“My advice is not to wait on this,” Joshua said as he stood up. “Let us work to save your reputation and make those that hurt you regret ever knowing your name.”
I returned his handshake, and he walked out.
I turned to Stuart, “I don’t know about him.”
“Give Joshua a chance. He’s the best defense lawyer I know,” Stuart implored. “I apologize for negotiating with Patrick, but I’m with him on how to handle the rest. Please trust that I was looking out for how this would best help you. I’ll see you back in Seattle.” His eyes already far away in his thoughts, though he patted the back of my hand in support before he left.
I wanted to leave, too. I was due to check out and fly back to Seattle with Elliott, but he hasn’t returned. Also, the clothes I had my assistant send through Stuart were best suited for the unseasonable snow coming down in Seattle. Still, I managed to put on my woolen pants and cashmere sweater by myself, slowly. While I waited for Elliott, I retried phoning my best friend, Astrid, but got her voicemail again. Our calls had been infrequent since I’d been in the hospital. I left her a message informing her that I was returning home. I missed her and my work at Perfetto and hoped to get everything back on track.
I was just about through with the discharge papers the nurse brought in when Dane came in through the door.
My eyes widened in surprise. Admittedly, I had hoped to see him before I flew back, but he’d been busy looking after Angel and her daughter, Melinda, who I noticed looked a lot like him. Melinda came as a surprise during our rescue.
Even with all that on his plate, he still came to see me. During my stay at the hospital, I found him to be a calming presence amid his unchanging uniform of business suits. The color of the suit he had on this day was dark grey. It complemented his silvery grey eyes, which entranced me as much as the rest of him. He hit all the boxes if I had a wish list of my type of guy. Tall, dark, handsome, and, most importantly, confident. He had a comfortable appeal about him, something I admired and aspired to have in my own life. Indeed, out of the Dane and Elliott, Dane and I had the most in common, especially in background and business, though business-wise, mine was cosmetics and his was architectural design. While he waited beside the bed for me to finish up, I sensed something behind his usually smooth exterior. Something was wrong.
When we were alone, I asked him, “Did something happen?”
“It’s Angel. The police may charge her with attempted murder.”
CHAPTER TWO
Dane’s expression turned pensive. He took in a sharp breath. During the FBI raid, Angel tried to shoot Vincent but ended up getting shot herself by the police. The bullet went through the side of her lower abdomen. She made it through surgery and was resting in intensive care though her condition was not life-threatening.
How the district attorney decided to charge her so quickly was odd given that she had been missing from her life for years. Angel was found where five other women, including me, were being held, which couldn’t have been a coincidence. Vincent had originally expected Dane to be there and even went as far as revealing his contact had planned for it. He also disclosed that his contact wanted to watch Dane and Angel’s exchange by remote camera. There was still so much more that needed to be investigated. “Angel was the one injured,” I pointed out. “She didn’t kill Vincent. The FBI should have informed the police on all that happened to her. Have they even spoken to her yet?”
“Yes, and that’s the problem,” Dane replied wearily. “Angel told the FBI and police she tried to kill Vincent, and, if given a chance, she’d do it again.”
My mouth went dry. In the brief time I had seen Angel, I noticed some things about her that were quite concerning. The years she’d spent in captivity had left her far from the savvy businesswoman Dane had described. She seemed fragile, like a little child. “Does Angel even realize she was hurting herself? She may not comprehend what she’s saying.”
“Yes and no,” Dane answered with a grim twist to his mouth. “She refused counsel and refused to submit to a mental health evaluation but was quick to answer questions on her life history when asked. She also said she will sign whatever confession they want to give her and go to jail. I don’t understand why she’s doing this or why she’d want to leave Melinda, though she’s now trying to claim she’s not mine.” He cleared his throat. “Now, I have Human Services involved, who have temporarily placed her with Angel’s aunt and uncle who just recently moved to Long Island from Virginia.”
“Why can’t Melinda stay with you?” I asked.
“I must wait for a DNA test before I can have her,” he answered dismally.
My temples pounded as my mind tried to grasp Angel’s situation. I didn’t understand her willingness to destroy the rest of her life. Mainly because her life wasn’t just hers. She had a daughter, Melinda.
Dane’s pain was palpable, cutting through his reserve. After all, he’d done, spending years searching and changing his life to find Angel, only to be rejected in the end. It was all too much.
I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him close. “She has to be lying, Melinda looks like you. Angel needs to know how hard you looked for her and all you did to save her. She shouldn’t want to put you or Melinda through this.”
“I’m sorry to burden you with this,” he said and sighed heavily. “I just can’t believe what’s happened to Angel. I know I’ll have to accept it and, honestly. I had such hope….” He took a deep breath and firmly adjusted his tie. “Anyway, I wanted to explain why I won’t be returning to Seattle for a while. I’ll have to go back to my house in New York City. New York is the only thing Angel is fighting for. She’s demanding to be imprisoned there, none of us are sure why. However, her family is offering to take custody of her there if need be. I think it would be good to have her back in New York around all her friends, family and all her success. I’ve been trying to get her to talk and remember, but she won’t talk to me.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” I said. “I mean they can’t keep her, can they? What about her injuries? That must prove she was injured by whoever was holding her.”
He sighed. “She’s a masochist. She claims all injuries were of her own volition.”
“I wish I could help you both,” I replied empathetically.
“You can,” he held me at arms distance, his eyes meeting my own. “Come to New York with me, Gia.”
I bit into my lip. From the little I learned about Dane, he would be alone in New York, having distanced himself from his family and put so much of his time into work and finding Angel. I wanted to go with him, but I also had responsibilities back in Seattle. “I wish I could, but I must get back to Perfetto. I need to get things back on track there, check on my father, my friends. I have some legal issues—”
“I understand, but I hope you can, even if it’s just a weekend visit,” he whispered. His warmth and his citrus cologne surrounded me as he placed his hands low on my waist. “I’ll give you an open ticket. I know that’s selfish, but I need you with me. You would make things better.”
I didn’t say yes, and I knew that I should be cautious, but then his lips were on mine. They were soft, and the caress was warm. I parted my lips inviting more, which he indulged. His tongue stroked, coaxed, seduced for more. My arms closed around his broad shoulders, pressing in. He groaned as his hands moved around to grip my buttocks, pulling me hard against his firm build, his erection forming between our pressed bodies. My body clenched tight aching to feel him inside me again, and the more he touched, the hotter I became. He rolled his hips against me, and a moan escaped my lips. I was being carried away, but I couldn’t allow myself to. I broke away and stepped back. When he eyed me questioningly, I struggled with a way to explain it, but then the door swung open. I was immediately relieved when I found that Elliott was the person who had entered.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Elliott’s lips as his eyes shifted between the two of us. “Don’t stop on my account.”<
br />
“Stopping wasn’t my idea,” Dane replied, but he didn’t try to take hold of me again.
“We can’t, not out in the open with everything going on,” I explained, my tone, soft.
“I’ll close the door,” Elliott said in a teasing tone, though he was already shutting it anyway.
Even though the three of us were alone now, the nagging words of Stuart filtered through my mind. I couldn’t allow any more public displays of affection if it would hurt my chances of getting justice. I didn’t know what to do, but for now, I casually went over and picked up my discharge papers to add to my bag.
“Did you get enough information from the interview?” I asked him.
“Yes, but what we need is more from Angel.” Elliott rubbed his jaw. “Did Dane tell you?”
I nodded. “Yes, and I hope this all works out.”
Elliott blew out his breath. “We do, too. So, you’re all right with speaking to her? We could go to her room now if you want.”
My mouth dropped open. “What? Me??”
“I didn’t tell her about your plan because I don’t agree to it,” Dane told Elliott. “Gia doesn’t need to get any more involved. If Angel wouldn’t tell me, she won’t tell her.”
“Dane, you need to trust me on this,” Elliott said. “I’ve worked with women that have been through human trafficking before. If she sees someone that was in her situation, she might divulge things that she kept from us,” Elliott replied. “Whoever had her must know more. Vincent is still holding out on giving the name and location of the man for a deal that will give him a lighter sentence, should he be convicted. If Gia can get Angel to reveal who it is, we can bring more damning charges against him. This will help all of you.”
“All right,” I agreed. “If I have a chance of putting all The Agency members that are hurting women in jail I’d help in any way I can.”
After turning in my discharge papers at the nurse’s station, Dane, Elliott and I, made our way to the Intensive Care Unit via the elevators. Once we reached her floor, we found the hallway leading to Angel’s room. The hallway had a police officer positioned at the entrance. To my dismay, Trish came out of the guarded door. She walked over to us, and gave me a relaxed smile. “You agreed to talk to Angel?”
I turned toward Elliott, who then placed a hand on my shoulder. “I already asked Gia, and she’s going to help us out,” he told her.
Trish motioned Elliott to follow her further down the hall, which he did, but at a much slower pace. I really don’t know why they bothered, because anyone nearby could hear everything.
“This impromptu interview with your bed partner is going to derail the case,” Trish scolded. “You’ve compromised the case enough. If she is going to talk to anyone, she’ll need prior approval—”
“It’s my case,” Elliott cut her off. “I’m the lead officer. I get to decide how it works. If you don’t like it go complain again.”
“—If you put her in there, I will,” Trish threatened.
I stepped over and waved my hand at Elliott to gain his attention. “It’s fine. Another time.”
“We can try another time,” Dane said stepping up behind me. “Maybe after Angel’s out of the hospital.”
Elliott came over to stand in front of me. He placed his hands on my arms. His gaze imploring, “Angel will have more details now than later. Everything she went through is still fresh in her mind. She must know something, and without her story, our case against The Agency is weak, and those responsible will get away and hurt more women. From talking to her, we could tell that they really messed her up in the head so that she would be irrational and unintelligible when we talk to her, but we can’t give up on her yet. She still might say something that could help. She won’t deal with anyone all prepped up with a list of prepared questions and fake concern. Please, try.”
His speech was more for Trish and Dane. I wanted this to stop and for the men involved in this cruel game to pay for it. I didn’t know what I could do, but I was going to help. “Yes. I’ll do all I can.”
Elliott grinned and squeezed my shoulder, and my stomach fluttered like he had kissed me. He hadn’t kissed me since I’d been in the hospital.
“I’m going on record that I didn’t agree to this interview,” Trish said curtly, her chin high.
“Good for you. You want a gold star, too?” Elliott deadpanned.
“Keep making jokes,” Trish rumbled. “We’ll see who’ll be laughing in the end when we are back at the office tomorrow.”
“If I go to the office,” he told her coarsely. “If something needs following up on, I get to pursue it.”
“Your libido isn’t an excuse,” she snipped sending a distasteful glare my way. “You better hope Mrs. Walsh has something to offer or you’re finished…. Mr. Westbrook.” She gave Dane a curt nod, then turned on her low heels and headed down the hall.
“Get a transfer already,” Elliott grumbled under his breath.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have had sex with Trish,” Dane told him, his gaze fixed on Trish as she moved on down the hall.
I smirked. Oh, that explains some of her hostility.
“That’s old news,” Elliott said in a bored tone.
“Looks like it’s not so old to her,” Dane mused.
“And I never led her on, and that’s enough on that.” Elliott eyed Dane coolly, before returning his focus back toward where Trish had been. He cursed.
I raised my brows. “Are you going to be in trouble with your boss?”
Elliott smirked. “No. I’m the lead investigator. This is my case, and I’d be damned after all I put in for it to go to hell because of her fucking protocol. Angel has information that can help the case, but she’s not talking to us. We need to try to extract something of note from Angel, or we will be blind to what their next move will be.”
He then turned to Dane and said. “What the fuck? I thought you had my back on getting the bastard that took Angel? I wouldn’t have suggested Gia speaking with Angel if I didn’t think it could help.”
Dane’s jaw tightened. “I know that, but you’ve spoken to Angel. She’s not lucid. She’s mixed up. I reckon reliving what happened might aggravate her condition.”
What Dane said made sense and Elliott went quiet. We all did. Just continued to stand there, and I was unsure if I should go in considering it might cause more confusion for Angel.
“If you’re going in, you’ll need to do so right now. Visiting hours are almost over,” the female police officer called over reminding us just how much of this conversation wasn’t private.
“Sorry, but now that our cover is blown, we’re operating blindly,” Elliott told Dane. “We need to try to at least try to keep Gia, Angel, and all the other women targets safe.”
Dane quietly nodded.
I squeezed Dane’s hand in reassurance, then followed Elliott over to the reception desk. Elliott showed the female receptionist his badge and answered the questions she had before allowing me through.
“Only two people at a time for fifteen minutes,” she warned.
“I’m going with her,” Elliott informed her. He then spoke softly into my ear. “I’ll stay near the door, listening and taping your conversation with her. You focus on her and don’t acknowledge that I’m there. Even though she knows me from back in the day, we thought she’d be more willing to talk with women, although she didn’t hit it off with Trish—”
“It’s fine,” I tried to assure him. “I want to try. I want all The Agency members involved to be brought to justice as much as you do.”
Elliott smiled. “Thanks for this.”
We shadowed the nurse until we reached Angel’s room. Elliott waited by the wall, and I went the rest of the way through the curtain divider to where Angel was. The sound of the air-conditioning and EKG machines were the only noises in the room on entry. Her facial expression gave nothing away even after the nurse mentioned to her I’d come to see her.
When the nurse le
ft, and we were still quiet, I decided to speak first. “Hello, Angel, I’m Gia. I don’t know if you remember me… I was one of the group of women brought to Vincent’s house when you were there.…”
Her lips spread into a crooked smile. “Well now here you are.”
I nodded and sat on the plastic chair that was close to her bedside. She had been frail at Vincent’s but looked more so in the twin-sized hospital bed. The gown was all she had on. She had a white sheet bunched underneath her legs, which were bare and visibly scarred. I would have thought her cold, but her blonde hair appeared damp with a light sheen of sweat on her pale skin.
I swallowed. She could have been me. “I’m happy to see you’re getting better…”
Her eyes focused intently on me. “Why would you care?” she asked.
“Because you’ve been missing. My…Our friend, Dane’s been searching for you,” I softened. “Your little girl, Melinda, needs you.”
“I don’t know that little girl,” Angel replied flatly.
I lowered my brows. Was she joking? “She calls you mommy.”
“Simon says to call me mommy, but I’m not with her,” Angel answered. “Simon can get the little girl to call you mommy now.”
I puzzled and frowned. Simon? “No, she should call her mother mommy. I thought she was yours because she looks just like you.” And Dane.
“Yes, and that’s part of my game, silly,” Angel said and grinned. “When I play it. I never play as much as they liked. I stayed free, and they get angry.”
I puzzled. “What game?”
“The game of my life,” she answered.
My brows knitted. “The men that kept you told you keeping you was part of a game? Do all of the women get their own game?”
“I shouldn’t spoil it.” She placed her hand over her mouth and laughed.
“No, Angel, you’re not spoiling anything,” I told her. “The games are over. You and Melinda are safe now. You don’t have to play any more games. You can return to your old life.”
Dauntless (The Agency Dark Affairs Duet Book 2) Page 2