“You were working up to it.”
She laughed. “Okay. You’re amazing…when it comes to finding trouble.”
He grew still, and she knew she’d hit a sore point—and not on his body.
“Axel, why are you always fighting? It’s scary. I don’t want you hurt.”
“I would never hurt you,” he said in a rush.
“I know that.”
He sighed. “Rena, I… I have had a temper my whole life. And it’s not good to be big and angry. You can hurt people without meaning to.”
“I know you’d never hurt me.”
“Never,” he swore like an oath. “Once you do something like that, it stays with you. Something you never get over.”
After a pause, she asked, “Did you hurt someone once, when you got angry?”
“To my shame, yes, I did. And it haunts me still.” He grew silent then added, “I hurt her, badly.”
She saw tears in his eyes. “Oh, Axel. I’m sure it was an accident.”
“Yet the results were the same. She was hurt because of me. I never forget this. But I learned as well. It’s not a bad thing when you fight to protect others.”
He sounded as if he was reciting something he’d once memorized.
“No, I don’t suppose it is bad if you’re helping protect people,” she said slowly. “But at some point you could get in trouble. With the law, with hurting someone who doesn’t deserve it.”
“Nein.I never start battles, and I do not hit those who don’t deserve it. But I don’t want you to see that.” He blew out a breath.
“I’ve seen you fight plenty at Ray’s.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think of me like that. I’m not a mindless machine. I don’t actually like hurting people.” He paused. “Well, I liked hurting Daryl, Rabies, and Scott. And Ireallywant to hurt Fletcher,” he growled. “But they are not good people. And if hurting them stops them from hurting others, it’s good,ja?”
“I see your point. But you have to be careful.”
“Believe it or not, I don’t look for trouble,” he said, humor in his voice. “But I’m tall and it always seems to find me. Hard to hide in a crowd.”
She laughed. “I know. It’s like being black around white people. I stand out.”
“You stand out because you are beautiful, and everyone loves your laugh.”
“Stop.” She blushed.
“To be honest, the first thing I noticed about you was your hair.” He threaded his fingers with hers.
She smiled.
“Then I saw your honey-colored eyes and, well…” He chuckled. “You have amazing breasts and an ass I want to write poetry about. And I don’t write poetry.”
“Stop it.” She laughed, embarrassed, then said, “Itisa nice ass, isn’t it?”
“The best.” He confessed, “Sometimes when you’d wait on my table, I’d drop things so you would bend over to pick them up.”
“Axel Heller!”
He grinned, unrepentant. “I left you big tips.”
