Somebody's Angel (#5 in a Military Romance / BDSM Romance series) (Rescue Me) (7 page)

The bag was too heavy for her to carry downstairs. She should have bought a new one when the wheel had broken off this one, but she was too busy investing all her time and money in her business over the past year. Crap. She’d probably killed any hope of continuing her catering services in Aspen Corners after being away so long. Over the past few months, she’d put in applications at upscale restaurants all over Denver but hadn’t had a bite yet. She’d just have to leave the case in the room and ask Tony to come up and get it after he arrived.

Getting off the elevator, she walked through the lobby, happy Marc’s little brother wasn’t at the front desk.

“Angelina, are you okay?”

Damn it. I really don’t need to talk to anyone right now.

She blinked through her tears and turned around to see Marc’s sister standing a few feet away, her brows furrowed. The young woman had been very quiet during dinner last night, and Angelina hoped to get to know her better sometime. Not now, though.

“I’m fine, Carmella. I’m just heading out for a cup of coffee.”

The tear streaks on Angelina’s cheeks and her red, puffy eyes had to be noticeable, but Marc’s sister only quirked an eyebrow. “I could use a cup, too.”

“No! I’m sorry. I wouldn’t be very good company right now.”

Carmella reached out to stroke Angelina’s arm, and she fought hard not to pull away. They were both demonstrative Italians; the gesture didn’t mean anything—just as his endearments and touches hadn’t meant anything. A new wave of tears filled her eyes.

Her expression growing concerned, Carmella cupped Angelina’s arm above the elbow. “Come on. We have an excellent coffee shop here at the resort. My treat.”

“No, thanks.” She realized she was being rude but needed to escape. “I appreciate it, but my brother’s coming to…meet me at the coffee shop around the corner. I really don’t think…”

Her smile faded. “Does Marc know you’re leaving?”

Angelina shook her head.

“Let me grab a jacket. I’ll wait with you until he gets here.” Before Angelina could stop her, she rounded the reception desk and ducked into the back office, returning seconds later carrying her pale-pink ski jacket.

Hooking a hand at Angelina’s elbow, she guided her toward the automatic doors. Angelina didn’t have any fight left and merely walked alongside her down the street in silence. She hoped Tony broke a few speed records to get here—as long as the roads were salted and clear. She’d never wanted to be away from any place more than she wanted out of Aspen.

Carmella led Angelina to a seat by the window and went to the counter to place their orders. Angelina watched the couples passing by, hand-in-hand, all smiles. The pain was too much and she turned away. A mug of frothy cappuccino was placed in front of her, which gave her something else to focus on.

After taking a sip and finding her own beverage too hot to drink, Carmella sat back and stared across the table. “Okay, what’s my big brother done to upset you?”

“I’m not going to talk about it. Look, you really don’t have to wait here with me.”

Carmella bit her lower lip and leaned forward, touching Angelina’s hand. “Angelina, I like you. You’re really good for Marc. I’ve never seen him so relaxed and happy. It’s like he’s finally found his place in the world—with you.”

Tears threatened again, and Angelina lifted the mug to her mouth, primarily to break contact with Carmella’s hand as well as to hide her quivering lips. She closed her eyes and inhaled the rich aroma before taking a tentative sip. Marc had lied to her again, for whatever reason. When Angelina’s hands started to shake, she placed the mug back on the table before she ended up baptizing her girls with the scalding drink.

“It’s complicated. And personal. I can’t talk about it.”

Carmella pulled out her cell phone. “I don’t want you to leave upset like this. Let me call Marc and have him meet us here.”

“No!” Angelina reached across the table and stayed her hand. “I don’t want to see him yet.”

Carmella put the phone on the table with reluctance. “Okay. But promise me you’ll talk with him when you calm down. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.”

Angelina didn’t know what to say to that. She was so confused. Hurt.

Carmella brushed her hair behind her ear. “Marc didn’t have it easy growing up.”

I don’t want to hear this.

“Second son in a competitive Italian family is not an enviable position, as I’m sure you know. Mama doted on Gino. When Marc realized there really wasn’t anything expected of him here at the resort, he pretty much did as he pleased.”

“That doesn’t sound so rough to me.”

“Kids need structure and boundaries. He pretty much ran wild. Got into some minor trouble, but that was because he had no responsibilities other than a few minor resort-related chores.” Carmella took a sip of her coffee then continued. “Marc has been in love with the mountains his whole life. He’d spend days out in nature. Alone. When I was older, sometimes he took me with him. He really is in his element out there.”

I know all that
. “Why are you telling me this?”

Carmella took another sip. “After Gino was killed and Marc was thrust into running the resort, I watched him start to die inside. It made me sick to see him behind that desk, looking out the window at the mountains that couldn’t provide comfort to him anymore. He was miserable but thought he needed to assume the responsibility of being the eldest son and fulfill Gino’s role as resort manager.”

Being in nature calmed Marc. He’d even managed to get Angelina out on an overnight camping trip during Indian summer. With him beside her, the wide open spaces hadn’t seemed as frightening, although they’d slept inside his business manager Brian Maxwell’s hunting cabin all but the first night. Feeling his arms around her as they snuggled in the sleeping bag…

No. She needed to stop thinking about being with Marc.

He lied to me. Again.

“Joining the Navy was the best thing he could have done.” Clearly, Carmella was going to finish Marc’s story whether Angelina wanted to listen or not. “Actually, it helped a lot of us in the family. Poor Sandro was destined to be as miserable as Marc but for the opposite reason. He loved business and running the resort, but the chances of him taking over the mantle of management were slim as long as he had an older brother in that role. It was even worse as the baby sister.”

Tell me about it.
“I certainly can relate to being the baby sister.”

The two of them smiled at each other, and Angelina relaxed a bit.

“When Marc enlisted and put me in charge of scheduling activities and lessons, I was in heaven. Even Mama, once she got over Marc’s leaving the family like that, seemed to take charge of many things she’d let go after Gino’s death. She’d been so devastated to lose him. All of us were, but especially Mama.”

Tears shone in the other woman’s eyes, and Angelina couldn’t help but reach out and squeeze her hand across the small table. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for all of you to lose your brother. I have four, and if anything…” She couldn’t even continue that unfathomable thought.

Mio Dio
, she hoped Tony would take it slow on the mountain roads tonight. What if he…? Her heart pounded in her ears. She wanted to call him, tell him she was okay now and to slow down, but she didn’t want him to answer the phone while he was driving either.

What a mess she’d made of things, acting part drama queen, part teenager. Why did she jump to the worst possible conclusion without even talking with Marc? If he truly had lied to her, she could deal with that later. She needed to go back to the resort and wait for Marc to come in off the slopes. He deserved a chance to explain what had happened with Melissa after Gino died, rather than have her jump to conclusions based on what a vindictive old flame had said. That woman wasn’t one to be trusted. She obviously still had a thing for Marc. Who could blame her?

“Tell me about Melissa and Marc’s relationship.”

Carmella’s eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened. “Is that what this is about? What did that money-grubbing piece of shit say to upset you?”

The vehemence in her tone took Angelina by surprise. She’d been so sweet a moment ago, but now the youngest D’Alessio appeared as though she could spit nails. Angelina was thankful the emotion wasn’t aimed at her.

“I just need to know what kind of relationship she has…
had
… with Marc.”

“Oh, it’s definitely
had
. He hasn’t had anything to do with her since before he joined the Navy.”

So Melissa had told the truth then. There
had
been something between them after Gino’s death. Angelina’s temples throbbed as she tried to process that information. She wished she’d ordered some brandy in her cappuccino.

“In the months after Gino’s funeral, Melissa kept trying to get me to help her end up back in Marc’s good graces, but he wanted nothing to do with her.”

Angelina relaxed a bit.

“Watching my dead brother’s fiancée throwing herself at another of my brothers such a short time after Gino was buried made it clear what she was after: money. Marc isn’t stupid. He saw her for what she was. But Mama seems oblivious to this day, which is so unlike her. She’s a shrewd woman.”

“I can’t imagine that Marc would want to be in a relationship with someone his brother loved.” And stole from him.

“No, but…” She took stock of her empty mug. “I think we might need refills.”

Crap. Something told her this wasn’t going to be a story she wanted to hear.

She peered outside and saw that the sun had set, and lights had come on to illuminate the street. Most of the shops were open late, despite the holiday, and a few other restaurants were doing a thriving business. The beautiful people came here to play and shop, especially on a holiday weekend.

Dio
, Marc would never have fit in here. He hated pretentious, phony people.

People like Melissa.

Carmella placed the new drinks in front of each of them and resumed her seat, bringing Angelina’s attention back to the conversation at hand.

Angelina might not discover the truth without this woman’s help. “What happened between them?”

Carmella’s mouth hitched up, and she sighed. “The night before Marc left to train at Naval Station Great Lakes, he announced to Mama and the family that he was leaving. Melissa was there, too. Mama has always treated her as if she and Gino had been married or something. The two of them have some odd connection that Sandro and I have never quite figured out.”

Angelina wanted to know what had happened between Marc and Melissa. There were so many unanswered questions and getting Marc to talk about his past was worse than pulling teeth.

“I noticed that her presence at dinner last night made Marc very nervous.”

“Because of you.”

“Me?” Was Marc ashamed of her because she could never measure up to this woman from his past?

“Melissa can be a real
bitch
and has been for as long as I’ve known her. I think Marc was afraid Melissa would say or do something that would hurt you.”

Oh, of course!
Why had she thought the worst first? Probably because she hadn’t forgotten the way she’d felt the first time he lied to her.

“She’s been known to go for the jugular to get what she wants—and she wants Marc. Marc’s inheritance, to be precise.”

“But Marc lives such a simple life. She’d be bored to death with him if this glamorous lifestyle is what she thrives on.”

Dio
, maybe that’s not the lifestyle Melissa wanted to have again with Marc. She had said she missed his firm hand. Did she want him as her Dom again, if that’s what he’d been?

The past is past.

Whatever he had with Melissa happened before he was with Angelina. Marc hadn’t lived like a monk before he met her. Hardly. She was certain he hadn’t strayed since they’d been together, though. No, she’d never even had any inkling that he’d been unfaithful to her.

But he lied!

At least by omission. She waited for Carmella to continue.

“What happened right before he joined the Navy?”

“I only know Melissa’s side of the story, and I wouldn’t put much faith in that…woman’s…version at all.”

“Tell me anyway.” She’d confirm it with Marc later. Yes, she’d come to the decision not to leave Aspen before she talked with Marc.

“Baby, are you okay?”

Angelina glanced up to find Tony approaching the table, a worried expression on his face. “Where’s D’Alessio?”

Angelina flushed with embarrassment. He and Marc had appeared to get along at Christmas dinner. Hadn’t they gotten beyond the whole big-brother-as-protector thing? Of course, she’d called him to be just that for her. Well, maybe not to protect her but definitely to rescue her from confronting Marc. Carmella glared up at Tony.

Hoping to defuse the situation, Angelina stood up. “Tony, I’d like you to meet Marc’s
sister
, Carmella D’Alessio.” Angelina glared at him.

Be polite, you big lug.

Confused, Tony studied Carmella and then Angelina. Remembering the manners that had been drummed into him since he was a kid, he extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Carmella. Tony Giardano.” Their handshake ended almost before it started, but Carmella didn’t mask the animosity in her expression. At least not all D’Alessios masked their feelings.

Tony’s gaze lit on Angelina again. “Baby, what’s going on? You sounded upset on the phone.”

She really didn’t want to talk about this in front of Carmella. More pressingly, she also didn’t want to leave before finding Marc and talking with him.

“I’m sorry. I was upset…but it was just a misunderstanding.”

Tony blinked. “Misunderstanding.” He stared at her as if to say,
“You called me out on a night like this for a misunderstanding?”

Rather than give him an explanation, Angelina reached for her mug and started clearing her place at the small table. “Yes, and I hate that I got you all the way up here for nothing. Can I get you a coffee or something for the road?” She reached down to pick up her purse.