by Kahlen Aymes
“Yeah, I know. A lot of things have changed.”
“Obviously. Whose birthday is important enough to risk her safety?”
“Becca’s little girl is turning three. That’s part of the reason why I agreed to allow them to stay at the house.”
Cole sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. “I get it, but try to convince her anyway.”
Alex’s eyes scanned the huge room lined with one cardio machine after another. Rows upon rows of treadmills, elliptical machines, and bikes stretched in front of them at the top of the stairs, and Alex searched for the two women. They were on two treadmills along one wall, both of them running at a good pace. “I’d try, but it would just end in a fight. I have to pick my battles. I’d convince her if it were anyone other than that little girl. Angel adores her like she was her own child, and Bean would be heartbroken.”
“Bean? Her name is Bean?”
“Jillian. Bean is a nickname.”
Soon both men were running on treadmills at a good vantage point from the women. Close enough to keep an eye on them, but in a corner of the room so they could watch the entire scene easily as they worked out. Alex’s shoulders and neck were tight, and getting his blood pumping was helpful. Twenty minutes later, Angel zipped past his machine, followed by Becca.
“Meet you in the ring, sexy,” she panted out between breaths and the heavy rise and fall of her chest.
“You shouldn’t have left it all on the treadmill if you wanted a shot at the title,” Alex teased back. He didn’t want her to worry or be afraid and did his best to squash his anxiety and keep his apprehension about Bancroft from showing on his face. The team was on it, as well as the police, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, so it was best just to try to take her focus off of it. “You can’t take me, little girl. You’ll just end up on the mat.”
“Pfft!” Angel scoffed over her shoulder. “Hurry up!”
He moved one foot then the other to the frame beside the moving belt, shut the machine off, and followed. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll have you under me in short order.” A sly grin slid across his mouth, flashing his white teeth as his eyes followed every move she made.
Angel smiled back, her dark eyes sparkling, warmth spreading through her. No matter what was happening, there was no getting around how sexy Alex was or how he made her feel with his gentle teasing or his scorching glances. “Or, you might be the one who ends up on the bottom.”
“There are worse places to be.” Alex winked with a cock of his head when she looked over her shoulder at him, just before she climbed in the ring. She began an exaggerated a boxer’s dance around the ring, punching the air and waggling her eyebrows at Alex flirtatiously. He only chuckled. She looked amazing. Sexy and strong, with her hair tied up in a knot on top of her head. Her sports bra and tight spandex capris left little to his imagination, especially since his imagination had firsthand knowledge of what lay underneath. “You look gorgeous.”
“Hey, now, let’s keep focus,” Becca admonished with a grin.
Cole took up his position, leaning against the wall on the north side of the ring opposite the door to the room. It was clear to both Alex and Angel why he would pick that vantage point, and Becca moved to one of the corners of the ring to encourage her friend. “Come on, Angel. Give it to him good!”
Alex was torn about his match with Angel. There was more riding on it than the bet. He could let her win to give her confidence, or he could prove her vulnerability so she’d be more careful. It wasn’t an easy decision, and Angel was independent and proud. The outcome could scare her into being more careful, but he also needed her to have confidence in her ability. It was a tough call.
Alex shot Becca a look. “She gives it as good as she gets it, Becca, trust me.”
“If you weren’t so beautiful, I’d have to punch you myself, Alex,” Becca warned.
“Enough flirting and bullshit. Get on with it.” Cole complained in irritation. “I’ve got other stuff I should be doing, Alex.”
“Just when I was starting to think you were an improvement on all the other meatheads around here,” Becca said pointedly. “Cranky much?”
“Yeah, and referring to me as a ‘meathead’ isn’t helping,” he said flatly, his eyes never leaving the ring.
Becca’s lips pursed mockingly. “I could have said mouth breather or bottom feeder. Or how about meatball? Do you like that better?”
Cole frowned; his mouth pressing into an irritated line. “Alex, I’m outta here in thirty minutes,” he warned and watched Alex climb into the ring behind Angel. “Finished or not.”
“Okay. Come on, babe. Show me what you’ve got,” Angel goaded, using both hands to signal Alex to bring it on, while she bounced from one foot to the other. “Come at me.”
Alex did as she asked; rushing forward, he grabbed both of her forearms and tried to twist her around. Angel pulled her right elbow toward her body and twisted her arm up and over Alex’s, breaking his hold, but Alex recovered quickly, grabbing her by the shoulder. Angel needed her left hand so she repeated the twist move to free it from Alex’s grasp then quickly placed her left hand over his, the other on his elbow, and twisted.
Before Alex knew what hit him, Angel had him in an arm-bar hold by twisting his thumb back painfully. It had him facing away from her and bent at the waist, his wrist bent back and his arm straight in a painful position behind him. Angel was free to bring her knee up to his abdomen and solar plexus in several blows. “Huh, huh,” she grunted, and Alex’s breath left as she knocked it out of him. Her moves were practiced perfection, and though she didn’t hit him with enough force to hurt him, he felt it, and she made her point.
Angel moved away as quickly as she took hold of him, and Alex straightened. “Once I get an assailant’s face below waist level, I’m the winner,” she said. She showed little signs of exertion, her breathing only slightly heavier than normal.
“That’s good, babe. I’m proud of you, but it’s more likely he’ll try to take you down from behind when you don’t see him coming.”
“Okay.” Angel turned her back to Alex. “Go.”
Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to hurt her, and he wasn’t using all his strength. He cast a glance at Cole, who nodded in Angel’s direction, silently telling his brother to put more into it.
When he pounced on Angel, he pulled her into a bear hug, effectively pinning her arms, bent across her chest, and locking one hand around his other wrist to hold her tight.
Angel promptly stepped to the outside and hooked a leg behind Alex’s, using her knee to push against the back of his, knocking him off balance and twisting to clock him with an uppercut to his jaw. It had the effect she was looking for, and he had no choice but to release her.
“See, babe?” Angel said as he recovered from his stumble. “Years of classes. Satisfied?” Her question was accompanied by cheeky grin.
Alex had to admire her skill, though it still wasn’t enough for him to feel at ease. She was good, no doubt, and she would be able to take care of herself in many situations, but Swanson was desperate, and he wanted revenge. Nothing could be taken for granted. Nothing.
He decided to prove his point later in the evening.
* * *
The Avery estate was secure. Iron gates, brick walls, and cameras lined the perimeter, and the acreage was big enough that the house was a good distance from any of the entrances. Lush foliage and large trees prevented a clear eye line into the windows, but Swanson’s phone call still tortured Alex’s composure. The bastard was determined, and he felt certain it would only be a matter of time.
The fall weather had turned the leaves all shades of gold, brown, and red, and the coolness of the air prevented the family from taking their meal outside on the patio as was his mother’s preference when possible.
Angel was in the kitchen with Allison and his mother, and the men were in his father’s den having drinks with a col
lege football game on the television in the background. Cole was playing pool with Josh, giving Alex a chance to talk to his father.
“Have you gotten the engagement ring yet? Your mother is driving me nuts about it.” Charles Avery, elegant as always, was in dress slacks and a cream, Irish wool sweater Cora had given him the previous Christmas. It was beautiful, but he found it itchy and had only worn it twice because of that. His fingers pulled at the collar, reaching in to scratch. Cora’s rules made sure that everyone was dressed for dinner, and Alex, Cole, and Angel had showered and changed at the club after their workout.
Alex stared at the amber liquid in his glass, concentrating on how the glass and ice reflected the fire and turned the scotch a darker color. “No.” He shook his head and met his father’s eyes. “I think Mrs. Dane set it up for tomorrow.”
Charles’ eyebrows raised and the intense blue eyes that mirrored his son’s were intent. “Given our last conversation, I thought you’d have done so already.”
“Tomorrow.” Alex’s attention was still honed in on his glass, and he took a swallow of the burning liquid and felt it all the way down. “I’m leaving for Sydney afterward, so I’ll leave it in the safe at the office. I don’t know when I’ll ask her. Other shit is in the way right now. This trip, being one.”
“Obviously, you’re preoccupied. Do you want to postpone it? Is that what you’re thinking?”
“No. I just want to wrap up this deal. After that, I might take Angel away for a while.”
“Where are you thinking? Somewhere warm? Hawaii?”
“I’m thinking to Joplin. I still need to talk to her father, and we’ve never met face to face. I know Angel misses him.” His lips twitched. “Honestly, it might be the only destination she’d consider taking off for. She’s always got cases she’s working on, and she’s dedicated. I’m not even sure if there is a window, but I’ll be working on that.”
“How? You can’t change the court dates.”
“I’ll call Kenneth Gant, the district attorney, to see what can be done. I don’t expect he can move much, but maybe there is a small window. I’d talk to Angel about taking a break, but she’s a workaholic, and if I’m going to propose, I want it to be a surprise.”
“I think it will be, Alex. You haven’t been together all that long. It will be unexpected from you, given your history.”
“Yeah, well, that’s the operative word. History.”
“Hey, Dad,” Cole called from the other end of the richly paneled room. It was masculine, all warm caramel leather and heavy wood. “I lost. Josh needs a worthy opponent.”
When their father went to join his son-in-law, Cole deposited himself next to Alex and reached for his father’s abandoned glass, refilling it with three fingers worth of the 18-year-old scotch.
“What do you want me to do?” Cole lowered his voice so only Alex could hear the question. “Besides stay next to her?”
Alex inhaled, his chest visibly rising as he shook his head grimly. “Kill the fucker.”
“I know you’re not serious, Alex. I meant what’s the plan.”
“I’m not so sure anymore, Cole. Just get her out of here. Take her on a trip to see her father. I’ll leave the jet.”
Cole leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and head raised to look at Alex. “You have to take the jet so you can get back more quickly.”
Alex considered his options. Cole was probably right, though his instincts told him that access to the jet allowed Cole better security than a commercial jet, but he knew he’d go crazy if something happened and he wasn’t able to leave immediately. He didn’t need delays or airline schedules getting in his way.
Alex pulled out his phone. “I’ll call Mrs. Dane and have her arrange the plane for very early morning. I’d like you to stay at the house tonight so you’re there with her when I leave.”
“So you’re not going to try to convince Angel to go with you again, huh?”
“I know her well enough to know it would be a waste of time. Better to concentrate on getting the deal done and getting back as fast as I can.”
Alex’s face was full of tension. The last thing he wanted was to leave, but if he stayed, not only would the business suffer by losing a huge deal, but also, Angel would be scared. He had to keep everything under control. It couldn’t appear he was rattled. Hiding it from Swanson was one thing, but keeping Angel in the dark was harder. Deep down in his gut, he didn’t want to. It felt like a lie, but he didn’t want her to worry any more than she already was. There was nothing worse than being consumed by worry, and he was consumed enough for both of them.
7
Sparkle and Pain
Alex wished he could just get on a plane and be done with the Sydney trip. The deal was too big to send someone in his place, or he wouldn’t hesitate. It was a huge hotel chain in Australia, and it would be Avery’s first real foothold there. He couldn’t trust it to someone else, and he couldn’t blow it off. He’d been working on it too long.
He’d tried to relax when they visited his parents, but desire to enjoy the day with Angel and watch her easy interaction with his family was clouded with his thoughts. He’d snuck away whenever he could to keep in touch with the police, Bancroft’s own team, and to call Kenneth Gant. It felt strange to call Angel’s ex-lover even though this wasn’t the first time. It didn’t get any easier.
So, it was late, and he was pensive, silent in the car on the drive back to his own estate with Angel at his side. He could feel her eyes on him, studying, and wondering if she should ask the questions he knew she wanted to ask. Angel watched the lights that periodically lined the interstates and side streets pass over his features, the tension clearly visible on his handsome face. She reached for his hand as it rested on his leg, her fingers entwining with his as she drew it toward her and up so she could run a soft kiss over his knuckles, then softly moved her lips back and forth over his skin until he glanced at her.
“What?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” she murmured, her eyes locked on him as she placed another series of kisses. “Except, I already know.”
Alex’s mouth opened a bit as he drew in a ragged breath, nodding twice. “This isn’t the best time for me to leave.”
Angel smiled gently, finally resting their hands in her lap as she twisted slightly in her seat. She leaned her head back on the supple leather headrest of the expensive car. “It never is. I always miss you.”
Her eyes were soft when he tore his eyes from the road for another look in her direction; this one more lingering. He squeezed her hand with his as his heart swelled within his chest then tightened. “Me, too.” He shook his head in a series of short moves. “But, I think we both know, this time, it’s not about missing you. I’ll be crazy with worry. I wish you’d just come with me”
Angel looked out the front windshield and bit her lip. “You know the answer. I have to work.”
“Fuck work.”
“Okay, then you fuck work.”
The fingers of Alex’s left hand tightened around the steering wheel, and he pulled his right hand free of her grasp to join it. “If this was just about me, I would, but I have stockholders and my family to think about. I think you should just stop working on criminal cases.”
“Right. I just tiptoe through the tulips and twirl,” Angel spat sarcastically. “I have patients and victims to worry about. Plus, did you forget what I went through? How can you ask me to give that up? I thought you understood, Alex.”
“What I understand is I don’t want to lose you because of a job!” he growled. “You’d still have the radio show. I can syndicate it.”
“Great. My boyfriend buys me a career.” She huffed. “No thanks.”
“That’s not what I meant, Angel, but it’s a hell of a lot safer! Those people who call the station might be silly sometimes, but they aren’t stalking or threatening you!”
Angel ignored him, sitting in her seat seething. This wasn’t how she
wanted the evening to turn out. They’d had such a fun day, and she’d felt so strong when she’d taken him to the mat in the gym. But maybe he let her. She’d felt more resistance from those muscles in one of their lovemaking sessions.
“Fine. I don’t want to get into it.”
Angel shrugged, her feelings still stinging. “Then don’t.”
“Do we have to fight tonight?” Alex’s tone was pissed, and his firm line of his jaw shot out.
“You know it’s not just work for me. I’m in a position to really help people. And, I can’t go anyway. I can’t miss Bean’s party.”
“Kids are resilient. She’ll get over it. That bastard is out there, Angel. You’d think you wouldn’t want to put her in danger.”
Angel gasped. She hadn’t really considered she was putting Becca and Jillian at risk along with herself.
“Never thought of that, did you?”
“Even Mark Swanson has to have some compassion for a three-year old.”
Alex shook his head solemnly. “You never know. I don’t trust him to care about anything or anyone other than himself.”
“I can’t run from that fucker forever. At some point, it’s got to be about real life. Doesn’t it? I want us to be able to breathe and concentrate on each other.”
By now, Alex had pulled through the iron gates of his property with Cole’s SUV close behind. If there was anything Alex wanted, it was a normal life. The type of life that used to make him cringe; that included intimate dinners the two of them cooked together after work, a wedding, kids, family vacations, and in-laws.
Alex pulled the car into the garage and shut off the engine, turning to look at her as the doors closed behind them. “Nothing I want more, but that doesn’t change the fact that until he’s behind bars or—” He looked at her intensely.
“Don’t say it.” Angel tensed. She knew what Alex was thinking, and it was dangerous for him for him to consider.
“Well? It’s the truth. I’m tired of this shit. And now—” He stopped before he mentioned Bancroft’s disappearance.