No Greater Loyalty (28 page)

CHAPTER 47

Isaac's cold silence spoke louder than any words he could've possibly uttered, but Angel waited. If the situation were reversed, he would
’ve been absolutely furious. However, this was something that needed to be dealt with before things got out of hand...if they hadn't already.

Finally Isaac responded, but the warning for Angel to back down could clearly be heard in his frigid tone. "I think you're mistaken, Angelo. I only have one son. Lorenzo. I don't know a Darrell Monroe."

"You may not know him, but you know
of
him. Look, let's not waste each other's time here, Isaac. I'm aware of the fact that you had a son thirty-four years ago with Tina Monroe. Actually, you had two born a year apart. You chose to claim one and disown the other."

Angel hadn't failed to see the similarities between his own situation years ago and the one with Darrel and Isaac. His own biological father had more or less done the same thing when he pretended Angel didn't exist, yet proudly paraded Angel's half-brother, Jaxson, around for the entire world to see. He couldn
’t explain it, but along with the thirst for revenge he harbored, Angel had felt the indescribable need to force that bastard to acknowledge him whether he wanted to or not. He hadn’t stopped until Bradley Davidson had no other choice but to admit that Angel was his son.

The major difference here, though, was that Isaac Pattel was no Bradley Davidson. He would not allow himself to be brought down to his knees and stripped of everything he held dear just to appease Darrell. He would kill him first before that ever happened.

"How exactly do you know him, Angelo?"

"He
’s my brother’s best friend. After all these years, Darrell has discovered that you’re his father. He's been making discreet phone calls to gather information about you and the rest of the Pattels."

"Has he now? I appreciate the heads up. Probably after my money the same way his money hungry mother was."

Angel's laugh held little amusement. "Isaac, I assure you, he's not. Darrell may not have as much money as you, but he's wealthy in his own right." Angel paused before adding. "He's a very intelligent man who's worked hard for everything he’s achieved. I'd think you'd be proud of that fact."

Another charged silence fell between them before Isaac spoke. “Angel, the reason why you and I have gotten along so well all of these years is because in addition to valuing the other
’s unique talents as savvy businessmen, we've always respected each other’s privacy. I'd like to keep it that way. As I said, I appreciate you bringing this Monroe business to my attention. I'll handle it from here…however
I
see fit. But as far as anything else, this subject is now closed."

"The subject will be closed after I say this one last thing. I didn't tell you about Darrell in order to give you an advantage. I told you because eventually this is all going to come to a head. Make no mistake about it, Darrell
will
confront you because that's just the type of man he is. Quite honestly, I'd do the same thing myself if I were in his shoes. Once that confrontation occurs, I won't interfere, but just so we're clear, he and his family are under my protection."

Angel knew he didn't have to say any more than that. People such as himself and the Pattels lived by their own set of standards that many would not understand. Obstacles and threats were usually handled in much the way the situation with Melania had been dealt with tonight. However, when it came to honor and family, there was a strict code they all adhered to.

Raven Randolph was a good example. She was allowed to remain unharmed because she was his wife's sister. Otherwise, she would've been eliminated a long time ago because she was not only a threat to his family, but to his freedom. As it stood, he'd had to find other methods of dealing with her.

When Angel told Isaac that Darrell was under his protection, they both knew that meant there was a line that could not be crossed. Angel already knew that Darrell would come after Isaac, and he had no doubt it would be done in an openly disrespectful way.  Isaac Pattel was not a man who tolerated disrespect from anyone. Without Angel as a barrier between them, Isaac wouldn't hesitate to reciprocate in a manner that would no doubt be swift, harsh
…and possibly deadly. 

After a long silence, Isaac responded. "Alright, Angelo, but just so you understand my position, I'm holding you fully responsible for what sounds like someone who is a loose cannon. The rest of my family will only tolerate so much, even after they find out who he is."

"'Who he is?'" Angel repeated. Even though he hadn't wanted to get too deep into this with Isaac, he couldn't help but scoff at his last statement. "He's their blood. He's
your
blood."

But Isaac continued as if he hadn't heard him. "Just know that if this situation elevates to a certain point, it will be up to you to keep him under control. If you fail to do so, then you and I will have a problem. Have I made myself clear?"

Eyes narrowed, Angel slowly sat up. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were threatening me, Isaac. But of course you're not doing that."

The silence between the two powerful men was thick with a tension that could be felt even through the phone. Neither was one to mince words or back down when pushed into a corner.

A chuckle from Isaac's end eventually diffused a potentially explosive situation. "Of course not, Angelo. We're better than that, right?" But his voice hardened as he continued. "I'm merely pointing out that you need to keep that pup on a leash...or else I'll do it for you...protection or no. That’s all. Now, if there's nothing else, I'm going to say goodnight."

"Of course. We'll talk soon."

"Yes, we will. This situation with the shift in power from Melania to Antonio Cruz has a lot of our colleagues on edge." Isaac effortlessly switched the subject from one that was of a personal nature to business.

Angelo easily followed suit because one thing had nothing to do with the other. "I'm aware of that, but these sorts of things happen all the time. It'll work itself out."

"Let's hope so. Things have a way of turning nasty when money is involved. Everyone is restless, wondering how this new leadership is going to affect their dealings and the product they receive. The only thing they know about Antonio Cruz is that he's Melania's brother. If things began to change in a way that adversely affects them, they are going to look to you for a solution. But as you said, we shall talk soon. Goodnight, Angelo."

"Goodnight."

Hanging up the phone Angel sat back and exhaled. Every time he put out one fire, another always seemed to be smoldering in the background.

"Angel?"

Angel looked up to see Nikki standing in the doorway staring at him. He glanced at the security monitor. He must really be exhausted if he hadn't noticed her approaching his office.

"How long have you been standing there?"

Nikki came into the room wearing a short, white robe and white furry slippers. She walked around his desk and leaned back against it. "Long enough it would seem. Is it true? Is Darrell a Pattel?"

Angel rocked back and forth in the chair. He studied his wife before answering. "Yes."

Nikki folded her arms, her eyes widening a bit. "Wow."

"Exactly," he nodded.

"Are Lucas and Hawk his brothers?"

Angel hesitated for a moment. "They're his cousins. His father is their uncle, Isaac Pattel."

"From what I heard, Darrell just found out about this?"

Angel
’s scowl was quick. "It seems as if you 'heard' quite a bit, doesn't it, Nicole?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping."

Angel raised an eyebrow, his face showing skepticism. "Weren't you?"

Nikki had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I mean, that wasn't my intention when I came searching for you. The door was open. I heard you talking and didn't want to disturb you. That's when I heard...what I did...and..."

Stumbling over the explanation, Nikki's voice trailed off. She fiddled with the belt of her robe as she waited for him to say something. When he remained silent, she tried again.

"I know this is your domain, Angel. It's just that you looked so tired earlier. I'm just worried about you. You need to rest, at least for a little while. I'm sorry if I overstepped."

Finally, he relented. He didn't want to take the irritation he felt from the conversation with Isaac out on her. "It's okay. And you're right, I am tired. I was getting ready to come downstairs to go to bed then decided to call Isaac first." Angel settled deeper into the chair, his frown returning as he spoke his thoughts out loud. "Normally, I wouldn't interfere in matters that don't concern me, but..."

"But this does. Concern you, I mean."

Angel blinked. Raising his eyes to meet hers, he nodded slowly. "Yes. Let's just say I have an idea of how Darrell is probably feeling right about now, discovering who his father is. It’s never an easy situation, but it’s even worse when that person turns out to be a cold hearted son of a bitch like the ones he and I were cursed with."

Nikki nodded, thinking about Angel's father, Bradley Davidson, Sr. Ever since Angel had acquired enough stock which allowed him and Dominick to take over the billion dollar company that had been in the Davidson's family for generations, they hadn't heard anything from him. Nikki hoped it stayed that way.

"How long have you known? About Darrell, I mean?"

Angel's lashes lowered, keeping his secrets and revealing only what he chose. "A while."

Nikki bit down softly on her lip, knowing the subject was now closed. Her eyes softened as they caressed her husband's face. He carried so much on those wide shoulders of his, and it was a humongous responsibility for him to assume. She was just now beginning to realize what an extraordinarily powerful man Angelo LaCroix was. Keeping a foot in both the underworld and his legitimate businesses would've taken a toll on a man less skilled than he, but Angel did it with seemingly little effort at all.

Funny. Just a couple of days ago, she'd gone through the numerous invitations they'd received to attend various charity balls and political functions. If Nikki allowed herself the luxury of burying her head in the sand, she could easily pretend that she and Angel were a normal couple like any other. But even if she wanted to do that, reminders such as her bodyguard that was a constant presence no matter where she went, would bring her back to reality quick...not to mention incidents such as the one that happened tonight with Melania.

Normally, Angel was extremely careful when it came to keeping the unsavory part of his business separate from his home life. This time, however, Nikki had been afforded a glimpse of just how dangerous that world actually was, and it shook her to her very core. Although she'd tried to remain strong for Keisha, she'd been just as terrified. If anything ever happened to him...

"Hey."

She looked up when he softly called out to her.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Nikki smiled at the phrase and dutifully responded with her expected comeback. "They're worth way more than a penny."

Angel's eyes warmed with a smile, but just as quickly, something flickered in them because he knew what she'd just been thinking about. "Nicole..."

"Don’t," Nikki straightened and placed a finger over his lips. "There's no need. I'm okay."

"Are you, baby? I know the last several hours have been...challenging. I never wanted you exposed to any of that."

"I know. But like I said, I'm okay."

She wasn't, not really, but she would never tell him how scared she'd been because the last thing she wanted to do was add to the weight he already carried.

In some ways, Nikki felt like she knew Angel better than anyone else on this earth, but at other times, he still seemed somewhat of an enigma, a puzzle she didn't think she'd ever put together. Sometimes that made her sad. She wanted to be everything to her husband, give him whatever he needed whenever he needed it. No matter how much she tried to encourage him to talk to her, share his worries, she knew he never would, not really, because he felt his role was to protect her, and protect his family. To display worry meant to admit weakness. Nikki understood that, she really did.

So instead of allowing herself to dwell on what she wasn't able to give Angel, she chose to focus on what she could: peace of mind. Extending her hand towards him, Nikki smiled when he curled his larger one around it and brought it up to his lips.

"Ready to go to bed now?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I'd better," Angel answered standing and slipping his arm around her waist.

As they walked towards the door, Angel's hand wandered down to cup her ass. Nikki looked up at him and said teasingly, "You do know when I said go to bed, I meant sleep, right?"

Angel bent down to kiss her on her temple. "Of course, and I intend to. Right after I make love to my wife."

Nikki started to protest, but decided she may as well save her breath. What Angelo wanted, Angelo got. "Fine, but after that, it's sleep for you."