by S. K. Hardy
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."
"There you go again."
Nikki frowned as they walked hand in hand down the hallway. "There I go again, what?"
Angel glanced down at her with a sexy grin. His eyes took their time strolling down her body. "Thinking you run things."
"Oh. Maybe I need to be taught another lesson?" The question was hopeful and full of longing.
Angel threw his head back and laughed. "Greedy wench."
"But I'm your greedy wench."
Angel chuckled as they stepped on to the elevator that would take them to the second floor. “Yes you are.” He leaned back against the elevator door and stared at her intently. “And I love you with everything in me. No matter what, always know that, Nikki."
Nikki smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “I do. I love you too, Angelo.”
CHAPTER 48
The next morning, Keisha lay beside Dominick, head propped up on her hand as she stared down at him. Last night he'd stayed up talking in length to Manny and making sure he was comfortable before coming to bed himself.
Keisha had looked in on them before she got ready to turn in and could see Dominick was in pain, but when she'd offered to bring him a couple of the painkillers the doctor had given him, he'd declined. She knew he didn't want his senses dulled by the pills while spending that time with Manny, so Keisha had them waiting for him when he came into the bedroom later. After he'd taken them, she’d helped him with his shower then gotten him to bed. He'd fallen asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow.
Deciding to get up and let him sleep, she had just put some clothes on and was getting ready to leave the bedroom when she heard his groggy voice call her name.
Hurrying back to his side, she gave him a soft kiss before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hi, sweetie, how are you feeling?"
Dominick winced when he attempted to sit up. Lying back down, he grabbed his ribs and closed his eyes. "Like I've just been kidnapped and beat to within an inch of my life."
Keisha didn’t have a clever retort for that because the picture his words conjured up was an all too real reminder of how close she'd come to almost losing him forever.
Dominick opened his eyes in time to see the fear on her face. "Hey, it's okay. I'm fine now."
"I know but look what they did to you." Her eyes scanned over the bruises and cuts on his face then looked down at the discoloration around the bandages that wrapped his cracked ribs. "Dominick, maybe you need to go to a hospital just to have them look at you. I'd feel so much better if..."
But Dom shook his head. That would involve too many questions and invite unwanted scrutiny. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he managed to push himself up this time. After Keisha propped pillows behind him, Dom carefully leaned back against them with a deep sigh.
"Thanks, baby."
"Dominick..."
"Keisha, honestly, I'm fine. I know I might not look as pretty as you're used to seeing me, but..."
The playful statement was meant to bring a smile to her face and ease her concerns, but the worry stayed in her eyes.
"Baby, I promise, I know it might not seem like it, but my injuries look worse than they actually are. Angel’s doctor has already checked me out. If I felt like I needed to go to the hospital, I would. Okay?"
When Keisha reluctantly nodded, Dominick patted the space on the other side of him. "Come here."
Careful so as not to hurt him, Keisha climbed over Dom and snuggled under the arm he curled around her. It was amazing to her that she could feel so safe just from such simple contact.
Dom kissed the top of her head. "I gotta admit, Keisha, I've never been so scared in all my life, but I wasn't afraid for myself. When I woke up in that warehouse, my first thought was whether or not you were safe. As soon as I found out they hadn't harmed you, I was at peace with everything else. If something had happened to you, baby..."
Dom shuddered, unable to even finish the sentence.
Keisha lifted her mouth just enough to be able to kiss his neck. "I know. I feel the same way. I was a nervous wreck."
Dominick looked down at her with a tender expression then lowered his lips to hers. After giving her a sweet loving kiss, he rested his forehead against hers and sighed.
"I don't ever want to feel like that again." He kissed her again. "I love you so much, Keisha."
"I love you, too."
"I know it might not be easy, but I want us to put this behind us. Move on. We have so much to live for, so much to be thankful for."
"Yes, we do. We've been given a second chance and I don't plan on wasting one minute of it."
Dom smiled in agreement. "I agree, baby."
Contentment and the lingering effects of the painkillers slowly lulled him into a sense of utter relaxation. Leaning his head back, he fought to resist the sleep that tempted him to give in to it.
"So tired, but I need to get up."
"No, you need to rest, Dominick. Matter of fact..."
Keisha got the medicine bottle off the nightstand and shook a couple of pills into her palm. Getting up to go to the bathroom, she filled a cup with water and came back to give it to him, but Dom shook his head.
"Nah, I don't want to take any more pills." But even as he said that his face twisted with pain. "Need to check on Manny, see Sam." He looked around as if just now realizing Christian wasn’t there with there with them. “Where’s my baby?”
"I took him back to his bed last night after you fell asleep. They're all fine, Dominick. I got up to check on them a little while ago. Manny was already up having breakfast with Angel. Nikki has Christian and Samantha is still asleep."
"Keish..."
"You have to take care of yourself, Dominick. You're not going to be any good to anyone if you push yourself too hard and end up being in even worse shape than you are now."
Dominick's eyes narrowed in a mock threat. "Thanks, babe. Appreciate that."
"You know what I mean. Here."
This time, he took the medicine without protest then he lay back down, mumbling that he would only sleep for a little while. Less than five minutes later, he was knocked out.
Kissing him softly on the lips, Keisha caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. She whispered another prayer o
f thanks that he was back home and safe and that they were all together as a family, because when it was all said and done, that was the only thing that mattered. Nothing else came close to this and it never would.
CHAPTER 49
"Hey, stay in your lane! Stop cheating, D.J.!"
Jerra glanced up from her laptop, smiling as she watched Darrell and D.J. play the new video game he'd gotten earlier today. She and Tina looked at each other and shook their heads as the same thought ran through their minds: Darrell was just as big a kid as his son.
Tina peeped over her glasses at Jerra. "Have you talked to Keisha today? I know she has to be so relieved that Dominick is home."
"We all are. I talked to her briefly this morning. Dominick was still asleep. I'll check in with her later, see if there's anything she needs."
"Yeah, my man gave us all a scare, but if there's anybody who could get through something like that it's Dominick," Darrell said.
Jerra glanced at Darrell when she heard his subdued tone. He'd tried hard to hide it, but she'd known how worried he'd been. He, Marcus and Dominick were more than best friends. The three of them couldn't be any closer if they were related by blood.
"Daddy, you're cheating, you can't do that!" D.J. screamed, breaking the tension in the room.
Eyes locked on the television, D.J. turned his little body in the direction of the racecar on the screen as if he were actually driving it. Making the last lap around the racetrack, his thumbs worked overtime on the controls to try and gain the advantage over Darrell's car.
"I'm not cheatin'. Umph!" Darrell grunted as he purposely bumped D.J.’s car with his own. "This is all legal, son."
"Darrell!" Jerra admonished. "Seriously?"
"What, baby? This is a valuable lesson I'm teaching our son right now," he muttered in a distracted voice. "Not everybody is gonna play nice in life. Sometimes you gotta do whatever it takes to win, right?"