Confessions After Dark (27 page)

“I didn’t hole up in this goddamned place all week just to blow it now.” Alex’s brow furrowed in anger as he scowled. “What in the hell is he waiting for?”

“Maybe the lockdown is too tight. Swanson might know we’re watching her and that we’ve got the place wired. I know you don’t want to, but, Alex, we have to give him enough rope to hang himself.” Cole reached for the peanut butter sandwich in front of him and took a big bite as Alex sat down on the couch only to get up seconds later and continue pacing. “You’re irritating the shit out of me, bro. Go back to work. Obviously, you being
out of town
isn’t helping,” Cole said with his mouth full.

Alex stopped pacing and studied the screens from the cameras that monitored the hallways, entrances, and parking garage. Maybe Cole was right. He was so frustrated with the situation and with not seeing Angel, but yet he resisted. His chest tightened and he sighed heavily.

Cole shoved the last two bites of his sandwich into his mouth and raised his eyebrows, mid-chew. “What?” he asked.

“It’s just very difficult to put Angel in a place or situation where I don’t have absolute control.”

“Do you want this over or not? I mean, I could do this forever if you’d just get the fuck out of here, but I doubt Angel would be as accepting.” Cole grinned and then shrugged. “When this is done, I’m out of a job.”

It was unnecessary for Alex to agree with Cole’s assessment of Angel’s attitude, and his lip twitched in the start of a smile. Cole’s comments relaxed him slightly. “You’ve really surprised me with how you’ve embraced this assignment, Cole,” Alex said seriously. “I’m impressed, and I’ve felt a lot better knowing you’re with her when I can’t be.”

“I like her. She has spunk.” Cole leaned forward to grab a bottle of water and shot a fleeting glance at Alex, whose eyes narrowed.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

Cole smiled, purposefully ignoring the warning and deliberately provoking instead of backing off. “And, she’s really hot!” He loved getting a rise out of his little brother. He’d never seen Alex so worked up over a woman or anything else for that matter. He was usually so cool and collected; it was nice to see the façade melt away. It made him more human somehow and more relatable to someone less than perfect like himself.

“Stop,” Alex warned as he finally sank down in one of the desk chairs in front of the surveillance monitors as Angel’s car appeared on the one in the parking garage. The muscles in his body visibly uncoiled.

“What? She is. You never got pissed when I talked about Whitney’s big tits or Ashley’s fantasy blowjob mouth. They were all beautiful, but Angel is… real.”

Alex studied his brother, his green eyes shooting fire. “Cole, stop thinking about her that way. To me she’s real; to you, she’s an assignment. Don’t lose sight of that.”

“What? Am I dead?”

“No, but you’re skating on thin ice.” His eyes were cold and his expression hard as stone when he turned back to the monitor. Cole could see the muscle working in Alex’s jaw and decided to take pity on him. Alex leaned forward as Angel got out of her car and began walking toward the elevator.

“I understand your frustration. I mean… shit. Now that you’ve been with her, it must be killing you.”

“The whole thing is frustrating. Being this close and not—” He shook his head and huffed, his hand pushing under the hem of his navy T-shirt to scratch along his stomach. “Worrying all the goddamned time is driving me mad.”

Alex had always been the perfect one: never disappointing his parents, making the right decisions, having the best grades, being a member of the high school honor society, and having the most beautiful girlfriends. Shit, he accomplished everything he did with barely a finger lifted. When they were growing up, Cole had been so jealous, thinking that it all was some gift bestowed on Alex from Heaven. But being this close to him for an extended period of time, and listening to him work, he had a new respect for how much effort Alex invested in everything. The most amazing thing about his brother was that, to the world, it seemed effortless, and he was untouchable. In reality, he worked his ass off, took his responsibilities seriously, and he had a deep capacity for love. Deeper than even he knew himself.

“I never thought I’d see the day, Alex.” The walkie-talkie on Cole’s hip beeped and flashed red and he grabbed it. “It looks good on you,” he said before he spoke into the device. “We see her. Did you see anything suspicious?”

Alex balked at his brother’s comment. His lungs filled to capacity in a frustrated sigh as he sat back in his chair again, waiting to hear the response. He groaned. He was more a prisoner than Angel despite the fact he had engineered the entire operation. He pulled his iPhone from the pocket of his expensive jeans and pressed the button that would speed dial the woman in his thoughts. Cole got up and walked into the kitchen with his plate, and Alex wondered if his motivation was his bottomless appetite or a subtle attempt to give him some privacy.

“Hey.” Angel’s breathy voice answered before the second ring.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m changing clothes. I promised to meet Becca at the gym and I’m running late,” she explained. The sound of her voice over the monitor speakers echoed around her voice over the phone. It was too loud and the feedback hurt his ears. He leaned forward and switched them off.

Alex relaxed slightly. “Oh. Did you tell her what’s going on?”

“She’s my best friend and I had to explain why I haven’t been around. She’s not mental, Alex.”

“I get it.”

“Are you okay?” Angel asked thoughtfully. He could hear the rustle of fabric and the change in her voice as she struggled to change clothes and hold the phone simultaneously.

“I feel like a caged animal.”

“Alex, why don’t we just—”

“Just what, baby?”

“Can you sneak up here after I get back from the gym? I’d like to see you.”

He groaned. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Nothing’s happened in a week. How long can you hole up and stay away from work? Maybe Mark Swanson has given up or moved beyond it.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think that prick would be able to resist this long.”

“Just… please? Come up later?”

Alex’s sour mood changed in an instant. “I want to, babe. You know that.”

He could hear a smile in her voice that echoed the stupid grin on his face. “I want, too. As in, also.”

“Mmm…” His tone lowered and smoothed out as his body reacted to her words.

“So do it.” Angel’s low murmur was laced with promise.

“What is it you want me to do?
It
?” Alex chuckled softly, and Angel burst out laughing.

“Yes, that.
It
. Do
it
. With me.” She continued to giggle.

“Only with you. You’ve ruined me.”

Cole came back in the room with two more sandwiches and some chips loaded on the plate. His eyebrow shot up at his brother’s happy expression as he offered him a sandwich. Alex shook his head and turned away.

“I have to go. Consider coming up.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Alex waved his brother toward the door. “She’s on the move. Take Wayne with you.”

Cole pushed his plate away and stood up. The keys he dug from his pocket jingled as he walked quickly toward the door. “Am I out of a job after this thing is done?”

Alex moved to take the seat in front of the monitors that Cole had just vacated and shook his head. “You’re not out of a job. You’ve proven I can trust you, and you’re good at this. It depends on what you want to take on, but I’m thinking of putting you in charge of security at Avery. Bancroft handles the local stuff well, but you can oversee all of the properties. If you want… but you’ll probably have to wear a suit for part of it.” Alex smirked. “Mom will be placated at least.”

Cole was happily astonished, judging by the smile that flashed across his face. “Seriously?”

Alex nodded. “I’ve already told Dad.”

“Cool.”

*****

Angel walked into her apartment and found it dark. Her heart fell as she turned and bolted the door. Apparently, Alex had resisted her invitation. She sighed, her gym bag thumping as it hit the floor by the door,\ along with her purse. She pushed one of the tendrils back from her face but it resisted, the sweat, now dried from her workout, making it stick to the side of her face. The light from the refrigerator flooded the room as she pulled a bottle of water out before walking through her apartment on the way to her bedroom.

It had been a long, boring day. Aside from her brief conversation with Alex, and Becca’s rant about the hot guy she met the previous weekend, Angel couldn’t find much else enjoyable about it. She glanced at the bed longingly, passing the dark laptop sitting on the desk by the window and running her hand along the edge on the way to the bathroom. She smiled softly, chastising herself for not being able to pass the bed without thinking of Alex and wishing she’d managed to convince him to give in and spend the night with her. It amazed her how quickly she’d been able to reconcile being with him and come to depend on his presence. All of her convictions about giving over control and protecting her heart now lay in shambles. That was the nature of giving up control, though. It was unavoidable. He was a force to be reckoned with. Angel huffed as the stupid grin settled onto her face.

She kicked off her shoes and peeled off her shirt, tank, and sports bra before pulling the tie out of her hair to allow the thick locks loose while her hands scratched wildly against her scalp, shaking the chestnut curls into a flurry. She could almost feel the thin layer of residual salt hardening into a shell on her skin. The workout felt good, but Becca pushed her hard. and Angel’s muscles protested. The past couple of weeks had been filled with so many other things that she hadn’t spent enough time at the gym and she was paying the price. Her arms were quivering slightly and her legs shaky when she turned on the shower and then pushed her black yoga pants down her legs, leaving them in a pile on the floor with her thong.

Steam began to fill the bathroom, and she padded back into her bedroom to grab a soft silk chemise to sleep in. She stopped on her way back, lighting two candles at the bedside, before flipping open the laptop and quickly loading Skype. Standing naked in front of the screen was a risk considering Cole might be in the room with Alex when they connected, but she was feeling mischievous and decided it was the best way to get what she wanted: Alex, in her apartment and her bed.

She was certain Alex would be more upset if Cole saw her naked than he would be with her for being that way in front of her monitor. She smiled, waiting for Skype to load, and turning on her iPod so that music flooded the room. Her skin flushed warm in anticipation of his reaction. Her teeth pressed down on her lower lip: her plan was to give a little tease and then disappear into the bathroom.

Alex’s image materialized on the screen. “Yeah, I’m here, honey.” He was adjusting the monitor and hadn’t looked at his screen. “How was the work—Holy shit!” he said as he sat down in his chair and finally saw her, standing naked to his gaze. His arms immediately covered the monitor and Angel giggled in delight. “Cole! Vamoose!”

“What?” Cole’s voice was somewhat muted. “Why?”

“Just get the hell out of here!”

“This is stupid, Alex.” Angel could hear Cole muttering as he left the room followed by a door slamming loudly.

Alex moved away from the monitor enough so Angel had a full view of his face. He smiled. “What are you doing to me?”

“Nothing.”

Alex took a deep breath and leaned in toward the monitor. “It doesn’t feel like nothing in my pants. Are you trying to kill me?”

“Is that what I’m doing?” Angel asked with fake innocence, moving back and turning around to give him a good look. She bit her lip to keep from grinning.

“Aren’t you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I’m all sticky, so I’m going to shower and then climb into this big, huge bed right over here.” She pointed to it and smiled slyly. “See this big bed?” She used a breathy, bimbo voice and widened her eyes in over-exaggeration.

Alex laughed out loud. “I see it.”

“Of course, I don’t know why I bother showering since I was hoping to, you know… get sticky all over again… in it.”

“Angel, stop it.” His words belied what his eyes were saying as they roamed over her body. Alex brought one hand up to his mouth, his index finger and thumb messing with his lower lip.

“Oh, Alex, come on!” Angel shot back with a small stamp of her foot. “You can protect me better here. How will Swanson know, anyway?”

“It isn’t a matter of him knowing, but he won’t get the chance you seem to want to give him if I’m in your bed. All we’d have him on is breaking and entering.”

“Have you been talking with Kenneth?”

“A bit.”

“Is he your new best friend?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We have the common interest of keeping that pretty little head of yours on that delicious little body.”

Angel scowled because he wasn’t giving in, and she felt weird about Alex and Kenneth comparing notes.

“All talk and no play, Alex. Please?”

“No. Sorry, babe.”

Angel got up and moved toward the bathroom. “Fine!” She all but screamed as she slammed the bathroom door behind her. “Ugh!”

The steam-filled air was heavy, and the mirrors were fogged over. Angel leaned her hands on the vanity and tried to push down her disappointment and blink away the burn of tears that pricked at the back of her eyes.

Her heart seized when a vice-like grip closed around her throat and she was lifted up and slammed back into the cold ceramic tile of the wall opposite the mirror. Her eyes widened and a scream rose in her chest but the hands tightened and made it all but impossible to breathe. Angel’s hands clawed at the face of her attacker but encountered not flesh and bone but the fabric of a ski mask; her legs flailed, her feet kicked out and tried to find purchase on his chest, hips, or legs.

“You little bitch!” he snarled, and she recognized the raspy voice. “I decided I’d just kill you and get it over with, but since your boyfriend is such a motherfucker, maybe I should have a little fun first. Just for him.”