Page 134 of Angel

‘You need to get away from him,’ she snarled, her expression twisting with pure malice. ‘He’s mine.’

I blinked as realization crashed over me like a tidal wave.

Angel’s midnight absences, the relentless phone notifications, his icy distance across our dinner table.

It all made perfect sense.

He was betraying me with my own sister.

‘I’ve got to go,’ I whispered.

I rushed from the room, bursting out into the narrow concrete hallway.

Evangeline’s wild giggling followed me as I raced on.

I could scarcely breathe; the air felt thin, suffocating my lungs as tears flooded my eyes.

I was about to round a corner near the loading dock when I caught the sound of familiar voices and slowed.

On hearing Angel’s timbre, I froze.

‘Hey Deacon, seen Roxy?’ he rasped.

‘Nah, man, but I bumped into Evangeline, right here, about ten minutes ago.’

‘Evangeline?’

‘She said she was looking for Roxy to tell her that you and she were back on, a couple again.’

I peeked around the bend and caught sight of Angel near the stage door, his jaw rigid as Deacon confronted him.

My hands involuntarily squeezed my clutch and award as angst lanced me.

‘Why are you doing this, man?’ Deacon demanded in a tense, furious whisper. ‘Why are you risking your entire career and your marriage to a good woman for a sister who cared nothing for you?’

Angel stepped forward, his sculpted face glowering.

‘From the moment I met her, I promised Evangeline I’d never leave her alone.’

My world detonated.

Blood rushed to my ears, and I was unable to hear anything more.

With a silent gasp, I rushed away.

Heat racing, soul breaking.

The confession broke all hope I’d held onto.

It seemed his lovemaking, the private hopes I harbored for our relationship, our baby, our future, meant nothing.

All of it was a complete lie.

He was still chained to her.

I lurched in a blind panic until I found and fled through the venue’s exit doors, running unthinkingly into the dark, pouring rain.

Sleet dashed against the windowpanes as I stepped out of an Uber and let myself into Angel’s house.