ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT)

by S K

  Nikki stared, opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell, but somehow those words weren’t the ones that came out. “Where can I reach you?”

  Victory flashed in Jaxon's eyes before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a card with his number on it. He held fast to the card when her fingers wrapped around it. "Think about what I said, Nicole."

  Frowning, Nikki snatched it out of his hand. “Get out.”

  Giving her a final probing look, Jax turned to leave. The only thing he could do was wait, but he had no doubt she would call him. Her love for her son outweighed any sense of love and commitment she felt for Angel.

  Once he was in his car, Jaxon pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call. "We're in."

  It was only after Jaxon left that Nicole noticed the envelope on her coffee table. She knew he’d placed it there on purpose. There had been no need. It hadn’t taken Nikki long to make her decision. She knew what she had to do.

  Chapter 35

  “You say she’s on her way back home?”

  Angel had been in the family room playing with A.J. when Oscar appeared indicating he needed to speak to him for a moment. Knowing Oscar would only interrupt his time with A.J. if it were something extremely important that needed his attention, Angel put a DVD in for his son and after he was settled walked over to Oscar. They stood to the side of the room talking in low whispers.

  “Yes. She should be here any moment now.”

  Knowing Angel had just mended things with Nikki, Oscar had left strict instructions with their men that they were to report to him. When the bodyguard who kept an eye on Nikki informed him of what was taking place at Nikki’s house, he hadn’t hesitated to inform Angel.

  “How long were they there?”

  “Not long. Maybe thirty minutes. Then Jaxon left.”

  Angel’s eyes narrowed as he thought about his “brother”. He’d been keeping tabs on Jaxon and had been aware of the exact moment he showed up in Vegas. Angel had been expecting him to try something, but getting Nikki involved had crossed the line.

  And why the hell had she gone to meet him?

  “Do you need me to take my godson for a little while?” Oscar smiled at A.J. He was the light of all of their lives. Oscar would always protect him with his last breath. The same as he would do for Angelo.

  “Yes.” Angel went back to the couch and swung his son up in his arms. Angel's heart melted when A.J. threw his arms trustingly around his neck. “I want you to go with Uncle Oscar for a little while, 'K buddy?”

  A.J. smiled and nodded before going to Oscar's outstretched arms. Angel had just leaned down to kiss the top of his head when Nikki walked in.

  Their eyes met and held a second before she looked away and smiled at A.J. Angel noticed that the smile was stiff and a little forced. After she too kissed their son goodbye, they were both silent once they were alone. Angel studied her closely, looking for some clue as to what she was thinking, but she hid her feelings well. He was completely in the dark.

  “Where were you?” The question was a casual one, but Angel’s eyes never left her face.

  “Where is Oscar taking A.J.?”

  “Out. Answer my question.”

  Nikki frowned at his tone. “I went to my house.”

  “For...?”

  “Excuse me?"

  “I asked you a question and I’d like an answer.”

  Although Angel’s tone was brusque, he held his breath as he waited. Her next words would literally determine the state of their relationship. Whatever Jax wanted, Angel knew it wasn’t good and knew it would be directed against him. He’d meant what he told Nikki last night. Either she was with him or she wasn’t. The one thing he wouldn’t tolerate was lies. Because if she lied to him, that meant he couldn’t trust her. And if he couldn't trust her, she was persona non grata and would have no place in his life no matter how much he loved her. Bottom line.

  Nikki stared at Angel, trying to reconcile the man standing in front of her with the man in the pictures. Without a word, she reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. Angel took it from her and watched her face as he removed the pictures. Finally pulling his eyes away from her, he glanced down at the photos.

  He went through them, one by one before looking at Nikki. “Where did you get these?”

  Nikki frowned. “Is that the only thing you have to say?”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “Angel! You…” She looked away, letting her eyes focus on the television that was still playing A.J.’s favorite DVD and couldn’t help but shake her head at the contradiction. So many different facets to this man. On one hand he was the gentlest of souls with his son, and on the other, he held evidence showing just how evil and hard he could be. She looked back towards his face, searching for what, she didn't know.

  “You had him killed, Angel.”

  Angel’s expression never changed. “Yes.”

  Nikki swallowed hard. "Why?"

  Angel threw the pictures on the chair beside him and folded his arms as he stared at Nikki. “I have my reasons.”

  “What reasons? You have to do better than that!”

  Angel’s tone was razor sharp. “I don’t have to do a damned thing, Nikki. Just know that he put my family in jeopardy and paid the ultimate price for it. Now tell me who gave these to you.”

  Nikki was silent as she picked out the parts of his answer that told her everything she needed to know. She wasn’t sure what Nelson had done, but even now, Angel’s eyes flashed with anger. Quietly, she answered his question. “Jaxon.”

  “Jaxon,” Angel repeated. “And just where did you see Jaxon?”

  “He called me. This morning after you left. He said he had some things to tell me, some things that would make me change my mind about my decision to stay with you.”

  “And did it?”

  Nikki’s eyes widened. “Angel, do you understand what’s going on here? Jaxon has evidence that you ordered a murder! He wants DWC back and if he has to destroy you to get it, he will!”

  “I don’t care about that. I can handle Jaxon...and this.” He nodded towards the envelope. “What I want to know is if things have changed between us.”

  Nikki looked into his face which was closed and stiff, his eyes were guarded and showed no emotion. “No. Nothing has changed.”

  Nikki saw the relief that flashed in his eyes. A second later, it was gone and his voice reflected none of what she’d just seen. “Let me guess, he wants you to help him.” Angel stated the words matter of factly.

  “Yes.”

  Angel reminded her of the tense stance an animal takes just before it prepares to pounce. “And?”

  “And what?” Angel’s expression was a chilly warning that told her this wasn’t the time and he wasn’t in the mood for her flippant mouth. Nikki sighed and glanced down before meeting his expectant eyes. “Do you even have to ask?”

  Angel exhaled quietly, but he wasn’t finished. He wanted to hear her say the words. “What are you saying, Nicole?”

  Nikki met his eyes so that he could see the sincerity she felt. “I’m saying, from this moment on, I want no secrets between us, Angel. If I ask you something, I don’t want automatic answers of ‘you’re handling it’ or ‘it’s nothing for me worry about’.” Angel’s eyes flickered in surprise. Nikki walked closer to him until she stood only a few inches away. “Yes, Jax asked me to help him. He tried to use my fears and love for our son to turn me against you.” She reached up and placed her hand against his face. “Do you remember what you said to me last night?” Angel tilted his head in inquiry. He’d said a lot of things. “You told me ‘this was for life, we were forever’. Did you mean that?”

  Angel’s heart raced as if he'd been running a marathon. He hadn’t let on when he looked at the photos, but in that moment, he’d seen his life with Nikki evaporate as if it had merely been a mirage. After all, there was no way she’d be willing to stay with him after seeing that. No way would she wan
t anything to do with him, but…

  “Yes. I meant it.”

  “Then how dare you ask me if I thought to betray you.” She slipped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. “I love you, Angelo. Just as I know beyond a shadow of a doubt you’ll never let any harm come to A.J. and myself, please understand that I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you. I won’t deny that I was shocked by what I saw. I still am. But I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  Angel’s face finally softened. He wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to rest his forehead against hers. “Nikki,” he whispered. “I know I’m not the kind of man you were supposed to end up with but I promise with everything in me that I’ll make sure you never regret loving me. I love you more than my own life. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.”

  “Good thing you’ll never have to find out.”

  She smiled as their lips met in the gentlest of kisses, sealing their love and commitment once and for all. For the next hour, they sat and talked. When Oscar brought A.J. back, Nikki reached for him with a big smile and placed him on her lap.

  Angel’s eyes met those of Oscar’s over his family’s heads and nodded towards the envelope. Oscar picked it up and flipped through the pictures before looking back at Angel. Right away, he recognized the fiery promise of vengeance in his eyes. Oscar nodded once in understanding then left the room.

  Angel sat back on the couch and brought his attention back to his family. Jaxon thought he was ready to play this game? Then so be it. He’d made his move. Now it was Angel’s turn.

  Jaxon took a deep breath as he sat back on the couch in his hotel suite and waited for Nikki. She'd finally made her decision. He'd heard the defeat mixed with fear in her voice when she called an hour ago and told him she'd decided to take him up on his offer. If he could guarantee she get custody of her son and promise to keep them safe, she would help get what he needed to hold over Angel's head.

  It had taken Nikki a week to get back to him and to be honest he'd started to worry. He'd expected her to break down and beg him to help her after she'd seen those photos, but other than throwing up, she'd composed herself admirably. Ultimately, the decision to follow his instincts and work on the motherly love she had for her son had been right on the money.

  But they had to move quickly. He hadn't been able to contact the man in Angel's operation he'd been paying off. Worst case scenario, Angel had discovered there was someone betraying him. Undoubtedly, he would've tortured the man until he found out what he wanted to know, not that the information would've led back to Jax. He wasn't stupid enough to tell the man who he was. They'd never even met. All transactions had been conducted through a third party. However, now he had Nikki. She would have access to sensitive information no one else could get hold of. Smiling, he felt a sense of satisfaction. His plan was flawless if he did say so himself.

  A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. She was here. He was one step closer to getting his company back and destroying Angel as well as that brother of his. Dominick. Jax hadn't forgotten about him either. He had wanted to stand by Angel's side while that son of a bitch stole something that wasn’t his? Fine. He'd go down with him as well.

  "Just a minute." His mind racing to the next phase of his plan, Jax opened the door with a welcoming smile which froze in place when he saw who was standing there. It wasn't Nikki.

  Chapter 36

  "Hello, Jaxon."

  Angel raked a glance over him before walking in followed by two of his men. Jaxon knew who they were. They travelled almost everywhere with him. One scanned the room while the other stayed close to Angel.

  Jaxon slowly closed the door, mentally regrouping as he faced Angel. "So Nikki told you. I have to say, I'm disappointed in her. I just hope she realizes she's going to live to regret choosing to stay with a man like you."

  Angel took a couple of steps until he was deliberately in Jaxon's space. The warning in his eyes wasn't lost on Jax. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? Your first mistake was trying to get to me through my wife. That alone is reason enough to put a bullet in your head. Your second was thinking you could outsmart me. Thought you would know better by now. Your third was infiltrating my organization and paying someone to spy on me, even though I have to give you props for that. Clever. Of course I knew about it from the moment you contacted him, but still...clever."

  Amusement showed on Angel's face at Jaxon's shocked expression. "You're lying. If you'd known, there was no way you would've let those photos be delivered to me."

  Angel shrugged. "What do they prove? I didn't pull the trigger. You can't prove anything other than I had an altercation with a former employee of mine. I knew you would try to use the pictures as leverage to get DWC back, which by the way, I'll burn to the ground before I ever let you step foot on the property again." Angel rubbed his chin as if he were mulling the situation over in his mind. "No, I knew exactly what you wanted. It wasn't too hard to figure out. But what has me puzzled is what Melania Cruz gets out of it."

  Jax's eyes flickered towards the closed door to the left before he quickly looked down. "Who?"

  Angel chuckled softly and shook his head. "Still trying to insult my intelligence. See? That was your problem from the very beginning, Jaxon. You underestimated me. I assumed you'd learned what a mistake like that could cost you. I know you've been fucking Melania and I know she's in your bedroom now. I also know she's been helping you this entire time. You never would’ve been this bold on your own." Angel ignored the flare of anger that crossed Jaxon's face. "As I said, just wondering what her agenda is because I know she has one. She always does. But I have other things that need my attention which are far more important than this, so let's cut to the chase." His voice rose questioningly as he glanced towards the closed door. "Shall we Melania?"

  There was silence in the room for a few minutes before the bedroom door opened. His face indecipherable, Angel observed the woman walk out of the bedroom towards him with a slow, hip swinging stroll followed by three of her bodyguards. Her Mexican heritage was obvious, even if he hadn’t known who she was. One would not really call Melania Cruz beautiful, but the sensuous aura she projected made her more desirable than women a thousand times more attractive than her. Thick lashes surrounded her sexy dark eyes, and her plump lips hinted at the pleasure they could bestow upon every inch of a man's body.

  Melania's tongue swiped across those very lips now, leaving them moist and wet. She and Angel stared at one another like they were the only ones in the room. Tossing her wavy, dark hair over her shoulder, the heavy, lustrous tresses fell to the middle of her back, wild and untamed...like Melania herself. When Angel's eyes ran over her hair, her smile told him she remembered how he used to enjoy twisting it around his hand in a tight fist while he pounded her from the back and rode her hard, controlled her until he broke her down and bent her to his will. Melania was an aggressive lover and used to being in charge. Angel had been the only lover to ever dominate her in the bedroom.

  But that's where the domination ended. Her father had been a feared leader of one of the most ruthless drug cartels in Mexico. When his oldest son was killed, he groomed Melania, his middle daughter, taught and molded her to take his place, and after his death that's exactly what happened. She was more like him than any of his children, had the same fire, cunning intelligence, and cruelty needed to lead the powerful Juarez family. Mexican cartels had displaced Colombian groups as the dominant drug traffickers in the world. Melania had proven herself to the Mexican mafia and earned their respect long ago. Not many crossed her and lived to tell about it.

  Her eyes ran over one of the few men who'd successfully held his own with her. He was also one of the only men she'd ever truly wanted but hadn't been able to have. "Angelo. Hola, papi. It's been a long time, no?"

  She placed a hand on her hip, bringing attention to the dress she wore that clung to every thick curvaceous part of her body. Melania was on
e of those women comfortable in her own skin. She would never be model thin, but she didn't aspire to be. She knew the power of her large, firm breasts, cinched waist, and generously rounded hips. Why would she ever aspire to get rid of something which had proven to be a natural advantage? Many a man had made the mistake of thinking she was only a beautiful body with an empty brain. By the time they realized their mistake, it was usually too late.

  "Melania. It's been a minute. How are you, other than trying to stir up trouble for me?"

  Melania's laugh was hot and sultry. "I've been doing just fine, Angelo. Not as well as you, though, my friend. You've become domesticated. A wife. A son. Quite the family man, si?"

  The look Angel gave her was glacier cold. Melania shivered dramatically as her eyes danced.

  "Eww. Is it me or did the temperature suddenly drop in the room? It seems very chilly all of a sudden."

  Angel's tone never changed, but the hard edge in it was unmistakable. "I don't think you want to play this game with me, Melania. I don't know what this is all about for you, but let me say this now, before we go any further; my family is off limits. Make that the last time you mention my wife or my son."

  Melania lifted her shoulder delicately. "Of course, Angelo. My apologies. But let me ask you this. What about your brother? Dominick. Is it okay if I speak his name?"

  Angel became very still. Now they were getting to the reason for her involvement in all of this. His eyes sharpened as his mind went through the mental rolodex of his dealings with Melania but couldn’t find anything that might connect her to Dominick. Melania never did or said something by chance. She mentioned his brother for a reason. But what?

  "What does Dominick have to do with this?"

  "Maybe you should ask him."

  "I'm asking you!" Angel's voice whipped through the room like a missile looking for a target. "When I said my family is off limits, Melania, that means my entire family." Angel glanced at Jaxon who was watching the two of them like they were actors on a movie screen. "Now this sonuvabitch right here? Do whatever the fuck you want to him. I could care less."