Page 19 of Angel

The three of them chuckled together.

Bree turned back to Cage. “You can take her out. But,” she added with vehemence, “if you hurt her, I will shoot you too.”

Cage smiled widely at her. “You have my word, Bree, that I’ll never hurt her. And, if I do, I’ll stand still for the firing squad, because you won’t be the only one aiming to turn me into Swiss cheese.”

Bree nodded once. “Damn straight.” Then she pointed a finger at Angel. “I get a pass from having to pay into the swear jar today.”

Angel laughed. “Fair enough.” She reached over and brushed the tears from Bree’s cheeks. “Where did you learn to shoot anyway?”

Bree grinned proudly. “From Uncle Bulldog and Uncle Steel. They say I’m a good shot.”

Recalling the bleeding Python on the floor of Patrick’s room, Angel let out a snort. “A very good shot.” She looked over to where Bulldog and Steel were standing, both looking slightly sheepish that they had not discussed giving Bree firearm lessons with Angel first. As she narrowed her eyes at them, Angel said grudgingly to Bree, “Remind me to thank them.”

She felt Cage’s hand at her back. “I need to get the two of you home.” Cage nodded towards her wrists. “Have you been looked at by the paramedics?”

Angel nodded. “They’re just friction burns. They didn’t break my skin. I wanted to shower before I wrapped them up for the night.”

Cage ran the pad of his thumb gently over her split lip. “I plan on looking over all of your injuries myself. Very thoroughly.”

Angel gave him a wicked smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Ew, guys! Remember me? Your child?”

Angel winced and then looked innocently at Bree. “Oops.”

The teen rolled her eyes.

Carlos, who was acting sheriff, allowed Cage to take Bree and Angel home. Bulldog had one of the prospects bring a VDMC SUV to the tattoo shop. Steel distracted the cops by bringing their attention to the broken backdoor and the failed alarm while Will and Bulldog quickly swapped which trunk the Python prospect was stored in.

Angel didn’t fight Cage when he insisted on driving. She recalled the day he’d shown up at the hospital with the new cage. They still hadn’t talked—really talked—since she’d shot him down in the hospital bathroom. Even though it had been close to a month since then, the awkwardness had been fresh enough that Angel had not been the kindest towards him, despite all he had done for her and Bree.

He’d taken her hand and forced the keys into them. “Just take the fucking gift, Angel.”

It did not pass her notice that he had not called her ‘sweetness’ since the day he’d walked out of Bree’s hospital room before they’d known he was Bree’s kidney match.

Not until last week. The night she’d lost her baby. That had been the first time in nearly a year that he’d called her ‘sweetness’.

As Cage got Bree’s wheelchair strapped down in the back and her seatbelt on, Angel felt a pang of her earlier depression. She was beyond elated that both she and Bree had walked away from the Pythons’ attack nearly unscathed. Bruises and cuts would heal. The utter fear that she might not be able to protect her daughter… That would take longer to get over.

Her happiness that they were alive and well, though, was tainted. It didn’t stop the sorrow that she’d had a miscarriage only a week ago.

Angel’s phone was non-stop ringing with notifications from the ol’ ladies. She told them to give her some time to get Bree situated and then she would reach out to them. She asked that they not show up at her house until she was ready for them.

As Cage got into the driver’s seat, he reached for Angel’s hand. She gave it.

They didn’t talk on the ride back to club property. The cage’s temperature was a little warmer than comfortable, but Bree kept shivering like she was cold. Shock, mixed with adrenaline leaving her system. Angel would call Tessa over before they were ready to go to bed. Bree would insist she was fine, but Angel would press anyway.

It wasn’t until Cage pulled into Angel’s driveway that she realized he must have left his hog at the tattoo shop. She hadn’t seen him ask one of their brothers if they could take it back with them. He’d need it to get to work in the morning.

Looking at her front door, Angel wondered if Cage planned to spend the night. Was she ready for that? She’d agreed to a date, but she wasn’t ready to have sex. Especially not tonight. Not after… And she was still on her period.

The weirdest thought entered her mind then. Would the fact that she was on her period and actively spotting have stopped those thugs from raping her? She didn’t think so, but she also knew how much a woman’s period wigged some guys out.

Angel shook her head. She did not want to think about any of that. She needed a shower, a drink, and sleep. She also needed to make sure Bree was okay. She’d been holding herself together so well, but what they’d just gone through had to have brought back the horrors of her past. Angel needed to call her therapist in the morning.

Glancing over her shoulder at her daughter, Angel amended that to calling her tonight. She had her cell number.

Cage assisted Bree out of the Traverse and down the ramp. Angel was surprised to feel unsteady on her legs as she made to get out. She had to grip the door handle to steady herself. Cage saw and made as if to help her, but Angel shook her head. She indicated silently that she wanted him to continue to help Bree.

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