Angeline held Theo close and gave him her breast. As the baby suckled her flesh, Angeline cradled her baby closer and kissed his soft head. Drinking in his sweet scent, she had to smile at the thought of Kane pressing Theo to his shoulder and walking him around their room, trying to get the little one to fall asleep. Kane’s face never showed one trace of exasperation, but sometimes he would look to Angeline with confusion in his eyes, as if he was thinking, “You think he’d be beat by now. Is this…like…normal?”
She would smile and slowly nod her head, assure him that it was par for the course and that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, Angeline couldn’t help but worry though.
In Kane’s presence, she kept up a brave face and told him that they’d be out before they knew it. He was talking Colorado; he liked the idea of living near the mountains and teaching Theo to climb when he was ready. She would always remind him that that was a long way off, but he promised her that they’d have all the time in the world—very soon.
All that hit her now was a sharp pain in her heart, as she glanced out the window and saw the sky growing darker. He was late, later than he said he would be. That had happened before, too; but, he always came back assuring her that Noel was leaning on him less and less, and Angeline always asked if they could get away. Her father was on board with the idea. Like Kane, he wanted his family far away from the Blood Brothers.
His response was always the same, “Not yet, Angel. Soon though. I swear.”
She clung to the idea of fleeing, but every time he left, as every minute ticked by without his return, she wondered if something had changed, if Noel was squashing their plans before they were off the ground.
And sometimes she thought the darkest thought of all.
Should she just take the baby and run away without him?
It was the last thing that she wanted to do, and when her heart’s memory ached at the lonely years without him, Angeline nearly kicked herself for even entertaining the notion. Life without him was more misery than not and how could she even consider denying her body the feel of his arms around her?
However, this wasn’t just about her body and her heart anymore.
Theo slipped away from her breast, and she patted his tiny back as her eyes drifted back to the window. Kane was her love, but Theo was her life. If push came to shove, she knew which one she would sacrifice—even as the idea of leaving him pierced her soul like a jagged blade that would inflict the sharpest pain.
The sound of his bike finally coming up the drive brought her fears to rest. As she settled Theo in his crib, Angeline kissed her fingers and laid her touch on his rosy cheeks.
“Daddy’s home,” she whispered. “Good news, you think?”
Theo giggled and kicked his chubby arms and legs in the air, as if he knew something that she didn’t. As she moved down the steps to meet him, Angeline took a deep breath and flung the door open wide.
“Kane, I… Kane?”
He was a sweating mass of heaving breaths and clenched fists. Pushing past her without meeting her gaze, Kane took the steps two at a time as he raced towards the nursery.
“Kane!” Angeline screamed, as she charged after him. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
He stayed silent as he looked into the crib. Upon seeing Theo, a great sigh left his lips.
“Thank God,” he muttered under his breath.
Moving out of the room again, Kane still failed to look at her, and he raced to their bedroom. Throwing the closet door open, he started pulling suitcases from the top shelf, grunting and groaning with each move.
“Kane, what—”
“No time, Angel,” he said. “Wake your father up. Get the baby. Jem is on his way.”
Just like that they were leaving? It was all that she wanted for months—forever; but, it wasn’t supposed to go down like this. And why was Jeremy coming? There was no way that he was leaving with them.
Unless…
“Kane? Kane!”
Reaching for his arm, Angeline stalled his furious packing. Acting on what seemed like pure instinct, he shoved her away. Bouncing into the wall, Angeline cried out in pain as her back slammed into the plaster, and when Kane heard her agonized groan, he finally forgot what he was doing and realized what he had done.
“Angel?” he asked. “Christ. I’m sorry.”
He tried to take her into his arms, but Angeline clasped his face in her shaking hands. Her stare was steady, as she peered into his eyes. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he started. Cocking her eyebrow in disbelief, Kane kept speaking. Fast. “Colorado,” he continued. “Jem will get you there tonight. It’s all good.”
It felt like the biggest lie that anyone had ever told her, equal to the moment when Noel said that Kane was lost to her.
And she wasn’t having it.
“No,” she said. “What’s changed?”
“Angel, there’s no time.”
“Just tell me!”
Wilting slightly under the force of her demand, Kane hung his head and took her hands in his.
“They… Noel got to your boss,” he said.
“Lillian?” she asked.
That didn’t make sense. Why would Lillian…?
“They’re gonna push pills. And… and they’re… Noel wants you to help.”
Angeline’s mouth went dry, as her heart pounded in her chest. What she had done, crime or not, was borne out of desperation and love for her father. What Noel wanted was something very different, and when she thought of helping him to turn a profit in the face of pain, Angeline felt as if she would be sick. Her legs started to tremble, and Kane wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear.
“Not gonna happen,” he said. “But it has to be now.”
Yes. Of course it did.
“But… but Jeremy… why?”
“He’ll get you out,” Kane said. “All of you. And I… I will…” His speech stopped short as he claimed her lips, kissing her fiercely. Angeline sank into his mouth, clinging to him. Her mind moved to the promise of freedom, a life without the club or Noel breathing down their backs.
“And you’re coming with us,” she said. “Right, Kane?”
Pulling away from their kiss, Kane released her and went back to packing the suitcase. As she watched his frantic movements, she was struck by the sight that her clothes, only her clothes, were leaving the drawers, the hangers.
“Kane, you’re—”
He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I will,” he said. “When I… when I can.”
She had known that this moment might come, the time when she’d have to leave him for Theo’s sake. But now that she was confronted by the reality of his choice, Angeline felt that the danger was greater than ever. Could she really just leave him behind to face it?
“No,” she said. “You have to come, too. While you still can.”
“Not now, Angel,” he said. “Not yet.”
Zipping the bag shut, Kane hauled the suitcase out of the room and descended the stairs. Before he reached the floor, Brent was up, hobbling on his cane, his eyes full of his own questions.
“What’s this about?” Brent asked.
“You’re leaving with Angel,” Kane said. “And the baby. Get packed.”
“Why right—”
“It has to be now, Brent!” Kane bellowed. “Just listen to me.”
Angeline saw her father looking around the house that been his whole world, and then he glanced at Kane ordering him out into the unknown. Tossing his cane aside, her father found his footing and forced his way into Kane’s face.
“Now I have to take orders for you?” Brent asked. “Theo’s not even your kid!”
“Like hell he isn’t!” Kane spat. Angeline watched her father form a fist, but before he could land a blow, the front window exploded into a million shatters. Screaming and hiding her head in her hands, Angeline peered through her fingers and saw Kane throwing his body across her father’s. As they collapsed to the ground, Kane shielded Brent’s crumpled form, and Theo’s cries filled her ears. She could see headlights and shadowy figures moving towards the house. Were some of them already inside? Was Theo safe?
Crawling back to the nursery, she braced her falling body against the arm of the crib. The commotion had stopped her son’s giggles, and Angeline collected him into her arms and held him tight. Her embrace intensified when she heard the rumbling of voices at the foot of the stairs and the sound of fists and feet smacking into flesh. Kane yelled for the intruders to get lost, but her father’s attempt to protest was drowned out before it even started.
“Where is that sweet little Angel of yours, K Man?”
Her body was pulled from the floor by Noel’s vile call. She couldn’t just leave them like this. Exiting the nursery, clutching Theo to her breast, she tentatively stepped to the top of the staircase and looked down at an awful scene.
Her father had his hand to his chest, struggling to catch his breath. A big guy, she remembered him as Waldo, jammed his toes into Brent’s ribs and her father went quiet.
“Dad!”
Noel’s eyes moved up the stairs with a smirk, and Angeline quivered under his gaze.
“There she is,” he said. “Come on down, honey. High time I got a proper look at the little guy.”