ANGEL'S WRATH by SK (SIN CITY HEAT) (20 page)

 
 
 
 
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.

 
 
 
 
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 stared 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."