ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (43 page)

 
 
 
 
Angel stared over Nikki's shoulder, his mind obviously somewhere else. "Believe me, he didn't find her. Melania may have let him think that, but she found him."

 
 
 
 
Sensing there was something else, Nikki prompted him to expand on the cryptic statement. "There's more, isn't there?" Worry crept into Nikki's expression when she literally saw her husband's features change right before her eyes. The look on his face was ominous, threatening, and definitely hazardous to someone's health. "Angel?"

 
 
 
 
She watched as he made a superhuman effort to come back to the present and focus on her. He blinked a couple of times then pulled her behind him to the chair. After he sat down, Nikki curled up on his lap and waited. He stared at her for the longest time, marveling at how far they'd come in their marriage. There was an openness he felt with her, a closeness that he'd never experienced with another human being. It didn't hit him until this very second how much Nikki was a part of him, an extension of him, his other half.

 
 
 
 
Angel reached up and tenderly pushed a stray, wet strand behind her ear. His wife was so precious to him and he didn't know what he'd do if anything ever happened to her or his son. He didn't even want to think about that. The moment he left from seeing Melania, he'd ordered additional security for his family as well as for Dom's.

 
 
 
 
"I love you. You do know that."

 
 
 
 
Nikki's face softened as she nodded. "I know. I love you too." She smoothed a hand over his hair. "I hope you know you can trust me."

 
 
 
 
Angel nodded once without hesitation and his answer was blunt. "I know. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be with you." After a few seconds, he told her about Dominick and Isabella. Angel never talked about the period Dom was incarcerated, but now, he divulged exactly what happened during that time. He'd almost lost Dominick. Not to violence in prison, but to the life he'd tried to distance him from. Funny thing, the legal system. It was set up to rehabilitate and punish, however, the guilty who'd been locked away only honed their skills by learning from other inmates. The majority of them came out savvier than they'd been going in.

 
 
 
 
Although Dominick was there because of his loyalty to Angel, it was almost impossible not to soak up the lessons being taught around him. By the time he was moved about of the juvenile facility where he'd been housed for two years, he'd gotten involved in distributing drugs. Angel had tried to shut it down because that wasn’t for Dom to get mixed up in. Angel just wanted him to do his time, stay away from trouble, and keep his nose clean. He'd gone to great pains to insure nothing happened to his brother.

 
 
 
 
But Dom was still too angry to listen. He told Angel the only thing he could do for him was supply him with what he needed or he would find another way. Not wanting Dominick to get involved with the wrong kind of people, Angel reluctantly became his supplier.

 
 
 
 
Angel reached for his glass and took a sip of his drink. "I helped my brother become the exact thing I tried to keep him away from."

 
 
 
 
"You probably saved his life, Angel. Dominick knew nothing about that world. It sounds like he was bound and determined to do it, with or without you. What you did was another way to protect him. He was angry, baby. Rebellious."

 
 
 
 
"He had a right to be angry and rebellious, Nikki."

 
 
 
 
"I know he did. But do you really think, even now, he would change a thing about the decision he made to take that drug charge? He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if you'd gotten a life sentence. He wanted to protect you as much as you wanted to protect him." When Angel, turned his head with an expression close to self-disgust, Nikki cupped his chin and pulled his face back to hers. "Do you know I would watch the two of you whenever you'd stop by your parents’ house to see him? I remember thinking how close you were, even though your parents disapproved so strongly. Dominick worshipped you and you doted on him. You wouldn't have done any less for him, Angel."

 
 
 
 
Angel was silent for a long time, digesting her words. Dominick had forgiven him, but he doubted if he would ever be able to fully forgive himself. It was something he would have to live with for the rest of his life. Finishing the remainder of his drink, Angel proceeded to tell Nikki about the rest of the meeting. When he got to the part about the reason Melania hooked up with Jaxon, Nikki stiffened on his lap. Her expression went from disbelief to out and out anger.

 
 
 
 
"Are you saying she's blaming Dominick for her sister's death? That...that she has some warped idea of seeking revenge?"

 
 
 
 
"Crazy as it sounds."

 
 
 
 
Nikki's eyes narrowed and became as cold as her husband's. "And this woman is still walking around breathing?"

 
 
 
 
Surprise creased Angel's face as he leaned his head to the side. His wife's thoughts were usually reflected on her expressive face, but her question threw him off balance for a moment, and that didn't happen very often. Well. He took that back. With Nikki, she seemed to constantly throw him off balance, something he still hadn't gotten used to. She'd put him through more changes and shitload of emotions than any woman in his life ever had. As much as he liked to have control of situations, he admitted to himself that he loved that aspect of their relationship, as frustrating as it could be at times.

 
 
 
 
Nikki could read her husband as well as he liked to think he could read her, probably better. "Angelo, you can get that look off your face. When I came back to you, I came back with the knowledge and acceptance of what that meant. You say you trust me or else you wouldn't be with me. The same goes for me. There's no way I would put mine and our son's life in your hands if I wasn't confident you would keep us safe. In order to have that confidence, I had to embrace the man you were and the life you lived. I'm not saying I want to know the ins and outs of what you do, but I refuse to bury my head in oblivion."

 
 
 
 
 
Angel leaned back in the chair and studied Nikki. She was so perfect for him. He'd known that the first moment he saw her at that meeting. Even when they were separated, something urged him to hold on tight and do everything in his power to keep her. She'd just proven to him that his instincts had been correct.

 
 
 
 
"Don't worry, I plan on taking care of Melania, but I have to tread very lightly until we deal with the situation she's holding over Dom's head."

 
 
 
 
"Does he know?"

 
 
 
 
"Yes. I've been with him for the last couple of hours. He's shocked, of course, but he's okay."

 
 
 
 
Nikki relaxed against him again. "Poor Keisha. He
is
going to tell her, right? This isn't something he should keep from her. It involves her as well."
 
 

 
 
 
 
Angel nodded. "Yes. He's going to talk to her tonight."

 
 
 
 
A sigh of relief passed Nikki's lips. "Good. I've come to love her as much as I love Dominick. There's no way I could be around her and keep this secret."

 
 
 
 
"You won't have to. We'll get through this as a family."

 
 
 
 
Nikki's eyes lovingly traced each and every one of Angelo's handsome features then touched her lips to his in a gentle kiss. "Yes. As a family."

 
 
 
 
It wasn't that long ago that he'd been alone, purposely distancing himself from his brother and his niece, Samantha. That later extended to the family unit Dom created with Keisha. He hadn't allowed anyone or anything to get past the protective shell he surrounded himself with. He'd not done so selfishly, but with the intention of sheltering them from any harm that would potentially come their way because of him. Luckily, Dominick hadn't given up on him. They were closer than ever, he and his brother, and he loved Keisha and his niece and nephew to distraction.

 
 
 
 
He and Nikki had also gained an extended family in the Monroes and the Bennetts. Angel's circle was extremely tight, but the ones he did let in, he trusted implicitly. God help anyone who tried to bring harm their way. When threatened with danger to himself or those he was close to, his wrath reached long and wide. This was something Melania had forgotten. But she was getting ready to get a reminder very soon.

 
 
 
 
And so was Raven. She was another potential threat to him, no matter how much she told Nikki she would not interfere. Angel suspected his sister-in-law's hatred of him and her fierce protectiveness of Nicole outweighed her promise to stay out of their marriage. He had ways of taking care of problems that were more a nuisance than anything else. Raven was definitely a thorn in his side, but she was also his wife's sister. He couldn't hurt her without hurting Nikki and that was something he wouldn't do. So he was confronting it from a different angle.

 
 
 
 
Hawk Pattel.

 
 
 
 
The attraction between the two hadn't escaped Angel. He could understand why Hawk wanted Raven. His sister-in-law was a beautiful woman. Physically, she and Nicole shared some of the same features and subtle sensuality. They were both extremely intelligent, independent women, a challenge. Different from the other women he and the Pattel men were used to fucking with, superficial women who were more arm candy than anything else.

 
 
 
 
What was ironic is that Raven felt the same way about Hawk. Oh, she might try and hide her attraction, disguising it as disgust for the man, but she hadn’t fooled anyone that day in his office. She wanted Hawk as much as he wanted her. And that's how Hawk was going to get inside her head. By the time he finished, she would be too caught up in her feelings to still pursue either family. Even if she chose to, how would she explain being involved with the very type of person she'd sworn to bring to justice?

 
 
 
 
For now, Angel planned on enjoying the rest of the night with his wife. Sharing one last kiss, they stood up and walked into the house with their arms around each other's waists. Their steps were slow and unhurried as they talked and laughed with ease, leaving the rest of the world outside, at least for the moment. Tonight they would love hard, take from one another but give back even more, and revel in the life they'd created together with their son.

 
 
 
 
Tomorrow would take care of itself...with a little help from an Angel.

THE END

Thank you for taking the time to read ANGEL’S WRATH! I hope you enjoyed it as
much as I enjoyed writing it and revisiting the Sin City Heat Crew! Until next time…
 

Much Luv!

SK~

About the Author:

SK is a Louisiana native who has written internet short stories since 2009. In 2011, she published her first novel and began her odyssey into the literary world.

SK's erotic novels are full of drama, romance, and unbelievable twists that will engage all five of your senses - they're just that potent. As one reader puts it, SK's books are like an "erotic journey" that you want to "savor in delicious, little bites." She allows you to live vicariously through her work and experience your deepest, most private fantasies while sitting on the edge of your seat anticipating what will happen next.