Fallen Angel (21 page)

“You going to be okay for a while here?” Angel sticks his head out of his walk-in closet and I notice he’s halfway into a t-shirt.

“Are you going somewhere?” I start to scoot toward the edge of the bed to get up as well, but he stops me by sitting down and blocking my path. He’s fully clothed already.

“It’s just bugging me how I left things with Derek. I know he didn’t really mean what he said, but the kinda mood he’s been in lately, I don’t want him running off and telling Ava and Blaise. It should come from us, you know?”

I lift up onto my knees so I can reach his lips with mine. “Want me to come with you?”

A sexy as hell grin smooths out the corners of his mouth. “Hell, no. I want you right here, just like this when I get back.”

I lean in to kiss him again. “I can definitely make that happen.”

He continues to pepper my lips with kisses even as he drags himself off the bed and slowly inches his way toward the door. By the time we break apart, I’m nearly falling off the bed myself.

“I’ll be fast,” he promises as he heads out of the room.

“You better!” I call out after him. “Hey, Angel.”

He’s standing back in the doorway in no time at all. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Then he smiles the craziest smile I think I’ve ever seen on him and takes off for good, leaving me behind to roll around in his empty bed fighting off a fit of giggles like the bats have never seen before. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.

A little while later, I mosey downstairs for another refill on my coffee when I hear someone at the door. Since I know the bell doesn’t work, I abandon my coffee mission and head straight for the foyer instead of the kitchen.

When I open the door, the bats quit their happy dance and make a nose dive straight for knees, knocking them together with a swift surge of surprise anxiety.

“Moe.” Automatically my gaze shifts toward the gate. It’s still closed, but I can see the trunk of Moe’s car parked along the sidewalk on the outside. “Why the hell do I keep forgetting that the psychos and stalkers just climb the gate? God. It’s such a false sense of security.” I make the snottiest face I possibly can, in hopes of covering up the fear. The last thing I want is for him to see that I’m afraid.

“I don’t imagine much of anything was going to keep me from you, darlin’. I’ve been waiting for a chance like this for a long while.” I can feel his eyes skim over what little I’m wearing and I’m ready to slam the door in his face.

“Well, I’m afraid now’s not a good time either. Sorry.” I go to swing the door shut with all my might, but his damn boot is in the way and he shoves it right back at me, hitting me in the head with the edge.

“No need to apologize. I’m sure you’ll make it up to me.” I can feel his hand glide up the back of my thigh.

“Angel will kill you if you hurt me,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“Then I guess we better make sure you have a good time.” He laughs, kicking the door shut behind him. We’re inside. Alone. No one will ever hear me if I scream. But that’s okay. I don’t plan to make a sound.

“Thank me, Moe.” I run my fingers up his chest.

“What for?” His eyes travel the length of my body curiously.

“Saving your life.”

***

I
spent almost an hour driving first to Derek’s and then when he wasn’t there, all the way over to Ava and Blaise’s, only to find out I’ve completely wasted my time. He isn’t either of those places. And he’s not answering his phone, which means he’s either off pouting somewhere, since that’s his thing these days, or out having revenge sex with Sammy. But I’m done worrying about him. I just want to get back home. To Addison.

That’s the last coherent thought I remember having. Then I turn down my street and I can already see them. Bright flashing lights, and I know before I even get there, they’re coming from my house.

I swear under my breath, pressing down on the gas to speed up to my gate, only to come to a crashing halt again when I reach it. Panic spreads when I realize I’m now parked right beside Moe’s shitty old car.

“What the fuck is going on?” Derek is coming up beside me. He must have pulled up right after me.

“I don’t fucking know. I was out looking for you, asshole.” I shove past him and race up the driveway as fast as I can. Two cops walk straight into my path, and all I want is to barrel right through them. I don’t. Because the next best thing to seeing her, is getting answers.

“Where is she?” I don’t even recognize my own voice. I’m out of breath and it’s not from running.

“Is this your residence, sir?” the officer asks calmly. Way too motherfucking calm if you ask me.

“Yes! Where is she? Where is Addison?” I’m about ready to go back to plan A and start mowing down everyone and everything blocking the path between me and her.

“Officer, please. His girlfriend was home alone. That’s his dad’s car out front. She had a restraining order because of a previous altercation.” Derek is suddenly right beside me. The voice of reason. The man who has my back.

“We know.” The officer turns his attention back to me, an unexpected understanding on his face. “She’s okay. A bit shaken up, but otherwise, not a mark on her.” He turns back to wave at another guy in uniform to come over. “This is the boyfriend. Can you take him over to see her, please?”

“Yes, sir.” He nods at me to follow, but I’m already walking. It’s my own damn house. If someone would just point in her fucking direction I would already have found her by now.

Up front, beside the garage I see an ambulance and I have to remind myself that the cop said she was fine. Not a mark on her, he said.

We turn the corner, and finally, sitting on a gurney on the other side of the ambulance, is Addison.

I don’t even care that there are two paramedics checking her out. Nor do I apologize for interrupting the cop who’s taking her statement. I just get to her as fast as I can and wrap myself around her.

“Thank God,” I whisper into her hair, kissing the top of her head over and over again.

“You really need to get a bigger gate,” she mumbles, her voice muffled by my shirt.

I laugh. Because she’s fucking crazy. “Don’t...don’t do that. This isn’t funny. I could have lost you.”

“Nah, you couldn’t have. I didn’t wait around for a fucking decade in hopes that you would notice me just to dip out on you the day you finally admit you love me.” Her big brown eyes are locked on mine and even though her mouth is smiling, I can still see the fear in her eyes. She’s tough, but she can’t fool me. Not anymore. Not now that I can see her. All of her.

“Also,” the officer standing next to Addison with her notepad still in hand interrupts, “it kind of was funny. Not every day I get to put down a coffee cup as the weapon of choice.”

“What now?”

Her eyes start to light up again. “And here I’m always having to defend my love of big mugs to people. Well, I think that argument has been made for good now.”

The cop smirks. “Anyway, we can finish this up later. I’ve got everything I need for now.” She nods at both of us and walks off, just as Derek comes around the side of the ambulance to find us.

“I called Ava. They’re on their way.” He reaches over and gives her a sideways hug. That’s all the access he has to her, because I’m still not letting go. “Glad to see you’re okay. Heard you knocked him out cold when he came at you.”

I shake my head. I still can’t believe all of this is really happening. “Yeah. You also hear she used her coffee cup to do it?”

He grins. “I did actually. Can’t say I was all that surprised. I figured it was either that or that massive bag she carts around everywhere. Holy shitballs, I think I pulled my back lifting that thing earlier. What do you keep in there? Rocks?”

She keeps a completely straight face when she answers, “Dumbbells.”

“What now?” Although, I’ve carried the thing around a time or two. This would make sense.

She shrugs. “Well, I don’t like to work out...but a girl doesn’t want any flabby parts when she’s hanging out with a man made of solid muscle. So, I started keeping weights in my purse, since it goes with me everywhere. I’m up to seven pounders.”

“You’re nuts, you know that?”

“Hey, I’ll claim it, if you will.”

I rest my forehead to hers. “I’ll claim
you
.”

“S
omeone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?” Ava’s shrill voice cuts through the silence which has settled around the house now that the cops and paramedics have taken off.

Before either Angel or I can answer, Derek beats us to it. “Relax, Ava. I already told you on the phone that everyone is okay.”

“Moe’s been arrested,” I explain matter of factly as I watch Ava examine the shattered mug still scattered on the tiles in the foyer. “He jumped the gate and got in. Tried to make a move on me, so I cold-cocked him with my empty coffee cup and that was pretty much the end of it.”

She looks like her mind is spinning in circles as she makes a beeline for me with outstretched arms. Blaise, Royce and Hudson are right behind her, although they seem to get hung up on the busted coffee cup in the walkway.

When Angel almost makes her wrestle him for his spot, she scoffs, “Would you back off, Angel? I’m giving her right back.”

“You are?” It’s like we timed our answers or something.

She rolls her eyes as she muscles her way between us anyway. “Well, duh. I get it. Thinking you almost lost someone you love can come with clingy side effects. Believe me, I’ve been there.”

My mouth is pressed uncomfortably to her shoulder while her hand is holding my head tightly in place. “Did you just say what I think you said?” I have to force my head free from her iron grip and she finally releases me.

Blaise laughs, pointing back and forth between Angel and I. “You two should see your faces right now.”

Ava slinks back over to where he’s standing, resting her back against his chest, her hands propped up on her hips. “Seriously. When’s the last time anyone around here has been able to keep a secret from me?”

“And you’re cool with this?” Angel sounds like I’m feeling. Like there’s some sneaky surprise still waiting to jump out at us.

This time Royce pipes up. “We’re all cool with it.”

My eyes instantly shoot to Hudson, but his hands are already up in the air in surrender, letting me know he had nothing to do with it. If Ava found out, it wasn’t because of what I shared with him.

“How long have you known?”

She grins. “Since the wedding.”

I glance up at Angel over my shoulder and he’s shaking his head same as I am. “Eda, that’s not even possible. We didn’t get within ten feet of each other that day, let alone have any kind of conversation.”

“No shit. How could you when you were hell-bent on running away every time he came anywhere near you?!” Then she pins her gaze on him, still smirking with delight. “And this one, holy crap. Walking around like a total klutz all day. Bumping into people, tripping over his own two feet. Even knocked over a tray of champagne glasses. And wouldn’t you know it, every time the man lost his balance, you were right there within his line of vision.”

Royce glances in Hudson’s direction before he brings it back to Angel. “It was pretty damn funny actually. All things considered.”

And while I have no fucking clue what he’s talking about, I can tell by the sheepish look on Angel’s face he does.

“I guess you called it.” His grip around my waist tightens and I’m suddenly aware of how nice it is to be out in the open about our relationship.

Of course, this reminds me.

“Wait a second. If you knew all along that we were into each other, what the hell was with all your little speeches telling me to stay away from him and to make sure I keep things ‘above the clothes’?!”

Ava shrugs. “Well, considering how shit went down with Hayden, I knew how fond you were of taking my advice. I also knew Angel would need all the help he could get moving out of his own fucking way, so I figured the best way to amp up your level of determination was to tell you to stay the hell away from him knowing damn well you’d run right out and do the exact opposite.”

“Damn,” Angel mumbles, “that shit was sneaky.”

“But it worked. And you’re all happy and in love and stuff, so who cares?” She throws her hands up like it’s the end of the discussion. And maybe it ought to be.

“Babe,” Blaise tugs at the waistline of her pants. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Huh? Oh yeah. I got so busy gloating, I forgot.” Her eyes light up all over again as she takes to the center of the room to make some big announcement. “The label decided to sign Nina Nu!”

“What?!” I’m literally jumping up and down.

“Yeah, but that’s not all. She’s signed on with her own manager and has agreed to be the opening act on our next tour. Which means we’ll all be on the road together, since Brett wants you there, hands on, getting down and dirty and ready for the album you guys are going to produce together.” She’s clapping her hands together so fast I think she might be as excited as I am.

“That is fucking awesome!” I rush to throw my arms around her neck, yanking her to and fro as I continue jumping around the room. Then, when I make it once around the room and find myself back in front of Angel, I drop her in a nano-second to throw myself back into his arms, knowing he’ll catch me every time from here on out.

“Congratulations,” he breathes against my lips.

“I’d never have gotten here without you,” I whisper before I crush my mouth to his once more.

It takes a small eternity for the blur of it all to subside, but when it does, I realize I have one last question.

“Wait. Who’s Nina’s new manager?”

“I am.” It’s Francis. And she’s standing in the foyer, hands loaded full with pizza boxes stacked up to her chin. “Now one of you assholes come give me a hand.”

Derek is there to take them before anyone else has a chance. And he’s smiling.

And I get it now. This family Ava’s made for herself. The way they all fit together. Love each other. Show up when it counts. Fight when it matters. And trust no matter what. It’s all unconditional. And it’s unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of. Until now. Until Angel.