Graham, Jan - Finding Angel [Wylde Shore] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (55 page)

“The only thing that’s different is now we know what’s actually going on. The stakes involved in keeping you safe are higher,” Christian added.

“I don’t understand how the two of you can say that.” Angel walked over to one of the single sofas and flopped down with a heavy sigh. “You have every right to be annoyed with me. You don’t need to be this understanding.”

“It’s called love, kiddo. Get used to it because from what I can tell, it looks like you’re stuck with them,” Steve piped in.

Angel stared at Steve and then looked back at Christian and Daniel, who were now seated next to him on the large sofa. She almost laughed at the three of them. Their large frames filled the seat, and they were all staring at her.

“You look like those three monkeys from the Japanese proverb,” Angel joked. “You know, hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.”

Angel’s statement was greeted with raucous laughter as the men all looked at each other and began arguing about who was which monkey. Angel watched them all with interest. They had obviously known each other for a long time. She remembered Daniel talking about Steve, their friend who he said was often referred to as the third Shore brother. Angel hadn’t even contemplated it would the same Steve that had invaded her life. If Steve was the lifelong friend that Daniel referred to, and it appeared he was, then that meant only one thing. Realisation flashed through Angel’s mind.
Oh shit, he’s never going to go away.
Angel shuddered at the thought of Steve being a permanent fixture in her life.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Christian knew that they needed to discuss the deal Trevor had set up for Angel. She needed protection desperately. Police protection seemed to be the obvious answer, but Christian had reservations. After Steve’s revelations, he wasn’t sure if Angel would cope with the discussion just yet. Christian wanted to talk to Steve about what he thought of Angel’s predicament before he blindly offered a deal that may not be in her best interest. The deal had holes in it. If she knew where the ledger was and decided to testify, she could go into protective custody. However, there was the issue of having no safe place to immediately house Angel. Hastings’s leak had effectively provided the addresses of all the police safe houses that were regularly used. And over the last few years, more witnesses testifying against Hastings had died while under protection than Christian cared to think about.

It seemed that there were way too many
ifs.
After all, the whole offer was based on the assumption that Angel had information of value and, at this point, Christian wasn’t sure that was the case. From his knowledge of what had transpired, the police had never believed that Angel could testify against Hastings, not until he had coerced her into sleeping with him. Hastings putting a bounty on Angel’s head puzzled Christian. It gave the impression that Hastings knew she was a threat to him, which had fuelled Trevor’s belief that Angel held the key to taking Hastings down. Christian needed to question Angel about what she knew, but not tonight.

“Angel, you look exhausted. What about a long soak in the tub while Daniel and I sort out dinner?”

“I’d like to but don’t we have more to talk about?” Angel replied.

“We can talk later or even tomorrow. I’m going to be at home until everything is sorted out.” Christian smiled tenderly.

“I agree with Christian.” Daniel smiled. “A relaxing bath will do you good.”

“Me, too, it sounds like the best idea I’ve heard since I got here. I’m starving.” Steve grinned at Angel.

Angel stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at Steve with complete exasperation.

“Why does it
not
surprise me, Steve, that you’re more concerned with the needs of your stomach than my well-being?” she snapped.

“Because you don’t believe I’m capable of anything else, Angel.” he stood up and walked over to her. “Be careful what you think of me though. One day you might have to change your mind.”

“I doubt it.” Steve was only inches away from her as she spoke.

“I might surprise you, Angel,” he said softly as he quickly kissed her on the forehead.

Angel shrieked and jumped away from him, aware Steve was laughing as he headed to the front door.

“Don’t you ever do that again. You’re disgusting, Steve Jax.” Angel wiped her hand across her forehead as she spoke.

“I’m going to get my gear out of the car,” Steve said as he opened the front door. “Don’t drown in your bath, Angel.”

“You’ll get used to him, Angel.” Christian chuckled.

He watched as Daniel walked over and took Angel by the hand before leading her out of the room.

Christian was on the mobile talking to Trevor Duncan about Angel when Steve re-entered the house. Christian moved the phone away from his ear slightly, so Steve could hear Trevor yelling through the speaker. Christian returned the phone to his ear and spoke calmly.

“Well, maybe I should have let you speak in specifics and actually asked her name, but I didn’t. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, Trevor, but unfortunately it doesn’t change facts.”

He heard Steve laugh. Christian freely admitted that he was honest to a fault and he hated to lose an argument. He didn’t see any reason why Trevor shouldn’t know the woman they’d been searching for had actually been living in his home for the past few weeks. After all, Angel wouldn’t be going anywhere. She’d be staying with Daniel and him permanently. The conversation continued for a while longer. Christian didn’t hide his side of the discussion from Steve and he could tell from the way Steve nodded, smiled, and occasionally chuckled that Steve knew the clash of wills between the two men was going in Christian’s favour.

“No conflict of interest if you sign off on the paperwork.” Yep, Trevor didn’t like that one but finally agreed.

“You said yourself I’m the best chance of getting Angel to agree to a deal. Sleeping arrangements don’t change that.” Christian listened to a very unhappy Trevor reluctantly concede defeat once again but not until he had given him an earful of “advice” about professional conduct.

“I’m involved and not stepping out of the picture now. Besides, you don’t have the manpower to keep her alive.” Christian hoped Trevor would realise this point was nonnegotiable.

When Daniel returned to the room to prepare dinner, Steve went and sat at the kitchen island. Christian heard Steve filling Daniel in on what he thought was going on. They both listened as Christian verbally beat Trevor Duncan into submission. Christian rarely lost an argument. And this often heated discussion with Trevor was not going to be an exception.

“Sorted,” Christian stated proudly as he ended the call. “I just need to let my second-in-charge know I’m out of the office for the next couple of days, and I’ll give you a hand with dinner.”

“It’s under control,” Daniel replied before adding, “And Steve is grabbing a beer for us all out of the fridge.”

Christian was pleased Steve took the hint and walked to the fridge to get the requested beers. He also grabbed another packet of frozen vegetables and shoved them onto his groin as he sat back down on the chair he had claimed.

Christian finished his call quickly and joined Steve and Daniel at the kitchen island. He took a sip on the icy beer and began to roll his head around in an attempt to relieve the tension that had settled in the base of his neck. Christian thought back over the last weeks. Walking in the door and seeing Angel’s smiling face had been his stress relief from the toils of work until today.

The terror he felt at hearing Angel’s panicked screams over the phone sent a chill down his spine. Had he not heard Steve in the background trying to calm her, Christian would have had every police car in the area descending on the house within seconds. What if Steve had been one of Adrian’s men? Christian knew that by the time he had arrived, Angel would have more than likely been dead. He desperately wanted to go back to the way things were yesterday, when he thought that Angel’s worries stemmed from her past, from issues that had been dead and buried along with Samuel Barnard. Those issues he knew would have been dealt with easily. They were nothing that couldn’t be overcome with time, love, and security. Instead, Angel was being haunted by her past in a very real way, and Christian hated that fact. She should have been freed by Samuel’s death. Instead it looked like Samuel was going to drag Angel to the grave with him.

“So how much information does Angel have regarding Hastings and his operation?” Christian finally asked.

“Honestly, at this moment in time, none,” Steve replied.

“None,” Christian echoed curiously.

“Then why is there a bounty on her head?” Daniel was obviously surprised at Steve’s answer.

“Adrian wants the ledger that Barnard offered to give the police before he died. He asked Angel to find it, as did I.” Steve took a sip of his beer before continuing.

“Hastings gave her two weeks to find the ledger. Before that two-week deadline had virtually even begun, our spy informed Hastings that Angel had given me evidence that could be damaging to him and that she was now working with the police. Her disappearance added fuel to the theory that she was working with us. Hastings’s reaction was to put a bounty on her head.”

“So Angel is now being hunted by God-knows-who because of miscommunication.” Daniel sounded incredulous.

“You nailed it in one, Dan,” Steve responded

“Let me get this straight.” Christian needed to clarify what he had just heard. “Hastings thinks Angel has information that will damage him, and Trevor thinks Angel has information that will bring Hastings down. But you believe both men are functioning under a misapprehension. As a result, an offer of witness protection from Trevor and a bounty on Angel’s head by Hastings is the outcome. Yet, to the best of your knowledge, Angel hasn’t got any information on Hastings, and all she can testify to is that she doesn’t know anything. Am I correct?”

“Well, there was the aftersex discussion that may be a confession to murdering Barnard by Hastings, but we have that on tape. In fact, the recording was taken to the DA. We were told that the admission is open to interpretation and a murder conviction is highly unlikely.”

“So Angel is possibly going to die because men who should know better have lost the ability to think rationally?” Christian shook his head in disbelief as he spoke.

“Look, I need to come clean about something.” Steve broke the silence that had descended over them all.

Christian looked at Steve. His face was filled with concern, and he suddenly dreaded what his friend might be about to say.

“Before I discovered you two were involved with Angel, I was going to make her an offer before I called you in.” Steve stated, “I was going to offer to help Angel change her identity and pay for her to leave the state or even the country if she wanted to. I would have just told you and Trevor I couldn’t find her.”

“Why would you even contemplate doing something like that?” Christian asked in shock. “Why would you risk your career, and probably your relationship if Kathy found out, for a woman you hardly know?”

“I have asked myself that for as long as I’ve known her. I don’t understand it, but I have to keep her safe. She haunts me. I have nightmares where I hear her screaming and I can’t get to her to save her. I wake up in a cold sweat terrified for her. When Barnard was alive, he was hurting her so badly one night…”

Steve paused for a moment. His hands trembled and his voice wavered as he continued.

“The two cops on surveillance with me that night had to cuff me to the van to stop me from going into the house and killing him. I just knew I needed to rescue her. So if you’re talking about men who have lost the ability to think rationally, Christian, then add me to the list, mate.”