Angel, seemingly satisfied with what he saw in me, nodded to his father. “Yes, I am. She’ll be fine.”
“That’s not going to happen!” Victor barked.
Angel shrugged. “Then neither is this.”
“This is bullshit, Pops, he doesn’t speak for this entire family,” I heard Eddie say.
I can’t begin to explain to you the look that imprisoned Angel’s face. What I will say is that murderous look effectively scared the living shit out of me.
I stepped up and said, “Okay. Consider it done.”
“The hell it is,” my brother said to me, but I frowned and turned toward him.
“You don’t get to make that decision. I do,” I hissed, then looked at my father. “I don’t have a problem working with Mr. Leonetti. I don’t see anything wrong with me doing exactly what he asks.”
Angel was silent for a very long moment before he said plainly, “Draw up the paperwork, and I’ll sign it. Bring the contract to Ms. Waters’ office. Ms. Waters, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to you privately.”
“No,” my brother exclaimed again, really being an asshole. He attempted to keep me from moving toward Angel.
However, I was too quick. I walked to the door, nodding at Angel. “Of course,” I replied calming, smiling even though I was far from being happy. I was actually very upset, wavering on the side of pissed off, and the person that I was upset with the most was Angel. I moved through the open door, first nodding at my father, letting him know that I was fine.
Angel and I didn’t speak at all, as we headed to my office, which was fine with me. I had some choice words for him the moment we were alone.
My assistant saw me coming and she stood. When her eyes fell on Angel, I could see the look change in them as she raked her eyes over him. That right there pushed me over the edge.
“Bridgette, hold my calls while I’m meeting with Mr. Leonetti,” I told her, walking in her line of sight.
Bridgette, seeing the venom in my eyes, quickly straightened up and nodded, “Yes, of course.”
I went to my door, opened it and turned to let Angel inside.
“I need a minute with Ms. Waters,” he told the two burly men that had followed him, one of which was the one from the club.
“Yes, sir,” one of them replied. Then they just posted up in front of my door like guards.
Angel stood by my door and motioned me to go before him. I rolled my eyes and headed into my office. I breathed deeply, as I heard my office door close and lock. I turned to face him, ready to read him the riot act, when I quickly found hands on the sides of my face and a greedy tongue caressing mine.
I wasn’t prepared to be attacked this way. I had things to say yet… Yeah, I don’t know what it was I wanted to say! In fact, my hands were in his hair, trying to get closer to him, and his hands were pushing my skirt up, gripping my ass.
This is out of control. I am beginning to feel out of control.
I separated my lips from his, reluctantly, mind you, and pushed him away from me.
“God, Angel.” I backed up from him, giving us space as I wiped my mouth.
“What’s the problem?” I heard behind me.
I turned and faced him, remembering exactly what I wanted to say that very moment.
“What was that all about?” I commanded.
Grinning, Angel moved to me, “That was me kissing you. If you like, I can show you again what it feels like.”
I put my hands up. “No, I’m not talking about that. That we’ll get to later. I’m talking about in that meeting room. What’s up with you and my brother? You two used to be close, which doesn’t explain what I saw.” I shivered, just thinking about what could have happened if I hadn’t stood up.
Angel didn’t reply to me, so I moved closer to him, “Angel, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know what’s going on with your brother,” he replied, but I wasn’t buying it.
“Come on, Angel. I can see it in both of you. Something is up.”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
I folded my arms, “I’m asking you.”
“And I told you I don’t know!” he snapped.
I moved back from him. The rage that I saw earlier was back and stronger than ever. Angel created some distance between us, heading toward the large window in my office. He ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated, and hell, he wasn’t the only one.
“I don’t like to be used, Angel,” I told him.
“I’m not using you, Raquel,” he quipped without looking at me.
I could see the muscles in his back tense even more through his dark blue suit jacket. He rested his hand on the back of his neck and continued to stare out of my office window.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion on the other side of my office door. My brother’s voice boomed throughout the entire building it seemed. “I don’t give a fuck who’s in there! This is my company, and that’s my sister! You better get the hell out of my way before I…”
I moved as quickly as I could to my office door and snatched it open before bullets started flying.
When my brother saw my face, he started walking to my door. I came out of the office, feeling the heat coming from behind me and closed the door.
“For heaven’s sake, you two are acting like children!” I barked, grabbed the papers from my brother’s hands, and went back into my office, slamming my door.
Angel studied me carefully, then looked behind me at my office door. He seemed to be contemplating opening it, so again I had to settle this situation quick. “Okay, look, you said you want me to work with you, and I don’t have a problem with that. You said you’re not using me, and I believe you. So please, for the life of me, either tell me what the hell is going on with you and Vic, or I’m done.”
I slammed a pen down on my desk next to the contract and looked at Angel.
I folded my arms, showing my growing defiance and frustration. However, it did nothing to the man before me. Angel moved toward me and pushed the contract aside. Before I knew it or could protest, he gripped me by my waist, picked me up and plopped my ass on the desk.
He leaned into me and watched me for an unnerving few seconds before he spoke. “Tell me exactly what you mean by that threat of yours.”
“I’m not threatening you,” I countered.
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day,” he rebutted.
“Huh! You know what?” I brought my hands up to push him out of my way and stand. However, he didn’t budge. He pushed me back, keeping his hands tight on my arms.
“Let me go!” I said through gritted teeth.
“No.”
I started to squirm, fighting him and it just made him angrier.
“Let go, Angel!”
“Raquel, you have one of two choices. You can either shut the fuck up and let me say what I have to say, or I can turn you around, rip this skirt off your ass, and fuck you into silence. Which do you prefer?”
Well, hell, was that a trick question?
I remained quiet. Not because I was submitting. The hell with that. I’d allowed him too much leeway to say what he wanted without reproach that morning at the hotel. No, my dirty ass mind was elsewhere at the moment. I was battling, instead, with having him bend me over anyway just for kicks.
Thinking that he won, he drew in a breath, then let me go. He took a few steps from me while keeping fiery eyes on mine.
“Let me first address this ‘using you’ shit that you mentioned. To be clear, I asked you to be on the team for no other reason but that I trust you. You were actually the only one I trusted in that meeting, besides my father. I don’t know what’s up with Victor. Since you moved away, I haven’t seen or spoken to him. We were on two different paths back in the day, and it just transitioned into what it is now. I haven’t a clue where the hostility he displayed stemmed from, but, best believe, if he says anything to me again, I won’t hold back. He has you to thank for him breathing
without assistance right now. Consider this his reprieve.”
He moved closer to me, as he continued, “And that ultimatum bullshit you just spat at me; that’s not an option. I’m growing tired of repeating myself. I’ve told you already what I want and what will be. I won’t say it again.”
Angel moved next to me, picked up the pen and signed the contract. “Send me a copy of this via fax. I’m sure my information is in your system somewhere.”
He then turned and started to leave.
You know I didn’t let him, right?
“Leo,” I called.
When he turned to face me, I stood and walked toward him, trying to formulate the best way to say what I needed to say; something that could explain exactly what I was thinking, and how I felt without being harsh or tactless. So, after further consideration and thought, I said the first rational thing that popped into my head.
“You are so full of shit!” Yup, that was as rational as I could get. Angel glared, yet I kept going. Take your control back, girl.
“You and I haven’t seen or spoken to each other in three years; three-long-years. You know nothing about me, and I don’t know shit about you. All I can say is that we know how to fuck each other’s brains out with a skill that should be taught to the masses, but that’s it. So what!” I moved closer to him. “I went away and grew up. I have likes and dislikes that you have no clue exist. There are things about me that, goodness, if you only knew… Let’s be honest here, can you truly say that you know me? I mean really know me? You can’t possibly, and I don’t know you, so how can you just claim me like this without first talking about it.”
I expended another frustrating sigh. “Look, I just got out of a relationship with someone, and it didn’t end very well. I came back home to try to put that debacle behind me and move on. You want me to just fall in line with whatever you want, never mind what I want or how I feel, and I can’t do that. And I don’t know if you were paying any attention in that meeting or not, but you’re like poison. If I announce to my family, ‘Oh, by the way, Angel and I are together,' my brother would blow a gasket, and shit my father-”
“Please, Raquel,” Angel interrupted, moving closer to me, showing his own frustration. “You’ve mistaken me for someone that gives three fucks about what your father or brother would say, what anyone would say!”
“Yeah, well, maybe I do! They’re my family!” I thundered back.
I sealed my eyes and shook my head. God, I could only imagine the shit storm that would ensue the moment I told my father and Vic about Angel and me. They would lose it entirely. I took a few deep breaths and clarity hit me quick. Why should I care what they think, right? I shook my head again and ran my hand over my hair. I opened my eyes, ready to talk this through and get heavily into what Angel wanted from me, when the chill in the air suddenly attacked my body, and I shivered. My eyes were closed for only seconds, and I completely missed the change that coveted Angel. The warmth that was in his eyes was gone.
Standing before me was someone I did not know. His gray eyes seemed darker now, the color of storm clouds right before fury was unleashed. Hard lines that I never thought existed formed along his handsome features. I felt the blood fall from my own face, as pure fear came over me.
Angel, fists balled, rammed his hands into his pants pockets and said, tone dry and cold, “I’ll have my assistant, Shayla, get in touch with you listing our potential investments moving forward. Whatever my brother communicated to your company is invalid. I will communicate to you what our goals are.”
I felt my eyes start to water as he spoke to me. This wasn’t what I wanted. However, talking to him now was like talking to a brick wall. He always managed to bring the crazy out of me. God, I just wanted us just to take our time with this. I wanted...
“Leo,” I called softly.
Angel stiffened at the sound of the nickname that I’d given him, but he continued, “You are to work with Shayla from now on. If anyone approaches you or speaks to you on behalf of my family and it’s not Shayla or myself, direct them to me.”
“Angel…” I tried again.
But he ignored me, turned and walked out of my office, lightly closing the door behind him.
“Shit!”
I opened my door not letting him get the last word.
“Damn it, Angel!” I called to him as I moved onto the open floor. I rounded my assistant’s desk and headed toward Angel and his flanked bodyguards.
He turned around and started walking back towards me, determination in his steps. I didn’t care. I stopped walking, trying my best to think of how to explain what I was feeling. However, I never got that chance.
I said to him, “Why do you have to be so-“Any further words that were forming in my mouth were swallowed the moment Angel brought his hand to the back of my head, gripping my strands tight as shit. He abruptly yanked my head back, using that tight grip he had on my bun, and stuck his tongue down my throat.
Angel kissed me with such possessiveness and dominance that there was nothing I could do. I humbly melted into him.
When he finally released me, the fierceness in his eyes made me not move a muscle. To be honest with you, I didn’t have a choice. I was too busy trying to catch my breath, willing the throbbing between my legs to cease.
He did manage to say to me, hand still gripping my hair, “You will not deny me.”
Shit, his eyes; they were ablaze with more fire than I had ever seen. I could tell that I had pushed him to a limit that I didn’t care to ever see again, so I backed down.
I know when it’s cool to poke the bear, and when it’s not. Right then, it was not.
Angel looked deep into my eyes for a moment longer before he turned and left, his men trailing behind him close enough to protect him but far enough to give him space.
Ho-ly shit!
I felt my eyes roll in the back of my head as I still tried to get my breathing under control.
That man right there!
I should have been pissed at how hard headed he was. I should have actually told him to go fuck himself based off his last statement. However, I didn’t because I was far from being pissed. I was actually more turned on at that moment than I was when he stated that he was going to bend me over my desk.
Something is so wrong with me!
I cleared my throat when I realized that I had an audience full of my co-workers and tried to gather myself.
“I’m sure you all have better things to do than to watch me get devoured by a hot, sexy, Italian badass. If you need help finding work, let me know,” I announced, ran my hands down my suit and moved quickly to my office as my audience scattered.
Just when I was about to reach my hiding place, my office, my brother came up behind me, spewing, “We need to talk!” Then he gripped my arm tight and pulled me back into my office.
“What the hell is your problem?! Victor, let go of me?” I howled, trying hard to break his grip on my arm.
“Not until you and I get something straight.”
My father suddenly barged in my office too.
“Dad…” I started; however, the look on his face matched my brother’s.
Victor pushed me down into one of my office chairs and he sat his ass on my desk. My father took the other chair next to me, moved it back from me and sat down.
Well, it appeared I was about to be double-teamed.
I opened my mouth to read them both, but my brother pointed his finger at me, his brown eyes dark with wrath.
“You will not say a word,” he ordered. “You will sit here and listen to what I have to say. Then, and only then, will you be able to speak. However, at that point, be sure that you weigh the consequences of your actions and words.”
I frowned, narrowing my eyes, and crossed my arms in front of me. I pushed my chair back from them both, putting a little bit more distance between us. It wasn’t for my sake; it was for theirs. The fuel that had sparked in me was about to rage uncontrollably. What I had to
ld Angel wasn’t bullshit; I was a different person than I was three years ago. It seemed the men in my life had no clue who I really was. Fortunately for them, they were about to find out.
“I don’t know what the hell you have going on with Leonetti,” my brother fussed. “But that shit stops right here right now. Yeah, don’t look at me crazy. I saw the way he was looking at you. I’m not stupid or blind. You will not speak to him again, do you hear me? He’s bad news all the way around. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. You don’t know him, Raquel. He’s changed while you were gone.”
My brother was talking to me like a freaking child. I let him finish, though. I didn’t want to interrupt his useless tyrant because I didn’t want him interrupting me when I told him to kiss my ass.
“He’s no friend of mine,” Victor added. “And he doesn’t get to touch or talk to my baby sister… ever. Do you understand me?”
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t even get my thoughts together because I was so angry.
My father took my silence as his cue. He leaned forward and began to speak to me in a voice quite different from my brothers.
“Sweetheart, your brother is just trying to look out for you,” he said softly. I guess this was “good father” versus “bad wanna-be-father.” “Look, we’ve known ever since Angel first came around that you’ve had a little crush on him. We get it and understand what you’re going through. Angel is in a different class than what you’re used to, honey. He’s not Ira.”
I chuckled and shook my head. However, I still didn’t reply. Oh, if they really knew Ira. I’ll get to who Ira was in a few.
“We just want what’s best for you,” my father ended.
I queried sarcastically, just to say something, “So, you don’t like him because he’s white? Because he’s Italian? What?”
My brother rose his full 6’2” frame and thundered, “We don’t like him because he’s a fucking mobster, a murderer, a killer, Raquel! Jesus, you can be so dense sometimes.”
“Victor, calm down,” my father spoke calmly, and then looked at me. “Raquel, he’s just not an ideal suitor for you, that’s all.”
I nodded. “Oh, and you think Ira is?”
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