by Cheryl Yeko
Rick turned toward Jake, his face carved in stone. There was a slight pause. “It appears she was accident-prone during her marriage.” His lips drew into a tight line.
“What do you mean, accident prone?” Tension spread through him like a gathering storm.
The fax machine sounded an incoming transmission. Rick strode over to watch the pages feed into the tray. Silence filled the room except for the clicking and twirling of the fax machine as it fed the document through, then fell silent.
Rick picked up a handful of pages, studying them. “It says here that over a two-year period, Angela was brought into the emergency room four times, besides numerous trips to the walk-in clinic.” His gaze lifted to Jake.
“What were her injuries?” Jake wanted to know, but yet, didn’t. He rubbed the back of his neck.
Rick glanced back down and flipped through the pages. “Cuts and bruises, mostly, a lot of cuts and bruises.” He glanced at Jake with eyes that burned with anger. “Except the last time, about four months before Scott’s death.”
Filled with a sense of dread, Jake strode over and ripped the pages from Rick’s hand. He glanced down to scan the entries.
Patient . . . lacerations to patient’s back from falling through glass patio door.
Patient . . . head injury requiring eight stitches and facial bruising from a fall.
Patient . . . concussion from a fall. Abuse suspected, patient denies.
Patient . . . broken wrist and bruising . . . signs of forced sexual intercourse. Counselor brought in, patient denies abuse.
Rage exploded through him like a bomb blast as fury stole his voice. He closed his eyes with a silent curse, his body trembling with rage. Unable to read any further, he curled his hands into a fist, crushing the paper he held.
“Hey, buddy, we may need that.” Rick pried the crumpled pages from Jake’s fist. “You okay?”
“Why didn’t she ask for help?” But he didn’t expect a reply. As a cop, he knew there were no easy answers.
Rick shook his head and shrugged. “Only Angela can answer that question, buddy.”
Jake’s cell phone rang from where he’d tossed it on his desk. He picked it up and saw J.D.’s number flash across the LCD display. “Yeah,” he snapped.
There was a slight pause. “Is this a bad time, bro?”
He forced back his dark emotions. “No. What is it?”
J.D. cleared his throat. “I just wrapped up my interview with Stacey Holland.” There was another pause.
Jake knew his brother as well as he knew himself, and his voice held a defiant inflection. The same one J.D. had used on their parents over the years when he knew he was in trouble.
What doesn’t J.D. want to tell me?
“Spit it out, man. I don’t have all fricken day.”
“Stacey confirmed that Beebe abused Angela.”
“I’m aware of the abuse,” Jake said. His tone was nothing more than a snarl.
A sigh came across the line before J.D. continued. “Okay, anyway, Stacey wanted to speak with Angela so I patched her through.”
“You used a secure line?”
“Of course.” J.D. gave a disgusted snort.
“Okay, then what’s the problem?”
“Well. The thing is . . . I kinda promised the girls I’d take Stacey to the safe house tonight so they could visit.”
“You, what!” Jake gave his head a quick shake, trying to clear his ears.
“You heard me,” J.D. said defensively. “I’m taking Stacey to the safe house tonight. I don’t see any harm in it.”
Jake opened his mouth to argue, and then stopped. Angela had been through a lot this week. He glanced at Rick, who still held the report in his hand. She’d suffered a lot, too, it seemed. What could it hurt to let her friend visit for an evening? Maybe it would lift her spirits.
“All right.”
“All right?” J.D.’s voice held a note of surprise.
“Yeah.” Jake warmed up to the idea. It would do Angela some good to be able to talk things over with another woman.
“I’ll meet you back at your place after you drop Stacey off,” Jake said. “I’d like to spend some time with Nick and the twins. We can go over the case before I head back to the safe house.”
“You got it, bro.”
Angela gathered her hair and twisted it into a bun as she studied herself in the vanity mirror. Dark loose strands fell down each cheek and her long bangs swept to one side, secured with a silver butterfly clip. The clip was one of many she’d purchased from Stacey’s boutique. She loved the way the rhinestones glittered when she moved her head, as though the butterfly’s wings were in motion. It made her feel pretty.
The question of whether Jake would think she was pretty flashed across her mind. She tensed.
Why would it matter what he thought?
Then she remembered her dream and her body came alive with longing, tendrils of desire wrapped around her. The person who stared back at her in the mirror had a blush staining her cheeks, and eyes darkened with passion. Angela closed her eyes against the image and blew out a breath. She turned toward the sound of the front door opening.
“Hello?”
She recognized Stacey’s voice and flew through the bedroom door to give her a big hug. “Stacey, I’m so glad to see you.”
“Hey, girlfriend. You got some ‘splainin’ to do.”
As usual, Stacey looked like she’d just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. Her curves were shown off to perfection in a pair of short-shorts and a tank top the same color as her wild locks. Colorful bracelets from Baubles and Bangles graced both her wrists and her silver hoop earrings matched the silver chain nestled between her breasts.
Angela chuckled, then glanced at the paper bags Stacey gripped in each hand and quirked a brow. “Whatcha got?”
A smiled flashed across Stacey’s face. She winked and thrust a bag toward her. “Meet Sauvignon Blanc and Moscato.”
Stacey moved to the kitchen area and placed the other bag on the center island, reaching inside to pull out the contents. “Sauvignon Blanc will be joining us for a scrumptious dinner of seared scallops and wine-braised leeks. Moscato is staying for dessert.” She reached back into the bag with a flourish and brought out an eight-inch German Chocolate Cake. “Ta-da!”
“Yum,” Angela said with a chuckle. Her favorite. The tension she’d been carrying around the past few days eased, overpowered by Stacey’s sunny disposition.
Angela rummaged through the kitchen drawers looking for something to uncork the wine, with no luck. Stacey chuckled again, then reached back into the bag and removed a small corkscrew. “Don’t worry, girlfriend, I’ve got your back.”
Angela smiled. “You always do.” She took the corkscrew from Stacey to open the wine, while Stacey started dinner.
By the time the scallops were prepared and in the broiler, they’d killed off over half of the 1.5-liter bottle of the white wine and their laughter filled the room.
Angela grabbed the remaining bottle of wine off the counter and led the way into the living room to plop down on a chair. Stacey sprawled onto the couch across from her.
“Did Jake’s brother drop you off?” Angela asked as she leaned over and refilled Stacey’s glass. Then she emptied the rest into her own glass, before placing the empty bottle on the coffee table with a thud and a giggle.
“Yep. J.D. A really nice guy.”
“Yeah, how nice?” Angela quirked a brow.
Stacey grinned and her eyebrows did a Groucho Marx wiggle. “Real nice,” she said in a singsong voice, bringing her hand near her mouth to imitate a cigar flick. They both doubled over into another fit of giggles.
When they were finally able to compose themselves and catch their breath, Stacey turned to her with a curious look. “Have you ever met J.D.?”
“Yes . . . well, no, not really. I’ve never met him personally.” She glanced at Stacey. “You heard about the shooting?”
Stacey nodded, eyes dark and solemn.
“Well,” Angela continued. “I guess he was there that night, although I never actually saw him.”
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
The fear she’d felt over the last few days was muted by the alcohol she’d consumed and Stacey’s companionship. She took a sip and brought Stacey up to speed on the events that had transpired. Starting with how Jake had taken her to his home after she’d been released from the hospital.
“. . . Then he kissed me,” Angela finished. She blushed. Not sure if she was ready to tell Stacey how Jake had intimately touched her, right before someone attacked his home.
“Really.” Stacey’s voice held both wonder and amusement. “Did you kiss him back?”
The oven buzzer sounded and Angela jumped up and ran to the kitchen to pull out the braised scallops. They smelled delicious. Since they’d already killed off the Sauvignon Blanc, she opened the bottle of Moscato and readied the table.
After they settled down to enjoy the meal, Stacey glanced at her with an amused grin. “Well, did you?”
Angela couldn’t stop the telltale blush that worked its way to her cheeks.
“You did,” Stacey squealed, and then her eyes narrowed. “What else happened? Come on girlfriend, ‘fess up.”
“Nothing.”
“Uh huh.” Stacey eyed her suspiciously.
Angela took a swig of her wine. “I went to my room right after that.” She glanced at Stacey. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss.” The heat in her cheeks increased as she remembered the pleasure from Jake’s gentle caresses.
Stacey’s eyebrows rose to new heights. “Uh huh.”
Angela chuckled. “Well, anyway, I decided I should discuss what had happened and went back to speak with him. When I stepped into the living room, he dove at me and tackled me to the floor.”
“Really?” Her tone no longer held amusement, now it hinted at shock.
She nodded. “Yeah. As soon as we hit the floor, bullets started flying.” She shivered. “I was terrified. Jake told me to crawl to the bathroom and climb in the tub for protection.”
“Wow.” Stacey’s eyes widened. “So you crawled through a hail of gunfire into the bathroom?”
Stacey’s voice now held a note of awe and caused Angela to smile. “Yep.” She grinned.
“You’re my hero.” Stacey giggled. “Here’s to bravery.” She raised her glass for a toast.
Angela raised her glass. “Here’s to survival.”
“Amen to that.”
They clinked their glasses together and took longs sips.
“Is that when Jake moved you here?”
Angela thought of the kiss that had followed the attack, after Jake pulled her from the tub. The feel of his arms locked around her as his mouth captured hers with a kiss that had curled her toes. She inhaled sharply and reached for her pendant, twirling the chain around her fingers.
“What?” Stacey laughed. “What aren’t you telling me? Come on, spill.”
Angela stood. “Let’s clean up the dinner mess. I’ll tell you over dessert.”
Angela turned the TV to a rock music channel as they settled down in the living room to enjoy their German Chocolate Cake. She lifted a forkful to her lips, her taste buds exploding with joy at the creamy, rich flavor of the chocolate cake and sweet dessert wine. “Mmm, good stuff.”
Stacey reached for the bottle of wine and topped off their glasses. “I knew you’d approve. Now, tell me the rest of the story,” she demanded.
Angela reached for her wine glass, standing to move with the music. “Well,” she said, at this point feeling no pain. “When Jake found me in the bathtub, he kissed me again.” She turned to Stacey with a grin. The thought of the way Jake had kissed her made her body hum, the feel of his lips covering hers, the intimate pleasure from his touch. A sensual feeling flowed over her as the rhythmic music filled her.
“Rea—Really,” Stacey said, her words slurring. She grabbed her wine glass and stood to join Angela in the dance. They both danced and swayed to the music. “Well, I’ll tell you what, girlfriend,” Stacey said. “I think I’d like to find out how his brother, J.D., kisses.”
Angela chuckled, then drained the last of her wine and placed the glass on the coffee table. “Yeah, I thought as much.” She unclipped her hair, tossing the clip next to her empty wine glass. She lifted her arms above her head, and began to undulate to the slow sensual beat.
Angela closed her eyes as thoughts of Jake warmed her and the music flowed through her.
At the sound of Stacey’s gasp, Angela opened her eyes to see Stacey standing frozen with a wide-eyed expression. Following the path of her stare Angela also froze, her arms still raised over her head, her mouth fell open.
Jake stood near the door watching her. His gaze scorched her with its heat. She inhaled sharply and slowly lowered her arms, her attention shifted to the man next to him.
Was she seeing double? She gave her head a shake and met Stacey’s disbelieving stare. For a moment, they just stared at each other in mutual confusion before understanding dawned.
“Twins!” they said in unison, then burst into squeals of laughter.
Jake’s mouth went as dry as the Sahara Desert as he watched Angela’s graceful movements. Arms reaching skyward, perfectly rounded breasts thrust forward, taut, tempting nipples straining against the silk fabric of her blouse as her slim hips moved seductively with a gentle rhythmic beat.
The image of her astride him as he thrust deep inside her burned across his mind. Would she ride him with the same passion as she danced? Jake set his jaw and determinedly ignored the heavy ache in his groin. He waged an internal battle against the desire to take her and stake his claim, and the need for restraint.
J.D.’s chuckle penetrated his lusty thoughts and he tore his gaze away from Angela to glance at his brother.
“I think they’re snockered,” J.D. said.
Jake glanced back at the women in time to see the tiny redhead stumble. Angela reached out to steady her, lost her balance, and they both fell onto the couch. The musical sound of their laughter filled the room.
Jake arched a brow. “Yep.”
“We are not snockered,” Angela said defensively, before bursting into another fit of giggles.
“That Stacey?” Jake didn’t take his eyes from the women.
“Yeah. Adorable, isn’t she?” Amusement laced J.D.’s voice.
He grinned. “Yeah, they’re pretty adorable, all right.”
Jake strode to the couch and pulled Angela up until he held her firmly in his arms. “Looks like you girls had a good time.” His arm slid around her waist when she wobbled.
“You didn’t tell me you were a twin,” Angela said with a hint of accusation.
Jake met her somewhat unfocused gaze. “You didn’t ask.”
The feel of her body molded to his and her soft breasts pressed against his chest drove his hunger for her higher. His arm tightened around her, his other hand moving to the small of her back.
J.D. hauled a giggling Stacey from the couch as Jake gave into the temptation to lean down and taste Angela’s lips. Lips that tasted of woman and wine, and he wanted more.
“Hey, bro. I’m gonna take Stacey home now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jake lifted his head to glance at his brother. J.D.’s arm held Stacey possessively around the waist.
“Watch your back.” Jake didn’t believe the safe house was compromised, but they needed to remain diligent and protect the two innocent women who had come into their lives.
Innocent?
When had he determined Angela was innocent? He glanced into her wine-fogged eyes and smiled. She was innocent, he’d bet his life on it. And she was his. He’d make sure of that. But not tonight. She was inebriated and he wouldn’t take advantage of that.
J.D. nodded and opened the door to leave. The two guards in the hall watched with amusement when they stepped outside
.
“I am not snockered,” he heard Stacey proclaim.
“Uh huh,” his brother replied as the door swung shut behind them.
He turned his gaze back to Angela. A touch of pink colored her cheeks. Whether from the wine or from the kiss, he wasn’t sure. When the tip of her tongue darted out and swept across her bottom lip, all the blood in his body went south.
Jake leaned down, then captured her tongue with his own and lost himself to the sensation of the moment. Her heady flavor and soft moan blanked his brain and desire took over. His hand slid from her back to her lush bottom, lifting her toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he settled his cock between her thighs. He ground his hardened length against her soft center, eliciting another moan from her.
“Jake.” She gasped.
Her breathy voice and wine-flavored taste managed to penetrate his lust-fogged brain, reminding him that he couldn’t have her. He wouldn’t take advantage of her that way. It took every ounce of strength he had to release his hold on her, and ease back. When she swayed unsteadily on her feet, he took her by the elbow until she regained her balance.
“Umm.” She shoved her bangs off her forehead. “I—I think I’ll turn in for the night.” A note of hurt sounded in her voice.
Jake placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up until he met her gaze. She peered at him with eyes filled with confusion.
“I want you, Angel. But when I make love to you, it won’t be because you’ve had too much to drink.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Umm, okay.”
Jake smiled wryly, and then moved his finger up to tap her nose. “Now, get to bed before I forget I’m a gentleman.”
His grin widened when she turned and hurried to her room on unsteady legs as though she were being chased by the devil himself.
J.D. pulled into Stacey’s driveway and came around to open her car door. When he tugged her to her feet and she stumbled against his chest, a blush rose to her cheeks. The feel of her softness pressed against him quickened his pulse.
He smiled down at her. She was cute, and had talked nonstop during the twenty-minute drive to her house. Besides the fact that she’d had too much to drink, her naturally high voice and quick speech could be hard to follow. He hadn’t been able to understand everything she said, but had gotten the gist of it.
