Whisper To Me In The Dark (12 page)

***

No matter how many times he'd taken her after that first fateful night, just at the moment when Angelica knew that Cash had reached his pleasure, she gave a soft moan and the sweetest sigh, her moment of perfect contentment, so happy to have received his manly essence - so blissful at being possessed by him. She felt so treasured. So loved. So truly content. That sweet little moan and sigh did things to Cash's heart that he dared not  admit even to himself.

Chapter 16

"I'll be damned if you're going to make me sit here waiting for 'Mr. Big.' What kind of a name is that anyway? Ridiculous," Cash replied incredulously. He sunk into the uncomfortable looking wooden chair, as cocky as ever. If he could get "Mr. Big's” henchman all riled up it would  give him the perfect opportunity  to look around and at least find an escape route in case anything went wrong. He trusted Angelica with his life, but she did have a tendency to ramble on and she could have slipped, however accidentally, and let on that he was in fact a deputy and working for the other side.

"We don't use real names around here for obvious reasons so shut up already. I'm not in the mood," the henchman replied, as he squinted his eyes, peering suspiciously at Cash.

"You know, he'd be damn lucky to have me work for him. Get some order into this organization. This operation is a joke."

"Well you can discuss your stupid opinions with him when he's ready, so shut up. You're giving me a headache."

"Ooh. Wouldn't want to give you a headache. It may interfere with your job of sitting there staring vaguely into space," came Cash's sarcastic reply.

"Mr. Big will see you now."

Cash stood up to his full six foot two height and walked confidently into the office. Mr. Big's office was stuffy and dark, filled with a leather covered couch and utilitarian chairs. Suffocatingly small and stuffy. Just the type of place Cash felt the most uncomfortable in. He longed to be out in the fresh air, breathing the cool crisp air, riding his favorite horse. He seriously needed to look into changing jobs. This was getting old and suddenly he felt - so was he.

Cash looked up to be greeted by a familiar pair of blue eyes, that mirrored exactly the shock he was showing in his own.

"Edward?! What the hell?"

Edward, speechless, looking as if the wind had been knocked out of him, loosened his tie as it suddenly felt like it was choking him and slumped into the nearest chair and said, "You don't understand Cash. It's not my fault ..."

"You're running an international jewel theft ring and it's not your fault?" Cash broke in. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You don't understand," Edward pleaded. "I've run out of money. I have gambling debts. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in debts. I spent it on liquor. Gambling. Women. Money is all I have. I'm not you. I've never been like you. It's all I have. I spent it all, Cash. You don't understand." Edward, pathetically curled in the fetal position, pleaded, almost crying.

Women and liquor? Maybe they were more alike than he thought ...

"How could you do this to Angelica? What about her? Have you forgotten about her? You never contacted her once in the past many months and you've obviously been here all along."

"I did this for her too. I had nothing to offer her. I couldn't afford to keep her in the lifestyle that she was accustomed to," Edward wept.

"You don't know a damn thing about Angelica. She has worked for her own money all of her life. Things like that don't matter to her."

"How do you know what matters to her?" Edward demanded.

"I don't think this is exactly a time where that is any of your damn business. Deal with the matters at hand. This place is being raided in twenty minutes. You have less than twenty minutes to get out of here. It's your choice. I'd rather see you rot in jail. But I'm giving you a choice. I could lose my job for this."

Edward deserved to rot for everything he'd done. What he'd done to Angelica. But he just couldn't do it. Cash, seeing Edward curled in a ball, now crying, just couldn't turn him in.

"Get out of here. Get out of here now!"

Edward got up shakily from the chair, grabbed an envelope of money from the drawer and started out the door.

"Leave it!" Cash demanded.

Edward weakly dropped it and fled like the coward that he was.

Cash sat, unmoving, mentally taking in all that had just happened. Hearing the scuffling downstairs he knew the raid was already taking place.

By the time he reached the first floor everyone had been rounded up and accounted for except for Mr. Big.

"What happened to Mr. Big?" the lead police officer asked.

"Never saw him. Must have taken off," was Cash's only response as he strode by the group of gawkers, staring at the ruckus.

Cash, still dazed, walked slowly back to the apartment. He definitely needed to stop in at the Church to light a candle and to seriously contemplate his actions.

Chapter 17

A quick perusal of the entryway yielded no Angelica so Edward decided to sit a while and wait for her to return to her tiny apartment.

Cash entered the small apartment only to be met with a seething Edward.

Edward perused the pile of letters on her bed. Who was Sissy? He threw the pages on the floor, sending them floating like autumn leaves, as he screamed, "How do you think it makes me feel that her greatest desire was to have your baby?" Cash stumbled back into the creaky chair, dumbfounded, speechless, his mind spinning in circles. How didn't he know? How hadn't he seen it? His throat suddenly became so dry he thought he'd never have the ability to speak again.

Edward continued, "The sordid details of what you did to her? How
blissful
she felt as you were inside of her. How the hell do you think that makes me feel?"

Edward's pacing became even more erratic and Cash, who still hadn't uttered a word, wondered if he was about to fall over. "I've read every last word about your trysts over these past weeks! You were supposed to be taking care of her. Not taking her from me. How dare you! You damn, self-centered jerk. How could you do this to me?" Slumping onto the bed, Edward was shaking, so furious he was just about to smash Cash in his jaw.

“
Don’t change the damn subject, dear brother. You’re the leader of the ring of bank robbers and of art thieves.  I think that is a little more pressing subject for you than what I’ve been doing with Angelica these past months.” Sparks flew from Cash’s eyes, he was so furious. “Do you think she’d ever look at you again? Your precious money was more important to you than she was. How in the hell do you think that would make her feel?”

Edward sat there in complete silence, like a child being scolded by a teacher.

"I've taken care of it so you won't be sent to jail, but you damn well better get out of town pronto." Cash towered over Edward, grabbed him by his perfectly pressed collar and shook him to within an inch of his life.  "You never see her again. You never contact her again. You forget her name. You may be my brother but I can never look at you again. Get out of here. I've left enough money for you to get the hell out of here. You are out of my life.  Disappear. I don't care where you go but go now and do NOT return. I want you out NOW!"

Chapter 18

“
When I’m with you – you make me the man that I want to be.” Cash nervously  tried to explain everything to Angelica.

"My Great Grandfather left all of his money to Edward. I received absolutely nothing. Nothing! Not that I care. I've paid my own way my whole life and that is the way it will stay.  And yes, I realize that my name is Cash and realize the obvious irony.” He laughed uncomfortably and shifted uneasily in his chair,  feeling deep down that he was giving away too much, telling too many secrets. It’s not like he had any skeletons in his closet, but still this was too much to give away. His voice softened to a whisper, "I know that it's the only reason you're with Edward. His money." Angelica had no idea what had just happened with Edward, but still Cash felt that he had to state his feelings. He didn't really believe that about Angelica, but he just had to hear it from her himself. “And Rita was nothing to me. I just used her for the case. Nothing really happened with her.”

Angelica's eyes shot daggers at Cash. Deeply hurt that he'd think such a thing about her she cried, "Edward has promised to take care of me. To protect me. It has nothing to do with his
supposed
money. Maybe all a girl needs is someone to protect her. To cherish her. That is something you'd have no intimate knowledge of."

Cash felt the rage rising up inside him, choking out any rational thought. How could she believe that he didn't care? Didn't want to protect her, cherish her, take care of her? She was his - despite the fact that he had no money. That he had nothing to truly offer her. She belonged to him and only him.

He'd show her that she was his - and only his. In the only way that he could ...

Angelica looked up wearily to see that intense look in his eyes. The one she was once afraid of. The one that caused her knees to buckle, her head to spin dizzily, her heart to pound uncontrollably. For a moment she couldn't breathe. In those few seconds Cash swept her up in his arms and lay her on the bed, ready to prove to her that she belonged only to him. That her body would never respond to the touch of another man. That only he could fill the emptiness inside of her. Never one to hold back Cash ripped the buttons off the front of her dress, exposing her milky white skin, then hungrily kissing a trail from her delicate neck down ... "You belong to me. Only me. Don't you understand?" His voice was guttural, animalistic. He couldn't touch every inch of her body fast enough. Couldn't caress her voluptuous curves fast enough to satisfy the craving inside of him. "Angel, you're mine. Say you're mine."

Angelica's head spun uncontrollably. There were too many delicious sensations. It was all too intense. She tried to push him away, but only served to loosen the remaining buttons on her torn dress which went flying to the floor like little drops of rain. Seconds later his mouth hungrily captured hers, as they breathed the same breaths, their hearts beating in exact rhythm. Before she could respond, he thrust deep inside her. His lips instinctively returned to hers, silencing her moans before they became screams, as they moved together in perfect rhythm. The throbbing heat inside of her erased all rational thought in her head as her back arched in a desperate plea to get even closer to him.

Cash's strong arms encircled her soft body, drawing her closer to him, drawing him deeper inside of her. Angelica was his possession and he wouldn't let her go this time.

Angelica’s breath was ragged as his strokes became faster and faster, deeper and more intense. He was so huge sometimes she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. It was her favorite sensation –  his manhood filling her so completely - the feel of him so deep inside of her. Possessing her body in every way and his unwillingness to let her say no to his desperate need to be inside her. To love her so expertly and powerfully until she surrendered totally.  His heart pounded in his massive chest, as he gasped for breath, as sweat beaded on his golden skin. Angelica felt his seed fill her in that one perfect moment of bliss as she whispered in a voice too soft for Cash to hear, "I'm yours. Only yours. Forever ..."

***

"Even though this is your job you will be given  a monetary reward for your exemplary work on this case," the Deputy Commissioner said. "The owner of the jewels wants to give you a gift of $5,000."

Cash was very pleased with the accolades but in reality had no interest in money as he had seen first hand how it could corrupt. "That is very kind of you Sir. I really appreciate it. But may I speak with the owner of the valise?"

The Deputy Commissioner nodded his head and motioned for Cash to enter the next room. A few words later and Cash returned with a large sparkling diamond clutched in the palm of his hand. He knew of Angelica's love of the precious stone and now he'd finally have the chance to ask for her hand in marriage.

The Deputy Commissioner smiled knowingly at Cash's clever idea when he spied Angelica sitting on the bench in the front lobby, looking on nervously, worried that she'd be losing Cash for good now that the case was solved.

Angelica jumped up anxiously as Cash entered the lobby. Her eyes shimmered with fresh tears, unable to hold back the emotions she'd tried to keep hidden under lock and key for so long.

Cash knelt down on one knee as Angelica looked at him bewildered.

"Did I drop something?" Angelica shook her skirt and asked, completely confused.

"Angel, we'll have to get a ring for this ... but ...  you're coming with me. That's final. I'm getting you the hell out of this place. We are going back to Texas and you
will
become my wife. “ Cash gently placed the enormous glimmering stone in her hand and looked on hopefully.

Angelica literally stopped breathing, lifted  her shaking hand to her lips, and whispered, "Yes, yes, Cash. It's been my one and only wish to marry you. I love you so much," as tears streamed down her beautiful, angelic face.

The ladies of the evening, all decked out in their corsets and gaudy makeup, who were locked in the cell in the opposite corner of the room, starting screaming, clapping and cheering as Angelica beamed proudly and Cash laughed and grabbed her and spun her around.