to stop the beating. “Not now!” he commanded, holding Axel’s shoulders while Ryker stood up and came around to the other side of his desk.
“Ash is right,” Ryker said. “Even I’ve been impressed with Kiera’s work. Question is, what are you going to do to keep her on the team?”
Axel turned away and started his pacing. “I can’t stop her,” he said and all of his brothers heard the pained emotion in Axel’s voice. “This really is a great opportunity. She can’t turn it down.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “This is the same thing that happened in Washington, D.C. but in reverse. Back then, I had the great job I was moving off to and she had to stay put. Now she’s got the great opportunity and I’m here in Chicago.”
None of them pointed out that he shouldn’t consider himself “stuck” when he was one of the managing partners in one of the most reputable law firms in the country. “That was years ago.”
Axel nodded. “I know. And I’m not going to make the same mistake I made last time. I lost her back then because I was being a selfish jerk. I didn’t understand back then, but I do now and I can’t lose her this time.”
All three brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, bracing for whatever Axel was about to tell them.
Axel took a long breath, steadying himself for what he was about to say. He didn’t want to leave Chicago and his brothers. But Kiera was more important now. Besides, he could fly back and forth to see his brothers. Not having Kiera in his life would be like severing a limb. She was that essential to him now. She had been six years ago, but he hadn’t understood all of it then. He wouldn’t be so stupid as to lose her this time around. “I’d like to start up a branch of The Thorpe Group in Paris.”
“France?” Ash clarified, stunned into saying something obviously stupid.
Axel nodded even while Xander smacked him on the back of the head for being so dense. “Of course Paris, France, you idiot.”
That reminded Axel of the conversation he’d overheard recently. Turning to Ryker he said, “Cricket Fairchild is planning to dye her hair brown,” he said and waited for the explosion.
“What?” Ryker demanded, his whole body tensing with fury at the idea. “Why the hell would she do that?”
Axel grinned, feeling relief for a moment now that someone else had problems other than him. They’d come back to him, but at least for a few moments, someone else was confused. “Because she thinks that you think she’s an idiot. She says that being a brunette would help her disperse that perception.”
Ryker rolled his eyes. “Of all the ridiculous…” he stopped himself and took a deep breath. “I’ll deal with Cricket. What about Paris?”
Axel wasn’t finished. “Oh, and Mia wants roses at her wedding but she doesn’t want you to have to pay for them. She’s trying to keep the cost of her wedding down since she can’t pay for it and you’ve already offered to do that.”
The four brothers stared at each other before bursting out with laughter. When they’d calmed down, Ash nodded his head. “Thanks for the head’s up. I’ll talk to her.”
Axel was about to say something to Xander, but stopped. “Never mind,” he said and turned away.
“What?” Xander demanded, stepping in front of Ryker and Ash.
Axel wished he hadn’t said anything. But since it was out there, he took a deep breath and said, “Autumn wants to be taller so she can take you down and won’t be intimidated when you and she fight. Which seems to be all the time lately.”
Xander just stared for a long moment, unaware of the tension that statement had unleashed in the room. Ryker and Ash slowly moved back, knowing that Xander tended to lash out whenever Autumn’s name came up lately.
Shockingly, Xander didn’t say a word. He didn’t get angry or explode in any way. He simply nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll take care of it,” he said softly but with vehemence. “Anything else?”
Axel turned back to Ash and chuckled. “Mia said something about wanting fatter lips. I have no clue what that was about.”
Ash laughed again. “I’ll make sure her lips look…” he stopped and grinned. “Never mind.”
The other brothers turned back to Axel, all silently asking him if there was anything else they should know about.
“That’s it,” Axel