Mercy's Angels Box Set (82 page)

Something was wrong. While it wasn’t unusual for Annie to have the occasional jittery day and her thoughts distant, she seemed to be balancing on a ledge right now and one wrong word would topple her over. I had driven Annie and Eli home from the coffee shop and when I had tried to leave, Annie asked me if I wanted to stay for dinner. It had been a long time since I had just hung out with them so casually, and while I was grateful for the chance, I was also beginning to think Annie had ulterior motives for asking me to stay. Now that Eli was tucked away in bed, Annie sat at the corner couch, pretending to watch a movie, while most of her concentration was focused out the window and on the street below.

“So, Sunshine, you going to tell me what has you so wired tonight?” My voice obviously startled her, and she spilled some of her coffee in her lap. “Shit,” I whispered, grabbing a wash cloth to help her clean up the spill. “Did you get burned?” I asked, brushing her hands away when she tried to take the cloth from me.

“Only a bit, it’s not bad at all.”

“Let me see.” I grabbed the bottom of her skirt and Annie’s hands frantically reached for mine to stop me.

“No way, mister, you just want a chance to peek under my skirt,” she huffed. God, she was adorable.

“Annie,” I said in my most stern voice, which when it came to Annie wasn’t very stern at all, “while the thought of getting a chance to glance up your skirt is somewhat appealing, I’m not going to use the excuse of a severe injury to do so.” She rolled her eyes, and it was so reminiscent of Eli that I actually laughed out loud. “I’m not going to peek at your sexy undergarments, my lady. I just want to check your leg to see if you need burn cream.” I pushed her reluctant hands away and gathered her skirt, drawing it over her knees. Her skin was so soft I had to force myself to keep my hands safely wrapped around the fabric. A nasty red mark marred her pretty skin. It wasn’t blistered, but it warranted burn cream. “Let me get something for this.” I had looked after Eli enough to know where the first aid kit was and grabbed it from the bathroom before kneeling back in front of Annie who was looking out the window again. I rubbed a little cream into the burn, stifled a groan, and lowered her skirt, so I wouldn’t jump the beauty like a rabid, sex-crazed dog. When I glanced up, Annie’s eyes were finally on me. I leaned forward and rubbed my thumb over the little line between her brows. “You want to tell me what created this?” I whispered.

“Just a bad day,” she lied. I could tell it was a lie; Annie couldn’t lie worth a damn. Her eyes moved away from mine and her body tensed.

“Hmmmm, you want to tell me what’s so interesting out that window? It’s enough to make a man feel vulnerable ignoring him the way you are.”

“I’m not ignoring you. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Sunshine, I know something’s got you scared. You don’t have to make excuses for me to stay. I’m happy to hang around, but I need you to tell me what’s bothering you so I can fix it.” Something flickered in her eyes, desperation? Hope? Then, like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere, her lips pressed hard against mine. I was so shocked it took me a moment to respond, and when I finally did, it felt wrong. The kiss wasn’t one of longing or want; it was one of desperation and confusion. With a gentle hand, I pushed her back, putting some space between us. “Annie, what’s going on?”

“I know it hasn’t been that long since you kissed a girl, Dillon,” she snapped, and it was so un-Annie-like it had me resting back on my heels, putting even more space between us.

“No, it hasn’t been, so I know when a woman is kissing me because she wants to and when a woman is kissing me because she needs to. That kiss was one of need, one of you needing me to stop asking questions.” Her pale cheeks flushed with anger, and she swiftly stood which had me falling back on my ass.

“You can leave now. I’m fine. I’m certain Melinda can give you the kisses you want if I’m not up to par.”

Her words pissed me off, but I understood this wasn’t my usual Annie talking. This was scared Annie, and I just wanted to know what the fuck had her feathers so damn ruffled. As much as she was pushing for an argument, I knew it wouldn’t solve anything. Annie was the type of woman to put a wide open field of space between her and anything that made her uncomfortable. I reigned in my temper and stood.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay if I leave? I’m happy to crash on the couch if you want.”

“No, you can go. I don’t want you to keep Melinda waiting.”

Okay, now she sounded like a damn jealous school girl. I didn’t like it and not because she sounded childish, but because I knew my rejection of our first kiss had upset her. I grabbed her chin and lifted her gaze to mine.

“Sunshine, I’m not seeing Melinda anymore and you know that, and that kiss . . . no matter if it was for all the wrong reasons, it eclipsed anything I’ve ever experienced with any other woman. When we kiss for all the right reasons, it’s going to bring you to your knees.” I kissed her cheek. “Now, last chance, do you want me to sleep on the couch?” She shook her head, apparently speechless. “Okay then, I’m going to head out, but I want you to call me for anything, even if you just want to hear my manly voice.” I winked and watched her lips curve up.

As I reached the door, I paused and saw the conflict on her face. But she didn’t say anything, and I wouldn’t push her. Leaving just about tore my heart out and I contemplated sleeping in my car in the street out front. I had to put faith in the security of her home, and I had to believe that Annie would call me if she needed me.

***

“What do you mean he’s missed his last three appointments? You are supposed to contact his parole officer the minute he misses one!” I was shouting, and I never shouted. I was renowned for not losing my shit. Sure I got impatient, I huffed and puffed a whole lot, and people moved right the hell out of my way when stress pushed me into a foul mood, but I never lost my shit.

Dr. Powalski sighed from her end of the phone. “I know, but he had done so well over the last eight months I wanted to give him a chance; he’s never been so much as late for a single appointment.”

“All the more reason to call it in when he’s a no-show!” I growled. Fuck, I needed to calm down.

“It was reported this morning. His wife called yesterday asking my receptionist for some information about Phillip. She was quite upset when we couldn’t help her, but she must understand we have an obligation to keep our client’s personal information private. Will you please pass on my apologies?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Annie had phoned about Phillip? “What kind of information was she after?”

“I think she was after a phone number, but due to patient confidentiality we just can’t give out the information. We can take her phone number and pass it on to Phillip if she wishes.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll talk to Annie. If you hear from Phillip, will you please let me know?”

“Of course, Mr. Montgomery.”

“Thank you.” I hung up before the doctor had a chance to say anything more. I was angry and completely confused. Annie would never initiate a meeting with Phillip, and yesterday she had been terrified. Phillip was missing; perhaps he had approached her first? I stood from my desk and growled—yep, actually fucking growled. I had an hour to get home, don a suit, and get to Annie’s to pick her and Gabbie up for the fundraiser tonight. My mind was whirling with questions, but they would have to wait. I wasn’t going to allow Phillip Lonergan to ruin my and Annie’s first date. Kicking my office door shut, I made my way down the elevator and to my car, the entire time grumbling like a bear with a sore tooth.

***

Braiden shrugged, and his cavalier attitude pissed me off.

“She tried to contact him!” I said again a little more clearly.

“He is her husband.”

“Ex-husband.”

“They aren’t divorced, so they are still husband and wife.”

“Damn it, Braiden, I’m going to kick your ass!”

“For what, stating the truth?”

We were standing in the foyer and I was struggling with my tie. I hated ties. Emily stepped around Braiden and brushed my hands away.

“Maybe he threatened her, maybe that’s why she tried to call him?”

“And maybe she wants to make their separation final and divorce him; perhaps she called to let him know her intention.” Braiden said with a frustrating calm.

“She doesn’t need to let him know. A lawyer can take care of all that.”

“Annie can’t afford a lawyer, but perhaps Phillip can. Maybe she hoped he would offer to take care of it.”

“Fuck you, Braiden. Why do you have to be so damn logical all the time?”

He shrugged as Emily finished my tie and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back into his chest.

“Let him tie his own ties in the future,” he whispered into her neck. “He’s like a grumpy ol’ bear straight out of hibernation.”

Emily wrapped her hands around Braiden’s. “No, he’s a man in love and worried about his family. Stop being such an ass.”

I smiled, I couldn’t help myself. Sweet, mild, and meek Emily rarely cussed and never berated Braiden. As far as she was concerned, he could do little wrong. Whatever Braiden whispered in her ear made her turn ten shades of red, and a pang of jealousy flooded my veins. Not because I wanted Emily; I wanted what they had, the easy, loving comfort of one another. I grabbed my keys and shoved my phone in my jacket pocket.

“Dillon, go easy on her. Annie is a good woman. I’m sure she has a reason for trying to contact Phillip, and they would be fair reasons. This is supposed to be a special night for the two of you and the start of something new. Don’t go in guns blazing.” And again with the voice of reason!

“I don’t want to start something new with lies and secrets,” I carefully explained. “I know Annie will have a good reason for contacting Phillip, and perhaps it is none of my business, but I hope she would want me to know and trust me with whatever is going on.” Braiden nodded in agreement. “Behave yourselves while I’m gone,” I muttered, heading for the garage.

“We won’t wait up,” Braiden called out.

By the time I pulled up in front of Annie’s apartment, I had decided I needed to know what was going on with her and Phillip, but I wanted her to tell me. It would be a sign that she trusted me, and I needed that sign. Even though the wall between Annie and me was slowly falling down, I needed more. Collecting the roses from the passenger seat, I left my jacket behind and smoothed down my dress shirt. I was as nervous as a goddamn virgin about to get his cherry popped, and no matter how hard I tried to force my composure, it just wasn’t going to happen. Annie was the only woman to ever wrap me up in knots. She had bathed me with her sunshine and warmth, and now I was addicted to it. I just needed her trust, and I hoped she was brave enough to give it to me.

I swept the last strand of hair off my neck and pinned it in place. A healthy dose of hair spray later, I stood back and admired my form in Eli’s cracked mirror. The dress I wore had a decidedly Grecian goddess flair, pinned to one shoulder with a rhinestone arrangement. It featured a shutter-pleated bodice, which cleverly added volume, while the empire cut created the illusion of height. With an overlay that draped gracefully in front and sprinkled with silvery sequins, the black dress with its silver shimmer was graceful and stunning. I had never worn anything like it. I knew if I’d returned to the car that day back in Holton Springs without shopping bags, Dillon would have walked me back inside and demanded I bought something. I had found it on a clearance rack, half the usual price. It was still way outside the realm of anything I could ever afford, but I had thrown caution and sensibility to the wind and was now more than a little grateful. The dress looked spectacular. It made me feel like a Greek goddess, and since this was my first ball and first date with Dillon, I needed all the bolstering I could get. Between the nervous flutter in my chest over my first date with Dillon and the constant worry about the threatening phone call from yesterday, I was a mess. Eli had only been gone two hours, and I had already called Rebecca and Charlie’s three times to check on him.

“Wow, that dress is beautiful,” whispered Gabbie, startling me. I glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked . . . stunning. Tall, svelte, and seductive in a strapless, red satin dress that wrapped around her curves like a smooth flowing sheet of water, she was the embodiment of perfection. Gabbie’s skin was a delicious sun-kissed bronze, and her dark hair hung to her waist, perfectly straight, not a single kink or wave. She was everything I wasn’t. And she was looking at me with something akin to longing. We looked at each other and sighed. “You’re gorgeous, you’re slim, you positively glow,” she said a little solemnly. “You are perfect.”

I gawked at her.

“Are you serious?” I asked. “Gabbie, you have the most amazing curves. Your breasts, my god, you actually have breasts, and your legs are like a thousand feet long. Your skin is flawless, not even a damn freckle. If anyone in this room is even close to perfect, it’s you.” We stared at each other a moment before both smiling. “We are never happy with what we have, are we?” I chuckled.

“Screw that,” Gabbie said, throwing a hand dramatically in the air. “We are amazing, we are beautiful, and we are going to walk into that ball with the most handsome almost-bachelor in Claymont.” She leaned into the mirror to check her makeup.

“Almost bachelor?” I wondered.

Gabbie snorted. “Everyone knows that man only has eyes for one woman.” Gabbie fought a grin, almost daring me to disagree.

“He’s crazy. I come with more baggage than an airplane hangar. He should be with someone normal.”

“There’s no such thing as normal.” Gabbie pulled away from the mirror. “And everyone has baggage.” Her teasing spirit seemed to dull under memories. I didn’t know Gabbie that well, but it was no secret that she had lost her husband only a few short years ago.

“What was his name?” I found myself asking.

Gabbie seemed surprised by my question, but her tender smile told me she wasn’t offended by it. “Jase,” she said with a wistful sigh.

“What was he like?”

Gabbie’s gaze was distant with obvious memories. “He was everything I wasn’t, calm, tender, playful, romantic. He wasn’t on the force. He was a teacher and therefore completely untainted by the world I lived in. He was always optimistic, a cup-half-full kind of guy.” Her distant gaze crossed to mine. “He was the kind of man who would wait up all night for me to come home from work, even if it meant he worked the next day with little to no sleep. He would serve me pancakes in bed every Sunday morning, and he would stop to kiss me no matter where we were, because he said he just had to.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

“He sounds amazing.” Gabbie simply nodded. “He sounds like the type of man who wouldn’t want you to be unhappy, who would want you to move on and live life to the fullest.”

She sighed heavily. “That’s exactly the kind of man he was.” She turned and left Eli’s room, and I followed her to the living area where we both gathered our purses. Dillon was due any moment.

“What about Bomber?” I finally asked. “He seems quite taken with you.”

Gabbie laughed and shook her head. “Bomber is too arrogant, and he has a protective streak a mile long. He would want to wrap me in bubblewrap and tuck me away in a box. That’s not who I am. I love what I do. Jase supported what I did; even though it scared him, he never stopped me from being who I am.”

“I think you’re wrong. Bomber isn’t the type of man to shelve a woman. Yes, he would want to protect you, but he’d never stop you from being the woman you are. I think that’s part of the reason he looks at you the way he does. He admires you.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Gabbie smiled.

“Saved by the bell,” she murmured as she moved to open the door.

Suddenly, I felt too nervous, too hot, too exposed. I fidgeted with my little black purse and shuffled on uncertain feet. As the door opened wide, the breath was dragged from my body in an audible whoosh. Dillon looked stunning. In an immaculate black suit with his silver tie in place, clean shaven, short hair finger combed with messy yet deliberate purpose, he was the epitome of male perfection. In one hand, he carried a bouquet of roses, and I wondered how I hadn’t seen him collect them from Rebecca’s today—he wouldn’t dare purchase flowers from anyone other than Rebecca. Gabbie, in her equally exquisite splendor, stood to one side, watching Dillon whose eyes were fastened to me. He was frozen in place, his jaw slightly agape as he took a long leisurely stroll from my black heels to the elegant hair swept off my neck. I blushed, unable to not be affected by his hungry gaze.

Gabbie smiled, looking from Dillon to me. “I feel like such a third wheel. I should have sucked it up and let Daniel take me to the ball.” That seemed to break the spell. Dillon grinned and stepped into the room.

“Is it too cliché to say I feel as though I’ve just stepped into heaven and I’m surrounded by angels?”

“Yes,” Gabbie chuckled.

“Wicked angels,” Dillon said, giving her a quick, playful wink. He leaned forward and gave Gabbie a chaste kiss on the cheek, handing her the bouquet of pink roses. “I’ve been told to make sure you are aware that pink roses represent admiration and gratitude.”

Gabbie blushed as she took the flowers from him. It was such a beautiful gesture I couldn’t find it in me to be jealous.

When his grey eyes settled on mine, he stepped forward,  a single, red rose in his hand. He gave it a quick inspection before walking towards me. “I was worried it might have got damaged,” he explained nervously, offering it to me. “This one, I think, is pretty self-explanatory.” I found myself speechless as Dillon stood confidently before me, his hands in his pockets. “But just in case, it represents beauty, courage, respect . . . and love.”

I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t speak.

Gabbie cleared her throat from somewhere behind us. “I might just wait in the hallway.”

It snapped me into action, and even though I wanted to lean forward and kiss the ever loving life right out of him, I settled for a chaste kiss on the cheek and stepped away to fetch a vase for the flowers. I didn’t dare look at either of them. I had taken the coward’s way out, and I didn’t want to see the pity in Gabbie’s eyes or the frustration in Dillon’s.

“When did you become such a romantic, Boss?” Gabbie broke the silence.

“My sisters,” Dillon explained. “And romance movies.”

“You watch romance movies?” Gabbie gasped, shocked. She came up beside me and gave my shoulder a gentle nudge before placing her flowers in the vase I had just filled with water.

“Can you picture Dillon sitting at home in front of his big, fancy TV watching The Notebook?”

A small snort slipped out as I chuckled. “Oddly enough, I can. He’s a big softy at heart.”

“Hey now, you’re going to damage my street cred talking like that. I’m all badass and there isn’t anything soft about me.”

Gabbie burst out laughing, and I quickly followed. Dillon blushed, his words quite obviously not meant the way both Gabbie and I took them. He regathered quickly, though, his grin wide and cheeky.

“Now, enough talking about my manhood. We need to get going or we’ll be late.”

“There is nothing wrong with a man watching romance,” Gabbie murmured as we stepped out into the corridor. “If more men watched chick flicks, they might have a better chance of knowing what a woman really wants in a man.”

Alison and Stephan were walking down the narrow hall towards us, both looking a little harried. They eyed my companions with suspicion.

“Wow, Annie, you look incredible.” Alison said, any stress she had shown moments ago disappearing under her familiar friendly smile.

“Thank you,” I replied awkwardly. “A rare night out without Eli. I feel like I’m missing a limb,” I chuckled.

“Where is the little tyke?” Stephan asked, glancing around to peer into my apartment as I pulled the door closed.

“He’s staying with friends tonight,” I admitted as Dillon took my hand.

“You both have a nice night,” Dillon said, gently pulling me down the hallway.

“You too,” Alison called out.

Peering back over my shoulder, I watched Alison tug on Stephan’s hand, and he followed her into their apartment. They really did seem like such a nice couple. Perhaps I should invite them over for dinner.

“They are odd,” Gabbie quietly confessed. Dillon grunted his accord.

“They’re harmless. They adore Eli because they can’t have children of their own. They spoil him rotten,” I whispered.

“My favorite is Speed,” Dillon said, changing the topic rather abruptly.

Gabbie smiled, her perfect, white teeth bright behind her deep red lipstick. “That’s not a romance!”

“Of course it is. They totally hook up and kiss at the end, and in case you didn’t realize it, the heroine’s name was Annie.” Dillon winked as he opened the passenger door for me.

“What’s your favorite, Annie?” Gabbie asked as she carefully sat into the backseat.

I thought about it for a moment. I wasn’t the world’s biggest movie buff, but I liked romance. “Meet Joe Black. Brad Pitt in that movie . . . oh, lord, it still gives me tingles.”

Dillon raised a brow.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” purred Gabbie.

“What about you, Gabriella?” asked Dillon.

“I hate romance. My favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs.”

“Gabbie, that movie is scary as hell.”

“I know, right? It puts the lotion on its skin,” she said, quoting the movie as I fought a shiver. I hated horror movies; I’d seen enough horror in my life.

“You have sisters?” I asked Dillon, changing the subject. I realized then I knew very little about his family.

“I have two older sisters,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat. “I learned pretty early on that dealing with females takes a certain amount of diplomacy and sometimes gentle persuasion.”

“Is that so?” The tone in Gabbie’s voice made Dillon shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“Mostly I learned to pay attention and listen. After all . . . they are the wiser and more supreme of the species in almost every way.” Dillon grinned triumphantly, and Gabbie rolled her eyes. “Impressive, right?” Dillon whispered my way.

“I think you layered it on a little thick,” I remarked dryly.

“What do you mean ‘almost every way’?” Gabbie asked.

Dillon’s eyes shot to the rearview mirror before focusing back on the road ahead. “Well,” Dillon carefully began, “I’ve never met a woman who can handle barbequing as good as me.” Gabbie snorted, but kept quiet. “And we can pee standing up.” Gabbie tried to muffle her laughter, and it came out a tight, choked sound. The playful banter between Gabbie and Dillon helped settle my nerves. It had been far too long since I had dressed up. It was my first ever formal event, and I was going as Dillon’s date. I wanted to forget my worries, just for one night. I wanted this, and someone was trying to take it away from me. Fear was a darkness that surrounded me, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. Were these so called men watching me now? Were they watching Eli? God, I shouldn’t be here. I should be at home. Eli should be with me so I could protect him. What the hell was wrong with me? Now wasn’t the time for fancy dresses and social outings; now was the time to lock down the hatches and protect what’s mine! My fingers were locked together in a vice like grip as I tried to settle the panic attack that threatened to swallow me.