CHAPTER TWO
Anjelica shuffled out of Madeline's spare room in a guys shirt and a massive headache. Everything was hurting. Madeline was at her dinning room table smoking while Michael was in the kitchen eating a yogurt.
She made her way to the fridge as the two watched. "Fun night last night?" Michael smirked.
"Stop screaming." Sam walked out in his boxers.
Anjelica was guzzling the water bottle she found while the mother and son stared at her and Sam. "What?" She softly spoke when she looked at them.
"You want to share what's going on here?" Michael inquired.
"Mojito's and shots." Anjelica went back to the spare room with Sam, handing a spare water bottle to him when she walked by.
Later that day Sam walked through Michael's front door of his apartment. "Michael!" He called out once inside his place.
Coming off the balcony. "Hey, how you feeling?"
"Not bad."
Handing Sam a beer. "What happened with you and Anjelica last night?"
"I was hoping you'd forget about that."
Opening his beer. "She walked out of my mom's spare room in your shirt, followed by you in your boxers. That's something not easily forgotten."
"We didn't sleep together."
"You expect me to believe that after this morning?" Crossing his arms.
Sam drank half his bottle before answering. "Anjelica and I have never slept together. We just end up losing our clothes and crashing in the same bed a lot when we drink."
"Seriously? You expect me to believe that." Michael looked at Sam skeptically.
"Its the truth." Finishing his beer.
Anjelica was sitting at the dinning room table having a snack and going through her phone. "So you and Sam." Madeline sat across from her.
"Were not together, never have been." Setting her phone down. "We do everything two drunk people do when they are intoxicated. But actually have sex."
Taking a drag off of her cigarette. "Seriously? Sam Axe can get in bed with a female and not be sleeping with her?"
"You ever meet someone who you instantly connect with? Where you feel like you have known them all your life? That's what started us, then add the service and all those years of missions together. We have this twisted, complicated, ridiculous friendship that should not work at all. But it does and it dumbfounds me everyday."
Tapping her ashes in the tray before her. "You can't tell me that two people who sleep in the same bed and in their underwear, haven't at least slept together once."
"We haven't. I cant speak for Sam but I never saw him other than a friend." Looking at her phone when it dinged. "Oh tremendous!" She called out. "Madeline, you want to come check out an apartment with me?"
The two were showed the pent house on the top floor. It was the last to be rented in the building and had everything that Anjelica was looking for. Including a nice gym that included a sauna for the renters. "It's perfect, I'll take it." Anjelica smiled at the Realtor.
"This place is beautiful. But can you afford this?" Madeline asked when the Realtor went to get the papers for her to sign.
"Before I confronted him about where the money was going and Monty hid me away I sat up a Swiss bank account. It was easily missed where it skimmed money off and into the account. Then when he was sent to jail and us still being married, all his money went to me. Also next week I meet up with some people who want Monty's business. So once that sells I believe I'll be set for life."
Looking around the place again. "Did you ever love him?"
"I think as one point I did. But years of being in the service and seeing a bunch of shady things. If something shady pops up. You cover your butt before you confront it. Make sure to always have a fail safe."
Turning her attention back to Anjelica. "You made a good choice."
"Thanks, how about lunch? My treat."
Madeline and Anjelica arrived back at Madeline's place, Jesse was just coming out of her house. "What are you doing here?" Michael's mom asked.
"Mike needed me to pick up a few things. I hope you don't mind."
"That's ok." Madeline smiled going inside.
Anjelica looked into the box Jesse was holding. "Tell Sam to make sure he doesn't almost blow himself up like last time."
"Last time? How did you know that's whats in the box?" A smile of confusion crawled on his face.
"I know Sam's handy work with bomb parts, he learned it from me. As for last time, let him know that I was right as usual when it comes to my stuff."
Hearing his cell go off. "That's probably Mike. I should get going."
Stepping aside. "Didn't mean to keep you."
"It was worth it." Jesse grinned again, heading for his car.
Once everything was cleared for Anjelica's new place, she went furniture shopping. That was when the place was really starting to be a home.
Deciding once everything was delivered and she finished decorating, she was have a house warming party. Everyone was already their when Sam showed up. "Fashionably late I see."
"I learned that from you. The bomb making you learned from me."
Shaking her head at him. "You need to lay off the booze. It's messing with your memory." Anjelica moved aside to let him in.
"In your dreams sweet cheeks." Anjelica sucked her tongue out at Sam. He laughed joining the others.
Anjelica was getting a refill on her drink when Jesse joined her. "You have a great place here."
"Thanks, now I just need to grasp that when I hear noises when I'm alone. That I'm not in the psych ward."
"Seven years in a situation like that is not easily forgotten. But it will eventually go away."
Holding up her drink. "Here's to hoping." Taking a huge sip of her drink. "So where is your girlfriend?"
"I don't have one."
"Awesome." Anjelica flirtatiously smiled at him.
Looking over at the group. "What about Sam?"
"What about that lush?"
"He won't be mad if we go out?"
Anjelica laughed. "If he says anything just bring up Lucy from Norway. It'll shut him up."
"What happened with Lucy from Norway?" Anjelica took a drink from her beverage while walking away to avoid the question.
Sam was sitting on the couch when Anjelica joined him. She sat so close to him they were touching. "For someone who came into some money. You could have picked better booze." He told her.
Grabbing some food off his plate. "My money is not supporting your drinking habit. If I have your favorite I'll never get rid of you."
"That's what friends are for."
Talking with her mouth full. "That's what your lady friends are for. Me, I'm here to tell you when you are being an insufferable ass."
"And eat my food." Pulling his plate away from her.
"Well duh."
The others soon had joined them. "So what are you going to do now?" Fiona asked.
"Enjoy being free till I feel it necessary I need to do something."
"Have you heard anything from Monty?" Michael questioned.
Shaking her head. "No, but a few guys Sam and I helped way back when, owes us a few favors. I had them go after Monty and threaten if he goes near me in anyway, they'll kill him."
"The Zhangs?" Sam asked.
Successfully getting more food off his plate. "They do hate Monty more than me."
"Why is that?" Michael inquired.
"He brought dishonor on their family. Monty knew ways around their rules so they couldn't go after him and they all knew it. They have been looking for any reason to go after him. I just happened to give them some leverage. Because I'm not stupid, I know Monty is going to come after me the very second he gets a chance."
Quickly finishing the rest of his drink. "I need a refill." Sam got up.
"Get some more food while you are up." Anjelica called after him.
Looking back at her. "Get up off your butt and get your own food."
"After all the times I saved your life you can get me some food."
Madeline gotten up to go have a smoke out on the veranda. Fiona's cell went off and she stepped away to answer it, while Michael went to go check on Sam. Leaving Jesse and Anjelica alone.
Moving to sit on the love seat next to him. "So when do you want to go out?"
"Your just going to come out and ask. Just like that."
Laughing at his comment. "I'm impatient."
"So I've gathered."
Tucking her feet up under her on the couch. "Stop avoiding my question."
"How about Friday?"
"Perfect."
Throwing an arm on the back of the couch. "What? No telling me where I'm taking you, what kind of flowers I should bring you. Or the time I am suppose to show up?"
"I'm not that much of a bitch. Unless you are Sam."
Michael met Sam in the kitchen. "You ok?"
"Yes, why?"
Leaning on the island. "You seemed a little irritated about Monty's name being brought up."
"I don't want to talk about it, let alone here."
"Right now is perfect. Talk."
Sam looked over at Anjelica sitting next to Jesse. "I cant help but blame myself. She ended up in that situation because of me."
Looking over at her. "She doesn't blame you, it's obvious."
"She should."
"If this is bugging you this much. You should go talk with her. Maybe it'll do you some good."
Fiona approached the two. "I've got to run. Will you give me a lift?" She asked Michael.
"Talk to her Sam." Michael told him before leaving with Fiona.
The sun had been down for awhile. But the two on the love seat hadn't been paying much attention to their surroundings. "Where'd everyone go?" Anjelica looked around her place.
"I guess they decided to leave." Jesse pointed out.
Getting up off the love seat. "It's late, you probably want to get home." Picking up some dirty dishes off the coffee table.
"I'll help you clean up before leaving."
"You don't have to, I've got this."
Helping her anyways. "I don't mind."
Sam was sprawled out in his lady friends bed. He felt her get up and mention something about breakfast in bed, seconds later his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he heard her scream.
Flying out of the room in only his boxers and a gun. "Anjelica!" There she sat on the kitchen counter with a bowel of cereal.
"Mom is looking for you. She's pissed you haven't been home the past few days." Taking a spoon full of her cereal. "She's changed the locks you know. Told me I won't get a key till I bring you back."
An hour later the two were standing outside Sam's now ex-lady friends apartment building. "I can not believe you right now. I had a great thing going on with Gina. And in two seconds you ruined it all. For what? Why would you do that to me?"
"Michael told me you had something to tell me and I got impatient waiting for you to tell me after. So now you can stop avoiding me like the plague and tell me what that is."
Sam looked at Anjelica like she lost her mind. "Are you serious, that's the reason you did what you did just now?" He shouted at her.
"You know me, I've done worse stuff with no reason at all. Just because you or a team member asked."
"That's not it, you were needy and neurotic back then. It's only gotten worse with age."
Gasping Anjelica hit Sam in the arm. "Better that than the alcoholic gigalo. At least I can stand on my own two feet. I don't go after well off lonely women." She threw at him.
"Like you earned that money."
Glaring at him. "I am walking away right now. We both know if we continue this we are going to take it to an ugly place."
The two hadn't talked in weeks, they both knew how to hold a grudge against each other. "Have you talked to Sam?" Madeline inquired as the two sat on Anjelica's veranda.
"No, I'll give it one more week before I go and bug him." Answered Anjelica.
"Bug him?"
Grabbing for a grape. "Sam was right, I am needy and neurotic. Well slightly neurotic. It's my fault he got upset and that we fought. Though I did think he'd take it better when I showed up at his lady friends place. Well ex now. I think we've spent too much time apart and our old shenanigans we played on each other are over." Tossing the grape in her mouth.
"You two just need to get back in the groove together, you've been apart for so long."
Watching her light cigarette. "You really think so?"
"He nearly lost his mind when he heard you were in trouble. His reaction to leaning that shows your friendship means the world to him. But that gap of not seeing each other and who sent you away. That is something you don't easily get over."
"Ugh you are right. I cant play our usual games till we get to are usual place."
Seeing Anjelica get up. "Where are you going?"
"If Sam and I are to get back to our usual friendship. I need to go talk to him right now. I cant do the usual wait a certain amount of time and then go act like nothing happened. Stay as long as you like, just make sure to lock up when you leave." Rushing out of the apartment.
Anjelica found Sam at Carlito's, the place he and his friends frequented. "What are you doing here? Didn't expect you for another week."
"Ya, well Madeline made a good point. Things changed and for us to get back to our friendship we need to actually talk about everything."
"What everything?"
Rolling her eyes at him. "Dude, we haven't seen or talked in years. Then when we do see each other it's because I'm in trouble, not to catch up. So now we are here."
"We're fine."
Grabbing his beer from him before he could have a drink. "Were not fine."
"Yes we are." Taking his beer back.
"Dickhead." Anjelica took his beer before storming off.
Sam was meeting Michael at his mom's house. "Did you talk with Anjelica?" He asked the moment he saw his friend.
"Is that why you called me over here?"
"I really need your help on something. I just wanted to get that out of the way."
Throwing his hands up. "Why does everyone all of a sudden care if we talked?"
"You had a near meltdown before breaking her out of a psych ward. Then wouldn't leave her side till she was better. Now you barely talk Anjelica. That is a sign you need to talk to her."
"Did you really need my help or did you have me over here to lecture me?"
"I actually need your help."
The next day the group sat across the street of their mark. They were doing some intel on the place and trying out the new restaurant that happened to open. Anjelica bounced over squeezing between Sam and Jesse.
Taking a fry off Sam's plate. "Hey guy's what are you up to?"
"How'd you know we were here?" Fiona looked over to Sam.
He motioned it wasn't him who said anything. "I was coming here to try the place out when I saw you all." Looking over to Jesse. "I had fun last night. Call me when you're free." She smiled at him before turning her attention back to the others. "You guys have fun in whatever it is you are doing, if you need help call me." Anjelica finished Sam's beer that he had before taking off.
"God I hate when she does that." Sam got up too go after her. "Anjelica! Anjelica stop now." Sam yelled when he caught her outside the restaurant.
"I thought you weren't speaking to me."
Pointing back at the building they just left. "You and Jesse?"
"Don't worry about it, we've only gone out three times. The rest of the time we've had fun just hanging out with each other."
"Why didn't tell me?"
Sighing as she rolled her eyes at him. "You weren't talking to me. Remember?"
"Still should have said something."
"He is not Monty."
"I know that."
Placing her hands on her hips. "Do you? Because I saw that look you made when I told Jesse I had fun."
"I just cant stop thinking about what happened."
Rubbing her temples. "Sam just let it go, I have."
"Must be nice to not care like you do. You should tell me all your tricks."
Anjelica shoved him in the chest. "Why must you be such an ass?"
"I learned it from you."
"You are such a jerk." Anjelica caught Sam in the jaw when she swung at him.
When she went to hit him again Jesse had pulled her away. Michael went to Sam while Fiona stood in between the two. Jesse was talking Anjelica down while Michael and Fiona were doing the same to Sam.
Standing before Anjelica. "Take a few deep breaths. It'll be ok."
"I forgot how easily we push each others buttons." Anjelica growled.
"Why is that?"
Taking a breath through her nose before letting it out through it as well. "I'm not sure exactly. We started doing it when we were in the service. Sometimes we had to fight each other because of missions. I guess it just stayed with us."
"Sam calm down." Michael told him.
"I can't. She makes me want to pull out my hair."
Fiona was looking around before bringing her attention over to him. "Then why did you go after her if she annoys you that much?"
"Because no matter how often I want to kill her. She will always be family at the end of the day."
The two were calmed and Anjelica was sent away. Her and Sam didn't have anything more to say to each other.
It was the middle of the night when Sam was woken up to loud banging on his front door. He was staying currently at one of his rich girlfriends house, his lady friend was gone for a few days visiting family. Grabbing for one of his many guns stashed around the place. He went to answer the door. "Anjelica?!" Her face was tear stained and she looked frightened. It was the same look she had when he clocked him after he rescued her from the psych ward.
The next day Anjelica woke up alone, climbing out of bed she went looking for her friend. Sam was on the back porch when Anjelica took a seat next to him on the steps.
"It's because of Monty why we keep clashing like we do." She stated.
"What gave you that idea?" Sarcasm dripping heavily from his voice.
Staring down at her hands for a moment. "We always did clash when it came to him."
"That we did."
Anjelica reached over taking Sam's hand into hers. "I don't blame you for anything. Neither of us could have known this would happen."
"I do."
"Why? I'm the one who married him. I knew it wasn't ideal but we all do crazy things when we think were in love. If you like their is enough finger pointing to go around."
Glancing over at her. "I'm never going to win this am I?"
Squeezing his hand Anjelica shook her head no before laying it on his shoulder. "Sam, thanks for always being their when I've needed you."
"Someone had to keep your crazy butt in line."
He head her laugh. "Just making sure to keep you on your alcoholic gigalo toes."
"Brat." He pushed her off of him.
"I believe you mean Care Bear." Anjelica left him on the porch.
Sam followed her in. "What's going on with you and Jesse?"
"What do you mean?" Heading for the fridge.
"You know what I mean."
Finding nothing edible but beer and expire milk. "It's nothing really I guess. We enjoy each others company but it's nothing exclusive. He and I both have gone out with other people."
"Excuse me?" Sam tried wrapping his brain around her comment.
"Jesse and I got to talking on our first date. After everything I've been through I'm not really looking for anything serious. Just something casual, no expectations. And since Jesse just got out of a serious relationship himself he wasn't looking for something that serious either."
Crossing his arms. "So a friends with benefits basically."
"Basically. You should be familiar with it, it's kind of what you do with your lady friends."
Following her to his room. "What I have with those ladies are completely different."
"If you say so." Throwing her clothes on. "I should go. I promised Jesse I'd meet him for lunch." Patting his shoulder when she passed him. "Thanks for last night."
Now following her to the front door. "When was Jesse dating someone? I never heard him say anything."
"Sam you mean well but you can be so oblivious to the things and people around you sometimes."