If I Belong With You: A Sweet and Engaging Christian Romance (Seriously Sweet St Louis Book 1)

by Cindy Kirk

  The silence continued until he pulled up to the curb in front of her house. “I’m sorry, Angel. You deserved so much better.”

  “It was bad,” she acknowledged. “I’ve met many who had it worse.”

  “Still…”

  “No, really.” She lifted her hand. If there was one thing she didn’t need or want it was his pity. “When I found Christ, I gained a best friend. A friend that I can count on, that I can lean on. One that will never disappoint me, the One that makes all things possible.”

  His gaze sharpened. “Even forgiving the unforgivable?”

  “Nothing is unforgivable.” Angel sensed his pain, and her heart went out to him. She remembered her own struggles with the concept of grace. “With God’s help anything is possible. That includes forgiving someone you never thought you could.”

  “You really believe that?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  Now free from the prying eyes of the Burger Palace patrons, Angel slid across the seat until her shoulder touched his.

  She knew what it was like to feel all alone, to struggle. If only she could give Jake half as much as Officer Dan had given to her— the caring touch of another human being.

  Angel wrapped her arm around Jake’s and rested her head against his shoulder.

  The motor continued to idle. They sat for the longest time without speaking—two people who’d seen firsthand the worst life had to offer and who’d survived. But Jake needed to take the next step, Angel realized. He had to forgive if he was to move on. If only he would realize he wasn’t in this alone.

  Angel brushed a quick kiss across his cheek, opened the door and slid out.

  By the time she’d walked halfway up the walk, a sense of uncertainty filled her. Maybe she should have talked more about God’s grace and mercy? Or perhaps focused more on the power of prayer?

  “Angel.” His voice stopped her in her tracks. “You’re not a high school senior.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, and she turned to face him. “I’m not?”

  “No.” Jake shook his head and shifted the Jeep into reverse. He spoke in an odd, yet gentle tone. “You really are an angel.”

  The vehicle backed into the street, and before Angel could respond, he’d already rounded the corner and was out of sight.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Angel lifted her face to the sun and let it warm her skin. If she were a cat, she’d have stretched and emitted a loud satisfied purr.

  Despite his initial reluctance, it hadn’t taken Mike long to secure an eight-ball of meth. She couldn’t understand why he’d balked when she’d told him she now wanted twice that much, but only if he could get it to her by Friday.

  “That’s only a couple of days.” He frowned.

  Angel shrugged. “Not my problem. My friends told me they want it by then. If you can’t deliver, I’ll find someone else who can.”

  “No. Don’t do that.” Mike rubbed his hands together as if warming them over a campfire. “I can get it. But it’ll cost you.”

  “How much?”

  Mike named a figure twice the going rate.

  Angel pretended to choke.

  He repeated the amount.

  Angel had to give the boy credit. He wasn’t the slightest bit apologetic. She narrowed her gaze and studied him for a moment. “That’s way too high.”

  “Take it or leave it.” He leaned back against the concession building that sat to the north of the ball field and folded his arms across his chest. “It’s quality stuff.”

  “There’s lots of good stuff out there.” More and more every day, according to the police reports.

  “Not for long.” Mike shifted. For an instant his confident facade wavered, and she caught a glimpse of fear. “The cops are putting on the heat. Labs are shutting down. For a while, anyway.”

  Cops putting on the heat? What was the guy talking about? As far as she knew there’d been no change in the department’s plan of attack. Unfortunately, even an unsubstantiated rumor held the power to send everyone scurrying underground. If that happened, she was done. Other agencies were already vying to take charge of the investigation, and she needed results.

  The funds the department had earmarked for this investigation weren’t unlimited, but after a few calculations in her head, Angel concluded there was enough to meet his price.

  “I can get the money,” she said. “But I want product. Thirty-two grams.”

  Mike shook his head. “The best I could do would be sixteen.”

  “Thirty.”

  “Sixteen,” he said firmly, his jaw tightening.

  “Twenty-four?” She flashed him an imploring smile. Even though it wasn’t her own money, she couldn’t let him take advantage of her. Plus, haggling was an expected part of the negotiation process.

  Mike heaved an exasperated sigh and stroked his jaw thoughtfully. “Twenty-four.”

  A sense of triumph swept through her, and she resisted the urge to grin. “By Friday.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Don’t give me that.” Angel squinted at him. She had to put the pressure on him to act quickly. “If you can’t get me the stuff by then, I need to know.”

  The crack of a bat connecting split the air. Mike leaned around the edge of the building. Angel did the same.

  Without the building in the way, they had a perfect view of the ball field. The reserves were practicing, and Mike was supposed to be helping Jake coach the shortstops.

  “I need to get going.”

  She grabbed his arm just in time. “You’ll talk to your contact tonight?”

  “Yeah, I’ll talk to him—” He stopped as if realizing that in his hurry to get back to practice, he’d gotten sloppy. He’d inadvertently let Angel know his contact was a man.

  Jake Weston?

  Even though she didn’t believe it, the thought made her sick. “Call me tomorrow and let me know for sure.”

  He gave her a jerky nod, his eyes back on the field, his mind now elsewhere.

  She stood and watched him head onto the field. Crow had been right. He’d told her to go for the big buy and force their hand. Even though she couldn’t see her partner, she knew he was out there, watching Mike’s every move, waiting for the boy to lead him to the main man.

  Although Angel knew it was a selfish request, she breathed a silent prayer that Jake wouldn’t be that man.

  She debated whether or not to hang around and watch practice. Lots of kids did, both girls and guys, but Angel had never been one of them. What would Jake do if he saw her in the stands? Would he come over to talk? Or would the fear of how it would look keep him away?

  He seemed to have overcome his original reluctance to be involved with her. That is, if the carnival and a ride home made them “involved.” But still he obviously had to keep their relationship private.

  If she was honest with herself, Angel had to admit it still bothered her that he’d kissed her. He didn’t know she was an adult. To him, she was a high school senior. She wasn’t sure how he rationalized his own behavior.

  She inhaled a deep breath and released it, determined not to waste another minute of this glorious day worrying about something that in the long run wouldn’t matter, anyway. The case would end soon, and she’d never see him again.

  Footsteps sounded. Probably another student coming to watch practice. Angel turned. A tall bearded man with a scar across his right brow and an ominous glint in his eyes stood behind her. Like a striking snake, one large hand shot out and clamped over her mouth, the other grabbed her arms in a viselike grip.

  The smell of male sweat burned her nostrils. Her adrenaline kicked into high gear. She lifted one foot and came down hard on her assailant’s instep.

  He loosened his hold, and the second her arms were free her elbow shot back and caught him full in the ribs.

  The man doubled over, and Angel shoved his head down at the same time she brought her knee up, smashing it into his face. She heard a sickenin
g crunch. Blood streamed from his nose.

  Angel stepped back, her breath coming hard. Her gaze swept the area and her heart rate skyrocketed. He wasn’t alone. Two other men were right behind him!

  She did her best—her training officer would have been proud—but the odds were too great. While the tall skinny man held her tight against him, Mr. Broken Nose and the other riffled through her pockets. It didn’t take them long to find what they were looking for—a small packet formed out of magazine paper.

  “Let’s go.” A balding guy with bad skin smiled with satisfaction and slipped the packet of crystal meth into his pocket. Angel vaguely remembered him from an aggravated assault case last year.

  The guy holding her muttered what sounded like agreement.

  Only the mountain of a man with the big hands who had originally grabbed her seemed unwilling to let her off so easily.

  “Not so fast. The little—” He stopped and spat out two teeth. He stared at the ground. A murderous look of fury crossed his face.

  Angel took a deep breath. With her arms trapped, this guy would be free to do as he pleased.

  He took a step forward. Angel let loose a blood-curdling scream. With each step he took closer, she screamed louder, until his hand clamped around her throat and cut off her air.

  She kicked out and fought to breathe.

  “What’s going on here!” Jake’s angry voice sounded behind her.

  The men scattered like rats. Angel had a brief view of a few players in pursuit before her legs turned to mush.

  “Guys, let ’em go,” Jake said.

  Jake’s arms came around her shoulders, and she leaned against him momentarily, grateful for the support. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It could have been so much worse. She’d been lucky. A few more minutes and…

  Jake turned to Mike. “Get the police.”

  Angel stiffened and pushed free of Jake’s arms, her heart racing. What if the officers recognized her and blew her cover? “No police.” Her gaze darted to Mike, and she shook her head.

  Not now, please. Not when we’re so close.

  The boy hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other. “Coach, if she doesn’t want—”

  “I said call them,” Jake snapped. “Now.”

  Mike didn’t budge. A worried frown creased his forehead, and Angel knew the robbery hadn’t been part of his plan. Obviously Crow wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on Mike. The guys that attacked her must have been watching him, too, and decided to pick up some free stuff.

  “There’s no need to call anyone.” Angel spoke through gritted teeth. Shoving aside the pain, she even managed a smile. “I’m fine.”

  “You’ve just been attacked by three men and you’re fine?” Jake snorted. “I don’t think so.”

  “I’m fine,” she repeated.

  The student manager jogged up, his breath coming in short puffs. He spoke to Jake, but his smug gaze was directed to Mike. “I called the police, Coach.”

  “Thanks, Nathan.”

  Jake turned to Angel. “I promise. We’ll get the guys that did this to you.”

  “Call them back.” Her vocal cords had taken a beating and her voice croaked like a raspy frog. “Tell them not to come. I’m not going to press charges.”

  “I know the last thing you want to do is talk about it.” His voice was as soft and gentle as the breeze. “But it has to be done.”

  “You don’t underst—”

  “Don’t worry.” Jake’s hand closed over her shoulder, and he gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be here with you.”

  Angel closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. If ever there was a time she could use some divine intervention, it was now.

  “Over here, officers.” Nathan held out his arm and cleared a path for the police.

  The older officer’s gaze scanned the group of players that had stayed behind wanting to be in on the excitement. “You boys can go on home.”

  They hesitated, talking low amongst themselves.

  “Hit the showers,” Jake ordered.

  Most knew better than to argue with the coach. Like a lumbering herd, they headed for the locker room.

  Angel could feel Jake’s puzzled gaze, but she kept her eyes focused on the south wall of the concession stand as if she’d never seen peeling paint before.

  “You two can go, too.” This time it was the older cop who spoke.

  Angel slanted a gaze sideways. Mike and Nathan had remained behind.

  Jake blew out a frustrated breath. “I thought I told you guys to hit the showers.”

  Nathan opened his mouth, but Jake didn’t give him a chance to protest. “Go.”

  The boy’s face fell, but Angel could tell he was used to following orders. He pushed up his glasses, turned and left without another word. But Mike remained, casting anxious glances at Angel.

  “You go on, Mike.” Jake smiled reassuringly at the boy. “I’ll take care of Angel.”

  “I can take care of myself.” Angel’s gaze locked with his.

  Jake’s lips twitched, and she wondered if he’d said it just to get her attention.

  Mike directed one last searching look her way. “Catch ya later?”

  She nodded.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed up the hill to the school without a backward glance.

  Mike had barely disappeared from sight when the younger of the two police officers spoke. With his round baby face and shock of sandy-red hair, he couldn’t have been more than thirty. He looked vaguely familiar. Angel stifled an uneasy feeling.

  “I’m Officer Truby, and this is Officer Lee. Why don’t you tell us what happened?”

  Jake recounted how they’d been practicing and had heard a scream, and then described in detail the scene he’d come upon between the three men and Angel.

  Officer Truby wrote down the descriptions of the three and the two cops exchanged knowing glances.

  Jake picked up on it immediately. “So, you think you know them?”

  “Maybe.” Officer Truby was noncommittal. His gaze locked firmly on Angel.

  She held her breath. Although she didn’t know either of the two officers personally, she’d seen them both around the station.

  “I guess I don’t understand.” The younger officer took a step forward, a puzzled frown on his face. “What are you doing here?”

  Angel’s heart missed a beat. “Going to high school.” She spoke slowly and clearly, her eyes daring him to disagree.

  Truby’s frown deepened.

  “Brian, if you don’t mind. I’d like to question the victim.” Officer Lee spoke for the first time, and Angel could have kissed him. The seasoned veteran knew something was up, and although he didn’t understand it, Angel knew he wouldn’t give her away.

  Her tense muscles relaxed even as a surge of excitement swept through her. This could be the moment of truth. If she played this right—if they played this right—she might not only keep her cover, but discover once and for all where Jake Weston stood.

  “So, how much did they get?” Officer Lee asked softly, his eyes narrowing. The man was playing his part to perfection.

  Jake raised a questioning brow. “What are you talking about?”

  “She knows.” The older officer glanced down at the report. “Don’t you, Angel?”

  Jake glanced at her. She refused to meet his eyes, and he found it hard to swallow past the lump in his throat. Still, he had to know. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

  The two officers looked at Angel. She stood with her arms crossed, and every curve of her body spoke defiance.

  Jake took a deep steadying breath. “Angel?”

  She lifted her chin and remained silent.

  Truby tapped his pencil against his notepad. “Do you still have any of the stuff on you, Angel?”

  “Go ahead and search me.” Her eyes flashed. “You won’t find anything.”

  The two cops exchanged glances.

  “They
got it,” Truby said with a resigned air that would have seemed theatrical in another setting.

  “Hey,” Jake said. “She’s the victim here. They could have hurt her. They could have killed her.”

  Just the thought made him sick. And the way they were talking about her as if she were some sort of criminal… All of a sudden, his earlier fear that she could be a drug dealer hit him full force. Why had he been so sure she couldn’t be involved in such things?

  Because you’re like your brother. A soft touch. A fool.

  Despite the mounting evidence, Jake resisted believing the worst. She could still be undercover, couldn’t she?

  But if she was a cop, wouldn’t these two recognize her? Even if they denied it, Jake should be able to see it in their faces. In a final attempt to prove his worst fears wrong, Jake decided to pull out all the stops.

  “Look at her.” His voice was insistent. “Doesn’t she look familiar?”

  Startled, her eyes met his.

  Officer Lee’s face was expressionless. “Nope, never seen her.”

  “Angel,” Truby repeated, as if testing the word against his tongue. He stared thoughtfully for a moment.

  Angel narrowed her gaze.

  Finally the young officer nodded. “I do know her.”

  Angel’s eyes widened. Officer Lee stared at his partner as if he’d never seen him before.

  Jake breathed a prayer of thanks.

  “I busted her once in East St. Louis.”

  Horrified, Jake looked up.

  The officer shook his head, and the last of Jake’s hope died with his words. “Another dope deal gone bad. And this little Angel was right in the middle of it.”

  Angel’s heart clenched at the look of pain on Jake’s face. She knew he wanted her to deny it, but how could she when it was all true?

  She turned her attention to the young officer. She now realized why Truby looked so familiar. It was only now that she made the connection.

  Ten years ago he’d been a rookie, more a boy than a man, working some of the roughest streets in the country. That hot sticky July night, he’d come with another officer in response to the report of shots being fired.