Two Doms For Angel (17 page)

“
No, Master, no!” Angel
gasped.

The hold on her hair tightened even
more.

“
I was not speaking to you,
pet. Do what I say and go to your room now.”

He released her hair. Zach’s fists
remained tightly clenched by his sides. With a last look at both
men, she left the room, the ends of the blanket clutched in her
hands, a foot long swath trailing behind her on the
floor.

She didn’t close the door. Zach started
counting. It was all that held back his rage. He didn’t want Angel
to see him lose control. Ten, then twenty; his fist came up and
every bit of anger, jealousy, and hurt went into the
punch.

Chapter Thirty

Monroe had time to block but didn’t, he
only turned his head slightly, and took the punch to the side of
his jaw. He stumbled back several feet, hunched over, holding his
face where the blow landed.

Monroe’s hand came away with smeared
blood from a small cut at the corner of his mouth.

“
I won’t fight back but I’d
prefer no broken teeth.”

“
If you won’t fight back,
broken teeth will be the least of your worries.” Zach’s fist flew
but this time landed in Monroe’s midsection.

When Monroe was able to stand, Zach
came in with another punch to his face. Monroe didn’t strike back,
did not even try to avoid the blow.

A small piece of sanity was returning
to Zach’s brain but he still wanted to cause damage. “You might
want to change your mind.”

“
I might.”

Monroe turned away from the next blow
so that it landed solidly in his shoulder.

Zach’s fist drew back, then stopped.
The grey cloud in his brain cleared completely at the sight of
blood soaking through Monroe’s shirt in exactly the spot where his
last punch landed. Monroe looked down at the stain, then up again
at Zach.

“
Don’t let a little blood
stop you.” He took a step toward Zach and stumbled.
“Fuck.”

Zach’s arms went out and caught Monroe
before he fell.

“
What the hell happened to
you?” Zach demanded.

“
I had some very nice
stitches holding me together, but I’m afraid you’ve messed them
up.”

The blood was quickly soaking into a
large section of the shirt.

“
Come on, this
way.”

Zach led.

“
The sub couch,
really?”

“
Just shut up and sit down.
Take off the shirt while you’re at it.”

The low malted-whisky laugh was Zach’s
answer. It had the same effect it always did and Zach closed his
eyes for a moment and let his nerves settle.

He walked to the sink to gather
supplies. The dungeon had everything needed for minor injuries, but
when he looked back at the spreading red stain, Zach realized this
was more than minor. He would start with pressure on the wound. It
would hurt, thought Zach, with a twinge of short-lived
satisfaction.

Monroe’s eyes were closed as he leaned
back against the cushions. Zach hadn’t noticed the pallor in his
friend’s face or the dark rings around his eyes. The man looked
like shit.

Monroe’s voice was weary. “If you cover
me with a sub blanket, our friendship is over.”

“
If I had a sub blanket in
my hands, I would use it to smother you.”

Monroe’s laugh vibrated up Zach’s
spine.

“
What do you want me to do?”
he asked.

“
Call Stephens,” said
Monroe, “and tell him to bring supplies to stitch me
up.”

Zach pressed down with the towel on the
jagged tear that ran from under Monroe’s right pectoral muscle to
the top of his shoulder blade.

“
Christ,” Monroe hissed
through his teeth. “I know you can be gentler!”

“
I could.”

“
Just make the call, damn
it.”

Stephen arrived three minutes later,
impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place. He didn’t comment on
the state of Monroe’s face or the twelve-inch gash when he took off
the blood-soaked towel. He went to work removing the torn stitches,
disinfecting the area and then pinching the skin together before
very precisely replacing each stitch.

Monroe didn’t make a sound.

Zach walked over to the refrigerator,
removed a bottle of orange juice, and waited.

“
If you have no further
needs Mr. Monroe,” Stephens said in his same crisp tone, “I would
like to resume my night’s sleep.”

How the hell did Stephens do it? Zach
had to turn away and hide his smile as Stephens left the
room.

“
He saved my
life.”

“
Stephens?”

“
Yes, and I haven’t managed
to get rid of him since.”

“
I know the feeling. Drink
this.”

“
Yes, master.”

“
Don’t start.”

“
I found her for you.”
Monroe still hadn’t opened his eyes.

Brave man, Zach thought bitterly. But
all his anger had deflated.

“
She loves you,” he said,
unable to keep the misery out of his voice.

“
She loves us both,” Monroe
corrected him.

“
And we both love
her.”

Monroe’s dark eyes finally opened. “I’m
glad.”

“
Hell, I’m not! What the
hell do we do?”

“
I think that will be up to
you,” Monroe said.

“
It should be up to
her!”

Monroe’s eyebrow lifted. “I’m sure
you’ve figured out her biggest problems by now?”

“
Guilt, shame, no pain
limits. Hell, no limits.”

“
Exactly,” Monroe said. “But
she feels. With what she’s been through, that’s a miracle in
itself.”

“
Maybe she feels too
much.”

“
Maybe…She needs us both
Zach.”

Silence hung between them for a long
moment before Zach spoke in a low voice.

“
I don’t know if I can do
that.”

“
Then — and I quote what you
said to me before — ‘You don’t love her enough.’”

Zack could offer nothing but
silence.

“
Do you think you could help
me stay upright long enough to get to the den and a bottle of
Johnny Walker?”

“
Now, I know you’re
injured,” Zach snorted. “I thought you only kept that shit around
for me.”

“
I do, and I’m hoping you’ll
join me.”

“
What about
Angel?”

“
Get me to the den and then
go get her for us. She can listen while we talk.”

“
Is that a good
idea?”

“
I’m not talking about our
relationship. I’m too fucked over at the moment.”

“
Understood.” He reached
down and helped Monroe stand. “Let’s go big boy.”

“
Now you’ve gone too
far.”

“
Whatcha going to do about
it?”

“
Try to stay upright long
enough to fall onto another couch.”

“
That’ll work.”

***

Her room was dark but the light from
Monroe’s bedside lamp was bright enough he could see inside. She
lay on the bed, not moving. He didn’t think she was crying any
longer. His weight sank into the mattress and his hand went to her
head, smoothing away wispy strands of hair.

“
We want you to come
downstairs and sit with us.”

She rolled over and grabbed his hand.
Her movements almost desperate, “I love you.”

“
I know, and I love you. But
I’m not sure this will work.”

She sat up and wrapped her hands around
his neck, holding onto him the same way she’d held onto Monroe. Her
lips met his. The kiss was everything she felt: love, passion, and
heartache.

He broke away first. “Come
on.”

He took her hand and led her downstairs
to her master’s waiting arms.

This time she approached him slowly.
His shirt remained off and there was a small amount of blood
seeping through the bandage. The glare she cast Zach’s way was
fierce.

His hands came up. “I didn’t do all of
it.”

“
No, love, he didn’t,”
Monroe agreed.

She bent to go to her knees but his
hand came down, patting the sofa. “Up here.”

She practically climbed into his lap.
He positioned her so her head was leaning against his uninjured
shoulder.

This time Zach didn’t feel anger; he
felt intense, gut-wrenching loss.

Monroe’s eyes met his. “Please, Zach.
Sit here with us.

Zach managed to sit at the opposite end
of the couch, daring Monroe to say anything.

“
Here, pet. Stretch out but
keep your head in my lap.”

She made no complaint, showed nothing
but complete trust that Monroe would make everything better. Zach
wasn’t at all sure, though he remembered how it felt to think his
friend could walk on water.

“
What happened?” Zach
asked.

“
My knife slipped and his
sword didn’t.”

“
Sword?”

“
Yes, a goddamn
sword.”

Zach laughed and it felt good. Angel’s
burning gaze turned on him and he grabbed her feet, moving his body
so they ended up in his lap.

“
Don’t make me spank you,”
he told her.

The pique left her face and a small
smile took its place. “Yes, sir.”

“
How did you get
out?”

“
I left a gallon of my blood
in the room, used a torn sheet to bind myself as good as I could,
and somehow made my way to the rendezvous point. Funny thing,
because the trip was rather a blur.”

“
That’s just your warped
humor talking.”

“
There is that.”

“
Now what?”

“
I’m done.”

“
Done?”

“
Discharged from a job I
never had. They won’t be calling on me again.”

“
What are you going to do
with all your free time?”

Monroe’s hand smoothed down Angel’s arm
and traveled over her breast. She was wearing one of her long
nightgowns but he had no trouble finding her nipple. “Restore old
cars, maybe take an extended vacation. Then, a little of this and a
little of that.” He applied slight pressure to the nipple between
his fingers.

Zach’s hold tightened on her feet but
then loosened. Somehow he had to give this a chance.

“
Do you mind getting us a
drink?” Monroe’s voice was beyond weary.

Zach didn’t speak, just stood, and
walked to the sideboard to pour them each a shot. Carrying the
bottle, he sat it on the table closest to Monroe. Then he resumed
his seat on the couch, bringing Angel’s feet back into his
lap.

The burn felt good and the whisky
helped sooth his nerves.

Monroe’s exhaustion was apparent in
every part of his body.

Another glass was poured, and Zach
noticed the shaking of Monroe’s hand around the bottle.

“
Last one, Monroe. You need
rest.”

“
I do.” He sounded grumpy.
“Pet, I think it would be best if you slept with Zach.”

Her hands clenched. “Please,
master.”

Zach felt like an idiot, but he said it
anyway.

“
No, she needs to be with
you tonight.”

Monroe ignored him, and instead lifted
Angel’s chin.

“
This isn’t a request. I
need sleep, and with my injury, I’ve been uncomfortable. When it’s
better, I’ll be taking care of the slight problem you’re having in
obeying my commands.”

Zach’s hands clenched at the heartbreak
he knew she was feeling, but if Monroe wanted to be a fool, then
he’d damned well take advantage. He watched as Monroe placed a
light kiss on her forehead before pushing her away.

Monroe rose from the couch but
immediately stumbled. When Zach reached to help, Monroe gave him
that famous stony stare and Zach backed away. He took Angel’s hand
and turned his back on his friend.

He could tell she was angry but he
ignored her mood in favor of sleep. There would be plenty of time
to work on their problems tomorrow.

The stiff set of her shoulders didn’t
keep him from pulling her into his chest. He closed his eyes and, a
short time later, he felt her relax.

Chapter Thirty-one

The jerking of her body woke him a few
hours later. She was speaking Arabic in her sleep, but, in any
language, her terror was evident. Suddenly, she struck out, her
arms and legs flying. Then the screams began.

Zach managed to turn on the light
before struggling to contain her, but one of her hands went to her
face and scratched a deep gouge down her cheek.

“
It’s me, Angel! I’ve got
you! Wake up!”