Arrogant Brit

“And promise me, son, that you will never let her step foot in this state ever again.”

“You have my word,” I solemnly agreed.

I saw unmistakable sadness flood his expression. It was only there for a brief moment, before cold, hardened resolution replaced it. It was the only sliver of weakness I ever saw penetrate this old, hardy man.

Old Greg nodded curtly, gave Angel a quick but emotional hug. This time, when he and Angel parted, I knew that it had happened the proper way – no stealing away in the middle of the night with a hastily scribbled note.

I knew that they could both live with this.

We parted ways for the final time, before he turned back towards his patrons. As I held the door open for her, proud that she didn’t need my support now, I glanced across at him for one last moment. With a grave expression on his face, Old Greg never once looked our way again.

It wasn’t until I got outside that I realized he hadn’t come clean. He never told her who he was, or the history they had together before the bar.

Maybe he just wanted to stay forgotten.

Chapter 34

Angel

In my darkest moment when I needed him most, Trent had come for me. The impact that had on my world was profoundly changing, and I finally realized that I could truly, honestly trust him. From that moment on, nothing was ever the same again.

I felt like the most special girl in the world.

Once we had dropped the motorcycle off, Trent and I took a cab to the airport. While he checked in with the airlines and bought us a pair of tickets back north, I couldn’t help but reflect upon everything I’d been through.

It seemed so crazy to remember myself as being trapped in Riverton and desperate to leave. It felt so long ago, although it had only really been a few weeks. From the night he’d walked into my bar, he’d changed my world… and I’d changed his.

We brought out the best of each other.

“Are you ready?” He asked, dispelling my thoughts.

I turned to face him. Trent was smiling down at me, the most loving grin I’d ever seen plastered across his face.

This was it. No breakaway bag, no clothes, no history, no family, and no money. He was truly, honestly looking at me like I was the most valuable thing in the whole world.

“Yeah… I’m ready,” I smiled back.

“Next few days are going to be hard, Angel. We’re meeting up with a detective back home. You’re going to tell him everything you remember… can you do that for me?”

“I’ll do anything for you, Trent.”

“Good,” he replied, sighing with relief. “Listen, I snagged us a pair of first class tickets. There’s an outbound flight that’s leaving in about fifty minutes. You ready to get the hell out of here?”

I nodded. “I was born ready.”

We walked together, side by side.

He and I were a force to be reckoned with.

Occasionally, someone would glance over at him with faint recollection. Occasionally, he would earn a quick double take. He popped into a small shop and quickly bought a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses, handing me a pair as well.

“Just like old times, huh?”

He smiled slyly, pocketing the receipt and threading the glasses around his ears.

“You’ve got it.”

After that, we wandered towards the proper terminal, stopping to use the restroom and grab a bite to eat before our flight. Everything from the last few days felt like a fading dream, and although I’d never forget what he’d done for me… I was just so happy to be back with him.

During our wait, we sat down together in a pair of available seats – with myself resting against his side and under his strong, comforting arm.

Some time passed, and before I knew it, I realized that I was yawning and opening my eyes. There was the slight recollection of a dream, something about dangerous shadows and being unable to move, and my own guardian angel coming for me…

“It’s our time,” Trent was whispering to me.

“Did I…did I doze off?”

I stretched, peeling myself off of his sturdy frame. For a moment, I was terrified that I’d drooled onto him, but I realized that Sleeping Angel had kept her shit together.

Thankfully.

“Just for a little while,” he nodded. “I let you sleep about as long as I could…but we need to get going now.”

The flight back was kind of uneventful. With Trent’s insistence, I tried to get my rest. I fell back asleep easier than I thought I would, finally letting the weight of the day collapse around me. The experiences so fresh in my mind made my sleep fitful at times. My dreams were dark and cloudy, and I felt alone and scared.

Every moment that I opened my eyes, my beloved Trent was there, holding and comforting me. I knew that the dreams would probably be like this for a little while, but I felt at peace that he would be there, every step of the way.

The sun was rising in the distance. With its light guiding the way, Trent and I watched the clouds roll by while we flew over state after state. From up here, the stresses of the world below were nothing to us; like an Angel in flight, there was nothing here but smooth skies, beautiful cloud cover, and a sunrise that brought tears to my eyes.

“That’s so beautiful,” I murmured to him.

“It really is,” Trent nodded.

The tip of his index finger slid beneath my chin, and he gazed down deep into my eyes. We stared into one another, our gaze as unbreakable as our bond. This man had saved me the night that we met. While his intentions had been different back then, I could see no traces of rampant lust or ulterior motives in his soul.

He simply loved me with all his heart.

“I love you, Trent,” I whispered.

“Angel, my darling… I love you too.”

As we kissed, the sun’s early rays illuminating the heavens beyond, I knew that no matter what the future brought… with Trent Masters in my life, I was finally home.

Chapter 35

Trent

Six days.

That’s how long it took to put the asshole in jail. Her mother tried to play completely ignorant. For her sake, I hoped she didn’t know what that man did to Angel. I was just glad to know we wouldn’t be seeing him again anytime soon.

We’d finally settled in, our home free of the police and the media who’d been storming this place since we got back. Angel had finally calmed down. Her sleeping fits had relaxed, and she woke up refreshed for the first time since I found her again.

The experience had drained me, too, although not nearly as much. To my surprise and satisfaction, I didn’t hear a peep out of Steven, nor the rest of the band.

There would be time for them soon.

However, there were much more important things on my mind for the time being. I hadn’t dreamed of being physical with Angel for a while after such a harrowing, traumatic experience, but she’d started showing hints that she was ready for things to return to normal between us.

That’s why, the first day after she woke up refreshed, I took her out for a day of calming and relaxation. While she was enjoying a therapeutic day of mud baths, massages, and mani-pedis, I took care of a few errands – mainly, striking the fear of God into the traitors who had almost separated us forever.

Once I’d come home confident that I wouldn’t have any more surprises like that, I took a dip in the pool and a relaxing shower. There were things she and I needed to discuss, but I still wanted the night to be one that she would always remember.

I half-dragged Angel around through the door and across the house. She struggled to keep up with me, but didn’t spe

ak a word of complaint. Sliding the back patio door open, and we stepped out on the topless porch. There wasn’t a cloud across the night sky, exposing all the twinkling stars in all their glory.

She instinctively placed her hands against the bannister lining, her back towards me. As she delicately but casually steadied herself, my hands fell upon her beautiful shoulders.

“Is everything ok?” she asked quietly.