ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (7 page)

    
“Samuel, it’s your mess! This is all because of your carelessness! Clean it the fuck up, or do I need to tell you how to do that too!” Angel was livid.
    
“It’ll be taken care of. Angel…I’m sorry.”

    
“I don’t wanna hear that shit! You just better pray those weapons didn’t get into the wrong hands or I swear to God, your ass will be ‘taken care of’ right along with Teddy’s!”
    
After Angel ended the call, Carmen stared at him wordlessly. She knew better than to ask him about his business, so she just rested a soothing hand on his thigh. Angel closed his eyes, trying to will away the migraine he felt coming on. For the first time in a long while, he was tired. He was getting tired of constantly having to look over his shoulder, constantly having to analyze every single move he made….he was getting tired of this life period.
 
    
Oscar was the only one who was aware of the fact that he’d been slowly trying to ease out, but it was so much harder to get out of the game than it was to get in…next to impossible. Situations like tonight didn’t get him any closer to making it happen. Whenever he thought he’d made progress and taken one tiny step towards legalizing his businesses, something always happened to push him ten giant steps back.

    
Angel opened his eyes and looked out the window. His good mood was gone.

    
Nikki looked around the room. As usual, the yearly event had a great turnout; she hadn’t expected anything less. She glanced across the room as Jax caught her eye and winked at her. She gave him a small smile before turning back and continuing the conversation she'd been having.
    
Feeling someone staring, Nikki casually glanced around the room until she saw the reason for the prickling sensation that was running up and down her spine. Her eyes stopped as if they’d hit a brick wall when she saw a pair of hazel eyes staring intensely at her. Angel. She'd wondered if he would show up tonight.

    
Nikki caught her breath at how handsome he looked. She recognized the cut and design of the tuxedo even from across the room. A Brioni. The Italian fashion house’s tailors had to each undergo a four year apprenticeship before they were allowed to work alone. The expensive tuxedos were meant to emphasize a man’s broad-shouldered narrow-waisted physique. Even though Nikki was privy to the working class neighborhood Angel had grown up in, he wore the tuxedo as effortlessly and with as much confidence as any man there.
    
“Nicole…Nicole?”
    
Nikki shook her head a little to break the connection between herself and Angel as she turned back to the group she'd been talking to. However, if she had to repeat the conversation, she wouldn’t have known where to begin. All she could think about was how she’d pleasured herself with thoughts of Angel for the last few nights. She was mortified, as if he would be able to tell just by looking at her.
 
Feeling slightly discombobulated, Nikki excused herself and headed outside to the patio to get some air and pull herself together.
    
Angel followed her with his eyes, taking in how beautiful she was. Unlike Carmen, whose dress was purposely provocative, Nikki managed to look sexy yet classy all at the same time. She revealed just enough skin to make him want to peel the dress away from her body in order to see what was underneath.

    
Keeping his eyes fastened onto her as she stepped outside, Angel leaned down to whisper in Carmen’s ear. “Go and get something to drink. I’ll be right back.” He left without waiting on a reply.
    
As he stepped out into the night, he saw Nikki standing with her back to the door gazing up at a sky full of twinkling stars. Angel stood there staring at her body, sweeping his eyes from her neck, to the smooth skin of her back, to her generous derriere.
    
“Penny for your thoughts.” He noticed how her body stiffened at the sound of his voice before she turned to face him.

    
“Oh, they’re much more valuable than a penny,” she told him in a light voice which had a slight tremor. Seeing him up close, her eyes ran over him voraciously. She didn’t realize the hunger she felt was reflected in her eyes…but Angel saw it.
    
“I agree.” He took the couple of steps needed to bring him within inches of her until the heat from his body wrapped around hers like a warm, protective cocoon. “Give me a chance; I’d like to offer you more...much more.”
    
You already do
, Nikki thought to herself, but there was no way she’d ever let Angel know he’d become a familiar face in her fantasies at night. She raised an eyebrow and she tried to look unaffected by his nearness. “I’m sure you would, but like I told you, I never mix business with pleasure.”
    
The corner of Angel’s mouth lifted. “It would most definitely be pleasurable, but I have to say, I don’t buy the stance you’ve taken about not mixing the two.”

    
Nikki blinked. “And why not?”

    
“Are you or are you not sleeping with your boss?” He hadn't meant to ask her that, but since the question slipped out he was curious as to what her answer would be.

    
Nikki's lips parted in surprise before her eyes closed into thin slits of anger. “That's really none of your business, is it? If you’ll excuse me, I’d better get back inside.”

    
She tried to step around Angel, but he quickly reached his arm out and wrapped it around her waist. As their bodies came into contact, his head jerked back as if he’d been hit in the gut. An electric sensation of awareness like none he'd ever experienced ripped through him and went straight to his groin.

    
Nikki’s breath became trapped in her throat as he pulled her closer. “Angel…don’t.”

    
She instinctively placed her hands on his chest to push him away, knowing he felt her body trembling in response to being so near to him. With his face mere inches away from hers, Nikki closed her eyes.
 
She couldn’t concentrate with him staring at her as if he had a powerful desire for something she wasn't willing to give.
    
A low rumble came from Angel when he became aware of how the curves of her body meshed perfectly with his. Her soft, full breasts pressed against the hard wall of his chest and her soft middle lovingly cradled his throbbing rigidity. He muttered a curse under his breath, instantly aroused, and slid his hands from her waist to her hips, pulling her snugly against him.
    
“Open your eyes,” he ordered in a hoarse voice. Nikki shook her head and bit her lip to stop the whimpers of excitement from escaping. She knew if she opened her eyes and looked into his, she would let him take her right here if he asked.

    
Angel's voice softened. “Nikki, look at me.”
    
It was the surprisingly
gentle tone that made her slowly open her eyes and bring him into focus. He held her gaze and lowered his mouth to hers for a taste, but just as he was set to feel her lips against his, a sharp voice called out his name.
    
“Angelo!”
    
Angel literally growled in irritation when he heard the jealousy in Carmen’s tone.
 
Nikki looked at Carmen and quickly broke away from him, folding her arms self-consciously across her breasts. Her aroused nipples were clearly outlined through the material of the dress.
    
His body thumping with unfulfilled need, Angel swiveled his head to glare at Carmen with eyes that were now the color of green ice, relaying his displeasure at her interruption. Carmen lowered her outraged gaze then defiantly lifted it to glower at Nikki.
    
“Carmen. I’ll meet you inside.” He turned around to face Nikki.
    
“I’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes already, Angelo.”
    
“You'll wait an hour if you need to.” Angel never raised his voice and didn't bother to look at her, but Carmen heard the underlying impatience in his words. Nikki frowned at his tone and swung her attention from him to Carmen when the other woman did as she was told after shooting one last venomous glare at Nikki.
    
“There’s no need to be so nasty, Angel. I was getting ready to go inside anyway.”
    
Angel grabbed her wrist in a loose, but firm grip when she tried to walk around him. Nikki looked down at his hand then back up at him. When he didn’t release her, her voice turned decidedly frosty and stiff. “Let go of me.”
    
Angel’s eyes narrowed. “We’re not finished here.”
    
Nikki’s stare was frigid. “Oh, I think we are. I want you to let go of my wrist…now.”
    
Angel’s eyes flickered like an unsteady flame, not used to having someone question his authority. Seeing that she wasn’t going to back down, he slowly uncurled his fingers from around her wrist.
    
Nikki held the stare for a couple seconds longer then headed towards the French doors, but before she re-entered the ballroom, she paused and glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to dealing with, but I have a feeling you’re not used to dealing with a real one who knows her own mind. I think it best you stick with your little girlfriend since she follows orders so well. I'm not the one to play those types of games and I never will be.”
    
After she was gone, Angel stared at the spot she’d just been standing in. Several moments ticked by then a reluctant smile crossed his face, chasing away the thunderclouds before he went inside.

 
 
 
 
Angel reached down and grabbed her fingers before they got to their intended destination. “Carmen…not tonight.”
 
 
 
 
Carmen pouted as she slowly removed her arms from around him and turned to get in the bed.
 
 
 
 
“I’d like to be alone.”
 
 
 
 
Carmen opened her mouth as if to argue before thinking better of it. Her anger evident, she stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Angel never noticed she was gone. His thoughts were filled with a woman whose brown skin and dark chocolate eyes made him ache and throb. Nikki was proving to be more of a challenge than he originally thought...but that only made him more determined to have her.

 
 
 
“Miss…I’m sorry…Kendra…I understand you said she’s out of town. I want to know where.”
 
 
 
 
Angel was fast losing patience with Nikki’s secretary. The woman was so secretive about Nikki’s whereabouts it was as if she were guarding the first lady.
 
 
 
 
“Mr. LaCroix, once again, I can’t give you that information.” Kendra knew Angel was a very important business associate of
DWC'
s
and tried to be as diplomatic as possible. “Please. Let me transfer you to Mr. Davidson. He’ll be more than happy to help you with any problem you might have.”
 
 
 
“I don’t want to talk to…” Angel paused, changing his mind. “Okay, thank you Kendra. That would be acceptable.” No harm in picking Davidson's brain for information about
DWC
. He'd find out where Nikki was another way. He only had to wait a moment before Jax answered the phone.
 
 
 
 
“Angelo, hello. How are you?”
 
 
 
 
Angel’s mouth tightened when he heard Davidson's overly cheerful voice. “I’m fine. I was trying to get in touch with Nikki…Nicole...but her secretary says she’s out of town.”
 
 
 
 
“Yes, I’m afraid she is. Can I help you?”