“He was my commanding officer and I was his second.” She knew Axel didn’t like to talk about his past. She had tried to get him to open up and he would always shut her out. She didn’t ask him the questions she wanted to know and when the doors opened she walked straight to her office.
Chapter Twenty
It was after lunch time and James had pizza delivered for them. She kept her phone close to her because Angelo would text her to let her know how things were going. He wasn’t sure if he would come home to her tonight because he and his brother had catching up to do.
She hated the idea of sleeping alone but understood patching things up with your sibling. She was so happy her and Melissa finally made up because she missed her more than she thought. She hadn’t heard from Axel, but James had. He was sitting outside her closed office door and she stared at her computer screen.
Today had been a quiet day. Her office phone only rang a hand full of times and her cell phone only received a few text messages from Angelo. A knock at her door had her standing and walking towards it. When she opened the door she found James and the Detective that was handling her stalking case.
“Ms. Skyler, Detective Dixon is here to speak with you.” She never really knew the detective’s name because Axel had dealt with all of that. She nodded because she knew she really didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“Evangeline, do you want me to call Axel?” James asked and she shook her head.
“No, I will be fine. Won’t I Detective Dixon?” she glanced at the young and handsome detective. He had auburn short hair and dark green eyes that were surrounded by thick dark auburn lashes.
She strolled into her office and sat down behind the massive wood desk. The detective sat down across from her and pulled out a little white recorder. “I need to record this, I hope you don’t mind.” She had nothing to hide, she knew she should probably call her lawyer but she didn’t really care at this point.
“I don’t mind, ask me your questions detective.” He smiled at her and she could tell he was trying to be nice to her.
“I know you have had one other stalker. He used to work for you. Can you think of any new employees that are obsessed with you?” She laughed because if she had someone that was obsessed with her she would have told the detectives right away.
“I haven’t hired anyone new, not until after the stalking was underway.” She answered him and leaned back in her chair. He nodded and reached in his jacket pocket to pull out a small black notebook.
“Who are your new employees?”
“I could tell you, but I know they have nothing to do with it. Axel didn’t bring them in until after everything started.” She stared at Detective Dixon but he didn’t ask anything else and she knew he was waiting for her answer. “James and Ryan, my new security guards.”
“I will speak with James as I leave, is Ryan here?” She shook her head. “What about your new boyfriend? I did some digging on him and found he is the main suspect in his wife’s and three year old daughter’s murder.” She glared at him because he had his facts wrong.
“Angelo has nothing to do with this and I would appreciate if you did more research before you accuse an innocent man of murder.” Her heart raced because she would do anything to defend the man she loved.
“I’m sorry Ms. Skyler. I am just repeating what Inspector Bertolazzi said to me.” He took his eyes away from her and looked at his notebook. “Has anything else happened?” Axel didn’t call the police last night because nothing happened. That was her original order not to involve outside help unless needed.
“Things have been pretty quiet lately.” The lie came easily from her lips and his eyebrows went up because he didn’t believe her. Her office door opened and she had never been happier to see Axel in her life.
“Detective Dixon,” he said and made his way to the opposite chair to the detective. “I thought I told you to come to me if you had any more questions.” Dixon narrowed his eyes and looked back at her.
“Ms. Skyler, you are the one being pursued. I need to speak with you and you alone. I don’t need to ask your head of security if I can talk to you.” He turned his attention back to Axel. “If you would like I could question her down at the station.”
She glanced at Axel and gave him a warning look, she really didn’t want to go to the police station where she would be gawked at. “Detective Dixon, you are asking me questions there is no need to bring me to the station.” Slowly the detective turned is dark green eyes back on her and nodded.
“Great, so you can’t think of anyone that would want to scare you?” she shook her head. “You are extremely successful, you must have made some enemies.” Of course she had people that were envious. She was thirty, beautiful and tremendously well-off.
“Of course I have enemies I wouldn’t be who I am without them. But I have too many to count let alone give you a list.” She shrugged and he wrote something down.
“What about your business partner…Hayden Miller or Lisa Miller?” She laughed and shook her head. “If you think this is all funny Ms. Skyler then I will stop wasting my time looking for your stalker and help someone else who needs it.”
“You should, I don’t need you because I have some of the bravest, strongest, and if you don’t mind me saying sexiest men keeping me safe. So you should leave and close the case.” She crisscrossed her arms against her chest. She was done talking to him because no matter what she said he really didn’t care.
Detective Dixon reached forward for the recorder once when the red light went off he placed it into his pocket. “Ms. Skyler my captain wants me to close this case now because of what you stated. You have the resources and the capability to keep yourself protected. But I swore to serve and protect everyone and that includes you.” She stared at the man she had so wrong.
He wasn’t an ass or being mean; he was just doing his job. She leaned forward and glanced down at his pocket. “Off record?” he gradually nodded. “I don’t know who is stalking me but I know they won’t give up until one of us is dead. And I will tell you right now I won’t go down without fighting for my life.” She had many things to fight for now.
She and her family were getting closer, but Angelo gave her hope that she could have everything she had ever wanted in her life. A family.
Detective Dixon stood up and smiled down at her. “You are right about surrounding yourself with powerful people.” She raised out of her chair and walked behind him as he strolled towards the door. He turned around before he opened the door. “Keep safe Ms. Skyler.” He twisted around and left her and Axel alone in her office.
“You know you aren’t allowed to speak with the police without someone around.” Her lawyer had place that rule because someone had tried to say she said one thing when she didn’t. Now if the police or a reporter wanted to talk to her she needed someone there to back her.
“Well you weren’t here, and I can’t deny a detective if he wants to talk to me.” She turned around and was in astonishment to find Axel pissed off. His arms were crossed against his chest and his eyes were narrowed.
“You could have had James in here.” She wasn’t in the mood to fight all she wanted was to talk to Angelo.
She sighed and strolled to her couch. “I should have but my mind was elsewhere.”
Axel mumbled something as he moved towards her and sat next to her. “I have been talking to Ryan and Angelo and his brother are fine.” He looked away from her and she knew he was keeping something from her.
She took his hand in hers and he slowly brought his aquamarine blue eyes back to hers. “What aren’t you telling me?” he glanced down at their connected hands.
He sighed but smiled at her. “When Antonio first saw Angelo he punched him in the face and Ryan wasn’t expecting it. But as soon as he saw what was going on he stepped between them.” She pulled her hand out of his because at the mention of Angelo’s name she felt guilty.
“But he is okay?” He nodded. Walking back
to her desk she grabbed her phone to send a text message.
Angelo, you need to call me as soon as you can. She pressed send and sat down at her desk.
“I’m going to hang out in here if that’s okay Eva.” She didn’t care because she didn’t want to be alone right now and Axel was great company.
Angelo pulled his phone out of his front pocket. He was waiting for his little brother to meet him at his condo because they needed privacy to discuss whatever Antonio came here for. When he saw Evangeline’s name on his screen he grinned. He read her text and quickly called her before his brother arrived.
“Angelo, I have been so freaking worried.” She said as she answered the phone.
He smiled because she was worried about him he heard it in her sweet voice. “Angel, I am fine, there is no need to worry about me.” He was pretty sure Axel had told her about the first contact he had with Antonio.
She stayed quiet for a few seconds and he wondered if everything was fine or if her pursuer. “I just talked to the detective and he questioned me about you.” He knew that the police that was investigating the stalker would look at him as well. “You know I will do anything to protect you.” The tone in her voice was knew to him and he stood up.
“And I would do anything to defend what I love, and that is you.” He glanced at his intercom as it flashed. Making his way to it he pressed the button to allow Antonio access. “Evangeline I don’t know if I will be home tonight. I have to deal with my brother.”
He heard her sigh and he knew she was biting her bottom lip. She didn’t realize how sexy she looked when she did that or how it drove him absolutely crazy. “I don’t like it when you aren’t in my bed at night.” He hated when he wasn’t in her bed as well. He loved when she would fall asleep in his arms because he would listen to her as she slept on him.
“I know Angel,” he said as he walked to his front door. He yearned to touch her but he knew that he most likely wouldn’t tonight. He cracked the door opened. “You will be on my mind the entire time, Angel.”
He turned around and found his little brother glaring at him. “I like how you can make me smile even when you aren’t next to me. I—” he knew what she wanted to say and he would give her all the time in the world to say she loved him. “Damn it, this isn’t easy for me. But I love you Angelo and I miss you.”
“I know this isn’t easy for you Angel but you are trying and that is all that matters to me. I love you too and miss you tremendously. I will call you before bed, good bye Angel.”
“Tremendously?” she laughed and it made his heart open more for her. “Good bye Angelo and tell your brother if he touches you again I already gave orders to Ryan to shoot him.” Now he laughed and shook his head, he would deal with his brother.
“Okay I will inform him.” He said as he listened to her laugh before she hung up. He placed the phone in his pocket and stared at his younger brother.
The last time he had saw his brother he had just turned twenty. Angelo told him he would have to leave to try halt the investigation and find the real killer. Antonio held him one-hundred-percent responsible for his family’s murder.
“It isn’t right hearing you tell another woman you love them.” Antonio said and started to look around his spacious two-bedroom condo. He had some family vacation pictures up when he and Antonio were children and none of Maria and Angeline. It was just too painful for him to look at their faces and know he couldn’t have done anything to save them.
“You cannot help when your heart chooses to fall in love again.” Angelo said and Antonio spun around to face him. He looked like he wanted to punch Angelo again and out of the corner of his eye he saw Ryan stepping forward. He shook his head hoping Evangeline was joking about shooting his brother. “Antonio, I wasn’t planning on falling in love again. I tried my hardest to stay away from women and I had done a pretty good job at that until Evangeline.”
Antonio didn’t say anything he just walked towards the couch and sat down. Angelo strolled into the kitchen and retrieved three beers, and when he walked back out he handed one to Ryan. He shook his head and Angelo smiled. “I won’t tell her if you don’t.” he winked at his new bodyguard and was pleased when Ryan did the same. He moved towards his younger brother that looked so much like him. Angelo neglected so much in Antonio’s life and that was before his family was killed. Before all he was concerned about was the business, now he wanted his little brother back in his life.
He handed Antonio a beer and he took it without argument. “I didn’t come all this way to fight with you.” He said and took a drink of the cold beer. “I need you to do something for me. I need you to sign all of the company to me so I am able to sell. I already have a buyer lined up. They are willing to pay off the debt we owe plus extra for you and me.”
Angelo knew that this would happen eventually. “I don’t want nor need the money. But I will sign whatever you like.” Antonio reached in his jacket and pulled out an envelope.
Chapter Twenty-One
Evangeline strolled out of Skyler Tower with James walking in front of her and Axel behind her. He had told her before they walked out of the front doors that he wanted to box her in to make it harder to get to. He was convinced that her pursuer would come at her more intense now since he had been ineffective. Which was why she was keeping Ryan with Angelo. There was no way she was leaving him to be unguarded.
James opened the door for her and she quickly got in with Axel getting in the backseat with her. Once when the car was started she turned her head to the side to stare at him. Briefly she wondered what her life would have been like if she would have fallen in love with him from the start. They would have most likely gotten married and had children but something would always be missing in her life. She would have never loved him like she was starting to love Angelo.
“What is the new plan?” she queried him and he grinned. She knew he had a plan in place and he was purposely keeping it from her.
“What you aren’t going to go lone ranger on us again?” she glared at him as he laughed.
“I want to be a part of it, this is my stalker and it only seems right if I know what’s going on.” He sighed and shrugged.
“I have nothing planned besides keeping you and Angelo safe. I am going to do more surveillance on the tower and your home.” She hated feeling like she was being watched. It was the worst feeling in the world to her. “I have some of my police friends watching the rest of your family. But I think he will go after you or Angelo.”
She sat back and rested her head. Axel wanted to keep her and Angelo safe and that was all that mattered to her. She assumed he was right about the stalker coming after her and Angelo, because if he got hurt it would destroy her.
The person that was stalking her had to know how much Angelo met to her. But she trusted Axel’s judgment if he thought Ryan could protect the love of her life then so be it. She closed her eyes and pondered who was after her.
Ten minutes later she opened her eyes and they were slowing down to pull into her driveway.
“I will check the house I want you and James to stay here.” Axel said before he opened the door. She was getting used to being treated a fragile porcelain doll but she didn’t like it. She nodded as he glanced back at her with a grin on his handsome face. “We will catch him, I won’t rest until I do.” She was taught that not all stalkers were men, and she didn’t know why but she didn’t think her new stalker was a man. It just didn’t feel like a man.
Before she could voice her opinion she just sat back and watched him walk to her door. “I think I want you and Ryan on my perment security team.” She said and James turned around. She wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to read his facial expressions. “Obviously you two would give up your life for mine or what I love. That is what makes a great bodyguard.”
James smiled as he slowly nodded. “I would Evangeline.” He glanced towards the house and his smile widen. “You know he is in love with you and it’s killing him
that he isn’t the one you want.” Her heart dropped because she knew he was right, Axel loved her and she didn’t return the love he sought.
“You can’t help who your heart desires and mine desires Angelo.” James arched his dark eyebrows. “Then you might have to let him go. He needs to find something to make him happy. We have seen a lot of bad shit over there and the only way to block it out is love.” He gazed out the back window that was behind her. “So much blood and death at our hands. But we saved so many as well.” She knew his mind was in another place.
She rested her hand on his arm and he didn’t flinch. “James?” she softly said his name and sluggishly he turned his dark green eyes back to her. “I will never stop any of you if you want to leave.”
He nodded and gave her a genuine smile. “Stay here, I want to check on Axel. He is taking too long.” She felt her heart race when she realized that James was right. Last night it had taken him about ten minutes to check her whole house and Axel had been gone for about fifteen.
She shook her head there was no way in hell she was staying out in a car alone. “I think I should come with you.” Plus there was a chance Axel was hurt and it was because of her stalker. James’ eyes darken and she sat a little straighter.
“If I let you out of this car and Axel isn’t hurt and bleeding somewhere I will be the one hurt and bleeding.” She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Glad to see my pain and misery amuse you.” She laughed and reached for the door handle. “But I really can’t let you out there. Please Evangeline, stay here until I or Axel come to get you.”
Knowing it was a losing battle because he would argue and sit here with her while her friend could be hurt. With a heavy sigh she sat back and he got out of the car. Quickly he rushed to the house with his gun in his hand.
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 3) Page 179