All For An Angel (7 page)

“
I see. That doesn’t bode well for
us.” Ms. Cox heaved a sigh. “You need to keep looking for a place.
In the meantime I’m working on a few angles. Plus, I have a friend
in the real-estate business. I’ll give her a call and see if she
knows of anything open.”

“
Okay.” She doubted anything would be
open. Lou had probably contacted every rental property within fifty
miles. Defeated, she gathered her purse and left.

The whole situation sucked. No one would
rent to her and she couldn’t move in with Gabe. It would look like
she’d dumped her child to shack up with a man. I’m sure that would
sit well in court.

She just had to keep telling herself the
test would come back negative. Then Angel would be hers and they’d
be free to move in with Gabe. But until then, she had no clue how
she would survive without her angel.

Chapter 13

Rage boiled in Gabe and threatened to
explode like a steam stack. His vision blurred as he tried to
control his anger. Gripping his parents’ back-porch railing, he
turned to his father. “I feel so helpless. I talked with Judge
Mathis, but that was useless. He said that since Lou had dragged
this into the court systems he couldn’t turn his back on it. Amy’s
place was too dangerous for him to leave a child in. He was
obligated to do what was in the best interest of the child, and he
felt that it was better for her to live with Lou than be placed in
foster care.” He punched the wooden rail.

“
Son, I know you’re angry.”

“
Oh, I am so beyond angry. I want to
smash his fucking face in and I want to keep beating him until we
don’t look alike anymore!”

“
Well, I suspect you do, but it
wouldn’t help the situation.” His dad lit a cigar.

“
Have you tried to talk to him, you or
Mom?” Maybe their parents could talk some sense into Lou. Nothing
else had worked.

His father slapped him on the back and
squeezed his shoulder. “As much as I wish that would work, it
wouldn’t. Your brother is head strong about this. But, on the other
hand, so are you. Both of you are so much alike. Somewhere along
the path, Lou lost his way. I don’t know what to do about it
anymore. We’ve tried to talk to him.”

“
Then that’s it? We sit and wait for a
judge to tell us the fate of a little girl.” This was not right.
For a split second, murder crossed his mind. He shook his head to
think straight again. He had to be able to do something short of
killing him.

“
I’m afraid so.” His father puffed on
his cigar. “It’s been close to a week. Has Amy heard
anything?”

Every muscle inside him tensed and he
clenched his jaw. “She won’t return my calls. When I go to the
diner, she refuses to come out from the back. Joe asked me to
please stay away for now. She’s blaming herself and the feelings
she has for me.” Pain welled up inside. He swallowed the tears and
turned them into rage. “Damn him!” His arms trembled as he gripped
the railing tighter. Splinters bit into his flesh. “Damn him.”

“
Gabe, I wish I could take your pain
away, son. I know you love Amy, and she’s a wonderful young lady.
What Lou did was utterly wrong. He stepped between you two and
ripped what you had apart. I’ll never make an excuse for that, but
what’s done is done. There’s a child involved and maybe you should
back off and let them work it out.”

“
How, Dad? God, I don’t know how to
live without her.” He needed her worse than air. She’d been in his
arms, in his bed, making love to him. She’d confessed to loving
him, to dreaming about him. He’d backed away to where he hadn’t
protected her against Lou’s advances. Pain stabbed him in the gut.
He was a fucking cop and he’d done nothing to shield her. Nothing!
“I fear I’ll go mad if I don’t do something. I took an oath to
protect and defend the innocent, and I failed the love of my life.”
He hung his head. “Do you know he forced her to sleep with him,
over and over?” This time the tears overtook him, no matter how
much he wanted to hide them.

“
Dear God!”

“
How do I swallow that, Dad?” he
choked out.

“
I don’t know, my boy. I don’t
know.”

Just then, high pitched squeals came from
inside. They turned and looked at each other then dashed through
the back door.

“
Mom, you got to do something. She
won’t stop.” Lou’s voice came from the living room.

Turning the corner, he spotted Angel lying
in the floor thrashing her arms and legs.

“
I want Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” Her
little head rolled back and forth. Her hair was a tangled mess.
Tears streamed down her dirty face.

What the hell had he done to her? Lou would
pay big time for this, but right now he needed to calm Angel down
before she made herself sick.

He entered the room and knelt down in the
floor beside her. “Angel, honey,” he coaxed in a soft, loving tone.
“Angel.”

She quieted her squeals to moans as
recognition of who called her name washed over her face. Sniffing
she called out, “Uncle Gabe?”

“
That’s right sweetheart. Please calm
down.” He bit back a tear.

“
What the hell?” Lou started to
advance toward them, but their father caught him by the
arm.

“
Come on, it’s working.” Dad pulled
Lou from the room.

She gave a final kick of her legs. “I miss
my mommy,” she sobbed.

Pulling her up, Gabe settled her on his lap,
straddling his legs so he was face to face with her. “I know, baby.
I miss her, too.” He drew her into his embrace and rocked her. How
could Lou be such a monster? Couldn’t he see what he was doing? Her
fluttering cries stung his heart. He wanted to throw her in his car
and drive her straight to Amy. “Sweetie, this is only for a short
time. Don’t you like Daddy’s house?” He almost choked on the word
Daddy. “He has a swimming pool.”

Angel slapped a tiny fist against his chest.
“He’s not my Daddy! I won’t call him that.”

“
Baby, sshhh.” He pulled her back to
him and stroked her back. His heart was on the verge of
busting.

Her hands released their tight clasp and
clung to his shirt sleeves. “Why can’t you be my daddy? Don’t you
love me?”

Oh, God! His chest tightened as he fought to
hold back his tears. He wanted to be her daddy more than anything.
He’d go to the end of the Earth for this child, and back. “Angel, I
love you so much.”

“
Then will you be my daddy?” She
looked up at him with red swollen eyes and a runny nose.

A lump caught in his throat, holding back
the yes he wanted to scream. His lips trembled and he closed his
eyes. “Let’s not talk about…it right now. Okay?” He wiped her nose
and rocked her until she fell limp in his arms.

When he was sure she was sound asleep, he
gently picked her up. Lou stood in the doorway leading out of the
living room. Apparently he’d been watching and listening. He passed
Lou and put Angel down on the guest bed. After kissing her cheek,
rage ignited from his toes and spread through him as he
straightened.

In two long strides from the guestroom, he
grabbed Lou with both hands by his shirt and yanked him out the
backdoor. They passed their parents on the porch as he drug him
down the steps on threw him on the lawn.

“
Get up you mother fucker.” He kicked
him in the side.

“
Gabe—”

“
Shut up and fight like a man.” He
stood; feet planted apart, fists clenched.

“
Boys!” Mom yelled to them in horror
and started off the porch.

Dad grabbed her by the wrist. “Let them be,
LouElla.”

He turned back to Lou and kicked him again.
“Get up so I can teach you a lesson in being a man.”

“
Gabe, I don’t want to fight
you.”

“
What, you want to look like the good
guy in front of Mom?”

“
Okay. I’m going to get up, but I need
you to hear me out.” He rose to one knee. “I’m sorry. Lord, I don’t
know where to start.”

“
Apologize all you want. I’m still
kicking your ass.” He swiped his leg and knock Lou’s foot out from
under him, making him land on the ground again.

“
Shit! I know you’re pissed off and
you’ll probably never forgive me. But you’re my brother, I miss you
and I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Hell. Right when he had the perfect chance
to inflict some pain, Lou wanted to apologize. He’d waited years to
hear those words, but his heart had been hardened. It would take
more than one sorry to mend their relationship. “If you’re so
sorry, give Angel back to Amy and call this off.”

“
I am.”

“
What?” Was he really giving in? Had
he heard him correctly?

“
I called Amy while you were with
Angel and asked her to come over.” He scrambled to his
feet.

At that moment, he truly looked at his
brother for the first time that afternoon. He wore an old pair of
jeans and a polo shirt. At least a three day growth shadowed his
face. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair had grown from its usual
short tight cut. He felt his anger die down some, then he was
reminded of the look of horror on Amy’s face when she’d told him
about Lou forcing himself on her.

“
I can’t let it go that
easy.”

“
I understand, and I’m not asking you
to. If you need to hit me, then take your best swing.”

“
You deserve to go to jail. And you’re
damn right I’m going take my best shot. How many times did you rape
her?”

“
Gabe, I—”

“
Don’t deny it. You threatened her and
used Angel as leverage.”

“
I did a lot of nasty things I’m sorry
for.”

Images of Amy fighting Lou off surfaced.
With every last ounce of rage, he landed a right hook, hitting
Lou’s jaw and nose. Lou’s head twisted and blood spurted on both of
them. He raised his fist to strike again, but his father grabbed
him and their mother bent down to Lou.

“
Okay. You had your shot. Now let’s
take a walk while your mother cleans up his face.” Dad pushed him
backward as he stared at the devil himself.

“
He admitted to raping her. I want to
kill him.” His whole insides ached for what Amy had endured, how
he’d let her down and even called her a slut. How could he look at
her again after what he’d done?

“
That’s enough. You need to cool down,
Angel is scared enough and Amy is on her way over here. A walk will
do you good.”

He’d go along with his father for now. But
if Lou touched Amy one more time, so help him they’d being burying
a son.

Chapter 14

Before Amy could knock, the door swung open.
She stared into sad blue eyes. Gabe? Could it be him? She’d missed
him so much. He stood in a pair of worn blue jeans and a polo
shirt, clothes he would wear. But something was missing.

Lou? His hair was a mess and his nose was
swollen.

“
Amy, hello.”

Lou! “Where is she?” She shoved passed him,
determined to see her baby.

“
She’s sleeping in the other room. I
need to talk to you.” His voice was low and she almost thought it
sounded broken. Most likely he’d learned a lesson in parenthood and
kept his voice down so not to wake Angel.

“
I need to see her first.” Before Lou
could protest, she stormed to the guestroom. Angel lay breathing
peacefully. Her eyes were red and puffy. Poor thing. Sobs clogged
in her throat. She wanted to wrap her in her arms, but Angel needed
her rest and Amy needed to talk to Lou without little ears around.
She kissed her daughter’s cheek and then returned to the living
room with one thing in mind—to get her baby back.

“
Lou, before you say anything, I’d
like you to hear me out.” She braced herself for a fight and began
to think of all the things she wanted to say to him. They had been
whirling around in her mind for a week. Now was her
chance.

He looked up at her from where he sat on the
couch. “I’m listening.”

Shocked at his compliance, she stammered and
fought to collect her thoughts. “I…um…” She shook her head and
swallowed. Now was not the time to falter. She wouldn’t get a fair
hearing with Judge Mathis. “Lou, there has to be a way we can work
through this…outside of court. Name your price. Anything.” She
moved to the couch and sat down beside him. “I’ll stay away from
Gabe, move to another town, get another job…I’ll even move in with
you or just share your bed… willingly. Whatever it takes, just
please let me have her back.” God help her, she’d do anything to
hold on to her daughter. She sounded so weak and pathetic.

“
Amy…” He reached up and ran a finger
down her cheek.

She stiffened. Was he going to take her
right there on his mother’s sofa? Oh God! Could she allow him to
touch her whenever he wanted too? Her stomach twisted and churned
at the sickening thought.

She waited for him to make a move, but he
pulled his hand away. Relief washed over her. Maybe he wasn’t so
crude as to chance his parents walking in on them.

“
Amy, that’s not what I
want.”

“
Please think about it before you say
no. I—” He placed a finger to her lips.

Hanging his head, he wrung his hands.
“Having Angel this week has taught me so much. She’s a person, Amy.
A living breathing, innocent person.” He looked into her eyes.

Was that a hint of a tear she saw in the
corner?