Leather and Lace (Tempered Steel Book 2) (8 page)

Chapter Nine

Angel stood backstage at the Down and Dirty and watched another young woman pulse her practically naked body to the beat of the music blaring from the speakers. She tried to concentrate on the movements and the mannerisms of the stripper, but the raucous laughter and lewd comments were distracting.

She turned away from the scene, trying to calm her stomach by taking deep breaths. Her nausea was increasing in pace with her nervousness, and, for a moment, she held an image of herself on stage, semi-nude and puking all over the customers. That would certainly be a first. She giggled nervously into her hand as a patron walked by, his arm around another stripper. Mac had given the regular girl a thousand dollars to play this little ‘joke’ on a friend, replacing her with Angel. The woman had laughed coarsely then showed Angel how to put on the costume. Angel fervently hoped it had been cleaned recently. She now stood waiting in the wings in a pair of French cut faded denim shorts with a white cotton shirt that barely covered her breasts, tied in a fake knot in the hollow between. Suede fringed cowboy boots and a cowboy hat affixed to her hair completed the outfit. She refused to consider the sequined star pasties and striped G-string as clothing. Quilting squares were bigger.

The music ended with a crash and the stripper came offstage, refusing a wrap. Oblivious of her nudity she grabbed a chip and dipped it in salsa as Angel’s stomach revolted once again. Trying to concentrate on the DJ announcing a drink special, she willed herself to calm down as the announcer energized the crowd for her debut. The stripper had laughingly said she performed a patriotic salute to the armed forces. Somehow she doubted the patrons would settle for her singing “America the Beautiful.”

And then it was her turn.

The DJ droned out, “Barbie the American Beauty”, and Angel posed behind the curtain. She said a quick prayer that the Coalson’s would find Sam and get him out of there before she had to take anything off. If she had to, she would jump off the stage and run out the front door as soon as she knew Sam was safe. The curtain parted amid shouts of approval that screeched in her ears.

With a plastic smile, she walked down the aisle slowly, in an exaggerated jazz style, accentuating her long legs and gently swaying her hips as she felt the eyes of the men on her.
Poor Miss Bridget would turn in her grave to see her best ballet student doing this,
she thought. She couldn’t suppress a shudder of revulsion but the hoots of the men told her they liked it. A few obscene remarks were made, and Angel flinched slightly, but concentrated on the music and thought of Sam and his safety.

“Pretend you’re dancing for Sam,” she mumbled to herself as a bill was stuffed into her cowboy boot, the man’s hands lightly skimming her calf as Angel backed quickly away. She ran back to the pole in the center of the stage and twirled around it, and coming abreast of it, she slowly lowered herself imitating the mating ritual. She saw the bills being shaken at her and she knew it was part of her job to allow the man to stuff them anywhere they could reach, but she would be sick if another one of them touched her.

She raised up on the pole and lifted her leg, grabbing it with her arm and twirling around the pole. She then slid into the splits and fan kicked her legs around to the other side as she dragged herself off the floor. She almost cringed with mortification as she noticed Mac standing near the stage, but a slight nod of his head told her to keep going. The others were apparently getting Sam out right now. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost finished, and Mac was there to see her safely out the door.
Three minutes and Sam would be safe and I am off this stinking stage.

The men began chanting “Take it off!” The DJ was furiously gesturing for her to get rid of something. Angel new her time was up. She saw Max straighten as he stared at something to the right of the restrooms. The crowd was getting restless, and Mac kept glancing back at her and then at the back of the room. Angel grabbed onto her courage and started to unfasten her butterfly jeans. She wondered frantically if the men would accept one of her boots instead. But the loud cheer that went up when the first button was released, she figured they wouldn’t be appeased with shoes.

“More! More! More!”

Well, once before she had faced a crowd bare breasted. She could do it again. With her head held high, she undid the knot of her blouse and let it fall to the stage. Instantly, it was picked up as money began littering the stage. The clapping and stomping, hooting and shouting was getting louder. Angel nervously glanced at Mac as she swiveled her hips and tried not to be sick. Mac tried to push his way toward her as a man jumped on stage and grabbed at her, but Angel was faster, and she deftly evaded his outstretched hands. The bouncer was there in a flash to shove the guy off the stage and out the door.

The crowd’s restlessness increased. Mac appeared more concerned as a hideously fat man came from the back and whispered something to a man sitting near the front of the stage. Unlike the other patrons, Angel could see he was dressed impeccably in a Tom Ford suit. The gold chains around his neck and the large ring on his finger were definitely the real thing.

The man glanced over to the restrooms. Angel quickly moved to block his view by falling to the floor and slithering over to him. She smiled at him and he smiled back. He motioned for her to come closer. She plastered on a seductive smile as she bent over to the stage giving him access to her breasts. The look on his face made her quake. His eyes looked completely devoid of emotion. He terrified her.

The fat man turned and walked away. She swayed slightly and saw Mac move, then motion to the back room. As the man reached for her breasts, she gave him a wink and with a quick as lightning move, leapt to her feet and sashayed toward the backstage curtain. The song crashed to an end.

She was almost off the stage when she saw Chance and Brandon leading Sam out the back door. For an instant their eyes met
. My God! What had those savages done to him?
His face was covered in blood and bruises. His left eye was swollen shut. But it was the fury that blazed from that one good eye that made Angel gasp. She saw his disgust and condemnation as he stared at her. She wanted to cry. He was going to think the worst.
As usual
. So be it. She raised her head high and walked offstage. At least he was alive. She had done her job.

Suddenly all hell broke loose. The doors to the bar crashed open, and FBI surged into the room, followed by Ben Yates and several County policemen. Out of the corner of her eye, Angel saw the bartender stretch his arm behind the bar. Ever so slowly, she reached down for her gym bag, terror in her every move. She saw the barrel of a shotgun peek above the counter. With a quick flick of her wrist, she flung her gym bag as hard as she could, hitting the bartender square in the face. He shrieked, dropping on the floor in the process. Several officers instantly trained their guns on him.

Ben acknowledged her assistance with a nod. “You go get some clothes on now, Angel. We’ll take it from here. The Coalson’s are gonna have to answer some questions about all this, but I want you out of here now.”

Angel blushed furiously. She was still half naked. With all the commotion, she had forgotten. She glanced around the room, for the first time noticing the covert glances the officers were giving her. She jumped when her gym bag landed with a thud near her feet and smiled her thanks to the officer. She fled to the back of the building. With shaking fingers, she dressed in her clothes. She put her head between her knees in an attempt to combat the nausea she’d held at bay while those horrible men had leered at her and tried to touch her. She shuddered anew, then straightening, she took deep gulps of air, trying to calm her racing heart.

“You’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do, lady. Let’s go.” Angel shrieked as Sam grabbed her elbow and jerked her toward the back door and the parking lot. With an angry swipe, she dislodged his hand. She tried to walk past, but he grabbed around the waist and flipped her over his shoulder. He grunted in pain as her weight settled on him. She gasped, outraged, but he didn’t seem to notice, instead he set off toward a truck parked nearby.

The Coalsons were gathered on the edge of the parking lot, but Sam barely spared them a glance as he threw Angel, none too gently, in the front seat. “Who’s got the damn keys?” He bellowed. Angel flung herself forward and tried to get out, but one look from Sam and she slumped back in the seat again.

Chance approached, dangling the keys from his finger. Sam tried to swipe them, but Chance held fast. “Now listen, Sam. You can’t just drag her out of here. There are questions to be answered. The police are going to want an accounting of what went on here tonight.”

“I’ll answer the goddamn questions tomorrow. You give me the damn keys and get the rest of the family home.”

Chance tried once again to plead with Sam. “Listen, just calm down. You’re angry and you’re obviously not thinking clearly. You can’t drive in this condition. I’m not gonna let you hurt Angel again.”

Sam’s face turned a mottled red and a muscle in his jaw began to twitch. “She’s mine to do with as I see fit. Now BACK THE FUCK OFF!” He shoved Chance.

Angel gasped. She was not going to come between the brothers. She opened the truck door. “Wait just a damn minute, Sam Coalson.”

“Angel, get your ass back in the truck now!” Sam didn’t even turn her direction, but growled that command through clenched teeth.

Angel reacted as if he had slapped her. She scrambled back into cab but couldn’t resist adding, “If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I came up with the plan.”

She swallowed hard as Sam glanced in her direction. Apparently he didn’t like hearing that.

Brandon came up behind him. “Sam, we know you’re pissed, but understand; she was trying to help. We all were.”

“Understand?” Sam barked. “What I understand is that while my brothers were trying to rescue me, Angel was half naked up on stage fornicating with a pole and letting some sleaze touch her tits. I’ll have an explanation from all of you tomorrow, but right now, I’m getting it from her.” He pointed an accusing finger at her and she cringed.

She had never seen him this angry. Not even that day at the courthouse.

Chance grabbed Sam’s arm. “You don’t have the right…” he began, but Sam shoved him away and grabbed the keys.

“Like hell I don’t! SHE’S MY GODDAMN WIFE!” he bellowed. He leaped into the truck, started the engine, squealing out of the parking lot, and sending gravel flying over the entire crowd standing speechless at his announcement.

Chapter Ten

Thirty minutes later, Sam pulled the truck into the driveway of Merrywidows and leaped out. He came around the passenger side and hauled Angel out of the vehicle. Neither had said a word since leaving the bar. Angel’s mind was still reeling from the events of the evening; not to mention the bombshell he dropped on the family. On quivering limbs, she allowed him to drag her in the back door and up the servant stairs toward the master bedroom, where he dumped her unceremoniously on the bed.

His callous disregard ignited her temper. She brushed her hair away from her eyes and glared at him. She was getting mighty sick and tired of this caveman treatment. She was shivering in reaction to the ordeal she just been through. She still didn’t know whether or not she was going to be sick. It would serve him right if she threw up all over him. Maybe he’d think twice before he tossed her around again.

Shrugging out of his shirt and pants, Sam headed for the shower. “I’m going to get cleaned up. When I’m through, you’re going to patch me up.”

“Yes, master. Your wish is my command, master,” she mimicked sarcastically.
Like hell I will.
By the time he finished the shower, she would be long gone.

Sam popped his head back in the room “Damn right I’m your fuckin’ master, baby! Don’t entertain any thoughts about leaving either, darlin’ or I’ll tie you to the bed. When I get out of the shower, you better be sitting right there or else that sweet ass is going to be red as a tomato, and it won’t be pleasant.”

“Ooooooh!” She screamed in frustration. Giving vent to her outrage, she flung the pillow at the bathroom door, smiling when it connected. Too bad it only made a soft sound. Maybe she should look for something heavier to throw at him. Not that it would do much damage to that damn thick skull.

Well, she wasn’t going to sit there and let him dictate orders to her. She needed a shower as well. The smoke and smell of the bar still clung to her hair and clothes. She knew she could never wash enough to erase the images of those hands reaching, grabbing at her. She felt the bile rise in her throat. She was going to be sick. With a groan, she took off at a run for the other bathroom.

A few minutes later, she returned to find Sam patching himself up, using the vanity mirror. He quirked an eyebrow at her obvious disobedience, then let his gaze travel over her body, taking in her freshly washed hair and face, her baggy T-shirt and terrycloth shorts. His gaze swept upward and met hers in mirror. “Sit.”

“I prefer to stand, thank you,” she said pertly

“Don’t fuckin’ push me, Angel. You deserve everything I’m going to give you and more.” Sam resisted the urge to throttle her. “I want an explanation. And it better be good, baby. I stood in the shower going over every possible excuse I could think of that might’ve flitted through that illogical brain of yours, and I can’t come up with one that would excuse what I saw when I came out of that room.”

He spun around and stalked towards her, but she held her ground in the middle of the room. “One minute you’re drinking wine with me and the next thing I know, you’re dancing at a strip bar, naked for all intents and purposes. Swinging your ass and looking like you want to screw the fat pig and his boss. He’s the one that beat me. Did you know that?”

Sam continued to advance on her. “And you don’t even want to know what he was gonna do to you if he could’ve gotten a chance.” Sam’s good eye began to twitch at the thought of the danger she had been in. She had no sense, but by God before the night was over, she would know to never put herself in danger again. He’d see to that. Apparently, she’d been flying wild these past fifteen years. Well, that was ending now.

Angel threw her arms up in exasperation. “Oh that’s just great. Just swell, dandy, fine. I try to save your miserable ass and you’re accusing me of being unfaithful. Well, of course you would. You can’t trust me, remember? I turned against you once, right? So therefore, I’ll do it again, right?” she screamed at him as tears ran down her face. It was just too much! She couldn’t stand his mistrust anymore.

“I had everything under control. There was no need for your ‘help’ as you call it,” he growled at her. He kept seeing the lecherous looks of those men and the hands reaching out to touch those perfect breasts. She was his, dammit! No one touched his Angel.

“Oh yeah, right. I can tell you had everything well in hand. You were locked up, beaten up, and completely outnumbered. Oh, and the FBI was considering you an accomplice in the whole mess. They didn’t care if you were dead or alive. Yeah, you had them shakin’ in their shoes, all right.” She’s wiped her tears. “I was sick and scared for you, yet you’re so stupid you have the audacity to question my loyalty to you.”

Sam took a deep breath and forced himself to think clearly. He tried to put himself in her shoes. He would have done anything to save her if she’d been in trouble. He could tell from her tears she was badly shaken up at the recent events. She had done what needed to be done, at least to her way of thinking, with courage and loyalty. She had gone through the fires of hell for him. So why couldn’t he trust her? Everything he knew about her character, now and in the past, pointed to her loyal and true nature. He knew she had done this for him tonight. But she had to understand that she couldn’t ever do something like this again.

Perhaps she had done the same thing fifteen years ago. It was possible she had been trying to help him. Maybe, just maybe, he should listen to her version of what happened that night so long ago. Maybe then the old ghosts could finally be laid to rest. He took a deep breath to release his anger.

“I think we should talk.”

Angel threw her hands up. “Oh, so now he wants to talk. Well, bully for you, big guy. Maybe I don’t feel like talking now. You wouldn’t listen before. What makes you think this time will make a difference? Either you trust me or you don’t. Either you love me or you don’t. At this point, I am too tired to care.” She turned away and started for the door.

Sam heard the utter defeat in her voice and he panicked. He reached her in two strides, turning round to him and laying her head on his chest. “Don’t you fuckin’ give up on us; on me,” he growled. “You held us together for fifteen years. I won’t let you give up now.” He held her tighter, holding on for dear life, for his life, for their life, together.

Angel began to shake violently as the events of the night caught up with her. She cried great wracking sobs of pain. Sam heard the anguish in her tears and cursed himself for being the source of all her heartache. He kissed the top of her head, whispered words of comfort, feeling totally helpless at the sight of her grief. His resolve never to speak of the past faltered then fell away. Part of her pain now was because of the events of the past. He might not feel the need to talk, but she certainly did. She needed it. Until she could experience closure, they couldn’t move forward with a life together. And Sam wanted that life together as intensely as he wanted her.

Gradually, Angel’s tears subsided and only a few hiccups split the silence that had descended upon the room. Glancing down, she murmured, “I’m sorry. I got your shirt wet.”

“That’s all right. You needed to cry. Feel better?” he asked as he tilted her chin up to wipe the dampness left on her cheeks. Her brown eyes watched him warily. He couldn’t really blame her for being cautious. He been about to explode just minutes earlier. But her tears had diffused the situation, and he was thinking more clearly. No matter what she had done, now or in the past, he knew, deep in his heart, she had done it for him.

Because she loved him.

Sam smiled tenderly and brushed his thumb across her lips. All he could think about was showing her, once and for all, how much he loved her. She returned his delicate caress by softly kissing his thumb while she stared deeply into his eyes.

Angel ran her hands over his shirt front, coming to rest on the buttons. With the tentative touch, she flicked open the first one, and growing bolder, she pulled at each one in turn, lifting the shirt out of his jeans and pushing it off his shoulders. He winced and she murmured soothing words as she kissed each bruise on his collarbone and chest. Lifting his arm, she planted feathery kisses on the ugly welts across his ribs and back. She felt the tears form again at the pain he must have suffered at the hands of the horrible men who had captured him.

Sam sucked in his breath and felt himself grow hard as her tender kisses lovingly caressed his skin. He knew he couldn’t stand much more when she reach for the snap of his jeans. His beautiful Angel was offering him comfort and passionate love. Just as she always had.

Sam led her to the wingback chair near the fireplace. The moon cast an incandescent glow to the room as he settled her on his lap, and brushed her hair back from her fore head. He kissed her softly and she answered in kind, stirring in his arms to reach around his neck to pull him closer and deepened the kiss, but he stilled her movements with reluctance.

He put her head on his shoulder. “This love I have for you is so intense, so potent, I can’t think straight half the time. You are the only person who has ever been able to stir in me such passion. Or such anger,” he confessed ruefully.

“I love you Angel, and yet, in my insecure moments, I find myself doubting you. How can you be real? How can you love someone like me? Help me, Angel; help me to understand why you did what you did so many years ago. I’ve tried, I just can’t seem to let go.” He smoothed her honey colored hair with a gentle hand.

“God knows I want us to start over, to be together. I can’t live without you, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get over these moments of mistrust. You destroyed me that day at the courthouse. When you walked over to your father and took his hand, I think I died inside. I just can’t go through that agony again. I think it made me a little crazy as it is,” he whispered.

Angel wept at the anguish she heard his voice. She’d done the right thing, but they had both paid the price. She took his hand and squeezed it, trying to get past the tears in her throat so she could finally tell him why she had betrayed him that day. “When we got back into town, I was so happy. I was married to you. I thought my father couldn’t touch us now. After I saw that deputy plant the drugs on you, and you were arrested, my father took me home. I immediately went to my mom and told her what I had seen. She was appalled that he would do something like that, but I can’t say she was surprised. She said she was afraid something like that would occur, eventually.”

She took a deep breath, preparing to tell him the whole truth about the family. “You see, he’d done the same thing to her. He courted her and wooed her, then arranged it so her parents would find them in a compromising position. He never really wanted my mother. He wanted her money and her name.”

Sam continued to hold her, murmuring words of comfort. “I knew my father was a ruthless, cruel man, but all this, it was too much to take in. I saw him plant those drugs on you. Well, I saw the policeman pull it out of his pocket anyway. He really hated you. I don’t know why. Maybe it is because for all his money and power, you were more respected, more honorable, than he knew he could ever be.” She looked up at Sam. “You wouldn’t be manipulated like all the others. You were everything that he knew he was never going to be.”

Sam felt uncomfortable with her praise. He was no saint. Before he could correct her, she continued. “Anyway, I stupidly thought I could confront my father about his treachery and if he didn’t come clean about his scam, I was going to leave. After all, I was adult, a married woman in fact. I didn’t think there was anything he could do to stop me. I was so naïve.”

She started crying again. Sam held onto his patience, knowing he was about to hear something truly dreadful. He just wanted it over with so he could purge himself of all the doubts he harbored about her loyalty. Now he knew, and he should’ve known back then. Only something truly terrible would’ve kept her from him.

“I approached the door to the library. It was closed, but I could hear my parents yelling. My mother was so disgusted with what my father had done. She was defending you, demanding that my father drop the charges and fix the mess he made. I opened the door so I could interrupt to add my thoughts to it. My father was standing near the fireplace. My mother was facing him, her hands on his upper arms, begging him to listen. He shrugged off her hands and took a drink from the glass in his hand, dismissing her and her objections like nothing.

“He started talking about the horrible things they were going to do to you in prison, vile things Sam, things that turned my stomach. He was ranting and raving, getting all excited about the idea of making an example of you to the townspeople. I think my mother realized how disturbed he truly was. She grew pale and started to leave. He turned to her and asked her where she was going.”

Angel stopped to catch her breath. She was so ashamed of her father, but so very proud of her mother. He had to know what she did for them. “My mom did the bravest thing I’ve ever seen, Sam. She faced him, and she told him she was taking me. We were leaving him. She was filing for divorce. She was going to see that the charges against you were dropped,” Angel said in a low voice filled with pain as the years melted away. She was once again forced to relive that horrible night. She tightened her arms around Sam.

“He just stared at her for a moment. Then, without any warning, he backhanded her across the face. Her head snapped back. I saw her fall!” Angel stared at Sam not really seeing him. “There was blood trickling from her mouth. He had cut her with his ring. She was so still, lying there, I thought he had killed her. All I could do was scream. He looked at me, and he shouted that he was going to ruin you and your family,” she sobbed.