Angel was used to men just letting themselves into her space and taking over, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still annoying as hell. When she got back from meeting with the captain, she found her brother Mickey sitting in her living room. He had on a pair of cut-off sweatpants, a t-shirt with holes in it, and sandals with socks. He really, really needed a wife. He was also eating the leftover Chinese food that she was saving for dinner that night.

“Um…hello.”

He looked up at her and smiled with a mouthful of Kung Pao Chicken. “Hey, sis! How’s it going?”

“It’s okay. You have eggroll in your beard.” He laughed and wiped at the disheveled hair on his face with his napkin. Sometimes Angel wondered if he was adopted.

“This stuff is good.” He set down the paper container and picked up a pot sticker.

“Mm-hmm, I know. That’s why I was going to have it for dinner tonight.”

He at least had the decency to look slightly remorseful. “Oh damn, sorry. I’ll order you some more before I leave…damn, I don’t think I brought my wallet.”

She rolled her eyes and went over and sat down in the chair across from him. “It’s fine, Mick. What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a guy visit his little sister?”

“Sure, but most guys would call first. I’m pretty sure Kyle would be pissed if he knew you were here. I’m still undercover. How am I supposed to explain you if…someone…shows up?”

“Someone as in that new boyfriend of yours?”

She sighed. He’d obviously been talking to Kyle. “I don’t have a new boyfriend, Mickey; I’m working a case.”

“Oh yeah? So, where were you just now?”

“I had an appointment.”

“With?”

“Mickey, why don’t you just get to the point?”

“I was trying to, but you seem to still be in denial. Kyle told me that you broke up with Micah and you’re quitting your job…all because you think you’re in love with some biker dude.”

“I’ve argued with Micah about this, Kyle, my captain…I’m not arguing it with you, Mickey, so if there’s nothing else…”

“Damn it, Angel! What is this about? Is it about Dad?”

“No! Shit!” She stood up and walked over to the bar between the kitchen and living room. With her back to him she said, “This is about me. My life. My happiness. Why can’t anyone see that I’m a grown-ass woman? I’m so sick of explaining myself to everyone. Do you explain your choices to people? You’re a forty-year-old bachelor who has a different woman in every port, sometimes two or three. Do you explain yourself to people who judge you for that?”

“No,” he said with a sigh. “You’re right. Nobody makes perfect decisions. We’re just worried about you, Angel. We love you.”

“I know that, Mick. I love you guys too. But I wasn’t happy with Micah and I wasn’t happy on the job. I miss Dad like crazy but this is not about what happened to him. This is just me growing up and changing my mind about what I want out of life.”

“So let me ask you this…and don’t get mad, because I’m still being concerned, not trying to be an asshole, okay?” She rolled her eyes again, but she turned toward him and nodded. “What are your plans now? Are you really going to be content being some guy’s old lady?”

“I’m going to go back to school. Maybe I’ll get a law degree. I’m not just going to be someone’s old lady. I’m going to be me, just with someone that I love.”

“You really love this guy? I mean…to hear Kyle tell it, he’s a bad dude.”

She folded her arms. “You know Kyle. He exaggerates every situation to make it what he wants it to be. Yes, Dax is in a motorcycle club. Yes, he grew up around some pretty bad guys. But he’s done nothing since I met him but try and take that club to a place where they can be respected and live within the law. I’ve been on this case for seven months and I haven’t withheld a thing. Dax isn’t in jail and the people in his club that have done bad things are. I will tell you this…one way this is about Dad is that if he were here, he’d respect my opinion. He was the only one that ever did!”

Mickey got up as soon as her eyes leaked tears. He went to hug her and she tried to push him away, but he was like a giant bear. Angel didn’t realize until she was in her arms how much she’d needed a hug. She relaxed into his big body almost instantly, and the tears she held back since the night her father died boiled over and began to stream down her face and soak his beat-up t-shirt.

Mickey held onto her without saying a word until she could compose herself once more. She pushed back from him and said, “The tears are frustration. They are in no way a sign of weakness or indecision, so don’t go running and telling our brothers that they are.”

He smiled and for a second she wanted to punch him, until he said, “I know, baby girl. There is not a weak bone in your body, and I think that’s what’s so hard for all of us. We want to protect you simply because you’re the girl and that’s what we were raised to do. But we have to remember that Dad did trust you. He was so proud of you, Angel, and believe it or not, the rest of us are too. I just can’t promise you that we won’t always worry about you…and butt into your business. It’s part of our DNA—the Irish, I think.”

She couldn’t help but smile through her tears as she reached for a Kleenex to wipe them away. “Thanks, Mick…I think.”

He put his hands in the pockets of his torn-up sweats and said, “There is one more thing I’m worried as hell about.”

“What’s that?” She wiped her face and blew her nose.

“Does this guy know you’re a cop?”

“Not yet. That’s my next stop.”

“Shit. You can’t go alone, Angel.”

“He won’t hurt me, Mickey, if that’s what you’re worried about. The worst that will happen is that he’ll reject me and my heart will be broken. But he would never hurt me.” Angel had told herself that so many times that she actually believed it…almost. There were things that had happened in the past seven months that she worried Dax would hold her accountable for. But still…she just couldn’t imagine him hurting her, ever.

“Angel, you never know for sure what anyone is going to do when they’re backed into a corner. Please…”

“I’ll keep in touch, I promise. I’ll text you before I go and as soon as I get back. Trust me, please.”

“I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it. I don’t like you and Sam living on a boat four months out of the year either, but you do it anyways. We’re grown-ups, Mick. All of us.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not fucked up.” Angel laughed even though she was shaking inside. She was more anxious about talking to Dax than she’d ever let anyone see. Not because she thought he would hurt her physically, but because she was afraid he’d rip out her heart and leave her soul with that old familiar hole right in the center of it.