “Yeah, we weren't really the best of friends until my breakup with Melanie. Now, we finally understand each other, and we've got a ton in common.”

What the fuck? Like rape? I turn my face before he can see my expression of pure disgust. “That's so great. It'll never be that way for Janet and me.”

“You never know, Scarlett, you're more alike than you know. Just in looks alone. You're way bigger than her, but that doesn't really matter because you're still pretty.” He runs another finger down my arm and it takes all I can not to gag. There is nothing better than someone telling a girl that they're still pretty even though they're big. How I never realized he was a condescending McJackass is beyond me, but I fake a giggle and mutter a “thanks” like a good girl spy. He puts his arm around me and whispers gently in my ear. “You want to go upstairs?”

Removing his arm from around my shoulders on nothing but instinct is maybe not the smoothest path to gaining information that I've ever done, but I can’t stand him touching me and I sure as hell am not going upstairs with him. “Brody, we're besties, and although I don't attend many parties, it's a given to what that really means.”

He grabs my forearm, turning me around to face him. I step on his toes and yank out of his forceful grasp. My elbow collides with a steel wall of a chest in the process. You could hear a pin drop in the room. Even the music has been turned down low. My body knows who is behind me, because it's my favorite chest. My Ax is here. Reluctantly, my eyes turn toward him, and my big bad wolf is seething. Not at me, but at Brody. “How often does she have to say no, mother fucker?”

Oh, Lord. It's about to get messy. Toby, bless his heart, shoots his way over to try and run interference while I start backing my body into Axels to try and create some distance between him and Brody, which doesn't happen because he's a brick house. His voice is more of a growl. “Toby, I'll deal with you later, and Scarlett, I'll deal with you right after I kick his ass again.”

Axel possessively puts his hand on my hip. My heart is pounding in my chest—the adrenaline of being caught rushing through my body. I begin typing a text to the Fearless group chat because one of his brothers needs to calm him down before he gets suspended for killing Brody. Axel is so mad at me right now I'd only piss him off more. Texts started coming through, and they are on the way. However, my relief is short-lived because Jenson has a death wish and picks this opportune moment to come over and start shit. “Axel, you know we don't allow football guys at our parties.”

Axel is more than ready to handle the shit talk and pushes me to the side of him. His arm was still casually draped around my shoulders in a cocoon of protection. He doesn't have to speak the words aloud for me to know the last place he wants that rapist to be is around me. Axel gets in Jenson's face. His tone in response is eerily calm. “What the fuck will you do about it, asshole?”

Jenson smirks but backs away like the coward that he is. “Why do you always have to be so crazy, Rabies?”

Axel cuts his eyes. “Well, I sure as hell didn't get that nickname by being docile.”

Axel looks back over at Brody. “Now me and this motherfucker are due for another meeting outside.”

Ever the leader, The Jake Ryan slams open the front door. All of Axel's football brothers fall in line behind him. How they got here so fast, I'll never know, but I'm thankful all the same. They create a circle around our group. “Axle, what's going on?” The fearless leader asks.

“Well, Brody touched Scarlett after she repeatedly told him that she wasn't going to sleep with him. And Toby brought her here with him. He's family, so I'll deal with him last. Oh, and pretty boy Jenson said that football players weren't allowed at the baseball parties.”

Jaxon folds his arms across his chest. “Oh, really? Here I was thinking we'd class the place up a bit.”

A smirk forms on my face because, yeah, they do. Jake looks from me to Toby, and I talk before he can. “Karen couldn't come tonight, so I volunteered to go with Toby. Brody being here was a total surprise to me, and while he was seriously out of line, I had it handled, Axel.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “I love how you handled the situation, but nobody touches what's mine. And he touched you twice, Scarlett, twice.” His face is calm, but his voice betrays the illusion. How does Axel know that he touched me twice, and how does he know how the situation was handled? Has he bugged my phone? Oh, I'm going to be so pissed if he has done that...so pissed.

Jake nods his head and looks around at his other boys. Each of them nods in solidarity—even Toby. Jake responds. “Brody, as I recall, my brother told you to keep your hands off Scarlett and to keep away from her. I stopped him from kicking your ass earlier, but that won't happen today.” Jake looks around at the baseball guys. “Does anybody have a problem with that? If so, we'd only be happy to solve it for you.”

Jenson's laugh is hollow sounding. He says nothing but lands a punch to Jaxon's chin, and all hell breaks loose. Axle shoves me to Hector, who pushes me to Toby, who places me in the corner on the other side of the room and returns to fight. Axel is a couple of inches taller than everyone else. He's graceful as he maneuvers punch after punch. All the girls are lined up against the wall. Brody tries to weasel his way out of the fight, but Dallas catches him and shoves him back towards Axel. Yasmine happens to be near me, and I whisper loudly that Jenson has crabs and that my cousin Janet was the one who told me. That brings me great joy. I don't chance saying anything about London. We need ammunition against him first. And I hate to be this person, but this fight is so damn hot. Axel hits Brody with a one-two punch, and it's lights out for him. My heart couldn't be prouder of my man. My hormones are raging, and we need to have sex right now!

Police sirens start wailing in the distance because some narc must have called the fucking cops. Once the sound gets everybody's attention, the fighting stops, and chaos follows. People run in a million different directions trying to get out of the house. Axel looks at his phone, and then his eyes find me. I look down at my phone. Yes, he's definitely got a tracking app on it. Who does that?

We walk towards each other, an impenetrable bond between us. Axel holds out his hand to me but I fling it away. “Scarlett, don't. You have no fucking right to be mad right now.” He’s half right. We lied to each other, but I lied to him first.

He grabs my hand and we run out the door towards his truck. He speeds down the interstate and the silence is deafening. Some of our anger has to go away before we can talk, so we ride in silence.

Chapter 23

A Fuck and a Fight

Everything Fearless 24/7

After the big fight, Axel and Scarlett rode off in his truck before the cops got there. One spectator said you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. Angry sex is the best sex, am I right?

PS. Jenson, you and your boys can't fight for shit. The Fearless Men kicked your ass. Maybe they'd give you a course on how to fight?

Axel

Parking near the back in my designated spot, pride washes over me. This place has been like a second home. It's been weeks since I've been to Sully's Bar. Hell, it's been weeks since my fury has reached this amount of crazy. On my drive to the Baseball House, my thoughts were bathed in a thousand different terrifying scenarios. In every single one, my girl got hurt. The very idea of what they could do to Scarlett before I arrived was enough to make me almost pull over on the side of the road and lose my lunch. If something were to happen to her...my gut twists in knots with those same disturbing thoughts.

Scarlett is so used to doing life alone that she doesn't realize that a whole community is now behind her. When we started dating, that meant she became family to the others. They would do anything for her and the same way we came together for Dani last year, we will do the same for London now. Not only because it's the right thing to do but also because it's what Scarlett needs help with. Jake will make it his mission to help. There is no doubt in my mind that he's cornered Toby and knows every single detail about their investigation. Toby can't hold water. He will tell him everything. Scarlett may put up a fight, but she'll receive our help and learn to love it.