“Yes.” His tone made it clear this wasn’t up for debate. “Tell him you’re okay. You need to keep Daddy from coming looking for you, babe.”
“What you said last night, did you mean it?”
His eyes met hers. “Yeah. I meant it.”
She stared into his eyes.
He pulled her phone out of his pocket, and handed it to her.
She stared down at it a minute, and then punched in the number.
Cole watched her.
“Voicemail,” she mouthed. “Dad, it’s Angel. I got your message. Everything’s okay. Don’t worry about me. Umm, I’m going out of town for a few days, but I’ll call you when I get back.” She hung up, and lay the phone down on the bed.
Cole held his hand out. He still didn’t trust her completely.
She looked down at his outstretched hand, and then his face.
He waited.
She handed the phone back to him.
He slid it in his pocket.
She watched as he stood up, and walked into the bathroom. He came out a moment later, and held out his palm to her. There was a little pill lying on it.
“Take it. It’ll help you sleep.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”
“Just the same, you’ll take it,” he insisted.
She stared up at him.
“Look, I’ve got some club business to deal with. I’ll be gone for a couple of hours. You need to get some rest, okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Babe, I don’t claim to know you, but I think it’s safe to say you’ll lay here, and replay that nightmare over and over in your head. Am I right?”
Angel looked down, knowing it was true.
“Come on. Don’t fight me on this.”
She took the pill from his hand, and washed it down with cola.
He brushed her cheek with the back of his finger. “Good girl.”
She watched him leave again.
And once again she heard the bolt lock.
*****
It was well past midnight when Cole came back. He undid the lock, and quietly entered the room. It was dark, except for a little moonlight coming through the windows that framed either side of the bed. He’d half expected to find Angel gone when he got back. Figured maybe she’d try to climb out the window, and take off. But she was laying in the bed sound asleep.
Cole looked down at her as he pulled his cut off, and tossed it on the back of the chair. He pulled off the shoulder holster he wore, and set it down on the table next to the bed. Then he stripped off his clothes, and took a shower.
Ten minutes later he walked out of the bathroom, holding a towel around his waist. He walked over to the stereo, and flipped it on, the volume turned low. He rolled the dial to his favorite blues station. The mellow rich music flowed out of the speakers. He had to have music on at night or he couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t even sure when it had become a thing for him, but he accepted it. It just was.
Tossing the towel on the floor, he climbed into bed.
She was facing the opposite side of the bed, and he put his arm around her, and pulled her back against his chest. It felt like she belonged there. Her body was warm against his bare skin. She had stripped down to her bra and panties, and his hand rested on her bare stomach. Her hair smelled clean and fresh, and he leaned over, and kissed her behind the ear.
“Night, Angel,” he whispered, wondering at this unfamiliar feeling of contentment seeping into him.
It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.
Sometime during the night Angel woke up. The first thing she noticed was the soft, blues music playing on the stereo, a stereo that hadn’t been on when she’d lain down. She turned her head, and realized Cole was in the bed with her. He was turned on his side facing away from her. The covers were riding low on his hip, and she took in the beauty of his bare muscular back. She could see, even in the moonlight, the paler skin at the covers edge, and knew he was naked beneath them. She moved closer to him, and slid her arm around his waist, drawn to the warmth of his bare skin.
A moment later he took her hand in his, brought it to his mouth, and kissed her palm. Then he gave her hand a squeeze, and set it back at his waist.