Sleep tugged at me while I fought to keep my gaze on him.
The next time I awoke, light was streaming into the room. Axel was gone, and so was Bandit. I pulled on some clothes and found both of them sitting on the couch downstairs. Rain streaked down the windows, a softer version of the storm from the night before.
Axel was showered, wearing a suit and drinking coffee while talking into his phone. Bandit was lying beside him, but his tail thumped when he saw me.
I knelt down beside the couch so I could bury my face into Bandit’s fluffy neck.
I peered up at Axel. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine.” He shrugged, looking me over. “You okay?”
I wasn’t sure that I would ever be okay after last night, but I lied and nodded, shifting my focus to Bandit. “I’m fine. Have you heard anything about the guard?”
“Mild concussion. He’s taking time off work, but he’ll make a full recovery.”
“And the dogs?”
“Both have seen the vet, and both are fine.”
My gaze swung back to him, but neither of us spoke.
I broke the silence between us. “Do you know who that was last night?”
“Maksim and I have been working on it, but we don’t have a confirmation about who it was.” I could sense he wasn’t telling me the whole truth.
Even though we had only consummated our marriage two nights before, it felt like another lifetime. I was dealing with the other Axel, the one who held himself back from me.
I wanted the Axel who kissed me deeply while we slowly made love.
I cleared my throat. “Why was he in my bedroom? Was he looking for me?”
Axel put down his coffee so he could lean forward and focus entirely on me. “We’re not sure. I’ve made some changes to security that might seem intrusive at first, but I need your compliance.”
I would never admit it, but I was spooked. Up until last night, part of me had thought Axel’s security concerns were more about control over my life than any real threat, but now I saw things a lot differently. This man worked overtime to keep me safe. “Okay,” I said solemnly.
“We’re going to have two guards and three dogs on watch at night. And I’ve gotten permission from the school administration to have Oleg and Anton sit at the back of your classrooms. I don’t want you to fight me on this.”
I shook my head. “I won’t.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t home for dinner last night.” He held my gaze. “A lot of things were going on.”
Axel looked exhausted. The kind of bone-deep fatigue I had endured after my parents died.
On impulse, I reached out and grabbed his fingers, reassured when they instantly tightened around my own. “Are you okay?”
He gave me a tired smile. “I think last night took a few years off my life.”
My eyes widened at his admission. Only men who cared said stuff like that. “When I called you?”
He chose his words carefully. “I need you to be safe.”
I squeezed his fingers. “I’m safe.”
The moment was interrupted by the sound of keys jangling in the front door. Bandit gave a sharp bark as he jumped off the couch and trotted over.
“What are you doing up?” I heard Jordan say to Bandit. Usually Bandit was asleep in my bedroom when Jordan arrived for the day.
“I’m in the living room,” I called out.
