ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (15 page)

 
 
 
 
Dominick came and put a hand on his shoulder. Silent tears ran down Nikki’s face.
 
 
 
 
Angel took a deep breath. “Until the day you bless this earth with your death, there’s one thing I want you to think about whenever you remember this company that’s been in your family for generations. It’s now owned by
NaDa Holdings
:
Nora…Arthur…Dominick…Angelo.
”
 
 
 
 
Bradley Sr. became deathly pale as he grabbed his chest.
 
 
 
 
“With that being said, get the fuck out before I throw you out.”
 
 
 
 
Bradley Sr. slowly pulled himself up and looked as if he’d aged twenty years in the last hour. He slowly walked to the door, opened it and left out of the room.
 
 
 
 
Matt released a long breath and closed his briefcase. “Alright, boss, I’m going back to the office to finish up some last minute details. I’ll be in touch.”
 
 
 
 
“Thanks, Matt.”
 
 
 
 
“No problem.” Minutes later, Angel, Nikki, and Dominick were the only ones left in the room.

 
 
 
 
“You did it, Angel.” Dominick looked at his brother with pride.

 
 
 
 
Seeing the expression on Dominick's face caused Angel's heart to swell. He and his brother had finally come full circle. Just knowing he had once again been able to make Dominick proud of him meant more to him than anything. “No.
We
did it Dom. Matt will be transferring half of the stock to your name. I’m hoping you won’t turn it down.”
 
 
 
 
Dom stepped forward and hugged his brother. “I don’t know what to say, Angel.”
 
 
 
 
“Just be ready to roll your sleeves up. We have a lot to do to turn this company around,” Angel smiled.
 
 
 
 
Dominick returned the smile, then reached down to hug Nikki before he left, closing the door behind him. Angel and Nikki stared at each other for a long moment.
 
 
 
 
“Come here.” Angel held his hand out to her, watching her as she came over and put her arms around his neck. “Nikki, I’ve done some things I’m not proud of. Hell, a
lot
of things. But, I don’t plan on living my life like this forever. I promise I’m working on changing it, but it’s going to take some time. I’m asking you to stick by my side, to be there for me as my woman. Can you do that?”
 
 
 
 
When Nikki hesitated and lowered her eyes, Angel placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so that he could try and guess what she was thinking. He gritted his teeth, unwilling to acknowledge this feeling of uncertainty that was completely foreign to him. His feelings for this woman ran deeper than he wanted to admit and he didn't know how to deal with that. He'd tried to fight it, tried to get her out of his head, but it wasn't happening. When he was around her, he felt a sense of peace that had been missing in his life for as long as he could remember. Nikki intimately knew the side of him that he'd buried years ago and never allowed to surface. Things almost seemed...normal when he was with her. Whatever the case, he knew he wanted her in his life. Anything else was not an option.

 
 
 
 
 
"Nik? Is this moving too fast for you?"

 
 
 
 
“It's not that.”

 
 
 
 
"Then what?" The question was asked swiftly with an underlying edge in his voice that he tried to control. "Look. Maybe you need to take time to think about this. My life isn’t pretty, and it’s not going to be easy, but…”

 
 
 
 
Nikki placed her finger over his lips. "I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember Angelo Spain LaCroix."

 
 
 
 
"Okay…" Angel waited on her to expand her answer.

 
 
 
 
"But I won't share you."

 
 
 
 
Comprehension clouded his face as he realized the reason for her hesitance.

 
 
 
 
"Angel, I mean it. I refuse to be
one
of your women. If we're going to be together, I'll accept nothing less than being your
only
woman. Can
you
do that?"

 
 
 
 
Angel pulled her close and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. When he and Dominick got off the phone last night, Carmen had called and accepted the arrangements he'd proposed. She was a very intelligent woman and noticed the change in Angel that
 
night at the fundraiser. She'd seen how he'd watched Nicole for the rest of the night, coveted her...
craved
her. Angel looked at Nicole the way Carmen always prayed he'd look at her one day but that never happened.

 
 
 
 
Angel knew she had a passion for designing clothes, had seen her sketches, and they were good. Very good. He explained that he called in some favors and arranged for her to have her own line of clothing displayed in several high end department stores in New York.
 

 
 
 
 
Not wanting to leave on bad terms with the only man she'd ever loved, Carmen acquiesced quietly. If she couldn't be with Angelo, she'd at least be able to indulge in her second passion. All she’d known her adult life was Angel. Maybe it was time to discover Carmen.

 
 
 
 
Raising his head, Angel stared at Nikki with a burning intensity that almost singed the air between them. "Do you think I would step to you like this if I didn't have my business straight?"
 
 
 
 
The silence stretched between them like a physical presence until Nikki pulled Angel's lips down to hers and kissed him with everything she had in her before tearing her mouth away. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I'll be your woman."

 
 
 
 
T
wo weeks after gaining control of
DWC
, Angel let himself into his condo, blowing loudly from exhaustion. He'd been at the offices of
Davidson World Corp.
every day from sun up until after midnight. His first order of business had been to fire everyone from the old school who was still loyal to the Davidsons. His position was clear to anyone who stayed. It was a new day which meant new challenges and new demands. How they coped with those demands would make the difference in how smoothly things ran from this point on.

 
 
 
 
He brought in his own people and appointed them heads of the divisions which were doing poorly and not showing profits. Along with his advisors and managerial staff, he went over stacks of paperwork, looking over finance reports, and familiarizing himself with the operation of the company.

 
 
 
 
And Nikki had been right by his side. The two of them were perfect together in every way possible. Earlier today, he'd insisted she go on home because he could see how exhausted she was. Even though Nikki made him promise to wake her when he got home, Angel decided to let her catch up on her rest.
 
 
 
 
Going into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, draining almost half of it before he’d gotten back to the living room. Angel walked towards the couch then stopped. He knew if he sat down, he might not get up again. He was just that tired.
 
 
 
 
Instead, he went to take a quick shower, deciding to use the guest bedroom so the running water wouldn’t wake Nikki up. Stripping off his clothes, he stepped into the stall, sighing in relief as the water soothed and rejuvenated his body. Angel closed his eyes and held his face up, letting the water pour over him from head to toe. He had no intention of moving from that spot any time soon.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Angel let his thoughts lead him back to an hour ago and the last task he'd needed to complete before he could close the final chapter on this part of his old life. After leaving
DWC,
he'd pointed his car in the direction of the Las Vegas International Airport. Pulling up to the unloading zone, he'd jumped out of his car glancing at his watch. A security guard headed his way, no doubt intending to tell him he couldn't park there. Never losing a step, Angel quickly pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and placed it in the guard's hand, telling him he'd be ten minutes. Hurrying through the huge airport, Angel finally came to the gate he was looking for and that's when he saw her.

 
 
 
 
She was giving her boarding pass to the lady behind the desk. A few more minutes and she would be on her way to France. He had purchased an art studio for her in the heart of Paris. Everything had already been put into place. All she had to do was step into a life she had dreamed about since she was young. Angel stood back a ways, but still close enough to see her and make sure she got off okay.

 
 
 
 
As she turned to walk through the entryway that would take her halfway across the world, Savannah paused. She turned around with a frown on her face. She could almost swear…

 
 
 
 
Searching the crowd of faces, she looked for Angelo. She couldn’t see him, but she knew that he was there. Smiling, she brought her fingers to her mouth and kissed them, then threw her hand up in the air. It was probably best that they didn’t see one another again, too many bad memories. But she wanted him to know the good did outweigh the bad. She turned and walked through the gate without another look back. She was ready to start her life.
 
 
 
 
Finally finishing his shower and feeling somewhat more alive, Angel dried off and tied a towel around his waist. Slipping his feet into his slippers, he went back through the condo to double check and make sure the door was locked and the alarm was on before he made his way to the bedroom.

 
 
 
 
Nikki had left the curtains open, allowing the moonlight to gently bathe the elegant room, illuminating it with a soft glow. Inhaling deeply, Angel closed his eyes, breathing in his woman's scent. It was a combination of the lotions, perfumes and body wash he’d had a company in Europe design and mix especially for her.
 
 
 
 
The company had shipped sample after sample to him, changing it each time he described exactly what he wanted. Angel needed it to scream sexy sophistication while still being feminine and sweet. The moment he smelled the last mixture, he'd known immediately it was perfect. Last night, he'd surprised Nikki with her own signature fragrance inspired by her, exclusively for her.
Nikki’s Essence
. She absolutely loved it.
 
 
 
 
 
Angel looked at her asleep on her stomach in the bed, her nude brown skin outlined on the pristine white, silk sheets. The cover only fell over her derriere, leaving her shoulders, back and legs visible. The light from the moon highlighted every rise, slope, and curve of her body.

 
 
 
 
You said you were going to let her sleep
, he berated himself as his nature began to rise.
You know how exhausted she is.

 
 
 
 
Angel stood in indecision for a moment then untied the towel from around his waist. He’d let her sleep tomorrow. He reached down and curled his fingers firmly around his thick shaft. Thinking about what awaited him between Nikki’s thighs made him harden even more.
 
 
 
 
Slowly walking towards the bed, he took his time and pulled the sheet down in anticipation, unveiling his pièce de résistance. Letting his eyes leisurely roam over her body, Angel silently mused that
this
was one of the reasons why he had no regrets in settling down with Nicole. Her unbelievable sweetness, brilliance, loyalty and love for him aside, the sex between them was the best he'd ever enjoyed. A naturally passionate woman, he appreciated her eagerness to learn his appetites and please him, because she said that was part of
her
pleasure. When a man had a woman like Nikki, she was all he needed.