Chapter 13

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”  Angel asks. I can’t help but laugh at her. She’s fucking beautiful.

“Why wouldn’t it be? Don’t act like you ain’t never been in this pool naked before.” Angel’s giggles could light up the world. She looks so damn happy right now.

“Oh, that was a low blow,”  She says pointing at me as I laugh.

“You’re gonna have to go low, to blow, sweetheart.” Her eyes fill with joy. A joy I’ve never seen on her before. I love it, though. I wasn’t ready to take her back home yet. The guys decided to give us some alone time at the clubhouse while she’s here. I watch her naked body as it moves through the water, stroke after stroke. When she pops up at the other end, all I can think about is licking the water off her body. Angel turns to face me, a smile on her face, water sticking her hair to her skin. Fuck, if my dick isn’t throbbing for her right now.

“Can we talk?” Her words throw me off. She’s never asked me to talk before.

“You know I’d do anything you asked.” I watch her suck in a breath before dipping back below the surface of the water. When she comes back up, she’s right in front of me. I don’t give her a chance to breathe either. I slam my lips into hers. The depth of this kiss is different. It’s heated, passionate, even.

“That isn’t talking.” She pulls back only slightly watching me.

“It is in my language, ” I say, licking at her bottom lip. I know talking is important to her. I know she needs that connection, and I’m willing to give her that. Wrapping my arms around her waist, she wraps hers around my neck. Her head lowers onto my shoulder and in this moment, the world feels right.

“Ask me anything, darlin’.” I know she was waiting for me to give her the ok to ask. I know what she wants to know, too. I don’t like the fact that I have to rehash my hell of a past, but I will for her.

“Are your parents alive?” Here we go.

“My mom is. She’s somewhere in Florida.”

“And your dad?” Fuck! This is the part I hate telling people. Maybe short answers will get me out of it.

“He’s dead.” Please God, let her leave it at that.

“What was it like growing up?” Pressing my lips to her wet hair, I sigh.

Here it goes. 

“They never really wanted me. I was a surprise baby. I suppose my mom was a little more excited than my dad. He was a drunken bastard ever since I can remember. He was a piece of shit. He beat on my mom since after I was born. I remember the drugs, the hate, the fear.” I take a breath to say more. Angel doesn’t move away from me, though.

“He would beat me a lot when I was younger. He didn’t like me. I tested his patience. I pushed him until he couldn’t take it anymore. He beat me. Broke my bones. Hell, I probably bled out more blood than a fuckin’ blood bank.” I didn’t miss the gasp that escaped her.

“It was hard at first. I had to lie to everyone around me. When I was fifteen, I met Dragon. His dad was runnin’ the club back then. He took me in, showed me another way. I lost myself for a long time. I killed. My life was dark. Hell–it still is. I always feel like I’m trapped in a fuckin’ pitch black cave.” Angel doesn’t say anything. Her lips move over my neck before coming to rest on mine. A quick, sweet kiss, and she pulls back.

“You killed him, didn’t you?” See. That shit right there. This girl knows me like no one else possibly could. Nodding my head slowly, I look in her eyes.

“It was me, or him. I did what I needed to do. To this day, I’m still fuckin’ proud of it. See, Angel. That’s where we’re different. You are just like your name–an Angel. I’m me–the Devil. I don’t feel regret for anyone that I’ve killed.” Her eyes never leave mine. Her features never change.

“How many?” I furrow my brows wondering what she means.

“What?”

“How many, have you killed?” Of all the things, she wants to know about me, and this is what she asks?

“At least, thirty. I don’t go after women. It’s not me, but if it had to be done.” I don’t finish the sentence. I can’t. Angel swallows hard before she speaks again.

“Devil, I don’t know.” I don’t let her finish. I press my lips to hers to keep her mouth closed.

“I know–you could never be with someone like that.” Angel giggles against my mouth. I pull back to look at her.

“I want you Devil. I don’t care about your past. I care about our future.” 

***

“My turn.” Angel tries to pull away but I don’t let her. She will answer whatever I want to know just the same as I did.

“Can’t we do something else?” Her whiny voice makes me smile.

“Nice try. I answered shit that I haven’t talked about in years, Angel. Not even the guys know half of what I told you.” She looks me in the eyes, seeing that I’m telling the truth.

“And Aria? She knows, doesn’t she?” Nodding slowly, I see the look in her eyes. She’s jealous.

“Aria was in a rough spot when I took her up north. She wouldn’t relax or calm down. We talked. That was it.” Reaching up, cupping her face, her lips curl into a hint of a smile.

“They’re good parents. Never hit me. Hell, they hardly ever punished me. All they wanted was what was best for me. They kept me under lock and key. I wasn’t allowed to go out to parties or anything. They kept me inside all the time.” Jesus, that’s why she was here. That’s why she did what she did.

“They sheltered you.” Angel nods her head. That explains a lot of what she was doing around here.

“I met Randal. He introduced me to Dragon. I’ve been here since then. It was different. Guys looked at me differently. They liked me. I liked the attention, but after a while, I wanted more. I didn’t know how to find it, though.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“You were wearin’ black skin tight jeans and a little blue tank top. Your hair was pulled up on top of your head. Even back then, you didn’t see how beautiful you were.” A tear slides down her cheek as she looks me in the eye.

“You remember?” Of course, I do. How could I not?

“That’s the first day I fell for you.” Angel doesn’t know what to say.

“You never talked to me or tried to get with me.” Her words are soft, like they hurt her to say them.

“I knew what you were then. I was so lost in my own misery; there wasn’t room for anything else. I was so lost after what I’d been doin’.” Shivers roll over my body as I remember the look on my dad’s face when I slit his throat.

“We all have a past, Devil. No matter what we do, we can’t change it. We can only look toward the future. I want that future. I want you.” Her words rip me back to reality. My reality.