Page 4 of His Angel

TARA

The next day was my day off and for the first time, I had mountains of cash. I’d gone home with a garbage bag full of money. I’d spent over an hour counting it when I got home, ignoring my disappointment that Johnny had left the club before I could catch another glimpse of him.

There was almost $15,000 hidden in a hole in my closet. I’d rented the cheapest apartment I could afford near the club and my neighbors weren’t the best examples of good people. The first thing I’d done when I’d moved in was cut a hole out in the closest of my bedroom. I’d done a good job of it, you could barely tell anything was different there now, and it would keep my earnings safe.

I’d had $2,000 when I walked into the mall earlier, I had a little more than $1,500 now. So far, I’d spoiled myself with a pair of diamond earrings, a gold bracelet, a very special charm and a silver necklace to put it on, and a whole lot of stuff for my apartment. Things I’d needed but put off buying such as new blackout curtains, a heavy duvet, and kitchen towels.

There was a moment of shame when I looked down at the bracelet and instantly thought of how much I could trade it for and how many pills I could buy with the proceeds. Old habits die hard, and I’d had that habit for too many years. This was a chance for me to really change my life, and I was clean now. I’d stopped using drugs because I had to. I was staying clean because I wanted to.

Life had become unbearably terrible the last couple of years, but even the misery of being estranged from my family and old friends wasn’t as bad the way I’d felt on drugs. I’d spent far too long chasing a high, a high that never seemed to come anymore, no matter what I took. Every pill I’d snorted only eased the initial pain of withdrawal, the high had stopped coming with it.

I’d run out of money before I realized I needed a cheaper drug. It was too late then, I’d ended up on the street, without a penny to my name. If it took every ounce of willpower and having Ginger chain me to a bed to keep me clean, that’s why I’d do to never go back to that life.

My head was high as I walked on the third floor of the mall, dressed in a short schoolgirl uniform with thigh-high boots. I even had the little tie snugged up around my neck, for good measure. I’d caught a few people ogling me, which gave my confidence a boost, but most people ignored me.

I reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair back into the bun I had tied at the back of my head, and adjusted my tie a little. I’d caught my reflection in the glass of a wig shop and stopped. For a second, a pretty blond wig in the display caught my attention, but I knew nothing about wigs and dismissed the idea of buying one.

I was smiling when I turned and bumped right into a brick wall. Well, the man’s chest felt like a brick wall.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” I blushed furiously, and reached down to pick up the bags I’d dropped. “I wasn’t paying any attention, sir.”

“Oh, sir, is it? That’s nice to hear from you, Tara,” a laughing voice, full of smoke and whisky, made me look up. And up. There was something familiar about that voice.

I was barely over five feet five inches tall. This man was a giant next to me.

“Hi, Johnny.” My eyes immediately dropped down to hide my embarrassment. I’d just bumped into the last person I wanted to. It just a shame that my body said he was the only person it wanted to bump into. That want made my voice breathy, pleased sounding.

“Are you alright?” he asked and drew his hands up to push my chin up away from her chest.

“I’m fine, really.” I plastered on a fake smile, hoping it would ease his worry.

“Good. So am I.” He stepped back, and I admired the black jeans that stretched across his muscular thighs and the tight black t-shirt over his broad chest. And a very hard chest it was, too.

“Well, I guess I should go. Good to see you, Johnny,” I said and started to move but he put a hand on my right hip to stop me. My eyes dropped down to his hand, but he didn’t move it, and I didn’t ask him to.

“Are you hungry? I’m on my way to get something to eat. If you’d care to join me?” His eyes dared me to accept.

The word no was what was on the tip of my tongue, the word that I meant to say. Instead, something else came out. “Sure.”

“Good. I know a really good place here, follow me.” He took my hand before I could protest the contact and tugged me in the direction of the elevator.

I remained silent, my eyes on the floor dropping away below, trying to figure out how to bow out of having lunch with him gracefully.

The elevator dinged and I jumped, only then realizing my hand was still in his. I tried to pull it away, but he wouldn’t let go. I resigned myself to holding Johnny Baker’s hand, and left the elevator with him.

Johnny stalked towards a pub named O’Brien’s, a dark little pub that served good salads and even better sandwiches. I had been a time or two, but always on my own so I’d taken one of the tables for two. I thought he’d lead me to one of those, but he headed straight for a booth in a back corner of the pub.

“Afternoon, Johnny. Want your usual, mate?” Called out a male voice with a thick Irish brogue.

My left eyebrow went up as Tommy O’Brien came out from behind a swinging door, his face wreathed in smiles. I had seen the man but never spoke to him, but he seemed to know Johnny well. Did he really spend that much time at the mall, I wondered?

“Nah, thanks, Tommy, I’ll have a beer and a club sandwich today.” Johnny looked at Tommy steadily, something passing between the two that I couldn’t interpret. The air went cold between the two men, and I could have sworn the very air around them became a vacuum. The pub, busy and noisy with diners only seconds ago, went silent. “Nothing else today.”

Tommy stood there, as if welded in spot, before he smiled, his gray eyes coming to life again. “Sure thing, boss.”

The air settled down around them and the noise filled my ears again. Johnny nodded, his lips pursed a fraction of a second, before he turned away and sat down in the booth with me. I wanted to ask him what all of that was about, but knew better. I probably didn’t want to know.

In fact, I was probably better off not knowing anything about the business Johnny was involved in.

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