Sweetest Surrender (6 page)

“Screw it,” she muttered to herself. Charlie looked up from where she was dozing on her beanbag—Vadim hadn’t been joking about her loving that thing—but just as quickly lost interest when Angel held her phone up to her ear. Biting her bottom lip, she hoped Sierra wouldn’t answer.

Of course the woman picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Angel, I’m glad you called.”

She swallowed hard. “I didn’t get a chance to really apologize and explain myself last night.”

“It’s okay, Vadim called me this morning and explained what you were doing.”

“He did?” That was news.

“Yeah, freaking early too. He called from Wyatt’s jet before they took off.”

The other woman knew more about Vadim’s trip than Angel did. Which shouldn’t bother her, but it did just a little. And she was surprised he’d called Sierra on her behalf. “I might have had a good reason but I still should have asked you.”

“You were bringing the food back though, weren’t you?” Sierra asked.

“Yeah.” But she’d thought telling her that would sound like a lie.

“I figured that out after you’d left. Listen, any time you want to take any of the throw away food home, for you, your neighbors, whoever, you can. Just let me know first.”

“I will, I promise. And thanks for being so understanding.”

“Of course, you’re a good employee. Probably the best I’ve ever had…And I’m not just saying that because I need a little favor.”

At this point there wasn’t much Angel would say no to. “What is it?”

“Can you come in tonight? I know it’s last minute, but—”

“Yes,” she said quickly, not needing any convincing. Charlie would be fine and Angel could use the money and distraction. Anything to get her mind off Vadim. Which was hard to do when she was at his place.

“Great, thanks. Can you be here by six? I need an opener, but you won’t have to close. I’ll cut you as soon as we have a lull, but it’s Friday so expect to stay until at least eleven.”

“That’s fine and the time works too. I’ll see you soon.” Once they disconnected, Angel turned on the television for Charlie, hoping it would keep her company the next few hours, then she checked the dog’s food and water.

She’d already showered so she changed into casual clothes and sneakers, put on makeup, then pulled her hair into a ponytail and braided it. She needed to run by her place to get her work clothes but it would take her less than a minute to change once she got there. Knowing she’d be cutting it close, she grabbed her purse, Vadim’s keys and headed out only once she was sure Charlie was okay. Angel felt bad leaving the dog, but she hadn’t even seemed to notice Angel getting ready to leave as she snored softly in front of the TV. Plus she was clearly used to Vadim being gone for work. Once Angel was in the garage she set his alarm to stay mode using the keyfob—which was incredibly nifty.

Driving his Mercedes was like driving around in an insulated cloud. The leather was butter soft, the interior sleek, and even the seats had warmers. Still, it was hard to enjoy the luxury car when she was terrified she’d get a ding in it or something. Things were already weird between her and Vadim and she figured that scratching this baby would make things even more strained. Sticking to the speed limit, she made her way to her place, scanning for the men Vadim had taken on the night before.

Even thinking about that impressive display made her feel warm all over. But clearly she’d overthought things with him. He probably regretted kissing her and now didn’t know how to deal with it. She’d noticed that sometimes his social skills were a little off and figured he just hadn’t known how to tell her last night that he regretted their kiss. Instead, he’d simply shut down. Which was seriously depressing when all she wanted was a replay.

Shaking away all thoughts of Vadim, she pulled into a spot right in front of her building. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten such a great one, but she wasn’t going to question her luck. Racing up the stairs, she hurried into her place, changed into her standard uniform and black Mary Jane slingbacks and ran back down. The complex was quieter than normal, especially for a Friday night.

Glancing at the row of cars, she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling almost uneasy, as if she was being watched. For a moment her throat tightened as that familiar panic surged through her. But just as quickly it was gone as she took a deep, steadying breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Rolling her eyes at herself, she slid into Vadim’s car and steered out of the parking lot, thankful her hands were steady. With thoughts of Vadim and her cash problem on her mind it was no surprise she was on edge. When she’d first gone on the run she’d seen the man hunting her in every corner, in every shadow, waiting to strike her down.

It had been two years. Still, she knew she could never let her guard down. Not after that monster had killed her brother. She might not be able to prove it, but deep down Angel knew he’d been behind it. Hell, he’d confessed to her that he had and she didn’t think he was lying. He’d had no reason to.

Blinking back the sudden tears that always formed when she thought of her brother, she steered out of the parking lot and tried to think of happier things. She couldn’t act depressed while serving people tonight. It was time to get her game face on.

* * *

His heart beat erratically as he watched Angel slide behind the wheel of the newer model Mercedes. What the fuck was she doing driving something like that when she lived in this shithole?

After sitting on her place most of the day he’d been about to give up and leave when he’d seen that flash of brilliant red hair. The woman was like a beacon, calling to him. She always had been. From the moment he’d first seen her.

And she’d loved him too. He just knew it. But something had changed between them and he didn’t know what. Didn’t care at this point. He hadn’t decided how much he planned to make her suffer before he killed her, but seeing her in the flesh again after so long he was going to keep her around for a while first.

Shifting uncomfortably, he rubbed a hand over his crotch as he steered his rental car out onto the street after her. Oh yeah, he was definitely keeping her around.

Keeping an eye on his surroundings, he tailed Angel as best he could without seeming too obvious. It was easy with the steady flow of traffic. So many vehicles were heading in the same direction as she was. When she turned into the main entrance for the Serafina hotel, his anger grew.

Maybe she was meeting a lover there. Probably the man who owned the car she was driving. Because there was no way in hell that was hers. His investigator had assured him that she hadn’t registered any new vehicles in the last two years. No, she’d been a ghost.

Until now.

Staying four cars behind her, he slid on his ball cap when she stopped in front of the valet parking. She talked animatedly with one of the drivers for a couple minutes. The conversation seemed longer than normal for a patron of the hotel. Maybe the whore was planning to meet up with him later.

She’d always been like that, flirting with everyone. He’d hated it as much as he’d loved her. She was so vibrant and full of life but she should only be like that for him. Only with him.

Needing to see where she went—and who she was meeting—he continued through the line, stopping when it was his turn.

A man in his early twenties greeted him with a smile. “Welcome to the Serafina. How long will you be leaving your car?”

“I’m not sure,” he said as he slid from the rental, keeping his hat pulled low.

“No problem. Stay as long as you like.” The man rattled off the daily rate before asking if he had any questions.

He started to say no, but paused. “Where do you keep the cars you valet? Are they secure?”

The guy nodded, as if he was asked that all the time. Pointing past the hotel, he said, “See the offsite parking garage? The bottom two floors are valet and the rest of the garage is for spillover. But we’ve got a guard stationed there 24/7 so the cars are secure.”

“Thanks.” After getting his parking stub, he headed up the stairs to the wide doors of the luxurious hotel.

Once inside he was stunned by the marble floors and huge fountain in the middle of the lobby. Definitely first class all the way, which was what he was normally accustomed to. At least the dress varied. There were people wearing track suits while others wearing thousand dollar suits milled about so he’d be able to blend in.

Unfortunately the place was huge. Angel’s hair might be a beacon but he’d never find her in this place. Especially if the whore had already gone up to a hotel room to meet some guy. Fighting his anger, he made his way across the lobby, deciding to do a sweep of the main floor. He knew where she lived so he could always just go back there and wait, but he wanted to learn everything about her schedule.

As he passed the open entryway for a restaurant called Cloud 9, he almost stumbled. Standing next to a cocktail table of three men, she was smiling at something one of them said as she jotted down a note on her pad of paper. Shit, she worked at the restaurant.

It still didn’t explain her car, but knowing she worked here made all the difference. Keeping track of her movements would be a lot easier now that he knew where she lived and worked. The restaurant was huge, a mixture of cocktail tables, fine dining tables and a roped off area of modular couches where it looked like people were only drinking cocktails.

He scanned the area in seconds, but couldn’t stop being drawn back to her. Of average height, she gave the appearance of being taller because of her slim legs. And she was stunning. The kind of woman a man did an automatic double take for.

He would have given her everything too, if only she’d stayed. If only she hadn’t involved the police in their business. She never should have gone behind his back. And she never should have tried to leave him in the first place. Then he wouldn’t have had to hurt her, to remind her who was in charge.

“May I help you, sir?” A pretty woman wearing a simple black dress and heels asked him, her smile polite.

That was when he realized he’d stepped inside the actual restaurant and wasn’t hovering outside anymore. Like an idiot, he’d started walking toward Angel without even thinking. But he couldn’t let her see him yet. No, his appearance in Vegas would have to be a complete surprise. That didn’t mean he couldn’t mess with her head. He shook his head quickly at the hostess, stepped back out and hurried away.

If Angel was working she’d likely be at the restaurant for a few hours. And he planned to fuck up her car while she was occupied. If there was only one guard in that lot, it should be easy enough to get in undetected. It wasn’t as if he wanted to steal the thing, just vandalize it.

What he wouldn’t give to witness Angel’s expression when she saw it.

Chapter 6

Vadim finished his second drive around Angel’s apartment complex before parking in front of Mr. Botkin’s two-story building. He knew the man lived there with his wife and that his three daughters all lived in the other apartments with their families. The job Vadim had been on with Wyatt had been cut even shorter than he’d expected. Instead of coming by tomorrow he’d decided to stop by tonight, after a call to Mr. Botkin had assured him that it wasn’t too late.

As he exited one of Wyatt’s company vehicles, Vadim automatically scanned the area for trouble. When he didn’t see anyone, he headed for the walkway. Before he’d reached the curb the landlord was already striding toward him.

Vadim nodded once as he met him on the sidewalk. “Thanks for meeting with me,” he said in English.

The older man grunted. “Russian?”

Vadim nodded, knowing it would be easier on the man to converse in his native tongue so he quickly switched languages. “I need a favor.” When Mr. Botkin didn’t respond, just watched him carefully, Vadim continued. “I don’t like Angel living here. It’s not safe for her with no male protection.” He knew what he was saying was archaic, but he also knew this man was old school and would like, or at least understand, the sentiment, especially since he had three daughters. And Vadim needed this guy to do what he was requesting. It wasn’t like he could force him. “Early tomorrow I want you to call her, tell her there’s a flooding problem at her apartment but you’ve packed up her belongings. You’ll also tell her you have no idea how long it will take to fix the pipes or the flooring and that there is no other apartment open right now. Be very apologetic, offer to help her find another place, and be believable. I’ll come by later tomorrow and pack up her stuff.”

Mr. Botkin watched him, his eyes narrowing a fraction. “Is this because of the man asking about her?”

At the man’s words, Vadim went still. Someone had been asking about Angel? He flicked a glance around them again out of habit. “What man?” he asked, turning back to Mr. Botkin.

“A man came by her place late last night, stopped me as I was leaving another apartment. He said his friend’s sister was missing and he was helping look for her. I didn’t like the look of him.” The man’s lip curled in clear distaste.

“What did you tell him?” Vadim’s voice was steady, but a low grade panic hummed through him. Angel had been quiet about her life before moving to Vegas and he’d respected her privacy. Her background check the hotel ran for all new employees had come back clean. Now he wondered if she was running from someone.