Chapter 9

Morning arrived and the alarm clock was screaming to be turned off. Angel stirred and as she awakened, she smiled as she remembered the past nights adventure with Alex. Her eyes were still closed as she stretched and then swept her hand across the mattress feeling for Alex's body. She thought for sure Alex would spend the night after all they had shared last night, but, he wasn't there. She opened her eyes and realized that she was alone in her bed which made her feel like a hussy. For a woman, the worst thing that could happen after spending a night of lovemaking was to wake up alone. It made her feel cheap, and used, like an old rag.

Disgusted with herself for falling for Alex and his proclamations of love, on top of how she acted last night put her in a foul mood. What was worse was the fact that her body felt as though it had been put through a wringer and she ached all over. Even though her legs hurt, she forced herself to sit up and move off the bed, and as she did, she squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched up her face from the pain, she yelled "ow ow ow owwwwoooo as she tried to walk. She felt as though sand paper had been implanted on her genitals because every step she took it felt like something was grinding her skin to mush.

"OMG! I hope I don't walk funny at the office." She thought as she filled the tub with water and then poured oatmeal into the water to soothe her raw skin.

The cell phone beeped letting her know that there was a text message for her. Since she had awakened so late in the morning, she knew the text must be about work. As she slowly walked over to the dresser, she picked up her cell phone and saw that she had two text messages from Dawn telling her that there was some sort of problem at VPR there that required her attention.

She left a text for Dawn telling her she would be there as soon as she could and to handle whatever problem there was, and then went into the bathroom and slid into the tub and laid there for what seemed like an hour.

She made it downstairs to VPR and her office in less than an hour and the minute that she sat down at her desk, she heard a loud crash in the hallway down by the gym.

"Angel! You have to come out here and help me!" Her sister Dawn yelled as she pushed the door to Angel's office open looked at her and then and slammed it shut behind her.

"Dawn if this is not an emergency YOU take care of the situation please! I am too busy right now." Angel yelled back.

"But – But." Dawn's nose was pressed against the glass of Angel's office door and she was looking out at the commotion in the hallway.

"No buts, you take care of whatever the hell is going on that you feel is so urgent a matter that you have to disregard what I said earlier about leaving me alone for the morning. Or better yet get Marcus!"

"Okay but when the entire building is destroyed don't say I didn't let you know about the fight going on by the women's locker room outside the gym." Her sister said as she shrugged her shoulders and walked out the door.

"Fight? Who's fighting?" Growling Angel jumped up but not before she slammed her hands on the desk in frustration and cursed loudly. Fangs, fighting, vampires, sore pussy, sore body what next?

She ran down the hallway leading to the front entrance and caught up with her sister. "Tell me who is fighting."

"It's Marcus and one of the white lighters." Her sister was puffing hard and coughing as they walked.

"Smoke another cigarette Dawn." She said as she listened to her sisters wheezing through ragged breaths.

Dawn growled at her but didn't say a word. Which was just as well as Angel would have told her she hated the fact that she smoked and had asthma. That was a conversation for another day that's for sure.

"Which white lighter?"

"It's one of the new ones that you just hired. I don't know what his name is. I don't think you even told me his name after you hired him last week."

"Dammit Dawn, you are the head of personnel, you had to have looked at his files and entered the information into the computer. How could you not know his name?"

Although Dawn was the head of personnel, it was Angel that did all the hiring and firing. It was easier because she could ask certain questions about Vampires and misfits that Dawn wouldn't think of, but, still it was Dawn's job to know all of the employees.

They could hear the fighting before they came upon it. The sound of broken glass greeted them as they both ducked as a chair from the waiting room came flying toward them through the glass panel door that led to the gym.

"HEY! STOP NOW!" Angel roared at the two men who were tossing each other around like rag dolls. Both men stopped their fighting and stared at her. They knew that her name might be Angel, but, she had the authority of the devil and could literally emasculate a man with her tone of voice and her words. No one wanted to lose their balls in front of her or the other employees that was for sure.

"What the hell is going on?"

No one spoke up and that pissed Angel off big time. "Someone tell me what the hell is going on or you're both fired!" She said calmly even though inside her she was seething with anger. They destroyed walls, doors and equipment in the gym and someone was going to pay for the destruction. It wouldn't be her and VPR that's for sure.

That was the worst thing she could have said because both men barraged her with their explanation as to what happened.

Holding up her hand, she yelled STOP again. "Marcus, what happened and I want the truth; you know I can sniff out a lie."

Her hands were on her hips and she stood tall and straight with an air of authority. She had to be tough or all the men would question her authority. Angel knew that men regardless of whether they are vampires, shape-shifters, white lighters or human, throughout time had been the strength in his family. He made decisions and expected his mate to follow them. Here was a woman giving the orders and if she wasn't strong, they would laugh at her and pay her no mind and her business would tumble like a child's blockhouse around her feet.

Sometimes Angel felt like a Cub Scout den mother settling arguments between little boys. So many different temperaments lived among the walls of VPR, all a part of the men and vampires she hired and when they clashed, it could be disastrous for them and VPR.

Marcus, a vampire she had hired two years earlier and the 1 vampire that she would go to battle with and believe him to have her back found the white lighter peeking in on the woman as they changed in the locker room, and then entered the locker room when the women went into the gym to work out.

"Angel, I told him to get out of the women's locker room and when he refused, I attempted to move him. Unfortunately, he is like a vampire and can de-materialize at will so there was no way for me to get a hold of him."

The white lighter kept trying to interrupt but Angel kept putting her hand up as if to tell him to wait. And, when Angel finally told him to speak, he did quickly never taking his eyes off Marcus.

"Angel, one of those women you hired yesterday is not who she told you she was. She is a vampire, yes, but, she is in the employ of a coven master from Greece, and if I remember correctly, he is not the least bit civilized." James, the white lighter said. He had a smirk on his face and he was still staring at Marcus as if to say fuck you asshole.

Angel was listening intently and when he stopped talking, she looked at him and waited for him to finish his explanation as to why he was sneaking around in the women's locker room.

"I needed to get proof of her employment before she came here, and the only way I could do that was to check her locker contents. Fortunately for me, the proof was right in front of me so I took it and tried to materialize out of the room but then Marcus came barging in and started hassling me." He held out the coven masters card and handed it to Angel.

Marcus looked first at Angel and then at James. As Marcus bent over Angels shoulder to look at the document, he felt his anger subside. James was just doing what he was hired to do. Protect Angel and the integrity of the company.

Angel looked up at Marcus and with her mind; she asked him if he had anything he wanted to say to James. He knew what she meant and he didn't hesitate and apologized to James for thinking him a pervert. They soon patted each other on the back, knocked knuckles, and went together to the gym to work out.

"Bye the way asshole." James said as he walked beside Marcus to the gym. "I am not a perv." He said it straight faced but before long he laughed and Marcus joined in.

"Hey, by the way. Before you two leave." Angel yelled. As the two walked down the hallway to the gym. "This damage is both of your faults. I'll be damned if VPR will pick up the tab for it all. I'll send you a list of things that both of you will pay for, you can decide how to pay me for it."

Both men watched their boss walk down the hall to her office. They knew she was pissed and they should pay their fair share of the damage so they both agreed and then went on their way to the gym.

Angel walked into her office and put the coven's business card down on her desk. She picked up her phone and asked Maria, her secretary to call down to the women's locker room and have Jessica come up to see her. Maria said okay and then asked Angel how everything was outside the gym. News travels quickly in this building and Angel knew that Maria had heard about the vampire and white lighter's fight. Angel said everything was okay, but then asked her to send a custodian up to the gym and hall to clean up the mess.

"Oh and Maria, call Louis and ask him to come and make the necessary repairs to the walls and glass and send me the bill." She knew she couldn't charge the men for all the damage they'd done, but they would pay some. They were just doing what they were hired to do; she just wished they would move their disagreements outside of the building where they could do no damage.

When she hung up, she reached into the bottom drawer of her desk, grabbed a wood stake and a silver knife, and placed them on her lap. She would be ready when Jessica came in, especially if Jessica had murder on her mind. If Jessica teleported into the room, that would show as a sign of aggression and Angel would be ready to pounce. No teleportation. That was one of the rules of the company and she knew that she had told the woman vampire the rules when she applied for the job. No teleporting into her office or any other room of the building at any time or risk being fired. That applied to all of the employees that could vanish or teleport.

There were many things going on at VPR that didn't need to be made known to the public, which is why Angel had all employees sign a confidentiality agreement before beginning work. If they broke the agreement, in any way, shape or form, they were disposed of, plain and simple. She didn't need the public terrified at the knowledge of what her company does, so she made sure that her employees kept their mouths shut.

Jessica appeared at the glass door of Angel's office and knocked on the door. Angel let her guard down just a bit but still stayed on high alert as she waved Jessica into the room.

"Please, have a seat." She said to waving to the chair directly in front of the desk.

Jessica looked at ease as she sat down, crossed her legs and put her hands on her lap and then smiled at Vanessa. "You wanted to see me?" She asked.

Angel smiled as she thought how well Jessica kept her composure. Usually if one is called into the boss's office within a week of hire, one would be jumpy and wonder what he did wrong. Jessica was at ease and calm leaving Angel to believe she was either innocent of attempting to infiltrate the company and report to the Greek coven master what she had learned OR she was just a good vampire with nothing to hide. Vampires are very good at hiding their feelings.

"Jessica it has come to my knowledge that you might be double teaming." Angel said matter-of-factly as she watched Jessica's face for any emotion that would prove James right. Jessica's eyes opened wide but that was the extent of her emotions.

"I'm sorry; I don't have a clue what you are talking about." Jessica said as she sat still in her chair, not moving a muscle.

"Did you meet James Venture yesterday while at the gym?"

"Yes, I believe I did. He seems like a nice person. Why?"

"James told me that he met you many years ago and that when he knew you, you worked for Peter Bogdono, a coven master from Greece. And, that Peter still bites, feeds and kills humans."

Angel waited for Jessica to speak. She had her hand on the silver knife ready to throw it if need be. She knew that if she did throw it at this close proximity, she was sure to watch Jessica crumble to dust.

Jessica was staring at her hands and when she looked up; Angel could see red tears on her face. That was totally unexpected and caught Angel off guard. She offered her a tissue and Jessica took it and said thank you. She waited for Jessica to gain her composure and then she asked her the question again.

"Are you double teaming? VPR and Bogdono?"

"No, no I'm not." She said and then continued. "When I saw James yesterday in the gym I kind of figured he would say something to you. And then when I saw him taking something from my locker a little while ago I knew for sure he was."

"Okay, But I'm still wondering why you had Bogdono's business card in your locker, and why you didn't just come to me sooner to let me know this. Didn't you think I would find out when you noticed James here?"

"I was going to give it to you so that your company could investigate him. You see I was released from his coven and protection months ago. I was surprised when he granted me the release but happy at the same time. I knew that he and his coven still fed off humans and killed them; I just wasn't sure how much you knew, or if you even knew about him. I swear to you I am not double-teaming. I don't want to drink from humans any longer, and I don't want to kill anymore. I had heard talk about you and your vampires and I thought what better way to stop my feeding off the innocent then to work around others like me who could train me to be a better vampire. I swear that is the truth." Jessica said as she blew her nose and she wiped her eyes once again.

Angel could tell that Jessica was telling the truth. She stood up, the wood stake, and knife falling to the rug below and she walked around the desk to where Jessica was standing. She hugged Jessica and welcomed her to the family.

After talking for a few minutes getting as much information from Jessica as she could about Peter and his coven, she thanked her and told her to find James and let him know about the information she had just told Angel. She then told Jessica that her training would start immediately and to report to the gym and the instructor that was waiting there for her. Jessica thanked her and left the office to look for James.

Angel then picked up the phone and asked Maria to call Marcus and her advisors and tell them there would be a meeting in Conference room B in an hour. Then she told her to call Dawn and tell her that Angel needed the folder and all information on Jessica Monroe she had sent up to her immediately.

Angel sat once again, closed her eyes, and leaned back in her chair, but not before she closed the blinds of the windows and locking the office door. She picked up the office phone and waited to her secretary's voice. "Maria, I don't want to be disturbed, for any reason. I mean it. Hold all my calls, and don't allow anyone in my office unless there is a tornado outside."

She hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair again. She just needed a few minutes of peace and quiet. Angel was still leaning back in her office chair, and still hearing the din of the office personal as they went about their work. Yet still her eyes stayed closed and she thought of everything that had happened over the first year of the completion of the building and VPR's official opening and ribbon cutting. It had been a long two years, but, VPR was flourishing and she had no complaints. Still, she wondered how long she could continue to work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week before crumbling. She needed a vacation, even if only for a few days.

Marias voice was loud and clear over the office intercom and Angel jumped out of her office chair as she opened her eyes. The constant din of her secretary's voice jarred her from her sleep. When she hit the button on the phone that would allow her to answer Marias question, she didn't have time to say anything. "You're late for your meeting, everyone is up in the conference room already, and they are wondering where you are." Maria said sternly not allowing Angel a word in edgewise.

Angel thanked her, grabbed the folder, and ran to the elevator. She punched in the code and when the doors opened, she stepped in. It would take her up to the second floor and the conference rooms. Inside the elevator, she listened to Billy Joel singing "Uptown Girl." He was her favorite artist, she had every one of his cd's, and of course, she had requested his music be played around the clock in the elevator.

She wasn't sure how many people liked Billy Joel, but, really, it didn't matter, she could listen to him 24-7. The elevator dinged when it reached the second floor and then the doors opened slowly. She bolted out of the elevator and collided with Marcus who was coming to look for her.

"Oomph" she said when she collided with him. "Damn Marcus why don'tcha just put me out of my misery and get it over with."

"Well you know it wouldn't hurt you to find yourself a man to keep you company so you're not here all the time. It's not like I can't handle situations like this you know."