Page 41 of Axle's Angel
“I’ll help you,” I splutter as I manage to get my leg hooked around hers and lift.
We’re mid-roll, laughter ringing out when an amused voice asks, “What are you two doing?”
Siera and I stiffen. We look up to see Garret, Roman, Spook, and Maverick staring down at us with amusement.
“Um, wrestling,” Siera replies, wrinkling her nose and looking at me as if to say, surely it was obvious.
Giggling, I take the hand Garret offers me. He tugs me from the floor right into his arms, kissing me.
“Hey,” I say breathlessly, “what are you doing here?”
“Jake called Spook when you didn’t answer your phone, we decided we needed a ride and came over.”
Siera rolls her eyes. “That’s code for dad got spooked and rallied the men. You know what he’s like. If we don’t answer in five rings, he panics.”
“For good reason though,” I point out, wrapping an arm around Garret. “Anyway, as you can see, we’re fine. The coffee machine’s been delivered, and Siera’s having some issues.”
“And that meant you had to wrestle?” Maverick asks with amusement.
“Sure,” I reply with a grin. “It helps us think.”
“Jesus,” Garret sniggers, then jumps when I pinch his waist.
“Let’s have a look,” Maverick says, walking into the café with the rest of us following him. “Oh, fuck me gently,” he whistles, going straight to the coffee machine and caressing it. “This is one of the best ones you can get.”
“You’d know,” Spook smirks, taking a seat at the counter. Maverick continues to run his hands over the coffee machine, inspecting it. “Do you want us to leave you two alone?” he teases Maverick.
“Fuck off,” Maverick replies, giving him the finger. “She’s a beauty. Now, let’s have a look at you,” he croons, picking up the instructions.
“Now that’s hot,” Siera sighs dreamily, “a man that reads instructions, and knows coffee. If you get her working Mr. President, I’ll make sure you never have to pay for a coffee from this shop.”
Roman grumbles something under his breath. Maverick smirks at him. “You’re on. I’ll have her working soon.”
Picking up the stool that had fallen over when I’d run from Siera, I straighten it and clamber back on. I lean back against Garret when he stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. We watch as Maverick gets the coffee machine working in under ten minutes.
“Woo hoo,” Siera throws her arms around him in a quick hug before releasing him. “My hero. Let me run a cleaning cycle, and I’ll get us coffees. In the meantime, tell us why dad was calling.”
“Yeah,” I turn my head and look at Garret over my shoulder, “what did he need?”
Garret hesitates, then lets out a deep sigh, “He spoke to Honor.”
I turn around when I hear something in the tone of his voice. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
“Angel, breathe, okay?” Garret cups my cheeks, tilting my head up to his. “She’s alright. Jake and Fern are meeting up with her. She’s driving here with them, they’ll arrive tomorrow. She wants to meet us.”
“Oh,” I whisper, shocked. I’m not sure how to take the news. After all these years, I’ll get to see our baby in person. Not that she was a baby anymore. She was a full-grown adult, but to me she’d always be that small baby I held in my arms.
“You okay, baby?”
Gulping, I nod. “Yes, no … maybe. I don’t know. Ask me one on sports.”
Garret bursts out laughing, pressing his forehead to mine. “Ask you one on sports. What the fuck, Angel?”
“I’m nervous okay,” I mumble, pressing my face into his neck. “What happens if she hates me?”
“Never happen,” Siera says, pushing between us and wrapping her arms around me. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met. There’s no way she’s going to hate you.”
“Exactly,” Garret replies, not seeming to be bothered that Siera had just pushed between us. Just another thing I loved about him, he understood the closeness I had with her.
