by Kahlen Aymes
“I’ll just have to shower again later— wait, you’re coming too?”
“Yeah, you’re stuck with me. Becca is waiting, right?”
Angel nodded and pushed off Alex to rise, and he followed her. For the first time, he saw what was in her hand.
“Is that my business card? You were sniffing it?” His eyebrow raised and a quizzical look crossed his handsome face.
“Uh huh.”
“That’s weird. Why?”
“No, it isn’t weird. I sprayed some of your cologne on it. Now it smells like you.”
His lips twitched in diversion. The thought that even when they were fighting she’d do that filled him with delight. “I thought you were pissed at me.”
She shrugged, not sure what to say. It was a small thing of him she could have with her at all times. “I wanted to be able to smell you, even when you’re not with me. Even when I hate you, I love you.”
The back of his knuckles traced her check. “I know. Me, too.”
6
What to Do
When Angel and Alex arrived at the gym, Cole was waiting in the parking lot for them. He’d been there often, when he’d followed Angel before she knew who he was, and had gotten a membership so he could keep an eye on her without interruption. He’d found it amusing to watch her and her friend Becca workout. It wasn’t the actual work out that was funny, they were both in great shape and gorgeous, and their exercise routine had a practiced flow no matter how they chose to mix it up. It was their discussions about life and the way they brushed off men who dared approach them, which was so amusing.
In the beginning, he’d had to quell the urge to laugh out loud on more than one occasion so he wouldn’t blow his cover. He’d always hung back, several machines away, close enough to watch, but not so close they’d notice him. Too bad today’s mood was clouded with Bancroft’s disappearance and the rest of the shit-storm surrounding Swanson and his threats. He was definitely preoccupied because he wanted to be helping with the search.
He was leaning against his dark blue SUV, with arms crossed and sunglasses on, the cap on his head backward, as Alex pulled into the parking lot and stopped three spaces away. Cole nodded at him, giving him the all clear to exit the car, then went to open Angel’s door for her. All three were dressed in exercise gear, and Angel gave Cole a small smile. He was looking more like Alex every day. His muscles were slightly beefier, where Alex’s were long, lean, and defined, except the jaw—sometimes scruffy with two days’ worth of beard growth, and the way he’d taken to having his haircut was shorter and closer to the way Alex styled his.
“Looking good.” She punched him in the stomach playfully, and the smile he gave her in return was genuine, his white teeth almost blinding in the sun. He truly liked Angel and was appreciative of the changes he’d observed in Alex since he’d met her. His brother seemed happier, at least, when he wasn’t preoccupied and consumed with worry.
Alex pulled two duffel bags and a garment bag from the backseat of his Audi, silently watching Cole and Angel. He was pleased with Cole’s dedication to Angel, and it was obvious Angel was at ease with Cole and the situation. Jealousy tightened his gut at the thought of how much time Cole could spend with Angel, but he was thankful for his brother’s protection of her. Moving around the rear of the car, Angel took one bag from him, and he placed it gently over her shoulder.
Alex glanced at Cole, but both of them in sunglasses prevented him from being able to read his eyes. He didn’t want to ask about Bancroft in front of Angel. He was confident Cole wouldn’t say anything specific until they were both in the locker room and out of earshot, and it could be very bad news. “Any sign of anything here?”
“Nope. I’ve already been inside and did a sweep. Nothing at all suspicious.”
“But you didn’t go into the women’s locker room, obviously,” Alex’s tone was cautious.
“No, the place is pretty busy and so I wasn’t able to. I’m not sure how to handle that, Alex. We can ask one of the employees to go in, but I figure it’s clear if the women in there aren’t running out screaming. Honestly, I don’t expect Swanson to make a move in a crowded place like this. It’s too active for him to go unnoticed and too huge for him to get away if there was a commotion.”
“He could be hiding somewhere. In one of the shower stalls, maybe.”
“Becca knows practically everyone who comes to this club and there are cameras everywhere. She’d know if the creeper was here,” Angel interjected, her free hand reaching out to wrap around Alex’s bicep as they walked through the parking lot, her fingers gently squeezing the muscle in reassurance. “Plus, she knows what he looks like now,” she continued. Angel being an actual victim removed her professional obligation and the gag order. And, it’s been all over the news, so it was just about certain Swanson had lost any support system that remained after his stepdaughter’s rape when this latest attack was reported.
“It might not be him. He could still have help,” Alex interjected.
“Even though he’s broke?” Angel asked.
“Who knows. Blood is thicker than water. The mob might still be helping him. We can’t take chances.”
The sky was a pristine blue, cloudless, and the sun bright, the temperature slightly cool. Alex felt Angel shiver but wondered if it were the weather or fear that shuddered through her. He hated it. Fucking hated it.
“There aren’t cameras in the locker rooms, Angel,” Cole murmured. By now, they were to the doors, and he was holding it open so Angel and Alex could precede him inside.
Alex’s mouth was pressed into a thin line. “Maybe we should have skipped this today.”
“It’ll be fine. Besides, I need to work out and I’m pretty sure you need to punch something.” Angel took his hand and threaded her fingers through his, trying to ease a little of his anxiety. “Right?” She smiled and took off her sunglasses. The club was well lit, but not nearly as bright as outside. Alex couldn’t argue. He was filled with tension.
“Hi! Welcome to Bally Fitness!” A perky young woman, braids bobbing, dressed in a tight, hot pink sports bra and black spandex shorts, smiled at them, her eyes bouncing off Angel and toward the two men, her gaze appreciative. Angel smirked. She knew a lot of the trainers and instructors, but this one was new. Her skin was dark, with a slight orange tint. Angel speculated there were a lot more fake things about her besides her tan. Angel and Cole showed their membership cards and signed in. “What about you, sir?” She eyed Alex and bit her lip.
Please, Angel thought. A little more obvious, maybe?
“He’s my guest,” she said a little too sweetly. She widened her eyes and flashed a saccharine smile. “How much for a visitor pass?”
Alex’s lips twitched at the sticky tone, and he couldn’t help a chuckle. She was jealous. If it weren’t for the other shit going on, he’d be downright giddy at Angel’s possessive tone.
“Oh! Well, it’s free to try for a week. All you have to do is fill out this form.” She turned then placed a piece of paper and a pen on the desk and pushed it toward Alex.
“Is that really necessary?” He glanced at her nametag that was sitting on her low cut shirt making sure her cleavage was overly exaggerated. “Alicia?”
“I’m afraid so, Mr.?” The woman waited for him to fill in the blank, smiling brightly at him. “How am I going to get in touch to follow up if you don’t?”
“Avery. Alex Avery.” He let go of Angel’s hand so he could pick up the pen, handing her the garment bag and setting the duffel on the floor.
“I’m going to find Becca, okay, babe?” Angel tugged Alex’s arm to bring him lower so she could speak into his ear. He leaned down to hear her words, not quite a whisper, and got a whiff of her perfume. “Don’t let her bite off your dick. It’s mine.”
Alex laughed softly, delighted by her boldness and sure she intended the counter girl to hear. In light of what was weighing them all down, he was pleased Angel was able to tease. It made him
relax a little. He wrapped the fingers of his left hand around her forearm, gently jerking her closer, for both Angel’s benefit but also to reassure her by making a point in front of the other woman. His mouth pressed to hers briefly, but still taking her by surprise. “I’ll see you in a minute.” He released Angel and pulled the form forward to begin filling it in. “Cole.” Alex’s head nodded in Angel’s direction, silently telling him to go with Angel.
“On it.” Cole reached for the bag she was holding then picked up her duffel bag and flung it over his shoulder with his.
“I can carry something.” Angel glanced up at him as they walked further into the club.
“I’ve got it. Where’s your friend?” His eyes scanned the club in front of them and left to right as they walked. He let Angel walk slightly in front of him so he would be at her back yet have a clear visual of what was in front of her.
It was an impressive, upscale club, with a huge Olympic size pool, racquetball courts, basketball courts, a track that ran around the outside of the second level, several classrooms for spinning, Zumba, aerobics, and yoga, as well as a hundred machines for cardio, two weight rooms, machines and free weights. There were mats laid out, with the six bags hanging from the ceiling in the free weight room, with a ring off to one side. Off to the left, beyond the indoor pool, were tall windows with a clear view of the outside pool, complete with waterslides and what looked like an area for kids with more water toys, including a huge bucket that, when full, would tip over onto the children squealing below.
“She should be getting out of a class and said she’d meet me at the locker rooms. They’re over here.” She pointed to a set of doors on the far wall, both together, one marked women and the other men. “You like her, don’t you?” She goaded knowingly as she poked him in the arm with a pointed finger. When he didn’t answer, Angel’s eyebrows shot up as she stared him down.
There was a bench between the two doors they would be able to wait on. Cole set the bags down and waved Angel toward it, bristling. “I don’t have time to be interested in women right now. Have a seat.”
Angel didn’t have time to sit, though, because Becca appeared on the stairs in front of them. “Hi!” she called as she rounded the corner and made her way down the last of the stairs.
Cole and Angel turned toward her.
“Is something up?” Becca’s blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and a sheen of sweat glistened on her face. She dabbed at her forehead with a towel that hung around her neck. She was fit, the muscles on her stomach defined and visible between her Capri yoga pants and lavender sports bra. “You don’t usually bring the muscle. At least, they don’t usually tag along inside the building.” Her blue eyes met Cole’s then flashed back to Angel’s. “What’s going on?”
“Hey, Becca,” Cole said. “Nice to see you, again.”
“You, too. Well?” she questioned Angel.
“Maybe I just wanted to work out.” Cole picked up Angel’s bag and handed it to her, unwilling to share.
“What? Am I mentally challenged?” Becca looked at him pointedly with a slight shake of her head, but then spoke to her friend.
“I don’t know? Are you?” he retorted.
Becca huffed and turned to Angel. “Where’s your man?”
“He’s getting drooled on by the babe at the counter.”
Becca rolled her eyes and pushed open the door to the locker room. “You mean Tropicana Barbie? Bitch is practically radioactive. Every time she walks past me, I get third degree sunburn,” she said wryly. Angel chuckled, and Cole snorted sarcastically. “Come on, let’s put your stuff away.”
Angel smirked then glanced back a Cole. “Becca usually starts me out on cardio for warm-up, so we’ll be upstairs first.”
“Wait.” Cole commanded. “Becca, would you mind going in there and looking around?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What am I looking for?”
“Cole, you said it yourself, this place is busy. He won’t be in there.”
“Oh, that freak? In the girls’ locker room?” Becca questioned. “There’s a camera on these doors and security would be here in two seconds if a dude went in. Someone is always watching. Plus, the women in there would have a conniption fit, but sure, I’ll take a pass.”
“Not just him. Anything that looks suspicious. Thanks.” Cole’s eyes roamed over Becca’s firm ass encased in black lycra as she turned away. Angel caught it.
When her friend disappeared behind the door, Angel turned back to Cole. “No time, huh?” she teased. “Is it safe for her, if it’s not for me?”
“He’s not targeting her. She’s an employee here, so no big deal for her to check things out without drawing attention to what she’s doing.”
Just then, the door burst open and Becca’s blonde head popped out. “Nothing in here but the Red Hat Society. Twelve sets of flat-tire boobies and saddlebags. Interested?” Becca said wryly, but lowering her tone to close to a whisper. She smirked wickedly at Cole.
He smiled back against his will, and their eyes met briefly as he waved Angel in through the door. Becca was spunky, in a similar way to Angel, and he liked it. She was beautiful, too; more girl-next-door, fresh-faced than Angel, but beautiful.
Angel laughed and shoved Becca back through the door. “Tell Alex he owes me a fight.”
“What?” Cole asked.
“He doesn’t believe I can defend myself. So, I’m going to show him.” Amusement danced over her features, and Cole thought she was in an awfully good mood considering all that was going on. He wondered if Alex had told her about Bancroft’s disappearance, but in case he hadn’t, Cole wasn’t going to give her the perspective he thought she needed and risk pissing off his brother. “We have a bet.”
“Sweet!” Becca exclaimed with a laugh bubbling up inside and spilling out. “Let’s get the warm-ups out of the way! Can’t wait to see my girl kick your brother’s perfect ass.”
When the women disappeared into the locker room, Cole went to find Alex, glancing up at the ceiling and sweeping the room. There were many security cameras in the club, and it wasn’t likely anything would go down here. He found Alex walking toward him, alongside the glass wall and doors that surrounded the indoor pool and separated it from the rest of the facility. “Are you still alive? That chick looked ravenous.” Cole said. He tried to smile, but despite the jokes from before, he could tell Alex’s mood was surly.
“Yeah,” Alex said abruptly. Cole realized that his brother didn’t even have to try with women, yet sometimes he barely noticed. Women couldn’t seem to help themselves falling all over him, though some were worse and more obvious than others. Becca’s description of the girl had echoed his own opinion of her. “How do things look?”
“I don’t expect a disturbance. The place is pretty locked down,” Cole murmured as he and Alex entered the men’s locker room, already peeling off his shirt, to find an empty locker and throw it inside.
“Agreed. I would’ve asked Alicia to check the membership register, but it’s unlikely Swanson or any of his goons would join using their real names.”
“True. Don’t let Angel know you remember that girl’s name. She might be missing a brick or two, but she was hot.”
Alex had his shirt mid-way off and paused, pulling his arms down so he could look at Cole. His shirt wrapped around his strong arms and his solid back bare. The reluctant smile that crossed his face indicated he might have noticed but was done thinking about it. Without answering, he finished removing his shirt and tossed it to join Cole’s in the same locker. He rummaged through the bottom of his bag for a combination padlock hiding there, before shoving it into the locker, pushing it shut with a clang, and locking it. He ran a hand through his hair as they exited the locker room. “Where are they?”
“Cardio tier.”
“Okay, let’s head up there.”
“So what’s the plan? Did you tell Angel about Bancroft being missing?”
“Yes.” Alex’s chest rose
in a deep sigh. “Not in the way I wanted, but there was no easy way to tell her. I want to keep things as normal as possible and not give Swanson any clue that I’m the least bit spooked. So, I guess the plan is to work out, stop back at the house, get Max, and go to the folks for brunch.”
“Have Mom and Dad met her already?”
“Yeah. You should have seen Mom go all gooey over Angel the other night.” They climbed the stairs to the upper level together, both shirtless and the focus of several admiring stares as they passed. “Allison and Josh will be there, too. Angel can hang out with them while you and I figure things out and follow up with the team.”
“But you’re still going to Sydney?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t want the folks agitated by any of this, so as long as you’re with Angel 24/7, I will. She wants to invite Becca and her little girl, Jillian, to be at the house, but I’ll leave Max with Mom and Dad.”
“What the fuck? I don’t have enough to worry about?” Cole’s voice grew hard. “I need to be looking for Bancroft.”
Alex knew Cole was right. He also knew he could try to convince Angel to go with him, but he did promise her and was certain, no matter what the degree of danger was or how much he protested, there was no way Angel would miss Jillian’s birthday.
“The others can do that. I need you to be with Angel, Cole. I’ll be worried sick every second I’m gone.”
Cole nodded. “I know.”
“You know how stubborn Angel is. To get her to stay at my place, I had to make a deal. It was before this latest shit with Swanson and Bancroft or no way in hell it would be in play. Believe me, if I had my way, it would just be you two. Or better yet, she would be on the plane with me.”
“Why isn’t she?”
“She has a birthday party to attend.”
“Since when did you make deals that weren’t work-related?”