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Even now, seeing with her own eyes and having to acknowledge that something about the way he lived and how he came by it all, seemed suspect, but she couldn’t call him a bad man.
Sad, insecure, fearful, and a whole lot overprotective of his only daughter, but not bad. And if he had done bad things? Well, what human being could claim they never had? Life was fraught with uncertainties and unfortunate and sometimes necessary difficult decisions. As long as he wasn’t a cold-blooded murderer, as long as everything he did, he did with purpose, she could forgive him anything.
Sneaking down the shiny stone staircase that she was certain she would one day slip and fall down, Victorjia, quietly padded her way to the first floor, shoes in hand, ready for an adventure.
She had no idea where she was going— Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. She hadsomeidea. While the area itself was as-yet unmapped to her, a particular face kept popping up in her mind’s eye.
That’s where she was headed. To findhim.
The cab drive would take care of the rest.
It was easy enough to give the guard at the front door the slip. Easy because he’d been sleeping on the job. She’d been mad to find him passed out cold, but thankful because it gave her the chance to make her escape.
After that, it was a matter of simply waiting until the other two making their paces on the left and right side of the house changed direction, and she took off running on light feet across the cobbled turnabout, not stopping until the shadows of the tree-lined driveway enveloped her. Then she put on her canvas shoes and started walking—briskly—to the main road where she planned to call a cab that would pick her up en route and take her wherever she wanted to go.
It was almost scary how easily and well she was able to give her father’s men the slip. While it worked in her favor tonight, she knew she had to tell him about the man sleeping at his post come morning. With as much money as she’d bet he paid them, he deserved better security, and that man deserved to be fired. God forbid anything bad actually happened. He’d be a sitting duck.
Avoiding the security cameras, Victorjia scaled the stone wall holding up the tall, metal gates. Once she reached the other side, she made her call to the cab company, and within minutes, she was headed toward the small downtown area. Excitement filled her to the brim.
thirteen
Angel was relieved. The nurse, Sable, had done her thing, inspecting her arm with the same professionalism and know-how than any doctor she’d ever encountered. It didn’t take long for her to surmise that she was suffering from a minor sprain and helped to bandage it before walking her through a quick and easy process of caring for her arm until it healed.
Angel was just glad that it wasn’t broken. She couldn’t afford the medical bills, nor could she want to take the time off work. She might be able to afford a comfortable living waitressing at the club, but she wasn’t rich. Being put out of commission for any length of time could easily put her straight into the poorhouse, like any blue-collar family in America. She was a few paychecks away from losing it all.
Well, she’d dodged that bullet, no thanks to that stupid deer that didn’t know how to look both ways before crossing. If only Mother Nature was a touch more intelligent.
Now, Angel was merely dealing with a nuisance rather than a real nightmare.
She looked over at Moose, who had been fairly quiet all evening. “What are you thinking about?”
Never taking his eyes off the television, he said, “Oh no, you’re not going to be one ofthosewomen, are you?”
He said it like he was joking, but she suspected otherwise. “Yes, I am, so answer the question. You’ve been quiet all day.”
“Just watching TV.”
She didn’t believe him. “It’s more than that. You haven’t said much of anything since we left the clubhouse.”
“Just thinking, Mouse. Nothing serious.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s not true?”
“Because you’re a woman and women always think that.”
Growing impatient, she said, “That’s not true. Women sense stuff, and I’m sensing that something is wrong. So tell me what it is that has you thinking so hard.”
It took him a few beats before he turned his face toward hers and regarded her seriously. “That accident fucked up my head.”
She frowned. “How exactly?”
Moose looked off, pulling together the right words. “If it’d just been me on that bike, no problem. I’ve wiped out before, took my licks, and just kept on going. But this time, you went down with me.” He lifted a shoulder in a mild shrug. “Just fucked with my head is all.”
“You mean because I got hurt?” When he nodded, her frown deepened. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. She’d received mild injuries, nearly the same as he had. If she hadn’t landed on her arm the way she had, she would have walked away with minor bruises and scrapes to match his. “You know I’m fine though,” she pointed out.
“It’s not that. I’m glad you’re okay. It’s knowing that it could have been worse that’s stuck in my head.”
She shifted her body to face him fully. “Kade—”
