Chapter 6
I Love you and I'm Sorry
A few rooms down the hall Sophie and Luke lay in her bed asleep. Her phone rings it was 6 in the morning who the hell dared call her this damn early? It was a general ring tone. Checking the number it was unknown. It also contained a London prefix. Thinking maybe Bobby had called from the hotel she answers with "unless you or dad is in trouble, I'm going to hurt you when I see you. Now what do you want?"
A voice Vamped voice comes on the line. "So they are here my contacts were right. Dear Sophie you were so rude the last time we chatted. You're not as fun as your sister. She really had no clue I thought for sure that idiot would have spilled the beans. My contacts say she had some trouble I hope everything is okay." Sophie threatens to hang up. The voice vamp system buzzed and crackled as the woman screams into the phone. "If you hang up on me I'll make sure to send you pieces of your father I know what hotel they are staying at."
Sophie fights the erg to cuss the bitch to a standstill she had been able to set a fire in London while here messing with Angel so someone or a group of people were working with her. If this call went to a number that wasn't disconnected she'd be surprised. So she played along. "What do you want why are calling us?" the woman started to speak but the voice vamp clicked off but she kept talking. Sophie hits record.
April Sharp heard a swooshing sound then it stopped. "I called you the first time because I wanted you to coax your father to put the building back on the market. He then signed over the business to you. Didn't you wonder how perfect strangers at your doctor's convention knew your exact title before it was published? Well missy. You had something that belongs to me. I had to destroy it or go to prison. I'm not that type. I was just going to buy the Corrigan building it held my organization's paper work. I would have left well enough alone if that father of yours had not of bought the building I wouldn't have had to take such drastic measures." Sophie asked what she and Angel had to do with it. "Angela's father, Sophia's first husband threatened me and destroyed some of my property. No one threatens a person in my position and gets away with it. The first time letting Angel hear the sound file of her own mother, my dearly departed friend say that she could never love her was priceless. Actually not priceless it was the price of a good recording device. I saw me telling Angel the truth about her mother as pay back. Oh you should have seen the look on her face when I called her the second time. I waited until her little yapping poodle of a boyfriend left and it was show time." Sophie asks what if he hadn't of left that night. "Then I would have done what I did with you, waited until he was asleep. Both of your fathers have wronged me. Chase owes me money he should have just let the payments from Sophia's death go through to the organizations on her list. Instead he kicked out a lot of organizations including mine. Jonathon had better be glad he didn't touch me the night he frightened me and destroyed my property. Or I would have given her way more than a fright. She's pregnant again, and I know a lot of wealthy buyers that could actually afford the child without help from their husbands, right here in Grandville South." Sophie texted Bobby and told him and her father to leave the hotel. She linked her call so Bobby could get a live feed. "In fact if Chase doesn't pay me, I might just have to offer one of the lonely childless couples of Grandville South or Houston the same amount that Sophia owed me. So in the spirit of fairness Chase has until November to pay me. Or the Ivey family will be two less before the year is through one will be adopted the other will be go missing forever."
Sophie had heard more than enough and she hoped Bobby got all he needed she was so mad she saw red as she spoke. "Are you done? Yeah you're done. Now see here you old ass bat my father don't owe you shit. Just like he didn't owe Sophia shit. Anything you cooked up with her, was at you own risk. If Jonathon pissed you off you should have went after him. I don't know who you are but I'll find out. You might want to work on running you fucked with the family because now I know one of the groups you hang with. Your little voice vamp was no match for my company's phone system. I've heard your voice before, and if I have to go through the entire roster of the GSSEC I will shut this city down one GSSEC husband at a time and they will have you to thank." Sophie says through clenched teeth "Good-bye" she ends the call and her phone rings but it's the (Theme from James Bond) Bobby's ring tone.
April hangs up. She calls her person in London. "What do you mean you lost them? Well find them our freedom and my reputation is at stake unless I can get some kind of bargaining chip namely the father. Okay I'll work from my end. No they are both in that house." April hangs up for her husband's home office phone. She couldn't have him find out about the organization. That Sophie Ivey she actually knew that April was a part of the GSSEC it wouldn't take her long to figure out. She'd called to move things along and told off on herself. She had a fluttering in her stomach but she knew it wasn't a child. Sophie wasn't afraid like Angel, she went for the jugular and did not wrap her wording in socialite riddles that made her different from Sophia. Everyone had a weak spot but April knew if Sophie Ivey started closing down shops looking for her she didn't have time to find dirt on her. Even if she found and told the dirt who would she have to tell it too, was the question? April hated to admit it to herself but for as well off as she was, her entire earnings from the organization and her husband's bank account would fit not fill one of the small accounts Ivey Enterprises had in their bank. Sophie told her to go after Jonathon instead of Angel. Jonathon was the one that scared her desperate time called for desperate measures. She typed in her husband's password and sat at this computer. She pulled Jonathon's number and the lease on the land he's using. Jonathon wasn't as big of a fish. His relationship to Sophia was why he would get no help for Ivey Enterprises. She called a few people from Houston and gave them the address and told them to wait for her signal.
Bobby called Sophie when she answers he quickly says "Whoa Sophie it's me Bobby." She asks him in a more calm tone than when she answered the phone did he get what he needed. "You won't have to shut down the city. I know her damn voice. She was in the hotel room. Her name is hold on." He flicks through his notepad and pulled up the file. Her name is April Sharp of Sharp Bank and Reality. Sophie don't do anything for once, I'm going to do this the way it should be done. I'm going to send you some paper work I don't need her getting off on something on our end. What she said was a threat to the family member of a government agent two of them in fact. Captain Harold Sean is her cousin and she's my sister. I'd do it myself but the feds don't like me right now call Harold get him involved besides it is going to take us 8 hours to get back to the states. We need to get moving on this because now you'll have her running scared. If I can find an address or her computer she had to run the recording through a computer to play it for Angel and the leak to the media. If Captain Harold isn't willing to listen to you I have another number for you but I'd rather try him first. Now that we know who is behind it we'll be careful she has someone trying to tail us. You can't sneak up on the sneaky. We're on our way to the airport. No don't worry about it we're in one of Chase's smaller cars." She tells him to be careful "I'm one of the best defensive drivers in Texas but once you drive there you can drive anywhere. I got this little sis talk to you later."
Bobby looks in the review mirror. "Okay dad I don't have jurisdiction so we're going to lose this tail the old fashion way. First I need you to sit that seat back so I can see." Chase powers the seat back as far as it will go. "Okay grab the oh-shit handle if you have to, cause it's about to go DOWN." Bobby steps on the gas and aggressively dodges in and out of traffic. 4 cars reveal that they are following them. "You kids make this so easy." Bobby shifts gears and suddenly forces one of the cars of the road. He yells a battle cry and hits the breaks, spins the car 90 degrees then takes off onto a dirt road. "Are you good dad?" Chase tells him to just watch the road. The three remaining cars were still chasing them. Bobby switches gears and speeds up turns the car and charges at the middle car it swerves and takes out the car to its right. Bobby speeds through them mere seconds after both of the cars try to make a u turn and crash into each other. They make it to the airport Bobby ditches the car and they walk two blocks to the private hanger. Chase calls the London branch of Ivey Transit to come retrieve his car. "I guess it's your turn to drive." Bobby says as they get in Chase's Jet. Chase smiles and tells him to strap in. He contacts air traffic control, and identifies himself and his airplane using the NATO alphabet they are cleared and Chase says it was time to go home. Bobby's eyes bugged out of his head as he yells "DAD, You're running out of runway"
"Don't worry son I got this." Chase says as they climb into the air.
Joshua got up and closed the curtains and climbed back in the bed. Angel's phone rings it was someone not in her network since it was the classic telephone ring. Joshua shushes it grabbing it he hits send and walks in the bathroom. "Hello?" He says with menace in his voice, if the prank caller was expecting to talk to his Angel again they were going to be in for a rude surprise. Sally tells him that they are here. She also asks in a concerned tone was everything ok? "I'm sorry mom, your number hasn't been given a distinctive tone yet when I heard the general ringtone. I thought you were …" Sally cut him off saying she knew who he thought she was. She'd called his phone and it clicked straight to voicemail. "Like I said I'm sorry, you said you're here are you in town or at Angel's house?" She said they were at the gate and the guard wouldn't let them on the property. He sighs "I have to wake her up, she or Sophie are the only ones that can give permission for someone to gain entry." Sally asked why he was afraid to wake Angel. "It's not fear to wake her I really don't want to. She didn't get to sleep until earlier this morning."
Out in the bedroom, Angel rolls over sits up when she notices Joshua wasn't in bed. She smiles he'd pulled the curtains closed he did that when they slept in. Looking for her phone to check the time not being able to find it she get on her hands and knees and looks under the bed. That is when she listens the bathroom wasn't soundproof he was in there on her phone because his phone was turned off and on charge. He said it had been acting up. Either that or he was talking to himself. They both were guilty of that if a song wouldn't leave them alone they would say the words in her phone then write it out later. Getting up she watches him ease out of the bathroom when he turns around he jumps at her voice when she asks "Call or Song?" He turns around waits for his vision to adjust to the darker room and says call as he walks over and asks her while she was up could she give his parents clearance to bring her truck in the yard. Angel says "I can do Sally and Michael one better. I'll have them on the list so they can drive in. Since I'll have to see their car and I'm not giving Cass carte blanche it will be better if I just go down there and handle this right the first time."
"Great um can you give my mom's number a ring tone please?" Angel looks at him and asks him what he said when he answered her phone. "Lucky for me, I just said hello. Did the phone wake you?" she tells him no, grabbing a camisole top with A happy face looking up, Joshua reads the shirt "I have a Crush on Your Mind your looks were just a Bonus" in gold letters across her chest and a pair of jeans she asks how she looks. "Do I want to know where you got the shirt?" She tells him Candy had gone on the shopping trip with her and Paula and picked out a few tops they had that matched. "That would explain the reason the shirt is red, white, and blue, you look great" Angel asks for her phone he hands it over she dials down to Frank and tells him to let them in.
She walks out of the room and down the hall as she is passing Sophie's room the door opens and Sophie power walks out and almost collides with Angel. "Are you okay what's wrong you looked major pissed?" Sophie says she had a few things to do and that she had found out who was behind the fucking prank calls, As Luke comes out of the room behind her Sophie starts walking ahead of her towards the stairs and says that now there was someone at the gate and if the bitch was dumb enough to come to her, Bobby wouldn't have to worry about turning her in. Angel runs in front of Sophie waving her hands saying "no, No, no, it's not the prank caller it's Joshua's Parents. So who is the prank caller?" Sophie points out that the Davenports were in town for a long time before they moved was Angel sure that the mother wasn't riding the GSSEC train while she was here.
Joshua had gotten dressed, walks out Angel's room, and says his mother had made her own money before she married his dad which put her out of the running for GSSEC. "She also didn't have time to drink in the middle of the day." Angel says. They all walk down the stairs and meet Sally, Cass, and Michael in the front yard. Angel walks behind Sally's car and takes a picture walks to the Guard shack sending the picture to Frank and tells him that Michael and Sally Davenport were to be added to the free admits list. He asked about the young lady driving their car. Angel shakes her head "No her name is Cassandra I don't care what her last name is. She's never to be let in when Sophie or I are not home or has not given you verbal or written permission to let her on the property." He nods she thanks him and marches back up the small hill to the cul-de-sac. Angel had meant what she said she wasn't going through another Megan situation. She felt her baby move or at least she thought she did. Either way she would try her best to not let people get her upset. Putting on her sunglasses before she reaches the group she puts out her hand to shake Sally's. Sally pulls her into a hug. She whispers that she was sorry Joshua had to wake her. Angel squeezed her back saying "I was awake when he came back in the room. It's fine now, because I need to give you and Mike the codes so you won't have to wait for me to let you in." letting go of Sally, Michael hugged her "Thank you for driving my truck back." he smiles and says she is welcome and asks how is she? "I'm okay" Angel turns to Cassandra the jet black haired woman had a scowl on her face. "I don't believe we've met my name is Angela"
Cassandra didn't know why but when her father hugged this perfect stranger she felt some type of way about it. Her mother was giving her the Davenport glare mouthing for her to fix her face. She put on a smile and reaches out and pulling Joshua to her side he tensed but did not pull away If she was going to be unconfutable might as well spread it around. "I'm Joshua's big sister Cassandra. I'm sure you've heard about me and depending on what mood he's in none of it was good. He was always so serious and I just like to have fun." Angel stepped closer and tells her to let him go. She releases him and he moves away from her. When Angel introducers her parents as Joshua's parents to Sophie Ivey and the cute guy named Luke, Cassandra had to correct her. "Wait, Angel I don't want you to be in the dark or surprised. I forgot to mention this, Joshua is."
"Adopted we know. No one is need of glasses." Sophie says in a bored tone. Looking at them you could tell, Sally was a trim older woman with dark brown and grey hair her coloring gave away that her maiden name according to Sophie's quick note research was Sanchez. Michael was a few inches taller than Joshua that put him at 6'2 his pure white hair and eyelashes and pale skin said that he was an older blond. Cassandra had a fake orange tan and blue-black hair that framed her chubby face. Sophie had seen the looks on the girl's face when Michael hugged Angel. The parents must have made a great first impression on her when they went to Colorado because Angel didn't even flinch when they hugged her. Though she didn't get any crazy vibes from them, she wasn't sure about the sister. She was sure the bitch had better stop staring at her for cutting her off. "Cassandra Jealousy is so hideous on you green is not your color." Luke puts a hand on her back and tells the little gathering that they had to get going. While narrowing her eyes at Cassandra Sophie says "Angel if you need anything, call me." Seeing Jonathon drive through the gate in his Range Rover Sophie thinks to herself well the playing field just leveled.
He gets out of the car after he greets those he knows and is introduced to Joshua's family after saying their goodbyes Sophie and Luke leave. He noticed the glances that the young Davenport woman is throwing towards Joshua, his girl, and himself. He looks down at his shirt then meets her eyes knowing she would be following his every move. "It's not polite to stare at people. I assume you're a lovely young woman. Please don't make and ass out of me." It was a dirty trick but it seemed to work she smiled and reintroduced herself. Using her eyes and pronouncing her full name this time not just Cass. "That's a lovely name Cassandra" He made sure to drag her name across his tongue to get the response he wanted she breaks eyes contact and smiles looking not at his girl but at the ground. "As I said my name is Jonathon Lee McBride It's pleasure to meet you."
Everyone including Joshua's parents stared in shocked silence. They'd all stopped talking to each other. Cassandra notes their scrutiny and purrs "You heard Mr. McBride It's not nice to stare." Angel invites everyone in to the house they had all started moving onto the steps. Upon moving into the atrium Michael comments on the good construction of the house and that it looked solidly built Angel tells him that the home was built in the late 60s and about the add-ons almost 17 years ago. She leaves out the part about the soundproofing. Cass asks "So Angela where is the Restroom? You've driven up to us so you know that 12 hour drive can be brutal."
Angel smiles that was the longest non snotty comment that Casandra had said to her since she'd arrived. "Yes even though I wasn't driving try riding for long periods of time with a little guy sitting on your bladder." Jonathon excuses himself asking did anyone want anything to drink. Her father's spell he'd casted on Cass must have broken because she was back to her slightly rude self the minute he left the room.
Cassandra says "Oh dear I thought you were just fat." Angel takes off the sunglasses with a smirk gives Cassandra a very slow New York once over, asks her was she pregnant if so was she in her last trimester. "You don't have to be a cow about it. That doesn't look like one of them maternity shirts. How was I supposed to know? Are you sure it's Boy's?" Oh something flashed in little Miss Angela's eyes. Well served her right. Joshua was glaring at her and telling her to watch her mouth. "I know where my mouth has been Joshua can you say the same? You know everyone she kisses you get a taste." Joshua steps forward Angela still looked pissed or hurt. Cassandra was on fire she mentally pats herself on the back. "SO are you still so mad at me for being wrong about you being pregnant or not that you are not going to show me the bathroom?"
Angel folds her hands on top of her belly and leans back on Joshua so he wouldn't grab his sister and throw her from the house though it would be fun to watch. "Cass before I show you another room of my home. I want to get something straight. Right now there are two things that will get you removed." Cass puts her one hand on her hip steps closer saying she's listening with her other hand up to her ear. "Make that three, back up. Don't ever walk up on me. I don't like it and it's not appropriate." Joshua moves her back a little stepping in front of her but to the side." Two if you continue to dehumanize my son he is him not it. Three if you call me out of my name or disrespect me one more time. I am not a cow. Now if you can refrain from acting like a spoiled brat then I'll show you the facilities, if you choose to continue I'll show you the door."
Cassandra steps forward Joshua slides in between them glaring at her He snarls "Cassandra you know I won't hit you, but I will NOT let you hit her. Now BACK OFF" Cassandra claws him with her fingernails across the face. He put his hand up to his cheek when he takes his hand away and sees blood he yells at her to "GET OUT NOW!" She starts yelling and cussing him out for defending a perfect stranger over her.
Angel screams "ENOUGH" she calls Frank and tells him to come to the house. Jonathon runs out of the kitchen. Asking what the hell is going on.
Cassandra could make herself cry on cue, she turns on the water works and says "Nothing new, I bend over backwards for the little brother that hates me." Sally tells Cass to stop the fake crying and just go to the car. Jonathon looks at Michael who has sat down with his head in his hands. Sally starts yelling at Cass who is still standing near Joshua who has a scratch across his cheek. Angel stands at the door with her phone up to her ear. When Frank comes in Jonathon puts up a hand and says he'll take Cassandra where she needs to go. Sally thanks him he takes Cassandra gently by the arm and guides her to his car. As they passed Angel she starts texting.
Angel: DAD what are you doing?
Jonathon: Defusing a bad situation. Go entertain your in-laws and put something on that boy's face we have a photo shoot in two weeks.
Angel: Thanks daddy (Smiley face emoticon)
Jonathon: You're welcome Honeypot (toothy grin emoticon)
They get to his vehicle and Cassandra says "I don't know if this is such a good Idea I don't even know you."
"Well My dear you have two options you can get in the car or you can wait on the bench outside the gate until your parents come out." she asks why she can't just sit in the car that she drove here. "Do you have the key any longer?" She says she can just run in and get them from her father. Jonathon put on his wrap around gold tinted driving sunglasses. "That wasn't one of your choices I don't know how it started. Angela rarely calls the security up to the house but if you go back in the house right now you will be escorted to the bench and told to leave. This way you leave and no one calls the police. I'll take you where you want to go with the exception of driving you back to Colorado."
"So my new sister hates me too. I didn't know she was pregnant. With some people you can't tell." He asks what she did. She tells him. A muscle jumped in his face from him holding his mouth close so tightly. "Let me guess you hate me too."
Jonathon gets in the car "I don't hate you I just don't like cattiness where there is no need. From what I witnessed in the yard and your comments to my girl inside the house. You throw the word hate around so easily but your behavior pushes people away. Your mere presence screams hostility. I am going to tell you something my Da told meh." He says something in Gallic to remember the wording then says "It means young one, you can't live in this world by yourself no one is an Island."
She gets in the car and Jonathon pulls out of the yard. She says "I have tried to be nice to Joshua but it's like he won't let me. He is always so angry at me then I get angry at him for not letting me close to him. After I have tried and bombed I get mad and draw the only card I have in my deck, the fact that he's adopted. Today when I saw my daddy hugging Angela and her hugging him back it just made me feel angry so I guess I didn't handle it very well. I don't want to be replaced." Honest tears spilled down her cheeks.
Jonathon reaches over and hands her a tissue. "I don't know the root of your issue with Joshua but his personality is naturally guarded and he keeps everyone at arm's length. I am sure that your personal relationship with him would do much better if when you see him on guard if you wouldn't attack him and keep hammering into him that he is adopted. It's never far from his mind, trust me, he knows. Your parents didn't replace you they helped out another hurting soul in need of their love. My girl doesn't trust easily for your father to hug and make her feel comfortable enough to hug him back is a mile stone. Angela is not marrying your brother to replace you she is marrying someone that she trusts. Are you married?" Cassandra smiles and says she was, her smile fades when she tells him but her husband ran off with her best friend. "I'm sure that he was an idiot when you're not pretending to be top bitch you're a nice person. Is that life change what caused you to move in with your parents once more? At first she glares at him then says yes she was starting over. They stop on the side of the road. She looks alarmed and tells him she has a stun gun. "My hands I assure you will say where they are." he looks over at her "Your too young to be this angry. You're a pretty young lady I want you do yourself a favor the ring you have on your wedding finger put it in your pocket. If you are starting over give yourself a chance for a real restart. I'm going to reach in my shirt pocket." With two fingers he pulls out a card and hands it to her. "That is the number to a relationship coach for divorced or widowed people that needs to move on." Sighing he puts his hand back on the wheel after starting up the car.
Cassandra asks "Are you a counselor? If so you're really good." His lips firm and he speeds up reentering traffic.
"No I'm a client. I've been where you are. You're angry at all the wrong people you and your beau were you together long?"
"We dated in high school then got marred almost 17 years ago when I got kicked out of my house. He would cheat on me and I would take him back. My older brother beat his ass then we got back together." She pulled a picture out of her wallet and stared at it. "I was mean to the wrong person back then and I can't fix it." She didn't turn on the water works they came on their own. "I put my relationship over my family. My older brother and I didn't get along until Joshua was brought into the house Josh got there and then we sort of had a common enemy. It was a plus for me because when Chad and I would fight, I could go home and take it out on Joshua. Your right I am angry. I was mad at the wrong person. Chad my ex sort of looks like Joshua and it not Josh's fault. My brother Bradly and I took it too far and then when he were forced to move I moved Chad in with us. My parents were so mad at me in particular. My mother said that she was disappointed in me. Our parents have hated me ever since."
"I don't know your parents but I am a parent myself, and they don't hate you or they would not have let you back into their home. They may be disappointed because they know there is good in you and you refuse to let it show. Starting over is never easy. She asks him what he does for a living besides help fat mean chicks make and ass out of him.
He smiles at that. "I'm a Record Producer. You're not fat if you are healthy for your frame you're fine. Two questions what do you do for a living, and where is it you want go?"
"Thanks really, I was supposed to spend the night in our old house it's now Joshua's but since I totally fucked that up I guess I'm staying in a hotel tonight. He wouldn't want me there. He was warning me to back up and I made the situation ten times worse. I guess I should have stepped back I wasn't going to do anything to her. When he stepped in front of her and threatened to put me out. I scratched the shit out of him. I think because that's what I wish I had the nerve to do to Chad. When he put me out the only thing is Chad would have slapped me in to the wall."
"Cassandra you have to stop taking your past out on Joshua just because he resembles your ex. I want to give you some words of wisdom and a warning." They pull up in the parking lot of the Grandville Ivey Hotel. She gets out of the car and stands at his window. "Call that number you need an outlet for you inner rage. Now comes the warning you said you weren't going to do anything to my girl when you walked closer and ended up scratching your brother across the face. If you ever put your hands on my daughter. I'm not Chad I won't hit you I with my hand. I'll put a fucking bullet in your brain." She steps away from the car. He drives off with her standing in the middle of the parking lot staring after him with a shocked expression on her face. He meant it every word.
Sally stands at the front door watching Angel pull her truck into the garage. The security guard had returned to his post. This trip had taken a lot out of her husband both physically and emotionally. Michael sat in the chair he had been sitting in and had nothing left he sat there asleep. Cassandra had agreed that she was going to try to be nice. She'd said she wanted to try to bond with Joshua well her bonding attempt failed. Sally was just glad Joshua wasn't like Cassandra's Ex-husband or Cassandra would have been picking herself up off the floor after a stunt like that. When Jonathon took Cassandra out of the house Joshua excused himself and so did Angel who'd went to pull her truck in the garage Joshua had went up the stairs.
Angel walks up the stairs and meets Sally's gaze. Sally gives her back the Keycard Angel had given her. Angel takes it. "You don't have to give this back you and Michael are still welcome here. I understand if you Michael and Cass are a package deal then it's for the best to return it. I'm going to check on Joshua." Sally takes the card back and says she was afraid that her daughter's action had tainted their new very tentative connection they were building. "I'm not angry at you or Michael, it may be wrong of me, but I'm mad as hell at Cassandra right now. I tried to keep an open mind but from her first step on my property she has done nothing but belittle me and I really don't like people walking up on me. Angel continues into the house and sees Michael asleep in the chair. "He can take a nap in the bedroom on this level its right through that door and to the left. If Joshua got any of his get there attitude from Michael he tried to drive the whole way nonstop didn't he?" Sally nods and walks over to her husband and pats his shoulder telling him to come get in a bed before he can't move when he wakes up. Michael opens his eyes he looked at his wife then over at her asking was she sure she didn't mind him sleeping for a few minutes. "No please, like I said to Sally the bedroom is on this floor so you don't even have to deal with any stairs." Angel watches Sally help Michael to his feet and into the bedroom Chase used when he was recovering. Sally turns to her and says thank you. "You're welcome you guys brought my truck all the back here and I really do appreciate it."
Joshua paced Angel's bedroom floor swinging and kicking into the air. When she walks in he stops. Angel could tell he was pissed. He'd taken off his shirt which meant that he been up here shadow boxing or whatever martial he did when he got mad. "Come on let's get that treated." Angel walks into her bathroom he follows her wiping the sweat off his face and chest with the shirt that had his blood on it. He says that the shirt was toast might as well use it for something. She motions for him to sit on the tub. He complies they are eye level she turns around and grabs a cotton pad from her make up drawer. He tells her they weren't on stage and he wasn't shiny so he wasn't wearing make-up. "You're going to wish it was make-up. This might sting." She puts the pad to his cheek he closes his eyes tightly. Angel felt worse with every flinch as she cleaned his cheek. She knew he needed it cleaned but she still hated to hurt him. She then used the cream that Paula used on Janet lucky there was some left. It must have not burned because he opened his eyes. "For the first few hours the box says it's better to cover the abrasion with a bandage." She says in a quiet tone, and places a bandage on his cheek making sure to put the pad over the 2 inch cut on his cheek. He grabs her hands she finally meet his eyes. He asked why she looked on the verge of tears. "I know that shit hurts and even though I wanted to make sure to get it clean I still am sorry I hurt you. I really wish first aid came up with something that didn't hurt as bad."
He brings both of her hands up to his mouth and kisses them. "Thank you, Angel it stung, not even for that long with you blowing on it I'm fine, I was more pissed than hurt that's why I left the room." She asks did he need some more alone time. "You want to know what I need right now?" She nods her head yes. "I need to kiss my Angel, I want to wipe that worried look off your face and replace it with a one of your brilliant smiles that lights my world." He let her hands go. She leans in kissing him.
Hours later, Captain Harold Sean sat in Mark and Paula's kitchen with Sophie. Luke, and Mark. He looks through the packet Bobby had Sophie print out. Sophie had asked for this meeting. He and his family had come down for the 4th and hadn't left yet. Since he was here on business during the time that Mark married his sister his wife Natalie hadn't met Paula so they had decided to fly down from New York while Mark and he were on vacation at the same time. His now 17 year old son Ian and Janet had went with Natalie and Paula to shop for baby stuff for Paula's baby shower. Harold had insisted his son go because he didn't want anyone messing with his sister, wife or his niece. Ian was 6 foot tall 200 pounds blonde and most of the time looked pissed off at the world.
Sophie bounced her knee under the table if Harold wasn't going to help, Bobby had someone else to do so. What she wanted to do was walk into Sharp's home and deal with the bitch herself. Luke puts a hand on her knee. "So Captain Sean can you do anything or not?" Harold says that this explained a lot of a certain suspended Agent's case. He asked her few questions about the calls. "Yes Agent Hawk said you, him and your STOP team were present when April tried to take a picture of Jonathon McBride after Sophia Springer killed herself."
"I'll set everything up thank you. I know this is personal for you but I must ask you not to involve yourself. Has she contacted Angela Ivey since this recording?" Harold plays the call that sent Angel into the hospital. Sophie waves for him to turn it off she hadn't heard it. Angel told her what was said and she'd just sent the image of the call transmission to Bobby. She tells Harold not to her knowledge. "Agent Robert Hawk will need to meet with me before any action is taken you said he was out of the country." Sophie says he should be back by now and why he'd went in the first place. "I'm going to have plain clothes agents including your brother around you both if this woman is who she is on paper she could very well be dangerous. I doubt she will stay in the area long but if she moves we will know where. What I need for you to do is go about your normal business if she gets wind that she is being watched she still is an important figure or the wife of one at least." Sophie says she can fix that. "No Ms. You can't right now. It's not her that I am concerned about. If she is who she is proclaiming to be and is behind the arson to your London branch. She has a link to some very dangerous people that have almost a faith based following of her. In our records she is called the mother. Since she has made this threat. Until I call you I need your sister to stay either in a secure location and not to go anywhere alone. Until I can set up the teams. I have one more question for you. Has Robert Hawk spent any time in Angel's presence?" Sophie says no. Harold says "well it seems it time for this "suspended" Agent to spend some time with his sister I want to make it obvious that he is there. The other agents will shadow. Not only them but yourself, and also Chase. Do you think Angie would give away that this is not something normal I don't need her appearing uncomfortable with him there. There is an Agent on my team that claims to know her from high school if you don't think Angel will be comfortable with Robert maybe the other agent can come for a visit."
Sophie recognized what Harold was doing. He'd showed even in his detached way that he cared. He'd slipped and called Angel, Angie which was what Janet sometimes called her. He was setting up a shield. "NO If I know who you are talking about, the guy asked Angel on a date after blowing away Braden. He would creep Angel out, Bobby would be more um believable. I'll call her and tell her not to leave the house until Bobby gets there. You said something that is really true it is personal and if you let that bitch slip through your fingers, I will pop her part of the Granville bubble because she can't lead the underground without access to money. Faith is one thing but the people she has working for her wants to be paid."
"Ms. Ivey I'll never repeat this in court but if I can't wrap the entire organization I will take off the head. It's not only personal for you. The whole origin behind how this woman make's her money sickens me. I have a vested interest to close this shit down. Angel is kin of not only you but of me now and if this program moves into my line of fire I'll pull the trigger my damn self. Also my sister is pregnant this program goes for people that have status all of the woman that were kidnapped were either entertainers, wealthy for other reasons, or their family members, or government. The woman that escaped an opened this case was Grandville's own Mayor's daughter. Mrs. Brooks escaped but what people don't know is that she is in a mental institution in another state and her mother is raising the child. I will not allow this high society Bitch to rip apart my damn family. If you are going to call Angie use my phone it will block any outside surveillance." Sophie takes his phone looks at Mark who looked how she felt, sick. Luke squeezes her thigh as a reassurance that he was there for her. She gets up and says she'll make the call in the living room.
Paula walks in along with Natalie, Janet, and Ian. She is surprised to see Sophie here but she is alarmed why everyone looked off. Mark was pale, Luke just looked uncomfortable, Harold was angry, and Sophie had just got up and left the room. Mark sees her, gets up walks over and hugs her and Janet to him. She whispers in his ear. "Mark what's wrong? Why is Sophie here? Has something happened? " She was afraid of his answer but she had to know. He kisses her cheek and tells her they would talk later. Releasing them he tells Janet to make sure Pain and Panic the two adult Bull Mastiffs (Glenn's dog Row's Mom and dad) weren't tearing up her room saying he heard scratching. Ian says he'll help her out. The kids leave the room. Natalie is met with the same behavior from Harold he gets up and hugs his wife. Luke excuses himself. "Mark your scarring me what the hell happened? Is Angel okay?" Paula asks. Sophie was a friend but something was not casual about this meeting. Harold explains what he knows about the call that sent Sophie down to have a meeting with him. Paula and Natalie hug them self as their husbands hug them tightly.
Luke watches Sophie pace the living room. "She would have no reason to put this number in her phone. I just hope she answers."
Angel phone rings as her and Joshua are sitting down to lunch with Sally and Michael who looks a lot more awake now. The general old telephone ring was a dead giveaway that it was someone not in her network. Angel answers with Joshua ready to grab the phone if it was anyone with a message. She hits record it clicks back off. Now she is nervous "Hello?" She hears a recorded message saying this transmission was a non-recordable call. "If I can't record I'm hanging up."
Joshua grabs the phone "HELLO?" he says through clenched teeth this shit started with a recording right before they went to Houston, when Sophie comes on the line, Joshua's whole face changes, as he gives it to Angel and tells her. "It's your sister"
Angel takes the phone "Hey sis, whose phone are you on?" Sophie tells her "oh tell them I said hi. Don't tell me your phone is acting up too? No, I wasn't going anywhere. Why?" Sophie tells Angel about the call and her meeting with Harold and his instructions. Angel meets Joshua's eyes then gazes at his parents. "I don't think I could get to far alone. I won't. Are you on your way back? Please be careful. That's what you meant by you knew who it was. I remember what she looks like. Sophie I'm not going to lie to you I'm afraid." Sophie tells her to not stress about it that this was going to be taken care of. "I need to get off of here. Please call me when you're on your way or Bobby and Dad lands. Love you too sis bye." Angel pushes end she felt cold and her baby boy didn't want the soup or the ham sandwich anymore. She felt like a bunch of butterflies had been released in her abdomen. Placing her hand on her stomach she gets to her feet and says as Sally looks up at her "No you guys finish eating. I'm just not hungry anymore." Joshua points out that she hadn't ate anything and she was shivering, He asks her to please sit down and feed his son. Usually that would work not this time. "If I eat right now he'll send it back up." The smell of her favorite soup was making her ill. "I need to lie down." Joshua gets to his feet asking his mom to cover their food please. He walks up the back stairs with her. She gets in her bed under her microfiber King-sized throw and her wrestling quilt. He gets in facing her.
Joshua takes her phone and belt clip off and puts it on the night stand behind his head. "Babe, don't shut me out, talk to me. What'd Sophie say?" Angel tells him he scoots closer and hugs her. Joshua wasn't afraid he was pissed off. "You were right when you said you'd have a hard time going out by yourself." She told him she really didn't intend on leaving the house. He thought he knew why but he asked because he didn't want to assume. Is that because of the 2nd call or Dr. Barnes?"
Angel sighs, lies on her back, and looks him in the eye. "Both, I wasn't going to skip Session or therapy with Middlebrooks but I just didn't want to be out right now. I know you don't like it when I hide in the here but right now I can't think of a place I get a break. She proved she can watch us or have us followed. So we don't have an advantage there like with only a few people knowing where you live. Your place is two levels with no way of preventing people from walking on the property with us none the wiser. She could send someone right up to the door. I don't think her or her people can see in here."
Joshua runs a finger across her lips then kisses her. "No one could see you up here. Even if she knew what window was yours, which I bet you she doesn't, the windows to the bedrooms have one side tinting that prevents people for seeing anything but the light in the ceiling. The only reason I knew you were in the room when I would stand on your balcony is because the door was cracked." She gets up and turns the light out, checks the balcony door, and crawls back into bed. "Relax babe we couldn't go to my house right now anyway my parents and Cass are spending the night there. Remember?" He jumps up "Fuck I didn't lock my music room before they got here." She stares at him, confusion laces her features. "Cassandra is in my house she has a key it's where they were told they were staying. She is the whole reason I was going to lock it. Now she's pissed at me so I may not have a music room by the time they leave tomorrow. I swear after they leave I'm changing my locks." He sits down on the bed with his head in his hands. "I got to go. There's over 15 grand worth of shit in there some of it I can't replace. The violin I was playing your song on. I got from the Vitamin String Quartet they played at the Davenport and I was kidding when I told them their fee was the band charge plus a Violin. By the end of the night I felt like that credit card commercial. Band fee 250 dollars having the lead hand me his Violin, signed, Priceless, but only to me. Cassandra would see it as something that I like and smash it. I have insured most of it but against theft or shit like that I can't send them pictures of a broom through my speakers or her smashing my AC/DC guitar. If I go right now maybe I can stop her. He kisses Angel and dashes towards the door. Angel gets up and runs blocking the door he almost collides with her If he hadn't of seen her in time he would have run her into the door. He'd quickly put his arms out to the side of the door frame to stop his forward motion. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She flinches at his outburst and stammers saying she didn't want him to go. When she asked what if April is watching." Joshua's anger at Cassandra and the residual fear of almost crushing Angel into the door released his inner retard as he called it when the words flew from his mouth he wished right then he could suck them back in. "I CAN HANDLE ME. SHE"S NOT LOOKING FOR ME. NOW MOVE!" When he drops his hand from the door frame to reach for the doorknob her eyes widen she flinched and ran in the bathroom. When he heard the bathroom door lock. He starts smacking himself in the head. "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID" He opens the door and dashes down stairs to his car and peels out of her garage. Candy calls him. He hit the surround sound phone link. "Yeah what" She asked were they back yet? "From where, Yeah we're back" He catches her up on what she missed and ends it with him scaring Angel. "I don't know what she thought I was going to do but she looked fucking terrified drew in on herself and ran in the bathroom locking the door behind her."
"She probably thought you were going to knock her out the way. Joshua, why am I on speaker phone anyway? Who else is listening?" He tells her no one he's driving back to his house to see if he can salvage his music room since Cassandra is probably wrecking it right about now. "Joshua, please slowdown that must have been you flying down the hill. So you just left? Well you wanted her out of your way she moved." He yells he has 15 grand in invested in his music room and he didn't need it smashed to pieces and ends with she wouldn't understand. "You right Joshua, I don't understand why you even proposed since a part of your house is more important than your relationship. Yeah over the years you spent some sick amount of money for your career. Usually I'm on your side I can't this time bro you were way wrong" he ends the call.
Joshua pulls up in front of his house jumps out the lights were still out. He walks in his house was just as he left it. Cassandra wasn't there. He walks to his music room pulls the door closed. Sighing he'd come this far might as well do what you came for. He locks the door to his music room, locks his front door and slowly walks back to his car. The hair at his nape was standing straight up. He looks around and quickly gets into his car. Starting it up he still felt uneasy. Before he can react someone puts a gun to his head and tells him to drive. Swallowing hard he says "Where?"
"Until I tell you to stop. You speed you die." The man switches hands and takes Joshua's phone. "Turn left here. I like your music." Joshua says killing him will not help that. "You're funny too." Joshua meets his eyes in the mirror. "Don't look at me watch the road. Stop here. GOOD boy take the keys out of the ignition." Joshua tells him he can have the car. A person walks to the window with a gun drawn. "Ah we are just in time get out of the car."
Joshua get outs out slowly as he is met with three other guns in his face. The woman in the middle tells him to get on his knees. "Are you shitting me?"
April Sharp smiles and says "no but I if shoot you. You'll shit yourself. Want to try me?" he shakes his heads no. "GOOD boy" He glares at her "What you gonna bring a knife to this gun fight?" She purrs. "Start recording" the guy that was in the car takes his phone out and points it at him. "Hi Angel, Bye Angel, Joshua, wave good-bye to Angel. DO it." He waves at his phone. He knew his phone's speaker was crap so all she would get was him waving at her. They were far enough away that the guns wouldn't be visible until someone shot him. He mouths "I'm Sorry." Staring into the lenses of his phone. April says in a board tone "Touching really. Let's finish." Joshua never stop looking at his phone mouthing I love you and I'm sorry. April squats in front of him staying back far enough not to be in his shot. "You're the star thank you for the pass card and the car that will get me on the property. You're so giving." He begs her not hurt Angel. "Hurt No this will devastate her, when she's forced to watch it over, and over, and over, again while we wait for a good day to take your child out of her. If she comes quietly in the night we may tell her where you are after her delivery of the cargo."
It was probably the stupidest thing he could do but he had to try. He tries to jump to his feet and attack her. The man behind him quickly puts a cloth over his face. Joshua tries to move the guys hand and hold his breath so he wouldn't breathe in the wet stuff on the rag. April punches him in the stomach. His air whooshes out of him and he breathes in. He felt himself floating he reaches toward April. One of his last thoughts as his body trembles on its own "I Love you Angel. I'm sorry"
"He's out put him in the car." April says as she quickly texts to Sophie on Joshua's phone.
Joshua: Tell Chase to pay me or this goes to Angel.
Sophie: WTF
Joshua: Have my money or she'll watch him wave Good-bye
Sophie watched the video the look on his face was painful to watch and she wasn't even in love him. He kept saying he loved her and He's sorry but she couldn't hear. When he lunges forward she couldn't unglue her eyes from the little scene. Whoever was recording took the camera off his face. From his midsection down he starts flailing and jerking and then goes still. The last part had her telling Luke to speed up. They must have thrown him to the ground he hit so hard she flinched. His eyes were open but unfocused. His keycard is held out in front of the camera and the video shuts off.
Author's note: Thanks for continuing to read. Feel free to leave a review. :End Note