Two Sides to Every Story (Love Spectrum Romance) (12 page)

“Next week I get three days off in a row. I can request my two off days for the following week, put them together and we can have five whole days. Maybe we could take a trip somewhere.”

“There’s a big difference in that and going out to a movie or to eat. Besides, I’d miss too many days seeing my brother.” When she glanced in Rafe’s direction, his green gaze caught her, then snagged her heart. Yes, he was in too close but she couldn’t stop it.

“Where do you want to go?” she asked.

“We could drive to Branson.”

“Don’t think so.”

“We could fly to Vegas.”

“No.”

“How about Wisconsin Dells?”

Angela tilted her head sideways to better observe Rafe. He was getting what he wanted, the two of them as a couple. “The Dells would be nice,” she said. “I can afford it,” she added, trying to hold on to a measure of control by paying her own way.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Raphael answered, kissing her at last, knowing that they both knew he had no intention of letting her pay. But if she needed to believe that to agree to go, then why fight?

“I know what you’re thinking, Rafe. I’m serious.”

“Of course you know what I’m thinking. You can feel me, Angel,” he said and reached for her hand and placed it on his erection.

“You’re trying to be cute. I’m talking about the trip. I’m paying for half.”

Raphael arched a brow and looked at her but didn’t answer. He’d let her think she was paying for this vacation if that was what she needed, but no way in hell would a woman pay his way.

“We’re going dutch,” Angela warned.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean by dutch?” he grinned. “I’m Puerto Rican, not Dutch.” Then he grabbed her and began tickling her, not allowing her to formulate a response. This would be the start of some thing bigger than he’d ever dreamed possible. He kissed her, thinking that would be the perfect moment to tell her that he loved her.

Chapter 14

Finally lady luck was smiling down on her. Angela could have kissed the woman right there in the grocery store. She was the first person who’d admitted to knowing Teresa Cortez. However, the woman had said something really strange, that Teresa had been going with a Black man who was in jail for dealing drugs. She’d have to ask her brother to look into that, maybe the man was someone he knew. At least it was worth a shot.

That little bit of information gave her hope. She now had something positive to tell her brother. She hoped he would concentrate on that, and not on the fact that she was going to be out of town for a week. She wasn’t going to deny that she would be with Rafe, but she was hoping that it wouldn’t come up.

* * *

From the moment she hugged her brother at the point of contact, she’d sensed his anger but now she knew why. She waited until they were seated.

“I think I may have good news for you.”

The silence was so thick she wondered if the guards might come over just to check on them. “I’ve made some progress and I have a lead on Teresa.”

“And you found this lead in bed with the cop?”

“Don’t start.”

“I warned you.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t like it any more the first time you did it. You can’t tell me who to date.”

“Maybe I can’t but you’re going to wish you had listened to me.”

“He loves me.”

“He’s using you.”

“I think I’m falling in love with him.”

“I hope for your sake you’re not.”

“Don’t do anything to him.”

“How can I? I’m locked up.”

“If you have someone hurt him, I swear…”

“You swear?” Adrian interrupted. “What do you swear? We’re blood. Are you going to go against me? If he gets hurt, blame yourself. I warned you. You had no business going to bed with a cop in the first place.”

“Do you think I went looking for a cop? It just happened, Adrian. I didn’t ask for it. We fought for months. It just happened. Let it go. He’s a good guy. He really is.” She glanced away, then back at her brother. “Adrian, I care for him, I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

Angela watched a change come over her brother. He went from a snarling fearsome man back to the older brother she adored, without batting an eye.

“Hey, I was trying to look out for you, but you’re right, it’s your life and believe me, I’m happy for you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.” He laughed, “I think I’m going a little nuts being in here. Forgive me. You know me, I would never think of doing anything to anyone. Even if I wanted to, I don’t have that kind of weight. You know, after awhile you start behaving just like everyone else in here.”

He was right. Angela glanced around at the other prisoners and visitors. They all appeared guarded and distrustful. Their eyes were constantly surveying the place and the people in it. There was definitely something about the atmosphere, the
prison mentality
, she’d heard it called. Her gaze landed on her brother and a tiny shiver touched the base of her spine.

Angela had felt the same thing happen to her lately when she came into the prison. She was guarded also, viewing each person she saw as potential danger. She stared at her brother. It was happening even with Adrian, the brother she’d always trusted and believed in. Now she was beginning to feel doubt creep in and she didn’t like it. She no longer had the blind trust in him she’d had her entire life. She was beginning to think of things her cousin Simone had said to her about Adrian not being innocent. Staring at her brother, listening to his words, she’d begun wondering if he’d been involved somehow, just as Simone wondered. Angela now found herself unsure of her brother’s innocence. She saw the way he was behaving and, as a cop would do, she doubted. It had to be the prison that was affecting her trust. She thought of Rafe.
Maybe not.

Adrian was staring at her so she reached her hand out and gave his fingers a squeeze before hurriedly pulling away, knowing she’d broken the rules of contact. Maybe the lack of touch was the culprit, the reason she doubted. Whatever it was, she wanted it gone. Her brother was innocent, had always been innocent. Angela had to remember that. Of course her brother would never harm Rafe. As he’d said, she should have never gotten involved with a cop. Only it was much too late to back out of it now. She was in love with Rafe Remeris. And their upcoming vacation would be the perfect time to tell him.

* * *

For perhaps the hundredth time Angela rechecked everything. She recognized it as her nerves but the awareness didn’t stop her.

She was going away with Rafe for five days. She was looking forward to it as much as he was. He’d been bouncing off the walls with excitement the night before.

There was only one thing left to do and that was to let someone know where the heck she was, just in case. She smiled inwardly. Just in case Rafe turned out to be some maniac. There was only one person she would tell and that was Simone.

A quick glance at the clock told her she’d better hurry. Rafe would be by to pick her up in less than an hour.

“Simone, I just wanted to check in with you. I’m leaving in a few.”

“I can’t believe you’re really going,” Simone answered.

“Why?”

“You haven’t been anywhere since Adrian got in trouble.”

“I know.” Angela smiled to herself. She knew her cousin had a ton of questions that she wasn’t asking.

“Does Auntie know you have a boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Angela laughed at her cousin’s curiosity. “I was wondering how long it would take you to break down and ask me. You’re been so proper I was beginning to think someone had invaded your body and I wanted my nosy-ass cousin back.”

Simone shrieked. “I was trying to give you space. You’ve been so closemouthed since you got a boyfriend that I don’t know what I can and can’t say to you anymore.”

“I told you he’s not my boyfriend,” Angela insisted, knowing that she was lying, and also knowing that as well as Simone knew her, she also was aware of that fact. Still, she persisted in keeping up the false façade.

“I don’t know what else to call him. You keep telling me you’re not dating, that you’re just hanging out, but you don’t go on vacation with someone that you’re just hanging out with and you don’t have that sound in your voice that you have in yours.”

“What sound?” Angela couldn’t help asking even though it would probably lead to another debate.

“That happy sound, like you’re in love. Are you falling in love with the cop, Cuz?”

“What if I told you yes?”

“I’d say good for you.”

“What if I said no?”

“I’d say too bad. You need someone in your life. You’re too young to give up your life because your brother was stupid enough to get involved with that dumb-ass shit.”

“Simone.”

“Don’t Simone me. You’re not stupid. I could slap him for screwing you over. And I could slap some sense into you for wasting your time feeling sorry for his ass.”

There, it was out there between them. Simone didn’t believe that Adrian was innocent and she did. At least she wanted to.

“Simone, why did you have to bring that up right now? I just wanted to tell you where I’m going to be just in case something happens, so you’ll know how to reach me.”

“That’s a lie. I know you’re taking your cell phone with you. You may not want to admit it, but you called because you want someone who will be straight with you. You wanted me to talk about the cop. And you wanted me to tell you not to feel guilty that you’re falling in love with him.”

“I don’t feel guilty.”

“Then you are falling in love with him?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then what aren’t you feeling guilty about?”

“What do you think?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know all that shit the family keeps saying. We hate cops, yada, yada. Look, I know there are a lot of rotten cops out there. There are enough dead brothers to prove that fact. But I also know that you wouldn’t be sleeping with the guy if you thought he was a dirty cop. And I know for sure you wouldn’t be getting ready to go on vacation with him if you even thought he so much as knew your brother. So have a good time.”

“Thanks, Simone. Rafe really is a nice guy. He’s so sweet and tender yet at the same time I’ve never known a more masculine man.”

“Of course he’s nice. Like I said, you’re a smart woman. So how does he feel about you?”

Angela could feel herself blushing. “He loves me.”

“Has he told you that?”

“Not in so many words. But you should see the way he looks at me.”

“In bed or out?”

“Why?”

“Don’t be a fool; you know there’s a difference.”

“I know.” Angela stopped and thought about the way Rafe looked at her, both in and out of bed. She thought of all the reasons he shouldn’t love her, all the horrible things she’d put him through. Then she thought again of the look that would come into his eyes when he’d first see her when he came into her apartment and she thought of the way he cradled her in his arms as he slept. He loved her. That was one thing she didn’t doubt. And just as she was, she assumed he was waiting for the perfect moment to tell her.

“Are you listening to me?”

Simone was screaming at her and she gathered from the ferocity of the words she’d been screaming for quite awhile. “I’m sorry, I guess I was doing a little daydreaming.”

“About Rafe?”

“Who else?”

“Okay, tell me about the look. Is it in bed or out?”

“Both.”

“Both.”

“He even forgave me for getting him in trouble.” Angela heard the snort on the other end of the phone. “You don’t have to tell me, I know. I never should have tried getting him in trouble.”

“He should have filed charges against you.”

“Simone,” Angela laughed, shocked, her laughter choking her. “You’re going against family. You’re a traitor.”

“So what? Who the hell cares?”

“Yeah, who cares?” Angela answered and for a moment they were both silent, both reading the other’s thoughts.

“It’s okay for you to be in love, Angela,” Simone said softly. “It’s okay that he’s a cop, and it’s okay that you’re going away with him for a vacation. You’re not a prisoner; you’ve done nothing wrong. You’ve given over two years of your life for your brother. Go with Rafe and have fun. Don’t throw the chance of love away, Cuz. It’s not that easy to come by.”

Angela wished she could tell Simone about the threats that Adrian had made against Rafe. Maybe she’d be able to help her put it in focus. But then again, Simone was hard on Adrian. She had been from the moment it had happened.

Even when they’d all been at the hospital, Simone had been the only one who’d said things looked fishy to her. Only she hadn’t dared to say it to anyone other than Angela. She would have been kicked out of the family for so much as thinking it. Nope, Adrian was the good guy and the cops were the bad guys and that was exactly what Angela had believed. Until Rafe. Now, like Simone, she knew all cops weren’t bad.

“Will you go out to the prison to see Adrian while I’m gone?”

“Yes, I’ll go, but to tell you the truth he’s pissing me off. When I go he acts like he’s some big-time thug.”

“He has to act like that in prison if he wants to survive,” Angela said, feeling as though she had to defend her brother, even though inwardly she agreed with her cousin.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s an act, Simone. Trust me, he has to save face.”

“So what? I’m getting tired of it. He treats me like dirt.”

“He knows you don’t believe him,” Angela answered her cousin, a bit miffed that Simone had never bothered to hide her disbelief.

“He knows I’m not you,” Simone huffed indignantly. “He can’t put one over on me so easily.”

Angela shouldn’t have been shocked and in actuality she wasn’t. However, her feelings were hurt. Simone was the closest thing she had to a sister and her best friend. She didn’t like Simone thinking that she was a fool. So yes, she was offended.

“What are you saying?” she asked. “First you said I’m not stupid, now you’re saying I’m too stupid to see through Adrian if he were lying.”

“There it is again, Angela, that little word—
if
. You’re right, you’re not stupid, except when it comes to family. Then you turn your brain off and act like you don’t even have one. I know Adrian is feeding you a lot of that and I can’t blame you for wanting to believe him. After all, he’s your brother. But come on, one day you’re going to have to listen to something other than what he tells you. I can’t believe that as much as you go out to that prison you haven’t noticed a change in your brother.”

“I’ve noticed a change.”

“And you haven’t doubted?”

“Look, Simone, let me give you the phone number. I can’t keep talking about this. I have to go.”

“Yeah okay, give me the number but I know you feel something’s wrong. That’s why you’re in a hurry to get rid of me.”

Angela gave her cousin the number to the resort and hung up knowing that she was partially right. Maybe she had called Simone for validation, to hear someone tell her that she deserved to be happy. Maybe guilt had lurked somewhere near the back of her mind.

Guilt that she was going away with a cop and worries that her going away with Rafe could possibly endanger him. She couldn’t talk that over with anyone. Simone would go running straight to the authorities and Adrian would be in even more trouble. She couldn’t risk that; her parents would never forgive her if that happened. And she would never forgive herself if something happened to Rafe and she’d done nothing about it.

* * *

“Ready, Angel,” Rafe said, kissing her as he took the luggage from her hand.

She gave him a smile before looking up and down the street, then back up at her apartment. As she climbed into Rafe’s car, strangeness overtook her. This was the first time she’d ever seen his car, the first time they’d been outside together besides his stopping her for some traffic violation. Today was the beginning of a lot of firsts for them. And while she was excited, there was a hint of fear that hung on to her. Rafe was watching her and she pretended not to notice.