“Then it was meant for her, in all likelihood,” Natalie Templeton said thoughtfully. “Proving it…never happen.”
“I want to go home,” Angel shoved against the gurney and had her feet over the side before Colin was across the room and stopping her. “Hey!”
“You step down now and you’ll cave like a noodle. Sit still,” he told her, his hands moving her legs back to the padding.
“I don’t want this…” Angel opened the buttons on the top of the dress. She wiggled and tugged until she pulled it over her head when her hands were gripped.
“How long before this shit wears off?” Colin growled over at Tre who was chuckling. “Will you stop? You can’t sit here buck assed naked and I don’t have other things for you to wear.”
“I’ll track her down a set of scrubs,” the nurse said with a little laugh. “And check at the lab.”
“Thanks, Toni,” Tre shook his head and perched on the stool. “I can’t make it leave her system, Colin. Get some food and drink into her. Nothing’s broken and I’ve got photos of the bruises. I will surrender all to the Lieutenant here for your eventual case.”
“A lieutenant, huh?” Colin grinned at him with a slight nod.
“Go figure,” Tre answered with a half shrug, winking at his wife.
“You know this one, too?” Natalie looked from the silent Gabe to Tre. “We need to have a chat about your past.”
“I’m an open book, my sweet,” Tre assured her. “Why can’t these people be stopped, Colin? To just…take her from her apartment…”
“He thinks I need fixed,” Angel answered sadly. “I killed my mother…”
“Her mother died in childbirth,” Collin corrected quickly.
“He said it was my fault. I wish I’d have known her. My grandparents said she was really nice and loved the woods,” she slumped back on the gurney, her eyes closed. “That’s why I love running in the park. I can pretend…”
“It was not your fault, Angel,” Colin accepted the clothing from the nurse who then when to talk to Tre. “Let’s get you changed. That dress is…”
“Spooky,” Angel supplied with a little nod and her voice lightly whimsical. “I’m hungry. Can we get food? I missed breakfast…” she wiggled on the gurney and let her feet fall over the side again. She pulled and tugged until the dress went flying across the room. “I think I’m getting used to being naked,” she announced to the cubicle.
Natalie looked from the three men who laughed, then to Bailey who appeared to want to crawl beneath the gurney. Colin was working the colorful green and blue scrubs top over Angel’s head before he reached for the pants.
“Don’t make me ask questions,” Natalie finally said, her head shaking. She turned to her husband, one brow raised. “Anything?”
“A really strong muscle relaxant. I’m guessing it’s also in the water and they planned to give her a little at a time. I’m guessing they gave her a large glass of something to drink when she arrived,” Tre said, jotting notes onto the paper in his hand. He handed the plastic bottle to Natalie with his tag and tape on the lid. “I’ll get you the video, too, babe. There’s nothing else I can do for her, Colin. She might have a headache as it wears off, other than that, some food and more liquids.”
“I’ll follow you to your apartment,” Natalie grabbed Tre by the smock and kissed him quickly. “See you tonight at home…thanks for your help.”
“I’ll make sure all the necessary copies are included from the previous assault,” Tre told her. “Our people are thorough. I can’t say the same for the officers who handled it, however.”
“I’ll see that that portion is appropriately dealt with,” Natalie Templeton-Thorne promised, her tone and expression sober in an effort to contain her anger.
Colin had to move fast as Angel made an effort to jump to the floor from the gurney. Instead, she bounced off his chest, her head back and eyes wide as she stared.
“Slow down and let me take you to the car,” Colin told her, using the tone he hoped would get through the fog traveling through her blood stream. When she nodded and waited, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“He won’t stop, you know. He honestly believes what he’s doing is right,” Angel let her head lull to the side and met with his shoulder. “I need a shower. I was going to shower and invite you over for dinner. I felt like cooking…”
“I would have accepted,” Colin answered with a smile. “You should have stayed with me, Angel.”
“I wasn’t sure…and I wanted a run so badly…”
Colin remained silent, placing her in the SUV and buckling the belt.
“What will he be doing now, Angel?” Gabe asked when they were all inside and the doors closed against the fall winds. The mildly confused look prompted him to continue. “We took you away from him. What would his next move be?”
“He’ll be surrounded by lawyers,” she gripped the thick belt and turned to stare out the window. “Two of my brothers are attorneys. And he’ll have his PR person there to spin things for the church. People crying…telling him how difficult it must be to have such an ungrateful child,” she sighed tiredly. “I’m sorry. None of you should be involved in this…he’s seen you all now…he’ll have them checking up on who you are…”
“If you even think of running on me, girl, I swear you won’t sit for a month.” Colin had leaned close to her, the warmth of his breath floating over her skin.
And she giggled while Bailey had straightened in the seat and tried not to think about the threat that she knew wasn’t a threat, but a promise.
“You know she might not remember the conversation, Colin.” Gabe caught his gaze in the mirror as he drove, the corner of his mouth fighting the urge to grin.
“You’re just a bundle of advice these days,” Colin grumbled, leaning back and allowing his head to fall against the seat, the first hint of fear and anger melting off. Very slowly.
“You might be better getting Jack or Ray to handle the case,” Gabe suggested after a few minutes. “You’re too close and it could be a problem.”
“I’ve already thought of that…and you’re right,” blue eyes stared forward as they approached her apartment. “I’ve got a call in to Kate. She takes some cases outside since she’s only part time with the DA. It can’t continue and the only way I know to stop him that’s legal, is through the courts.”
“No,” Angel shook her head. “He won’t stop.”
“Are you going to fight me about taking that idiot to court?” Colin pushed the words harshly through his teeth, feeling the enamel grind and realizing she was the wrong person to be taking his frustrations out on.
“Right now I don’t know,” she answered honestly, her face turned toward the window. “There’s such a mess…the only way it would ever stop is if he changed, Colin, and I don’t see him changing. He’s been that way as far back as I can remember. My only sanctuary was with my mother’s parents so I went to them as often as I could. He didn’t really want me around, so it wasn’t that difficult to pull off.”
“They’re still alive,” Bailey said from the front with a thoughtful frown. “Maybe they know something that can help.”
Chapter Fourteen
Angel remained silent until she saw the apartment building come into view. “He never bothered with them unless he needed a place to hide me. Then he would drop me on their doorstep and leave. I don’t know if they’ve ever spoken. I’ve never seen them together. They wanted me to live with them but when he needed a daughter for something church related, he dragged me back as an example of evil.”
A shudder ran through her and she curled her fingers into the door latch. Her other hand popped the seatbelt free.
“Angel…”
“Let me…please…” Bailey watched her friend move quickly from the SUV. Bailey jumped out without waiting for a reaction from either of the men. She ran around the front and stopped Angel from entering the apartment. “You can’t run away.”
“I can do whatever I want,” Angel answered firmly, staring at her friend. “I should never have…” she shook her head.
“Don’t even go there,” Bailey ordered firmly. “Do I need to call Patsy? We’ll wear you down, you know we will.”
“Friends just give him more targets, Bailey. Don’t you see that? Now I have to worry about you and…and…” she turned and went to the door. “Mrs. Langdon on the first floor has my spare key.”
“Colin can take care of himself,” Bailey hurried after her, frowning and waiting while the older woman came to the door.
“Angel!” Carla Langdon stepped into the hall and hugged the younger woman before she could escape. “Mah Chow is so worried about you! She said she sent your young man to rescue you. Are you alright? Oh, dear, you’re bruised…”
“I’m okay, Mrs. Langdon. Just need my key to get back inside,” Angel took half a step back.
“You aren’t okay, Angel,” Carla shook her head at her. “I saw you come back from running this morning. Then…you were okay. Now…not so much.”
“We’re going to look out for her.”
Angel spun at the deep, familiar voice. She stumbled back when Colin’s hand came out to take the key offered by Mrs. Langdon.
“Colin Whetstone,” he said, politely offering his palm to the woman staring at him. “Pleased to meet you formally, Mrs. Langdon.”
“You’re her young man…you were here yesterday,” Carla said with a nod of approval. “Good. You look sturdy and capable,” she took his palm and shook hands with him. “Hmm…nice grip, my Charlie would approve. I called the police when I saw them take her out of here. Makes me wish I had a dog I could sic on them.”
Colin laughed, his hand slowly settling at Angel’s waist. “I’ll do my best to keep them away from her, Mrs. Langdon.” His fingers closed around the key. “Right now, I’m going to get her fed and some rest.”
“Good man,” Carla said, standing and watching them walk toward the stairs before closing her door.
“You should leave,” Angel shrugged away from him, taking several rapid steps forward and snagging her key in the process. “I meant what I said. I won’t have either of you becoming targets because I have nut relatives.”
Bailey clenched her fists at her sides when the warm, possessive palm wiped the tears from her face.
“We won’t let her push you away, Bailey,” Gabe tipped her chin up and kissed her. “Let’s go home and give them some space. Colin will make sure she’s not alone.”
“I don’t remember asking your choice in this, Angel,” Colin’s hand was up on the edge of the door the instant she opened it inward.
“You can’t fight him. All you’ll do is make him more determined. All it’ll do is convince him that I’m the cause of all his problems,” Angel continued through the apartment and into the bedroom.
“Letting the press in on this behavior…”
“Would galvanize people to his side,” she interrupted. “Don’t you see? It’ll just set up an ‘us’ versus them scenario. It won’t stop him. To stop him, you have to make him see reason and sense. He believes what he’s saying…”
“No.” The single word came out sharply. “He uses you to galvanize the people around him and get money for his church. He uses you to show them what a generous, caring father he is for trying so desperately to help his only daughter. Why the hell do you think he stages it all so carefully? The white dress? Please…” Colin met the glare she offered from across her bedroom. “I think every now and then, donations fall off and he drags you into his scope to use as a tool to get money from members of the congregation.”
Angel closed her mouth, her mind busy going over his words.
“I’ve never seen his accounting books,” she said thoughtfully.
“I’m guessing not too many people have,” Colin responded, taking in a slow breath. He shrugged out of his coat and laid it over the large chair in her bedroom before sitting down and watching her. He leaned his elbows on his knees, hands clasp in the center. “He’s not crazy, Angel. And I’m not sure he even believes the garbage he spews. Come over here,” he said with an unshakable confidence, one hand turned palm up and waiting. “Angel…lose the scrubs first.”
She stood staring at him. “I don’t need taken care of. I can handle my own problems.” She didn’t like the itchy feeling at the back of her neck. At all. The man had a way of staring at her that seemed to make every nerve come alive and annoy her until she did what he wanted. Like now.
The scrubs had been comfortable. Soft and worn from washings. Then he wanted them gone and suddenly her skin felt smothered. How did he manage to make her twitchy? How did she let it happen and why the hell was he so patient?
He sat waiting. His head cocked to the side and one brow arched expectantly. His palm hadn’t moved.
Angel let loose with a little snarl and grabbed the edge of the top she wore. She flung it toward the unmade bed before sliding the stretchy band of the pants down her legs. She had a vague memory of her step-mother and one of her friends dressing her in the white dress. She remembered struggling and trying to push them away. At least they’d left her with her panties.
And that’s what she presented to him now. Angel in panties and nothing else.
Even though she was mostly staring into his eyes, she saw the slight come-hither wiggle of his fingers. Pushing a huff of exasperation between her lips, she stepped forward and placed her hand in his.
“It’s nice to know that beneath that delicious surface lies a heart of defiance,” Colin curled his fingers around her hand and tugged her closer. He wasn’t sure what exposure to her father and brothers might have done to their time together. But at the moment, it appeared it was mostly Angel fighting him.
That he knew how to handle.
“Why won’t you listen to me?”
“I listen to every word, pet. I’m just naturally arrogant,” he answered with a slight grin. “It’s part of the Dom in me. How are you feeling, Angel?”
“I’m fine,” she answered with an automation that made him think of a computer. His thumb stroked lightly over the back of her hand. And he stared up at her. She sighed. “I have a headache…the doctor said it might be from the…the drug…”
“What else?”
“I’m a little tired. I wasn’t before. After my run, I felt so energized and…rested,” she whispered, biting the inside of her cheek. “I slept so good for once…I wanted to come home and cook and…”
“They took it all away from you,” Colin finished her sentence with a little nod. “I made a mistake by not telling you I expected you to remain with me all night, Angel. I’m sorry. We’re not perfect,” he winked when she looked at him with skepticism in her eyes. “I had intentions of keeping you away from here all weekend.”