Graham, Jan - Finding Angel [Wylde Shore] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (13 page)

Angel loved the feeling of being on the edge of release. The conflict of never wanting the feeling to end but needing to come was amazing. A good Dom could make her beg to be allowed to take that step over the edge, to finally come. Angel imagined Daniel staring down at her denying her the final release she desired. He would tease her, bringing her to the point of coming and then ease the pressure of his fingers on her clit, relieving the urgency to come. Then he would repeat the process, driving her to the edge of insanity. Angel pushed down on her clit, rubbing it quickly and forcefully, flicking it from side to side, finally bringing herself to climax. She let out a small cry as her body shuddered before slumping back on the couch.

Angel smiled wryly as she thought of the listening devices in her house. What would whoever was listening make of her soft little release? And did the fact she had just quietly gotten herself off knowing someone else was listening make her an exhibitionist? Angel wondered at her need for privacy to make her earlier phone call, but no desire to protect herself from listening devices while she orgasmed. Maybe she really did have a lack of concern for herself and placed the privacy of two strange but nice men above her own need. Either that or she was just stupid.

As Angel headed to the bathroom to run a bath, she heard her mobile signal. She’d received a message. Ignoring the text, she poured bubbles into the water and stripped. As she soaked in the warm luxury of her bath, she contemplated what her answer should be in relation to the brothers. Realistically, she knew her life was too complex and too dangerous at the moment to involve anyone else in it. Angel also knew she needed sex but nothing permanent. Given her behaviour with Adrian Hastings, she needed to ensure she wouldn’t make a mistake like that again. And she was definitely in no position to offer her submission to anyone. Submission, for her, was a commitment. It involved total surrender to another person. Submission for Angel meant unbridled honesty and trust with a Dom, who in turn would take care of and assist to handle any difficulties their sub might encounter in life. Angel could not take her current situation to anyone and lay that down at their feet. How would someone she barely knew be expected to work out a solution for her current mess? It wasn’t practical or realistic to even suggest it.

For God’s sake, even the police couldn’t seem to find a solution to the Hastings family. And with the distinct possibility of death hanging over her head, Angel could not justify allowing Christian and Daniel to become involved in that.

Angel emptied the bath, dried herself off, and put on her robe. It was starting to get dark outside as Angel dialled the local pizza house and ordered her favourite dinner. Supreme Pizza, with extra bacon and pepperoni, minus the anchovies… Hairy, salty fish did nothing for Angel’s palate. After hanging up, Angel reached for her mobile to check her messages. No caller ID was displayed, which she thought odd. To Angel’s surprise, there were actually two messages from the same number. As she read the messages her heart sank.

The storage facility didn’t have anything in it. Must have been on old receipt that you found. Still need the ledger. You have two weeks. Ring me when you find it.

Acknowledge my last message, bitch.

Angel hit call rather than sending a reply text. How dare Adrian call her a bitch. It didn’t seem polite after having had sex with him. Angel smiled. He deserved for the police to hear she had received a message from him if he was going to call her names. Angel laughed. Maybe the fact that she wanted to punish him for name-calling did actually make her a bitch.

“What?” Adrian snapped when he answered the phone.

“Hello, Adrian. It’s Angel. Thanks for the text messages. I don’t know where the ledger is, but I promise I will have another look for it.” Angel was polite as she spoke. After all, there was no need to be nasty if she didn’t need to be.

“Find it, and don’t ring again until you do.” Adrian was gone before Angel could get out another word.

“How rude,” Angel spoke quietly to herself as she flicked on the TV and began to ponder her options. She saved the number under Adrian’s name. At least he wouldn’t catch her by surprise if he rang again.

She had looked everywhere for the ledger. It wasn’t in the house, and Angel had no idea where it could be. She contemplated calling Steve and asking if the police had found it. Surely they would have told her if they had. They knew she needed it or at least needed to know if it was still missing. As she sat in front of the mindless drivel spewing from her TV, Angel had an epiphany. The garage, she hadn’t cleaned out the garage.

Angel dragged herself out of her thoughts when she heard her front gate squeak open. As she glanced at the clock, she realised she’d been sitting thinking for nearly forty minutes which could only mean one thing…pizza time. She opened the front door ready to hand over her money and claim her dinner, only to discover there was a new delivery man in the area. Steve stood at the door, smiling and holding her pizza.

“Oh fuck,” Angel swore as she walked away from the door. Steve let himself in and carried the super-sized pizza out into the kitchen.

“I went to the shop and upped the order. Hope you don’t mind.” Steve smiled as he opened the box to display an extra large meat pizza. “Where are your glasses? I also have cola.”

“Did it not occur to you that you could have gotten the pizza I actually ordered, just in a larger size?” Angel stared at the unappetizing thing in the box.

“Yours didn’t sound nice, but I got extra bacon and pepperoni on this one for you,” Steve said as he opened cupboards looking for glasses.

“Gee thanks, you’re so fucking male it nauseates me,” Angel said, pointing to the end cupboard as she flopped onto one of the chairs.

“Where is the ledger, Angel?” Steve spoke calmly as he poured two drinks and sat down at the table. “It wasn’t in the lockup.”

“I have no idea. The only place I haven’t looked is in the garage. I’ll clean it out in the next couple of days. Hopefully I’ll find it. If not, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Angel took a bite out of her slice of pizza.

“When you find it, you need to give it to me, not Adrian. If you work with me, then I can protect you. If not, you’re on your own and I will arrest you for conspiring to conceal evidence from the police.” Steve didn’t make eye contact with her as he started on a second slice of pizza. “Do you understand what I’m telling you? You need to work with us. You don’t have any choice.”

Steve had decided he was just going to tell Angel what she needed to do. He couldn’t risk her going to Hastings, and neither could she. He would simply tell her what to do and hope she obeyed. After all, she had done whatever Barnard had wanted her to do. Yes, admittedly they had been in a dysfunctional and violent relationship, but she had still done what she was told. Steve wondered if she was one of those women that just needed a man to decide for her, and he was going to be that man.

“And if I don’t find the ledger, will you still protect me?” Angel asked quietly.

“If you don’t find the ledger, then we have nothing to protect you from. We’ll pull the surveillance on the house, and hopefully Adrian will leave you alone.” Steve looked at her blankly. He knew she was in danger, but without any reason to protect her, unless she could help the police, Steve had been told there would be no assistance for Angel.

“I have no idea if I’ll even find the ledger, and if you want it, then you might consider at least attempting to be a bit nice about trying to protect me. Why would I even consider helping you if you sit here and tell me help is only being offered if I play the game your way? I assume I’m in even more danger from Adrian if I don’t find the ledger. And don’t think you can bully me and tell me what to do even if I find the damn thing. As far as I see, I’m under more of a threat from Adrian than your piss-poor attempt to threaten me with jail.”

Steve sighed. It looked like he had been wrong about telling her what to do, but he certainly didn’t think she should accuse him of being a bully. He was simply stating a fact that she needed to hear. God, even putting on his best
don’t fuck with me
Dom tone hadn’t swayed her. He was never going to figure this woman out.

“I don’t want to lie to you. If you give us the ledger, then we will give you protection. If not, you’re on your own.” Steve hated himself for being so harsh, but facts were facts. “And I am being nice. I bought you your pizza and saved you delivery fees.”

Angel glared at Steve. “Yes, under your
you must obey me
tone, you’re a big marshmallow, aren’t you, Steve? So, how much do I owe you for the pizza?” Steve was pleased to see that Angel seemed to have regained some of her brash attitude. He also thought she looked better than the last time he had seen her. She would need that strength and attitude if she was going to battle Adrian Hastings.

“Nothing, it’s on me.” Steve smiled at her. “So what do you think, do we have a deal?”

“What I think is this…I’m going out.” Angel stood up from the table and left the room. She returned wearing jeans and a top. “Thanks for the pizza I didn’t order, Steve. Lock the door on your way out, would you?”

Angel picked up her bag, mobile phone, and keys from the kitchen table. Then she walked out the door, leaving Steve wondering what would happen if she didn’t find the fucking ledger. Being a brat would only get her so far. She made him so angry at times. She was helpful to a point, but then her stubborn streak would emerge and she would clam up. He went back for some more pizza, wishing he hadn’t been so blunt with her. Maybe he had been a bit harsh. Dealing with his beautiful wife and even her single friends was never this difficult. Obviously Angel was impervious to his charms, which made her unique among women. Steve needed to talk to Angel when she wasn’t at home. He couldn’t tell her what he really wanted to while their conversations were being monitored. He needed to let her know that he had made a decision in relation to the case. He had to somehow let her know that no matter what the police decided, he had no intention of leaving her to defend herself against Hastings alone. Steve knew he would help her no matter what happened. He had failed to protect her against Samuel Barnard. He would defend her against Hastings…even if it meant he had to compromise the case and his job.

Steve laughed as he downed another slice of pizza in the now-quiet house…Kathy often told him he was a sucker for a damsel in distress. Not that Angel technically fit the bill of the weak-willed damsel. She was more like a stubborn mule refusing to move to safety.

As Angel reversed out the driveway, she had no idea where she was going. She just knew she had to leave. Steve infuriated her. He could be nice sometimes and a total pig at other times. Like all men she had known, he was happy to help her if she did something for him. If she had the ledger, then he’d help. If not, then she could basically go to hell. Angel thought back to her conversation with Daniel and Christian. Would they be the same? If she allowed herself to get to know them, would they turn out to be the same as every other man, only interested in her for what she could do for them? Angel pulled into the car park of the local pub. It probably wasn’t the best place to go, but she needed to get lost for a while, and a crowded pub seemed as good a place as any.

Angel hadn’t been there long when she ran into Gavin Clark. Gavin was a friend that had come in and out of her life over the last ten years. He was a nice guy, quiet, friendly, and a local business man who would now be in his late fifties. He wasn’t anything to look at, and the last few years hadn’t changed him much. Angel had never really been attracted to him sexually even though they had fucked, but he was good company. He chatted to her and seemed to take an interest in her work. She had cut all contact with him three years ago to protect him from any of the threats that Samuel could make. The sex had never been great, but she enjoyed the affection he showed her. He was safe, boring, actually, but that was what Angel had needed at the time. Gavin was about twenty-two years older than Angel and lived in a small apartment thirty minutes from her house. As they talked, Angel learned that Gavin still lived by himself. He looked older but had the same jovial and carefree attitude he had when Angel had first known him. For Gavin, the friendship had been just that, a friendship but with the added benefit of sex. Angel enjoyed the fact that Gavin always took her out for dinner or a movie before taking her home for sex. Tonight he suggested they have dinner and get reacquainted over a few drinks.

It was just the thing Angel needed. After all, one slice of pizza could not be called dinner. Gavin was full of information about everything that had happened since he had seen her last. By the end of the night, Gavin had persuaded her to go on a business trip with him. She and Gavin organised to meet at his unit the day after next and they would be away for two, maybe three days. There hadn’t been any talk about sex, but Angel knew he would probably expect it to happen. She also knew if she decided to say no, he would still be fine with that as well. Angel thought that having sex with Gavin again might be nice. He always held her afterward, and he was always considerate enough to ensure he made her come before he did. As before, Gavin was not after any kind of permanent attachment and didn’t want to be in a serious relationship or even get married. Gavin had made it perfectly clear he was just after female company, someone to spend time with. All of these conditions were fine with Angel. She wasn’t in a position to want anything permanent. For the moment, if he provided a brief relief, she’d take it. Angel felt a slight twinge of regret. Maybe she should look to the brothers for relief rather than Gavin. Unfortunately, she knew that wouldn’t work. If Angel became involved with Christian and Daniel, she wanted it to be more than a brief fling, and she hoped they had similar feelings regarding her.