“You chickened out.”
Axl rubbed his hand over his dark brown crew cut. He looked rueful. “She has little enough to do with me never being there, so I figure she can take care of them and find them a home.”
Kai had met Axl’s Mrs. Brewen many times, and she couldn’t imagine the sixty-something, pursed-lipped, cardigan-and-brogue-wearing housekeeper coping with three rambunctious animals. She would find a home for them with the same calm efficiency as she did everything else.
“So, I’m stuck in Mercy because Sawyer needs to sort Doug out again, but why are you here?”
Axl’s eyes hardened. “Because you make crap decisions.”
Kai felt his fist clench and his temper climb a couple of degrees at Axl’s comment. What the hell climbed up his ass and died? He’d only been here doing this for two days. What could he have done so wrong to get Axl’s panties in a bunch?
Then it clicked. There was only one thing, or one person, who could send Axl from zero to warp speed in the blink of an eye.
“You son of bitch!”
Kai turned at her words and sighed. Reagan stood at his office door, her chest heaving and her bright blue eyes sparking with fury. Axl slowly turned his head and glared at her. He shrugged. “You hung up on me, and then you wouldn’t take my call.”
Here it comes, Kai thought, resigned. Reagan stomped forward and slapped her hands on her hips, her chin jutted forward. “Because you tried to tell me that I couldn’t take the Knox Callow protection gig.”
Axl crossed his ankles and looked bored. “Well, you can’t.”
“You’re not in charge of handing out assignments!” Reagan shot back. She jerked her thumb in Kai’s direction. “He is.”
Axl’s hard look promised retribution. “And you thought that this is a good idea?” he asked. Kai shrugged.
“Well, it’s not a bad one,” Kai said, walking around his desk and sitting down in his chair. “She’s qualified, she’s free, and she wants to do it. Win, win, and win.”
“It’s a crap idea,” Axl growled.
“And you climbed on a plane to come all the way here to tell me that?” Kai lifted his eyebrows. “Kind of extreme, don’t you think?”
Axl stood up and loomed over Reagan, who didn’t look even a smidgen intimidated. “I came over here to talk some sense into her!” He glared at Kai again. “And you.”
Nah, you came over here because it gave you a chance to eyeball Reagan, to check her out.If he wasn’t mistaken, Axl wanted Reagan, the same way Kai wanted Flick.
But it was crystal clear that Axl didn’twantto want Regan. And it seemed that he had no idea as to how to handle his inconvenient desire any more than Kai did. Kai groaned silently. It was official— they were both pussy whipped. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have any fun at Axl’s expense.
“He’s a good-looking guy, this Callow dude. Voted one of the sexiest guys in the world last year by one of those magazines who do that shit.” Now he was just flat-out lying, but the sucking-on-a-lemon look on Axl’s face was worth seeing.
Reagan tipped her head and her face took on a dreamy expression. She shivered delicately. “I know. Looking after his body is going to be a pleasure.”
Axl, in his fury, missed the gleam in Reagan’s eyes suggesting she was a cat toying with a very large mouse. “You’re a professional! Can you act like one?” Axl shot to his feet and slapped his hands on his hips.
“You’re accusing me of not being professional? You’re the one who hopped on a plane and crossed the Atlantic to question Kai’s business decision!”
“Because it’s a shit decision!”
“Could’ve told me that on the phone.” Kai quietly stirred the pot, enjoying the scene in front of him. These two just needed to get a room and fuck each other’s brains out. Maybe then they’d get over themselves. Not that he wanted any man screwing—literally or metaphorically— with Reagan, but if there had to be someone, then he’d like it to be Axl. He was, despite the fact that he was presently acting like an idiot, a good man. One of the best Kai knew.
“Shut up,” Axl growled.
Kai was rather enjoying the show, and it sure was a fine distraction from thinking about how to deal with Tally. It was also a change from thinking about a certain long-legged baker.
“Maybe you should tell him that you want to join the Morrigan rescue team, Reags.”
Reagan sent him a look of pure frustration. “God, Kai, did you really have to mention that? Now?”
“It’s still a no from me but he might as well know what you’re thinking,” Kai picked up a glass paperweight and tossed it from hand to hand. Axl had gone into warrior mode and was standing statue-still, his eyes just darting between them.