Blue Moon: Too Good to Be True (27 page)

“He’s not scared, he pissed. You must always be honest with him, Angel.

If you lose his trust…it’s damn hard to get it back,” Ryker told him. “Now go and reassure him that that will never be a problem.”

Angel ran out the door and looked up and down the sidewalk before spotting Max turning down the alley where Angel parked his bike. He jogged to catch up and caught Max by his shoulder. “Babe, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I really thought it was nothing. I was not trying to keep anything from anybody. I love you Max, I would never hide anything from you. I’m sorry…I should’ve just told you.”

“When did you find out?” Max questioned, his posture chillingly rigid.

“This morning. When you finished your shift and came to the club I was buried in so much paperwork and meetings I just didn’t get a chance to tell anyone. I haven’t even gotten to the police department to make a report…but I will first thing tomorrow.” Angel saw Max’s shoulders relax and he took advantage and stepped in to embrace him. He laid a couple of chaste kisses on Max’s luscious mouth, probing him to open up. When Max finally opened it was like a breath of fresh air. He poured as much trust into that kiss as he could. Angel couldn’t bear Max being upset with him, or worse, feeling that he wasn’t trustworthy.

Max tore his mouth from the kiss and held the back of Angel’s neck, making Angel look him in his eyes. “You will go first thing in the morning and file that report. Next, you will apologize to Bass and let him assign the security detail.” Angel opened his mouth to protest but Max cut him off before he could say anything. “This is not a debate.” He growled. “You will let them protect you, because I said so. You may be willing to take a gamble on this, but I’m not. The detail will start tonight, and I will be with you as well. End of discussion.” Max’s voice and tone held no room for protest.

All Angel could say was, “Yes, Maximus.”

Max’s grip tightened on Angel’s neck while the other hand held his jaw as he pulled him in for a hard, disciplining kiss on his mouth, showing him who was in charge right now. Angel was floored and fucking turned on all at the same time. Max was a walking orgasm when he turned on his dominant side and Angel loved it. He completely submitted and let Max control the kiss.

When Max was done he placed a strong hand in the middle of Angel’s chest and placed him firmly against the wall. Max turned to walk back into the club without a backward glance, leaving Angel panting with a hard cock.

Beautiful bastard.

Angel stayed in the alley for a few minutes and pulled out a Marlboro.

He’d been working on cutting back since Max didn’t smoke, and was already down to one pack every two weeks. Angel thought of how fierce and sexy his man could be, and his dick grew even more rigid.
He will probably fuck me to
within an inch of my life when we get home.
Angel shivered.

Angel was scrolling through his e-mail on his cell phone and so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the squealing tires until it was too late. Five men jumped out of an old, beat-up brown van, dressed in all black with black caps pulled low on their face. The van blocked his path into his back door. He would have to fight.
Shit!

Angel dropped fast and did a backward spin kick, leveling the man that approached him first. Angel saw two more men jump out the side door, the van rising up a few inches from the relief of their weight. They were huge and he knew they probably wouldn’t go down easily. He was grabbed from the back, a strong arm going around his neck.

Angel heard a man yell in a Latin accent, “Come on dammit, before the boyfriend comes back out!”

Two more men approached rapidly from the front. Angel threw a hard left punch catching one of them in the temple while chopping the other in the throat. He bent forward and threw five elbows in rapid succession into the midsection of the one holding him from behind. The man released him and went down on one knee. Angel kicked his leg back into the man’s chest sending him flying into the brick wall.

He tried to call for Max but his voice was cut off when he was doused with what had to be police issue pepper spray. “Augh…fuck! You fucking asshole!” Angel growled and tried to spit as much of the poison out of his mouth as he could. They sprayed until the can was damn near empty.

His entire face burned fire hot, but his eyes felt like someone had stuck a lit cigar into each socket. He gagged and almost threw up as he went down

on both knees. They’d sprayed too much directly in his mouth and eyes. A hard kneecap connected to Angel’s nose and mouth, causing bright lights to flash under his lids. He flew backward onto the hard, dirty concrete. This time when he spat it was mixed with blood.

Before he could recover from the knee he was stomped viciously in the stomach, making Angel cry out in agony. Angel curled up and lost count of how many kicks he took to his body before feeling several sets of hands lift and throw him not so gently into the van. He hit his head against something solid inside, almost knocking him unconscious. He fought the dizziness, fought the burning, fought the nausea, and fought the pain. He was fighting for Max. As the door slammed shut he heard Max yell his name.

He tried to call back to him but that only made him gag and spit even more. Some type of covering was thrown over his head. Angel wondered why that was even needed since he couldn’t open his damn eyes anyway due to the intense burning. He struggled to free himself, but there were just too many of them.

“Go, go, go, ¡Ándale!” Another voice not like the first one was now yelling the orders, this one possessing a strong Spanish accent.

There was a bang against the side of the van, and Angel didn’t know if it was Max trying to get in or if the banging was coming from inside the van.

He fought even harder, finding a pressure point on the wrist of one of his captors and pressing as hard as he could. The scream was satisfying to Angel even though he knew he’d only done a little damage. The man would regain the use of that arm in a few hours. Angel took countless other hits to the body as the van began to peel out of the alley. Several men were trying to secure his arms behind his back as others worked on his feet.

Fearing this would be the end of him, he thought about Max. The hits he’d taken from these men were nothing compared to the pain he felt at possibly never seeing Max again.

“It’s the boyfriend! Just run him over, or shoot him.” More yelling from inside the van.

Pop! Pop! Pop
! Loud gunshots rang out.

This time Angel managed to yell out the words, his fear propelling him.

“Noooo! Maxxxxx! You fucking bastards!” Angel was almost paralyzed from his fear that Max might be lying in the alley with a bullet in his stomach. The van was in full motion, speeding down the strip. His body went totally still and his captors stopped hitting him. Fear that the love of his life was dead…he’d lost all the fight within him. They tied Angel’s hands behind his back to the point of almost cutting off circulation.

If Max was really dead, he would beg his captors to be merciful and put a bullet in his head.
Oh God, darlin’ please be alive…fight…please.

Max got up off the ground and ran into the club. Max couldn’t get into that van no matter how hard he’d tried, knowing that Angel was in there.

Those bastards took his heart. Whoever had been shooting at him was a lousy fucking shot.

“Ryker!” Max screamed his brother’s name as soon as he got into the main area of the club and dropped to his knees, the tears flowing freely now.

“Ryker!” He groaned.

Ryker was at Max’s side in two seconds gripping his brother by the shoulders and forcing him to look at him. “What happened, Max?”

Max squeezed his eyes shut and held onto his brother like a lifeline. He couldn’t talk or think, but he managed to croak out three dreadful words, from inside the crook of Ryker’s neck.

“They…took…him.” The adrenaline and fear was too much for Max.

His last vision was of Angel’s beautiful face.

“Oh no,” Ryker whispered. Max collapsed. Ryker cradled him in his arms and rocked him back and forth, holding him tight. He kissed Max’s forehead, and wiped the tears off his cheeks. A few of Angel’s security staff ran over and helped Ryker take Max up to Angel’s office to lay him on the couch.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Call the police,” Bass said, in Angel’s office now. Ryker knew he’d run out into the alley, his weapon drawn, but of course saw nothing but tire tracks and Angel’s busted cell phone. “Fuck, Angel. Why the hell don’t you listen?” Bass whispered.

Jazz was already on the phone with the police trying her best to tell them what happened as her mascara ran down her face with her tears. Jazz hung up the phone and it immediately rang right back. She quickly picked it up and pushed the speakerphone button as Bass and his men got around Angel’s desk, listening intently.

“Is anyone there?” Bass’s stern voice cut through the dead silence in the office.

There were more scuffling noises and muffled voices before a distorted voice spoke. “If you want your faggot boss back, wait by this phone for our demands—we’ll call back in twenty-four hours. We know you’ve already called the cops but it won’t matter. If you don’t meet our demands, we’ll start sending your faggot back to you piece by piece. I think we’ll start with that annoying-ass pony tail first.”

“I want to speak to Ang—”

Click
.

Bass’s request was cut off. “Fuck!” he yelled.

Ryker watched Bass run his fingers through his hair in frustration. Jazz fell down in a heap on the floor and sobbed some more as some of the other waitresses crowded around to console her. Others sat looking shell-shocked.

Ryker turned to see his brother sitting now instead of lying down. He’d heard the call. His normally tanned face was pale as a ghost and his eyes were glazed over and stared without looking at anything.

He rushed to his brother’s side and grasped both his shoulders in a crushing grip. “Max, goddammit, look at me! Don’t you fucking shut down on me. We will get him back, do you understand me? We will get him back, I promise you. Have I ever let you down…ever?” Ryker held his brother’s face between his hands. He’d seen that look on Max’s face before. It was the

same face he’d had when his father was beating the life out of Ryker while he lay protectively over him. It took Ryker six months before he could get Max to speak again.

“If you’re gonna make that kind of promise then you need to call Angel’s father and his team.” Sam stood by the door with his arms crossed protectively over himself, dried tears staining his flushed cheeks. His eyes were bloodshot but focused and set with confidence. Ryker stared hard at Angel’s extremely close friend.

“Call his father. Are you fucking insane? Those men will level this city.”

Bass stared at Sam with disbelief. “Let’s let the police do what they are trained to do. With their help we’ll find Angel. If we call Angel’s father, he’ll come in shooting first and asking questions later.”

“Imagine what he’ll do to you if you don’t call him.” Sam eyed Bass.

They heard police sirens and Bass left Angel’s office to let them in the front door.

The next four hours were not very promising. The place swarmed with police detectives and forensics specialists. They sprayed and dusted every inch of the alley, securing samples and marking tire tracks. At least they found several samples of blood. Knowing Angel, Bass was positive the man didn’t go without a tremendous fight.

The staff was questioned extensively by various detectives. They inquired about everything from Angel’s habits to people that frequented the club and knew Angel on a more personal level. Detectives accompanied Jazz to Angel’s home to look for any signs of forced entry and to scan for anything that may lead to a suspect. Angel’s lawyer was present also, giving all the information he could on the properties Angel had recently purchased and who they once belonged to.

Max still looked extremely pale but Ryker was glued to his side. Every now and then Bass would see him fingering his collar. He wished he could be at his boy’s side right now, giving him the strength of his Master, but he had

to assist with the investigation. His boy was strong and capable and Bass was proud of how he was handling his brother.

Two detectives were approaching Bass while he spoke to his security staff. One of the detectives was tall, strong, and walked with confidence. He didn’t look like the preppy detectives flittering around the place asking mundane questions that wouldn’t lead anywhere.

No, this man looked like he stepped off a movie shoot. He stood at least six foot two, his eyes a deep, focused brown. He had a toothpick sticking out of his plump lips. His hair was jet-black, wavy, and cut into one of those styles that didn’t need combing, just a quick run through with his fingers. His tight black T-shirt was stretched nicely across defined muscles. A polished gold FBI badge hung in the center of his chest from a long gold chain. His dark denim jeans fit perfectly and did little to disguise his nice package in the front. Bass didn’t know who he was but he’d recognized the man’s partner right away, it was David—Jazz’s husband. Bass knew the man well. Together they looked like they made a good team.

Bass continued to eye them as they made a couple of stops on their way to him, speaking to uniformed officers. When they got closer Bass got an even better look at the man.
Holy shit.
He was sexy as fuck up close and personal. Of course he couldn’t hold a candle to his boy. The tall one spoke first.

“Hello, I hear you are Angel’s chief of security. I’m Special Agent Fox, and I’m sure you know Special Agent Monroe. We heard about the abduction and flew in an hour ago. With your approval of course we would like to assist in finding your boss.” The man extended his hand and Bass gave him a firm shake.

“Yes of course. I know David. Thank you for coming out to help, we really appreciate it. I’m sure Angel would appreciate it too,” Bass responded speaking to Jazz’s husband. “Jazz went over to let a few detectives into Angel’s home since she keeps a spare key.”