Fallen Angel, Part II

by Tracie Podger

  “Well then, it’s real simple, when he talks to you next, don’t run. He can’t hurt you, let him talk and just see where it goes from there.”

  Robert was involved in the school, not that he went there much, but he invested in new classrooms and activities, and in return all the kids from the home attended. It had a good reputation, it was not a run of the mill school. Many of the kids had difficulties, most had been on the street and were way behind in their education.

  I was looking forward to visiting at Christmas, Robert was always invited to the last year assembly and until now had not gone, but because he knew I wanted to, he agreed. It was not because he wasn’t interested but the things he did for these kids, he wanted to be kept private, out of the limelight. I thought it was important for the kids at the home to see him there. Some still had a hard time, being teased because of where they lived and his public support would do them wonders.

  “What if he asks where I live?” Kerry said.

  Now we were coming to the crux of it. Many of the kids still felt this stigma about being in a home and it was something that the counsellor we had installed worked with them on.

  “Are you ashamed of being here?” I asked

  “No,” she answered quickly.

  “Then why do you think he would be? At the end of the day, Kerry, if he likes you he’ll look past that and I think it might be wise to just look at him as a friend for the moment. You don’t want to get into a relationship that gets too deep at your age, there’ll be plenty of time for that,” I said.

  I worried a little for her, she was very sexually aware, having been abused but had never had a friend. What I didn’t want was for her to get into a situation where she confused sex with love or friendship. I had hoped in time, we would be able to talk about that but this was a no go area for her at the moment and something she had to work through with a professional.

  “You go to school on Monday and when you see him, smile and stand still. See if he comes to you and if he does, just ask him if he had a good weekend, it will start the conversation.”

  She repeated what I had said, committing it to memory.

  “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” I said and was pleased to see her nod.

  “Come on then, let’s go rescue Robert and Travis.”

  We found Travis on a Playstation with some of the kids. Robert was in the office with Ted, catching up on their reports, so we wandered out to the kitchen to see if Sally needed help. Side by side we peeled potatoes ready for the evening meal. It was very rare that I cooked, Evelyn did that during the week and on Saturdays, Robert and I would normally dine out. Sunday was always a day on the sofa or out at the range, maybe a ride on the bike if the weather was good. A day for him to relax before his hectic week started again so it was the only day I cooked, with Robert helping me.

  “Are we on for the gym this week?” Kerry asked.

  Although I had gone each week I had been unable to take part because of my injuries. Not just the ones that could be seen but the punch to my spine, the kick to the back of my legs that had forced me to the floor that night, had also taken some time to heal.

  “Sure, I could do with a workout and I’m desperate to see you in the ring with Joseph,” I said.

  Kerry had started to develop a friendship with Joseph, our trainer, and I was pleased, getting her to come to the gym with me had been the start of her having any kind of relationship with us.

  Soon enough I felt him, my man, I turned and he was standing at the doorway.

  “Does he always do that?” Kerry asked.

  “Do what?” I replied.

  “You know, sneak up on people” she said, a smile playing on her lips.

  I laughed. “Yes, he does.”

  I dried my hands, gave Kerry a hug and headed out to the car, it was time to leave. I hated leaving them, it got a little easier each time but I would look back until the car rounded the corner, still seeing Kerry at the front door waving.

  “She’s doing well, most of that is down to you,” Robert said.

  “What did her report say?” I asked.

  “She’s still a little behind everyone at school, still not comfortable in speaking out but she’s getting there. She’s not going to get the best grades, but maybe enough to sort out some kind of career for her.”

  “Trouble is, she’s going to be sixteen soon, what will happen then?” I asked.

  Generally the kids stayed in care until they were sixteen and although this was a privately run home, the authorities still had some say.

  “She can stay longer but to be honest, Brooke, we do like them to move on at some point. They have to, they can’t stay here forever. We need to make way for others but since she came so late to us, we can give her another year or so.”

  Robert would normally have the kids until sixteen, and then they either went into further education or some into an apprenticeship scheme Vassago organised. He couldn’t take them all though, as much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t create jobs for the sake of having all the kids. They had to achieve the grades, fight for a place, this was the real world and they had to understand, not everything would be given to them on a plate.

  “Changing the subject, have you heard from immigration yet?” I asked.

  Robert had been speaking with a contact about me being able to stay permanently in the USA, I only had a six month tourist visa and that would soon expire. I was beginning to panic a little about it.

  “Yes, I’ve told them you’ll have a job, that you’re financially secure, it’s a matter of paperwork now. I’ll chase them up on Monday.”

  I wondered what he had told them about my financial situation. If they wanted evidence, I didn’t have a penny, not of my own anyway.

  ****

  We arrived back home and I changed into boots before we headed off to the range. Opening the door to the gun room, Travis keyed in the alarm code and opened a cabinet.

  “And what would Miss Stiles like today?” he asked.

  I stroked my chin, so much choice, I pointed. “That one,” I said.

  He handed me a black revolver, it was similar to the one I’d used before but slightly lighter. It had been bought especially for me, although it was not licensed in my name yet. Robert showed me the safety catch and how to load the bullets and we headed out. Standing behind the straw bales with the black body shapes at the end, I practiced. I understood now why Robert had been insistent on me learning to use a gun. It was the norm for people to have guns in America and it was the norm for Travis to carry one.

  I was still learning and my wrist was a little weak, but this time I did hit target more times than I missed and I was ecstatic. Whether any of the shots would kill a man, I didn’t, nor wanted, to know but there were some holes in the shoulder and then down one side. The holes I was more pleased to see were the ones at the bottom, centre of the body, just before the legs started, had there been some.

  “Ouch,” Robert winced as he inspected my target.

  It was cold and my feet had started to go numb, I stomped a little to warm them up, waiting for the guys to finish. We locked up and headed back to the house, Travis heading off to his apartment. I pulled off my boots and sat on the stairs rubbing my feet.

  “Come here,” Robert said, taking my hand.

  I still got that jolt when he touched me, that little spark of static when our skin connected and he led me into the bedroom.

  “Sit,” he said as he pulled off my socks, warming my toes with his hands. “I’m going to run you a bath, it’ll warm you up.”

  While the bath filled, I stripped and when it was full, I climbed in.

  “Join me?” I asked. We often showered together but Robert had never been one for baths.

  He climbed in behind me, the bath more than large enough. I leaned back into him, his arms around my chest and his legs alongside mine. I had pinned my hair up, not wanting it to get wet, exposing my neck and Robert’s favourite thing, my tatto
o of his initials. He kissed the tattoo gently before resting his head on my shoulder.

  “You know something,” he said. “At least when we get married, the initials on my chest will still be correct,” he had BS tattooed just above his heart.

  I stilled, my heart missing a beat, had I heard correctly? I could feel him smile.

  “If that was a proposal, then you’re going to have to do better than that,” I said.

  “I will, I love you,” he replied.

  “Will I know when that might be?” I asked, my smile getting broader.

  “No, but we’re together for life, Brooke. You know that, I know that.”

  I leant back into him and he kissed the top of my head. It was soothing to lie in this hot water, being held by him, feeling his heart beat against my back and his fingers trailing down my arms.

  “Did I tell you today that I loved you?” I asked.

  “Yes, twice, now quit with it. I might start believing you,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Don’t you still wonder about us, I mean how close we are in such a short time?” I asked.

  “Every day,” he said, his arms tightening around me.

  “I’m still scared though,” he added.

  I knew it took a lot for Robert to voice his feelings, it was only recently that he had opened himself up to acknowledging them.

  “What are you scared of?” I asked him.

  “Of losing you,” he said quietly.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Robert, you know that. I’ve seen the best of you and I’ve seen the worst of you, I’m still here.”

  I let him digest that for a moment.

  “You know, at some point you have to forgive yourself for your past as well,” I said quietly.

  He held me tight and we sat in a comfortable silence until the water cooled.

  “Come on, it’s getting late,” I said as I climbed out.

  We were meeting the guys for dinner at a new restaurant, we had been invited to the opening night. I looked through my rails of clothes, I had so much choice thanks to Robert filling the closet for my birthday. Red was my favourite colour and I picked out a dress, fitted on the top, slightly flared from the waist and it stopped just above my knees. Robert had a thing about people seeing too much of me but with some flesh coloured stockings this would be perfect for tonight. I combed my hair and applied my makeup, he watched me try to cover the scar that crossed my eyebrow, still red although the stitches had been removed. It was a permanent reminder and I saw the anguish flash through his eyes.

  “I bought you something yesterday,” Robert said, deflecting from the moment.

  “Oh, what, tell me,” I demanded, excitedly.

  He went out into the bedroom and came back with a brown shoe box. I recognised the style immediately. I opened and inside, in my size, I saw a new pair of Louis Vuitton, patent high heels with the little padlocks on the back. He had bought me a replacement of my favourite shoes, the originals having been ruined when I fell to the ground after being shot at.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you so much, but you didn’t need to do that.”

  “I know how much you liked them. You told me how hard you had to save, so it was right that I replaced them,” he said.

  I put them on, a perfect fit and just right with the dress.

  “Anyway, later I want to see you in them. Just you and those sexy shoes,” he said with a laugh.

  He left to go upstairs while I dressed, I selected black lace knickers, the ones with a little red bow on each side, a matching bra and the stockings. He would have a surprise when he saw these. I sprayed myself with his favourite perfume and once ready, made my way upstairs to meet him.

  He smiled when he saw me, my black hair falling over one shoulder, complimenting the colour of my dress.

  “I don’t want to go out, let’s stay here,” he said.

  I laughed. “No, we’re going out. We’re expected and just think how exciting it will be to have to sit, knowing how much you want me, for a whole evening.”

  He walked towards me. “Baby, there are plenty of places I could have you, at any time during the evening,” he said, circling me, doing that predatory thing he did.

  “If you two have quite finished,” I heard. Travis, he had come up the stairs without us hearing him.

  Robert laughed, “Can’t help it bro, she looks too good to share with anyone tonight.”

  “That didn’t come out too well,” I said, picking up my bag and heading for the stairs, rolling my eyes at Travis as I passed.

  Travis held open the car door, Gary was up front, he would always travel with me, even if I was with Robert and Travis.

  “What do you normally do for Christmas?” I asked as the car made its way out of the drive.

  “Not much really, Evelyn goes to church, cooks dinner and we spend the day lounging around I guess,” Robert replied.

  “Don’t you give presents, have a tree?”

  Travis looked at me in the rear view mirror, in disgust.

  “No, well Evelyn buys us a gift but no, we’ve never had a tree,” he said.

  “You’re kidding me,” I replied, forgetting that these boys hadn’t had a childhood, let alone something as wonderful as Christmas.

  “Well, this year, I’m in charge. I’m going to cook, we’ll have a tree, the whole works, it will be fun,” I said

  “If you want a tree, baby, we’ll find the biggest one we can,” Robert said, nuzzling my neck.

  “I want you guys to have a proper Christmas, a tree, decorations, presents, carols, the works,” I said.

  “Yeah well, let’s not go overboard,” Travis said and I heard Gary snigger, earning him a scowl.

  We arrived at the restaurant, it was owned by Geraldo, someone Robert knew. He had started off as a chef and eventually opened his own place, Vassago had helped finance it. There were press at the door and knowing how Robert was, I tensed a little. Gary got out and opened the rear door, Robert always got out first and I followed. He buttoned up his suit jacket and held out his hand to me. Flash bulbs went off as I exited, I tried to keep my head low so as not to allow them a direct shot of my face. To my surprise, Robert stopped half way to the door, his arm around my waist and he let the paparazzi take their pictures. It was only for a minute but something significant in Robert’s world.

  “Letting the world know we’re okay?” I whispered.

  “Something like that,” he said with a smile.

  Robert’s attitude was that no-one was ever to know he was affected by anything and if there was anyone out there connected with Joey, he wanted them to see we were not troubled by what had happened. What he had done though, was let me know there might be more than one Joey. I put that thought away, with many others, in that now overflowing box in my mind with the padlock and chain.

  As we entered the restaurant I saw the guys and while Robert had a quick chat with the owner, Travis and I made our way to our table. I had seen the girls since the incident, they had come to the house and I had seen Mack. As head of security he had come to talk through what had happened, but I hadn’t seen the others. I received lots of hugs and I noticed them look at the scar that I had unsuccessfully tried to cover. In time it would fade but it would always be noticeable.

  We had a lovely meal, it felt great to be dressed up and out for the evening and it was good just to sit and chat and laugh again. The presence of Gary plus the guys security, detracted a little but this was something I was going to have to get used to. So was the amount of interruptions we received, people stopping by our table to talk to Robert. I hadn’t noticed this so much before, but then we usually went to one of the places Robert owned, not somewhere so public. I lost count of the amount of times I was introduced to people and knew I would never remember their names.

  “Honey, Mack tells me you are off to New York soon, you have to visit my store. There are some lovely pieces you might like,” Taylor said.

  “I can’t wait, I’ve
never been to New York and I’d love to check out your shop. Sam was just raving about the styles, I might be able to pick something up for him for Christmas,” I replied.

  “What are you guys doing for Christmas?” Patricia asked.

  “I’m making Robert and Travis have their first proper Christmas, tree, decorations and presents, the lot,” I said, laughing.

  “You know, for many years we invited them to us, but they never came. I always felt so sorry for them, sitting at home on their own,” Taylor said.

  “I have to start thinking of a gift for Robert though, I mean, what on earth could I get him?”

  Here was a man who had the money to buy whatever he wanted, what would I get and more importantly, where would I get the money from? I could hardly use his.

  “We’ll keep our ears open, see if he mentions anything,” Patricia said. “Why don’t we make a plan? A Christmas shopping day together, it will be fun.”

  The evening ended and we said our goodbyes before getting into our respective, identical cars, all parked in a row and we girls let out a small chuckle.

  “What’s funny?” Robert said as he slid in beside me.

  “The first time I was invited to lunch with the girls, I remember as we left, a row of black cars with drivers and blacked out windows. I told the girls we looked like a bunch of gangster’s molls.”

  He laughed. “You’re far too beautiful to be a gangster moll. I’ve seen some of them, fat Italians with sour faces normally.”

  Robert opened the door to the house when we arrived home and I waved a goodbye to Travis.

  “Do you want a glass of wine?” I asked him.

  “I want you,” he replied.

  “You’ll get your wish, but first, would you like a glass of wine?” I asked again.

  “Are you going to make me wait?” He said to my retreating back. “You know I don’t like to be made to wait, for anything.”

  I smiled, I had a plan, something I knew Robert would like, but I needed a glass of wine first, a bit of Dutch courage. I opened a bottle and poured two glasses taking them to the sofa where he was sitting.

  Taking a large sip of mine I asked, “Where are the DVD’s?”