Angel on Fire

by Jacquie Johnson

  By the time the purr of an engine carried across the water, Angela had resorted to floating on her back to rest. Chase tensed, pushing Angela behind him even though he had no weapon to protect her. Bright lights appeared and voices started yelling. “Angela! Chase! Angela!”

  “Maddie!” Angela screamed jerking upright and waving wildly. She foundered once and went under, but Chase grabbed her and pulled her sputtering to the surface.

  Within minutes, she sat, wrapped in a blanket and sipping a bottle of water. A police officer sat across from her tapping a pen against his notepad while a paramedic worked on Griffin. Chase stood nearby talking on a radio. Maddie slung an arm around Angela’s shoulder and Angela leaned against her friend.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Anytime.” Angela could hear the relief in Maddie’s voice. “I was so scared when he took you. Then we heard about the explosion and saw the wreckage.” Maddie squeezed her harder. “I thought you were gone, Angela.”

  “I’m okay. Tired and sore but okay.”

  “Hey, babe.” Chase knelt in front her Angela and grasped her hands. “How’s the head?”

  “It’s okay.” She shrugged her injury off.

  “Once they stabilize Griffin, let the EMT check you out, please.” He dropped a kiss on her head and ambled over to check on Griffin’s status.

  The boat docked at Maddie’s cottage, and Cat flew down the dock calling Angela’s name. Angela stepped off the boat, and Cat crashed into her. “Oh, thank God!” Cat clutched her.

  “I’m okay, Cat,” she assured her friend. “Let me breathe.”

  “Sorry.” Cat released her grip. “I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

  Chase stepped off the boat and moved the women down the dock. Law enforcement officials milled around the cottage, talking and collecting evidence. Angela walked up to the front porch and stopped.

  A tall man with a stern face and graying hair stood on the top step. Angela tilted her head up. She recognized that face. “Uncle Zach?”

  She walked up the steps and he folded her in his arms. “I’m glad you’re okay, Angela.” He glared at Chase who stood behind Angela. “As for you, Romero….”

  “I know I screwed up, Sir.” Chase stood at attention.

  “He did not,” Angela interjected, stepping out of Zach’s embrace and leaning against Chase with her back to his front. “This wasn’t his fault.”

  Zach stepped closer to the couple, his eyes narrowing with anger. Chase tried to step back but Angela wrapped his arms around her and held him in place.

  “Care to explain?” Zach snarled.

  “Sir,” Chase paused for a second, trying to find the right words to explain. “Angela and I are….”

  “It’s pretty damn obvious what you are!” Zach clenched his fists.

  “Sir, I….” Chase lifted his chin and met Zach’s fierce gaze.

  “Damn you, Romero. I trusted you to take care of her, not to destroy her. It’s pretty damn clear she has feelings for you. You’re going to crush her when you walk away!” Zach paced in front of the couple, pinning Chase with a laser-like gaze.

  “What the fuck were you thinking, Romero!” Zach blasted Chase with a full glare that made even the heartiest of men shake in their boots.

  “I was thinking that I love her.” Chase finally managed to speak when Zach paused for a breath.

  “You love her?” Zach folded his arms and regarded Chase like he was dumber than dirt. “You’re a soldier, a one night stand kind of guy. What does a man like you know about love?”

  “Enough to know how I feel about Angela. I love her. Sir, I know this is unexpected, but I promise my intentions are entirely honorable.” Angela smiled up at Chase, warmth spreading through her at Chase’s words.

  “I’m sorry, Chase, but it’s not enough. You’re not the right kind of man for her. Pack your bags.” Zach turned away but Angela stepped in front of him.

  She stood toe to toe with Zach, her body vibrating with anger. “Chase isn’t going anywhere! What right do you think you have to make decisions about my life for me? I love Chase, and I won’t let you send him away.”

  “Now, Angela,” Zach started to placate her, but Angela interrupted.

  “Don’t Angela me, Uncle Zach. You haven’t been a part of my life in a very long time. You have no right to interfere in it now. And you!” She whirled around to face Chase. “What do you think you are doing letting him tell you what to do?”

  Chase kept his face blank, but his eyes gave away his amusement. “Uh, Angel. He’s my boss. He gets to tell me what to do until my contract expires.”

  “Contract? Shit! You told her about your contract? What else have you shared with her?” Zach snarled. “Get the hell out of here. I’ll deal with you later.” He turned his back on Chase, reached for Angela’s arms and guided her toward the house.

  “No!” Angela jerked her arm out of his grasp.

  Zach deflated as Angela stared him down. “You love him?” he demanded, his voice gruff.

  “Yes.” Her answer left no room for doubt.

  “You love her?” He stared a hole through Chase who nodded and stepped closer to Angela.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Enough to walk away from your life?” Zach questioned. Angela couldn’t help but smile at his astonishment.

  “Yes. I was hoping to talk to you about that once we resolved the issue at hand.”

  Angela tilted her head back, peeking up at Chase. He shook his head, squeezing her shoulders when she opened her mouth. She closed it, recognizing that he didn’t want her to ask any questions at the moment.

  “All right,” Zach conceded. “We’ll finish this later, Chase. And if you ever hurt her, no one will ever find your body.”

  “Understood,” Chase acknowledged. Angela felt him relax a bit when Zach turned around.

  “You might as well take me inside and introduce me to your friends, Angela. You should let the paramedic check your head too.” Zach motioned for Angela to precede him through the door. He tapped Chase on the shoulder. “Monroe’s here.”

  “It’s gonna be a long night,” Chase groaned.

  Hours later, Angela felt like crying as she repeated her statement for the umpteenth time. Chase and Sean were right. Brian Monroe was an arrogant ass. For some reason, he refused to believe that Angela was the victim here. He insisted that she was working with Derrick Blakely, even though two of Blakely’s men, who had been rescued from the water, confirmed that Blakely ordered her kidnapping. One of Blakely’s men had escaped but both Chase and Zach assured her he would not harm her. She asked how they knew, but both remained silent.

  Monroe continued his ranting and Angela rolled her eyes. She held her patience until he suggested that she was involved in her father’s death. She sprang up. “You ass!” she snarled taking a swing at him. Zach laughed when Monroe fell on his butt trying to evade her punch.

  “She’s done.” Chase reached for Monroe and hauled him to his feet. “You’re just tossing around crap to make yourself feel better. She had nothing to do with this mess, and you know it. You need a scapegoat, and she’s not it.”

  Monroe made some noises about charging Angela with interfering with an investigation but eventually left, taking his team with him. Angela collapsed onto the couch and placed her head in Chase’s lap. “Oh my God! He’s an idiot.”

  “Yes,” Zach, Sean and Chase agreed.

  “So, what now?” she wondered. “We found the software. Derrick confessed to killing Dad. Since he died in the explosion, he managed to escape my personal judgment.” She pouted for a second. She really would have liked to hurt Derrick herself. Her dad had been so good to him over the years. They were friends, for heaven’s sake. You don’t kill friends. She smiled a bit at that thought, knowing it was stupid. In the end, Derrick hadn’t cared for anyone other than himself. “What about Dr. Richards?”

  Chase shrugged. “We’re not sure yet. He provided the drug to Blakely, but hi
s orders came from someone higher up the food chain.”

  “You think he’s dead?” Angela glanced back and forth between Chase and Zach.

  Chase lifted an eyebrow at Zach who sighed and nodded. “I’d put money on it. Blakely owed money to the Russian mob. Richards probably did too. I’d guess the mob took out Richards to keep him from talking.”

  Angela changed the subject. “How’s Griffin?”

  Chase, Sean and Zach exchanged amused glances. “He’ll be okay. An ambulance took him to the hospital.”

  “Why is that funny?”

  “Because when Monroe’s men went to talk to him, they found he never arrived.” Zach sounded very pleased.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Zach assured her. “I can always use a team member with his kind of skills.”

  With that, the group broke up for the night with Zach taking the room Griffin had used. Chase smiled at Angela when Zach asked if he planned to sleep on the couch. Grumbling under her breath about overprotective godfathers, Angela climbed the stairs alone.

  Chapter 44

  Two hours later, Angela tossed and turned in the cozy bed upstairs. She jerked upright when footsteps stopped outside her door. Her door swung open and she stared.

  “Babe.” Chase leaned against her doorframe, wearing only jeans, unzipped and resting low on his hips. The low husky timbre of his voice in conjunction with his attire sent shivers up and down her spine. Chase stalked toward the bed and leaned over Angela. She fell back on her elbows, and Chase followed her down, trapping her body underneath his.

  “What about Zach?” she managed to gasp out breathlessly in between kisses.

  He nuzzled her neck. “We’re adults.”

  “But….” She found herself sidetracked as his mouth moved lower, trailing wet, open mouth kisses along her collarbone to the swell of her breast.

  She swallowed any further objections as his mouth made love to hers. Their hands caressed and their lips teased until neither could wait a moment longer to reconnect in the most intimate of ways.

  As morning dawned, Chase traced patterns over her bare skin. Angela rolled to face him and grinned. “Morning!” She rained gentle kisses along his cheeks and forehead.

  “Morning, babe.” He gave her a smoldering good morning kiss that took her breath away and left her panting for more. Instead of continuing his explorations though, he pulled back and eased her head onto his chest.

  “What?” she demanded, picking up on the unexpected tension in his muscles. She pushed up on her elbows and looked down at him.

  “I’m leaving this morning,” he announced. She flopped backwards and he flipped their positions so he was now the one on top. “Listen to me, Angel. I don’t want to go, but there are some things we have to wrap up. I can’t do that from here. Plus, Zach and I need to talk.”

  Angela frowned as she considered his words. Of course, he had things he needed to take care of. He had a job and a life elsewhere. She was being selfish.

  Sighing, she dropped a kiss onto his chest. “I understand. Can you call me?”

  “Of course, Angela.” He pulled back to look at her face. “I’m not disappearing. I’m just heading to the office to clear up some loose ends.”

  “Is it safe for me to go home?” she wondered, enjoying the feel of his hands playing in her hair as he separated her curls.

  “Give me twenty-four hours, and I’ll have someone escort you back to Manchester. Maybe Maddie or Cat can go with you?” He rolled toward the edge of the bed with an audible groan and stood, pulling Angela along with him.

  “I have to leave in an hour. Let’s go take a shower.” Running his hands along her curves, he smiled down at her. “I’m good at water sports.”

  She giggled as he waggled his eyebrows and chased her into the attached bathroom. They splashed and played, teasing and enticing each other under the warm spray as they shared words of love. Before he left her, Chase promised to call later that evening while Angela swore she would stay at the cottage under guard until he called and told her it was safe to return home.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, after Chase departed, Angela pondered the word home. Where is home now? Even if Zach clears everything up, I don’t think I want to go back to DC. I sure don’t want to work for the FBI anymore, even if the agency welcomes me back. I wonder if Chase would like it if I moved closer to him. That’s probably presumptuous of me though. He says he loves me but that doesn’t mean he wants me around all the time. Besides, he probably doesn’t want a clingy girlfriend anyway.

  A solid knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts as Maddie peeked into the room. “I saw Chase leave and thought you might want some company.”

  “I’m okay,” Angela assured her, patting the spot on the bed next to her. “I’m just trying to figure out what to do next.”

  “What do you mean?” Cat asked sneaking in behind Maddie and flopping onto the bed sideways.

  “I don’t think I want to go back to DC,” Angela admitted. “It doesn’t feel like home. Besides, I can’t work for the FBI anymore even if the agency would take me back.”

  “I can certainly understand that,” Cat proclaimed. “Talk about abuse of trust. I sure as hell wouldn’t go anywhere near them anymore.”

  “I know,” Angela agreed. “But I don’t know what I should do instead.”

  “What do you want to do?” Cat probed, leaning her chin on her cupped palms and watching Angela intently.

  “I liked the investigation part of my job. Talking to people, gathering information and solving problems.” Angela took a moment to consider her options.

  “Sound like your dad’s job, doesn’t it?” Maddie commented.

  Angela’s eyes shot toward Maddie who gazed back at her with soft sincerity. “It does,” she conceded in almost a whisper. Being busy the past few days had helped eased the ache in her heart, but the pain intensified when Maddie mentioned her dad.

  “Wait!” Cat sat up quickly. “Don’t you own the company now?”

  “I suppose,” Angela agreed. “While I was searching Dad’s office, I found papers making Dad the sole owner. They were never filed, but I’m pretty sure they’re valid. Why?”

  “Well, if you like the investigation part, you could take over the company,” Cat suggested.

  “Run it myself? Oh, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to do that,” Angela objected despite the jolt of pleasure that ran through her at the idea.

  “Who said you had to do it alone?” Maddie offered, turning to her dearest friend. “I don’t have a job. Granted, I haven’t worked in a few years, but I was pretty darn good at organizing and running an office.”

  “You’d come to Manchester?” The thought of having Maddie nearby thrilled her.

  “Yes. I’m done hiding. It’s time for me to move on, and I think being with you would help me. And if I can help you too, well, all the better, right?”

  “Right!” Angela agreed as the two shared a warm, affectionate hug.

  “What about me?” Cat interjected.

  “What about you?” Angela inquired confused by Cat’s comment.

  “Is there room for me?” Cat wondered. “I’ve been thinking about working more openly helping victims of domestic violence. Maybe we could run an agency that represents and assists women. I don’t mean we won’t help men but more that our primary focus would be helping women. We can do the cheating husbands stuff, abuse and neglect investigations, that kind of thing.”

  “We could take on some corporate clients too in order to have a steady income.” With each passing moment, Angela’s excitement grew. “Background checks and theft investigations.”

  Half an hour later, Angel Investigations, Inc. was born, and the deal was sealed with a group hug.

  Epilogue

  One week later

  Chase leaned back in his chair in his office. He had finally finished writing up his report on Mac’s death. Blakely was in debt up to his
ears. He even owed money to the Russian mob. When he realized the value of the software, he decided to sell it to the highest bidder. After feeling things out, he made arrangements with the Russian mobster whom he owed all the money to. Things fell apart when Mac learned of his plans and took the software and Griffin. Mac must not have realized that Blakely was involved in the plan to steal the software because he called Blakely and asked to meet. When they met, Blakely injected Mac with the drug. Mac collapsed almost immediately and Blakely searched him, hoping to reclaim the software. Once Blakely realized that Mac had stopped breathing, he panicked and hurried from the scene.