My Broken Angel
By H. D’Agostino
My Broken Angel
H. D’Agostino
Copyright © July 2015 by Heather D’Agostino
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
The following story contains mature themes, profanity, and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.
Cover Design: Kari March at K23Designs
Photography: Kelsey Keeton of K Keeton Designs
Cover Model: Shaun Caswell
Editing: Rebecca Cartee at Editing by Rebecca
ISBN: 978-0-9907704-8-0
For Angie,
Your love and support knows no bounds. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help me along the way. I could never put into words how thankful I truly am.
Sisters for Life,
Heather
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
My Broken Angel Playlist
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Prologue
Wes
“You keep your fucking hands off her!” I sneered into his ear as I shoved him toward the back hallway of Vibe. We’d been here less than an hour, and I was already up in his face. Richard had made my best friend Cole and his girlfriend, Maddie miserable for months, and now he was trying to get to them through Cole’s sister, Angela.
Angela Walker. Just thinking about her name made my insides twist. It was a foreign feeling, and I wasn’t sure I liked it yet. I was never one to get out of control. Control was my life. As an ex-fighter and a black belt in judo, I was taught when and how to strike. I knew the precise moment that my opponent would crack, giving me victory over him, and as I continued to push Richard toward the hallway, I could sense he was nearing that point.
When we reached the end of the hall, I shoved open the door that led out behind the club. It was dark, and the back parking area was lit by a single dim streetlight. The night air was warm, and as it bathed me, I felt small sweat droplets raise on my skin. I wasn’t sure if it was the weather or my rising heart rate, but my body was preparing for what might come next.
“She’s pretty hot. Is she yours?” Richard smirked as he turned to face me.
I heard the door slam as I moved away from him before fisting my hands at my side. I didn’t want to do something that I might regret, but this asshole didn’t know when to stop.
“Cat got your tongue?” he taunted as his head tipped to the side. “He doesn’t know, does he?” Richard snickered. “How would he feel if he knew his best friend was fucking his sister? That baby inside her yours?” Richard’s eyes darkened and all I saw was red.
“You shut the fuck up!” I roared as I stormed closer and shoved his chest. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”
“Ooh,” his lips curved up as my blood heated exponentially. “Seems I’ve hit a nerve. I wonder if she feels as good on the inside as she does on the outside,” his body shook like his was picturing what he was talking about, and before I knew it, my fist was flying through the air.
My right hand curled tightly, and slammed forward making direct contact with his jaw, causing him to stumble back slightly. “You like to hit women?” I bellowed. “Why don’t you hit someone that can fight back?” I stomped closer, my chest rising and falling in quick pants, and I shoved him back against the wall. When I went to punch him again, he ducked causing my fist to hit the brick wall behind him. I felt the skin break open across my knuckles, but didn’t feel pain at the moment. Adrenaline was coursing through me so fast that my brain couldn’t keep up with my actions. I hadn’t been in a real fight in over three years, but my instincts began coming back to me as if I’d never stopped.
Richard’s teeth gleamed in the lamp light as he lifted his arm to wipe his face. My first blow had split his lip, and blood now dripped from it, soaking his shirt. “That all you got?” he chuckled as he righted himself. He took a swing, clipping me right under the eye as he continued to taunt me. “I’m surprised you can still get it up after pumping your body full of enhancements,” he sneered. “That little thing get up for you, or do you need pills for that, too?”
“You sonofabitch,” I stormed closer, yanked him off the ground by the shirt, and slammed him against the wall. His head bounced off the bricks, but it didn’t stop the grin on his face. “You’re one sick fucker!” I jerked my left hand back, pinned him with my right, and began hammering my fist into his face. I felt his nose break, and his body began sagging against me after the fourth or fifth blow. I really couldn’t remember. I had stopped counting long ago, and the only thing on my mind was to shut this asshole up.
When I stepped back, he dropped like a ton of bricks to the ground before slumping to the side. His chest was rising and falling in shallow pants as a gurgling sound came from his throat. I smacked him lightly on the cheek causing his eyes to flutter open. They made contact with mine, and I grinned as I patted his face once again, “That was round one. Stay away from my friends, or I’ll make sure you get to experience round two.” I stood, and brushed off my clothes as best I could. Since I was covered in dirt and blood, I knew I’d need to go home.
“Everything ok down there?” a voice called from the front of the building. Whoever it was, was standing on the front sidewalk, and watching down the alley.
“Yeah man,” I called back. “Just too much to drink. I think he passed out.”
The figure nodded, and headed back to the front door. I shook my head as I flexed my injured hand before slipping out my cell to call a cab. I’d told Cole to take the girls home, and I didn’t want to have to call him to come back and get me.
ooooooooo
After contemplating my next move for mere seconds, I told the cabbie to drop me back at Cole’s place. I wanted to talk to him about Richard, and explain what I’d done before Angela woke up. I knew she’d be pissed. She didn’t like being told what to do. She was a firecracker, and lately I seemed to be the expert at setting her off.
After climbing the steps to Cole’s apartment, I quietly let myself in. It was dark already, and I assumed everyone had gone to bed. I crept into the kitchen to grab a beer, and then made my way over to the couch. Sighing, I lowered myself, and popped the top off the bottle. It went down easy, and as the night slowly turned to morning, I spent it drowning out the evening before. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I never acted like that. Guys were douches all the time. They’d say stuff to women I was with, make comments about my pa
st, try to get a rise outta me. Usually, I’d roll my eyes, toss a few back, and lose myself in a warm body.
The only thing I could come up with was that Angela had somehow messed with my head. I couldn’t figure it out. It’d never bothered me in the past when she’d have a boyfriend. She was Cole’s little sister, untouchable, especially to me, but seeing her last night in that siren’s dress had caused my dick to take notice.
I tried to stop the thoughts running through my head. The last time I did this, those thoughts got away from me, and I found myself taking care of business on this very couch. What was worse was having the very cause of my situation come waltzing in the room and catch me. I growled to myself as I ran my palms down my face and sighed.
“Oh my god,” she hissed, and I froze. “What happened?”
The next thing I knew, Angela had sidled up beside me. Her voice was timid as her fingers wrapped around the wrist of my injured hand. “It’s not that bad,” I mumbled.
“Wes, what did you do?” she gently ghosted her fingers over my knuckles, and I couldn’t help but wince in pain.
It hurt like a motherfucker, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. “Really, it’s fine,” I pinched my eyes shut and willed my body not to react to her proximity. She was sitting there in a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt. It kept slipping off one shoulder so low that another inch would give me a nice view of her breast. I groaned as she cradled my hand in her lap, and cupped my face with her other hand.
“Tell me I didn’t cause this,” she pleaded as she stared into my eyes. Her chocolate orbs began to fill with unshed tears as she nibbled her lower lip.
That little move put me over the edge. I couldn’t stand to see a woman cry. Crying reminded me of Vikki, and that pretty much doused me with ice water. The hard-on in my pants melted as fast as it appeared, and I yanked my hand back from Angela’s lap. “I’m fine, Angel,” I muttered as I lifted the half-finished beer off the table in front of me.
“You’re such an asshole,” she growled as we slipped back into our usual roles. I was good at pissing her off. I knew exactly what to say to cause her to put up her defenses, and move as far as she could get away from me. I needed to remember that. She was Cole’s sister. She was not mine and never would be. I was here to protect her, which I had done tonight, and nothing more.
“What’s going on?” I heard Cole come into the room and lifted my head slightly as he rounded the couch, and lowered himself in the chair across from me.
“Nothing, don’t worry about,” I muttered.
At first he looked like he wasn’t going to push it, but as his eyes scanned my bruised and broken body, I could see the confusion spread across his face, “What the hell happened to you?”
“It’s all my fault,” Angela cried from beside me. She’d moved closer again, and I wasn’t sure how deal with all of this at once. I needed to keep my cool with Cole, but I felt this draw to Angela. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything would be ok. I was there for her, and no one would ever hurt her.
“No, it’s not,” I growled with such intensity I thought I might snap.
“Let me get you some ice,” she sniffed as she stood and began scurrying toward the kitchen.
“Dude, what the fuck did you do?” Cole hissed as he watched me flex my fingers. They were red, raw, swollen, and bloody.
“I explained to a certain someone that they needed to leave your sister alone,” I muttered before glancing up to see that Angela had reappeared with an ice pack. “Don’t worry…they got the message.”
“That doesn’t look like much talking took place,” Cole shook his head.
“He got the message, trust me.” I sighed as I placed the ice pack on my cheek.
Before Cole could respond, his phone rang. “Who the hell is calling you at nine in the morning?” I furrowed my brow as he stared at the caller ID.
“The DA,” he looked at the phone and shrugged as he answered it. “Hello? No, I haven’t. OK. Yeah, I’ll turn it on right now,” he lifted the remote and clicked on the TV flipping it to the local news station. His cell slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor as the headline ran across the bottom of the screen. Local attorney Richard Stathman found dead in Boston Harbor, authorities suspect foul play. His mouth dropped open as he turned to me, “What the fuck did you do?”
“Not that!” I gasped and winced at the same time. “He was fine when I left,” I stared at the screen just as Maddie shuffled into the room and gasped. “I swear,” I looked over to see all three of them staring at me. “I tuned him up a little. I didn’t kill him.” I stood quickly and began pacing. “That wasn’t me!” I roared and pointed at the TV. “That wasn’t fucking me. That asshole is sure to have enemies. I know I’m not the only one,” I threw the ice pack at the couch and watched it bounce. “I gotta go,” I grumbled as I grabbed my keys off the coffee table where I’d tossed them the night before, and stormed out of the apartment.
“Fucking great,” I muttered as I slammed the door to my Mustang shut. “Just fucking great.”
ooooooooo
When I reached my building downtown, I pulled up to the valet, gave a wave to my doorman George, and moved as fast as possible to get up to my loft. I hadn’t been here in days, but I needed to get away from her. Being around Angela was slowly killing me, and then seeing that look on her face when she thought I killed a man? That was my undoing. I might not want her to want me, but I sure as hell don’t want her thinking that I could do that. As fucked up as it sounded, I’d give anything to go back to when we were kids…back when Angela thought I’d hung the moon. Back when she followed me around like a shadow, and wore the crush she had on me like a red bandana. I’d give anything for her to look at me like she used to.
Chapter 1
Wes- Age 10
“Hey,” I murmured as my best friend, Cole, slid into the seat beside me. “You’re late”
“I know,” he sighed as he slowly lowered his backpack. “I had to take Angie to school this morning. First day, and all; Mom didn’t want her to get lost in the hallway.”
I rolled my eyes and then laughed, “Did she cry?”
“No,” Cole laughed, too. “She’s brave. Dad told her if she cried he’d punish her tonight. He doesn’t want her to embarrass him,” Cole groaned as he shifted in his seat.
“You ok?” I began digging for a pencil. I knew something was wrong, but Cole refused to acknowledge it.
“Ran into the counter in the kitchen last night,” Cole shrugged as he gripped his side. “It hurts.”
I slowly shook my head at him, “The counter?”
“Yeah,” he scowled. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
“Wanna hang out this afternoon?” I smiled as I changed the subject, and darted my eyes up at Mrs. Mason, our teacher.
“Sure. I gotta bring Angie. She can’t be home alone, and Mom’s working today.”
“That’s cool,” I nodded as I wrote my name at the top of my paper.
“Boys,” Mrs. Mason narrowed her eyes on us, daring us to keep talking.
“Sorry,” we answered in unison before grinning at each other.
St. Vincent’s was one of the top Catholic schools in the area, and Mrs. Mason was the best fifth grade teacher. Both Cole and I had been ecstatic when we’d found out we were going to be in her class together. I’d been coming here since kindergarten, and met Cole in second grade. We’ve been best friends ever since. He spends a lot of time at my house. My parents have never minded and treat him like another son.
I don’t have a sister or a brother, so having Cole and Angie around is like having siblings. If I had to pick though, I’d make Angie stay home. She’s a girl, if you didn’t know that, and girls are just gross. They like frou-frou stuff like dolls, and makeup, and clothes. She follows us everywhere we go though, so we don’t have much of a choice.
Cole doesn’t seem to mind when Angie’s around. He’s always sticking up for her, and
now that she’s at St. Vincent’s, I’m sure the two of us will be acting as her bodyguards.
“So do you want me to wait for you, or are you going to take the bus?” I asked as Cole started walking toward the kindergarten wing of the school.
“Is your dad getting you today?” he yelled as he walked backward toward the far side of the building.
“Yeah!” I shouted.
“We’ll ride with you,” he grinned.
I knew he’d decide to come with me, if my dad was getting me. It was fall, and the weather was still nice. My dad hadn’t winterized his car yet, and Cole loved it. My dad drove a ‘68 Mustang that he’d restored himself in his free time. It was his pride and joy, and whenever he picked me up from school he would drive it. I knew our trip would be quick, but I was still excited. He had to work the night shift this week, but he always tried to spend as much time as he could with me.
When I saw the flash of red out of the corner of my eye, I raced over to where he was waiting on me. I tossed my backpack in through the open window, and told rather than asked him, that Cole and Angie were coming over. He chuckled, nodded, and shifted the car into park.
It didn’t take long before Cole came running around the corner dragging Angie behind him. “Hurry up,” he yelled at her as they got closer.
“I don’t wanna go over there. I wanna go home,” she whined as Cole threw his head back to stare at the blue sky.
“Come on Ang, please?” Cole begged.
I could see the standoff that was getting ready to occur, so I jumped in to save him. Wasn’t that what best friends were for? “Hey Angie,” I grinned. “We can play Candy Land.”
“Really?” she smiled at me.
“Yep,” I opened the door, and leaned the front seat forward so they could climb in back. “As soon as we have a snack.”
“Why are you doing this?” Cole hissed under his breath.
“It got her in the car, didn’t it,” I shrugged as I climbed in the front seat and closed my door.
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