My Broken Angel

by Heather D'Agostino

  ooooooooo

  When the nurse came to take Riley for her first bath later that morning, Angela was still sleeping. Cole and I decided to go grab something to eat from the cafeteria since there wasn’t much we could do at the moment.

  “What’s up with the snow hat?” Cole snickered as we stepped into the elevator.

  “Nothing,” I grumbled.

  “Come on dude. It’s like eighty-five degrees out today. It wasn’t cold last night. Why the hell are you wearing that thing?” he reached for my head, but I dodged out of the way.

  “Leave it!” I growled as his face held amusement.

  Cole waited a moment, and as soon as I was distracted with the elevator doors opening, he reached up and swiped the hat right off my head. “Oh shit!” he hooted. “What the hell did you do?” his mouth dropped open when I turned to face him. We’d always picked on one another, but I hadn’t had any razzing from him in a while.

  “Angel was cutting my hair when all this went down, fucker,” I snapped as I reached for the hat he had twisted in his hands. I slipped it back in place, and narrowed my eyes on him. “I didn’t plan on leaving it this way,” I pointed to my head.

  “Dude!” he began laughing as he tried to talk. “There’s a barber down the street. You should go get him to fix it,” he chuckled. “Although this look is kinda nice on you. You’d have to change your name though. No more Machine. I think…” he began tapping his chin in thought. “Half-wit. Yeah,” he nodded. “I like that. Half-wit,” he smacked the back of my head as laughter erupted out of him.

  “You’re such an asshole sometimes,” I growled as we entered the cafeteria.

  “Hey,” his head jerked back like he was offended “if you can’t get the truth from me, who’s gonna give it to you?”

  I shook my head and sighed, “I’ve got plenty of ammo on you. Just wait,” I pointed my finger as I grabbed a tray. “Your sister’s told me some things, too.” Angela really hadn’t, but seeing the look on Cole’s face when he thought I knew about something that I shouldn’t was priceless.

  “You wouldn’t,” he lowered his voice as he stepped up beside me.

  “Try me,” I taunted before grabbing half of a turkey sandwich.

  Our friendly banter went back-and-forth for most of day as we kept each other company while Angela slept. She’d been up most of the night, and other than feeding Riley, she slept most of the day. It was nice hanging out together, just the three of us like we used to.

  Cole left in the evening to go pick up Maddie from work, but he promised to come back the next morning and bring Maddie with him. He seemed genuinely happy for Angela, and more accepting than I had expected him to be with me.

  As evening came, I couldn’t help but smile as I watched my two girls sleep. I hadn’t asked yet, but I was hoping that one day in the near future, Angel would let me make our family official. I loved her, and from the minute I caught that small squirming baby in my arms, I loved her, too.

  Chapter 28

  Angela

  Once we arrived back home with Riley, things really became crazy. Sleeping was a thing of the past, and Wes was in the gym more than anywhere else. Cole and Maddie stayed with us for a few days to help, but after that I was on my own. It took me about three weeks, but I was able to get her on a schedule. Our latest issue was the showcase. Wes needed to go to New York City, and he had it in his mind that I should go with him. Traveling with a one month old was never on my bucket list, and I didn’t think I needed to add it now. Wes didn’t seem to understand that. He wasn’t thinking about all the stuff we’d have to take with us, the sleepless nights of having Riley in a port-a-crib right beside us as we worried about keeping others awake in the hotel. We argued for days over this, but in the end I gave in. I loved him, and I wanted to support him. I only hoped that I’d be able to keep my sanity while he was at the showcase.

  “It’ll be fine,” Wes soothed as we shoved the last few items we were taking into Cole’s explorer. He and Maddie had come up this morning, and we were all going to ride together.

  “You say that now,” I sighed. “You’re going to be gone most of the time. I’m the one that’s going to be stuck in a hotel room with a baby. Tell me again why I’m going?”

  “Because you love me, and you’ve never been to one of these type things,” he smiled as he leaned in and placed a light kiss to my lips.

  “You two think you can keep your hands to yourselves,” Cole groaned as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “No,” both Wes and I laughed as we separated to get into the car. He was planning to ride shotgun, and I was sharing the back with Maddie and Riley. Ally had called me a few days ago, and she was planning to try and come out for the weekend. She had said she needed to make sure her mom could keep Caleb first. Her predicament made me realize how much having Riley was really going to change things for me. There wouldn’t be any more running off when I felt like it. Now, I’d have to always think about what I was going to do with Riley.

  ooooooooo

  It took us twice as long as it should have to get to the city. We were constantly having to stop so I could feed the baby, or change the baby, or go to the bathroom. I could tell that my brother was hanging on by a thread, and I’m sure he was itching to get away from me. My only saving grace was that Maddie was with us. At one point, she had dragged him into a rest stop bathroom to calm him down. When they had emerged fifteen minutes later, he was smiling, and she was blushing. Wes and I just laughed as we climbed back in the car.

  By the time we checked into our hotel, it was dinner time. I ordered room service, and after putting Riley in the crib, Wes and I ate before he disappeared to check out the venue. Ally called me and let me know that she’d be able to come for one night, and would let me know when she was there. Us ladies were going to watch the fight from the comfort of my room. I didn’t want to take Riley to the actual venue, and Wes seemed to understand that plus Maddie didn’t seem all that comfortable going. So, while we stayed in the room, Cole was going to accompany Wes and Mike to the arena.

  “So how are things with you two?” Maddie sat cross-legged on the bed as she played with Riley.

  “Fine,” I shrugged as I brushed my hair. I’d just taken my first shower where I didn’t have to worry about the baby. It was nice to actually enjoy the process, and not constantly worry. I was still trying to learn to balance things.

  “He loves you. You know that, right?” Maddie smiled as she looked between Riley and me.

  I nodded. I knew Wes loved me. He made it obvious every day. He’d been distant lately though, and I wasn’t sure what it was. I had a feeling it had to do with today, but he never would come right out and say anything.

  “He’s nervous,” Maddie could see my discomfort as she watched me.

  “I just hope that he doesn’t lose his concentration. Vicki knows his weaknesses. She’s going to use that against him,” I sighed just as there was a soft knock on the door. My lips pulled into a face-splitting smile as I skipped over to let the new arrival in. “Hey!” I flung open the door to reveal my best friend standing on the other side.

  “I wanna see this baby,” Ally shoved her way around me, completely ignoring the fact that I was standing right there. She rushed over to the bed, and scooped up a cooing Riley before turning to grin at me.

  “Nice to see you, too,” I grumbled.

  “I’ve seen you dozens of times,” Ally giggled. “I haven’t met this little girl yet,” she smiled down at Riley before noticing Maddie sitting on the bed. “Hi,” she smiled at Maddie. “I’m Ally.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Maddie,” Maddie smiled as she shifted to make room for Ally to sit down.

  “So you’re the girl that’s got Cole so twisted up,” Ally grinned as Maddie blushed. “Don’t worry,” Ally smacked the bed before diverting her eyes back to Riley. “I won’t do anything to embarrass you. I’m saving that for her,” she tipped her head in my direction.

  “Ig
nore her,” I rolled my eyes as I lowered myself beside the two of them. “She thinks she owns him.”

  “Well back in the day,” Ally trailed off on a sigh.

  “She had a thing for my brother. She was relentless, but he never gave her a chance,” I shrugged as I watched Maddie visibly relax. I knew she didn’t know Ally or the way she fit into our group.

  “You should meet Erin,” Maddie chimed in. “You two are cut from the same cloth.”

  “She’s hot like me,” Ally pointed to her chest after handing Riley off. She kept her face stoic before bursting into laughter.

  “Yeah. You two definitely need to meet,” Maddie giggled.

  “So are you going to turn the TV on?” Ally shifted on the bed. She reached over, and grabbed a bag she’d carried in with her and began lifting things out of it. “I brought some things for the fight, but we can start in on it now while they do the pre-fight interviews.”

  “You didn’t,” I grinned as Ally handed me a pint of Rocky Road.

  “Did you really think that I would come all this way to watch this, on TV I might add, and not bring our provisions? Shame on you,” she wagged her finger at me. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want,” she looked over at Maddie, “so I have two more. Do you want Chocolate Swirl or Toffee Crunch?” she turned to face Maddie.

  Maddie shrugged, “I’m good with either.”

  “Back in the day we all shared,” I picked up Riley, and began to carry her into the other room. We’d gotten adjoining rooms with Maddie and Cole, and the crib was in the other room so it would be quiet. I carried Riley to the crib, and then pulled the door separating the two to a crack before turning to grin at Ally. “Got any spoons, or are we eating with our fingers?”

  Ally leaned over, and grabbed a plastic spoon before turning to fling one at me, “Smart ass,” she grumbled. We each then grabbed a container, and peeled the lid off.

  “Thanks,” I sighed as I shoveled a spoonful of chocolate into my mouth. I’d been so concerned with losing the baby weight that I hadn’t been allowing myself many sweets.

  “No problem. Now turn on the TV so we can watch that man of yours,” Ally motioned to the TV across the room. I stood, flicked it on, and flipped to a local sports station. The first person that popped up on the screen was none other than the bitch herself.

  Victoria was hanging on the arm of a heavily tattooed man. His arms were well defined, and a black Under Armour shirt stretched tight across his chest. She was dressed in a red pants suit, and her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail.

  “I can’t stand that bitch,” I muttered as continued to shove ice cream into my mouth.

  “Just wait,” Ally placed her hand on my knee. “Wes is going to shut them up.”

  “Am I missing something here?” Maddie’s voice was timid.

  “Long story short,” I sighed. “She ruined Wes’s career. She spread all kinds of rumors causing him to lose his sponsors, and pretty much ran him out of the sport.”

  “Oh wow,” Maddie gasped.

  “Yeah,” Ally mumbled.

  When I directed my gaze back to the TV, Victoria was rambling on about how Linc was going to win the Showcase. How he was ranked number one. He wasn’t worried about Weston McKay. Where Wes had experience, he had strength.

  It was odd. Vicki knew everything about Wes. She made sure to bring up every sordid detail about his past. She failed to mention that it was her doing, and he hadn’t done the things that he was accused of. The next thing that popped on the screen made my stomach drop. A photo of my brother and Wes along with Richard flashed up. It was taken at Vibe, and you could clearly see that they were in an altercation. I have no idea who took it, or why it was just now popping up all these months later. I’m sure some fan took it with a camera phone, and now that Wes was making a comeback, they wanted to get their five seconds of fame.

  The reporter speculated about the photo while making sure to announce that Richard had been found dead the next morning. What they failed to mention was that the case was now closed. Wes had heard a few weeks ago that police had filed charges against a notorious loan shark. Apparently, Richard was a gambler and had gotten himself into quiet a large amount of debt. The investigation was short, and police had informed Cole of the findings as soon as they did. The court case was dismissed, and charges were never filed against Wes for anything. For all we knew, the authorities didn’t even know about the fight.

  “You ok?” I glanced at Maddie as images of Richard’s body being pulled out of the harbor flashed up on the screen.

  “Yeah,” she nodded. “I actually feel better knowing that he’s not around anymore.” Ally glanced at me with a confused expression.

  “He was like my dad,” I clarified before she nodded and went back to staring at the TV.

  Wes was now on the screen trying to answer questions, but it seemed that no one wanted the truth about anything that happened. They wanted him to admit that he’d done something wrong, which wasn’t the case. The reporter kept hammering him about the drug use that he was accused of, and the more he denied it the more they pushed. Finally, he’d had enough and he shoved his way past them all. The camera zoomed in on his back as he stalked away with Mike hot on his heels before panning over to where Vicki was smirking as she stood beside Linc. She knew exactly what was going to happen at that interview. I wouldn’t be surprised if she leaked the information about Richard. Heck, she may have been the one to find the photo they had.

  “Oh my god!” I balled my hands into fists beside me, and slammed them into the mattress. “I hate her so much!”

  “Calm down,” Ally soothed. “When he wins,” she pointed at the screen “that will show them all.”

  “If he wins,” I mumbled as I looked down at my lap.

  “You can’t think like that,” she pushed me from behind. “You said he’s been working his ass off lately.”

  “He has,” I shrugged. “Physically, he’s ready. It’s the mental part that worries me. I don’t want him to get out there and start to doubt himself.”

  “He won’t,” Maddie smiled. “Cole will help keep his head in this.”

  “I hope so,” I stuffed another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth.

  As fighter after fighter appeared on the screen, I couldn’t help but wonder what Wes was thinking right then as he prepared in the locker rooms. Was Mike keeping him calm? Was Cole reassuring him he could do this? Did he want to smack Vicki as much as I did? Was he angry, and ready to lay it all out there on the mats? I only hoped once he stepped into that cage, that he centered his mind, and remembered why he was there.

  ooooooooo

  Wes

  “You ready for this?” Cole leaned against the lockers as he stood across from me. I was sitting on a bench staring at the space between my legs. Hands already taped up, and one earbud in place had me bouncing my knees in anticipation. Fights had been going on all day, and as my weight class approached, I couldn’t help the nerves that were building inside me. I nodded at Cole when he kicked at my foot to get my attention. He’d been following me around all day, offering his support. I think he felt guilty that he hadn’t been there when everything went to shit the last time, and now he was deflecting people left and right as they taunted me today.

  “I just want to get this done. I want to shut them up, and show them that I’m even better than I was before,” I lifted the ear bud that was hanging in front of me, and slipped into place effectively shutting out the outside world. Cole sat beside me as I lifted the hood to my robe, and pulled it over my eyes. I wanted, no I needed to escape into my head. I’d had so many people badgering me all day, and I needed to quiet their voices. My old playlist that I’d used when I first started fighting blared into my ears, as the outside world began to melt away. I could do this. I had, too.

  I don’t know how long I sat there, but before I knew it, Mike was nudging me to get my attention. I glanced up as I removed one of the buds. A stoic expression on my face as Mike nod
ded, “It’s time.”

  I slowly rose, shook my arms and legs, and then tipped my head down as I prepared for the walk to the cage. I wasn’t sure what type of reception I’d get with the way fans perceived me. Some stuck by me over the years, but others had booed me when I arrived this morning. “You’ve got this. I’ll be down front,” Cole clapped me on the back as he disappeared out the door.

  “You ready?” Mike paused in front of me as we stepped out into the tunnel of the arena and waited for me to be announced. I blew out a breath as I bounced on the balls of my feet. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I clapped my hands together and kept my head bent down.

  “Ladies and gentleman!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers. “For the main event tonight, we have quite a matchup for you. In the blue corner, weighing in at one hundred and ninety two pounds is Linc ‘The Twister’ Weatherbee.” The spotlight moved to illuminate Linc as he jogged toward the cage wrapped in his navy silk robe. He pulled open the door, and slipped off his robe handing it to his trainer before stepping to his corner, and performing a few stretches. The crowd roared with applause as he strutted around like a proud peacock, and I couldn’t wait to knock him down a few pegs. The adrenaline rush that I used to get each time I fought began to simmer right under the surface as my heart rate picked up a notch. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for. “And in the red corner, weighing in at one hundred and ninety pounds is Weston ‘The Machine’ McKay.” I began slowly emerging from the tunnel, and as I made my way down the steps I could hear a mixture of cheering and boos. I inhaled deeply as I let it roll off my back. This was not going to get to me. I’d prove myself today, and with any luck, I’d be back on top in no time.

  The closer I got to the cage, the more my heart hammered in my ears. I focused in on the body bouncing around inside, and as I tossed my robe to Mike I slipped my signature smirk in place. This asshole had nothing on me. He was a cocky self-assured newbie that Vicki had convinced could take me down. “This is gonna be fun,” I mumbled to myself as I slipped my mouth guard in. I smacked my hands together as I made my way to center ring to shake on the fight. The ref pointed to me, and then to Linc signaling that he was ready. After we clasped hands together, we stepped back a few paces.