Jax's X Game The Axelridge Series Book 2
Chapter 2

(Chapter song ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ by Bonnie Tyler, ‘Self Esteem' by The Offspring)

JAX

White bubbles slide down my ripped chest as I wash my body with my sponge. I rub the soap around my abs and wash my arms. My heart swells as my phone plays ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’.

I hold the sponge like a mic and sing the sweet words into it with passion. I grip it like it’s on a stand and close my eyes and let it all out.

Bonnie is my go to when I’m feeling like this. I see you laughing. Shut up!

I spin around and my singing is garbled as I wash my face. I soap up my chin and grab my razor. Trimming myself up, I’m getting right into the song.

Slamming the razor back down on the shelf, I grab my shampoo and wash my light brown hair. I take some of that soap and wash my pits as I close my eyes tighter and feel the music as I sing.

Placing my head under the shower head. The water cascades down my back as I belt out my best Bonnie Tyler back up. Steam from the shower rises as I pour my heart into it.

The bridge powers up, I’m giving it my all and my phone rings, cutting off Bonnie.

“DAMN IT!”

I throw open the shower door. Soapy water flows into my eyes and I scrub my face. “What?!” I yell with irritation as my phone picks up the speaker.

“Jax?”

I groan, drop my head and shake it. “You threw off my groove, Finn. What do you want?” I hate my shower time being interrupted.

“Three more rogues were brought into the morgue. We need autopsies done.”

I scowl at my phone on the large black counter of my penthouse bathroom. “Give me 40.” I sigh.

“OK…Wait…Are you in the shower?”

I rub my eye as my bangs drip. “Yeah.”

“Dude! That’s gross!”

My brows come together. “What? You can’t see me.”

“It’s the thought, Jax.”

“Why are you picturing me naked?!” I growl.

“I’m not! I mean…It feels like I’m with you so it’s gross!”

“Whatever.” I wave him off and close the door.

“Bye.”

I start singing Bonnie again, giving even more. I sing the chorus like I’m on my knees and performing in front of crowd. I can see it and feel it.

“Uh…Jax…”

I freeze, my cheeks heat and my mouth goes small.

“Your phone didn’t hang up.” I can hear the laughter in his words.

“DAMN IT!!” I slam my head and spike my sponge into the floor of the shower.

He laughs. “Anyone ever tell you, you do a great Bonnie Tyler impression?”

“FUCK OFF, FINLEY!”

He cackles and hangs up.

I pick up my sponge and tick my jaw.

I stick my head out the shower door and arch a brow. “Hello?” I eye my phone.

I slowly retreat back into the shower, raise my sponge to my chin and finish my concert of one.

****

I pull on a white tank top, pull up my black shorts and pull the belt tight.

I slip my sneakers on and tie them up. Grabbing my backpack, I tighten my straps as I leave my room and head downstairs.

Cy, my beta is in the kitchen sitting on the counter. He’s drinking a power shake and reading the latest sport standings like he always does. He’s one of my very good friends and I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for him. He runs his hands through his long on top blonde hair and swings his legs. He's shorter than me by a few inches, but still taller than my other friend, Marcus.

Cy's built though. Rock solid for a little guy. I trust him to have my back. I’ve needed that since I was 15. He was there every step of the way.

“The Bulldogs won the game last night.” He says as I grab a bunch of fruit and carrots out of the fridge.

I pull out my smoothie maker and fill it. “Not like it means anything.” I mumble.

“If they win the game next week, that puts them just below us.” He says and swings his shake.

“I get that.” I open the fridge and grab the oat milk. “They won’t get past us. We'll kill the next two games and that’ll put them out.”

He ticks his head. “Hey, you have the attendance numbers for the tournament?”

I push on and the kitchen fills with the sound of fruit disintegrating into the drink that will fuel me on my way to work. I stop and grab a sport cup. Pouring the mixture into it, I cap it and side eye him. “Yeah. It looks good this year.”

“Everyone’s wanting to see the stadium improvements. Of course, they’re all showing up.” He grins.

“Yep. It helps that we're hosting the 35th anniversary. Should bring new fans into the game.” I tip back my cup.

“More fans. Just what we need.” He chuckles.

“Fans bring money, Cy.” I say as I cross my arms.

He turns. “Money doesn’t matter if there’s no game. We need players. Look. I know you don’t like it, but the west is introducing women, so I think…”

“No.” I shake my head, push off the counter and slam my cup into my bag. “No way in hell.”

“Jax, have you seen women play? They’re just as fierce as us. They can handle it.” He follows me to the front.

“No, Cy! Lax is not a place for women. If the west wants that, fine. But no woman is playing on the Lumber Jax. Forget it.” I grab my elbow pads and put them.

“Alright. You’re the Alpha. I’m just saying, you’re missing out on some awesome talent.” He crosses his arms. “We're running through prospects as more turn to the bigger national contracts.”

“We have enough talent. It took me 10 years to perfect the team. There’s no way I putting an irrational, uncompromising, disrupting woman on it.” I grit.

He chuckles. “Jax.”

“What?” I scowl as I put my pack on.

He tilts his head to me. “Have you been thinking about Audrey again?”

I scowl deeper. “No.” I growl and glare my brown eyes into his blue ones.

He holds a hand out to me. “I get this is a hard time for you. Just try and have a good day.”

“Thanks.” I grumble and leave our penthouse apartment in the city of Axelridge.

I jog down the hall to the elevator, push the button and tap my runner as I wait.

I'm not thinking about her. No. This has nothing to do with her. I don’t want the headache, that’s all. Women just can’t compete with us. They aren’t the same. For men, Lacrosse is war. A battlefield and a woman wouldn’t survive it. I’m not sexist, I just know where a woman shouldn't belong.

The bell dings and I walk onto the car. I slam my back on the back wall and stare at the door.

OK. Maybe, I woke up this morning with her on my mind. Today would have been our 22nd anniversary had she not smashed my heart to pieces. I know it’s been two decades, but that wound cut deep. I mean, who dumps someone for their boyfriends lacrosse trainer! One that’s five years older! She said I was stubborn and unreasonable. Whatever. She just likes to fight. I should be glad she’s gone. Now, I don’t have to hear her women have rights speeches on constant basis. I know they do, but I don’t need it being used to control me. Fuck that. Besides, getting told your weak and insecure on a daily basis gets tiring.

I would just love to know why the fuck I can’t erase her from my head and move on?!

It's because of that, I put my foot down in my game and my pack. Women stay out of sports and everyone will get along nicely.

As Captain of the Axelridge Lumber Jax Lacrosse team, I have a duty to keep our team solid and focused. Women distract and disrupt. So no.

In my pack, disrespect will not be tolerated. We need to be sure everyone knows their place. Especially now that the Vinellis have declared war.

I walk through the 1st floor lobby and head outside. The sun is gleaming off all the glass of the skyscrapers. I throw my sunglasses on and tighten the strap around my head. Finns tower reflects the sun into my eyes. “God, he’s annoying.”

I shake my head and run off down the sidewalk.

I turn a corner and jump a bench. I leap onto another one and up onto the back of it. I balance across and back-flip off it onto the road. I spin around and run.

Jumping onto a light pole, I climb it and leap onto a awning. I run across and jump, landing on a window.

I climb up the building and throw a leg up on the roof.

Running, full tilt across the roof, I get to the edge and don’t look back. I fly through the air and land on another awning. I don’t hesitate and jump to a dumpster. I front roll onto the asphalt and take off.

Car horns sound as I run across the three lane road, plant my hands on the median and go into a handstand, I do a push up and flip onto my feet. I hop down and run around the cars stopped in traffic in the other three lanes.

I balance across bike racks and leap across stair railings.

People look at me like I just wrecked their day as I land my jumps, but I use urban running as an outlet for my frustrations and lately, I have a lot of them.

I grab a ramp railing, pull my feet up on it and slide my sneakers down the smooth metal. I do a side flip when I reach the end and land on the ground. Beside me is a very pretty brunette woman with big, blue eyes, pushing a kid with a broken leg in a wheelchair up the ramp. She furrows her brow and I give her a charming Alpha smile. The boy in the chair is clapping fast and laughing.

I bow. “Thank you.” Reaching into the pocket of my bag, I hand him one of my rookie cards. “Have a card, kid.”

He looks at the card then looks at me. “Mom! Jax Dupree!”

“I know.” She eyes me with a snub and continues on, pushing her son up the ramp.

I scowl, sniff my shirt and shrug, turning to continue my run to work.

Lacrosse is an acquired taste, ok. Don’t judge me.

I run down the street to the Secruity complex. The guard sees me coming and steps out of the guard house.

He starts the raise the gate and I speed up. Before it gets too high, I leap for it.

“Morning, Dupree!”

“Morning, Barry!” I yell as I hurdle jump the gate and take off through the parking lot.

I slow down and walk into the building. The sun from the sky roof lights everything and everyone up. I walk through the crowds of scientists and office workers and head to the stairs. Taking the stairs three at a time, I get to the top and turn to the left to the elevators.

As I ride up to my office, I check my pulse. I blow out my breath to calm my heart rate and stop the sweating.

The elevator stops and the doors open.

I smirk as Marcus gets on.

Holding a fist out, I lean on the back wall.

“Hey, buddy.” He bumps my first. “You ran in, didn’t you?”

“Gee…What gave you that idea?” I scowl.

“The smell. You reek, man.” He waves his hand in front of his nose.

I punch his arm.

“Ow!” He backs off and cinches his brow. “OK. Not in a joking mood.”

“No. I’m not.” I grumble and look forward.

He snaps his fingers. “Right. It’s the 17th. Yo, you need to stop this.”

“I can’t.” I don’t look at him.

He leans his shoulder on the wall and crosses his arms. “You know this isn’t healthy right? She burned your ass man. Put out the damn fire and move on.”

“I don’t know what it is, Marcus. I just can’t.”

The door dings and we get off at the same time.

“Look. I have a friend who just moved here from New York. She’s single and very pretty in the face. Can cook the tastiest cannoli you ever had. She's also not lacking in the curves department. Eh?” He elbows my side and bounces his brow. “Whatdya say? I can set you up.” He offers as we walk toward our office.

“What’s her name?” I side eye him.

“Tori.” He replies.

I shake my head. “No. Sounds too close to Tony.”

“So?” He raises a brow to me as I open the door to the large office we share.

Both of us are so close to Axelridge, that we don’t need to have our own offices. We can hold meetings in our packs if we need to and we’re hardly ever here, unless Alliance business is needed to be taken care of.

He flops down on his Silver Bullets bean bag chair and I drop my pack on my black oak desk.

“Look, I don’t want to date a chick with a dudes name.” I say as I open my bag and pull out my smoothie.

“Tori’s not a dudes name.” Marcus looks at me with confusion.

“Close enough.”

He gets up. “Look at yourself. Sandra was too blonde. Carey was too short. Heather from upstairs was too needy.”

I point to him. “She was needy.”

He stops. “Man, she asked for your number.”

“Right.” I rummage through my back and pull out deodorant. I lift my arm and put it on. “We weren’t even close to numbers yet. Too needy.”

He shakes his head as I dress my other pit and cap the bottle. “Jax. I get you’re afraid of being hurt again, but all you’re doing is making excuses to be single.”

“These are legitimate concerns, Marcus. I have standards.” I say as I pull off my tank and pull out a long sleeve.

“Legitimate concerns.” He crosses his arms.

“Yes.” I pull off my shorts and put on a pair of jeans. I put my sneakers back on and grab my lab coat.

“You once dropped a chick because her blink was slightly out of sync. Who the hell notices that?” He says to my back as I grab my forensic kit and leave the office.

“I do. It’s fucking creepy and I would spend the rest of my life being creeped out.” I head back to the elevators

The doors open and I get on.

“You have to stand up to the plate at some point, Jax.” He stops and watches me walk to the back of the car.

“No, I don’t.” I argue as I lean on the wall.

“Yes, you do!”

“No, because there’s nothing out there for me and I’m man enough to accept that.” I say.

“Do you really accept that?” He crosses his arms and arches a brow.

My lips drop. “No.”

“You know you can’t just spend your life with dead people right?” Marcus eyes me.

“Why not? They’re great listeners.” I smirk as the doors close.

I don’t accept it, but I can’t help replaceing faults in the women I date. She has to be perfect. I will only accept perfection and I refuse to waste my time. Luna is something that has to be the epitome of perfection, me and my pack deserve nothing less.

Audrey wasted three years of my life and when she left me, I vowed that would never happen again and I’m keeping that vow even if it means I die alone and unloved.