by Graham, Jan
Chapter Twenty
Angel lay curled under the blankets in Daniel’s bed. He had insisted that she stay in bed after making love that morning, stating that she still looked quite pale. Angel hadn’t argued because she was not only pale, as Daniel had observed, but she was also nauseated and tired. The latter two symptoms she had kept mum about, knowing that Daniel would insist she come to the hospital for a checkup if she mentioned them.
Angel hadn’t been asked by Christian to discuss what had really bothered her the night they had returned home from his father’s. She wasn’t sure why he had not called her to account on the following Wednesday night, but she was relieved he hadn’t. She knew she had to discuss her predicament with Adrian, and she had to do it soon.
Angel had decided to give herself one more night. She wondered if Christian had found out about the situation already through work and was waiting for her to say something. Even though he had said he would give her until last Wednesday night to figure out how to tell them, he didn’t promise not to do any investigations on her in the meantime. It had been nearly a week since his deadline had passed so she needed to talk and talk soon. Angel couldn’t stop thinking about Andrew’s conversation and the six degrees theory.
Christian was a cop.
He already knew about the assault on her life by Samuel.
Samuel was involved in the drug world.
The drug squad was investigating Adrian, who Samuel had worked for.
The drug squad knew Adrian had visited her and wanted the ledger.
Christian had friends in the drug squad.
“Stupid fucking theory,” Angel stated out loud as she threw the covers back and got out of bed, heading for the shower.
Angel had no choice but to spill her guts about what was going on, but in order to do that, she needed to have all the information. In the first few days of her living at the Shore brothers’ home, Adrian had sent her a couple of text messages, which Angel ignored. Adrian had requested she call him and in the first few messages had even made innuendo about fucking her again. Angel had decided that since he had given her two weeks to find the ledger, he could wait two weeks for her to ring him.
When her mobile had run out of charge, Angel had put it away in her bag. She hadn’t packed her charger because she initially thought she would only be away two days and her phone charge generally lasted longer than that. She assumed Christian and Daniel would have sent her home before the two weeks was up, so she didn’t see a problem not having the phone operational. Unfortunately, she had now been away nearly three weeks. She assumed Adrian would be pissed but figured once she contacted him he would understand why she needed a holiday. After all, it wasn’t like her time away had been intentional. Still, she needed to know what mood her absence had left Adrian in. It was no point talking about a situation that was over two weeks old. That meant her plan for today was going to be a trip to the mall. She decided she would buy a new phone charger and anything else she saw that she fancied.
As Angel washed her hair, she also decided she needed to check her e-mails. Since finishing her last article, she had set her e-mails to automatically reply, with a message that went along the lines of “Lucky me I’m away on holidays. I will contact you when I get back.”
Payment for the last article would have been deposited into her bank by now, and hopefully she would have more work requests waiting to be sorted out. Angel knew that she needed to ensure her future income. She had neglected it long enough. In freelance work, a journalist was only as good as their last job, or article, in her case. If she stayed silent too long, then she may have to go back to square one and rebuild her reputation all over again. Although the brothers had explained they didn’t expect her to contribute any money to their living arrangement, Angel didn’t like feeling like a freeloader. After all, she had supported herself and looked after her own affairs since she was a child, and she needed to know that she could continue to do so.
If Angel’s world fell apart after she spoke to Daniel and Christian about her trouble with Adrian, then Angel would need to have income to ensure she was able to support herself. Not that Angel expected her heroic men to dismiss her. After all, they had both expressed their love for her. They had both been more than supportive with all the other dramas she had been through in the last couple of weeks.
Why would a marauding drug lord with a fervent panache for killing people faze them? Angel towelled herself dry and got ready to leave the house.
They loved her so she need not worry about losing them. She couldn’t lose them. The love Angel was experiencing with Christian and Daniel was the real thing. The love-conquers-all type of thing based in fairy tales and modern-day Hollywood chick flicks. If a hooker and a millionaire could live happily ever after in Pretty Woman, then surely a doctor, a cop, and a hit man’s ex-woman could do the same in real life. Well, at least she hoped they could.
Angel walked to the bus stop. When she had bought her old crappy car, she had never believed she would miss it, but feeling as tired as she did today, she certainly wanted it back. Angel had no idea if it was still parked out the front of Gavin’s unit. She would have to do something about picking it up, if it was still there, of course. At least she would be less of a captive to the house if she had her own car. Until then, the local bus company would have to suffice.
Angel didn’t mind the bus trip. She got to see more of the local area, and it gave her a sense of where she was in the world. The private company that serviced the area was reliable. Well, at least the three times she had used the service it had been. The bus driver was friendly and had remembered her from the times she had used the bus before. As a city girl this fact surprised her. City folk rarely remembered a regular face. Angel really thought she could get used to living in this community. It was more personal than the city. The commute to the city was easy, given the close freeway access, and time wise it was bearable. She definitely understood the appeal living here had for Christian and Daniel.
Angel arrived home about three hours later. She had treated herself to lunch at the coffee shop, had bought the mobile charger, a lead for her iPod, a couple of new novels from the local bookstore, and a pair of Crocs to wear to the shed the next time she ventured down there. Angel unpacked her purchases. She put her phone on to charge, and busied herself making beds and tidying up before firing up her laptop to sit down the check her e-mails. She had changed most of her bills over to being sent electronically instead of via regular mail and paid the bills that were due and paid another two weeks’ rent on the house. Angel knew that she need to talk to Christian and Daniel about whether she would stay with them permanently, but for the next month or so, she would keep the rent paid up just in case.
Angel had a few requests for articles from some magazines she regularly wrote for, most of which she answered, along with a few messages from Miss D wanting the gossip on where she was and if she had hooked up with Christian and Daniel. There was also an invite to Miss D’s birthday that Angel sent an RSVP to.
Angel was starting to feel that, for once in her life, everything was going right and that happiness was within her reach. She just had to ensure that the residual mess from her time with Samuel and the situation with Adrian didn’t see it all come crashing down around her. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Angel knew better than most that life could take a turn for the worst in the blink of an eye. As she turned on her now fully charged mobile phone, she wondered whether that blink was about to happen and held her breath as the message tone began to sound on the phone.
Very few people had her mobile number. After all, who was she going to give it to? She didn’t have many friends, and most of her magazine work requests were limited to e-mail contact. Samuel had always been suspicious of her involvement with the outside world, and Angel had to account for anyone who rang her, especially after her attempted escape. Angel slowly stopped using the mobile. It was still good to have, though. If she was out and needed to call a taxi
or make other menial calls, then it was handy. Apart from that, her phone was just another item that she carried with her but generally neglected. She had given the number out more in the last few months than she had in the entire time she had the phone. The police had it, and of course Adrian acquired it after she had used it to call him. That had obviously been a mistake, given the number of messages that were beeping to life as she stared at the phone’s display. By the time the phone quieted, Angel had eight messages and five missed calls from Adrian, two messages from an unknown number, and one missed call from the same unknown number.
Angel decided to put off looking at the messages and made herself a cup of herbal tea. After locating the notepad with Christian and Daniel’s mobile numbers written on it, Andrew Shore’s business card, making a note of Miss De’s number from the bottom of her last e-mail, and digging the serviette out of her bag that she had written Jig’s mobile number on, Angel sat on the lounge. She entered the numbers into her phone. Angel couldn’t help but smile at the phonebook entries filling the mobile’s display, feeling happy that her mobile now looked a little more like a regular person’s.
Still avoiding Adrian, Angel checked the messages from the unknown number. The first text was from two weeks ago.
“I need you to contact me ASAP. Steve”
“Not likely,” Angel stated as she flicked to the next message.
“Please let me know you are safe and alive. I can help if you call me.”
The second message was sent more recently at : a.m. in the morning. Angel wondered if Steve had a wife, and if he did, how she put up with him texting strange women at three in the morning. The man had no manners sending a text at that time.
He needs someone to teach him about etiquette. Angel saved the number into her contact list. She might need to ring him one day…or not.
Angel wasn’t sure what to do about Steve. She wasn’t even sure why she had saved the number but figured it was best to know who was calling or texting should he ever try to contact her again. For some strange reason, Steve drove her nuts. She wanted to ignore him but at the same time had the desire to get to know him. It wasn’t an attraction. God, she could think of nothing worse than having sex with Steve. He wasn’t her cup of tea at all. Still, there was a sense of familiarity about him, and Angel almost wanted to believe she could trust him. It was just too bizarre to understand. Angel assumed they must have known each other in a past life and they had unfinished business to deal with. Angel shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. She had more pressing issues to think about, and the business she needed to deal with in real life definitely outweighed getting to the bottom of any past-life connection she may have with a cop that she wasn’t sure whether she liked or not.
For one brief moment, Angel contemplated letting Steve have the ledger and seeing if maybe he could actually protect her from the repercussions. Of course, she knew it was out of the question. He had been part of the surveillance on her home and had done nothing to stop her nightmare of a life with Samuel. How could she trust Steve to protect her from Adrian if he didn’t lift a finger to protect her from Samuel? Angel finally dismissed the mysterious Steve and looked at the mobile once again.
No time like the present. Angel pressed the button to look at Adrian’s first message.
“Where have you gone? My cock needs you.”
Next message:
“I’m lying in bed with the hard-on from hell. I want to be inside you again. WTF have you done to me, you filthy little whore? I can’t stop thinking about making you come again and again and again.”
God, what the fuck had she done? Angel hoped he had given up thinking about sex with her. After all, that message had been sent two weeks ago. That now made four “I need to fuck you again” messages if she included the two she got before the phone discharged. So much for the bullshit line he had fed her about only wanting to fuck once to get her out of his system. Angel desperately wanted to change the choice she had made back then. If only she had taken up Daniel and Christian’s offer to join their party, none of this shit would be happening with Adrian. Angel flicked open the next message and couldn’t decide if she was happy it didn’t contain any reference to sex or not.
“I really think we need to talk. Ring me. I may be able to solve a problem that endangers both of us.”
“What is that all about?” Angel said to herself as she flicked to the next message.
“Where the fucking hell have you gone? I’m hearing rumours about you and the police. Don’t think about crossing me. Ring me before I’m forced to act.”
Next day:
“You have one day to contact me. I can’t believe you would be this stupid. Have you forgotten who I am?”
Twenty-four hours later:
“Enough is enough, Angel. I don’t want to hurt you, but you are leaving me no option here.”
Angel didn’t understand what was going on. All these messages were within the two-week period he had given her to find the ledger. Surely this wasn’t over the fact she hadn’t contacted him when he asked, or the fact that she hadn’t run to him and dived into his bed. Angel thought back to the reference Adrian had made about her and the police. Maybe someone had seen Steve visit her and leave with the bag of weapons. Angel had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Time’s up, you have forced me to do something I didn’t want to do. You should have trusted me instead of that stinking pig Steve.”
“Okay, so I get that you’re pissed, Adrian, but what does Steve have to do with it?” Angel spoke to the handset as if it would miraculously answer her, like it was a Magic -Ball or something.
Did Adrian think she was having sex with Steve? Was this all about Adrian being jealous? Did he know she had given Steve information? Maybe the police had gone and spoken to him about some evidence the bag of weapons had produced or information they found in the Samuel’s lockup. Angel stared at the last unopened message. She was both concerned and confused as she pressed the key to open the final message.
“It’s done. You’re dead.”
Angel didn’t know how long she had sat trembling on the lounge wondering what Adrian had done and how or who he had organised to kill her. She wondered if this changed the fact that she needed to tell Christian and Daniel. Before now it was just a matter of having some information and deciding whether that information needed to be given to the police or the drug lord. And if it was given to the police, could they ensure her protection? And what if Christian got involved? She knew he would. He could end up facing off against Adrian and making himself a target of Adrian’s hatred as well. She couldn’t put the men she loved in danger, and Adrian was definitely dangerous. As much as Angel knew Christian would try to protect her, her doubts remained. Adrian was just too powerful.
The messages changed everything. How could she tell Christian and Daniel that it was only a matter of time before she was killed?
Shit, this is such a mess.
Angel wondered if she should ring Adrian. After all, if she explained that she had the ledger but was just away on holiday, then maybe she could talk him out of killing her. It was a long shot but maybe worth a try. Then again, Angel had no guarantee that talking to Adrian wouldn’t make things worse. There was always the possibility that if Steve was looking for her he may have a trace on her mobile. The last thing she would need would be for Steve to show up and cause trouble. God, Adrian obviously thought there was something happening between them already.
Angel stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the sofa. Maybe she should ring Steve. He was obviously worried about her. Did he know Adrian had decided to kill her? Angel looked at Steve’s last message again. “I can help if you call me.”
Maybe he could help. But could Angel trust him to look after her best interests and not use her to his own ends? At first Angel had been unsure if Steve was legit. Adrian had so many people on his payroll, including police. Why else had Samuel gotten away with so much
? He had never been convicted of the crimes he committed, and he was definitely as guilty as hell. Even Adrian appeared untouchable. Despite her initial doubts, Angel had decided Steve was exactly what he seemed, a cop trying to bring Adrian and his drug empire down. If bringing Adrian down was his main agenda, did that make her expendable? Once he got the ledger, would he actually care if Adrian killed her or not? After all, Angel couldn’t testify to anything except that both Adrian and the police wanted the ledger. She knew nothing else that she could testify about.
Angel wasn’t the kind of witness that could bring Adrian down. Yes, Adrian had made threats against her, but even those were cryptic and vague at best. Angel only knew that he meant to kill her because she knew what Adrian was like and had known what Samuel got paid for. No, she definitely couldn’t harm Adrian. Unfortunately, Adrian obviously believed that she could.
He wouldn’t think that if he got the ledger and the cops didn’t. Take away the threat, make everyone safe, and stay alive. Angel stood motionless, staring at the wall. “Could it be that easy?” Angel asked out loud.
“Well, it depends on what you’re talking about.” Daniel’s deep voice startled Angel so much that she screamed, involuntarily jumped, and dropped her phone.
Angel hadn’t even heard Daniel arrive home. She had been so deep in thought that even the car pulling into the driveway and the sound of the key in the front door hadn’t penetrated her senses.
“Well, that wasn’t the welcome home I was expecting. I didn’t mean to scare you, baby.” Angel gave him a fleeting smile, collected her mobile off the floor, and returned to the couch to pack up her laptop and place them both on the coffee table.
