Avenging Angel (Pounding Hearts Book 5)

by Izzy Sweet

The two of them totally deserve each other.

  “Okay, Ashley,” I say calmly as I try to extract my arm from her grip. “You can have him. He’s all yours.”

  Ashley gives me a look of surprise that quickly turns into disbelief. “I don’t believe you.”

  Dammit, I don’t have time for this. I need to get out of here before the dinner starts or someone else comes looking for me.

  “Look, I honestly don’t care. I don’t want him. If you want him, take him. Or leave him. Whatever.”

  Turning my attention away from her, I take in those around us. The crowd is finally getting thinner as people start to filter into the banquet area. It won’t be long now before all the speeches start.

  Ashley’s fingers suddenly tighten around my arm and she starts to tug on me. “I still don’t believe you. If you’re not lying, prove it,” she demands.

  I take one stumbling step backward, damn these heels, then yank my arm back. “Prove it how?”

  “Say it in front of him. Say it to his face.”

  I roll my eyes and make a sound of disgust. “I don’t have time for this.”

  And I really don’t. I’ve already wasted enough time talking to her. Why I even bothered, I don’t know.

  “See, I knew it. You’re lying,” she says accusingly and glares daggers at me.

  I gasp at her audacity. She’s calling me a liar when she’s the one who was sleeping with my boyfriend behind my back? That takes some nerve.

  Both angry and insulted, I almost give in to the urge to storm away. To say fuck this and make my exit. I don’t need this, I don’t deserve this, and I shouldn’t waste any more of my life on these people.

  But there’s something tempting about her request.

  Originally, I planned on making my exit without saying a word to anyone. But isn’t that what my father has trained me to do? Hasn’t he trained me to be quiet and to keep our dirty laundry out of public?

  To always protect his image…

  If I walk out now, without a word, no one outside this mess will ever know what happened. He can spin it however he wants. He can spin it that I’m the one in the wrong.

  I’ve already lost everything. What more do I have to lose?

  “Okay, fine,” I say, making my decision. I’ll probably regret this, but I’ll just add it to the pile with all the other regrets. “I’ll prove it.”

  Turning around, I spot Tristan and my father still standing together where I left them. Only now a small crowd of people have gathered around them.

  Perfect.

  Without waiting to see if Ashley is following me or not, I make my way over to them.

  “There you are,” my father says with an irritated look as I walk up. “I was beginning to think you got lost and was about to send someone after you.”

  “Sorry,” I say, but truly I’m not sorry in the least. “I ran into Ashley.”

  Talking to the man beside him, Tristan falters for a split second before he recovers.

  I grin, turning toward him. “She was just telling me how she and Tristan fucked in the limo on the way here.”

  There are a few gasps, the loudest and most notable one coming from Ashley as she finally catches up to me.

  My father’s face turns beet red while all the color drains from Tristan’s face.

  “Aubrey,” my father says sternly. “What is the—”

  I cut him off, not letting him take control of the situation. “She also told me they’ve been fucking for the past three years behind my back.”

  “What the fuck, Ashley?” Tristan snarls, some of his color coming back.

  “Well, it’s true!” Ashley cries out in her defense and then real tears appear in her eyes.

  Looking between Ashley and Tristan, my father seems to be at a loss for words. His mouth keeps opening and closing.

  Knowing his speechlessness is only temporary, I push on, determined to get this all out.

  “She was worried about us marrying, given what’s been going on between her and Tristan, but I’ve assured her I have no desire to marry Tristan. Never have and never will.”

  “Now that’s enough, Aubrey,” my father says sharply, finally finding his voice.

  Ignoring him, I step up to Tristan. He stiffens and a tendril of satisfaction curls through me to see him looking so uncomfortable and uneasy.

  “She insisted I prove that I don’t want to marry you. Prove it by saying it to your face.”

  Jaw tightening, Tristan looks down at me as I bore my eyes into his eyes.

  “I don’t want to marry you, Tristan. I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth. I’d rather set myself on fire. I’d rather jump off a cliff. I’d rather eat shit and die. You’re a lying, cheating, despicable piece of shit who likes to hurt women and little boys!”

  I slap Tristan so hard across the face he rears back.

  “I said that’s enough!” my father roars and grabs me by the arm, physically dragging me away from Tristan.

  Face as red as my father’s now and hands clenching into fists, Tristan tries to follow me only to have Ashley jump in front of him.

  “Let her go, Tristan!” Ashley wails and pushes at his chest.

  Satisfied now that I’ve spoken my piece, I try to jerk my arm free of my father’s grip. “Let me go, I’m leaving.”

  “The hell you are,” he growls, his fingers tightening as he drags me across the room.

  A few heads turn our way, but he ignores them. After dragging me almost to the exit, he finds a secluded corner and finally releases me by giving me a little push.

  I stumble, then find my balance and straighten.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he snarls at me. “Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me, you stupid little bitch?!”

  Lifting my chin into the air, I meet his angry glare head-on as he steps into me, trying to intimidate me.

  I refuse to feel bad, guilty, or even the least bit remorseful for what I did, and I sure as hell won’t apologize for it.

  He leans in close and jabs his finger at me. “If you think I’ll let you get away with this, think again. We had a deal and you’ve broken it. I, however, will live up to my end. That little boy you care so much about… Well, I hope you’re proud of yourself because you’ve just sealed his fate.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. Can he even hear himself?

  “What did Casey ever do to you? It’s over now. Hurting him gains you nothing,” I try to reason.

  My father’s lip curls with contempt. “Hurting him will hurt you. Do you feel good about yourself now? I hope you do, because after this… After what you’ve done, I will make it my life’s mission to make sure that’s boy’s life is a living hell.”

  Tears of anger and helplessness sting my eyes and it’s everything I can do not to release them. To not give him that satisfaction.

  “I hate you,” I hiss.

  And I do, my god, do I truly hate him at this moment.

  “Oh, you will,” my father says as he grins and straightens away from me. “You’ll certainly hate me after I’m done with you and the boy. Perhaps I’ll even go after that gym rat of yours. Yes, that’s a good idea. I think I’ll do that too.”

  Someone gasps behind my father. “Arthur…”

  My father whirls around.

  “Valerie,” he says with surprise.

  Her own eyes glistening with tears, Valerie’s voice cracks with accusation. “How could you?”

  All at once my father seems to deflate, his anger replaced by worry.

  “It’s not what you think,” he says.

  “Not what I think?” Valerie repeats incredulously. “Not what I think?! I heard every word you said.”

  “I didn’t mean it,” he claims after a couple of moments and begins to walk toward her. “I spoke in anger. I would never… never do those things.”

  Valerie shakes her head, clearly not buying his excuse. “I knew something was wrong, I just didn’t know what.�
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  “Valerie—” my father starts to say as he reaches for her, his hands going for her hands.

  Valerie steps out of his reach and jerks her hands away from him. “No, don’t you touch me, and don’t you say anything more. I don’t want to hear it.”

  “But—” my father tries to say, only to immediately stop when Valerie gives him a look full of contempt.

  “We’ll talk about all of this later, Arthur,” she says, not even trying to keep the disdain out of her voice.

  Then she turns her attention to me. “Aubrey, I’m leaving. You’re more than welcome to join me.”

  I’m not sure I completely trust Valerie despite how kind she has treated me in the past, but I’d much rather leave with her than stay here and endure more of my father’s threats and wrath.

  Emotionally pulling myself together, I nod at her. “I’ll join you, thank you.”

  Without looking in my father’s direction, I follow her out, feeling his glare burning into my back.

  Valerie doesn’t speak, doesn’t say a word until we’re in the limo and pulling away from the hotel.

  Then, her composure completely melting away, she grabs me by the hands and gives them a gentle squeeze.

  There’s so much emotion on her face and in her eyes, I finally crack, bursting open with the tears I’ve been holding back as she says, “Aubrey, I promise I won’t let your father make good on any of his threats, but you must tell me what’s going on. If I’m going to protect you, I need to know everything.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Emmett

  Fight night. The time where fears, doubts, and hurts can be ignored. The time where I can be the monster I’ve always knew I was deep down.

  The guy who likes to cause pain and take pain.

  No more running away from my demons. No more hiding from the pain of loss and the pain of redemption. No, it’s time to say fuck everything and be the one who claims his fucking life back.

  A light rapping on the door snaps me out of focus. I’ve been focusing for the past thirty minutes on keeping my heart at a steady rhythm.

  Who the fuck is interrupting me?

  A quick glance at the clock shows me I have ten minutes until the fight.

  Snapping my fingers at Casey, I point to the door. “Get rid of whoever the fuck that is.”

  “On it!” Casey says as he hops out of the chair he’s been occupying since we got here.

  Casey is as tightly wound as I am. He’s been amped up on this shot of vengeance for both him and his dad. Tommy never got the resolution he deserved for being cold-cocked inside the ring.

  Fucking bitch ass Jamey and that cheap shot have been playing over and over in my head.

  You just don’t swing on a fucking trainer who didn’t do shit. What a fucking pussy. I’m gonna whoop his fucking ass. I’m going to take a long time doing it too. I’m going to punish his ass. I’m going to make him my little bitch.

  And when he thinks it’s over, I’m going to hurt him some more.

  “Bree?!” Casey gasps loudly. “Fuck off!”

  Well fuck, there goes me keeping my heart rate at a good rhythm.

  Turning toward the door to the little room I’ve been sequestered in since I entered the building, I see the love of my life standing in the doorway.

  Casey glares at her then he slams the door in her face.

  I start snorting with laughter, I can’t help it. The look that was on Bree’s face is priceless. She looked so crushed and defeated, like she had so many things she wanted to say to us.

  “Dude,” I mock whisper.

  Casey starts snickering as he looks at me and shrugs. “Want me to let her in?”

  I hop out of the chair I’ve been sitting in. “Yeah, let’s see what the fuck she has to say.”

  Casey swings the door open but there’s no one there. “Uh-oh.”

  “Ah, shit,” I groan, and step up to the doorway.

  After looking both ways, I see Bree walking away with her shoulders slumped.

  “Hey, get your ass back here!” I shout at her.

  She turns and her eyes widen at the sight of Casey and me laughing at her.

  Shaking her head, she starts to walk back, and I look at Casey. “Be nice.”

  “Of course, I’m not a total jerk,” he says before he gives me a smirk. “But I’m not calling her Dad.”

  “What?” I ask, confused. “Why the hell would you call her Dad?”

  “Cause you’re my mom,” Casey laughs.

  “You little fucking…” I trail off as Bree’s eyes widen even more at the way I start to swing at Casey’s head.

  “Don’t let him hurt me, Bree!” Casey cries out before he runs back into the room, acting like I beat him or something.

  “What the hell?!” Bree asks, looking between Casey and me as if we’re crazy.

  Reaching out, I try to grab her hand, but she snatches it away before I can make contact.

  What the fuck?

  “Bree,” I say, “What are you doing here?”

  And why the fuck can’t I touch you? I want to ask, but I keep my question silent. I need to know what the fuck is going on and looking desperate to feel that connection we shared is not going to help.

  “You’re hitting Casey?” she asks, staring at me with accusing eyes.

  “What?” I blink

  “He is!” Casey wails from the room behind me.

  Ah, fuck.

  “No, I’m not. Well, not with any real harm. He keeps calling me Mom…” I say, and feel like a fucking idiot.

  But what the fuck? She doesn’t need to know this shit. She doesn’t have any say in what Casey and I do anymore.

  “Why is he calling you Mom?” she asks, the anger in her voice slowly abating.

  “Why the fuck are you here?” I ask, and fuck, now it looks like I slapped her across the face.

  Those might not have been the best words to use. From the way tears instantly appear in her eyes, I can tell she’s already hurting as much as I’ve been.

  “I… I…” she stutters, and then looks around the room.

  She looks like a scared rabbit ready to bolt at any second.

  “You what?” Casey asks as he comes to stand beside me.

  I want to gather her up in my arms. I want to sweep her up and kiss those plush lips with every ounce of my being. But I need to hear her words, I need to understand how she could leave us.

  I have to restrain every single instinct to take her back because I saw what she did to Casey.

  She looks at Casey and me. I know she can see that she fucked us both up and that she’s gotta win us both back. If she’s even here to do that. She could have come back just to tell us to fuck off and leave her alone…

  We all just stare at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.

  Someone starts pounding on the door behind Bree, causing us all to jump.

  “Five minutes, Angel!” Chase shouts through the door.

  “Angel?” Bree shakes her head at the name. “Who’s Angel?”

  “Me,” I say with a sigh.

  I fucking hate the name, but it’s stuck with me through the years, whether I wanted it to or not.

  “Yeah, he called himself the Angel of Death one time when he was doing a promo,” Casey helpfully adds from my side.

  Bree starts smirking. “Really? That’s kind of… corny.”

  “I know, I know. As soon as I said it, I knew I fucked up. Now that’s the ring name I’ve been given,” I say, then try to get back on topic. “What’s going on, Bree?”

  “I… I had it all planned out on how I would explain what happened..” she says before biting her lip.

  “But?” I ask.

  “But it all sounds like excuses, like a pity party,” she says.

  “What’s the real reason then?” I ask and cross my arms across my chest like I’m trying to protect my heart from the abuse it’s already sustained.

  She takes a deep breath, steeli
ng herself, before saying, “That guy that pushed me outside the gym… Well, he was my ex-boyfriend… and my dad really wanted me to marry him. Wanted me to marry him so bad he tried to blackmail me into it…”

  She launches into a story that sounds like something straight out of a soap opera, and the way she keeps glancing at Casey, I know I’m probably only getting half of it. And shit, I probably wouldn’t believe it if it was coming out of anyone else’s mouth.

  But I do because it’s coming out of hers.

  When she finally finishes, my arms slide down to my sides on their own accord.

  Well, fuck. That’s not exactly what I was expecting.

  “So why didn’t you tell me all this?” I ask as I take a step forward, my hands reaching out this time to take both of hers.

  “Because he has a lot of power and money, and he threatened you both. He told me he would ruin you with the pictures he had of you and get Casey sent to his mom,” she says before she suddenly looks mortified, like she let out a secret.

  Casey starts shaking his head. “No way, he can’t do that.”

  “He can!” she insists with tears in her eyes. “He’s the fucking governor. He has so many connections and so much money from my stepmother… he can hurt you both with a snap of his fucking fingers.”

  Shaking my head, I frown at her. “He couldn’t do that, Bree.”

  Tears start falling from her eyes. “He can. He has all the pictures and he got a private investigator…”

  Reaching up, I brush away her tears and pull her tightly to my chest. “Casey, is it okay if I tell her?”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Casey looks from me to Bree. “I don’t care, it’s not even a thing in my life.”

  “Tell me what?” Bree asks as she clutches at my chest, her fingers wrapped tightly in my shirt.

  “His mom overdosed on heroine three years back and died,” I say, and hug her tightly to me.

  “Yeah, the only mom I have is Emmett. He’s my mommy dearest!” Casey says, but I can tell he’s a little shaken from all this heavy shit going on.

  Pulling Casey into our hug, I wrap my arms around them both tightly. “Your dad sounds like a douchebag, but he couldn’t have done anything to me or Casey.”

  “But… But… he had pictures and he knew things… He had pictures of you passed out in your yard,” she continues to argue but her voice is growing weaker.