Unbearable (Undescribable) (21 page)

I slowly walk back to the door and place my ear to
it. I don’t hear anything, so I slowly unlock the door and peek out. It’s too
dark for me to see anything, but I will feel much safer once I get back to our
bedroom. I just need to wake Slade and get to my cell phone.

I step out into the hallway as I hold onto the bat
for dear life. As I take a step toward our bedroom, I feel the hairs on the
back of my neck stand up. Before I can turn around a hand covers my mouth. I
try to scream while I try to swing the bat around, but an arm goes around my
stomach and pulls me backward.

“Shh. It’s me, Angel,” Slade whispers into my ear.

I relax as he pulls me back into the office.

He releases me and shuts the door once again.
“Where in the fuck have you been?” he demands in a quiet voice as soon as the
door is closed.

“Really?” I hold up the bat. “You want to have this
conversation now? A noise woke me then I tried to wake you.” I squint in the
dark trying to make out his face.

“And when I didn’t wake up, you decided to go
attack an intruder with a bat?” he snaps.

“No. I didn’t know there was someone in the house.
I—”

“We don’t have time for this,” he says turning away
from me. “The police are on their way. I need to go and see if someone is still
in the house.”

I bite my bottom lip, not wanting him to leave me
to check the house. “Please don’t,” I say shakily. I don’t want something to
happen to him.

He ignores my plea as he goes over to his closet.
He reaches up, grabbing a small black case from the top shelf. He lays it on
his desk and unlocks it, pulling out a gun. He releases the clip and checks it
before sliding it back in.

I swallow nervously. The fact that he’s carrying a
gun makes me even more uncomfortable. I’m not afraid of guns. Hell, I was
raised around guns, but I don’t know if he knows how to use one. What if the burglar
is still in the house and takes it from him?

He walks toward the door and turns to lock it
before he looks up at me. “Don’t fucking leave this room!” he warns before he
walks out and closes it.

I stand there staring at the door, praying he will
be okay. I wait in the dark silence, listening for a gunshot or for someone to
scream. My throat tightens and tears threaten my eyes. What would I do if
something happened to him? It would be all my fault.

Making up my mind and not caring that he told me to
wait, I unlock the door and walk out of the office in search of Slade. I once
again try listening for any kind of sound, but hear nothing. I decide to head
to the living room, since you can see into the kitchen and the hallway leading
to the bedrooms from there.

I take my time trying to be as quiet as possible,
and thanking God that he has carpet and not hardwood floors, which would
clearly give me away. I tighten my hands on the bat as I come to the end of the
hallway. Looking into the kitchen, I don’t see anyone and continue on to the
living room. Once in the living room, I place my back against the fireplace so
I can get a better view.

I stand there and the silence eats at me. Why can’t
I even hear Slade walking around? Has the burglar already attacked him? Just
because I haven’t heard a gunshot doesn’t mean that he can’t be hurt somewhere
in the house.

“Slade?” I whisper, trying to ignore the tears that
run down my cheek and my wobbly legs that are threatening to give out.

“Slade?” I whisper again.
Nothing!
I let out
a shaky breath and shuffle my weight from foot to foot.

My head snaps over to the hallway leading to the
bedrooms when I hear the faint noise of a door opening. As I start to walk in
that direction, I hear Slade’s voice. “What the fuck?”

I don’t even think twice. I take off in a mad dash
toward the hallway. As soon as I round the corner, I run straight into him,
knocking us both to the ground.

I don’t even have time to react before he is up and
on top of me. “Where the fuck were you?” he shouts looking down at me.

I stare at him wide-eyed, trying to catch my
breath. “Uh, I was….”

He jumps up off of me and yanks me by my wrist to
stand. I bite my lip to keep from crying out from the pain in my arm.

I rub my shoulder when he turns and walks away. I
follow him into the main entryway to see the front door open. He slams it shut
with his foot. “Where in the fuck are the police?”

I frown. They should have already arrived.

Then he turns to face me. “Why didn’t you stay in
the office?” He takes a step toward me.

I chew on my bottom lip to keep it from quivering,
and shrug. What can I say? I would just be repeating the same words that I had
said when he got in that fight outside of Larry’s a couple of months ago.

That I wanted to help.

That I didn’t want to see him get hurt.

“Nothing? You have nothing?” he demands.

I shake my head, trying not to cry.

“That’s a first,” he hisses, turning away from me.

I know why he’s being so hateful, it’s because he
was scared something happened to me. If there’s one thing I know about Slade,
it’s that he gets angry when he’s worried.

“Finally,” he says making me jump when we hear the
sirens. “Sit down on the couch and cover yourself with a blanket.” He doesn’t
even bother to turn around and look at me.

I sit down, pulling the blanket off the back of the
couch and cry quietly as he ushers the cops inside.

As soon as the cops enter the house, all of the
lights come on. “That storm knocked out a couple of blocks,” an officer says,
talking to Slade.

“Were there other houses hit as well while the
power was out?”

“Not that we know of.”

Hmm, so that’s why there was no dial tone on the
phone. A storm had knocked the power out.

I stay on the couch as Slade walks them through the
house, straining to listen to everything they are saying.

From the broken glass in the laundry room, they are
sure that is where they entered. Nothing seems to have been taken. What I heard
was them knocking over a glass mug that was sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Did you see anyone?” the cops ask Slade.

“No. I woke up and found Angel in the hallway. Then
I went into the office and grabbed my gun. By the time I made my way to the end
of the hallway, I saw the front door was already open.”

I place my head in my hands and let out a long
breath. Thank God whoever it was had already left by the time he went looking
for them.

I jump off of the couch when I feel a hand on my
back. “It’s okay, Miss,” an officer says, pulling his hand away from me.

“Is there anything you can add?” he asks nicely.

I shake my head no, as a tear runs down my face.
“It’s late,” Slade says, coming up to me. “Why don’t you go to bed.” It wasn’t
a request. He looks at the cops. “I can answer any additional questions you
have.”

“Of course. If you think of anything else, please
contact us.”

Before I can respond, Slade is pulling me toward
our bedroom. He steers us inside, and I wipe the tears from my face as he turns
to face me.

I expect him to start yelling at me and demand
answers for why I didn’t listen to him. Instead, he wraps his arms around me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, rubbing my back.

“Did I hurt you when we fell in the hallway?” He
pulls back from me to look into my eyes.

“No.” He looks at me as if he doesn’t believe me.

“Lift your arms.” I release the blanket and do as
he says and he pulls his shirt up over my head. Once he inspects my body, he
nods his head as if satisfied that he didn’t find anything.

He pulls me over to the bed and kisses me on the
forehead. “Try to get some sleep, okay? I’m going to do another walk-through of
the house with the officers and then I will come to bed.”

“Okay,” I comply, trying to muster some courage and
not ask the stupid questions in my head.

What if he or she comes back?

If nothing was taken, then what was he or she
looking for?

Do you think it’s someone we know?

Why can’t I stay in the living room? Does you really
think I want to be in the room alone?

Instead, I just nod my head.

He leans down and kisses my forehead again. I stand
there and watch as he leaves the bedroom. I plop down on the bed with relief
when he doesn’t close the door.

I take a deep breath. The police being here makes me
feel much safer but not completely at ease.

I see a light fill the room
and then hear a loud noise. I sit straight up in bed trying to breathe.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Slade sits up grabbing my arm.

I whip my head to face him. “I heard… someone….” I
try to talk, but my mind is in panic mode and my heart is beating out of my
chest.

He stares at me for a few seconds before he wraps
his arms around me and pulls me into him. “It’s just a storm, Angel. No one is
here,” he says in a rush.

I try pushing away from him, but he holds me tight.
“Are you sure?” I hate this feeling, the feeling that someone may be in our
house. I know that it was just thunder because I continue to see the lightning
strikes and can hear the loud booms following. But after tonight, I can’t seem
to shake the thought of someone wanting something from us. If I knew who they
were and what they wanted, I would gladly give it to them.

“I promise, Angel.” He rubs my back. “But if you
want, I will go and check the house, if that will make you feel safer?”

“No.” I close my eyes. “Please don’t. Stay here,
with me,” I whisper, hating that I’m being such a freaking baby about this.

“Okay,” he says softly as he lies down bringing my
head to rest on his chest.

I lay there listening to his heartbeat. It’s
beating just as fast as mine. “Are you okay?” I ask quietly.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Your heart is beating fast.”

“That’s because you scared the shit out of me,” he
says seriously.

I swallow nervously, feeling like an idiot. “I
didn’t mean to,” I mumble.

“I know.” He is quiet as I close my eyes and try to
not jump every time I hear the thunder. I keep thinking it’s someone pounding
on our bedroom door.

“What do you think they wanted?” I ask keeping my
eyes closed.

He removes me from lying on top of him and places
me beside him before he props himself up on one elbow. “I don’t know,” he
contemplates, as if he’s been trying to figure that out himself. “But I promise
you, they won’t get it.” He may look confused, but his words hold truth to
them. “I promise, Angel, no one is going to hurt you.”

I nod and wrap my arms around him as I snuggle up
to his body. It’s not me that I’m worried about. “You make me feel safe.”

“You
are
safe. I have the gun by the bed and
I will stay up the rest of the night to make sure nothing happens.”

“You need sleep, Slade,” I say as I yawn. I don’t
know what time it is, but it has to be almost morning. I’m sure the clouds and
storm are keeping the skies dark, making it seem earlier than it really is.

He leans down and kisses my hair. “All I need is
you safe, and if I have to stay up, I will.”

My heavy eyes close and I take in a deep breath.
His scent makes me smile as I think about how lucky I am to have him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

There is no way I could
sleep even if I tried. She was right when she said my heart was beating fast.
The look on her face when she woke up had me scared shitless. She looked absolutely
horrified. I know she is shaken up from the break-in. I had felt that same fear
when I opened the office door to find her missing. I should have known she
wouldn’t listen to me, but the first thought I had was that the intruder had
somehow gotten into that room and taken her.

I yelled at her when we ran into each other in the
hall, but I was able to mask my temper pretty quickly. She was clearly upset
and scared, and me screaming at her, asking pointless questions, wasn’t going
to change that.

If I had been home alone, I would not have been as
scared. My greatest fear is to lose her. I always thought it would be because I
fucked up somehow and she would no longer love me, but tonight taught me that
someone’s hatred toward me could also take her from me.

I have plenty of enemies through my line of work.
Anyone that knows she is important to me could try to use Angel against me.
There is no limit to what I would do to keep her safe; any idiot could figure
that out pretty easily.

I look down at her sleeping face and thank God that
nothing happened to her. I searched this house up and down and did not find
anything. I even went downstairs to the basement to check.

Nothing!

Then when I came back upstairs the front door was wide
open. I didn’t know if it was a ploy to make me think the intruder had left, or
that he had heard me looking for him and was scared off. Whatever the reason, I
went straight to the office hoping they hadn’t grabbed Angel.

Once I walked her back to the bedroom, the cops and
I did another walk through of the house. They didn’t found anything, which I
had already told them was what would happen. I just wanted them out of my house
and Angel in my arms.

As my mind continues to wonder who the hell it
could have been and what exactly they wanted, the storm begins to die down and
the clouds fade away, allowing the sunlight to filter into the room.

I decide it doesn’t matter what they were looking
for, all that matters is they won’t be allowed a second chance.

“I want an alarm system
installed,” I say to the woman on the other end of the line.

“Okay, sir. We have an opening on Tuesday,” she
informs me.

“No. I want it done today.”

“I’m sorry, sir, our installation team works Monday
through Friday only.”

I don’t want to wait that long, but I guess I have
no choice. “Okay,” I agree reluctantly. “If you have a cancellation tomorrow,
please notify me.”

“Absolutely, sir.”

After I give her my information and we schedule an
appointment, we hang up. I look at the time on my phone and it reads almost
eleven in the morning. I get up from the kitchen table and walk into the bedroom
to check on Angel. When satisfied that she is still sleeping, I turn and walk
to the laundry room. I look at the glass that is scattered on the tiled floor
and then to the broken window.

I pull out my phone again and make a call to my
brother.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man. Are you doing anything today?”

“No. What’s up? Need something?”

“Yes. Actually.” I take a deep breath before I fill
him in on all of the events that took place early this morning.

“Holy shit! Are you guys okay?” he asks in a rush, and
I hear Holly’s worried voice in the background, asking him what is wrong.

“Yeah. I was worried about Angel and of course she
was pretty shaken up, but we are fine.” I turn to walk back to the kitchen.
“The alarm company is coming Tuesday. The glass company is coming to replace
the window tomorrow. I was wondering if you could run to Lowe’s for me and pick
up some plywood and help me cover this window until then.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. I would go myself, but Angel is still
sleeping and I don’t want to wake her. Or have her wake up and me not be here.”

“I understand. No worries. We’re already walking
out the door on our way. Text me the size that you need and we will see you
guys shortly.”

“Thanks, man.”

“No need to thank me.”

We hang up and I go to the bedroom and lie down
next to Angel. As soon as I place my arm over her, she sits straight up in bed.

“It’s okay,” I reassure her quickly, “it’s just
me.”

She falls back onto the bed and covers her face
with her arm.

“Hey,” I prod gently. This has really shaken her
up.

She removes her arm and rolls over to face me. “I
think I’m going crazy.” She gives a little laugh.

“It’s understandable to be a little shaken up,
Angel.” I pull her close to me.

She snuggles up to me and kisses my chest before
releasing a sigh. “Let’s never leave this bed again.”

“Best idea ever,” I agree.

“What time is it?” she mumbles.

“I think around noon.”

She groans. “I have to be at work to open at five.”

“You’re not working today,” I state.

“Slade. I have to go into work.”

“Not today you don’t. I want to spend the day with
you.”

She doesn’t respond, but I know that keeping her
home from work today will not be easy. I need to know that she is safe right
now. And I can’t keep an eye on her while she’s working at the bar.

The doorbell pulls me from my thoughts. “Who could
that be?” she says moving away from me.

“It’s probably Micah. I asked him to pick up some
wood so I can cover the broken window.”

“What?” she asks confused. “Why don’t you put a new
window in?”

“They are coming tomorrow to replace it, but until
then I want that hole covered.”

She agrees, getting out of bed. “I’m going to get
dressed, then I’ll be out.”

I shut the door so she can get ready, and make it to
the door just as the doorbell chimes again.

I open the door and Courtney doesn’t waste a second
as she darts into the house. “Where is Sam?”

I point down the hallway. “Bedroom.” Then I turn
back to Josh. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Micah called me and told me what happened. Are you
guys okay?”

“Yeah.” I run a hand through my hair, wondering how
many times I’m going to have to repeat myself.

“He said you don’t know who it was.”

“No. The cops said it was probably just someone who
was hoping we weren’t home and took advantage of the power being out. And when
they heard Angel in the hallway, she probably spooked them.” I don’t quite
believe that though. Something tells me it was someone on a mission. I just
don’t know what that mission was, or if they were able to fulfill it.

“Well, I’m glad everyone is okay.”

Just as he finishes saying that, my front door
swings open. “Oh my God, hunny,” my mom says walking into the house, not
stopping until her arms are wrapped around me. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yes, Mom.” I pat her back.

“What did the police do?” my dad asks, as he
approaches us.

“There was not much they could do, nothing was
taken.” I shrug.

“Who answered the call?”

“Officer Phillips showed up with a rookie who was
working with him.”

“What did they say?”

“I walked them through the house a couple of times.
I filed a report. They asked if I had any enemies.” I laugh, being an attorney
has given me a long list of those. “They asked where we were when it happened.
They—”

“Samantha, are you all right?” my mom interrupts me
as Angel and Courtney walk down the hallway.

She nods her head and gives me a nervous smile. I
know she’s scared, but that’s not something the entire family needs to know.

“I’m fine,” Angel assures her. “I could use some
coffee, though.” She covers her mouth as she yawns. “Anyone else?”

The girls head off to the kitchen as my dad picks
back up where we left off. “I think it’s someone who knows you guys.”

“Like an acquaintance?” Josh asks. “Maybe
Samantha’s ex? Or some woman you have a past with,” he offers looking at me.

I bob my head in agreement. “Anything is a possibility,”
I agree. It could be someone that I had an experience with before Samantha even
came into my life.

The doorbell rings and I open it assuming its
Micah. I frown when I see Tate standing there. “Did Angel call you?” I ask.

“No. Josh did,” he says stepping inside.

I turn to give Josh a dirty look when his eyes go
big. “What if it was Matt? Has anyone heard anything from him?” he asks in a
rush.

I run a hand through my hair, considering his
question. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I thought they sent him to Louisiana?” Tate says.

I turn to look at him with narrowed eyes. “How do
you know that?” I ask taking a step toward him.

Josh places a hand on my arm and Tate just smirks.

“Word gets around, Slade.” I look at Josh as he
speaks.

What the fuck is going on?
Just how much
does Tate really know about us? Has Josh told him everything? Or has Tate
really been that close to us the entire time?

I turn my body to face Josh. “May I speak to you?”
I urge, heading to the living room, not even waiting for his answer.

I move to stand in front of the fireplace since it
is the farthest spot from the entryway so no one can hear us. “What the fuck
are you doing?” I try to say quietly but fail.

“I’m trying to keep you out of trouble.”

“From who?”

“Sam.” He takes a step back, letting out a sigh.
“You’re looking at the picture all wrong, Slade.”

“Well, then by all means, tell me how I should see
it,” I say sarcastically.

Josh looks up at me. “You think Tate wants to take
Sam away from you.”

“And you don’t think so?”

He shakes his head. “This is a chance for Sam to
have a part of her past. She has no family.”

“We are her family,” I state, referring to everyone
in this house besides Tate.

“Have you asked her why they used to be so close?”

I shake my head. “And she hasn’t offered that
information.”

He stands there for a few silent seconds. “Listen,
I’m going to try and explain this to you without pissing you off,” he offers slowly.

I raise an eyebrow and he releases a long breath.
“Sam seems very happy to have Tate back in her life. To have someone besides
Courtney that she has happy memories with. She does not look at him the same
way she looks at you, but if you push Tate away, you may lose her. Are you
willing to take that chance? Wouldn’t it be easier to let him into our group,
where you can keep an eye on him while you also keep Sam happy?” He takes a
step toward me and lowers his voice. “You want to marry this woman. Don’t fuck
it up because you feel threatened by someone that may not be a threat at all.”
Then he turns around and stalks out of the living room.

He’s right. I’ve had no other reason to be worried
besides my own notions that Tate wants her. Maybe I will feel better if I just
sit Tate down and talk this out, man to man.

“Slade.” Angel enters the living room with her
green eyes wide.

“What?” I ask as my eyes quickly inspect her body
to make sure she’s okay.

“Did you check the garage? All my mother’s stuff is
out there.” She doesn’t even wait for me to answer before she takes off in a
mad dash toward the garage door.

I enter behind her, and she starts looking over the
boxes that are still stacked along the far wall of the garage.

She turns back with her hands on her hips and a
frown on her face. “I need to go through these next week.”

“Why?” Courtney asks, coming up behind me.

“Well, I just remembered that I didn’t see my
parents’ wedding rings when I went through everything at her house. They have
to be packed in here somewhere.”

I turn away from her before I give myself away.

Shit!

I never thought about her looking for those. What
am I going to tell her to make her think they are back at her mother’s house
safe and sound, so she doesn’t spend all her time looking for them or think
they are lost? I look up to see Tate standing before me with his arms crossed
over his chest and a smirk on his face.