Graham, Jan - Finding Angel [Wylde Shore] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (16 page)

Christian was puzzled by his father’s dislike of Harold Wylde. His father disliked very few people and always had something good to say if he could. Still, he had said nothing good about Harold. Arrogant, deceitful, cruel, opinionated, underhanded…they were strong words for his usually unruffled father. Angel obviously didn’t take after Harold. Christian had the impression that Angel was the opposite of everything his father had just described. At least from what he knew of her, she was the opposite, and Christian was generally a good judge of character. Years on the police force gave him the unique ability to sum someone up often with just a look or simple, general conversation. Maybe those traits described by his father reinforced what Daniel had gleaned from his conversation with Angel. Her childhood lacked love. A cruel, underhanded, deceitful father could certainly make a woman be wary of men.

God, it would make anyone wary.

Chapter Seven

Sitting in the hospital’s family room, Angel listened intently to what was going on in the adjacent emergency room. She assumed Gavin was better than when he had first arrived. The commotion surrounding his arrival at the hospital had eased. Staff no longer ran in and out of the curtained partition. Voices had calmed and no longer appeared to have a tone of urgency. It seemed like an eternity since she had heard the last thump of the resuscitation machine. Angel could see the curtain flutter as she sat waiting. There was still movement behind it and still a chance Gavin would be okay.

“Is Mr. Clark’s wife here?” A male voice resonated from inside the cubicle. The tone of his voice was firm but friendly, and Angel hoped it wasn’t who she thought it was. Angel worried the nursing sister wouldn’t remember the information she had given when she had arrived with Gavin. The last thing she wanted was the doctor walking in to talk to her under a serious misapprehension.

“The family room, but it’s a work colleague that came in with him. His wife is travelling down from the coast, and she’s about five hours away. His colleague is quite upset. She found him in the motel when he missed his morning meeting. She was the one who called the ambulance and commenced CPR.”

Angel breathed a sigh of relief. The nurse had remembered the explanation she had given on arrival. If she wasn’t so worried Gavin would die, she would kill the prick herself. How dare he be married! Just when Angel thought she was doing everything right, she was now faced with a new drama. If she had known he had a wife living up the coast, she would never have accepted the invite to come away with him. Now all Angel needed to do was face the doctor, and then she could go. Angel had been running through the plan in her head. Get back to the motel, return the car and its keys to Gavin’s bedside table, clear her things out of the room they had shared for the last day, and be miles away before Gavin Clark’s wife arrived.

“Technically, I don’t need to fill this man’s colleague in on anything. However, if as you said, the colleague was very upset, then I need to ensure she’s not suffering from shock.” Angel felt her stomach lurch as the doctor spoke. It was him. Oh God, how the hell could she face Daniel now?

“She did commence the CPR that probably had saved the guys life. I think you should see her, whether she’s in shock or not.” She heard the nurse state emphatically.

Angel was looking out the window as Daniel entered the room. Her heart began to race as she turned to face him. Surely today couldn’t get any worse! Angel wondered how she was going to explain this to the man that only two days ago she had told she wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship at the moment. Her mind raced. If he just kept looking at the chart in his hand and ignored her like most busy doctors…Angel’s panicked thoughts were halted and her hopes dashed as his eyes locked onto her. Angel felt a chill wash over her and was sure the colour drained from her face, she started to tremble as Daniel spoke.

“Well, you were the last person I expected to see today, and having saved a man’s life, too.”

“Oh good, he’s still alive.” Angel backed into one of the waiting room chairs as she spoke. “I thought…I hoped he was…Oh God, I was so scared that he was dead.” Tears began to well in her eyes and a sense of relief flooded her. Daniel moved one of the chairs to sit and face her. Angel attempted to pull away as he reached out his hand, placing it around her wrist.

“It’s okay, Angel. I just want to take your pulse. You look pale, and I need to check you aren’t in shock.” Daniel’s voice was reassuring.

“I don’t have time.” The words gushed from her mouth before she could really think. “I need to go and get the car back. I need my things. I have to get out of here…I need um…” Angel suddenly realised she needed to get a grip and gain control of herself again. This was no time to panic.

Daniel stared at her intently. “You’re not really making sense, and your heart rate is accelerated. I think you may be suffering from a bit of shock. I’d like you to stay here for a few hours so I can observe you. Besides, I’m sure Mrs. Clark will want to thank the woman who saved her husband’s life.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I didn’t know he had a wife. I’m sorry, Daniel.” Angel tried to gain her composure. “I’m fine, really! However, I do need to go very soon. I have deadlines today that I can’t miss, and Mrs. Clark will have other things on her mind when she arrives.” Angel cleared her throat. “Is it possible to see Gavin quickly before I leave?”

“He’s not conscious at the moment and is waiting to be taken up to surgery. He is still quite unwell. We only really let family see a patient in these circumstances,” Daniel explained.

“I realise that, but I would just like to see for myself that he is okay. I think it would help me feel better about what’s happened. Please, I won’t be long, I promise. I just really need to say good-bye. Please, Daniel?” Angel held back her tears.

Daniel wondered why Angel was so insistent on seeing the man. It was totally against protocol to grant access to a patient in these circumstances, but Daniel could never deny a woman who begged so sincerely. He walked with Angel to the cubicle and watched her go over to the edge of the bed. Intrigued, Daniel stood quietly observing her through a small crack in the curtain. She took hold of the unconscious man’s hand and held it to her cheek. Daniel was taken aback by what he was witnessing. Angel leant over and kissed him very gently on the forehead. Daniel frowned as he watched her. The interaction was not what you would expect from a colleague. It was more than friendly intent, more than concern or worry…it was affection. Daniel recognised it far too well. Angel and this man had been or maybe still were intimate with each other. What Angel said next confirmed Daniel’s suspicions.

“Good-bye, you lying, married bastard. If you weren’t so sick, I’d slap you for not telling me you had a wife.”

Angel let go of Mr. Clark’s hand and turned to leave the room. Not wanting to be discovered spying on her, Daniel moved to the side and picked up another patient’s chart as Angel turned to leave the cubicle.

“Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate all you’ve done,” she said as she walked past him on her way to the door. With conscious intent, Daniel reached out and grabbed Angel by the arm. She didn’t turn to look at him as he moved closer to her, she just stood with her eyes fixated on the door.

“Is there something you need to tell me, Angel?” Daniel asked as he turned her around to face him. All he saw on her face was a look of sheer terror staring back at him. “It’s all right. You don’t have to say anything, but am I safe in assuming you don’t want me to mention your presence here today to Mr. Clark’s wife?” Daniel felt anger rise within him as he spoke.

Angel was trembling again. It appeared she wanted to say something to him, her mouth opened but words didn’t come out. He tried to control his anger. It wasn’t his intention to scare her. He waited. When Angel finally did speak, she sounded cold and aloof.

“Yes, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention me.” With those words, she broke free and ran out the door.

Angel parked Gavin’s car directly out the front of the motel room and quickly went inside. She had to get her clothes and get to the train station fast. Grabbing her overnight bag and racing around the room, Angel began picking up her clothes and other belongings. Her mind raced, and she began to panic. She hadn’t had a panic attack in years and certainly didn’t need to have one now. Angel slumped at the end of the bed, almost in a praying position, mentally telling herself to breathe. Tears welled up, and she began to cry. Angel didn’t hear the car pull up, didn’t hear anyone walk up to the room and push the door aside, but she felt the dark shadow fall across her. Angel didn’t have the energy to look toward the door. She didn’t want to know who it was, and she knew she couldn’t deal with anything else going wrong today.

“Well, sitting on the floor won’t get your gear packed and get you out of here any time soon.” Christian spoke with an air of authority while his tone remained tinted with kindness. She stared at the blue jean-covered legs now positioned next to her, realising he was sitting on the end of the bed. Angel took a deep slow breath and looked up into Christian’s eyes.

“Hello, Christian, what are you doing here?”

Christian looked down at her, concern filling his face.

“Daniel called me and said you needed some help. He told me where you were and what was happening. Now, let’s do this properly.” He placed her overnight bag on the bed and began folding her clothes that she had thrown into it. “Now, take some deep breaths please and try to calm down.” He smiled at her reassuringly.

Angel nodded and gave him a weak smile, tyring to calm herself as he folded and packed her clothes.

“I didn’t know he was married. Not until he told me I had to call his wife. Then he stopped breathing.” Angel couldn’t hold back the tears. She didn’t know whether she was crying because of the hurt Gavin’s deception had caused her, the fact that she had made Daniel angry, or simply because she had nearly watched someone die today.

Christian stilled. “I hear what you’re saying, Angel, but I’m not ready to discuss it with you, not at the moment. Let’s sort this out first.” Angel glanced at Christian, he didn’t seem angry but his voice carried enough of a warning that she shouldn’t speak about the situation again until he mentioned it.

“Okay, those clothes are done. Is there anything else in the cupboard?” he asked. Angel just shrugged at him, not even sure what she had placed in the bag before he arrived.

“Well, go and look.” His voice was brisk. “We do need to get out of here today.”

Angel stood and walked to the wardrobe, bringing back a black evening dress.

“Nice,” Christian commented as he folded it and placed it in the bag. “Any shoes to go with that?”

Angel returned to the cupboard a second time before handing him a pair of red high heels.

“Oh, very nice,” he said. “They actually match the nice lacy red bra and panties that I folded.” Angel felt her cheeks heat and hoped Christian didn’t notice. “Okay, bathroom next,” he said, directing her to the bathroom.

Christian entered the room, leaving her standing in the doorway.

“Tell me what’s yours,” he said before collecting each item Angel pointed out.

He gathered shampoo, makeup, other toiletries, and some jewellery which he carefully placed on the bed ready for her to pack. Christian moved around the room checking for more items…He collected items from the bar fridge, the desk, a book from the bedside, her laptop. Angel was amazed that everything he collected was hers. How did he know?

Once all her items were packed and her bag was sitting near the door, Christian gave her a serious look.

“Now for the usually missed items,” he stated.

Christian began running his hands over the bedding, lifting it up layer by layer, feeling inside the pillow cases and around the headboard.

“Yours?” he asked, holding up a small gold earring.

Angel nodded and watched silently as Christian placed it in his pocket. He knelt and looked under the bed.

“Oh, best take this,” he said, holding up a purple vibrator and beckoning for her to come and take it. “That’s not going to fit in the pocket.”

He smiled as she took it from him without meeting his gaze. He made one final sweep of the room, collecting the garbage bin bags as he went. He knotted the top of the two bags he had collected and stood in front of her, looking down at her small frame.