Redeem Me: Oakville Series:Book Four (15 page)

Chelsie

W
aiting for Beasley to get back has been pure hell. I need to know if there’s anything to break to Angel, but if there is, I have no idea how I’m gonna tell him. Angel has been doing so well lately. If my gut is right and Kayleigh is his sister, I’m worried it could go either way. He could either be elated or revert to his old self, along with hating me. The latter is not something I want to see happen.

I pull up to Kelly’s Cafe. I love this place. Kelly opened it a few months back. She said her dream was to have a little place like this that served all kinds of coffees with scrumptious desserts to go with it. And the place has been a hit. Being the only coffee shop for miles has seen to it.

As I pull the keys from the ignition, my anxiety spikes, along with my blood pressure. Whatever Beasley tells me could change Angel’s whole life. If it doesn’t change for the good, who’s to say he won’t blame me? The thought of losing him has me wanting to turn around, walk out the door, and pretend this never happened. But knowing this could bring his sister back to him has me pressing forward.

I spot Beasley right away in a back booth and my stomach twists into knots. When he looks up and sees me, he gives me a sympathetic smile. I try to hold back my grimace and plaster a bright smile on my face to hide my nerves—fake it til you make it. But no matter the news, it is good to see Beasley. I slide into the booth across from him.

“Hey, Lee. How was your trip?” I ask politely. Before he can answer, a waitress comes over to take our coffee order. I order a peppermint mocha latte with whipped cream and Beasley orders his regular black coffee, giving me an amused smirk.

“It was good, but I’m guessing that’s not what you want to know about,” he answers, wearing a grin. He’s right, but am I ready for this? As if he can read my mind, he says, “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Angel may not be jumping for joy over this news.” Again, he’s right, but if the sister he loved so dearly were alive, wouldn’t he want to know that? The not knowing what happened to her has got to be what haunts him the most.

“I have to know. There’s no turning back now. I’ll have to deal with whatever fall out comes from it,” I respond. He looks at me intently for a moment then nods his head and places a file folder on the table in front of me. The waitress returns with our drinks. Picking up the coffee, I try to take a small sip, but my hands are trembling too badly to hold the cup steady. I place it back on the table, take a deep breath, and pick up the folder.

I begin to flip through the file. There’s a report, adoption records, and pictures of Kayleigh as a toddler with her adoptive parents. I read through the report and my breath is knocked right from my lungs. Right there, in black and white, is proof that my gut was right. Kayleigh was Katie. She is Angel’s little sister.

I read a little more. It states the child’s uncle gave her up after her parents died, but that can’t be true. Angel said there was no family other than their father. Whomever this man was, he had to be the one who took her in the first place. I keep reading and when I see the uncle’s name, my stomach knots and bile creeps up my throat. This can’t be right. Why would he do this to her? To Angel? As I read the name out loud, I know in my heart this may be the final straw to hurl Angel from the cliff and send him into a spiral—one I may not be able to get him back from. “Angelo Walker.”

“Yes. It seems the dad took Katie, passed himself off as the uncle, and gave her up for adoption,” Beasley explains. He sips his coffee and eyes me closely over the rim of his cup. “Are you okay?” No, I’m not, but I nod my head yes. Why would Angel’s father take Katie away from him and his mom? How could he put them through thinking she was kidnapped and possibly dead? There’s only one person who has the answers and that’s Angelo Walker.

“Were you able to find Angelo?” I question.

“Not yet. I’m sorry. I’m still trying to track him down,” he says apologetically. He continues going over who he spoke with and what he found, making sure I understand everything he’s uncovered. It seems Kayleigh’s adoptive parents had no idea they adopted a baby who was kidnapped.

Once Beasley finishes and makes sure I’m okay, he leaves me to my thoughts. I sip what’s left of my coffee and pull my phone from my purse. It’s time to tell Angel. I opt for a text instead of a phone call. I’m afraid I’ll break down and spill it all the second I hear his voice. I can’t do that. This is something that needs to be told in person.

Can you meet me at the lake in 15 minutes?

His reply comes quickly.

I’ll be there, sweet pea ;)

Poor guy. His whole world is about to be turned upside down and he thinks he’s about to get laid. That’s not a bad idea. Maybe I should make love to him first. It may make it easier to handle my news…it may also be the last time he wants anything to do with me. I stuff the folder into my purse and head to the ladies room before I leave.

As I turn, I’m shocked to see the bitch Riley and her even bitchier friend, Jamie, sitting in the booth right behind me. Bile begins to rise in my throat again and I want to hurl. How long have they been there? How much did they hear? I take a deep, calming breath, smile sweetly at them, and make my way to the ladies room.

As I leave the ladies room, I’m relieved to see bitch one and bitch two are gone. I’m not in the right frame of mind to deal with those two today. I leave the cafe and make my way to my car. I have no idea how I’m going to tell Angel this news. I’m so afraid he’s going to hate me for digging, or he’ll revert to his self-deprecating ways. Either option means I lose him forever.

I hit the button on my remote and unlock my door. Just as I begin to get into the car, I notice my back tire is flat. I walk around to the rear of the car and discover both back tires are flat. “Damn it!” I yell, frustrated.

I do not need this shit right now. I’ll have to change plans and call Angel to come rescue me then totally fuck up his life. I should have just left things alone. Reaching into my purse, I search for my phone, but can’t find it. I empty it all out on the front seat and sift through the crap. Still no phone. I pat down my pockets, but come up empty again. This is not my fucking day. What the hell else can possibly go wrong? I’m screwed. Two flat tires, a missing phone, good or bad news, depending on how you look at it. I reload the dumped contents of my purse and slam my car door closed. Banging my hands on the hood of the car, I realize I may have left the phone on the table.

I rush back into the cafe and search the booth Beasley and I sat in. To my disappointment, there’s no phone. I go check the ladies room, and nothing. I ask the young girl behind the counter if anyone has turned in a cell phone, and as suspected, her answer is no.

I am fully aware my slashed tires and missing phone aren’t a coincidence, and I would bet my life Riley and her bitch of a friend have something to do with this. Even worse, they may have heard everything Lee and I talked about. “Fucking shit,” I huff out, knowing this isn’t going to end well. “Manipulative, no good, pieces of shit.” I wish they were here right now. Wish they would just show themselves so I could give them a piece of my mind, and maybe my fist. I’ve never been a physical person, but this cunt has gone way too far.

Angel

I
check my phone again. Chelsie was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. Starting to worry, I call her phone to see if she’s okay and still on her way. It goes straight to voicemail. She always answers her phone and is never late. I’m getting antsy. As I pace back and forth, my stomach knots. I call her phone again only to get the same result. This isn’t like her. She wouldn’t tell me to meet her here then blow me off. That’s odd behavior for her, but her behavior all week has been off.

She’s been a little jumpy this past week and I can’t figure out why. She says everything is okay, but I know there’s something on her mind. I just wish she would tell me so I can try to fix whatever it is for her. That’s what I’m supposed to do. At least that what I think boyfriends are supposed to do. With all the things I’ve told her, I would think she could do the same. There is nothing she could tell me that would drive me away.

Since I’ve been with her, my whole world has changed. I’m happy, a feeling I haven’t felt in a very long time. My mind is no longer consumed with my sister. Of course, I still think about her, just not all day, every day. And for once in my life, I feel like I deserve to be happy, deserve to be loved. She makes me feel like a whole new man—a better man. I’d be lost again without her. She is the woman I plan on spending the rest of my life with...I just have to get up the nerve to ask her.

I hear a car pull up and butterflies fill my stomach. A woman has never given me feelings like this before, so I know this is love. I’ve finally let my guard down and allowed myself to trust another person one hundred percent, and it feels damn good.

As the car comes around the corner, I’m confused. It’s not Chelsie. The car comes to a stop next to mine. I didn’t think anyone but our group came out here—at least, I’ve never seen anyone else out here before. I’m surprised to see Riley get out of the passenger side.

“Hi, Riley. What are you doing here?” I ask. She flinches slightly and I feel bad. I know it sounded a little harsh, but if Chelsie finds her here, she’s going to be pissed.

“My friend Jamie and I come here every now and then to just enjoy the peace and quiet,” she says. Her friend smiles flirtatiously at me. Great, now I have two of them looking at me with googly eyes. “How about you? Why are you here all by yourself.”

“I’m meeting Chelsie,” I reply, hoping she’ll get the hint and leave. No such luck. They both move closer, causing me to take a few steps back.

“I don’t think your girl is coming,” Jamie says with a smirk.

“What makes you think she isn’t coming?” I question, my brows scrunched in confusion. There’s something about her I don’t trust. She seems conniving and deceptive, not someone I’d picture Riley being friends with.

“We saw her car at the cafe with a couple flat tires,” she explains, a hint of amusement in her voice. What are these girls up to? There’s no time to wonder about them now. I need to get to Chelsie. Without a word to them, I begin walking to my car. Riley jumps in front of me before I can open my door.

“Before you go, there’s something I think you should know,” Riley says.

What could she possibly have to say that’s so damn important? More important than Chelsie? “I don’t have time for this,” I mumble and push past her, shoving her slightly.

“It’s about Chelsie. You need to hear this.” Her words stop me in my tracks. I turn and glare at the pair, waiting for one of them to speak. They look at each other, trying to decide who’s going to tell me. I run my hands down my face, getting more frustrated with every second that passes. They need to spit whatever the fuck it is they think is so important. As a few more seconds pass, I begin tapping my foot on the ground, hoping they get the hint to speed this the fuck up. I need to find Chelsie not sit here dealing with dumb and dumber.

“Look, Angel, I care about you, and I don’t want to see you hurt. Chelsie was having you investigated. We overheard her talking to Amber’s dad,” Riley spits out in a hurry. That doesn’t sound like my Chelsie, or Beasley, for that matter. I’ve told her everything about my past. I have nothing to hide. I give Riley and Jamie a skeptical look.

“She’s telling the truth. They were discussing some girl named Katie. They kept talking about a kidnapping and adoption,” Jamie says.

“You deserve better than that. Someone who doesn’t sneak around behind your back, trying to dig up dirt on you,” Riley says, stepping closer to me. And that’s when everything becomes all too clear. Chelsie has been right all along. Riley is jealous and stirring up trouble.