Author's notes: The lyrics to the song "The Comfort Zone" were written by Kipper Jones & Reggie Stewart. LO:CI characters belong to Dick Wolf and company. This chapter is rated M for liberal use of the f bomb. Any mistakes made are my own. Read, review and enjoy:o)
Tuesday, August 15
Angel's Home 11:20 p.m.
Angel placed her cell phone on the nightstand, shaking her head. "Oh boy," she said to herself. She laid there in her bed underneath the
king size lightweight summer quilt her grandmother had made for her when she was 6. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what
she had just said to Bobby. "Well, you definitely know what you want," she said to herself. Then she turned on her side, hugging a
pillow. She listened to the rain hitting her roof before falling asleep.
Two years ago
1st Sunday in August, Bobby's apartment
Angel was watching the rain fall from the 2nd bedroom window when she heard the apartment door open and Bobby's voice
saying, "Angel, I'm back." She moved away from the window and headed towards the living room. "Oh my goodness," she
exclaimed as she walked in and caught sight of him. He was drenched from head to toe. "I see you forgot your umbrella," she
said with a smile as she stepped over to help him out of his sport jacket. Bobby placed 2 plastic bags on the counter before
shrugging out of it, handing the soaking wet garment to Angel. "I thought it wasn't suppose to rain until tonight," he said to
her retreating back. Angel emerged from the bathroom with a towel in her hand, having hung the jacket up to dry.
"Tomorrow night is what the weather person had said," she replied as she handed him the towel. Bobby thanked Angel as he
started drying his hair. "Hey! Stop that!" she said with a laugh. Bobby had shaken his head a little and got some water on her.
He just smiled at her.
Bobby noticed Angel had on one of his NYPD t-shirts and some white socks. He looked at her and wondered if she had on
anything underneath. Having caught him staring at her, Angel said, "Yes, I have on underwear and shorts. You wanna see?"
Bobby shook his head and smiled. "I'll take your word for it." He hung the towel around his neck and started unbuttoning his
shirt as he walked into the kitchen. On the stove were 2 different sized pots. "Did you cook?" he asked, taking the lid off of
the larger pot which held green beans. Angel answered, "No. My best friend's mom actually made dinner for us. There's a pan
of chicken and dressing and a pan of macaroni and cheese in the oven. The smaller pot has giblet gravy in it. All I did was
stop by the store and bought the rolls." She pointed to the chocolate cake that was sitting on the counter near the microwave.
"I did make the cake though."
"Wow. That was very kind of her. Please…please thank her for me" "I will. You want to eat now?" Bobby glanced at the
clock on the microwave. It read 5:35 p.m. "Maybe later. I'd like to take a short nap. I'm kind of beat." Captain Deakins had
called him at 2:00 a.m., asking him to partner temporarily with Detective Capshaw until her partner, who was the more
senior of the two, came back into town on Monday. When Bobby had come back home from the crime scene, it was 9:00 a.m.
and Angel had been heading out the door to wait outside for her ride to church. He had taken a shower and changed clothes
before going to visit his mom. Bobby had taken off his shirt and had it hanging over his arm, but Angel took it, heading
towards the bathroom. He lightly grabbed onto her wrist and said, "I can take it in there. You don't have to do that." She
placed her hand over his and looked up at him with a smile. "I don't mind. I like feeling useful." Bobby sighed before he
kissed her on the forehead and let go of her wrist. Angel walked off towards the bathroom. Bobby picked up the 2 plastic bags
and headed towards his bedroom to finish undressing.
By the time Angel had come out of the bathroom, Bobby had changed into a t-shirt and lounging pants. He was sitting on the
foot of the bed, taking off his socks. She sat Indian style next to him. "Did you have a good visit with your mama?" Bobby
nodded. "It was nice. We went down to the cafeteria and had brunch together. We even did a crossword puzzle together."
"That's good." Bobby reached behind him, grabbed one of the 2 plastic bags and handed it to Angel. "What's this?" she
asked as she reached into the bag and pulled out a small box. "Just a little something for you to…to remember me by." Bobby
watched as Angel ripped the wrapping paper off and opened the box. Inside was a gold necklace with a heart shaped pendant
attached to it. She covered her mouth and looked at Bobby, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's very beautiful, Bobby," Angel
managed to say as she uncrossed her legs and threw her arms around his neck.
Angel and Bobby held onto each other for a few minutes. She finally sat down again and looked at the necklace, her head
resting on his shoulder. "Do you like it?" he asked. Angel nodded her head vigorously. She lifted her head and looked deep
into his eyes, her hand on his cheek. "This is such a nice gift. I didn't even think to get you anything. I'm sorry." "Please,
don't be. You're spending your last week in New York with me. That's a great gift." With the box still in her hand, Angel
grabbed Bobby's t-shirt to pull him down onto the bed, on top of her. "Well, how about I give you a greater gift?" she
whispered. Bobby gave her a mischievous grin and said, "Well, that's what in the 2nd bag." "What's in the 2nd bag?" "Two
12-pack boxes of condoms. I intend to go through BOTH boxes this week." Angel raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You on
something I should know about?" He shook his head as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip. "God, you are such a freak,"
she said playfully against his lips. Bobby moved to where Angel could feel his growing erection. He whispered seductively in
her ear, "That…is one of my more endearing qualities," before ravishing her neck with kisses.
Wednesday, August 16
The Devil's Playground, CA 11:00 a.m.
"What the FUCK is this?!" Frank James Devlin a.k.a. Frankie Devil said to Franco Holland and Francisco Torres a.k.a. Frick and
Frack. They were in the office of Devlin's new nightclub which was going to be opening today in Hollywood. Frick and Frack were
standing in front of his desk, heads hanging low. Devlin held in his hand a cell phone. He waved it under Franco's nose. "Frankie 1,
what the hell is this?!" "A cell phone," he mumbled under his breath. Devlin then waved the phone under Francisco's nose. "What the
fuck is this, Frankie 2?!" "A...a...a cell phone, boss." Devlin rocked back and forth in his executive chair. "Well, I am SO FUCKING
glad you 2 morons know what a cell phone is!" Devlin stood up and threw the phone. It whizzed dangerously close by Francisco's ear
before breaking into a lot of little pieces against the wall. He was about to start yelling when there was a knock on the door. "What!?"
The door opened, revealing a tall leggy blonde wearing a black mini skirt and white see through blouse. "Frank James, the security guys
are here," she said. "You want to show them what to do or do you want me to do it?" "You can do it," he replied. "Okay." As she was
about to shut the door, Devlin said, "Randi, do I get to see what's up the skirt?" She turned and looked at him, a blank expression on
her face. Randi put her hands on hips and said, "Frank James, if you manage to break even tonight, I'll let your tongue taste what's
under this skirt." She puckered up her lips, making a kissing sound and closed the door.
Devlin had a leery grin on his face. When he turned and looked at Frick and Frack, the grin turned into a sneer. He sat down again,
rocking back and forth, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The standing Frankies chanced a glance at each other before looking at Devlin.
He stopped rocking and leaned forward, elbows on the desk, fingers intertwined. "I let you 2 goons come back home to New York on
the condition you get my jump drive from that damn thief. Yet, you bring me his FUCKING cell phone instead. Why?!" "We…we…
we thought you could use the celly. You know, use his contacts to increase your business," Francisco replied. Devlin quickly stood up
and slammed his hand down on the desk, making them jump. "I don't pay you to have a thought or an inkling of an idea. I pay you to
do what I say! I already have plenty of business. I WANT MY FUCKING PROPERTY BACK!!" He sat back down, breathing
heavily.
"What…what do you want us to do?" Franco asked. "I want you to go back to New York and lay low for a while. When everything
blows over, I want you to find out where he lived and find my shit." Devlin reached into the top drawer and pulled out a gun, placing it
on top of the desk. Then he pointed to the door. "Now, I suggest you get outta my sight before I let my dangerous side overrule my
forgiving side." Franco and Francisco looked at the gun, then at each other before walking as quickly as they could out of the office.
Wednesday, August 16
Rossi's Jewelry Shop. 3:00 p.m.
"Welcome to Rossi's, young lady," Mrs. Rossi said to Angel when she walked into the shop. "Let me finish with these customers and
I'll be right with you." "Okay. Thank you." Angel wandered over to the men's watch case. She was happy that this place was still in
business. Bobby had brought her to Rossi's to get the necklace T.J. was going to be buried with fixed. She looked up and down the
rows and rows of watches in the glass case. Angel hoped she would find something that Bobby would like, something to match his
personality. She absently started moving the locket up and down its chain and biting her lip. Mrs. Rossi smiled as she noticed Angel
playing with her necklace. She cocked her head to side a little as she stared at Angel. She was trying to remember when and where she
had seen her before.
"Thank you for coming to Rossi's. Have a good day," Mrs. Rossi said as she handed a small plastic bag to the young couple she had
helped. They thanked her and left. "Now, what can I help you with today, young lady?" Mrs. Rossi asked, walking over to where
Angel was standing. Angel straightened up and smiled at her. "I'm looking for a birthday gift for a friend," she replied. "You've come to
the right place then. I can help you find what you're looking for." As she was looking at Angel and her necklace, the light bulb turned
on for Mrs. Rossi as she remembered who Angel was. "You're Bobby's Angel, yes?" Angel's eyes widened in surprise. "Excuse me?"
Mrs. Rossi pointed to Angel's necklace. "You came in here with Bobby Goren 2 years ago to get a necklace fixed. I remember he was
practically a nervous wreck trying to decide whether or not he was going to get that necklace you're wearing now." Angel smiled and
blushed. "I haven't been called his Angel before." Mrs. Rossi gave her a wide smile. "Well, you are, just in case you didn't know. He
came by earlier this week to buy some thank you gifts. Are you going to his birthday party Sunday?" Angel shrugged. "I'll try, but I've
got some prior commitments that I need to take care of first," she lied.
"Well, I hope you get to go," Mrs. Rossi said. "It sounds like the social event of the year." Angel chuckled. Mrs. Rossi waved her hand
over the watch case. "So, have you seen anything you'd like to look at?" Angel pointed to a gold watch with gold Roman numerals
and a white crystal face. "I'd like to see this one," she replied. Mrs. Rossi unlocked the case and pulled out the watch. She gave it to
Angel to look at while she locked the case again. Angel looked at the watch closely, nervously biting her lip again. She placed it on top
of the case. "Do you think Bobby will like it?" she asked softly. Emma Rossi looked at the watch, then looked at Angel and said from
the bottom of her heart, "I think, no I KNOW, Bobby will love anything he receives from his Angel." Angel gave her a crooked smile.
She was amazed at the conviction of Mrs. Rossi's statement. She wondered how could this woman be so sure she, Angelica Marie
Pierson-St. John, was the one for Bobby when she was afraid to even admit it to herself. "I'll take it," she said softly after a few
seconds of thought.
Mr. Rossi came out from the back just as Mrs. Rossi had finished ringing up the sale and was on the way to her gift wrapping station.
"Emma, I'm going to the bank." She looked up from what she was doing and said, "Carlo, meet Bobby Goren's friend, Angel." Mr.
Rossi and Angel shook hands. "Ah. So, you're the young lady he gave the necklace to." Angel blushed again. "Yes, sir. I am." "Well,
I'm glad to see you again. You here for another visit?" "No. I moved up here in February of this year." Carlo looked at his wife and
saw the 'it's-time-to-play-matchmaker' look in her eye. He silently agreed with her by blinking his eyes once. "Well, this is a pleasant
surprise," he said. "I hope you like it here." Angel replied, "I really do like here." "We invited Bobby to come by the house for dinner
next week to celebrate his birthday. You make sure he brings you with him." Angel was about to insist that she didn't want to intrude,
but Mr. Rossi held up his hand to stop her. "No arguments, young lady. Bobby is more like a son to us than a friend. We do enjoy
meeting his friends."
Angel looked at Mr. Rossi, then at Mrs. Rossi. She smiled and put her hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay. You won't get any arguments
from me. I'd be honored to have dinner with you." She reached into her purse and pulled out one of her Computer City business cards.
She gave it to Mr. Rossi. "Please give me call when you uh, twist Bobby's arm into having dinner with you," she said with a smile. Mr.
and Mrs. Rossi both laughed. Mrs. Rossi put the wrapped box into a dark blue plastic bag and handed it to Angel. Angel shook their
hands and said, "Thank you for wrapping this. It was nice to see you again." "Same here," replied Mrs. Rossi. "We'll call you next
week to let you know when to come over for dinner." "Okay. I look forward to it. Y'all have a good day." Angel waved to them as
she walked out of the door. She shook her head as she walked to her car, wondering how a simple gift buying trip turned into a dinner
invitation.
Carlo put his arm around Emma's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "So, what do you think, Emma?" he asked. "Should we start
setting aside wedding sets for them?" Emma looked at her husband and smiled. "I think that's a great idea. I'll give Bobby 8 months to
propose to her on his own before I start nagging him to do it."
Wednesday, August 16
Inside SUV, 3:15 p.m.
Alex and Bobby were on their way to question David Brewster. They didn't have to spend too much time in court, just a couple of
hours. When they got back to the squad room, they had gone over the financials of Eric and Eden Anderson & Franco Holland and
Francisco Torres. The bulletins that had been put out for both sets of crooks hadn't yielded any results yet. "God, I can't believe
Eden's tricked out Lancer has not been seen anywhere," Alex said. "Surely something THAT loud would attract some attention." "Not
unless they've hidden it somewhere," Bobby replied absently. "What's got you so preoccupied?" "I…I'm studying my notes of the files
Tony gave us from his surveillance of Frank Devlin. It says in there that he was a complete technophile, always had the latest and
greatest gadgets. And that he always carried a jump drive or external hard drive with him that stored his important business
information." Alex nodded. "Yeah, that's right." "Also, the files said that Devlin let Eden come and go as she pleased. She didn't have
any of his guys following her around or anything like that. To me, that indicates an extremely high level trust on Devlin's part towards
her." "Okay. What's your theory?" Bobby inhaled and then exhaled. "What if DeMarco Anderson was killed by mistake?" "What?!
Killed by mistake? How in the world did you come up with that idea?" "Think about it, Eames. Eden's criminal record consists mostly
of thefts. What if she actually stole something from Devlin, but he thought DeMarco stole it from him?" Alex slowly nodded her head as
she wrapped her mind around Bobby's theory. "Since Devlin lets Eden come and go any time she wants to without any body following
her, it would have been easy for her to steal from him," she said. "Let's say we go with this theory. Why not kill Eden? Why kill
DeMarco?" "I think Devlin's too much in love with Eden to do anything to her. Plus, Eden can sweet talk her way out of any situation
by using her 'charms.'" Alex snorted at the word 'charms.' "If you mean 'charms' equals being an asshole, I'll buy that."
Bobby said, "Add this to the rest of theory. Remember Tony told us they thought DeMarco and Eden were an item?" "Yeah, so?"
"What if that perception was never cleared up?" Alex was silent for a moment. "Devlin had DeMarco killed because he thought
DeMarco was trying to steal back his woman and his business," she said in awe. Bobby nodded. Alex let out a low whistle. "Damn, if
that theory actually holds true, Devlin messed up big time."
The two detectives were sitting in the waiting room of Brewster's office. Bobby noticed that the staff was mostly female, a majority of
them were light skinned black women. 3 of them, who looked to be in their mid-20's, were standing near a bookcase, whispering to
each other and pointing at Bobby's feet. Each time he looked at them and smiled, they smiled back and giggled. Alex rolled her eyes
and looked around the office. Bobby leaned over to her and asked, "Should I be worried that they're pointing at my feet?" Alex
looked at his feet, then looked him in the face and asked, "Do those size 13s live up to the hype?" Bobby was about to reply to Alex's
smartass comment when he was interrupted by a male voice saying, "Detectives, please come into my office." They stood up, walking
passed the giggling trio into David Brewster's office. One of the women caught Bobby by his jacket sleeve. "Excuse me, Detective,"
she said. "Yes, Miss?" "Are you taken?" Bobby blushed at the question. "Yes, I am." "Too bad," she said as she looked him up and
down. She winked her eye at Bobby and stepped back to her friends. "Goren, let's go!" Alex said sharply. Bobby smiled at the ladies
again and hurried into the office behind Alex, feeling thoroughly chastised.
"Tony was not kidding about this guy," Alex thought as she and Bobby sat across from David Joseph Brewster. He was 5'10",
tanned, slightly husky with a crooked nose. His hair was jet black and slicked back with so much gel, Alex noticed that some of it had
dripped onto his collar. To top off his look, one of his 2 front teeth was gold with the letter 'D' encrusted on it with small diamonds.
"Well, now. What can I do for New York's finest?" he asked. Alex said, "Mr. Brewster, we're investigating the murder of DeMarco
Anderson. We understand he was a client of yours." Brewster made a face. "I'm sorry I don't recognize the name. You must be
mistaken." Bobby pulled out the copy of the power of attorney from his binder and showed it to him. "Is this your signature, Mr.
Brewster?" he asked. Brewster took the piece of paper from Bobby, pretending to examine it closely. He smiled as he handed it back
to him. "Yes, that's my signature. Mr. Anderson either got my name out of the phone book or he was recommended by a client of
mine. I can't remember which. May I ask how you came to get that?" "How we got it, Mr. Brewster, is of no importance at this time,"
Alex said. "What can you tell us about Mr. Anderson?"
Bobby slightly tuned out Alex as she started questioning Brewster. He shifted a little in his seat to look at the picture sitting behind
Brewster, but he couldn't see it because Brewster moved, blocking his view. He then turned his attention to the pictures hanging on the
wall. He noticed that Brewster looked very chummy with his clients in each one of the pictures. The color headshot picture of Angel
caught Bobby by surprise. He stood up, placing his binder in the chair and walked over to the wall. He managed to sneak a quick peek
of the picture that was hidden behind Brewster. Bobby stepped close to the wall and looked at Angel's picture. It was a promo picture
from her earlier days as leader singer for The Saints. "Mr. Brewster, are all of these people your clients?" he asked. Brewster was
caught off guard by the question. "Uh, no. Some of them are my clients. And some of them are celebrities I've met." "Eames, check out
some of the famous people Mr. Brewster has met."
Alex got up and walked towards Bobby as he started naming some of the celebrities in the pictures. When she got close, Bobby
pointed to Angel's picture. "Look, he even has a picture of the lead singer of The Saints. Oh, what's her name?" Bobby snapped his
fingers as he pretended to try to remember Angel's name. "Angelica St. John," Brewster said. He got up out of his seat and walked
over to the detectives. Alex stepped back and off to side to let Bobby do his thing. "Was she a client of yours?" Bobby asked.
"Unfortunately, no. I did get to meet her a couple of times," Brewster lied. He touched the picture as if he were stroking her hair.
Bobby leaned in close to Brewster and asked conspiringly, "Is true what they say about light skinned black women? That they give the
best blow jobs?" Brewster flashed him a lecherous smile. 'Oh, yeah. The best." "So, Miss St. John …?" "Gave me the most exquisite
blow job I've ever had." "Really?" Bobby stepped away from Brewster and picked up the picture that had been hidden behind him.
The picture was of Eden and Brewster on a beach somewhere. "She gave a better blowjob than your lady friend here?" Bobby held
the picture where Alex could see it. "Even better," Brewster replied.
Bobby fought the urge to punch Brewster in the face. Alex looked at Bobby and saw what he was thinking. "Mr. Brewster, my partner
and I have taken up enough of your time," she said to bring Bobby's attention back to the job. He smiled and handed the picture to
Brewster. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Brewster," Bobby said as he picked up his binder. "I might have to give your 'idea' a try
someday," he said with a fake smile plastered on his face. "You should, Detective. You'll be in heaven." Bobby glanced at Alex who
had rolled her eyes. He held the door open for her and followed her out.
Bobby threw his binder onto the dashboard so hard, Alex thought he might have cracked the windshield. He sat there, breathing in and
out hard. "You know he's lying about him and Angel, right?" Alex asked carefully. Bobby looked at her and snapped, "Of course, I
know that!" Alex's face took on a stony appearance. She angrily threw the SUV into drive and took off fast enough to throw Bobby
back into his seat. Bobby stared out of the window, his breathing starting to calm down. After a few minutes of angry silence, he said,
"Alex, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex visibly loosen up a little. "It's just
that he was portraying Angel as if she was some kind of…of whore or something. I know she's not like that." Alex sighed. "You and I
both know Angel would NOT go anywhere near that creep," she said. "God, I wanted to punch Brewster in the face and the balls
myself." Bobby chuckled. "Are we okay?" he asked softly. Alex looked over at him, a faint smile on her lips. "Yeah, we're okay." The
silence returned, but it was the comfortable kind they were used to. As they neared 1PP, Alex said, "That picture of Brewster and
Eden definitely proves Devlin had the wrong person killed." Bobby answered, "The main question right now is what is he going to do to
rectify that situation."
Wednesday, August 16
Club Silkie's, 7:05 p.m.
"Hey, everybody. Sorry I'm late," Angel said as she walked into the club, putting her purse on the nearest table. Some of the band
members were on stage playing their instruments, others were sitting at tables near the stage, talking. They all said hi to her. "Aw,
shucky ducky now! Baby Girl is in the house!" Angel turned around and smiled at Edwin Haggard a.k.a. Silkie. He was 5 foot 7 and
husky, with skin as dark as midnight, a low cut Caesar hairstyle and a easy smile. "Hey, Silkie," she said with a laugh as she gave him a
hug. "I'm sorry I'm late. Bible Study ran a little long." Silkie looked at his watch. "Angel, it's only 5 minutes after 7. You're not that
late." "I know, but you said be here at 7." He rolled his eyes. "Girl, worry about me getting mad when you're over 10 minutes late.
Sheesh." "Okay, okay, okay. I just didn't want you to think I was trying to pull a diva move or anything like that." Silkie just shook his
head. "Anyway, have you decided on an opening song yet?" "Yeah, I have. I was thinking we ought to start out with "The Comfort
Zone." Something that will get the crowd into a mellow, feel good mood." "Aw, shit! I like that!" The rest of the band members agreed.
Everybody took their places. Angel took her place behind the microphone and counted them off.
Where do you go?
When there's a need to be loved
Like you need to be loved
Oh, I'll let you know
Just what to do and where to go
Hey, welcome to the comfort zone
When you need to be loved like you need to be
Welcome to the comfort zone
Do whatever feels right and turns you on
After a hard day at work
There's one thing to be certain of
This old familiar love
Oh, it's not unusual to find that a sensual hold
Is all you need to let go
There's no need to find
Or compromise
Or settle for another outside of my love
The thing to do when you get through
Heed the message; seek the comfort of my zone
Comfort zone
When you need to be loved like you need to be
Welcome to the comfort zone
Do whatever feels right and turns you on
Hey, welcome to the comfort zone
When you need to be loved like you need to be
Welcome to the comfort zone
No one ever has to know what turns you on
Hey, let me make you comfortable
Let me take control
And give your mind a break from the day you made
Let's turn the lights down low
And oh the rest you know
I'll be here for you
'Cause you just stepped into the comfort zone
When Angel had stopped singing, clapping could be heard coming from the bar area. Everyone looked to see who it was. Emerging
from the shadows was Eric and Eden. They kept clapping as they walked towards the stage. "Oh, hell," Angel thought, "let the fun
and games begin." "That was abso-fucking-lutely wonderful, wasn't Eric?" Eden asked sarcastically. Eric nodded. "Just fucking damn
wonderful, Eden." Angel took a deep breath. "Hey, Eric. Hey, Eden," she said cautiously. Eden said, "What? Your stuck up ass too
good to come down here and give us some love? Bitch, we are GRIEVING, you know." Angel narrowed her eyes. "That's okay. I
can show y'all some love from up here." "Plus, I've got a better vantage point of kicking you in the teeth if necessary." she
thought. Silkie had come from behind the drums and stood next to Angel. "How in the hell did you and your punk ass brother get pass
the security guard?! You know you're banned from coming in here." Eden shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly, "I sucked his
dick. No big deal." Angel mentally rolled her eyes, knowing Eden would actually do anything to get her way.
Silkie started to get off the stage to confront Eden, but Angel put her arm up to stop him. "Just call for more security," she whispered to
him. He glared at the Wonder Twins once more before heading back to the drums to get his cell phone. Eric and Eden laughed,
pointing at Silkie. Eric said, "Look at that short, round, blacker than the ace of spades motherfucker. Letting some bitch fight his battles
for him. What a pussy!" Angel could feel her blood pressure rise. She inhaled and exhaled slowly to keep herself from getting angry.
Through gritted teeth, she asked, "What do you want?" Eden walked a little closer to the stage. "What do I want?! I want to know
what DeMarco left me, Queen Bitch, in his will. Because everything he ever owned or got belongs to me." Angel shook her head. "I
have no idea what's in your brother's will." "What do you mean you don't know!? Davey said you had power of attorney. Meaning
you probably were a witness to his will. Quit lying to me and tell me what I want to know, skank!" "I. DO. NOT. KNOW." Angel
started breathing heavy again.
Eden walked closer to the stage, looking at Angel up and down with a sneer. "Figures your ignorant ass wouldn't know anything," she
spat at Angel. Angel just stared at Eden. As she was looking at her, Angel noticed that Eden was wearing gray contacts and had dyed
her hair the same shade of brown as hers. Eden picked up on Angel checking out her new look. "Jealous of the new look?" she asked.
"Hardly," was the reply. Eden scoffed. "You ought to be. I rock the gray eyes better than you. Besides, Davey for some God forsaken
reason is infatuated with your fake goody goody ass, so I gotta look like you to hold onto him." Angel had finally had enough of the
insults. Without any warning or thought, she pulled her foot back and kicked Eden in the shoulder. She kicked her so hard, she sent her
flying across the dance floor. "You fucking bitch!" Eden roared. She jumped up, pulling a switchblade out of her pocket. She was
getting ready to rush the stage and attack Angel when the security guard she persuaded to let her in came up behind her and knocked
the blade out of her hand. Then he twisted her arm behind her. Two other guards had come in with him and grabbed Eric by each arm.
Silkie came back and stood next to Angel and said, "Get these pieces of garbage outta my club."
The Wonder Twins struggled as the guards dragged them out of the club. Eden yelled over her shoulder, "I don't see what Garvin ever
saw in your stupid ass, Angel! He could have had me! A strong woman who would have held her man down! Instead he married a
weakling like you! You know what?! I'm glad he's dead! Because if I couldn't have him, then you sure in the hell didn't deserve him!"
Angel started breathing heavily again, clenching and unclenching her fists. Eden's parting words had upset her, but she tried not to show
it. Silkie put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to stupid wench. You're way much better than she is." Angel walked off
the stage and started pacing back and forth. Finally, when she couldn't stand it any more, she slammed her fist down on the table where
her purse was. "Dammit!" Angel pulled out a chair and sat down, elbows on her knees and her head hanging in her hands. "Damn," she
said softly through her tears.
Silkie came off the stage and rubbed her back. "Don't listen to her, Baby Girl. Evil people say evil things to make themselves feel
better." Just then, the sound of "Raspberry Beret" came ringing out of Angel's purse. She reached inside, pulled it out and handed it to
Silkie. "That's Janelle," she said. Silkie answered the phone. He walked away from Angel as he started talking to Janelle, filling her in
on what had gone down. From where she sat, she could hear Janelle shouting at Silkie, demanding to speak with Angel. He handed the
phone to her, then walked off to where the guards were. The rest of the band members got off the stage and sat down near and around
Angel to offer their support.
"Are you okay?" Janelle asked.
Angel sighed. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"Do Drew and I need to find them fools and kick their asses?" "God, no, Janelle! I don't have that kind of money to bail both of you out of jail."
"I'm just saying. Nobody talks to my sister like that." Angel smiled ruefully. "I appreciate the offer, but it's okay."
"Silkie said she was trying to look like you." "Yep."
Janelle snorted. "She could never be anything like you. She radiates too much evil." Angel let out a small chuckle.
"I can't believe I missed you dropping kicking that bitch like a bad habit. Damn, girlie! You got some skills." Angel laughed. "I don't even know what made me do that." "Hell, her being an ass is reason enough." "Still. I shouldn't have stooped down to her level."
"You should call Bobby and tell him what happened," Janelle said. "No, no, no. I'm not telling him. God, I don't want him to worry. He's got enough on his plate."
"He ain't got to worry, but he should at least be concerned about your safety!"
"Janelle, please drop it. I'm fine. Everything's okay. The Wonder Twins are probably going to find some other people to harass." Tears fell down Angel's face. The last thing she wanted was Janelle or Drew or Bobby to worry about her. Janelle let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Whatever, dude. Just be careful going home, okay?"
"Yes, Mama. I will be careful. Love ya."
"Love you, too. Bye."
Angel closed the phone and laid it on the table. Silkie had come back and rubbed her back again. "You good?" he asked. Angel
looked at him and nodded. He smiled and patted her shoulder. He turned to the band members and said, "Alright, y'all. Let's go in the
kitchen and eat. Maybe we'll practice again after our nerves have calmed down a little."
Wednesday, August 16
Outside of Angel's home, 9:00 p.m.
A hunter green Suburban was sitting in front of Angel's house when she pulled into her driveway. She didn't recognize it nor did she
see its driver. When she saw Bobby sitting on her porch steps, she smiled to herself. "Dammit, Janelle. You've got a hard head."
He was still in his dark blue suit with a light blue shirt. His tie was missing and the top shirt button was unbuttoned. Angel liked the light
blue color on Bobby. It complemented his skin tone, making him look sexy and irresistible. One of his legs was going up and down
furiously. Angel put her car in park and got out. Bobby stood up as she approached him. She stopped about 6 inches away from him.
"Hi," she said softly. "Hi." "Come on in," she said as she walked passed him up the stairs. He turned and followed her inside. Bobby
walked in a little further, looking around while Angel closed and locked the door behind her. When he turned around, Angel had
dropped her purse to her feet, arms crossed, staring at the floor. Bobby walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Janelle called and told me what happened. Are you okay?"
Angel threw her arms around Bobby waist so quickly he almost barely had enough time to steady himself. She buried her face in his
chest and cried hard. Bobby held onto her, his cheek resting on top of her head. "It's okay, Angel. I'm here. I'm here. Baby, talk to
me." Her heavy sobbing racked her body so much, Bobby squeezed her tighter. He silently cursed Eden for causing this much pain to
Angel. As many times as he had seen her cry, this fit of crying tore at his very soul. Angel turned her head to rest her cheek on his
chest. "Eden said she was glad that Garvin was dead because I didn't deserve to be with him. She said she would have been a better
wife to him than me." "I don't believe that at all. And neither should you. Any man worthy to be with you would be proud to have you
as a wife and companion." Angel pulled back a little and looked up at Bobby with a small smile. "Thank you." He smiled back at her,
kissing her forehead. "You are quite welcome."
Bobby held onto Angel a little longer, rocking back and forth, rubbing her back and telling her everything will be okay. When she finally
stopped crying, he stepped back, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders. "You okay?" Angel nodded. "Yeah." "Do you want me
to spend the night?" Angel bit her lip and looked at the floor. "I promise to keep it in my pants." Angel let out a small laugh. She looked
up at him and said, "Would you be mad if I said no?" "Not at all." He pulled her into his arms again and squeezed. She squeezed him
back. Angel let go of Bobby first. "Thank you for coming to my rescue." "Anytime." Angel turned and unlocked the door. She stepped
aside as he walked passed her. Bobby stopped and turned around to look at her one more time. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.
"Yep. I'm sure." "Make sure you lock up securely." "I will." "Good night, my beautiful Angel." She smiled and bounced on her toes.
"Good night, Handsome." Angel watched him walk to the Suburban and get in. He waved to her as he started it and pulled off. She
closed the door and locked it. She leaned her forehead against the door and smiled, grateful and thankful that Janelle didn't listen to her
after all.