by S K
The fact that Darrell would dare throw that in Angel's face infuriated him. His body stiffened as anger made tiny cracks in the calm facade he usually armed himself with at all times. "Who in the fuck do you think you're talking to?"
"Who the fuck does it look like? Things not so amusing now, right?"
Angel took a quick step towards Darrell then stopped and forced himself to regroup. If it had been anyone else throwing insults at him like this, he wouldn’t have hesitated to grab the gun strapped beneath the table where they'd been sitting and put a bullet in their skull. It took everything in him to mentally retreat behind the normally impenetrable wall that acted as his shield against the rest of the world. Letting the corner of his mouth lift tauntingly, he backed up one, then two paces and picked up his glass before looking at his brother.
"You need to put a leash on your boy before he gets hurt. I won't warn him again." With that comment, he turned to go back into the house, ignoring Darrell completely, letting him know he was a non-factor in his mothafuckin' world.
Enraged, Darrell pushed a momentarily lax Marcus out of the way and barreled towards Angel, determined to show him just how relevant he was and get some answers. He'd only taken a couple of steps when men seemingly materialized out of thin air with guns drawn and aimed straight at him. Angel pivoted around slowly, his lips tight, his eyes thin slits.
Dominick looked at the men then glared at Angel as he and Marcus moved in front of Darrell. "You wanna call your dawgs off, man?"
No one moved for several long seconds while Angel continued to stare at Darrell. Finally, he lifted his chin ever so slightly, an imperceptible gesture that immediately got results. His men lowered their weapons, but stayed poised and ready, reluctant to leave his side. When Angel jerked his head, silently ordering them to go, they drifted out into the night as quietly as they'd appeared. Angel's eyes were cuttingly sharp and piercing as he addressed Darrell.
"Let's get one thing straight, you and I. I answer to no one, I explain myself to no one. The only reason I'm entertaining your bullshit is because of my brother. Be clear on that." Fury reverberated from every pore in his body and his words were terse and curt. "You want to know if I'm the one who helped Roni? Yes. Did I get her out of the country and probably save her life in the process? Yes. Did I know you were involved with her? Yes. Do I give a fuck if you're pissed off right now? Hell no. I could care less. Now let me ask you a question. You were like a kid in a candy store a couple of months back, had your choice of two beautiful women who were both in love with you. You made your choice, the correct choice, I might add, and decided to stay with your wife. Why does any of this even matter to you?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Jerra whispered behind them. Her voice conveyed every ounce of hurt she felt at the moment when she realized what they'd walked in on.
They all turned around and saw the women standing at the entrance of the lanai staring at them all in shock. Dominick cursed softly under his breath.
Darrell broke away from Marcus and hurried to his wife, but she side stepped the hand he reached out to her, avoiding his touch. Darrell's heart ached when he saw the devastation in her eyes. "Baby, come here. It's not what you think."
Jerra's voice was eerily calm, but inside she was dying a thousand, painful deaths. "It's exactly what I think. I don't know what Angel has to do with all of this, but what I finally understand is that you're still obsessing over your ex-girlfriend."
Darrell's jaw jumped and twitched. "Jerra, that's not true."
"Save it." Disgust colored Jerra's voice as she brushed passed him and flew down the steps, taking the lighted pathway which would lead her back to the villa they were staying in.
When Aleesha and Keisha started to go after her, Darrell moved around them swiftly, following Jerra. "I got her."
Marcus grabbed Aleesha's hand and pulled her back. "This is between Darrell and Jerra. Let them handle it." Dominick's look told Keisha the same thing when he saw the indecisiveness on her face.
Nikki had been studying Angel's face. "Angelo, what's going on?"
Angel's gaze skimmed towards her coolly before he headed into the house. "I don't want to talk about it."
Dominick called out after him. "Angel!"
Angel never broke stride. "I said I don't want to discuss it, Dom!"
Giving them all an apologetic look, Nikki excused herself and hurried after Angel. Aleesha and Keisha began to speak at the same time, shooting question after question at Dominick and Marcus, but the little they could tell them did nothing but confuse everyone. Even more upsetting was the fact that their two best friends were suddenly in the middle of a crisis everyone thought they'd weathered for good months ago. Both had done things which created trust issues but their love had been strong enough to get them past it.
However, the damage they all witnessed just now might have been great enough to create a chasm so wide in Darrell and Jerra's relationship that they might not ever be able to find their way out of it. Trust was a funny thing. Fragile. There were only so many times it could be pieced back together.
Keisha and Aleesha's eyes met, both worried and scared. Jerra took a leap of faith last time and forgave Darrell for running off at the drop of a dime to confront Roni over her deception. They didn't know if she had it in her again to extend that part of herself to him again.
Chapter 20
Moving quickly to try and catch up with Angel's long, angry gait, Nikki followed him into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She stood in the middle of the room with her arms folded around her waist, watching Angel unbutton his shirt with angry jerks, surprised the buttons hadn’t popped off. She knew it wouldn't do any good to broach the subject of what just happened downstairs because he wouldn’t talk about it unless he wanted to and it was apparent he was not in the mood.
Angel tore the shirt off and threw it to the floor, then stalked angrily to the dresser and snatched his Rolex off. Tossing the expensive watch down as if it were a dollar store bauble, he started towards the bathroom before changing directions and going to look out of the window, still not able to stand still. Finally, he looked at Nikki, and like always, just the sight of her acted as a soothing balm to his senses. Sighing heavily, he stopped his agitated pacing and held a hand out to her. Nikki glided over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.
Angel held her tightly in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry. It seems this wedding is turning out to be more of a fiasco better suited for a circus than the special occasion I wanted it to be for you. The incident that happened downstairs, your family refusing to attend. Sure you're not having second thoughts?"
"No second thoughts." She lifted her head and smiled up at him. "I have a feeling it wouldn't do me any good even if I was."
A pop on her butt was punishment for her attempt at being funny. "No, it wouldn't. You're going to be my wife if I have to throw you over my shoulder and tie you up."
Nikki's eyes lit up at the prospect. She slid her hands over his rock hard stomach and chest, sighing in appreciation at the barely restrained power she felt under her palms, then locked her arms behind his neck. "Mmmm. Restraints? Bondage? I'm so there."
Angel chuckled, his mood changing almost instantly. "Little freak."
"Thanks to you." She stood up on tiptoes, meshing her lips to his, her body moving sinuously against him, trembling when she felt the answering erection that greeted her. Nikki threw her head back with a low moan, exposing her neck and allowing his searching mouth full access.
"Fix this, Angel."
Angel's body tensed before he exhaled and dropped his forehead to her shoulder. "Nikki…"
"Please. These people are important to Dominick therefore they're important to us. They're like his family." Nikki placed her hands on either side of his face and turned his head to her. "This is the only wedding gift I want from you. Will you give it to me please?"
Angel's eyes warmed over as he st
ared at the woman who would be his wife in less than twenty-four hours. If there was anything she asked of him, that was in his power to deliver to her, he would. His lashes dropped, fanning long, dark, and thick against his fair skin before he met her pleading stare.
Angel's feelings ran deep for Nicole, deeper than she would ever know...deeper than he was comfortable exposing. If this would make her happy, then he would do as she asked.
"Okay. I'll fix it."
"Jerra...Jerra!"
Jerra slammed into the front door of the villa and headed straight to the stairs, ignoring Darrell calling her name. She'd been aware of him following her since she left Angel's house, but refused to acknowledge his presence because if she did she felt like she would've lost control just by looking at him.
"Jerra, wait!"
Hearing his voice right behind her, Jerra quickened her steps and ran up the stairs, praying the entire time that he had the sense not to push her tonight. She should've known better, though. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she whipped a quick left and went a couple of doors down until she got to the door of their suite. When she tried to slam the door behind her, Darrell caught it before it closed and came in behind her. Jerra sent him a look so full of heat it should've melted him where he stood, but Darrell was determined to nip this shit in the bud before the entire misunderstanding became even more inflamed than it already was and festered to the point of infecting his marriage.
"Jerra. Please. Gimme a chance to explain what you heard."
"Oh, I think what I heard was very self-explanatory. Were you or were you not arguing with Angel about something that had to do with Roni."
Darrell's lips pressed together in irritation. Before they got married, his wife had been one of the best litigators in Atlanta and he could see her shifting into lawyer mode now. Everything was either black or white with her...and Darrell was the same way, so a lot of times they bumped heads and had to work at seeing the other's side. "Yes, but it had nothing to do with any unresolved feelings for Roni. Angel…"
"I don't care what Angel did or did not do! You are my husband, not Angel!" Jerra reached up and held her head in her hands, looking at him in disbelief. "Darrell, I can't believe you're putting us through this again. What is it about this woman that you can't seem to get out of your system? Are you still in love with her?"
Darrell's grey eyes were dark with emotion at the pain he saw on his wife's face. God knows he loved her more than anything in this world. She was crucial to his very survival. Swallowing over the lump he recognized as fear at the possibility of once again losing what they had, he carefully approached her as if he were trying to calm a skittish colt.
"Baby, if you don't believe anything else I say, please believe me when I tell you I'm not in love with Roni. You're my life, Jerra. My heart. I don't want any other woman except you."
Jerra bit her lip to stop it from trembling. "Then why were you so upset?" The agonized whisper was torn from her hoarse throat.
"Jerra, I...I guess it felt like another betrayal. I mean, it hit me. He's sitting there laughing and talking in my face all the while knowing he helped Bryan. I feel like a fucking fool all over again, you know? It just...I guess I just snapped."
"When is this going to be over for you? When are you going to put this behind you? Behind us?"
"It is behind me…"
"It's not! How can you even say that when not even five minutes ago you were ready to fight Angel over this same shit? I'm tired of it Darrell, do you understand me? If you want to fly off the handle every time something comes up that has to do with that period in your life, then you'll be doing it alone. I'm at my breaking point with this entire mess, do you understand me?"
"Jerra…"
"No! I mean it! How did Angel put it, 'you were like a kid in a candy store’? All you had to do was say the word and she would've gladly opened her arms and her legs to welcome you back," Jerra spat out. "You swore to me she wasn't who you wanted, that you wanted to be with me. You said she or no other woman would ever come between us. Is this how you show me that?" She brushed past him to the door, slapping his hands away when he tried to grab her around the waist. "God, I've had enough, do you hear me? Enough!"
"Where are you going?"
"I need some air...a minute to think. I'm asking you to at least respect that and don't follow me."
Darrell's stomach twisted up into a thousand knots as he watched her walk out the door. He had to fight the urge to stop her, keep her there with him, love her in a way they both understood that would show her exactly what she meant to him, but he instinctively knew this was not the time to push. Darrell walked out the bedroom and stood at the railing, following her with his eyes as she hurried down the stairs to the front door.
"Jerra." Darrell called her name softly.
With her hand wrapped around the doorknob, Jerra paused but didn't turn around.
"Baby, I love you."
Jerra's shoulders dropped slightly before she squared them with determination and walked out. The minute the door closed behind her, a tear then another lost the battle they valiantly fought to stay at bay and ran down her cheeks. She swiped them away with angry motions on her way to the beach. She refused to cry over Darrell any more than she already had. After everything they'd been through, she couldn't believe they'd taken such a huge leap back and ended up right where they started off.
Chapter 21
Standing in the powder soft sand, Jerra gazed out at the darkness of the water. The moonlight reflected the gentle ripple the soft wind created as it skimmed against the surface. She was lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the beautiful scenery in front of her and didn't notice the figure walking towards her until he spoke.
"Jerra..."
Blinking she turned her head and found Angel standing a few feet away, barefoot and staring at her with his hands in the pockets of his cream linen colored pants. The black t-shirt he wore hugged his torso like a second skin.
Jerra's eyes went to the cigarette he held in his right hand and absently commented, "You shouldn't smoke, you know. It's not good for you."
A wry smile crossed Angel's face as he glanced down at the cigarette. "Yeah, I know. It's not something I do very often, but it is a habit I'm trying to break." He bent down and ground it into the sand then brushed his hands off. "How are you?"
A self-deprecating snort escaped without her even realizing it. "You mean other than the fact that my husband is obviously hung up on a woman from his past? I'm great. Peachy."
Angel went to stand beside her and stared out at the water as well. "Can I be blunt?"
"I'd rather not talk about it with you, Angel."
"Too bad."
Jerra's neck snapped around to look at him sharply. "Then why did you ask me."
He shrugged, his eyes studying her attractive face. "Trying to be polite. But see, this is exactly why politeness isn't my forte. Why ask and tiptoe around something when I know I'm going to do as I please anyway?"
They stared at each other until Jerra shook her head in resignation. "I'm surrounded by alpha males who think they have a license to do whatever the hell they please just because they can."
The tiniest of smiles whispered against Angel's lips. "It's done with the best of intentions. The men in your life care about you, Jerra, none more so than your husband."
"I know he does. I don't doubt that in the least. The problem comes in when I have to mentally share him with another woman and that's something I just won't do."
"Is that what you think? That you're sharing him with Roni?"
Jerra winced at the sound of the other woman's name. "You saw what happened tonight when he found out you helped Bryan. Anything having to do with her..." Jerra refused to utter the name again. "He immediately reacts to it. He still cares about her. Even you won't stand there and deny that to me. If I can't be the only woman in my husband's life, I'd rather not be in his life at all."
"Yes, he cares for her but..
." When Jerra turned away, Angel placed a finger underneath her chin and brought her face back towards him. Tilting his head in order to look her in the eyes, he continued. "There's a difference between caring for someone and loving them. I've spoken to Roni several times since she saw Darrell. I won’t lie to you, she still loves him. She told him this, but Darrell never attempted to exploit her feelings once and he could have easily done so. And do you know why he didn't? Because he cares about her too much to give her false hope when he knows his heart belongs to you."
Jerra sniffed and wiped at the stubborn tears that were determined to make an appearance. "Then why did he get so upset tonight?"
Angel dug into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to give to her. Even in the dim light from the moon, Jerra could see his eyes twinkling. "He's an arrogant ass who thinks I deliberately made a fool out of him, that's why."
Through watery eyes, Jerra couldn't help but laugh. "That's exactly what he said."
Angel smiled. "I'd never admit it to him, but I understand. There's nothing a man hates more than to think another man played him. Men like me, Darrell, my brother, and Marcus? It's even worse for us."
"Tell me about it. When his temper gets the best of him, he acts first and thinks later."
"Again, I understand that."
Jerra sighed and twisted her lips to the side. "Of course you do."
Angel's mouth curved up. "I'm just trying to help you to understand things a little better. I would hate to be the cause of tension in your marriage. I truly believe Darrell loves you, Jerra. I never doubted he would choose his marriage, and he didn't disappoint me."