5 Nights (Sinful Delights Romance - Boxed Set) (70 page)

Angela wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but recalled one of the nurses saying they'd given her a sedative.  She wanted to talk to Nolan, but knew he was probably so disgusted with her behavior that he was probably ready to call their entire relationship off.  Seeing Ronald again had been too much, refusing to cry she tried to fight back the feeling of panic that he was still out there, and might find her again.

Faith walked into her patient's room, hoping she was calmer than she'd been earlier at the Fitzgerald mansion.  She'd seen patient's react the way Ms. Storm had when suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in the military, it was one of the reasons she'd finished her term there and went into private medicine.  "Ms. Storm, I'm Dr. Holloway, how are you feeling?"

"Like a complete idiot, Doctor," Angela spoke honestly, knowing this professional woman could probably never understand why she had completely freaked out the way she had.

"I'd say that you had a huge shock to your system, unless you have an underlying medical condition we need to be informed about?" She'd gotten a small history from Mr. Fitzgerald, and apparently Ms. Storm was an up and coming superstar.  Her drug screen had come back negative, so she had to hope her patient had some answers about her condition.

Giving a nod of her head, she couldn't tell this woman the truth about her situation.  "Unfortunately I saw someone that I could have lived without seeing for the rest of my life."  She felt that was honest enough, without giving away her past.

"There are many people in this world that I would rather not share company with, Ms. Storm, but a reaction like yours, I'm going to assume there's an abusive history?"  She hoped the young woman would be honest with her, it was going to be hard to help her if she wasn't.

"Could we just say there is a past history that I would prefer to forget?"  She knew that physicians had some Hippocratic Oath or something that kept them from discussing her personal life with the public, but she wasn't ready to talk about her past.

"Obviously I can't force you to tell me anything, Ms. Storm, but I do know if you don't seek help, this situation is probably only going to get worse."

With a frustrated sigh, she felt the doctor wasn't going to stop until she told her something.  "Whatever I tell you here is in confidence, correct?"

"Yes, unless you've done something illegal and then I have to inform the authorities."

Giving a nod, she took a deep breath. "The man that showed up at Nolan's house tonight raped me, and I ran away from home five years ago to escape that."  It was oddly freeing to say it out loud, she thought.

"I thought it might be something of that nature," Faith gave a sympathetic smile.  "Have you sought out counseling, or criminal action?"

"No to both," at the moment she was just worried where she was going to go, and the thought of taking Ronald to court would be like a living nightmare.

"I hope I can convince you to at least consider doing both those things so you can find some closure and start to heal."

"The counseling I'll consider, but as far as prosecution," she shook her head, "the thought of having to tell that to a courtroom of strangers who probably won't believe me, I don't think I can do that."

"Like I said, I can't tell you what to do, but I would like you to consider the fact that if you don't press charges, then he might try to do this again with someone else, if not you again."  She hated to put the facts out there so coldly, but she wanted her to know the truth.

The thought of Ronald doing that to another person made her blood boil.  Still, bringing out her story to the public was terrifying and she wasn't sure she'd have the strength to go through with it.  "I can only promise to think about it."  It was the best she could do, she thought solemnly.

"That's all I can ask.  I can prescribe you something for anxiety, but the main focus should be on counseling.  That is my specialty, and if you don't have someone in mind, I'd be glad to visit with you?"

Giving a nod she forced a smile.  "At least I won't have to explain the story again if I see you I guess." 

Faith gave a small laugh, "Well we might have to delve deeper into the details when you're comfortable."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever be comfortable talking about that man again.  I still get physically sick when I think about the things he did."

"That's understandable, Ms. Storm, until you've confronted the issue it probably will continue."

"If you don't mind, call me Angela, Storm is actually a stage name, and I feel like you're talking with someone else."

Faith gave another small laugh. "I can see how that might be confusing Angela, and thank you, you can call me Faith if it makes you more comfortable.  Mr. Fitzgerald has been wearing out our floor, waiting to speak with you.  Do you want to talk with him?"

"I think I'd better," she wasn't sure how Nolan was going to react to what had happened tonight, but felt she needed to know where they stood.

"I'll send him in, but try not to overtax yourself, visiting hours are officially over, but I'll give him an hour.  If you're up to it, we can release you in the morning."

"I really appreciate all your help tonight, Doctor," she still didn't feel comfortable using the woman's first name.  "Tomorrow sounds great."

Faith left the room and found Mr. Fitzgerald, informing him that she didn't want her patient to be upset tonight and to keep things short.  Reporters were already swarming the outside of her facility, and she knew the last thing Angela needed was dealing with that when she was released.

Nolan walked back to Angela's room, hoping she was in a much better frame of mind than when she left his home.  He'd been worried greatly that she'd never forgive him for leaving her so vulnerable, so when he entered her room, he nervously stood right inside her door.

"I'm sorry I lost it tonight, Nolan," she whispered softly, seeing how he was ready to bolt at any minute since he was not walking into the room further.

"You don't need to feel sorry about anything, I wish I had done a better job of keeping you safe."  He hated himself for putting her in this position, and knew she probably hated him.  He wanted nothing more than to run over and hold her tightly, but he had screwed up so badly, he was terrified she'd refuse him.

"You couldn't have known he would find a way through security Nolan," she could see how uncomfortable he felt being here, and knew he regretted having ever met her.  "I think it's best if I just go back home."  She didn't want to leave him, her heart was aching at the thought of never seeing him again, but it was apparent he couldn't even stand being near her now.

"I really hope you'll reconsider Angela, we've still got the album to promote, and if you're up to it the concert tour."  It was obvious she could no longer trust him, and it destroyed his soul.  He couldn't blame her for having no faith in him after
what he allowed, he didn't deserve someone as incredible as she was.

Of course he was concerned about the album, she thought in frustration.  She couldn't just walk away from the commitment she made.  "I really don't have the funds to stay here until we start bringing in some revenue Nolan, but if you're willing to give me an advance on the work, I should be able to find an apartment."  This was breaking her heart she thought, as she tried to hold her emotions together. 

She obviously couldn't even live in the same house with him, he thought in regret.  "The account has already been set up Angela, we just haven't had time to go over the details and since you've been staying with me, I just felt I could take care of your needs. We can have everything settled as soon as they release you."

"That all sounds great Nolan, I appreciate all the opportunities you've given me."  She was saying goodbye, and even though they'd have to see each other through their working commitment, it was pretty apparent their affair was over.  "What about the press," she hated to bring that up but for the last two weeks they'd been the darlings of the press as one of the hottest couples.

"If it wouldn't bother you too much, would you mind staying at the mansion until the PR department can work up some kind of story?"  He knew she didn't want to be around him, but keeping her safe, not only from the media but from that asshole stepfather of hers was his number one priority, even if she didn't want him personally.

"I really don't want to put you out Nolan, but if they can come up with something rather quickly, I guess that would be the best case scenario."  Tell me you still want me, she thought in agony, don't let this end now.

"It's no trouble at all Angela, and I'd feel better knowing you are safe."  Can't you see how much I love you, he thought and then realized what he was thinking.  He loved this woman, it was a clear moment of revelation, and now it was too late to tell her.

"Alright, well I'm sure we can make this work," she forced a smile when she wanted to break down in tears. "If you don't mind, I'm really tired," he had to leave now, she thought, she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold herself together.

"I'm sorry, I'll let you get some sleep," he was failing her again he thought miserably, the last thing she needed was the stress of having to deal with him after what she'd already suffered.  "I'll be here to pick you up when you're released if that's okay? We don't want the press getting any ideas until we come up with a decision."

"That sounds fine, and thank you Nolan."  Thank you for showing me what it could be like to know happiness if only for a short amount of time, she thought.

With a curt nod of his head, he turned and walked out of the room, knowing that if he stayed he would do something foolish.  He didn't want things to end this way.  Hell, he didn't want them to end at all.  He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and beg her to give him one more chance to prove he was worthy of her love and trust.  With his heart feeling heavy, he forced himself to leave the hospital and drive back to his lonely mansion.

She cried herself to sleep after he left, mourning the loss of the first man she'd ever loved.  If she couldn't make him happy in a relationship she thought, she'd at least make sure her performances were the best they could be so he wouldn't regret signing her.

After a long sleepless night, Nolan drove back to the hospital to pick up Angela.  His mind tried to come up with any idea that would make her forgive the mess he'd made of things last night, but came up with nothing.  He didn't want her to leave, but after what he'd allowed to happen, she had the right to hold him responsible.

He'd spoken with Sanders at the break of dawn and the PR team had said their best defense against the press was to spin the story that a deranged fan had made it through security at his home.  That was the story he gave as he made it through the dozen reporters waiting outside the facility.  After their annoying interruption he managed to get Angela back through the mass of vultures and into his car.

She looked so lost, he thought as they drove silently back to the mansion.  Over the last few weeks she'd come out of her shell and had shown him a side of her playful personality that he'd come to adore.  He wanted that vibrant young woman back, not this shell of a creature that seemed to cringe at the slightest bump in the road.  Never in his life had he met a more compassionate person, and it angered him that all it took was one visit from that piece of shit to destroy her confidence again.

"I know I don't have the right to ask this of you Nolan, but would you mind if I asked Rachel to come visit with me this weekend?"  She'd already talked to her on the phone, and knew she was really worried about her wellbeing after the circumstances of last night.

"Of course I don't mind Angela, whatever you need," he forced a smile then focused on the road again, not really knowing how to tell her how sorry he truly was.

She hated the professionalism that seeped into his voice and wanted to scream in frustration that she was still the same person, and beg him to take her in his arms.  He deserved so much more though, and she refused to be a bigger burden than she already was on him.  She knew it had to be a huge pain to have your ex-lover sharing your house.

He'd increased his security team with a few phone calls earlier this morning, and got a quick report at the gate as they drove through.  He vowed that no one would touch her while she was here, and when she moved out he would assign a group of people to her new place as well.  "I hired you a personal body guard and he's waiting in the mansion to speak with you.  If you don't like him, we can always find another but he comes highly recommended."

"You didn't have to do that Nolan, I'm sure the security you already have in place will be sufficient until I move."  She appreciated all the effort he was going through, but didn't feel right about him spending even more money.  "I would like to learn to shoot a gun, though."

The thought of her handling a weapon made him feel like even less of a man, but he knew it wasn't his place to tell her what to do.  "I'll have Sanders call around and see if he can find a trainer."  If she needed to do that to feel safe, then he wasn't about to refuse her. He'd already proved once that he couldn't protect her.

"I'd appreciate that, the sooner I learn to defend myself the better.  So what did the police department say about the trespassing charge?"

"They are sending over an officer at noon today to speak with us.  I informed them that coming to the station would just have reporters crawling all over the place and they agreed."  He didn't add that the lawyer he'd spoken to told him that if the man was invited in, they might not have a case that would hold up in court.

"I'm sorry I brought all this into your house Nolan," she whispered softly, hoping he could forgive her for the added drama in his life.

"Stop it Angela," he said angrily, frustrated at their circumstances and the feeling of inferiority it brought about.  "What happened wasn't your fault and I don't want to hear another apology, okay?"

She knew he was furious, and who could blame him, she thought sadly.  "Fine, I just wanted you to know that I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He couldn't talk with her about this right now, he was dealing with his own frustration at losing her.  "Noted, now let's go inside and see if your new bodyguard is acceptable."  They walked inside the house together neither one of them speaking.

Leonard Newman was definitely not what she was expecting.  Angela smiled at the middle-aged man with the buzz cut, accepting his handshake.  It was his smile and the light in his coffee colored eyes that really didn't seem to fit the bill for someone Nolan would accept as member of his security team.  With the other men that worked in this capacity, they all seemed so impersonal and gung-ho, Leonard most definitely didn't fit into that category as the deep laugh lines around his eyes indicated.

"Ms. Storm, it's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am, I'm Leonard Newman, but please call me Lenny," letting go of her hand, he was pleased to discover she didn't look like the egotistical teeny boppers he'd normally worked for since retiring from the armed services.

His Southern drawl made her feel instantly more comfortable.  "Nice to meet you as well Lenny, and Angela, Ms. Storm makes me feel a little old."  It was very odd for her to feel she could trust someone instinctively, but this man definitely brought that emotion out.

He chuckled warmly, thinking that maybe he wouldn't have a raging head like he did with the other singing diva's in the past at the end of the day after meeting her.  "Thank you Angela and I want you to know that as long as I'm looking out for you, no one will cross any lines."  He took his job very seriously, having discovered firsthand how some of these crazy fans could be as dangerous as the combatants he fought in his career.

For some reason she believed him, and even though she hated the thought of Nolan adding on this expense, she hoped having him around would help ease some of her fears about Ronald confronting her again.

"Mr. Newman, let me make it clear that Ms. Storm's safety is my number one priority.  Your credentials are without fault, which is why I hired you, but if anything negative happens
while she's under your protection I can assure you that it will prove difficult for you to find work in this industry again."  Being a nice person didn't matter to him as far as Angela was concerned, knowing she was safe and putting the fear of God into this security member was his only concern.

"You have my word that I would lay down my life before I allow one hair on her head to be harmed, Mr. Fitzgerald."  He didn't take offense to the underlying threat offered, he'd expected nothing less from the reputation that preceded this man.

"As long as we're clear on that, then we will work together well.  I will have a list of Ms. Storm's upcoming engagements by the end of the week.   I expect you to be on call at any time day or night, and just so you understand if you are unavailable during any of those times, you no longer have a job."  He'd already dismissed two security team members after the fiasco last night and had no problem firing anyone if they failed to do their jobs.

Angela was shocked at how rude Nolan was being, and knew she needed to step in. "Lenny, thank you so much for agreeing to protect me, I'm sure we'll get along just great and that you know how to do your job."  Glaring at Nolan, she shook her head. She wanted to smack him in the head for the way he treated this man.

"I take my job very seriously, Mr. Fitzgerald, so I'm sure we won't have any issues."  He'd lost his own daughter to a violent attack, and inevitably his wife when she couldn't cope with the grief of that loss.  He knew more than most just how sick some people in this world could be, and understood that in this business the groupies could be even crazier.

With a curt nod of his head, Nolan concluded this interview was over.  "Ms. Storm will have your number, and I'll have that list for you soon, you're dismissed." 

Lenny smiled at Angela before walking out of the room, and Angela was beyond livid at the way he'd been treated.  "Honestly Nolan you could cut the guy some slack."

Rolling his eyes at her naivety, he took a deep breath to control his mood.  "Listen Angela, I know I probably came off as a total ass, but I know if you don't set the right mood with these people they'll get you killed."  She didn't understand the seriousness of the world she was walking in yet, or the people that would make her stepfather seem like a saint if they managed to get her alone.

"I would think people would work harder for you if you didn't treat them like some idiot with the IQ of a school kid."  She rolled her eyes right back at him, frustrated already by the circumstances and just spoiling for a reason to argue.

Already angry that he was losing her, her comment sent him right over the edge.  "Maybe I should have offered him flowers and chocolate, and then took him out to dinner?"  Couldn't she comprehend that he was trying to keep her safe?  He'd already failed her once, he damn sure wasn't going to allow it to happen again.

Stomping her foot, she wanted to slap his arrogant attitude right out the door.  "Maybe you should learn a little human compassion Nolan, not everything in the world centers around you being the boss."  She wasn't even sure what they were fighting over at the moment.  She was pissed off that he didn't want her for himself anymore, but still felt like he had to protect her, and angry at herself for not being enough to make him want more.

"How far did that human compassion get you last night with your stepfather Angela?"  Even as he said the words he wanted to bash his head into a wall.  The look of pain on her beautiful face was enough to make him sick, and once again he failed her.  "Damn it baby, I'm sorry."

Holding up her hand, she shook her head.  He obviously wanted to hurt her, and needed to put distance between them.  "Let's just stop here Nolan," giving him no time to respond she walked upstairs, not sure where she was supposed to sleep now that she wasn't sharing his bed any longer, she found her way into one of the spare ones and slammed the door behind her.  Frustrated at the entire scenario, she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs how unfair this all was. Pulling her phone out of her purse she called Rachel, needing advice. 

Rachel answered the phone groggily, not normally accustomed to getting up before noon when she worked the night before.  The pain in her best friends voice had her wide awake instantly though.  "What happened hon?"

Angela gave her the full run down on what was going on with her and Nolan, and she agreed to take some time off work and make it to Las Vegas tonight.  A huge part of her just wanted to go back home, and forget this whole music business and heal over her break up with Nolan, but she'd signed a contract.  The dream did not seem like the paradise she once thought it would be now, and maybe she just wasn't meant to be this person, she told Rachel miserably.

"You will stop this self-pity right now Angela," Rachel told her firmly, refusing to allow her to do this to herself.  "That asshole Ronald is not going to take away
any more of your life, and if Nolan Fitzgerald can't see what he's losing by giving you up, then so be it, but you have a destiny and I'm damn well not going to let you give that up over any man." 

She'd known that Angela hooking up with Fitzgerald was a mistake, and he'd now made it to the third most hated man on her list of people she'd like to beat the shit out of.  Rachel was not going to allow any of them to take away her friends dream, even if she had to stand between her and any other idiot that tried to bring her down again.

"I'm going to get the first flight out there Angela, and you are going to sit tight and not make one more decision until I get there, okay?"  This was intervention, she thought to herself.  If Angela couldn't fight for herself, then damn it, she'd take up the slack and get her back on the right track again.

"I don't even know what they're paying me yet Rach, and I know you don't have the money to miss this much time off work or pay for the flight."  The last thing she wanted to do was put her best friend in arrears over her failures.

"When I get there we'll sort all that money crap out, and don't you worry about me baby girl, I'll be fine."  She could grab some extra shifts at the bar to cover the flight when she got back, and finances weren't going to keep her away from the one person in this world she considered family.

They'd always lived week to week, struggling to pay the bills, but even that wasn't going to keep her from doing the right thing by her best friend.  "You just keep your chin up Ang, I'll be there soon and all of this will seem like a bad memory."

Tears streamed down her cheeks at how much her best friend was willing to give up just being there by her side.  "I'm going to make this up to you Rach, I promise."  There was so much she owed this incredible woman, and the debts just kept increasing.

Rachel laughed softly, "Just making sure you're okay is worth it to me baby girl, now let me get off this phone so I can get a flight out of here." With all her experience in the bar industry, she decided if this turned into an extended stay, she could probably find work at one of the casino's there.

"I'll see you soon, Rach," they said their goodbyes, and for a brief moment, she felt the panic recede knowing with Rachel here everything would work out just fine.  Knowing how much she was willing to risk by flying out here, she decided to walk downstairs and at least find out what type of income she was making so she could hopefully repay her for the loss.

She found Nolan in the studio, and he stopped playing the piano the moment she walked in.  "Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to discuss my salary with you and let you know that Rachel is coming in sooner than I thought."