PrologueAxel KingPOVI see my father sitting in the garden of the hotel Sadie's parents rented for the night."Pops what you doing out here all by yourself. You know this is hell of a lot creepy old man." I sit beside him.“I’m sitting here thinking about the day I married your mother…” he says softly.I don’t say anything… I wasn't born when they got married, I think Damon was one or two, but I know it was before Beck was born.“When I married your mother, we were so young, she was only eighteen. We were so in love, but I didn’t marry her because I loved her, sure I loved your mother since I laid eyes on her while we were at school together, if I she didn't fall pregnant when she did, I would have waited until we could afford a nice wedding. I would never trade my family for the world, I just feel bad your mom never experienced this..." he gestures around the garden. "I just wanted to give her, her moment that's why I arranged our wedding anniversary ceremony, but I don't feel like
Chapter 1 – The promotionOne month laterAxel KingPOVWhat’s the first thing I girl thinks when she sees me?Wow his hot…The second you ask.Is he taken?I’m the kind of guy woman want to date or tame, I’m the guy men want to be, you know how this goes. When I walk into a club all eyes on me the instant I enter.Growing up I knew how great I looked and got a long list of girls to prove it.My hair was chopped in the sides and is about an inch curled to perfection. I had my mother’s olive skin color, my father’s facial features, I was tall and lean, compared to my brothers who were bears. I preferred being lean, it’s easier to move around in bed if you know what I mean. Wink, wink.You ask why I’m thinking all of this? Let me be honest with you, I’m not perfect, I don’t claim to be, I don’t want to be.Watching my parents growing up, I realized I didn’t want that life for myself at a very young age, I didn’t want love or to be loved if it wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to sacrifice my
Chapter 2 – Moving DayAxel KingPOVI walk over to my brother’s house early the next morning. I was hungover I have a pair of shaves to cover my eyes from the demon king’s ball of fire.I walk into the house and walk in their guest bathroom I take a dump.The door opens and my sister-in-law is staring at me.I let out a scream. “Why are you watching me take the kids to the pool?” I ask her covering myself.What the hell is wrong with this family? “Axel what are you doing here at seven in the freaking morning?” she frowns.“Beckett asked Damon and I to help him move and I’m hitching a ride with my brother…” I smile sweetly.She rolls her eyes. “Why are you in our bathroom? I thought someone broke in.” she says moving away.“Yeah, someone would break in and use your bathroom to take a dump?” I ask sarcastically.She rolls her eyes and closes the door.I yawn and continue my business. Once I’m done, I join my brother’s family for breakfast.“You Beckett was messing with you didn’t rea
Chapter 3 – AccidentAnastasia BeatonPOVBeckett and Damon just left my apartment, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. They didn’t want to help me. They know how much I love their brother and they still won’t help me. I’ve known them for years and Damon has never snapped at me before. What am I supposed to do now?How am I ever going to find out if Axel loves me back? I’ve been in love with Axel from the second I saw him at the academy, it wasn’t because he was hot, yes, his looks helped, but Axel is the kindest soul at least he was then to me at least. I struggled at the academy and Axel would stay with me in the gym and help me where I was lacking, I passed the academy because of him.Axel is very different from his brothers, he didn’t believe in love, or he just never felt love before. I don’t know what to do. How will I find out if Axel has any feelings for me without telling him about my feelings for him? I couldn’t believe he would think I would hate him, there’s no way any
Chapter 4 – Meeting RiverAxel KingPOVOne thing I love most about my family is their love for me and how much they support me. they would drop anything they were doing to be here for me. Sadie wasn’t feeling well today yet she is sitting beside me trying to comfort me, while my child and her mother is fighting for their lives, or who I believe is my child.I don’t know how I’m supposed to raise that little girl? I don’t even know how to take care of myself… My mom does my laundry, my mom still makes me lunch, supper, and breakfast.How will I take care of this baby on the days she’s supposed to be with me? How am I supposed to take care of a little life?When the doctor came and told me the baby is okay, I let out a sigh of relief. Then hearing she made it as well made me feel better as well.Following the nurse to where the little girl was nerve wrecking. My nerves were shot, was I really cut out to be a father? I was better as the fun uncle than a father.After doing the DNA swab
Chapter 5 – Olivia’s deathOne week laterAnastasia BeatonPOVIt’s been a week and just found out yesterday, Axel had a baby, to say my heart was broken was an understatement. The family has been very quiet about the whole thing, no one knows the baby’s name or who the mother is. The only reason I knew about the baby was because he applied for leave from work, he isn’t going to be here for the next two months. He is taking paternity leave.The mere thought of Axel as a father shocks me, not only that I didn’t know he was in a relationship. or that he was expecting a baby. even when I tried to speak to Ava, Axel’s mom. She kept everything hush hush, she wouldn’t tell me a thing, I didn’t even know if the baby was a boy or a girl.I finally understand how Gracie must have felt when Beckett and Sadie announced that she’s pregnant. This was a terrible feeling, your soul crushing and your heart smashed into pieces.I kept my composure at work but when I got home yesterday, I broke down, I
Chapter 6 – First day alone with RiverThree weeks laterAxel KingPOVI sit on the sofa in my apartment, it’s the first day alone with River and I’m starting to feel the pressure. She’s done nothing but sleep for the last hour, yet I keep checking her pulse. When her chest doesn’t rise when I’m looking. I’ve never been so nervous in my life.She’s currently sleeping on my knees because I don’t want to put her to bed. I’m scared to leave her alone. I don’t want her out of my eyesight. The doctors said she’s healthy, but I still don’t trust it, I do believe them, it’s just two weeks ago was her mother’s funeral. And since then, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on River than necessary. She’s my all, I would die if anything happened to my little girl.For Olivia’s funeral my entire family took the day off from work and attended her funeral. My father planned the whole thing and paid for everything as well. It was a small funeral, and it was only my family. We buried her here so we could vi
Chapter 7 – Anastasia’s dateAnastasia BeatonPOVGracie called me in excitement last night telling me Axel’s daughter’s mother had passed on. She heard from someone, that she was driving while a drunken driver drove her off the road injuring her. they had to do an emergency C-section on her, to save the baby. a week later she succumbed to her injuries and died during surgery.I obviously didn’t understand why she was excited. But when she started telling this was my chance to get close to Axel I finally understood. I obviously rejected her idea.I might love Axel, but I wasn’t going to pounce on him when he was still mourning her death. And I’ve already given up on being with Axel.Which was why I was getting a blind date set up by my older brother. The man was a forensic scientist who works with my brother. His name was Reed Barnes.I ran into a bit of a problem what does one wear to a date? I didn’t have any girl friends other than Gracie and she’s not speaking to me after I declin