Winter

by Michelle Love

  She shouts into my ear because the music is so loud she has to, “I like your earrings.” She moves her long blonde hair back behind her ear to show me she has a matching set. “Rod and Blaze got swindled by the same old woman today.”

  I laugh and know I’m going to miss this woman when they leave to go back to their normal lives. Whatever that is.

  It occurs to me that it’s been two weeks and I haven’t gotten to know anything about any of his friends. I really am antisocial.

  Benny goes into Blaze mode around his fellow bikers and it’s always kind of odd to me. The cigarettes get lit up and if a joint is passed around, he does partake.

  He knows better than to even try to push that on me. I don’t smoke at all. Never have and never will.

  Some hard song comes on and it has the whole bar full of people revving up their already loud noise. Benny turns back to me and pulls me into his arms, lifting my feet off the floor as he swings me around a little to the music.

  I guess to most this would be amazing fun. But all I can think about is how loud it all is, how crowded the place is, and how the hell we’d get out if a fire broke out in here.

  Yeah, I know. I’m a weirdo.

  Once the song ends, he places my feet on the floor and proceeds to drag me behind him through the crowd and the next thing I know we’re in a ring of his friends again and they’re all yelling in each other’s ears about shit I can’t hear and wouldn’t understand if I could.

  I feel like a foreigner in my own home town. It’s kind of awful.

  I feel a tug on my arm and find Phoenix and Ashley. Phoenix shouts, “We’re going on a bathroom run, wanna come?”

  Anything sounds better than this. I nod and tug at Benny’s hand and shout into his ear when he leans back, “I’m going to the bathroom with Ashley and Phoenix. I’ll be back. Be good.”

  He laughs and pulls me in front of him and gives me a quick kiss. “I will.”

  As I walk away, he lands a sharp slap on my ass and gives me a wink to which I wink back. He makes my heart melt with just one look. I’m so smitten.

  The women’s restroom isn’t much of a reprieve from the loudness but it is a little less deafening than in the main area. I lean against the wall as we wait in the line.

  “So you guys are heading out in the morning. I have to admit I’m going to miss you two.” I nod as some woman wearing a ripped up shirt walks past me and seems kind of pissed.

  But who wouldn’t if someone ripped their shirt nearly off.

  Ashely laughs as she sees my face as I look the woman over as she leaves. “Rough crowd out there.”

  I nod. “I’d say so.”

  Phoenix pulls out a pack of cigarettes and Ashley waves her off when she offers and so do I. She gets one for herself and lights it up. I try hard not to cough and act like a baby about the smoke.

  “We’re going to miss you too, Angel. You’re a real trip. Your humor will be missed,” Phoenix tells me. “But we’ll see you in Vegas for our wedding next week, right?”

  “Your wedding?” I ask as I have no idea what she’s talking about.

  Ashley looks a little surprised as she asks, “Blaze didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” I look at Phoenix. “You and Paco are tying the knot then?”

  She nods. “Yeah. Blaze is paying for us to stay there for the whole week. I really can’t imagine why he hasn’t told you. He said he was coming.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe he’s not taking me.” Anger starts to flow through me that he’d not invite me to the thing.

  Ashely laughs. “I’m sure he’s taking you, Angel. The guy goes nowhere without you after all.”

  “He must’ve forgotten you weren’t there that day we told everyone, and he said he’d be there. That’s most likely it. Just mention it and see what he says about it,” Phoenix suggests.

  The urge to bite my nails is awful. Why didn’t he tell me? Is he really planning on going without me?

  The line moves and I can see we’re finally next in line to get to use the handful of toilets. I tap my foot and both women look down at it. Ashley looks up at me. “Are you mad?”

  “Nope.” I cross my arms in front of me. “Just really have to pee.”

  So what if it’s a lie?

  After I get into the stall, I try hard to calm back down. I don’t know why I’m letting this go all over me but it is.

  Quickly, I take care of the business I came in here for and find the other two washing their hands and I do the same. In the mirror, I see my cheeks are flushed and I really need to try to calm down.

  The loud noise and heat with the crowd does little to help as I follow them out and back to Benny. I’m taller than either of them so I can see over their heads as we get closer to where we left our men and I see a tall, heavyset, blonde woman pulling on Benny’s arm.

  I suppose trying to get him to dance with her. I stop as he pulls out his pack of cigarettes and lets her take one from the pack then he lights it for her. She blows the smoke off to one side then leans in to say something else to him.

  I barely notice Ashley and Phoenix looking back at me as I move faster to tell the woman to get away from my man. They part so I can get by them and I yank the skanky chick’s arm as soon as I can reach her.

  She looks me up and down with a half-smile on her red lips. “What?”

  “He’s taken. Get lost,” I shout in her ear.

  She looks back at me just as Benny turns around and his eyes get really big as she says, “Look, Bitch, he ain’t got no ring on his finger so he’s up for grabs.”

  I look back to see Ashely and Phoenix with their jaws dropped and make a fist with my right hand and turn back to the dumb ass and smack her so fucking hard her head snaps back.

  Her cigarette flies through the air and her ass drops like a rock. Ashley and Phoenix move to either side of me and pull me along as Ashley shouts, “Time to move our party elsewhere, guys.”

  The whole pack of Benny’s friends just moves a good ways over, leaving the fat chick lying on the floor. Benny takes my hand and pulls me away until he finds some place a little less loud.

  “Why’d you do that, Baby?” he asks as he takes my right hand and looks over my red knuckles.

  “A couple of reasons. First, she was touching my man. Second she used the word bitch and I don’t appreciate that.”

  He kisses my knuckles and then me. “You’re something else, Rocky. One punch and she was out.”

  “Why didn’t you tell her to fuck off instead of giving her a fucking cigarette and a light?” I ask as I narrow my eyes at him.

  “She’d been bugging me and wouldn’t let up. I gave it to her thinking she’d go away,” he says, and he looks sincere.

  “You give a bitch a cigarette and a light in this place, she’ll think you want her. Do you want her, Blaze?” I stare him down.

  “What the fuck? No, Angel. What the fuck’s wrong with you?” He looks genuinely confused.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Phoenix and Paco’s Vegas wedding you’re going to in a week?” I cross my arms in front of me and tap my foot.

  His eyebrows go way up. “That? That’s what has you so fired up? Fuck, Baby. I forgot. With all we’ve been doing, I really just forgot. Why would that make you so mad?”

  “Were you planning on taking me with you? Or just leaving and telling me nothing?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not him, Angel. I’m not Gage. I’m not leaving you.”

  The fact he knows what’s-his-ass’s name has me puzzled because I never say it. “Who told you his name?”

  Suddenly he looks worried. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy. It doesn’t really matter, anyway. Come on, Baby. This is silly…”

  I cock my head to one side. “What’s so silly about me being mad that you’ve discussed my private business with someone in this town? Who was it?”

  He shakes his head again. “No, now, I made a promise and I’m going to keep it. And you need to stop b
eing crazy.”

  I try to walk away but he catches my arm so I turn back and say, “Fine. But when we get home, I’m going to use the belt to get it out of you. I don’t like people talking about my personal shit. Not ever!”

  His grip on my arms tightens. “What did you say to me? You’re going to use the belt on me? To get something out of me? Fuck that shit!”

  “You’re hurting my arm,” I say as I look at the way he’s holding it so tight.

  “And apparently you think you’re going to try to hurt me later. So.” He glares at me and I glare right back.

  “Tell me who it was, Blaze.”

  “Don’t you fucking call me Blaze! You and I need to go somewhere a little more private, Angel.” He tugs me along with him and takes me outside and around the side of the building where he pushes me up against the wall.

  “Stop!” I shout at him.

  His hand goes over my mouth, making me be quiet. “Listen to me, young lady, you will never lay a hand on me in anger. Nor I, you. The belt, the whip, and our hands are not to be used in anger. Got me?”

  I nod and he moves his hand from my mouth. “Blaze…”

  “Why are you calling me that?” He takes me by the shoulders.

  “Because that’s who you’re being right now. I don’t think you forgot to tell me about going to Vegas.” I look him in the eyes as he darts them back and forth.

  “I did forget. I asked you to go to New York with me, for God’s sakes. Why on Earth would I take you there and not to Vegas, Baby? You’re freaking out for no reason.” He lets me go but pulls me into a hug and holds me tight. “What’s really wrong, Baby?”

  “I don’t know,” I confess. “This can’t last. It’s all too good to be true. And I know that no matter how hard you try, your family is going to fight this.”

  He lets me go and takes a step back. “Angel, I’ll fight them over you.”

  “You shouldn’t have to,” I say and the tears start falling. “You should just do what’s expected of you. Be with a woman in your league. You’re so far out of mine, it’s not funny.”

  “Don’t talk like that. You’re a brilliant woman and you’re on the cusp of your own greatness. Have a little faith in yourself and know you will become someone who’s amazing.” He looks over my shoulder and I hear footsteps moving over the gravel in quick steps. “Who’s this mother fucker and why does he look like that?”

  I turn around and nearly fall down. “Gage!”

  The Billionaire Takes Charge of His Angel # 3

  Chapter 1

  BLAZE

  “Gage?” I ask as I watch a strange man scoop my Angel up in his arms.

  And she’s letting him!

  “Angel, I’ve missed you. I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he says as he holds her tight. Then he lets her go and walks up to me with a few quick steps.

  I’m shocked as he knocks me in the chest, shoving me back and I hit the wall behind me. “Hey, mother fucker,” I shout at him and draw my fist back.

  Angel is suddenly between us. Her back is to me and her hand is on the other guy’s chest. “Gage, what are you doing?”

  “I saw how he handled you.” He looks at me. “What makes you think you can be so rough with her?”

  I’m at a complete loss for words right now. This can’t be real. This asshole ran off on her and she’s not calling him out on it.

  “He wasn’t being rough with me,” she says as I watch her hand run over his chest. “He and I were having a little argument. He wasn’t hurting me.”

  His demeanor changes rapidly and he takes her hand, the one she’s been running over his chest for reasons I can’t explain. “Angel, we need to talk.”

  “The fucking hell you do,” I let him know. “You left her. Without another word from you in the last couple of years. You broke her, you asshole. You don’t get to talk to her now.” I run my hands over her shoulders. “Tell him, Baby.”

  She looks back at me over her shoulder. “Benny, I’d like to talk to him. To get some closure after all this time. Please let me.”

  “Let you?” the guy asks. “Angel, he doesn’t have to let you talk to me. I’m the man you love. How could you have forgotten that?”

  Her voice is weak as she says, “Gage, I haven’t forgotten anything. But you have to understand that I’ve moved on. Benny and I live together. We love each other. So I won’t be talking to you unless he approves of that. I care too much about him not to have his approval.”

  He pulls the hand he’s been holding to his lips and kisses her palm and I about come unglued. “No you don’t! You, son of a bitch!” I try to reach around Angel to yank her hand away from him.

  She presses her back against me and pulls her hand away on her own. “Gage, you don’t get to do that. You can’t show up here and think you and I still have anything. You left. You never called. I moved on because you left me alone.”

  “That’s what I want to talk about, Angel. I have my reasons why I haven’t tried to contact you. Just come and talk to me about it all. Once you know everything, I think you’ll feel differently about us.” He looks at her with sad, puppy dog eyes and I want to kick his ass.

  The way she’s looking at me with slightly drooping eyes makes my heart ache. “Benny, I’d like to talk to him.”

  I don’t want to let her do this.

  “Angel, I…”

  “Please, Benny. There’s so much I want to know.” She looks so hard at me it’s as if she’s looking into my brain for some compassion.

  “I don’t want you to be alone with him. You have to understand,” I say as I run my hands up and down her arms.

  “I do,” she says. “But I really need this.”

  It takes me forever to decide what to do. I look at the prick who’s decided to show up at the most inconvenient time. “Where do you plan on talking to her at?”

  With a nod, he gestures to a tall red truck that’s parked behind him. “In my truck. We won’t leave the parking lot. Unless she decides to come with me.”

  Angel’s eyes go wide. “You want me to go with you, Gage? You want me back?”

  He nods. “Baby, I’ve been driving for hours to get to you. It’s all I could think about since… Well, I’ll tell you all about it. But I do want you back.”

  “No, I can’t let you talk to her.” I shake my head. “I can’t. I won’t! You just stood here and said you want to take my girl. I can’t allow that.” I stop talking as Angel puts her hand on my chest. Tears stream down her pink cheeks.

  It breaks my heart and I run my thumbs over them to wipe the tears away. “I won’t leave with him. I love you, Benny. I just want to know why he did that to me. That’s all. I promise you that. I love you. My heart is yours.”

  “Angel, he doesn’t deserve your time. He left, and it took away a big part of you. A part you’re just now beginning to get back. If you fall for his shit, it will end us and you’ll go back to being that broken girl. Don’t do that to us.” I stroke her cheek as I nearly beg her not to do it. “Don’t do that to yourself.”

  She looks so torn and I hate that. I want her to stand up to him. Be defiant, and not even want to hear whatever it is he has to say to her.

  She and I look at each other for the longest time, our minds connecting in a way mine can do with no others. I feel confident she’s going to do the right thing for us.

  Then his voice breaks our connection as he says, “The reason I left was to see the world. Angel had college to worry about. She had a brilliant career ahead of her. I didn’t want my yearning to see the world put her career on hold.”

  Without looking at him as I try to keep her eyes trained on mine, I say, “How generous of you.”

  “Look, I know it’s hard to understand,” he continues. “I lived in a tiny town my whole life. When I got out of high school, I bought a motorcycle and made my way to Sturgis to spread my wings like I’d wanted to do since I was a little kid. I met Angel, and it stopped my growing process.”
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  “I met Angel, and it began mine,” I say as I run my hand down her long braid.

  He shifts his weight to his other foot and groans. “Look, this is fucking hard for me to take, watching your hands move over my true love like that.”

  Angel’s eyes narrow and she spins around and snaps at him, “Your true love? Gage, how can those words even come out of your mouth?”

  Get him, girl!

  Finally, the anger that should’ve come from her from the start.

  “Look, Gage, I’m not going to let you get by with talking in a way that’s not true. I’m not your true love,” she says.

  He interrupts her. “Yes, you are.”

  She shakes her head. “Stop that! No one leaves their true love and never even calls to see if they’re alive.”

  “Funny you should say that.” He frowns at her. “Why is it you never attempted to call me? Not once, from my understanding.”

  “You left me. Why would I call? To beg you to stop following your odd dream of seeing the world? I’m not selfish like that.” I can feel her beginning to tremble.

  I wrap my arms around her from behind and kiss her cheek. “It’s okay, Baby.”

  Her hand moves over my cheek and her body stops shaking. The man who left her looks at me with an expression that begs me to let her go. But I won’t.

  He gestures to us. “This is hard to watch. Please let her go. Stop holding her, at the very least. It’s hard not to come at you and rip your fucking head off with you all over her like that.”

  She looks at me. “I can see what he’s saying. Let me go, Benny.”

  “No.” I’m not letting her go just because this ass-wipe wants me to. I look him in his dark eyes. “Be uncomfortable, be very uncomfortable.”

  He looks right back at me and I have to give it to the man, he is persistent over a woman he left alone for two years. “Fine, hold her, but you need to know she and I had a special bond. I thought it was strong enough to allow me to pursue my lifelong dream and be able to come back and pick up where we left off. We hadn’t broken up. I was merely going on a trip.”